Commons
Westminster Hall
25 February 2026
6 contributions
Minister for Men and Boys
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his interesting speech. His party has recently announced that it would like to scrap the Department for women and equalities, so how does his statement sit with that commitment? He also wants to scrap the Equality Act 2010. Does he recognise that the Act actually prote…
It is always an honour to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I express my gratitude to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for opening the debate and for his commitment to tackling the issues facing many men and boys. I thank him and other hon. Members, whose thoughtful and varie…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
12 February 2026
4 contributions
LGBT+ History Month
I am proud to be able to contribute to this important annual tradition, and to do so as the Minister for LGBT+ equality. I thank my hon. Friends the Members for Jarrow and Gateshead East (Kate Osborne) and for Nottingham East (Nadia Whittome) for sponsoring the debate, and I applaud them both for th…
I absolutely do agree. I thank my hon. Friend for sharing that with us, and I congratulate Graham and Vinny on all their work.
There has been a consistent theme in the contributions this afternoon: the stories that many Members have told of the fear, shame and anxiety being felt by many of their LG…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 February 2026
4 contributions
Nurseries and Early Years Providers: CCTV
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I thank all hon. Members for attending and contributing to this important debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Tulip Siddiq) on securing the debate, and on her excellent speech. She has fought hard f…
I thank the hon. Member for her campaigning for her constituents, and for the powerful roundtable that she invited me to. I can reassure her that, as I just said, any parent or hon. Member in this debate who would like to contribute to the work of that panel will have the opportunity to do so. I wil…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 February 2026
Educational Outcomes: Disadvantaged Boys and Young Men
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Sir John. As the mum of two boys—and two boys with two mums—I express my gratitude to my hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin (Alistair Strathern) for securing this valuable debate. His powerful speech made a clear case for the importance of supporting bo…
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
28 January 2026
3 contributions
LGBTQ+ Rights
The Government are improving LGBT+ healthcare, equalising hate crime laws and banning abusive conversion practices. We will reject the politics of division and hate, which leads some in this House to say that families like mine are less stable, and we will build on Labour’s proud record of fighting …
I thank my hon. Friend for that important question. I absolutely recognise the anxiety felt by many trans people at the moment. The Government are clear, as was the Supreme Court judgment, that trans people are protected in law from discrimination and harassment. The independent EHRC has submitted a…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
26 January 2026
3 contributions
Key Stage 1 Curriculum
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. I thank all hon. Members who have attended and contributed to this important debate, and thank all those who signed and engaged with the petition, particularly those who are in the Public Gallery to listen to the debate. I know from convers…
My hon. Friend has got me right at the end of my speech, but I will give way to her.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
19 January 2026
5 contributions
Topical Questions
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. We are always willing to work across the House on this critical issue, because nothing is more important than our children’s safety. That is why we are proceeding with world-leading action through the Online Safety Act 2023 and why, as the Prime Minister made …
I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend and his constituent should he wish. As he knows, our record expansion of childcare means that more than 400,000 children benefited from additional childcare this September, and working families are saving up to £7,500 per year. I appreciate the concern tha…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
19 January 2026
3 contributions
Flu Vaccination: School Absences
Flu arrived earlier than usual this year, with increases first seen in children and young people. Despite the flu vaccination programme in schools getting off to a strong start in the autumn, with 4 million children vaccinated by early January—an improvement on last year’s figures—attendance levels …
I thank my hon. Friend for her hard work for the people of Worthing West. I agree entirely about the importance of schools starting the vaccination programme as early as possible, and I want to reassure her that the Department is working closely with our colleagues at the Department of Health and So…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
10 December 2025
5 contributions
Conversion Practices Ban
Conversion practices are abuse, they cause long-lasting harm, and they have no place in our society. We will bring our comprehensive, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices before the House as soon as possible.
As I have just said, conversion practices are abusive and we will ban them. All LGBT people deserve to live freely and without fear, shame or discrimination. This legislation is a priority for the Government, as set out in the King’s Speech.
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
3 contributions
Creative Education
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stuart.
I am hugely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Opher) for opening this valuable debate on creative education and for his thoughtful suggestions and campaign work. I also thank other colleagues for their contributions, whic…
Very briefly. I cannot take too many interventions because I am short on time.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
1 December 2025
3 contributions
Reading: Pre-school Support
Learning to enjoy books is a critical foundation for every child. As we get ready for the National Year of Reading in Hartlepool and across the country, our new “best start in life” family hubs will support families to read, and new books and libraries for schools will ensure that the benefits of re…
I do agree. I would love to visit, and I congratulate Lyndsay Hogg and Hartlepool borough council on this brilliant idea. “Matilda” is one of my favourite Penguin books, and it is a perfect allegory for our times: smart women who love reading standing up to snake oil salesmen and bullies.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
1 December 2025
4 contributions
SEND Pupils: Suspensions and Exclusions
We back teachers to take the necessary steps to keep classrooms safe and calm, which starts with early identification and help. That is why we are focusing on support given to children and families in the early years, and why our upcoming schools White Paper will transform support for children with …
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and for his interest in this important issue, and I recognise the statistics to which he refers. The Government take the issue extremely seriously and we will be setting out our plans in the White Paper in due course. We are investing in the early years, w…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
1 December 2025
3 contributions
Sexual Consent and Relationships Education
The Government’s new relationships, sex and health education guidance will help to ensure that young people learn about healthy, respectful relationships, and understand that consent is essential. That supports our unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
That is exactly what our new RSHE guidance aims to do, to give schools the support they need to ensure that our young people are taught about healthy relationships, and to learn about critical concepts such as consent.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 December 2025
8 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Ms Barker. I thank the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) for introducing this excellent debate on a landmark Bill. I thank all colleagues for their contributions, and all those in the Public Gallery who have signed the …
As the right hon. Gentleman will be well aware, the breakfast club represents 30 minutes of free childcare, as well as a healthy breakfast. That is how we calculated the estimated cost savings for families. We have also increased the funding for schools, as I have just said, having learned from head…
+6 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Women and Equalities
5 November 2025
4 contributions
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion: Public Sector
This Government are determined to break down barriers to opportunity so that everyone can achieve success, and this commitment is underpinned by strong data and evidence.
I have a lot of respect for the hon. Gentleman, who is a fellow Berkshire MP, but I gently say to him that it is right that people who serve our country, in whatever form, reflect the communities that they serve. These schemes are about levelling the playing field, not creating an unfair advantage, …
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
20 October 2025
3 contributions
Topical Questions
Breakfast clubs give children a great start to the day. They drive improvements in behaviour, attendance and attainment, and they can save families up to £450 a year. I congratulate my hon. Friend and the schools in her constituency on their efforts, and I look forward to more and more children bene…
I am absolutely happy to pop into the event this afternoon, and I applaud Esther Ghey for her fantastic campaigning work. The Government are completely clear that mobile phones should not be used in school, and the Government guidance says as much.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
20 October 2025
5 contributions
Childcare: Affordability
As it is my first time at the Dispatch Box, I want to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan), and say what an honour it is to build on his work to give every child the best start in life.
This Government have delivered a record expansion of childcare, saving working p…
I do agree with my hon. Friend, and I congratulate St Anthony’s and Oak Lodge, as well as my hon. Friend for being a tireless champion for his constituents. This Government have delivered 5,000 places at new school-based nurseries this year alone, with 7,000 more to come next September. I encourage …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Debate
3 September 2025
2 contributions
Hospitality Sector
Over recess, I had the pleasure of visiting more than 20 fantastic small businesses in my constituency during my small business summer roadshow. My aim was to promote these businesses and hear what I can do to help them thrive. I visited a large number of hospitality businesses, including Nino’s in …
I entirely agree with my hon. Friend, and I thank him for his intervention.
This Government are cleaning up the mess that the Conservative party made, fixing the foundations of our economy by restoring stability and presiding over rate cut after rate cut. We are supporting people with the cost of l…
Commons
Oral Questions
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Defence Spending
8. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.
This Government’s commitment to spending 5% of GDP on national security will be transformational for Wales and for my constituency, where thousands are employed in the defence sector and where we welcomed a £15 billion boost for the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Do the Secretary of State and the Min…
Commons
Debate
14 July 2025
UK-France Migration: Co-operation
I applaud the shadow Home Secretary for his valiant attempt to sound outraged. Is not the truth that while the Conservatives picked fights on the world stage, the Government have rebuilt relationships and delivered a groundbreaking returns agreement that they would have given their eye teeth for? Do…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 July 2025
Road and Rail Projects
I congratulate the Secretary of State on an ambitious but fully funded and deliverable plan to reconnect Britain. I welcome the commitment made to me by the Roads Minister last week that National Highways will review the safety of the dangerous slip roads at East Ilsley and Beedon on the A34, follow…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
2 July 2025
Engagements
Q8. I am proud to represent thousands of people working in the defence sector—ordinary people doing extraordinary jobs to keep our country safe—and I was delighted that the Defence Secretary recently joined me in my constituency to mark this Government’s £15 billion investment in the Atomic Weapon…
Commons
Debate
26 June 2025
Armed Forces Day
On that point, there are many brave men and women in my constituency who are serving or who have served. I am proud of them and their families, and I thank them for their contribution this Armed Forces Week. My hon. Friend mentioned the Royal British Legion, and I wish to give particular thanks to T…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
18 June 2025
Engagements
Q2. Too many of my constituents are stuck in unsuitable housing, and after 14 years of inaction from the Conservatives, local families are being split up because there are not enough affordable homes. I welcome this Government’s plans to turbocharge the delivery of social and affordable housing, i…
Commons
Oral Questions
Education
16 June 2025
2 contributions
Mental Health Support: Schools
21. What steps she is taking to improve mental health support in schools.
The brilliant schools in my constituency know that good mental health is the foundation for pupils enjoying school, fulfilling their potential and getting ready for life. In addition to rolling out mental health support for nearly a million more young people this year, will the Minister confirm that…