Commons
Oral Questions
Cabinet Office
10 September 2026
Topical Questions
I am sorry to return to Capita, but I may have a solution. My constituent John is retiring partly due to ill health and his salary is now at half level—he is really struggling. He explained to me that under the current system a retirement date must be selected four months in advance, and if the dela…
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
7 September 2026
Housing Revenue Account: Council Houses
Councils such as Dorset sold their housing stock many years ago. Their social housing is entirely operated by housing associations; they therefore have no HRA, making it more expensive and complex to influence the social housing network in their areas and support constituents living in poor-quality,…
Commons
Oral Questions
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
3 September 2026
Access to Culture
Wareham is fortunate to be served by the fantastic Rex cinema, which is Dorset’s oldest cinema and one of the oldest in the country, and it is volunteer led. It shows two films every day and has been refurbished to maintain its art deco interior. However, its roof is now over 135 years old and will …
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
1 September 2026
Climate Change: International Partners
After a horrendous summer of wildfires and the catastrophe in Nepal and Tibet, it is clear that if we are going to solve these problems, we need to act globally but think locally. It is really important that the public trust the information they receive on climate change. Will the FCDO work with Cab…
Commons
Proceedings
1 September 2026
Speaker’s Statement
After a horrendous summer of wildfires and the catastrophe in Nepal and Tibet, it is clear that if we are going to solve these problems, we need to act globally but think locally. It is really important that the public trust the information they receive on climate change. Will the FCDO work with Cab…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
16 July 2026
Topical Questions
In Manchester, London and now Wales, side road zebra crossings without Belisha beacons are allowed, yet in the rest of England they are not currently available. The Secretary of State mentioned the new cycling and walking strategy. Dunyeats Road in my constituency is suffering from multiple issues t…
Commons
Petition
15 July 2026
Safety of Wimborne Road
I wish to present a petition on behalf of residents in Wimborne about road safety in the Walford Mill area. This location is on the route of three local schools, is close to a nursery, GP surgery and local shop and sits alongside elderly residents’ flats. The area includes a complex junction and an …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 July 2026
State of Climate and Nature
I am sure the Minister will agree that to meet our climate and nature obligations, we must not take decisions that commit us to creating waste and causing harm for 40 years. The Government’s own policy, published in late 2024, said that new incinerators could be approved only where there is a local …
Commons
Debate
9 July 2026
Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban
Having been to the west bank many years ago, I know that that is not a new thing. Does the hon. Lady agree that the use by the IDF of artificial intelligence machine guns, which are trained on people using sponge-tipped bullets and tear gas, is a way of dehumanising Palestinian people as an attempt …
Commons
Proceedings
8 July 2026
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
This decision is clearly a kick in the teeth for brave people, like Chris from my constituency, who is worried that it will make the situation worse for whistleblowing rights. He challenged a bullying culture, was terminated and then denied his 20-year service medal. But this is not about money, is …
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
7 July 2026
Topical Questions
The Government have worked with Ofgem to bring forward low or no standing charge schemes, which are supposedly open for trial. I cannot find them and neither can my residents. The access to those schemes is so small, so what are the Government doing to make them available to more people now?
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
30 June 2026
Magistrate Numbers
Yesterday I joined members of the Justice Committee, including the Chair, on a trip to Nottingham as part of our review into youth justice. I want to press the Secretary of State a little further on the age of magistrates, because we were told that there is a real concern about recruiting people who…
Commons
Oral Questions
24 June 2026
Discrimination against Trans People
Since the Supreme Court judgment—and even more so since the code of practice was published—my constituents who identify as trans are contacting me daily. One has told me that he feels entirely pushed out of public life, and has had to leave his job due to customer harassment. He says that finding a …
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
24 June 2026
Discrimination against Trans People
Since the Supreme Court judgment—and even more so since the code of practice was published—my constituents who identify as trans are contacting me daily. One has told me that he feels entirely pushed out of public life, and has had to leave his job due to customer harassment. He says that finding a …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
18 June 2026
Courts and Tribunals Bill
I put it on the record that I voted for an alternative report that I felt better reflected my concerns, but I accept that the report is a fair reflection of the Committee’s view.
Given that the last recruitment drive for magistrates failed to deliver the much-needed uplift at that point, and with t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
16 June 2026
2 contributions
UK-US Relationship
2. What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's relationship with the US.
I regret that I never had the chance to meet Jo Cox, but the Secretary of State is right: her sister is doing her very proud.
As well as being the year in which the current US President was born, 1946 was the year in which the UK-US special relationship was formally cemented in Winston Churchill’s …
Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
15 June 2026
Leasehold Reform
Shortly after becoming the MP for my constituency, I was contacted by Jeremy in Wimborne, who lives with his wife in a leasehold flat. In 2023, all the funds from the management company were fraudulently stolen. I have been working with the Financial Services Authority, but have been told that such …
Commons
Proceedings
15 June 2026
Defence Investment Plan
Martin from Wimborne contacted me at the weekend to share his suggestion on funding the defence investment plan. He thinks that the Lib Dem idea of issuing defence bonds is a really sensible one and has told me that, in his view, many people with money in cash ISAs might be tempted to invest if the …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
15 June 2026
Russian Shadow Fleet
On Saturday night, I heard the unmistakeable sound of Chinook helicopters passing over my home in Dorset, en route to intercept the Russian tanker. Whether it is a shadow fleet funding the war against Ukraine, spy ships scanning our seabed, or political interference in our democracy—including the fo…
Commons
Oral Questions
Health and Social Care
9 June 2026
Mental Health Facilities: Dorset
I thank the Minister for his comments about Forston, which some of my residents use. Evidence suggests that half of mental health conditions are established by age 14, and three quarters by age 24. In Dorset, our rates of hospitalisation for self-harm are almost twice the national average for 15 to …
Commons
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Digital Safety: Children
I welcome the proposals announced today, but I am concerned that they appear to be limited to nudity. Children who have been subjected to self-harm content or who have been encouraged to take their own lives, and those who have seen extreme violence, do not appear to be covered. My son George told m…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 June 2026
Progression of Bills through Parliament
That is the key. Both the sponsor of the Bill in the House of Lords and others tabled amendments that might well, had they returned to the House of Commons, have had the opportunity to improve the Bill. Would the hon. Gentleman agree that the denial of that opportunity to improve the Bill is an abso…
Commons
Proceedings
3 June 2026
Lebanon: Israel Defence Forces Operations
Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir said in the last few days on social media:
“Electricity must be cut off to Lebanon, the Zahrani River must be seized, and intensive fighting must be resumed”.
Last week, he said of Dahieh,
“flatten, flatten, and flatten again”,
and that the suburbs must be targeted. The…
Commons
Oral Questions
Energy Security and Net Zero
2 June 2026
2 contributions
Transition from Fossil Fuels: Progress
4. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.
Last month, alongside other Dorset MPs, I met with the Crown Estate to discuss the Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster. While I welcome its recognition of the area as a medium-term opportunity, it is concerning that development is likely at least a decade away, despite Dorset’s significant potential f…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
2 June 2026
Milburn Review: Interim Report
The only country in the whole of Europe that has a NEETs crisis worse than the UK’s is Romania. That is quite shocking. For me, the issue is funding for further education. Mike Taylor owns Bond’s Barbershops and runs an award-winning academy, and he has far more students than he can give places to. …