Commons
Oral Questions
20 January 2026
Topical Questions
Israel is the only country in the world that automatically and systematically prosecutes children in military courts, trying between 500 and 700 Palestinian children in that way each year. According to Save the Children, those children are at serious risk of contagious disease, hunger and abuse. Can…
Commons
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
Topical Questions
T9. Until covid, Hulland Ward had a local NHS clinic serving the community. However, it was closed, first temporarily and then permanently, leaving many vulnerable and elderly residents without healthcare and putting immense pressure on services in Brailsford. Will the Minister consider reopening th…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
I was grateful for the opportunity to meet the Chancellor recently to highlight the impact that the changes to APR and BPR would have had on farmers in Derbyshire Dales. I therefore sincerely thank the Minister and the Chancellor for listening to me and other members of the Labour rural research gro…
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 December 2025
Palliative Care: North Derbyshire
My hon. Friend mentioned other Derbyshire MPs. Many of my constituents have told me how Ashgate hospice has been there for them in their darkest moments. Paula Reeve told me that what Ashgate did for her mother, Joan Dempsey,
“felt nothing short of miraculous...That time was a very precious gift an…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 December 2025
Small-scale Fracking Ban
Parts of Derbyshire are threatened by fracking because they fall within the Bowland-Hodder basin. We have a complex limestone geography, historical mine workings and natural cave systems. Fracking could undermine sub-surface stability and cause earthquakes, as it has elsewhere. Reform is promising t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 December 2025
Network Rail Timetable Changes: Rural Communities
The new East Midlands Railway timetable will remove a second morning train between Matlock and Derby, significantly impacting commuters in the Derbyshire Dales. That will jeopardise employment and students’ education. Will my hon. Friend join me in urging EMR to find a solution that would ensure tha…
Commons
Westminster Hall
1 December 2025
2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship today, Ms Barker.
Years of austerity have stripped out much of the vital support that young families once received through—dare I say it?—Sure Start. The number of children in care has risen by 28%, the number of children in residential care homes has …
I welcome support for all children, but I am trying to make the point that there is no negative judgment here. I say to those parents, “If you are doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear.” I have also heard the Secretary of State say that privately and publicly.
Unfortunately, though, there a…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 November 2025
UNESCO: 80th Anniversary
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies) on securing this important debate.
UNESCO was founded from the ashes of the second world war out of a recognition that we must protect our unique cultural heritage …
Commons
Oral Questions
Solicitor General
13 November 2025
2 contributions
Rural Crime
2. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates for rural crime.
In Derbyshire we have seen a significant increase in reports of agricultural crime; police figures show a 45% increase in the past 12 months. Earlier this year one of my constituents, Jane Bassett, had her farm broken into and a significant amount of specialised equipment was stolen. Such attacks ca…
Commons
Debate
23 October 2025
Decarbonisation of Cement
Cement may not grab headlines, but it quite literally holds up our country. Virtually every hospital, school, bridge and home is built using cement. Without a thriving cement industry, it will not be possible to deliver the renewal our nation needs and the 1.5 million homes the Government have commi…
Commons
Debate
16 October 2025
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
Our oceans are teeming with complex life, but today they are also in a state of crisis. Climate change, pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction and plastics are all placing our oceans under strain like never before. Our oceans are paying the price, with more than a third of UK fish stocks curren…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
15 October 2025
Engagements
Q14. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the Government’s elections Bill? Does he agree that in the light of recent court cases and the conviction of Reform’s former leader in Wales, no party whose leaders take Russian bribes can be trusted to defend our democracy?
Commons
Westminster Hall
2 September 2025
Eating Disorders: Prevention of Deaths
Does my hon. Friend agree that his point highlights the urgent need for the Department to examine the influence of private equity in NHS in-patient mental health services? It is vital that private sector involvement complements the NHS’s mission to deliver high-quality patient-centred care and does …
Commons
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
Topical Questions
Last autumn, there was not a single NHS dental practice in Derbyshire Dales accepting new adult patients other than those referred for specialist care. The lack of NHS dentistry has led many of my constituents to experience severe economic hardship, with one telling me he had to spend £100 to have a…
Commons
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
2 contributions
Early Years
22. What steps her Department is taking to ensure more children receive support during their early years.
Sure Start, which was created by the previous Labour Government, boosted attainment, improved health outcomes and increased long-term earnings. However, under the Conservatives, more than 30 children’s centres in Derbyshire were closed, and Derbyshire now does not have a single family hub. What acti…
Commons
Debate
8 July 2025
Football Governance Bill [Lords]
I rise to support new clause 13 and amendment 29 on behalf of one of my constituents, the former Arsenal and Leeds goalkeeper John Lukic. I am grateful to John for bringing to my attention the growing number of ex-players suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a form of dementia caused by …
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 June 2025
Theft of Tools of Trade
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate. I was shocked to hear that the cost of GPS theft, including from tractors, had increased by 137% between 2023 and 2024. It is clear that the theft of high-tech farming equipment can be linked to organised gangs with connections to illegal markets in E…
Commons
Debate
5 June 2025
Bank Closures and Banking Hubs
Cash is still alive and well, and for some, access to it is still a necessity—indeed, last year £80 billion in cash was withdrawn from the Link network. However, with the rise and rise of internet banking and contactless payments, we have seen a near-complete withdrawal of bank branches from certain…
Commons
Proceedings
5 June 2025
Business of the House
Tough Enough To Care is a men’s mental health charity that works to remove the toxic stigma around mental health. I had the privilege of attending one of its meetings in Wirksworth, where I witnessed the incredible work that that charity is doing to ensure more men get the support they need. Will th…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2025
Animal Welfare in Farming
On the subject of disease, the 2023 national risk register states that the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the presence of exotic diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, represent a threat to our food sustainability. Will my hon. Friend join me in welcoming calls from the National Farmer…
Commons
Debate
16 May 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My hon. Friend mentioned many real stories influencing this debate. I will mention one more: my constituent Mick Murray, who is in the Public Gallery today. Mick helped two close friends, Bob and Ann, to make the painful journey to Dignitas. Both simply wanted to die at home with dignity and surroun…
Commons
Debate
15 May 2025
Youth Services
Having dedicated spaces, support and community for young people can transform the trajectory of someone’s life. I and many Members here, I am sure, benefited from having a youth provision. I took part in activities that I would not have done otherwise. The previous Government stripping funding away …
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 May 2025
Future of Public Libraries
I thank my hon. Friend for securing the debate. In the Derbyshire Dales libraries play a crucial role, hosting all kinds of community activities and providing space for the next generation to socialise and learn. They are a lifeline for those in the most remote and rural parts of the constituency, e…
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 May 2025
Parking Regulation
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Derby South (Baggy Shanker) and the hon. Member for Newton Abbot (Martin Wrigley) for securing this debate.
The RAC estimates that 14.5 million drivers will receive a parking fine this year. That is …