Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
2 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
One area that has been talked about is the ability of scrutiny bodies to take decisions, and the challenge in London is that there has to be a two-thirds majority to make a decision. The suggestion was made that this could be changed and be brought in line with other authorities, so that we have sim…
Will the Minister give way?
Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
Peter Mandelson: Government Appointment
This is probably a useful speech to intervene on, due to my striking resemblance to Tom Cruise. [ Laughter. ] The key point in that scenario was about responsibility. Labour Members are probably lucky that Sadiq Khan has cancelled all the tubes today, otherwise they might be under another transport …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
21 April 2026
2 contributions
Gibraltar: UK-EU Treaty
10. If she will publish a timetable for the implementation of the UK-EU treaty in respect of Gibraltar.
I ask the House to note my relatively recent visit to Gibraltar, which is declared in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
The naval base in Gibraltar is of high strategic importance and the decision to allow the Spanish authorities to monitor equipment going to the British military is hig…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 April 2026
Hammersmith Bridge
On that point, how does the hon. Lady feel about the funding that TfL offered for the reopening of the bridge? To my mind, as a former member of the London Assembly, it has not been sufficient over the last 10 years.
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 April 2026
Ground-mounted Solar Panels: Alternatives
My hon. Friend is making a characteristically brilliant speech—the jokes get better each time we hear them. Does he agree that there are other types of provision? My area of interest is space-based solar power provision, which could provide the same sorts of solutions without taking up precious agri…
Commons
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
Topical Questions
T5. The Government’s connectivity tool classifies land proposed for development at Biggin Hill and Hayes Farm as equally well connected as the Greenwich peninsula. This is utterly nonsensical. Does the Minister recognise that the Government’s housing targets for the London borough of Bromley are bot…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 March 2026
Engagements
Q15. As we move towards the Easter recess, I am sure the Prime Minister’s thoughts are turning to the miracle of resurrection. My constituents have asked me to resurrect something: cash in shops. One in seven shops in the past year has moved to being cashless. That risks leaving behind those on low …
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 March 2026
Proposed Visitor Levy
As ever, my right hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. One of the concerns that businesses have is that this policy was not in the Government’s manifesto, so they are now trying to prepare for something that has come as a surprise. There has been no consultation on this levy, so by introducing…
Commons
Proceedings
24 March 2026
Defence
I will not repeat the excellent points that have been made by hon. and right hon. Members, but I will focus on one specific point: the country’s technological capacity, which is being delayed because of the delay to the defence investment plan. Some 8% of UK GDP—£454 billion—is reliant on satellite …
Commons
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
2 contributions
Household Energy Bills
24. What steps his Department is taking to help reduce household energy bills.
The Secretary of State promised that Great British Energy would lead to a “mind-blowing” reduction in bills. Can he confirm how much the average family has saved as a result specifically of Great British Energy?
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Rail Connections to London: Rural Towns
The hon. Member is making an excellent speech, and I empathise with her, because communities in Biggin Hill in my constituency are also completely without a railway station. Although the distance to Biggin Hill is 12 miles as the crow flies, it takes an absolute age to get there. Does she agree that…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 March 2026
Topical Questions
T3. During the recent London elections, Sadiq Khan made a manifesto pledge not to close Bromley’s 24-hour police counter, so Bromley’s 24-hour police counter is obviously now closed. Does the Minister think that the closure of this vital service is good for my constituents or the safety of the commu…
Commons
Proceedings
18 March 2026
Student Loans
A particularly pressing issue of concern is youth unemployment, which has skyrocketed to record levels on Labour’s watch, with the unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds at nearly 16%. Failing the youth of this country is tantamount to abandoning our future. It is because of the political choices …
Commons
Debate
18 March 2026
Fuel Duty
My constituents have borne the brunt of Labour’s slew of anti-motorist policies. The impending rise in fuel duty is yet another attack on Bromley motorists. Some 80% of households in Bromley and Biggin Hill have at least one car or van—significantly higher than the Greater London average—and driving…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 March 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
I am asking this question on behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch and Upminster (Julia Lopez), the shadow Secretary of State, who cannot be here today, but wants the House to know how important this issue is to her. The lobular moon shot project is a plan to fund critical research into…
I thank the Secretary of State for that response. She should know that, on 22 April, vigils will be held across Westminster for the 22 women diagnosed with this insidious disease every day. I thank her for that commitment to work with the Health Secretary between now and then so that we can highligh…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 March 2026
Royal Mail: Performance
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Exmouth and Exeter East (David Reed) on securing this important debate. Like all Members here, I have received a significant amount of correspondence from constituents—by email, I hasten to add—who…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Child Maintenance Service
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing the debate. We are all here because we have been inundated with issues and complaints about the CMS. One of the things I hear about over and over again is the lack of communication. Does the hon. Member agree that if the CMS got the communication right, som…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Rural Roads
As my hon. Friend knows, he is also the Member of Parliament for my mother-in-law, so I congratulate him on all his hard work. [ Interruption. ] Check the words: I said nothing wrong. One issue hitting rural areas is, of course, road works, because residents cannot just take the next left or right t…
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
Commonwealth Day 2026
The hon. Gentleman is making an excellent speech and I congratulate him on bringing it to the Chamber today. On our joint bonds, I represent Bromley and Biggin Hill, and RAF Biggin Hill played a crucial part in the second world war when it was stocked full of pilots from the Commonwealth, so it is n…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 March 2026
3 contributions
UK-based Tech Companies
I beg to move,
That this House has considered Government support for UK-based tech companies.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I am pleased to have secured this debate.
It is hard to measure the true economic value of the technology sector in the UK, but I think we can…
I have a list of Government follies here, if the hon. Member would like me to pass them on. In all seriousness, I completely agree with him on the importance of the industry and those jobs, and I am sure that the Minister will pick that up when he responds.
To give an example of the issues with the…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
9 March 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
To enhance my right hon. Friend’s point, I have been running a survey in my constituency and the vast majority of respondents and parents have said that they support the concept of a simple age limit on social media, because of these particularly harmful algorithms. Does my right hon. Friend agree t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 March 2026
Social Cohesion Action Plan
I welcome that the strategy acknowledges that antisemitism, an increasingly concerning issue, is being normalised in many corners of society. Indeed, 2025 saw the second highest annual total ever recorded for anti-Jewish hate incidents, at 3,700. What action is the Secretary of State taking to prote…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 March 2026
2 contributions
Type 1 Diabetes: Infant Testing
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship for the first time, Sir Alec. With NHS England set to be abolished, how does the hon. Member suggest the Government ensure that awareness for testing for type 1 diabetes continues? Does she agree that it should not be left to fall by the wayside or b…
My hon. Friend is making an excellent and passionate speech. I think we all here agree that we need to do more to ensure that those with type 1 diabetes get the support they need. While we are here, does she share my concern that 90% of people diagnosed with diabetes are diagnosed with type 2 diabet…
Commons
Debate
12 February 2026
3 contributions
Rural Mobile Connectivity
I congratulate the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) on securing this debate and thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting it. I also thank all hon. Members for their valuable contributions.
The previous Conservative Government understood the importance of UK-wide mobile and…
It is sad, but with Valentine’s day just around the corner, perhaps there is the opportunity to reconnect. [ Interruption. ] It is my first time as a Front Bencher! It was good to hear from the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies), who is having similar issues with Vodafone. Can I suggest that s…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
3 contributions
Inner-London Local Authorities: Funding
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes) on securing this important debate.
Let me start by expressing my agreement with colleagues from outer London. Local authorities are in a perilous position, and h…
Will the Minister give way?
+1 more contribution in this session