Commons
Westminster Hall
14 July 2026
Coastal Communities: Isolation and Hidden Deprivation
I congratulate the hon. Member, my neighbour, on securing this debate, which is important not only for us on the Isle of Wight, but for so many MPs, hence the wonderful turnout in the Chamber today. In particular, I thank him for highlighting our issues with ferries. I am sure he would agree that it…
Commons
Proceedings
8 July 2026
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The boss of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency told MPs in person that 93% of CROs surveyed were happy with moving to an unpaid volunteer model. That was false: the survey data shows that in many areas across the UK, nearly half would reduce their hours or quit. I am amazed that the Minister has any…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, yesterday in Westminster Hall, the Maritime Minister, the hon. Member for Selby (Keir Mather), may have inadvertently misled the House. I confirm that I have given the required notices. The Minister stated on three occasions that a Court of Appeal judgment changed the legal stat…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, yesterday in Westminster Hall, the Maritime Minister, the hon. Member for Selby (Keir Mather), may have inadvertently misled the House. I confirm that I have given the required notices. The Minister stated on three occasions that a Court of Appeal judgment changed the legal stat…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, yesterday in Westminster Hall, the Maritime Minister, the hon. Member for Selby (Keir Mather), may have inadvertently misled the House. I confirm that I have given the required notices. The Minister stated on three occasions that a Court of Appeal judgment changed the legal stat…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, yesterday in Westminster Hall, the Maritime Minister, the hon. Member for Selby (Keir Mather), may have inadvertently misled the House. I confirm that I have given the required notices. The Minister stated on three occasions that a Court of Appeal judgment changed the legal stat…
Commons
Proceedings
2 July 2026
Points of Order
On a point of order, yesterday in Westminster Hall, the Maritime Minister, the hon. Member for Selby (Keir Mather), may have inadvertently misled the House. I confirm that I have given the required notices. The Minister stated on three occasions that a Court of Appeal judgment changed the legal stat…
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 July 2026
2 contributions
Coastguard Volunteers: Remuneration and HMRC Guidance
rose—
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way and congratulate him on securing this really important debate. Does he share my concern that, from the Isle of Wight to Orkney and Shetland, the management of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are showing a lack of heart and a callous approach when it…
Commons
Debate
30 June 2026
2 contributions
Department for Work and Pensions
I congratulate both hon. Members who gave their maiden speeches a few moments ago.
We know that the outgoing Prime Minister wanted to cut welfare spending—or at least he did a year ago when he brought forward some pretty rough and ready proposals to cut it by £5 billion—but, of course, his plans wi…
I do agree with the hon. Member. Indeed, it is in the tourism sector that a lot of young people in my constituency and, I am sure, in his—and in constituencies up and down the country—find their first job. It is the flexibility in the tourism sector and the fact that there is work to do when young p…
Commons
Oral Questions
Culture, Media and Sport
18 June 2026
2 contributions
Tourism and Leisure
Soaring taxes are putting visitors off coming to the UK—that is what the boss of British Airways says. Does the Minister agree?
Oh dear, that is not an answer to the question I asked. My question was about the tax burden on the tourism sector in this country. National insurance is up, and we have new taxes on part-time work. An overnight visitor levy is in the pipeline, and there are extra taxes on air passengers and ferry p…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
11 June 2026
Topical Questions
T7. Coastguard rescue officers are brave men and women who work on the frontline to save lives, keep our coastline safe and, at times, arrive on the scene of small boat crossings. It is therefore shameful that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has decided to strip them of the small payment they rec…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
Topical Questions
The crisis in social care is particularly bad in my constituency on the Isle of Wight, partly because of our unique geography but also because the Government have reduced funding to our local authority. Our council is now looking at discharging patients to the mainland, away from family and friends,…
Commons
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Water Companies
Southern Water is preparing to dump sewage on a beach in Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight, in a new location. The Environment Agency says that that is okay because there is an old combined sewer overflow pipe there, notwithstanding the fact that it has not been used in decades. Does the Minister agre…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2026
10 contributions
Seasonal Hospitality Businesses in Coastal Areas
I beg to move,
That this House has considered Government support for seasonal hospitality businesses in coastal areas.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. This debate concerns a set of issues that affect about one third of UK constituencies directly—constituencies with a …
I agree with my hon. Friend; I will join him in that call. Indeed, he has dealt with an element of my speech nice and early, so I thank him for doing so.
According to UKHospitality, the sector accounts for around 10% of all UK jobs nationally. In tourism-led coastal communities it provides as much …
+8 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
19 May 2026
2 contributions
Prisoner Releases in Error
13. What estimate he has made of the number of prisoners released in error since July 2024.
Oh dear. My question was about how many prisoners have been released in error under this Government, and the Minister does not seem to know the answer. That is okay, as I can tell him. It is 441, which over a two-year period is the worst on record. Will he now apologise, or will he provide a convolu…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
19 May 2026
Draft Merchant Shipping (Port State Control) Regulations 2026
I echo the words of my hon. Friend the shadow Minister, particularly in relation to the cost to the maritime sector and, for my constituents, the cost of using ferries. Of course, the increase in fuel costs is a significant issue with which they have to grapple, not helped by the Government’s decisi…
Commons
Statutory Instrument
19 May 2026
Delegated Legislation Committee
I echo the words of my hon. Friend the shadow Minister, particularly in relation to the cost to the maritime sector and, for my constituents, the cost of using ferries. Of course, the increase in fuel costs is a significant issue with which they have to grapple, not helped by the Government’s decisi…
Commons
Debate
28 April 2026
2 contributions
Referral of Prime Minister to Committee of Privileges
I realise that the hon. Member is struggling to read his own handwriting, but does he have anything at all to say about the Prime Minister’s conduct in appointing Peter Mandelson?
I have a suggestion for this disagreement that is going on in the House: why do we not refer it to the Privileges Committee?
Commons
Debate
27 April 2026
Northern Ireland Troubles Bill (Carry-over)
My hon. Friend is articulating it perfectly. Does he agree that the principle of innocent until proven guilty is no comfort at all for these people who are subjected to years of gruelling inquiry just to establish what we already know: they are innocent?
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Security Vetting
The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that he should have been shown the recommendation of UKSV. He knew he had not seen it, so why did he not ask for it?
Commons
Committee Stage
14 April 2026
16 contributions
Courts and Tribunals Bill (Fourth sitting)
Will the Minister give way?
I am not sure to what extent it is relevant, but I should probably declare that I used to be a practising solicitor, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and registered with the Law Society.
The Committee dealt with similar issues on the implications for the right of election at some le…
+14 more contributions in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
14 April 2026
4 contributions
Courts and Tribunals Bill (Third sitting)
If the situation the courts find themselves in is so obviously caused by the previous Government, why on earth is the hon. Member’s Government scrapping jury trials as a response?
This is an extraordinary exchange. I accept that the hon. Member for Amber Valley is not the official voice of the CPS or of the Labour Government, but her sense of “officialdom knows best” will give ordinary men and women in this country great concerns about these changes. Of course, there are some…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 March 2026
Public Baths and Lidos
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I congratulate the hon. Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes) on securing this important debate.
Across the United Kingdom, public baths and lidos play an essential role in encouraging people of all ages to keep fit and healthy, as well…
Commons
Proceedings
18 March 2026
3 contributions
Student Loans
Labour is failing young people. Youth unemployment is up since Labour took office—it is now higher than in the eurozone. There are more people not in education, employment or training since Labour took office—now nearly 1 million. There is a midlife crisis in our economy, too. More than 2 million pe…
Let me ask the hon. Member a question, because his party is in government, he has power and he can change things. Does he think the system is fair? No, he does not, because he has already told this House that it is not. Is he not bitterly disappointed that his own Government have not got a plan to c…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
18 March 2026
2 contributions
Fuel Duty
My hon. Friend is giving a characteristically well-informed speech. Might she reflect on the cost of moving around by car for the Prime Minister in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency and the necessity to move around by car for his constituents compared with mine in the Isle of Wight and hers in…
My hon. Friend is right to point out that there are only two Labour Members of Parliament sitting on the Government Benches for this debate on the increase in fuel duty. Does he think that the other 400 Labour MPs are right now in a huddle, in a darkened room with the Chancellor, lobbying her to red…