Commons
Proceedings
10 July 2025
3 contributions
Disabled Bus Passes
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate on such an important topic; he is making an excellent speech. Does he agree that this is of particular importance in rural areas because bus services are sparse and travel distances are long? I have been approached by campaigners from Mencap Herefordsh…
It makes sense for bus services to reflect local needs, but whether someone has a disability and needs to use a bus is not a locally determined thing. There should be fair access to these services wherever someone lives in the country. Currently we have a postcode lottery regarding the ability to us…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
3 July 2025
Women’s State Pension Age: Financial Redress
The hon. Lady is making an extremely powerful case about this long-standing injustice. As she has pointed out, the WASPI campaigners are making really constructive suggestions to resolve the matter, offering to reach out and sit around the table with the Government. Does she share my frustration tha…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
In the constructive spirit that has characterised much of this discussion, I welcome much of what the Secretary of State has announced today: bringing care closer to people in their homes, investing more in prevention—it is all good stuff. But there seems to be a missed opportunity here. In the 143 …
Commons
Debate
2 July 2025
Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism
Let me start by putting on record that I know at least two people who have participated in Palestine Action protests, but that is not why I am speaking today. This is about fundamental principles. This is a chilling moment for British democracy. Let us be clear about what is happening: a political p…
Commons
Proceedings
25 June 2025
2 contributions
Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement
The prospect of UK fighter jets carrying Donald Trump’s nuclear bombs cannot be anybody’s vision of security. This decision flies in the face of our obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. It ties us further into a US military that cannot even keep its own classified intelligence secure. It …
The letter, not the spirit!
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
Middle East
The Iranian regime has long been a threat to peace, democracy and human rights, and the unilateral, illegal and dangerously provocative Israeli and, now, American attacks have made a tense situation extremely perilous and are completely outside international law. It is therefore deeply concerning to…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
19 June 2025
Warm Home Discount
Today’s announcement is very welcome and will make a real difference to many of our constituents. I am glad to hear the Minister reaffirm today that in addition to support with bills, the Government recognise the urgent need to ensure that every home is well-insulated and affordable to heat—a genuin…
Commons
Oral Questions
19 June 2025
River Pollution
As the Secretary of State knows, my constituency of North Herefordshire is very seriously affected by water pollution in the Lugg and the Wye. I confess that I am disappointed that, in both his answers to the hon. Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes), he did not mention agricultural pollution…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
17 June 2025
Care in the Community
The Darzi report pointed out that 13% of hospital beds are occupied by people who are fit for discharge but who cannot get out because social care is broken. Lord Darzi said that we cannot fix the NHS until we fix social care. It is nearly six months since the Secretary of State promised cross-party…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2025
2 contributions
Disabled People in Poverty
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
Today the Minister has heard many MPs, representing their constituents, express their huge concern about the effects of the PIP cuts on disabled members of our communities. She says that she cares about disabled people in poverty and about dignity. Why are her Government refusing to raise funds thro…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 June 2025
9 contributions
Genocide Convention: UK Compliance
I beg to move,
That this House has considered UK compliance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. On 29 December 2023, South Africa brought a case before the International Court of Justice regardin…
For clarification, since the Minister is not in his place and no one from the Government is here, is it correct that I continue?
+7 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
13 June 2025
7 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
I rise to speak in support of new clauses 13 to 15, tabled by the hon. Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater), to support amendments 94 and 95, and to oppose amendment 42. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Spen Valley for her compassionate leadership and immense hard work, to the Members of all …
I thank the hon. Member for raising that issue and giving me the opportunity to speak about the detailed evidence given by my constituent Emeritus Professor Sam Ahmedzai, with whom I spoke at length yesterday about precisely this detail. I have reviewed a number of tables of data about this. Any sub…
+5 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Spending Review: Health and Social Care
More money for the NHS is of course welcome, although if we in the Green party had our way, it would be raised by taxing extreme wealth fairly, rather than by taxing work. The small amounts of money for social care announced in the spending review are nowhere close to the funding needed to tackle th…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
12 June 2025
Trade Agreements Programme
The UK has a trade agreement with Israel that permits the import of goods produced in illegal settlements. Such goods are effectively proceeds of crime, given that settlements constitute illegal expropriation of Palestinian land. How can the UK justify this complicity in trade of illegally produced …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
10 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
I welcome the announcement of sanctions on two extremist Ministers. It is long overdue and it is a bare minimum. On its own, it is likely to do little to stop extremist, illegal settlements and violence against Palestinian civilians. When will the Government implement a ban on settlement goods to st…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
10 June 2025
Rooftop Solar Power
I am delighted that the Government have seen the light on solar photovoltaics and recognised what an important step they are on the path to the sunlit uplands of homes that are genuinely fit for the future. Does the Secretary of State recognise that energy efficiency is a crucial part of energy secu…
Commons
Debate
9 June 2025
8 contributions
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Will the Minister give way?
On that specific point, will the Minister give way?
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
9 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
I welcome the fact that the Government are finally listening to the public and doing a U-turn on winter fuel payments, which is long overdue. However, in a truly strategic approach to tackling fuel poverty, we would make sure that every home could be heated affordably and was well insulated. Will th…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
9 June 2025
Construction Sector Specialist Apprentices
I welcome the Minister’s commitment to supporting skills training in the construction sector. Does he agree that skills training needs to be particularly focused on the sustainable skills, and will he join me in congratulating the low-carbon technology training centre in my constituency, as well as …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 June 2025
Governing the Marine Environment
I thank the Chair of the Select Committee for his statement. It is a privilege to serve on the Environmental Audit Committee.
While the UK Government have committed to not allowing any new oil and gas licences—I would like to see them go further—the marine spatial plan still says that we should max…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 June 2025
Free School Meals
I welcome today’s announcement. It is a small step in the right direction, but what we need is a giant leap to end child poverty. If the Minister were serious about that, he knows what he needs to do: scrap the two-child benefit cap. That would lift 400,000 children out of poverty. The Green party h…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 June 2025
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
The UK Government have an obligation under international law to do everything possible to prevent genocide, yet we see genocide occurring in Gaza. The Minister assured the House a month ago that he was conducting a risk assessment on genocide in Gaza. Will he give me a clear, unambiguous, straight a…
Commons
Proceedings
3 June 2025
Points of Order
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As the House will know, Laila Soueif stopped eating 247 days ago to try to save her son, the imprisoned British-Egyptian national, Alaa Abd el-Fattah. He is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience who has been in jail for more than a decade because of his wri…
Commons
Proceedings
3 June 2025
Thames Water
The Green party has campaigned for the public ownership of water since the year dot, unlike certain cynical opportunists behind me on the Reform Benches. We know allowing privatised monopolies to control water leaves infrastructure crumbling, waterways running with sewage, sky-high bills, and shareh…
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Arms and Military Cargo Export Controls: Israel
I thank the hon. Member for his very powerful speech, and I echo his call for the Government to publish their most recent assessment of the risk of genocide. Does he agree that it makes a mockery of our obligation under international law to prevent genocide if our Government say that they can only j…