Commons
Debate
20 January 2026
Holocaust Memorial Bill
Since the horrific attacks of 7 October 2023, we have seen a sharp and sustained increase in antisemitic abuse in Britain. Last year, a report commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews found widespread failures to address anti-Jewish discrimination across public life, including in the NH…
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
Covid-19: Financial Support
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Manuela Perteghella) for securing this important debate. The covid-19 pandemic was undoubtedly one of the most impactful and damaging events to unfold in our lifetimes. Being told to stay inside was incredibly difficult for everyone; people we…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
14 January 2026
Economic Growth
I congratulate the Government on the successful seventh round of the allocation of green energy in contracts for difference, nearly 20% of which are going to Scotland. It is good to see that, even amid their U-turns, a Liberal Democrat system from over a decade ago is still delivering. What discussi…
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
Violence against Women and Girls Strategy
What specific interventions does the strategy propose to reduce repeat offending and to stop abusers having unfettered access to their children, in particular those who are already known to the police and other agencies, when that puts the mother at risk?
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
15 December 2025
NATO: European Security
An individual recruited by the Russian Government recently carried out an arson attack on British soil. That followed the Yantar’s aggressive action against the RAF in the North sea. Does the Minister agree with me that to defend against the growing Russian threat, we need to co-ordinate with our Eu…
Commons
Proceedings
11 December 2025
St Andrew’s Day and Scottish Affairs
It is an honour to speak today at my first St Andrew’s day and Scottish affairs debate as the Liberal Democrats spokes- person for Scotland. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dunfermline and Dollar (Graeme Downie) on securing the debate.
St Andrew’s day, as we have been hearing, is a moment to ref…
Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
4 December 2025
2 contributions
National Resilience
20. What steps he is taking to improve national resilience.
The Russian spy ship Yantar has been probing our infrastructure in the North sea. While doing so, its crew used high-powered lasers against an RAF plane monitoring their activity, threatening the lives of our pilots. What steps are the Government taking to secure our critical strategic infrastructur…
Commons
Debate
3 December 2025
2 contributions
Pension Schemes Bill
I start by thanking my hon. Friends the Members for Torbay (Steve Darling) and for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade), who have clearly devoted a lot of time and care to scrutinising the Bill—along with others, of course—and tabling constructive amendments.
As we have heard, the UK pensions m…
I appreciate the hon. Gentleman’s point, but the important thing is that there is clear guidance for pension funds to make sure we do not assist breaches of international law. I think that would make things very clear, and quite easy for pension funds to understand and implement.
My constituency of…
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
Budget Resolutions
First, I welcome the £820 million increase in funding for Scotland, the largest real-terms settlement Scotland has received. I have no doubt that my constituents will be pleased to hear of the increase, and I can only hope that they will benefit from it.
Today’s theme is investment, and I would lik…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
26 November 2025
Skills, Development and Training: Forth Valley
After 18 years of an SNP Government in Scotland, the education system is failing and qualified Scottish pupils are being turned away from Scottish universities. Meanwhile, the private sector in the west of Scotland, such as at the energy technical academy in my constituency, is upskilling workers, w…
Commons
Debate
20 November 2025
International Men’s Day
I thank the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for bringing forward this debate, but also for sharing his experience.
I am the mother of two young men, and I am very proud of the way they tackle the challenges that life has put in their way with kindness and resilience. Before the debate,…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 November 2025
ExxonMobil: Mossmorran
I agree that this announcement is devastating for Mossmorran and for the communities around Fife. Hundreds of highly skilled workers now face an uncertain future and it is clear that the closure of this cornerstone facility reflects a deeper failure to provide the stable, long-term industrial enviro…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
2 contributions
Renewable Energy Sources: Funding
12. What steps he is taking to provide funding for renewable energy sources.
Across Scotland and the UK, towns that once powered our economy have been left behind, as coalmines, steelworks, dockyards and, as we are now hearing, refineries and chemical plants are closing down, taking generations of skilled workers with them. We now have a chance to revive those communities by…
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 November 2025
Carbon Budget Delivery Plan
I will do my best. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for securing the debate and bringing attention to this matter.
Although some may deny its impact or severity, climate change represents the greatest modern th…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
Support for Disabled Veterans
I want to highlight a technicality that affects veterans who served before 1987. Prior to the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987, veterans were unable to bring compensation claims against the Ministry of Defence. The 1987 Act changed that, but cannot be applied retrospectively, so pre-1987 ve…
Commons
Debate
22 October 2025
Devolution in Scotland
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) for bringing attention to the matter. As my colleagues have made clear, the Liberal Democrats believe in devolution. Our votes pushed it over the line in 1999, delivering a Scottish Parliament and taking decisi…
Commons
Oral Questions
Scotland
22 October 2025
Inheritance Tax Relief: Agriculture Sector
Archibald Young, a foundry in my constituency, manufactures components that are vital to our national security, yet it now faces a devastating blow from Labour’s tax changes. We are hearing that food production—another cornerstone of national security—will also be decimated by these measures. This i…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 October 2025
Engagements
Q9. Calithea Studios in Mid Dunbartonshire is a prime example of a business doing everything the Government ask. The owner of this beauty salon and her three employees each earn less than £30,000 a year, yet the business will pay the Government over £36,000 for the year in VAT, employer’s national i…
Commons
Debate
13 October 2025
Baby Loss
I thank the right hon. and hon. Members who secured the debate, as well as those who have shared their story. Every Member here agrees that the tragedy of losing a child is one of the greatest anyone can face, yet sadly it is all too common an experience; nearly half the population has either experi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 September 2025
2 contributions
Religious Crematoriums
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the provision of religious crematoria.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I am grateful to have secured this important debate on the provision of religious crematoriums and the access issues faced by faith communities across o…
I completely agree with that principle, but our systems are not always designed with it in mind. Delays in death certification, the coronial process and registration services frequently mean that families are unable to bury their loved ones within the required timescale. Some local authorities have …
Commons
Debate
15 September 2025
2 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
My husband suffered a catastrophic brain haemorrhage, which meant that he could not return to his work, but after he began to recover, he started to work again in another job, helped by a zero-hours contract. It meant that if he was not well enough to work, he could agree with his employer that his …
I think we have a difference in how we look at Lords amendment 1. It does not water down the Bill; it adds more flexibility so that people get the opportunity to have the kind of employment that works for them. That is particularly important in an environment where we are trying to get people off di…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
15 September 2025
Topical Questions
T3. Just over a week ago, nearly 1,000 peaceful protesters, including priests and pensioners, were arrested in a single day for opposing the ban on Palestine Action, yet over the weekend, at the Unite the Kingdom protest, 26 police officers were injured and 25 arrests were made. Does the Home Secret…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
11 September 2025
Business of the House
One of my constituents has raised their concerns with me about the SEEMiS software used in the Scottish school system and the ability of staff to alter cases with no record of changes being made. Transparency in our public bodies is vital to the public trusting both our institutions and us. In these…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
10 September 2025
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
I, too, welcome the right hon. Member to her place. Her predecessor, the right hon. Member for Hove and Portslade (Peter Kyle), warned that losing control of artificial general intelligence would be catastrophic, yet he failed to deliver legislation to protect the public. Will the new Secretary of S…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 September 2025
Occupied Palestinian Territories: Humanitarian Access
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank the hon. Member for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy (Melanie Ward) for bringing this important debate to the Minister.
The situation in Palestine has been the single most pressing issue raised with me by my constituents in Mid Dunbarton…