Commons
Debate
23 March 2026
Middle East
I know that the people of Harlow will want me to echo the Secretary of State’s comments about our brave personnel and the work that they do to keep us safe every single day. Listening to his statement, it struck me that it is hugely important that our bases here and abroad are safe. Can he outline w…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill
I thank the Secretary of State for opening this debate and for his commitment to remember the 72 victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington and Bayswater (Joe Powell) for his incredibly passionate speech and for his leadership in repres…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
GP Contract
I thank the Minister for his answers so far. One of the No. 1 issues that came up on the doorstep when I was canvassing across my constituency before the general election was same-day access to GPs. Although I recognise that there is still work to be done, I welcome the work the Labour Government an…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister for his answers so far. Will he outline that this Government will do everything they possibly can to support the police investigation? Does he agree that whether we are Members of this place or the other place, or former princes, it is hugely importa…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
Strait of Hormuz
I thank the Minister for his detailed responses on an issue that we are all, across the House, keen to get resolved. On the issue of British nationals returning to the UK—I am pleased to say that those I made representations about to the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago have been safely returned…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
16 March 2026
Iran: US Plan for Sustainable Peace
Residents in my constituency are rightly worried about the ongoing events in the middle east, so will the Minister reaffirm for the avoidance of any doubt that this Government’s first priority is to keep their citizens safe, and that our decisions thus far and moving forward have been and will conti…
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
Finance (No. 2) Bill
On taxation, does the Minister agree that this Labour Government’s decisions have meant increased spending on the NHS? A number of my Harlow constituents are self-employed, and the really long waits in A&E and for hospital operations were having a huge impact on their businesses and on their hou…
Commons
Debate
9 March 2026
2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
On that point, will the Minister give way?
I declare an interest, as a member of the Education Committee and a former teacher. I thank the Chair of the Committee for her passionate speech. Does she agree that it is hugely important that teachers are aware when young people in their care are in temporary accommodation, because of the huge imp…
Commons
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
Immigration Policy
I know that the Minister will agree that it is important for us to have a working and fair immigration system, but that, sadly, is not what we inherited. Constituents of mine in Harlow are rightly concerned that people who come to settle here should be law-abiding. Does the Minister agree that if th…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
9 March 2026
Unemployment
The Secretary of State will know that the level of young people not in education, employment or training in Harlow has gone down, due to the hard work of Harlow College, working in partnership with local schools such as Passmores Academy and Burnt Mill Academy, which I visited this morning. Business…
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
2 contributions
Department for Business and Trade
I thank the Chair of the Business and Trade Committee, my right hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (Liam Byrne), for securing this debate with the Backbench Business Committee—I declare an interest because I sit on that Committee—and for his important and constructiv…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I am sure the Minister will reflect on that when he responds to the debate.
In conclusion, I welcome much of what the Government are doing, much of which has been discussed already, such as the modern industrial strategy and £70 billion of investment, trade d…
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Ministry of Defence
It is really interesting to hear the hon. Gentleman speak about personnel. We have spoken a lot about spending in the MOD, in particular on the need for improved technology; I wonder whether he could touch on spending on personnel and the support we give them. What more does he think we could do to …
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
I appreciate that my hon. Friend’s answer to this question may well be that we do not know, which I think is the point she is making, but I have asked the Minister a number of questions about the UK leading on the eradication of polio, and I have actually received some very good answers—I am not jus…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 March 2026
China: Foreign Interference Arrests
I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for the work he does—and did, in his previous career—to ensure that our country and democracy stay safe. Mr Speaker, you will be aware that democracy only happens in this place because of House staff and MPs’ staff, who make a huge difference to us and ensure that …
Commons
Debate
3 March 2026
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. You have taken me by surprise by not picking me last.
I thank the Minister for opening this debate. I also thank the shadow Minister for his comments and wish him a very happy birthday. Without wanting to get into any party political back and forth, I would like to …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 March 2026
Spring Forecast
I thank the Chancellor for her statement about two hours ago. Fortunately, my Shakespeare quote for the day is “brevity is the soul of wit”, so I will be very quick. We know that the national debt soared under the last Government, and that £1 in every £10 is spent on servicing that debt. What differ…
Commons
Debate
2 March 2026
Representation of the People Bill
I declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for young carers and young adult carers. Does the Secretary of State recognise that when young carers and young adult carers get to the age of 16, they have potentially already been caring for a loved one for over a decade? They are…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 March 2026
Middle East
I join the Prime Minister in paying tribute to our brave service personnel, who every day work incredibly hard to keep us safe. I also pay tribute to him for his leadership on this matter. A number of people from my constituency of Harlow are trapped in Bahrain and Dubai, including one who is pregna…
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
3 contributions
Online Harm: Child Protection
Will the hon. Lady give way?
This is a genuinely friendly intervention. I am raising this point because I know that the hon. Member does a lot to champion and support people with eating disorders. I am completely changing the subject, but does she think that the rise of social media and online platforms has had an increased imp…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
24 February 2026
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The hon. Lady makes a really important point about the victims of crimes perpetrated by people in the public eye. It is particularly difficult for those victims, and almost as if the trauma is repeated again and again when these things come to light in the press and the media. Does she agree that, i…
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
As a former teacher—something I obviously rarely mention—I cannot emphasise enough how much hope this White Paper gives me. Residents in my constituency of Harlow found that the EHCPs they got were not worth the paper they were written on; schools were unable to meet their so-called legal requiremen…
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address
I thank the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister for his statement and for coming again to the House to talk about this important matter. I also thank the Intelligence and Security Committee for the work it has done on this issue. Does the Chief Secretary agree that ensuring we get this process rig…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
Grey-belt Land
The Office for Budget Responsibility has concluded that this Government’s overhaul of the planning system will mean more house building in this country than at any time in the past 40 years. That is good news for residents in my constituency, who are desperate to get a home for themselves and their …
Commons
Oral Questions
12 February 2026
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address Motion
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question; I also thank the Minister for his responses, because this is an important issue that people in my constituency and across the country are obviously very interested in. Can he assure my constituents that this process will be fully transparen…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
12 February 2026
Rail Fare Affordability
Yesterday, I had a very productive meeting with representatives of Greater Anglia about my campaigns to improve connectivity at Roydon station and improve safety at Harlow Mill station. Does the Minister agree that the move to Great British Railways and renationalisation will mean a better-connected…