Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Defence Sector: Economic Growth
The Minister rightly promotes our world-class maritime sector in the south-west, where considerable private investment is being made, including a new resilience factory opening in my constituency next week. Such innovative young companies live or die on the pace of Government contracting, but we con…
Commons
Oral Questions
Wales
29 October 2025
2 contributions
Asylum Seeker Accommodation
5. What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the adequacy of accommodation for asylum seekers in Wales.
Under the Welsh Labour Government, waiting lists, educational standards and opportunities for young people have all ground to an abrupt halt. It is therefore shocking that the Welsh Labour Government are not prioritising issues that would make a real difference to the people of Wales. Instead, Labou…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
5 contributions
Stamp Duty Land Tax
The hon. Member talks about broken dreams, but no Government Member has spoken about the hard-working families in the middle—not the ones struggling to buy their first home and not the so-called rich people at the top who in the Government’s world this will benefit, but the hard-working families, wh…
I am just perplexed as to where the hon. Lady is going with this. Ultimately, the statistics that she has just quoted would have saved her constituents £5,000, but if the Government do not scrap stamp duty, anybody who aspired to buy a slightly bigger house with that increased income would not be ab…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
Child Poverty
Every Member in this Chamber shares a commitment to lifting people out of poverty, especially children; we just have different views on how to go about it. Children in workless households are nearly four times more likely to live in poverty than those in households where adults work. We know that wo…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 October 2025
4 contributions
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank the hon. Member for Burton and Uttoxeter (Jacob Collier) for so competently introducing the debate, with an excellent speech, and I thank everyone else who has contributed to it.
I was particularly struck by the comments made …
On what the Leader of the Opposition said, I am not 100% sure of the quote, so I am not going to comment on that. I think it was taken quite significantly out of context. On the Bill Committee, I will continue saying it— [ Interruption. ] At the end of the day, I am the one here speaking this aftern…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
22 October 2025
Engagements
Q9. Last week, I invited the Prime Minister to match the Conservative pledge to scrap business rates for our high streets. However, he declined. Instead, he pointed me towards the small business strategy. Since then, businesses have been in touch to tell me that the strategy will make little or no d…
Commons
Oral Questions
21 October 2025
2 contributions
NHS Reorganisation
6. What recent progress he has made on reorganising the NHS.
Yesterday I met Lila, a sixth-form student at Coombe Dean school, who raised the issue of long waiting lists for mental health services for children and young people across Devon. What action has been taken as a result of the Government’s policy of reorganising the NHS to reduce the unacceptable del…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 October 2025
Engagements
Q5. Later this afternoon I will be launching a small business survey so that the 3,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in my constituency, which employ thousands of my constituents, can have their say about what is like to run a business under a Labour Government, and what their concerns are ahea…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 October 2025
Manchester Terrorism Attack
Clearly, how antisemitism is tackled by the police in our communities is key, so I would be interested to hear from the Home Secretary what specialist training our police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service—I appreciate that this is a bit off-piste; maybe she might put on her Justice hat for a …
Commons
Petition
15 September 2025
Proposed expansion of Plymouth City Council into the South Hams
Further to a similar online petition of just under 1,800 signatures, I present this petition.
The petition states:
The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that Plymouth City Council’s proposed expansion into 13 parishes in the South Hams is strongly opposed by local residents; f…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 September 2025
Transport: Economic Growth
Previous Conservative Governments were committed to repairing the railway line at Dawlish, which is vital to Devon and Cornwall’s economic growth, yet this Labour Government have said that they will complete the rail resilience programme only if and when survey work shows that it is needed. Given th…
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Hospitality Sector
There are over 300 hospitality businesses in South West Devon, and even though that may not be the highest number in a single constituency, considering the areas of countryside in mine, where the only residents are cattle and sheep, it is a hefty number. There are 316 venues, including the Woolwell …
I will come on to that exact point in my remaining few minutes, but absolutely, they are a crucial part of our community.
Why does that all matter? As hospitality businesses across the country bring financial and social value to our communities, they are critical to a thriving tourism sector. They …
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
14 July 2025
Topical Questions
It is my understanding that South Hams district council is in an arguably more sound fiscal position than the neighbouring Plymouth city council. What can the Secretary of State say to reassure me that local government reorganisation will not mimic either a forced marriage or a bad marriage where th…
Commons
Oral Questions
10 July 2025
2 contributions
Plan for Change: Tracking Dashboard
17. What progress he has made on publishing a tracking dashboard for the plan for change metrics.
The Government are clearly very happy to claim that all is rosy after their first year in power, yet on the ground in my constituency and around the country, the opposite story is being told. The Government’s policies are hitting my constituents hard—whether it is the impact of increased national in…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 July 2025
Road and Rail Projects
I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, but I am really disappointed that the TavyRail scheme has received a red light. We have heard quite a lot about the investment in Devon and Somerset. The Government are delivering a huge amount of investment in Plymouth, which is welcome, but without…
Commons
Debate
7 July 2025
Pension Schemes Bill
It has been a privilege to hear so many well-informed and considered speeches this evening. I am sure we would all agree that there is clearly significant expertise in the Chamber.
The heart of this Bill is people doing the right thing by preparing for their future and saving into their pension pot…
Commons
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
Creative Industries Sector Plan
Last week, I spent time at the Box museum in Plymouth, before heading to Plympton in my constituency for the unveiling of a blue plaque to honour the life of Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, who was the first director of the National Gallery and chair of the commission to procure art for the new Palace of…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
30 June 2025
Topical Questions
Last week, I asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury what happened to the £4 billion earmarked for autonomous systems, including in Plymouth. That line was in the Chancellor’s spending review speech, but not delivered on the day. The Chief Secretary did not know. Can the Secretary of State confirm…
Commons
Proceedings
25 June 2025
Nuclear-certified Aircraft Procurement
I am sure the Minister recognises that in addition to this plan to diversify the deterrent launch method, the UK must ensure that our strategic CASD enterprise has an effective and productive industrial base, delivering faster maintenance times. Can she therefore confirm whether these aircraft will …
Commons
Debate
24 June 2025
2 contributions
Department of Health and Social Care
We know that a key part of primary care is community pharmacy. Indeed, that was recognised in the Darzi report, which stated:
“One of the great strengths of the health service in England has been the accessibility of community pharmacy.”
The previous Government committed to community pharmacy thro…
I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend. Indeed, St Luke’s hospice in my constituency will be facing exactly the same issues.
At risk of closure is Tubb pharmacy in Newton Ferrers in my constituency, which I have raised in this place before. Pharmacist Esi has been helped massively by an incredi…
Commons
Debate
24 June 2025
2 contributions
Department for Education
I want to talk about the real-life impacts of the decisions in the education estimates, and specifically, due to the short amount of time, on school funding.
There is a village in my constituency called Buckland Monachorum for whom school funding is a particularly pertinent issue. It is in the midd…
I thank my right hon. Friend for his intervention. I agree that, and there are issues right across the country.
The trust in my constituency is facing financial pressures: teacher pay awards, unfunded beyond 1.7%, mean a 4% increase, costing £359,330; support staff pay awards, unfunded beyond 0.9%,…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 June 2025
UK Modern Industrial Strategy
I welcome the announcement of Plymouth’s defence cluster and the national centre for marine autonomy. I am proud that much of this work is being done in my constituency at Turnchapel Wharf and soon at Langage in the Plymouth and South Devon freeport, and that it includes Smart Sound, all of which we…
Commons
Debate
17 June 2025
3 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I rise to speak for new clause 106 and against new clauses 1 and 20.
I am grateful for this opportunity to place on the record my grave concerns about this hurried attempt to significantly alter our nation’s abortion laws. It is my view that by doing so we risk creating a series of unintended conse…
I do not think it is a case of being corrected. I have significant concerns that, should the new clauses be passed, those are the next steps—it is a bit of a slippery slope. We may just have to disagree on that.
Public opinion and professional advice are clear. Polling undertaken by ComRes reveals …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
16 June 2025
Adoption: Children in Foster Care
Adoptive parents right across my constituency are rightly concerned about the impact of Labour’s recent cuts to the adoption and special guardianship support fund. Following last week’s spending review, what hope can be offered to families in my constituency and up and down the country who need the …
Commons
Debate
13 June 2025
7 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
I rise to speak to amendment (a) to new clause 15, tabled in my name, which I hope hon. Members will support. Although it may seem technical, it is in fact a simple amendment with a significant impact. It will ensure that there is genuine protection against abuse, proper detection of coercion, and e…
On the first point, I do not believe that the Bill is strong enough as it stands. On the second point, we are already dealing with the fact that families are not even guaranteed knowledge of their loved one having an assisted death, so I do not think the hon. Lady’s point is entirely to be considere…
+5 more contributions in this session