Commons
Westminster Hall
7 July 2026
3 contributions
Human Rights in Kashmir
rose—
My hon. Friend is correct. I recently met constituents in my office who are deeply concerned about the internet blackout. They are unable to find out if their families are okay and have told me some horrendous stories, including—this is unverified—that a two-year-old child has been shot. Their major…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 July 2026
Ceramics Industry
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I thank all the people who signed this petition and commend the hard work done by my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Linsey Farnsworth) and all who fought hard for Denby and our ceramics industry.
In Stoke-on-Trent South, factori…
Commons
Westminster Hall
30 June 2026
2 contributions
High Street Regeneration and Unlawful Storefronts
I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman’s vision. In my town centre of Longton, we are making massive improvements to the public realm. We have heritage colours and an awful lot of civil pride. It can be done, and Longton is demonstrating that.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I thank the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Bradley Thomas) for securing this debate. In my constituency, high streets such as Longton town centre and Weston Road in Meir were hit by austerity, with many shops shutting down and left empty—yet despi…
Commons
Oral Questions
Justice
19 May 2026
2 contributions
Violence against Women and Girls
4. How he plans to work with the Prime Minister’s adviser on women and girls to help tackle violence against women and girls through the criminal justice system.
I welcome the announcement of a record £100 million expansion of GPS tagging for domestic abusers following a pilot by the Greater London Authority that saw reoffending fall by up to 63%. However, the current plans will apply only to the highest-risk offenders. Given that all domestic abuse is serio…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
23 April 2026
UK Biobank Data
From my previous work with the AI and Digital Regulations Service, and as a scientist, I know that UK Biobank is an excellent resource, which furthers scientific research for the benefit of my health and my constituents. In particular, it is working very hard to ensure that its dataset is unbiased a…
Commons
Debate
21 April 2026
5 contributions
Peter Mandelson: Government Appointment
I will reiterate the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) made: I wish I had never heard the name Peter Mandelson. He should not have been appointed. It is right that he was sacked. I acknowledge my hon. Friend’s experience and expertise on the issue, which I admit I d…
I promise I will come to the hon. Member in a minute. I am in the flow. People are tired after 14 years of the previous Government chopping and changing Prime Ministers and Secretaries of State. We had the blonde bumbler and the loopy lettuce. This country was on its knees, its people exhausted. The…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 April 2026
2 contributions
Wheelchair Provision: Independent Review Body
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis) on securing this important debate, and on his excellent work across the board on wheelchair services through the APPG that he leads.
As vice-chair of th…
I acknowledge the personal wheelchair budget, but constituents have raised with me that it does not fit the cost of wheelchairs nowadays. It does not quite match, so they sometimes have to use their own funds to get the wheelchair they need, which is not good enough.
Commons
Debate
20 April 2026
Security Vetting
Earlier today, NBC released an interview with hospice worker Rachel Benavidez, who was 22 years old when she became one of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. For 27 years she has been waiting for the crimes committed against her to be recognised, and as she told NBC:
“Until we are heard, until…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
25 March 2026
Engagements
Q8. I recently met Graham and Malcolm, who bravely shared their lived experience of addiction to monkey dust, a synthetic cathinone causing significant problems in Stoke-on-Trent. They shared the challenges that they faced in recovery—challenges caused by a lack of joined-up working between local se…
Commons
Oral Questions
23 March 2026
2 contributions
Police Efficiency: Technology
6. What steps her Department is taking to use technology to increase police efficiency.
Live facial recognition technology is being deployed across the country to support the police to prevent and detect crime. While I recognise the importance of improving police efficiency, we have also seen a number of wrongful arrests linked to the use of live facial recognition systems, and only la…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 March 2026
Technology Sovereignty
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West (Dame Chi Onwurah) on securing the debate.
Ensuring that we have a strong and secure technological landscape in the UK is vital not only to our growth and develop…
Commons
Proceedings
5 March 2026
Business of the House
Synthetic cathinones, commonly known as monkey dust, are a stimulant drug causing significant harm in Stoke-on-Trent. These substances can cause severe psychosis and trigger acute health risk in the very vulnerable people who turn to them, which is having a significant impact on our local communitie…
Commons
Westminster Hall
5 March 2026
Local Museums
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) for securing this debate today.
Our local museums are at the heart of our communities. I am incredibly lucky to have important museums in my constituency of Stoke-on-Trent So…
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Department for Business and Trade
My hon. Friend mentioned the cost of electricity, but ceramics is a gas-intensive industry, so I again make a plea that when considering support for businesses, we remember gas-intensive industries, which includes steel, and that we have a strategy.
Commons
Debate
4 March 2026
Ministry of Defence
Within the allocations of defence spending and investment, and in light of current geopolitical volatility, I am sure that the Government will be looking to secure a strategic, robust and sovereign defence supply chain. In north Staffordshire, our advanced ceramics industry is a key creator of the u…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
9 February 2026
2 contributions
Police Efficiency: Technology
13. What steps her Department is taking to use technology to increase police efficiency.
I recently met Home Office Ministers to discuss the use of synthetic cathinones, often referred to as monkey dust, in Stoke-on-Trent. These substances cause significant harm to users and, indeed, communities. They are frequently sold via the dark web and imported through the post. Can the Secretary …
Commons
Committee Stage
3 February 2026
14 contributions
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill (Second sitting)
Q I should point out that I once worked for the NHS AI and Digital Regulations Service and have also worked for a number of different regulators, including the ICO, so I have experience of the joys and frustrations of cross-regulatory working. We have heard evidence of the challenges experienced by …
Q I have a couple of unconnected questions. We have asked a couple of times whether senior board members should have legal, statutory responsibility for cyber. The pros are that it is not seen as a priority, and culture change has to be top-down. However, there are issues with smaller companies bear…
+12 more contributions in this session
Commons
Committee Stage
3 February 2026
5 contributions
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill (First sitting)
Q I have a quick question. You mentioned vulnerabilities earlier, and you mentioned, Jen, the complexities of implementing cyber-security plans. As well as technological factors, human factors, not the least of which is the lack of skills, play a key role in cyber-resilience. How would or could the …
Q It is interesting that you mentioned the complexity and skilled teams. Sanjana, you talked about the need for more skill and responsibility, and how distributed responsibility across supply chains is a big deal. That comes down to a duty of care on people who are procuring these things. The annual…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 January 2026
Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children
Organisations such as the Molly Rose Foundation highlight that evidence to support social media bans remains very uncertain and warn that blanket restrictions could unintentionally cause harm by pushing young people towards unregulated platforms, remove trusted online spaces, undermine digital liter…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
14 January 2026
Northern Powerhouse Rail
I welcome the Government’s announcement today on Northern Powerhouse Rail. However, in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent we are still in stasis, with legacy issues such as the HS2 compound at Yarnfield, which is costing millions. I ask the Secretary of State for clarity on plans for our railway servi…
Commons
Oral Questions
Transport
8 January 2026
2 contributions
Economic Growth: Transport System
7. What steps she is taking to help ensure that the transport system supports economic growth.
My constituency of Stoke-on-Trent South and the villages is home to internationally recognised visitor attractions, including the iconic World of Wedgwood and the stunning grade-II listed Trentham Estate and its gardens, yet public transport access to those sites remains limited. Two local railway s…
Commons
Westminster Hall
7 January 2026
UK Town of Culture
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Halesowen (Alex Ballinger) for securing this debate. I am delighted to speak today to shine a spotlight on Longton, a proud town in my constituency and a place where culture does not just sit in museums…
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 December 2025
4 contributions
Digital ID
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on digital identity, and in the past I have audited algorithms and processes that developed identification systems. With that in mind, I worry about a couple of issues. Before the Governme…
I will, as the hon. Gentleman has been trying to intervene for the whole debate.
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 December 2025
8 contributions
Advanced Ceramics Industry: North Staffordshire
I beg to move,
That this House has considered Government support for the advanced ceramics industry in north Staffordshire.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I thank the House for allowing this debate today. Although the ceramics industry is typically known for producing …
Yes, sovereign capability is vital to ensure this nation’s security.
CMCs are essential as lightweight replacements for alloys in high-temperature aggressive environments, such as turbine engines and exhaust systems. They are vital to maintaining technical advantage and capability in defence, offer…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
24 November 2025
6 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
One of the advantages of this Government’s plan for devolution is that it offers the opportunity to address the country’s many regional inequalities. Indeed, strategic authorities, particularly those with mayoralties, have the ability to address inequalities within individual regions. The Bill’s ori…
I agree with my hon. Friend. It is with great sadness that I see this fight between cities and rural areas that demonises the city areas. Around Stoke-on-Trent we have a doughnut economy. Stoke generates wealth for north Staffordshire and it filters out to the rural areas, yet we hear people saying,…
+4 more contributions in this session