Commons
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
Topical Questions
T8. What support can the Minister offer the Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust, which seeks to open up canal access to the hidden gem at Wren’s Nest, which is part of the UNESCO geopark? That would help boost sustainable tourism, give access to residents, and highlight the site’s international geological…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 November 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review
I warmly welcome the statement. With improved medical care, earlier diagnosis and greater awareness, more children with special educational needs are being identified. How will my right hon. Friend ensure that schools have the right environment, staff, funding and resources for SEND children to get …
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
2 contributions
Defence Procurement: SMEs
3. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of direct procurement from defence SMEs in the west midlands.
In Dudley, we have the Pensnett estate, one of the largest industrial estates in Europe. It is home to nearly 200 businesses, including a variety of SMEs, ranging from plumbing to steelworks. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to ensure that SMEs in Dudley have the time and the space to bid f…
Commons
Proceedings
30 October 2025
Business of the House
As we approach Remembrance Sunday, we honour those who gave their lives for our freedom, and remember the often overlooked women who served as codebreakers and factory workers, and in countless vital roles. In light of that, I have written to Dudley council asking it to permanently install the first…
Commons
Oral Questions
Business and Trade
30 October 2025
Topical Questions
What steps is the Department taking to improve access to finance for UK start-ups seeking to scale up, given that only 1% of UK start-ups raise equity of more than £100 million? By comparison, in the US, 6% of start-ups do so. Furthermore, how can we ensure that women get a fair share of access to f…
Commons
Proceedings
23 October 2025
Business of the House
I recently returned from Kyiv, where I visited a rehabilitation centre supporting those injured by the Russian invasion. I was deeply moved by the dedication of the Ukrainian clinicians working under immense pressure. As a physiotherapist, I recognise the vital role that allied health professionals …
Commons
Proceedings
16 October 2025
Business of the House
After months of campaigning, public meetings, presenting a petition, sending letters, meeting Ministers, holding a day of action outside Ladies Walk and scrutinising Dudley council, I am delighted that the Ladies Walk Centre in Sedgley, a vital community hub providing NHS and library services, will …
Commons
Petition
15 October 2025
Privatisation of Sycamore Adventure Centre
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for calling me to present a petition this evening on behalf of the constituents of Dudley. Despite the Conservative council pledging funding in a public question and answer session in April, the Sycamore Adventure Centre is due to be privatised, with a risk of a hike…
Commons
Proceedings
9 September 2025
Jaguar Land Rover Cyber-attack
I warmly welcome the Minister to his place. In the light of the cyber-security breaches survey published in April 2025, which reported that 43% of businesses and 30% of charities experienced a cyber-attack last year, what steps is he taking to strengthen national cyber-security? How are the Governme…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
4 September 2025
Early Education and Childcare
I warmly welcome the statement. Families in Dudley are now benefiting from 30 hours of Government-funded childcare, including new places in school-based nurseries such as at Beechwood Church of England primary school in St Thomas’s, one of the most deprived wards in the borough. Can the Minister set…
Commons
Proceedings
4 September 2025
Business of the House
The Sycamore adventure centre in Upper Gornal has been a lifeline for children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, for over 15 years. Yet despite pledging funding for it for five years in April in a public Q&A, the Conservative-led council is now forcing it to be pr…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2 September 2025
Topical Questions
Save the Children reports that 61% of pregnant women and new mothers in Gaza were malnourished in early August: a sharp rise linked to the blockade and health system collapse. Will the Government consider enabling the medical transfer of pregnant women needing specialist care to the UK and outline t…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
1 September 2025
Borders and Asylum
At the start of the summer, I welcomed the Government’s decisive action in sanctioning Chinese companies involved in manufacturing and supplying boats used by criminal gangs to facilitate dangerous channel crossings. Disrupting those supply chains is a vital part of smashing the gangs. Will my right…
Commons
Proceedings
17 July 2025
Business of the House
Residents of the new Goodrich Mews estate in Gornal, which was completed in 2013, have been dealing with a collapsed retaining wall for years now. The management agency originally confessed that it was poorly constructed, and it was repaired. It should have had a 60-year lifespan after that, but it …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
7 July 2025
Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life
I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement. In Dudley, our family hub is in St Thomas’s, one of the most deprived wards in the borough. Currently, it provides parent groups, baby clinics, prenatal support and much more, but its funding is uncertain. Will my right hon. Friend outline how …
Commons
Oral Questions
7 July 2025
Topical Questions
Over the past 14 years, police forces have faced significant cuts to personnel and resources. While many areas are returning to 2010 staffing levels, the west midlands still has 540 fewer officers. I support the efforts of the police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster. How can we address the fundi…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
NHS 10-Year Plan
As an NHS physiotherapist, I warmly welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and the ambition set out in the 10-year plan. In Dudley, we are already seeing the positive changes of a Labour Government in bringing down waiting lists. With renewed focus on community care, will my right hon. Friend co…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 July 2025
Business of the House
Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate on the growing number of empty shops in town centres? In Dudley, the Conservative-hiked parking charges, current poor transport links and antisocial behaviour as well as the rise of online shopping are driving businesses away, damaging our local economy…
Commons
Oral Questions
Treasury
1 July 2025
Topical Questions
Some 58% of investors think it is important that stocks and shares ISAs are invested in UK companies. Currently, it is estimated that £100 billion is held in the cash ISAs of people who do not have stocks and shares ISAs. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to encourage further investment in U…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 June 2025
Business of the House
Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating the Black Country Living Museum in my constituency, which was recently named the best large visitor attraction in the country by VisitEngland? The museum brings to life the Black Country’s rich heritage through the reconstruction of shops, house…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 June 2025
War Memorials
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. In my constituency, I am proud to have a number of war memorials, such as Upper Gornal on Kent street and Woodsetton on Sedgley road. Does my hon. Friend agree that memorials are not just places for quiet reflection and paying our respects, …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
UK Modern Industrial Strategy
I warmly welcome the statement. Will the Secretary of State outline what measures are being taken to ensure that towns like Dudley—which is actually the birthplace of the industrial revolution—receive their fair share of economic regeneration and job creation, and that the current infrastructure in …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
Middle East
I welcome the Secretary of State’s calls for a durable diplomatic solution: no one benefits from the continuation of this conflict. Will the Foreign Secretary outline what steps the Government are taking to ensure peace and prevent war in the region, particularly guaranteeing that the strait of Horm…
Commons
Debate
19 June 2025
3 contributions
Incontinence
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of incontinence.
I thank the Backbench Business Committee and its Chair, the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), who helped secure this debate. I am delighted that we are debating this vital but often ignored issue during World Conti…
I agree that products need to be readily available, and that is one of my recommendations.
Secondly, beyond awareness is prevention. We need real understanding, and I want bladder and bowel health to form part of the school syllabus, enmeshed into the curriculum. That is a recommendation from surge…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 June 2025
Spending Review: Health and Social Care
As an NHS physiotherapist, I welcome the statement. The Government will soon launch their 10-year plan for our NHS, in which a focus will be a move from sickness to prevention. Will the Minister set out how the spending review will support Dudley integrated care board and other ICBs in bringing heal…