Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
1 July 2026
Online Safety: Children
This might be the last time we face this ministerial team, but I hope that they will stay, because I know they have done a lot of hard work on online safety. With that in mind, I have recently spoken to students in Harpenden and Berkhamsted, who passionately shared their fears and hopes around AI ch…
Commons
Debate
16 June 2026
4 contributions
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
As the director of the National Cyber Security Centre has said,
“Every organisation delivering the UK’s critical services…relies on uninterrupted digital operations. Disruptions to those operations isn’t simply an IT issue; it’s a…national resilience issue”.
The Liberal Democrats wholeheartedly su…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Petition
16 June 2026
National Planning Policy Framework and Tring
The people of Tring have spoken. This petition, signed by over 500 residents, rejects the top-down, developer-led approach to planning from this Government, which threatens to impose significant large-scale development on their community with little regard for its character, infrastructure or precio…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 June 2026
Social Media Ban for Under-16s
On behalf of children and parents across the country, we welcome the Government finally taking action to keep children safe online. I know how important this issue has been to the Secretary of State. For almost 18 months, the Liberal Democrats—as the first party to force a vote on the issue—have bee…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 June 2026
Russian Shadow Fleet
Standing up to Russia, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and supporting our military depends on our military infrastructure and our defence manufacturing. However, today a roundtable of advanced manufacturers across the whole supply chain has raised very loud alarm bells about the impact of…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
1 June 2026
2 contributions
Defence Bonds
14. If he will take steps with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to issue defence bonds to help increase funding for military capabilities.
My constituent Fraser puts it best when he says,
“At a time when the world is increasingly dark and uncertain, and when the UK’s defence capability is well below the level required”,
defence bonds
“are surely one which would gain support across the political spectrum. I know that I would happily …
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
21 May 2026
Steel Strategy
May I gently but urgently reiterate the previous two questions? Sam, one of my constituents, has raised Dynamic Metals, an independent British supplier working on specialised steel and metals for aerospace and motorsports. We have to champion those industries in this country. From 1 July, his busine…
Commons
Debate
20 May 2026
Defence Readiness
In the two years since the last King’s Speech, and my maiden speech, the world has changed dramatically. The global insecurity we face was always real, but now the insecurity has come to our shores. It is felt in our economy, our homes and our everyday lives, and we are living in a global tinderbox.…
Commons
Oral Questions
Science, Innovation and Technology
20 May 2026
Artificial Intelligence
Having worked across Departments and with my technology counterpart in the Lords, we have published a comprehensive paper on how Britain can thrive in the age of AI. It calls for a digital sovereign strategy and an integrated approach to AI that is bold, responsible, pro-innovation, pro-trust and bu…
Commons
Debate
27 April 2026
2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
You talk about swift action, but actually what you talked about—
I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Minister talks about swift action, but the timelines put forward in the Lords still add up to 21 months before there is action. Does the Minister believe that that is at all swift? I do not think that parents will.
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 April 2026
UK Biobank Data
I, too, thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement, and I join the Government in thanking the volunteers who have given researchers access to deeply personal medical records. A very close family member of mine has recently taken the decision to share medical data—although not with UK Biob…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Business of the House
After years of Conservative failures to do so, Liberal Democrat councils across Harpenden and Berkhamsted are working hard to secure a local plan for housing. However, the Government’s work on top-down planning, which gives Dacorum an increase of about 40% in housing numbers and St Albans an increas…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Topical Questions
Over the Easter weekend, a 6-acre site in the Chilterns national landscape saw a massive unauthorised development. Despite swift action from Dacorum borough council to issue a temporary stop notice and an injunction, the work continued, with the police powerless to stop it and the council without th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 April 2026
Young Adult Carers: Education and Training
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) for securing this important debate. Like many, I think this debate should start with a very strong and clear thank you to carers across this country. Young adult carers are one of the most…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 April 2026
Gambling Advertising
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Members for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) and for Worthing West (Dr Cooper) for securing this debate, and I commend the APPG on gambling reform for its report.
This has been a fascinating exchange. We have been told that t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 April 2026
Cost of Heating Oil
I have a case from Berkhamsted. Louise’s entire estate relies on heating oil, and the price for filling her tank went from £1,080 to £2,500—a more than £1,000 increase—over a weekend. Does my hon. Friend agree that the £35 per household will not touch the sides?
Commons
Petition
24 March 2026
Government Review of the National Planning Policy Framework
The people of Redbourn have spoken loud and clear. This petition, which has been signed by 1,427 residents, rejects the top-down, developer-led planning approach by this Government, which could see the village of Redbourn increased by 70%. Residents are not opposed to housing, but they are rightly a…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
UK Research and Innovation
UK Research and Innovation funding will continue to be undermined if the Government’s own procurement strategy sees billions going to companies outside the UK, such as Palantir in the US, when British tech has the solutions. Although we welcome the announcement of AI investment funding, it pales in …
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 March 2026
Carnivals
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris, and it has been a real pleasure to hear about the different carnivals today; I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) and the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Dan Aldridge) for that. I am sure everyon…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
UK-based Tech Companies
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I commend the hon. Member for Bromley and Biggin Hill (Peter Fortune) on securing this essential debate.
Entrepreneurship is in my blood. Both my parents ran their own businesses. My mum launched the website for her business over 15 years…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 March 2026
Digital ID: Public Consultation
I welcome the Government’s announcement that they have listened to the concerns of the Liberal Democrats and the public about the mandatory system, but the loss of trust resulting from these flip-flopping policies has caused much damage. There remains a question about whether connected systems and b…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Technology Sovereignty
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I massively thank the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah), the Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, not only for securing this debate on one of the biggest issues of our time, but for op…
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
8 contributions
Online Harm: Child Protection
I say gently to the Minister that if he were to look at the Liberal Democrat’s track record over the past few years, he will see that we have worked really hard to put forward concrete proposals about putting online safety first.
No, but we have tried to push that agenda. It is not as if social media came into existence yesterday—Facebook was launched 22 years ago—and the Government brought forward the consultation after pressure from across the House. So I say gently to the Minister that we are trying to work together and t…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
24 February 2026
Topical Questions
Catherine from Redbourn has shared that she has to wait weeks for a GP appointment, yet her village faces an increase in residents of up to 70%, which means thousands of new patients. Some of that is through speculative developments. Does the Minister agree that councils should have the powers to en…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 February 2026
6 contributions
Local Transport: Planning Developments
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the impact of planning developments on local transport.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. Let me start by making something clear: the local people of Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Tring, Redbourn, Sandridge and the surrounding v…
I agree with parts of the hon. Member’s intervention. The developers have armies of legal teams and, as I will come on to, the national legislation is open to interpretation when it comes to roads. Councils are essentially left powerless to enforce the legislation, because developers find the loopho…
+4 more contributions in this session