Contributions
959 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAccess to Music and Dance TrainingThe Secretary of State will know that the music and dance scheme supports so many talented young performers from lower-income backgrounds to access an arts education. She will…18 Jun 2026 · 2d agoHANSARDRailways BillI wonder whether I could give the hon. Lady an update from my own constituency. A year on from South Western Railway’s nationalisation, its performance metrics continue to fall.…10 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanI just cannot understand how it is that the Government still have no idea how they are going to pay for the DIP. According to media reports this morning, the DIP is likely to be…10 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence ReadinessYou will almost be bored with hearing me say, Madam Deputy Speaker—as will the Secretary of State—that I represent Gosport, which has one of the highest proportions of veterans in…20 May 2026HANSARDDefence ReadinessWhen is the plan going to happen? I represent the constituency with the highest proportion of veterans in the UK. They take a keen interest in what goes on in our armed forces. We…20 May 2026HANSARDSports Facilities: Secondary SchoolsI hope that schools in South Dorset and—crucially—the Minister will have read the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport’s “Game On” report, which was published today. It…20 Apr 2026HANSARDSecurity VettingAt the risk of stating the obvious, the Prime Minister has based his defence today and over this whole sorry saga on his claim that he was not told that Mandelson failed security…20 Apr 2026HANSARDGlasgow 2026 Commonwealth GamesMany of our Commonwealth hopefuls started their careers in community events like parkruns and local sports clubs, and yet the sport and recreation sector is in a state of utter…16 Apr 2026HANSARDCrime and Policing BillI am very grateful to the Minister for giving way on that point. I am not sure whether she will come on to this, but the Government have tabled amendments on online safety, and…14 Apr 2026HANSARDCrime and Policing BillI don’t mean to bang on about this, but the fact is that the Government’s approach is too narrow. It is focused on taking down illegal content when it should be the responsibility…14 Apr 2026HANSARDFuel DutyGosport is not a rural area, but it is reportedly the largest town in the UK without a railway, so people rely on their cars to get around. We all know that the Chancellor cannot…18 Mar 2026HANSARDDraft Grants to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2026It is a great pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. At the risk of dangerous levels of cross-party agreement breaking out, I echo what the Minister said about the…17 Mar 2026HANSARD GP ContractMy constituents will welcome some of these headlines, such as clinically urgent cases being seen on the same day and more GPs, but what is being done to help accommodate them?…16 Mar 2026HANSARDPromoting EqualityOn the Secretary of State’s watch, the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Gosport has now reached around 5%—the highest in 15 years. Is that…11 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationI am afraid that it will be a rather morbid debate this evening. We spend remarkably little time in our lives thinking about the practicalities of death, and it is probably part…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right; better regulation is exactly what we are pushing for. In fact, everything needs to be better when it comes to the services governed by…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and I am about to make exactly that point. I am grateful to him for teeing it up so beautifully for me, because it takes only one business…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationI thank my hon. Friend for listening to me on this issue when he was the Justice Minister, when I first brought his attention to the situation. The points he makes are absolutely…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationI do not think that the size of a business is necessarily any reflection of its professionalism. We know that a large number of small, independent funeral services up and down the…09 Mar 2026HANSARD Funeral Directors: RegulationThe hon. Lady is absolutely right. It is crucial to know which Department will take the lead on this work and ensure that it happens, because while I think the Minister will be…09 Mar 2026