Commons
Oral Questions
27 April 2026
Apprenticeships
This month I launched a space apprenticeship pilot in Portsmouth North, bringing together Airbus and the Solent Growth Partnership to ensure that candidates who narrowly miss out on an Airbus apprenticeship are matched directly with defence and space SMEs in the area. Following the failure of the la…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 April 2026
Pension Schemes
Before I ask my question, I would just like to welcome back Andy. He gives us a great deal of service in this Chamber. It is good to see him back. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]
I welcome the action the Government have taken and the Minister’s statement today. I thank him for his engagement with me …
Commons
Debate
22 April 2026
Government Procurement Strategy
Like me, many in Portsmouth will welcome today’s announcement, particularly the new shipbuilding framework and the commitment to reward bids that deliver local jobs and skills. Will the Minister outline today—and meet me to discuss—how these reforms will help to ensure that cities such as Portsmouth…
Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
It is a privilege to speak tonight in support of two specific areas of the Bill that will directly affect my constituents in Portsmouth North.
First, I welcome the strengthening of gambling impact assessments. That links directly to the work that my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby and Clee…
Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
Middle East: Economic Update
I thank the Chancellor for her statement and for the work she is doing at this globally difficult time. As a proud coastal, naval and defence city, Portsmouth understands that economic, national and climate security are inseparable, from household bills to flood resilience and defence jobs. Will she…
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
I am very proud of my city and proud to be a resident, but my constituents tell me at my coffee mornings, at “Pint with your MP” events, at surgeries and on the doorsteps that they find it very difficult to feel pride when antisocial behaviour, fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles and electric scooters b…
Commons
Oral Questions
Church Commissioners
16 April 2026
2 contributions
Small Churches
10. What steps the Church of England has taken to support small churches.
St Nicholas, Hilsea, in Portsmouth is not a rural church; is a low-income parish in a city. It is trying to replace a much-loved community hub that had to be demolished in 2020, but it faces a shortfall of £20,000 because of rising construction costs. What steps is the Second Church Estates Commissi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 March 2026
Social Enterprises and Community Ownership
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) for securing this important debate.
Ownership matters. It shapes who makes decisions, who benefits and, ultimately, whether growth is felt in our communities or extracted fr…
Commons
Debate
16 March 2026
Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill
The fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017 was a catastrophe that exposed systematic failures in regulation, in oversight and in the value placed on the lives of people in social housing. Seventy-two people died and hundreds more lost their homes, community and sense of safety. Families are still li…
Commons
Debate
12 March 2026
International Women’s Day
I thank all those who have contributed to this and other debates this week, including my hon. Friends the Members for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Dr Tidball) and for Warrington North (Charlotte Nichols), who this week have shown true bravery and should be an inspiration to us all. I also welcome the…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 March 2026
Defending Democracy Taskforce
Much of the intimidation that candidates now face is not on the doorstep, but from anonymous or fake online accounts. Having experienced that myself, I welcome the work of this Government, the police, the defending democracy taskforce, and the offices of Mr Speaker and the Deputy Speakers. What acti…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
12 March 2026
Business of the House
I associate myself with the words of the Leader of the House in support for the armed forces, particularly HMS Dragon, which left Portsmouth’s shores. Residents in Cosham, Paulsgrove, Hilsea and Drayton and Farlington have faced years of dangerous antisocial behaviour along Portsdown Hill. Following…
Commons
Debate
10 March 2026
Courts and Tribunals Bill
Has the hon. Member, since writing his speech, seen the updated information available about the percentage reduction in our courts?
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Department for Business and Trade
I will speak up for the small businesses and hard-working tradespeople in Portsmouth North and across the country —the backbone of our economy—and set out what the Government have already achieved and what more they must do.
Let me start with what this Labour Government have delivered. We passed th…
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Ministry of Defence
It is a privilege to speak in this debate on defence. In Portsmouth North, defence is not abstract; it is jobs, apprenticeships, families and an essential part of my city’s future. My constituency is home to the Royal Navy, and I welcome the Government’s record investment in defence, which is the la…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 March 2026
NATO and the High Arctic
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for securing this debate and also for his service. I have not served myself, unlike the hon. Member for Exmouth and Exeter East (David Reed), who is speaking for the O…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
3 March 2026
Spring Forecast
In Portsmouth North, we inherited a new reality from the previous Government. People felt that new reality in the form of a closed shipyard, stretched households and Tory food banks that kept popping up everywhere. People were struggling with higher mortgages, high street shops and pubs were closing…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 March 2026
Middle East
I thank the Prime Minister for his calm and measured approach and for his reassurance today. As the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North and the mum of a serving personnel member currently deployed overseas, my first thought is always for the men and women we ask to stand in harm’s way. The Ira…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 February 2026
2 contributions
Gibraltar Treaty
As the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North and the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Gibraltar, I welcome this statement and place on record my strong support for the ratification of the treaty. This agreement represents a practical, well balanced and forward-looking settlement for…
rose—
Commons
Ministerial Statement
26 February 2026
Business of the House
My constituents in Portsmouth have raised concerns about significant mark-ups on third party funeral services and lack of transparency in pricing. At a time of extreme grief, families should not have to worry about excessive costs or unclear pricing. In 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority re…
Commons
Debate
23 February 2026
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill
I want to speak in favour of the Bill, and against amendment 1, as it is an attempt to gut the Bill and defeat its purpose entirely. There are moments in politics when the questions before us are not complicated, but simple, and when they are about dignity, compassion and the kind of country that we…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) for securing this important debate on a crisis affecting thousands of public servants who find themselves without the pension they have earned and, in …
Commons
Debate
2 February 2026
China and Japan
I welcome the Prime Minister’s recent engagement in Tokyo and the strengthening of our relations with Japan as a key economic and strategic partner. Will he explain how small and medium-sized enterprises in Portsmouth, particularly those in maritime and defence such as Griffon Marine, alongside the …
Commons
Debate
28 January 2026
Youth Unemployment
Does the hon. Member agree that, under the Conservatives, career advice in schools was absolutely decimated and hollowed out, pushing young people to the margins? On top of that, does she agree that young people are unable to do the gold-standard apprenticeships that my dad and my brother did, as th…