Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
13 July 2026
High Streets Organised Crime Unit
High streets are already under pressure, as I have seen with our local fight to keep the Thatcham and Hungerford post offices open, and retail crime and antisocial behaviour make that pressure worse. Can the Secretary of State expand on how the high streets organised crime unit remit will extend to …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 May 2026
Youth Justice
The White Paper contains many announcements that we, as Liberal Democrats, can support, so I gently ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evidence the Government have that the potential threat of a prison sentence will be an effective mechanism for compliance with a parenting order. Have the Government…
Commons
Debate
27 April 2026
Lord Mandelson Humble Address: Government Response Update
How does the Prime Minister’s promise of delivering honesty, integrity and accountability reconcile with the potential blocking of a motion to the Committee of Privileges? If the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister is not willing to comment on the Government’s voting intentions tomorrow, will he c…
Commons
Oral Questions
27 April 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
I worked at McDonald’s throughout my GCSEs and A-levels and while at university—it is a good employer for those who are studying. Newbury Soup Kitchen is a local charity that is supporting a constituent of mine, spending many hours on the phone to universal credit staff. However, they do not consist…
Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
Middle East: Economic Update
In her statement, the Chancellor outlined a plan for tomorrow, but no help for today. The residents of Newbury—the small businesses and farmers—want to know how high the Chancellor will allow the prices of petrol, red diesel and fertiliser to go before she decides to take positive action and reduce …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
21 April 2026
2 contributions
Gulf Conflict
19. What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the situation in the strait of Hormuz.
Given President Trump’s latest threats to destroy bridges and power plants—attacks that would be against international law—has the Foreign Secretary made representations to her US counterpart that threatening war crimes is not the way to achieve peace or to open the strait? More importantly, if Trum…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 April 2026
Middle East
The Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed earlier today that 2,055 civilians have been killed since the start of this latest crisis, including 167 since Friday alone, so I join the Prime Minister in calling for the urgent ceasefire to include Lebanon. Since this crisis started, the Treasury has receive…
Commons
Petition
25 March 2026
Road Safety of Horses and Riders
Having tabled an early-day motion, presented a Bill and hosted a Westminster Hall debate on equine road safety, I am now pleased to be able to submit this petition on horse and rider road safety.
The petition states:
The petition of residents of the United Kingdom,
Declares that horses and riders…
Commons
Debate
11 March 2026
Finance (No. 2) Bill
Does the hon. Member agree that the way the Government have approached this has hurt their main aim of economic growth, because farmers have delayed ordering and, because of the new rules, there is now no incentive to grow their farms over that £2.5 million threshold?
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
2 contributions
Ministry of Defence
I congratulate the Chair of the Defence Committee on securing the debate; I also thank the Backbench Business Committee, of which I am a member. As the Chair of the Select Committee said, the first duty of any Government is to ensure the safety and security of their citizens, but as we speak, smoke …
My hon. Friend may have been coming to it, but how much would it cost to get to his vision compared with what we have in budgets today?
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
23 February 2026
2 contributions
Leasehold Reform
22. What steps he is taking to support leaseholders.
I thank the Secretary of State for his response and welcome the support being given to leaseholders; however, many of the problems they face could be addressed through stronger regulation of managing agents. Persistent failings by companies such as FirstPort continue to fill my inbox. In Newbury, we…
Commons
Proceedings
9 February 2026
3 contributions
Procedure committee
It is a pleasure to speak on behalf of the Procedure Committee about our fourth report of the Session, which looks at the idea of introducing call lists. I am happy to stand in for the Chair of the Procedure Committee, the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Cat Smith), on this occasion. I thank the…
I thank the right hon. Member and will pass on his thanks to the Committee. We genuinely took into wider consideration the multiple aspects that would have to change if call lists were brought into effect.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
26 January 2026
2 contributions
State Pension Age Changes: Compensation
5. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating 1950s-born women affected by the maladministration of state pension age changes.
I was one of 100 MPs who signed a cross-party letter calling on the Government to take action for WASPI women. Such is the strength of feeling in my constituency that I am regularly contacted about this issue. In the Government’s determination, are they planning to consult with the Women Against Sta…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 January 2026
12 contributions
Horse and Rider Road Safety
I beg to move,
That this House has considered horse and rider road safety.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I am pleased to have secured this debate and grateful for the opportunity to raise an issue that has, for far too long, not received the attention it deserves. It …
I agree that body-worn cameras can help to produce evidence to bring drivers to account when they are causing horses or people to suffer injury or death.
Fifty-eight horses lost their lives in 2024 and a further 97 were injured.
+10 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
13 January 2026
2 contributions
Finance (No. 2) Bill
If this debate had taken place before Christmas, I would have had to declare an interest, but my father has now sold his majority share in our local pub in our home town, which I think goes to the core of today’s debate: publicans are leaving the sector. My hon. Friend has been talking about the imp…
Under this Government, we also have the situation whereby champagne in France is taxed at 40% less than sparkling wine is taxed in this country. If we are levelling the playing field, does the hon. Gentleman believe that the Government should also level the playing field for English sparkling wine s…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
12 January 2026
New Homes
The Secretary of State talked about increasing the pace of build-out, but as we strive to achieve the target of 1.5 million new homes, quality is important too. Will the Secretary of State say whether he will use the powers in the Building Safety Act 2022 to make the New Homes Ombudsman Service mand…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
Happy new year, Madam Deputy Speaker. In the last 14 months, constituents in Newbury, which I am proud to represent, have really felt the burden of the unfair family farm tax. I have hosted farmers here in Parliament and invited all parliamentarians to come and meet them, and I am proud that Members…
Commons
Westminster Hall
24 November 2025
Gaza: Humanitarian Obligations
The hon. Lady touches on the burden that women and children are facing. Does she agree that, with 123,000 pregnant women across the west bank and Gaza living with severe malnutrition, inadequate medical care and soaring risks to themselves and their babies, it is incumbent on the Government to provi…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
Social and Affordable Housing: South Shields
The Government’s affordable homes programme will contribute 180,000 social homes over the 10-year period, but Shelter has called for 900,000 homes over that period. Could the Secretary of State tell the House how much he expects social providers to provide on top of the 180,000 to be provided by the…
Commons
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
Topical Questions
T2. More than 3,600 families in my constituency are living in fuel poverty. While I welcome the warm home discount that will help with bills, it is really the warm homes plan that we need to see rolled out. Can the Minister give any assurance to my constituents about when they will be able to see…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Armed Forces Families: Housing
I welcome the £9 billion investment in military housing, but can the Secretary of State reassure Members, those serving and their families that responsive repairs will not be put on hold in the hope of a new bathroom, kitchen or heating system?
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
2 contributions
Pension Age Increase: Institute for Fiscal Studies Report
1. What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies entitled, “How do people already out of employment fare when the state pension age rises”, published on 17 September 2025.
I welcome the Secretary of State to his new position. In my seat of Newbury, over 5,200 women have been unfairly affected by changes to the state pension age. Those women were wronged through no fault of their own, and they deserve justice. With a High Court hearing due in December, this could be a …
Commons
Debate
21 October 2025
2 contributions
Social Housing: South Cotswolds
I support the Government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes. This debate refers more to social housing and I wonder whether you could give an indication from the Dispatch Box—
Apologies. Can the Minister give an indication of how many of those 1.5 million homes will be for social rent?
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 October 2025
Middle East
I add my support for yesterday’s ceasefire and the first tentative steps on the journey to peace. President Trump has spoken about a board of peace, and one of the names that has been floated for membership of that board is our former Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair. Could the Prime Minister confirm …
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
15 September 2025
Neighbourhood Policing
I was contacted by constituents yesterday from the Pound Street mosque and Riverside Community Centre mosque who had heard comments from the Unite the Kingdom rally about Islam not being welcome in this country or in Europe. How can neighbourhood policing help to reassure my constituents and the 3.9…