Commons
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Business of the House
May I ask the Leader of the House to welcome the new owners of Harlow Town football club to their role after a period of uncertainty, when the club went into administration. As I know he is a fan of football teams that play in red and white, will he join me in wishing Harlow Town football club, ofte…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
2 contributions
Public Procurement
13. What steps he is taking to reform public procurement.
Happy St George’s day, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his earlier remarks on procurement, and I agree that £400 billion of public spending is a significant lever that this Labour Government have to better support businesses across our country. How will the Minister and his colleagues across Go…
Commons
Westminster Hall
23 April 2026
2 contributions
Young Adult Carers: Education and Training
I beg to move,
That this House has considered access to education and training for young adult carers.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. Before I start, I want to declare that I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for young carers and young adult carers. Thr…
I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for his powerful contribution and for recognising the sacrifice that young carers and young adult carers make. As the Minister said, he made it personal and very real for us. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Chris Bloore) for his co…
Commons
Debate
22 April 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
I thank the Minister for giving way; she is being generous with her time, as always. I declare an interest as a member of the Select Committee. I hope that I do not steal the thunder of the Chair of the Select Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes), who is si…
Commons
Debate
22 April 2026
Pension Schemes Bill
I do not claim to be a huge expert on pensions, which may be why, rather than focusing on the point last week, I made comments about the hair of the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mark Garnier). I will not do so again—but it is fantastic hair.
Pensioners in my constituency are pa…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 April 2026
Pension Schemes
I join my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) in welcoming Andy back to the Speaker’s Office. He is a shoulder to cry on after Harlow Town’s recent results.
I thank the Paymaster General for his statement, which is hugely important to residents of Harlow, including veterans …
Commons
Debate
22 April 2026
Government Procurement Strategy
I thank the Minister for his response to the urgent question tabled by the hon. Member for Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham). Can the Minister tell the House how this Labour Government’s reforms to public procurement will unlock hundreds of …
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
5 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I thank the Minister and the shadow Minister for opening the debate.
I oppose Lords amendment 11, but I do recognise its merits. Let me begin, however, by talking about the wider issue of fly-tipping, which is an absolute bugbear of mine. When I go canvassing, or indeed when I visit Harlow Town foo…
I do not know much about Staffordshire’s police and crime commissioner, but I absolutely take on board what my hon. Friend says. If that is the case, it is hugely disappointing. It is hugely important that police and crime commissioners across the country take seriously all parts of the areas they r…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Victims and Courts Bill
I apologise to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), because I have just beat him to an intervention. Can I put on the record my thanks to the Minister for her work on this Bill? Whether we agree on different parts of the Bill, nobody in this Chamber or the other place could fail to recognis…
Commons
Debate
16 April 2026
3 contributions
Modernisation Committee Report: Access to the House of Commons
I thank the Leader of the House, the shadow Leader of the House and the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip—I have no doubt that she will thrash me in the London marathon in 10 days’ time—for starting the debate. I join the Leader of the House in paying tribute to the former Leader of the House, my right ho…
Do you want more? Okay. [ Laughter. ]
To finish, I will say that it is hugely important that democracy is not just for the few. It is so important that everyone has the opportunity to take part in this country’s democracy, and this place is a beacon for democracy in this country like probably no ot…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 April 2026
Women’s Health Strategy
I thank the Minister for her statement, and for her ongoing commitment to ensuring that women’s health is at the heart of this Government’s agenda, which is hugely important. A bit like my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Oliver Ryan), I was shocked by the number of women from my constituency of …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 April 2026
British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and I welcome the extension of the BIC scheme and the difference it will make to manufacturing businesses in my constituency. I wish to make a brief representation on behalf of the Lea Valley Growers, who are based in Nazeing in my constituency. As t…
Commons
Debate
15 April 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
I welcome the consultation that the Minister is holding on this important issue. I declare an interest, as I am a member of the Education Committee—that seems to be something we should mention—and I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for young carers and young adult carers. Will she e…
Commons
Debate
15 April 2026
Pension Schemes Bill
I thank the Minister and the shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Helen Whately), for opening this debate. I was not expecting it to be quite so lively, so I will try to add a bit of animation to what was initially going to be quite a dry speech from me. [ Interrupt…
Commons
Debate
13 April 2026
2 contributions
SEND Provision and Reform
I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way and for bringing this really important debate to the Chamber. I recognise his passion for supporting young people with SEND, but I disagree with his views on the Government’s White Paper. I say that not because I am sitting on this side of the Chamber, but a…
On that point, will the shadow Minister give way?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 April 2026
North Atlantic Submarine Activity
I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for his statement. I pay tribute to our incredibly brave naval personnel for the important work they do, often in difficult weather conditions, to keep us all safe. It strikes me that Harlow is quite a way from the Arctic circle and that the Arctic circle is consid…
Commons
Debate
13 April 2026
Southport Inquiry
I thank the Home Secretary for her statement today and for her continued leadership on this issue. Can I join the whole House in sending my sympathies not only to the victims, but to their families? This was a dreadful crime, and I am sure that any parent in the Chamber will be, like me, rightly app…
Commons
Debate
25 March 2026
Victims and Courts Bill
I join the Minister in thanking the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mr Reynolds) for his work on this issue. I also take this opportunity to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Bolsover (Natalie Fleet) for her work on the part of this Bill that ensures there are no parental rights for child sex offender…
Commons
Proceedings
25 March 2026
Foreign Financial Influence and Interference: UK Politics
I thank the Secretary of State for making this important statement. Like the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Bobby Dean), I am concerned about the ability of shell companies to make political donations. Clearly that is not transparent, and that is rightly recognised in the Rycroft review.…
Commons
Oral Questions
Northern Ireland
25 March 2026
Northern Ireland Troubles: Legacy and Reconciliation
What reassurance can the Secretary of State give me and my constituents that the health and wellbeing of veterans will be taken into account if they are required to give evidence to the commission or coroners?
Commons
Proceedings
24 March 2026
Defence
I thank the hon. and gallant Gentleman for what I perceive to be a very constructive speech in which he is generally trying to support the Minister. I promise I will not mention Cheltenham markets to him. He talks about our power. I recently visited Estonia with the Education Committee. Does he agre…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Rail Connections to London: Rural Towns
My hon. Friend is being really generous in taking interventions. Every time I have seen an opportunity to make my point, someone else has jumped in. I thank her for giving me the opportunity to talk about Roydon in my constituency, which does have a train line. One of my concerns with Roydon is that…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
National Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) Bill
I like to think I represent my constituents as well as the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) does his, if anyone could. My constituents are really concerned about the pension gap, because the reality for many of them is that they do not earn enough money to begin to think about saving for a p…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Although I disagree with much of what the hon. Gentleman is saying, I recognise the passion with which he speaks. Does he recognise that one issue with vape products is that a number of people who smoke vapes have not previously smoked cigarettes? That is a concern. Vapes are not just an alternative…
Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Hatzola Ambulance Attack
I join the Minister in condemning the abhorrent attacks we saw in Golders Green this morning. I pay tribute to Rabbi Irit Shillor and the work that she does to support not only Harlow’s Jewish community but the wider community of Harlow. The Jewish community will rightly be concerned after this morn…