Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 July 2026
Engagements
Q2. It was an honour to march with people from across Watford on a peace walk in my constituency recently. Earlier this year, we saw an attack on our high street. A fire was lit at a Jewish-owned shop, and the shop was sprayed with antisemitic graffiti. Additionally, mosques in Watford have been sub…
Commons
Proceedings
15 July 2026
Oral Answers to Questions
Q2. It was an honour to march with people from across Watford on a peace walk in my constituency recently. Earlier this year, we saw an attack on our high street. A fire was lit at a Jewish-owned shop, and the shop was sprayed with antisemitic graffiti. Additionally, mosques in Watford have been sub…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
13 July 2026
2 contributions
High Streets Organised Crime Unit
9. What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the high streets organised crime unit.
I thank the Secretary of State for her answer. Residents in my constituency of Watford are concerned about crime on the high street, whether that is theft, antisocial drinking and drug use, or violence and hate crime. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is only thanks to this Labour Government t…
Commons
Debate
2 July 2026
Access to Further Education
This Government have rightly made capital investment decisions for the long term. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is vital to properly plan further education provision with the skills and jobs needed for long-term growth in infrastructure?
Commons
Debate
22 June 2026
2 contributions
Armed Forces Bill
Does my hon. Friend agree that the compassion and dedication of community volunteers in supporting our veterans is second to none? I certainly extend my gratitude to Lauren Fox and Luther Blissett, who support people in my constituency of Watford with an invaluable level of help.
I recently visited a 92-year-old constituent in Watford who had been terribly concerned about the state of the housing provided for her grandson, which is obviously a consequence of the previous Government’s tenure. As a result of the work of this Labour Government, his housing situation is greatly …
Commons
Debate
26 March 2026
Business of the House
The Government are committed to effective cross-departmental working, yet my constituent Suzi has had tremendous problems getting different agencies to work together simply to get an effective wheelchair delivered to her home. Does the Leader of the House agree that cross-agency working needs to imp…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 March 2026
Engagements
Q10. The Government have shown that they take seriously justice and violence against women and girls. In my constituency, I have been made aware of a case in which two children of a convicted paedophile have been trying to change their surname but cannot, because both parents have to agree. They …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
4 March 2026
Engagements
Q14. Last week, in my constituency of Watford, several amazing charities held their annual sleep-out to raise awareness of homelessness. People sign up to sleep outside at Watford football ground. More than 120 people raised over £15,000 of vital funding and more than 200 attended including the volu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 February 2026
UK-German Relations
It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Sir Mark Hendrick) for securing this important debate.
I want to make a few comments about the relationship between Watford and Mainz, Germany. There was a twinning relationship between our t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
4 February 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
This Labour Government are making great strides in deploying digital technologies to provide access to public services and bring them bang up to date. Will my right hon. Friend please outline how this will benefit the residents of my constituency of Watford, while also offering some reassurance to t…
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
2 contributions
Covid-19: Financial Support
I worked in health and social care during the covid pandemic, so I did not experience furlough—in fact, we worked very hard indeed. Some of the excluded self-employed people that the hon. Member refers to are still suffering today. Does she agree that they are paying the price for the previous Gover…
Covid-19 clearly had an enormous impact on the economy of the world and the UK. In terms of preparing ourselves for any future threat under these circumstances, does my hon. Friend agree that the fraud and corruption facilitated by the previous Government was an absolute disgrace? It is up to this L…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
15 January 2026
2 contributions
Persecuted Christians Abroad
1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.
I thank my hon. Friend for her answer. I received many Christmas cards from residents in my Watford constituency who support the Open Doors campaign and are concerned about the persecution of Christians around the world. I have also met representatives of congregations in my constituency. Does she a…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
14 January 2026
Engagements
The staff at West Hertfordshire teaching hospitals NHS trust, which operates Watford general hospital in my constituency, have been very busy bees. They recently won trust of the year and a performance recovery award at the 2025 Health Service Journal awards. Will the Prime Minister join me in congr…
Commons
Debate
6 January 2026
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill
On the attack on the NHS, I worked for 10 years in health and social care prior to being elected to this place, so I witnessed that attack taking place, and nothing could give a starker demonstration of the impact on productivity that cyber-attacks have on our country and our society. There was a me…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
2 contributions
Magistrates
14. What steps his Department is taking to support magistrates.
I thank the Minister for her answer. I recently had the opportunity to visit the county and family court in Watford, and while there I talked to them about the challenge of finding sufficient staff. Does my hon. and learned Friend agree that staffing is what makes magistrates courts and family court…
Commons
Debate
26 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley (Robbie Moore). I thank and congratulate my right hon. Friend the Chancellor, on behalf of my fellow residents in Watford and Bushey North. The Chancellor has made the tough decisions needed to get Britain’s future back, just as we p…
Commons
Debate
20 November 2025
International Men’s Day
First, I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for giving an incredibly moving introduction to this debate. International Men’s Day, which is held on 19 November but which we debate today, is a wonderful chance to celebrate all that is good about men and boys and …
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
19 November 2025
2 contributions
UK-EU Agreement on Trade from Northern Ireland
5. What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recent UK-EU agreement on trade from Northern Ireland.
Does the Secretary of State agree that aligning safety standards and cutting red tape—checks and paperwork—is precisely the kind of support for growth and trade that this Government promised to deliver for business when they were elected last year?
Commons
Debate
3 November 2025
Care Leavers
Leaving care can be extremely challenging. In Watford, Hertfordshire’s local authority provides support with housing, finance, education and training, health and relationships, and wellbeing, but does my hon. Friend agree that all these services have to work really well not just independently but ha…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 November 2025
Video Games: Consumer Law
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for securing this important debate. As we are all making declarations, I should say I am a self-confessed fan of survival horror games. Does my hon. Friend agree that the evolution of video games over the years to include an onli…
Commons
Debate
23 October 2025
Black History Month
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Minister for Equalities, and the Mother of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott), on their excellent speeches, as well as my hon. Friends the Members for Brent East (Dawn Butler), for Clapham and Brixton Hill (B…
Commons
Westminster Hall
22 October 2025
Financial Inclusion
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate. Does he agree that the publication of the Government’s financial inclusion strategy is welcome, given the urgency of the circumstances that many people face? For example, 37,000 people are affected in my constituency of Watford, and we…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
10 September 2025
2 contributions
Online Safety Act 2023: Effectiveness
2. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in reducing children’s exposure to harmful online content.
It is so gratifying to see a Watfordian at the Dispatch Box. In my constituency of Watford, parents and families are rightly pleased with the protections being afforded to children and vulnerable people through the Online Safety Act 2023. We would not allow a child to get into a car and drive down t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 September 2025
Future of Terrestrial Television
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I thank the right hon. Member for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (David Mundell) for securing this important debate. Early in my career, prior to my election here, I spent 15 years working at the BBC, so I remember well the UK dig…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
2 contributions
Gaza: Ceasefire
8. What steps he is taking to support a ceasefire in Gaza.
My constituency of Watford is a richly ethnically diverse community. When I speak to residents there about the conflict in Gaza, the overwhelming desire is for the killing to stop, for the hostages to be released and for the people of Gaza to be able to live in peace. Will the Secretary of State fur…