Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
12 January 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
I am concerned about the villages in my most beautiful constituency of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket; there, people tell me that they are increasingly concerned about the lack of affordable housing in rural communities. What steps is the Minister taking to increase the supply of affordable housing …
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 January 2026
2 contributions
Call for General Election
I believe I just heard the hon. Member say that there had been a petition with 3 million signatures last year and one with 1 million signatures this year. If that is correct, does that mean that the number of people calling for an election has fallen by two thirds?
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward. It is lovely to see so many hon. Members on the Opposition Benches—that is unusual in a Westminster Hall debate.
I am a new politician, but I like elections. I like them very much, especially if I can talk about the health service. I like …
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
I am delighted to inform the Secretary of State that the long-awaited footbridge with lifts has finally been installed at Stowmarket station and is due to be commissioned very soon—
But indeed. [ Laughter. ] There remain several hazardous crossings on the busy east-west line between Ipswich and Cambridge, including at Thurston, where pedestrians are obliged to walk across the track. Does the Secretary of State agree that we must support all initiatives to improve the safety of …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
7 January 2026
Ukraine and Wider Operational Update
I welcome the Government’s statement this evening. I am proud that Suffolk is home to one of the largest air bases in the country. British military families have been in contact with me this afternoon as they are alarmed at the deterioration in the security situation. What reassurance can the Secret…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
Less Survivable Cancers
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Member for Wokingham (Clive Jones) for securing this debate. Cancer remains a most feared word. We doctors have learned to use all sorts of other words: “growths”, “tumours” and suchlike. There are relatives who will tell us…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 January 2026
Venezuela
There is a central question here, which can be simply put: if we do not condemn the American actions in Venezuela, what is to stop dictators around the world acting in a similar way against our allies and our interests? Does the Secretary of State agree that rules do matter?
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
5 January 2026
Topical Questions
T4. Happy new year, Mr Speaker. My visit to France with the Select Committee on Home Affairs exposed the reality on the beaches: French officers facing pitched battles against violent smuggling gangs to stop hazardous boats launching. Many of the crossings are successfully thwarted. Does the Minis…
Commons
Proceedings
11 December 2025
Business of the House
Many of us are concerned about the progress of the assisted dying or Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill in the other place. There appears to be an orchestrated filibuster in progress to defy the will of the elected Chamber; many amendments have been tabled, including amendments demanding pregn…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 December 2025
Resident Doctors: Industrial Action
I congratulate our own frontline team, because this is a great deal. I came to Parliament partly to speak up for our NHS, and I have spoken in many debates. I have also trained many surgeons over the years, and I know that my fellow surgeons will be up for this deal. College presidents will support …
Commons
Proceedings
8 December 2025
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban
Does the Minister agree that at the heart of this matter is the question of the truth, and the question of whether the deliberation of the safety advisory group at Birmingham city council was compromised or prejudiced?
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Digital ID
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward. I think I am the first person to speak today who is a supporter of digital ID. However, I agree with many of the objections raised by some colleagues; they are reasonable arguments and echo what many of my constituents have told me. Simon f…
I will not just now.
I agree with all those arguments, but why do I support digital ID? Because I believe that those arguments are about the practicalities of how we implement digital ID, as opposed to the principle of whether we should have digital ID in the first place.
It should be entirely pos…
Commons
Proceedings
4 December 2025
Local Elections
Unlike many Opposition Members, I welcome this announcement, for I know that the people of Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket will want the Government to get this process right. Does the Minister agree that we are not cancelling anything; we are simply postponing the mayoral elections, so that we can ge…
Commons
Proceedings
27 November 2025
Business of the House
My colleague, Professor Malcolm Reed, the former chair of the Medical Schools Council, has been trying to address the serious issue of sexual misconduct in medical schools. When students undertake placements in NHS or other non-university settings, an accountability gap exists, as they fall outside …
Commons
Oral Questions
House of Commons Commission
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Palace of Westminster: School Visits
1. What steps the Commission has taken to enable more schools to visit the Palace of Westminster.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. During a recent visit to the Westgate community primary school in Bury St Edmunds, I was asked by a very bright eight-year-old whether Parliament could pass a law to make it snow more often. I was very struck by this suggestion, which was in some ways much more…
Commons
Debate
26 November 2025
Budget Resolutions
Does my hon. Friend acknowledge that the cost of clinical negligence claims in maternity services is now greater than the cost of maternity services?
Commons
Proceedings
20 November 2025
Russian Ship Yantar
The sight of this sinister ship snooping around our shores strikes alarm. How can we be confident of the security of our vital undersea communication cables and what, without compromising our security, is plan B if they are severed?
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Topical Questions
T7. At a recent church hall meeting in Elmswell—yet another quintessential Suffolk village—a number of my constituents raised concerns about the local railway crossing. This rapidly growing village relies on an outdated level crossing, creating enormous hold-ups that are inconvenient at best and d…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
2 contributions
Bus Services
16. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of bus services in rural areas.
At a lively church hall meeting in Barningham, which is a quintessential Suffolk village, a number of my constituents raised concerns about the state of rural bus provision. They highlighted not only the infrequency of the services, but the fact that the buses are larger than demand requires; many s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
13 November 2025
2 contributions
Violence against Women and Girls
4. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.
In my constituency, I recently visited an inspirational charity called Restore, which provides vital refuge for women fleeing domestic abuse. When I spoke with the dedicated staff there, I was concerned to learn that victims of domestic abuse in rural areas such as parts of my constituency are only …
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
Remembrance Day: Armed Forces
Sergeant Archie Schlapobersky, of the 12th Field Squadron of the South African Corps attached to the British 8th Army, fought at Monte Cassino, the bloody battle for Italy. Nearly 12,000 of his fellow South African soldiers—all volunteers—did not survive world war two. Archie became a farmer in Swaz…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Drone Procurement
We have all witnessed the devastating effect of mass drone attacks, and MPs could see for themselves the sinister looking Iranian Russian drone that was here in Parliament only last week. What measures is the Ministry taking to develop a strategy in this country to defend ourselves from such a mass …
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
China Spying Case
I am listening carefully to what the Minister is saying, but can we be informed how MPs today are to be further protected from foreign intelligence services?
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
28 October 2025
Topical Questions
Mr Yaxley-Lennon, aka T. Robinson, has been fêted in Israel at the invitation of a Government Minister, while the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, aka Dr Peter Prinsley—a British Jew, a member of the Board of Deputies and a vocal supporter of the Israeli people in Parliament—has been …
Commons
Debate
23 October 2025
2 contributions
Black History Month
This week, it was reported that the hon. Member for Weald of Kent (Katie Lam), who is herself a descendant of Dutch Jews, and whose family lost members during the Holocaust, spoke about the desirability of creating a “culturally coherent” society, and her plan to return many UK residents to their “h…
Sadly, my experience as a consultant in a rural part of England is that, shockingly, some patients are still reluctant to see black doctors and nurses. Although my hon. Friend is talking about the experience of patients, I think we also must consider the attitudes of patients towards our staff and t…