Commons
Westminster Hall
15 December 2025
2 contributions
Online Safety Act 2023: Repeal
I thank the hon. Member for introducing the debate—and, as somebody who shares a house with a Newcastle fan, I thank him for a miserable weekend. It is important that we get the safety elements and aspects of the Online Safety Act correct, but does he agree that it should not be used as a blunt tool…
Childnet has discovered that there has been increased downloading of VPNs by children over the last three months, as adolescents use them to circumvent age verification processes. I was interested to hear what the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson) said—I presume he was referring to…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
Topical Questions
T5. I have recently been contacted by constituents who are concerned that local jobcentres are not doing enough to get people back into work. What more can the Minister do to ensure that sufficient support and training help people back into employment?
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
2 contributions
Unemployment Levels
22. What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment.
I recently heard from Bill Perera, who runs a franchise of McDonald’s in my constituency of Bromley and Biggin Hill. He runs nine restaurants and employs nearly 800 people, 70% of whom are aged 16 to 24. He wants to increase this pathway and opportunity into employment for young people, but he is fi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
Digital ID
Does my hon. Friend agree with me and the thousands of people across Bromley and Biggin Hill who signed the petition that at a time of rising taxation and spiralling debt, the fact that the Government cannot even tell us how much this wretched device will cost exemplifies their irresponsible approac…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
10 contributions
Local Media
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the future of local media.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, I think for the first time, Dr Allin-Khan. I will start by giving hon. Members some reassurance: I intend to give way every time someone asks, because I fully expect this to be …
I will happily give way—the hon. Gentleman wins the prize.
+8 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
24 November 2025
3 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
I will speak today in support of new clauses 64, 65 and 66, all tabled in my name.
As I said on Second Reading, my concern is that the Bill does precious little to strengthen accountability of existing devolved bodies, especially the Greater London Authority. It establishes simple majority voting i…
I thank the hon. Lady for her comments. I have tried hard to ensure that my new clauses are objective and would apply to anybody serving as mayor. If I could be cheeky, I can completely understand why she might not want to limit mayoral powers, being mindful of future ambitions that she might have.
…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 November 2025
Business of the House
Residents of Northpoint in Bromley have suffered eight years of disruption and uncertainty due to work to replace cladding on their building. There is a case of serious water ingress, and they have now been waiting four months for a response from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Govern…
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
Remembrance Day: Armed Forces
I too want to thank the Minister for the Armed Forces, for whom I have huge personal respect. Anyone who wants to take themselves to Wikipedia and have a look through his glittering career will be amazed. I made the mistake of looking earlier and finding out that he was younger than me, which was th…
Commons
Debate
11 November 2025
BBC Leadership
To touch on something that the Secretary of State alluded to earlier, one of the vital services that the BBC provides is supporting local media—an industry that I worked in for 10 years. It does that through its local democracy reporting scheme, which helps bring forward the next generation of journ…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 November 2025
2 contributions
House Building: London
Of course I will, Mr Mundell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French) for securing this debate. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) for his excellent speech, much of which I agreed with, especially about using the TfL space.
The TfL …
I agree with my right hon. Friend. It is worth re-emphasising that the mayor has had responsibility for delivering housing in London for nine years and has fundamentally failed to deliver on his promises.
On weakening green-belt protections, which matters so much to those of us representing outer L…
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
Supporting High Streets
My wonderful constituency of Bromley and Biggin Hill is also home to many SMEs, and they tell me that they are being punished because of the irresponsible decisions taken by this Labour Government. Does my hon. Friend agree?
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
The Mayor of London is making £260 million of cuts to the Metropolitan police, axing 1,700 police officers and staff, removing officers from schools and magistrates courts, and now closing Bromley police station’s front counter overnight. That breaks his manifesto pledge to protect London’s police s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
30 October 2025
Small and Medium-sized Businesses
My constituency has nearly 5,000 SMEs, all of which are facing increasing business rates and taxes, threatening jobs and growth. Will the Minister signal his support for SMEs by following the Conservative party’s lead and completely abolishing business rates for pubs and restaurants on the high stre…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
28 October 2025
Draft Football Governance Act 2025 (Specified Competitions) Regulations 2025
I agree with my hon. Friend strongly that the regulation will impact clubs both large and small, such as Bromley FC in my constituency. The financial impact will be quite onerous, with very little benefit. Would my hon. Friend agree that we should have a review of the impact of the regulator on smal…
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 October 2025
2 contributions
Mandatory Digital ID
Talking about the difference between the public and private sectors, does my hon. Friend agree that it is deeply concerning that, at a time of rising taxation and increasing Government debt, this Government cannot even tell us how much a digital ID scheme would cost?
Will the Minister give way?
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 October 2025
Tree Maintenance: Guidance to Local Authorities
I send my condolences to Chris and his family. Over the past five years, Bromley council has planted around 5,000 street trees and another 800 in parks, all working with residents and schoolchildren. Does my right hon. Friend agree that other local authorities could look to Bromley council for best …
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
Hospitality Sector
The hospitality sector is a major employer in my constituency. In Bromley town centre, in Hayes—which has the excellent New Inn—and in Biggin Hill, Coney Hall, Bickley and Keston, we are lucky to have many fantastic small and independent pubs, cafés and restaurants. However, they are struggling to a…
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
3 contributions
Property Taxes
After a summer of rumoured tax rises, my constituents are deeply concerned. They are already paying more, because Labour broke its promise to freeze council tax, broke its promise not to increase national insurance, and broke its promises to first-time buyers, small businesses and farmers. Thanks to…
I agree that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is causing residents in Bromley and Bexley real financial hardship. However, I in no way believe that this will be the final straw—the final way that the Mayor of London can find to damage my constituents and those of my hon. Friend. I am sure that he ha…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 September 2025
6 contributions
Use of Drones in Defence
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the use of drones in defence.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank colleagues for enabling me to secure this debate.
Contrary to what some people may think, drones are not a new tool. The UK first began testing unmanned a…
It is right that we continue to support Ukraine. Our support of Ukraine is keeping us safe in the west, and we need to redouble our efforts to make sure the brave soldiers and people of Ukraine are well defended.
Drones are now an important part of supply chains and logistics, with Ukraine using gr…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
2 September 2025
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
This Bill is supposed to be the Government’s flagship piece of legislation to empower England’s cities, regions and communities, but there is disappointingly little in it about strengthening accountability in existing devolved bodies, especially the Greater London Authority.
It is right that power …
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
18 June 2025
Engagements
Bishop Challoner school has been helping to educate Bromley pupils for nearly 75 years, but it will close its doors in July due to Labour’s decision to impose VAT on independent schools. Given the Deputy Prime Minister’s well-publicised views on independent schools, does she welcome this closure or …
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 June 2025
Business Rates Relief: High-street Businesses
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge (Sir Gavin Williamson) for securing the debate. I agree with nearly everything he said, with one notable exception: the constituency with the finest high stree…
Commons
Debate
7 May 2025
Havering Borough and Essex Devolution
I commend my hon. Friend on an excellent speech. Does he agree that boroughs such as mine—Bromley—face many of the frustrations that his constituents in Havering face, and that we are also contributing huge amounts of money to the Mayor of London?