Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
Our politics are increasingly fragmented. There is a real threat that an extreme minority party could win a majority of seats with just a fraction of the popular vote at the next general election—the situation is urgent. Some 60% of the public now support proportional representation. Will the Minist…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
11 February 2026
Engagements
Q7. Last week I met Lleyton, a T-level construction student at Bradford college. He was working on the remediation of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete at Airedale hospital. In the last few years, Bradford has made tremendous progress in reducing the rate of young people not in employment, educ…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
4 contributions
Independent Water Commission: Final Report
The Public Accounts Committee recently had a hearing on environmental regulation with the Environment Agency and Natural England. Does the hon. Gentleman share my concern that the transition to a new regulator is a huge undertaking and that there is a risk while it is being set up? We must not take …
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I congratulate the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello) on securing this important debate.
My constituents in Shipley, with the lovely River Wharfe and River Aire flowing through, have been outraged at the levels of water pollution…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
2 contributions
Young Children’s Screen Time
I draw my hon. Friend’s attention to Born in Bradford, an internationally recognised research cohort study. It has just launched the “In Real Life” trial with children in Bradford aged 12 to 15 to test whether reducing their social media use will reduce anxiety and improve their sleep and their rela…
I am sure that the Minister is aware that it is the National Year of Reading. On the wider opportunities to get our kids off their screens, would she commend the work of the National Literacy Trust in trying to restore the joy of reading, and perhaps share her favourite childhood book with us? Mine …
Commons
Debate
5 February 2026
2 contributions
Road Safety
I beg to move,
That this House has considered road safety.
Road safety is a personal issue for me. My grandfather Herbert Bilsby moved to Ilkley in 1952 to take up a post as a geography teacher at Ilkley grammar school. Aged 62, he was looking forward to retirement: more time to enjoy his passion …
I agree that it is important that we consult the public on looking to reduce the drink-driving limit to the lowest possible level, and the Minister has heard the hon. Member’s remarks about a possible zero tolerance to drinking alcohol while driving. I hope that on this measure and others the Minist…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 February 2026
National Cancer Plan
My hon. Friend the Minister saw yesterday at first hand the amazing care and support that Maggie’s centres provide to not only patients and survivors but their families. What role will charities and voluntary organisations such as Maggie’s play alongside the NHS in delivering improved care for cance…
Commons
Debate
4 February 2026
Lord Mandelson
My hon. Friend has articulated very eloquently how we have come together in this House both to roundly condemn the role that Mandelson played in the corrupt web around Jeffrey Epstein and to say together that the full facts must be laid bare. I hope that he will join me in congratulating the Governm…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
3 contributions
Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) not only for securing this important debate, but for her excellent opening speech, which set out comprehensively and with passion the impact that this iss…
The hon. Gentleman sets out many of the hardships and challenges, as other hon. Members have in this debate. Will he take some responsibility? Under the previous Government, when this contract was let, these problems should have been foreseen and the contract never awarded to Capita.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 February 2026
Town and City Centre Safety
Neighbourhood policing teams are essential to ensure that feeling of safety on our high streets and in our town centres. I hope my hon. Friend will join me in commending my local team, led by Inspector Tany Ditta in Bingley, Shipley and Baildon. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government’s invest…
Commons
Debate
26 January 2026
Armed Forces Bill
My hon. Friend is talking positively about the amazing contribution of our reservists, and I add to that the amazing contribution of our cadets in the Shipley constituency. We have air cadets and Army cadets in Shipley and Bingley. Will he join me in welcoming the proposals to bring together and uni…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 January 2026
Water White Paper
There is much to welcome in the White Paper, including the MOT for assets, the increase in funding for community and catchment partnerships, and the greater say for communities in regional planning. However, my Shipley constituents have been let down by Yorkshire Water over many decades, through its…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
21 January 2026
Warm Homes Plan
I would like to thank the Secretary of State on behalf of the over 5,000 households in my constituency that experience fuel poverty. Constituents have also benefited from Saltaire Retrofit Reimagined, a community initiative focused on improving energy efficiency within the Saltaire world heritage si…
Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
2 contributions
Gaza and the West Bank: Humanitarian Situation
2. What steps her Department is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
We have all witnessed the unfolding catastrophic humanitarian disaster in Gaza, exacerbated by the collapse of the Gazan health system and the suspension of aid delivery. I am therefore shocked that the Israeli Government plan to prohibit some 37 international non-governmental organisations from ope…
Commons
Westminster Hall
19 January 2026
2 contributions
Sale of Fireworks
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I thank the more than 1,000 Shipley constituents who signed the petitions.
The antisocial use of fireworks is a blight on our communities. Since I was elected a year and a half ago, hundreds of constituents have contacted my office. They h…
I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. I am sure that the Minister will have heard his plea, along with those made by other Members.
To be clear, this is not about stopping anyone enjoying fireworks. I enjoy good fireworks as much as the next person—in fact, the sparkler is my favourite. Bonf…
Commons
Debate
15 January 2026
New Towns
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on housing and care for older people, we are about to complete an inquiry into intergenerational communities. Will she join me in calling for the new new towns to be built and designed for all ages and all…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
15 January 2026
2 contributions
End-of-life Ministry
6. What assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on end-of-life ministry.
Chaplains work in various settings, including care homes, hospitals and hospices. If the Bill were to pass unamended, they may be required to provide assisted dying services to people who are terminally ill, as there is currently no organisational opt-out. Would the Church support an amendment in th…
Commons
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
2 contributions
Town of Culture and City of Culture Competitions
4. What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the new town of culture and UK city of culture 2029 competitions support communities.
I hope that the Secretary of State enjoyed her visit to Bradford during our fantastic time as city of culture 2025. It was a roaring success, with more than 5,000 events across the whole district, audiences in excess of 3 million and some 650 local artists and organisations involved. Does she share …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 January 2026
Northern Powerhouse Rail
As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, which did an inquiry into HS2, I must warmly welcome the Secretary of State taking such a disciplined and clear approach to ensuring that this scheme is delivered, and delivered on time and with value for money, as the trans-Pennine upgrade was. As a Bra…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
Topical Questions
The illegal and antisocial use of e-bikes and e-scooters is causing huge concern for residents in my constituency of Shipley. Just last week in Roberts Park in Saltaire, it caused thousands of pounds of damage to the much-loved cricket ground. How are the Government ensuring that the police have the…
Commons
Debate
7 January 2026
2 contributions
Rural Communities
Villages in my Shipley constituency, such as Eldwick, Gilstead, Cullingworth, Harden and Wilsden, suffer from the same problems due to the decline in rural bus services under the Tory Government. Does my hon. Friend agree that this Labour Government’s announcements on the rural transport accelerator…
Will my hon. Friend give way?
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 January 2026
3 contributions
UK Town of Culture
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) on securing the debate. Being from and representing a constituency in the Bradford district, I would like to take the opportunity to share some of the amazing highlight…
The hon. Gentleman talks of the importance of local authority leadership in city of culture success. Will he join me in congratulating Bradford council on having the vision to apply to be the city of culture and on having taken the risk to invest in it and then crowd in further investment, which has…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
6 January 2026
Net Zero: Local Authorities
Happy new year, Mr Speaker.
I hope that the Minister will join me in commending another council, Bradford council, for its ambitious climate action plan 2025-2028. The plan sets out a pathway to net zero for the Bradford district, including really innovative projects such as a district heat network…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
Local Government Finance
I am sure you would like to join me, Madam Deputy Speaker, in thanking the Minister for backing Bradford in her response to our hon. Friend the Member for Bradford East (Imran Hussain). This Government’s fair funding is finally turning a corner for councils like Bradford that have been at the sharp …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
16 December 2025
Planning Reform
There is much to welcome in the Minister’s statement, and I would like to invite him to come and have a look at the opportunity for new housing around Shipley station. As the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on housing and care for older people, I particularly welcome the commitment in the…
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
Violence against Women and Girls Strategy
My hon. Friend has been refreshingly honest about how the delays in publishing the strategy have been about ensuring that it delivers where others have not. As the lead member of the Public Accounts Committee when we looked at the failures of the last Government’s 2021 strategy, I found that the Hom…