Commons
Westminster Hall
15 July 2026
Regional Accents and Social Mobility
I am sure I’ll be using a slightly different accent this evening when watching the football—a few expletives might come out as I shout at the TV. Does my hon. Friend agree that a part of public life is being authentic? One way to build trust and authenticity is to just be ourselves. That is importan…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2026
2 contributions
Support for Pig Farmers
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher.
My constituency spans Doncaster and North Lincolnshire—two very proud agricultural areas with a long and important connection to British pig farming. We are part of a region at the heart of British pork production. Yorkshire and th…
The hon. Lady has my full support—and, I am pretty sure, that of my farmers.
My farmers have told me how much this issue matters to them. When consumers can easily identify British pork, they actively choose to buy it. That supports British farms, British jobs and our rural communities, while rewar…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
13 July 2026
2 contributions
Animal Testing
8. What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the authorisation of 1,250,687 animals to be used in 90 projects over the next five years through licences granted between January to March 2026 under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The statistics published just last week show that 2.45 million scientific procedures involving animals were carried out in Great Britain in 2025. That represents a decrease of just 4% compared with 2024, but a 9% increase in experiments on dogs, and a 13% increase on those using monkeys. Does the Mi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 July 2026
Societal Impact of AI: Government Policy
The last time we saw a change of such potential scale was when we moved from being a manufacturing economy to being more of a service economy. There were trade-offs at that time, and some people, cities, towns and villages were left behind—including in my constituency. Does my hon. Friend agree that…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 July 2026
Government Support for Bus Services: West Dorset
Interconnectivity goes across not just buses but other modes of transport such as trains. There is a petition in one of my rural areas where, pre-covid, trains ran every 30 minutes; that is now every two hours, and there is a big gap in the middle of the day. Does the hon. Member agree that we need …
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 July 2026
UK Aid Policy: Global Funding Trends
I am the chair of the water, sanitation and hygiene all-party parliamentary group and a big champion of WaterAid’s “Time to Deliver” campaign. One million mums and babies lose their lives each year because of a lack of access to water during childbirth. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that, in l…
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 July 2026
Future of British Horseracing
I am also a member of the APPG chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Walton (Dan Carden), and I have a couple of points to make. The first is about the cherished memories horseracing gives us, which I have had since I was a young lad. My mum’s cousin had the Prince of Wales pub at Newma…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 July 2026
Flood Insurance: Reform of Flood Re
The Minister will be aware that I spent most of my career supporting the most vulnerable people in communities that had been flooded, and helping them to find ways to support their mental health. It is not unknown for many of them to have post-traumatic stress disorder post floods. That can be broug…
Commons
Westminster Hall
29 June 2026
2 contributions
NHS Breast Screening
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) on introducing the debate, and I thank everyone who signed the petition. Behind every signature is a person, a family member or a friend, who has face…
My hon. Friend makes a valid point. The environment that people first walk into makes a massive difference in how they feel about their screening. I went to one of those units with my wife only a couple of weeks ago—she had a lump in her breast—and the warm welcome that she got as we walked in was s…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 June 2026
2 contributions
Prison Safety
Does my hon. Friend agree that prison safety cannot be separated from mental health? When inmates are in crisis, they can self-harm and there is a potential risk of dying through suicide. It can affect the safety of staff and other prisoners, too. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to tackle phy…
I know that the Minister is a huge champion of mental health, and of men’s and boys’ mental health in particular. In my constituency, I have the Moorland, Lindholme and Hatfield prisons. Will he join me in celebrating the amazing work being done by the Samaritans in those prisons to support people, …
Commons
Debate
22 June 2026
2 contributions
British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that whatever we do with the BCSSS surplus, we should do with the mineworkers’ pension scheme as well? We must ensure that mineworkers are looked after, and that the surplus goes back to the scheme’s members, too.
The Minister talked earlier about putting the wrongs right, and those decisions that will be made in the future will hopefully do just that, but once that is done, we want to make sure that they are future-proofed for everyone, regardless of what happens in the future. Will the Minister also commit …
Commons
Debate
9 June 2026
2 contributions
Road Safety: West Midlands
Likewise in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, we have a clear picture of where our hotspot areas are. The hon. Lady spoke earlier about having teeth and the ability to proactively plan and work with councils and National Highways to ensure that we tackle these problems and prevent accidents fr…
On schools, it is not just about speeding, is it? One the biggest issues is parking outside schools. We need to find a way to help schools to move parents on, or to have others come in—relevant organisations, the police force or National Highways—to support them. We need to give them the teeth or th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2026
Small Towns: Transport Links
Does my hon. Friend agree that, when we think about growth, we need to think about being strategic in how we connect all our railways, buses and so on? A new airport is going to be opening in Doncaster. We need to be thinking about the future and how we connect that to the rail network as we go forw…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2026
Youth Mental Health Support
My hon. Friend is making a great speech. I would like to raise awareness of paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus, conditions caused by an abnormal immune response that results in brain inflammation and lea…
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 June 2026
Community Pharmacies
I recently visited Weldricks pharmacy in Rossington and saw the amazing work done by the team there. My constituency is in quite a rural area and provision is patchy. Does the hon. Member agree that it would be good to map all community pharmacies, understand where there are gaps, and make targeted …
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
1 June 2026
2 contributions
Cadet Forces
10. What steps he is taking to support cadet forces.
I welcome the announcement of the first National Cadets Week, and I look forward to the new cadets action plan and the long-term vision for cadet forces. The figures released last week showing that more than 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training are deeply worrying, bot…
Commons
Debate
1 June 2026
2 contributions
Coastal Communities: Government Support
Will the Minister give way?
We cannot talk about coastal communities and health without talking about safety, and particularly water safety. Over the past couple of weeks, when we have had hot weather, at least 17 people are known to have died by drowning, many of them children and young adults. Will the Minister talk to other…
Commons
Debate
20 May 2026
Banking Hubs
I have had the pleasure of opening two banking hubs, in Rossington and in Thorne, and have seen the success that they have brought to the area. However, I also have the Isle of Axholme—a rural area—in my constituency, and access to cash is really important for financial inclusion, local businesses, …
Commons
Debate
18 May 2026
2 contributions
Audiology Services: Doncaster
I agree with my hon. Friend that the audiology action day was phenomenal, and that those in the audiology services at Doncaster royal infirmary are doing everything they can to improve the service that they offer my constituents, who are their patients. I have been exploring other opportunities; for…
My hon. Friend the Member for Bassetlaw (Jo White) mentioned dementia. This is Dementia Action Week. The ability to hear is so important, not just for the obvious reasons, but in the broader context of dementia. This is about dignity and being able to enjoy precious moments. The Alzheimer’s Society …
Commons
Westminster Hall
28 April 2026
2 contributions
National Accident Prevention Strategy
One of the gaps that we consistently see is in water safety, where interventions are often reactive rather than preventive. Following the tragic death of a young boy in a reservoir local to me in Yorkshire, I have been working on Sam’s law and with organisations such as RoSPA, the Royal Life Saving …
As the Minister mentioned, it is International Workers’ Memorial Day, and trade unions have been here today to make sure we raise awareness of it. This year’s theme is the psychosocial interventions required to support workers and mental health. Will she take the opportunity to remember those we hav…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 April 2026
Animal Testing
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I believe that the time has come to end animal testing in this country, and to do so with urgency, ambition and honesty. This debate has rightly been driven by the public. Some 152 residents across Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme ha…
Commons
Proceedings
20 April 2026
Community-owned Assets: Government Support
The UPP sounds like an absolute cultural gem, and I love anything to do with arts and culture, as a former chair of an arts and culture organisation. The Government have launched the town of culture programme, which will be an amazing way to bring people together. Does my right hon. Friend agree tha…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 April 2026
National Suicide Prevention Standard
My hon. Friend is a true champion for mental health and has been quite an inspiration to me since I have been in Parliament. The standard is an amazing step forward for mental health in the workplace and is hugely welcome. It will save lives and help people in their everyday lives who experience sui…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Rail Connections to London: Rural Towns
In my constituency, four rural stations are served by just one train that comes every two hours. I have been fighting to get a train every hour for those stations and their communities. That train goes to Doncaster, which is a great gateway to London. Does my hon. Friend agree that while it is great…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 March 2026
Rural Roads
My asks to the Minister on rural roads are clear. First, will she ensure that funding frameworks properly recognise rural roads so that roads connecting villages and rural communities are not consistently deprioritised?
Secondly, will she strengthen expectations on the quality and durability of rep…