Contributions
326 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCourt BacklogsOne of the contributing factors to the court backlog is the state of disrepair of our court infrastructure. Will the Minister set out how many of the more than 500 Crown court…16 Dec 2025HANSARDCriminal Court ReformNobody would disagree with the Lord Chancellor’s diagnosis—the criminal courts are in crisis. It is the treatment that is in dispute. The question is whether the watering down of…02 Dec 2025HANSARDOffice for Budget Responsibility ForecastsThe British public are, by nature, a forgiving people. However, does the Chief Secretary to the Treasury not recognise that obfuscation of the kind we have seen over the weekend…01 Dec 2025HANSARD Evacuation Chairs: Schools and CollegesThe hon. Gentleman is making a powerful speech, and Lucas’s poem really resonates with that. In my constituency, we have Evac+Chair, which creates evacuation chairs like the ones…01 Dec 2025HANSARD Right to Trial by JuryThe crisis in our criminal justice system is not caused by jury trials but by inefficiencies in the system and a lack of advocates able to prosecute and defend trials, according…27 Nov 2025HANSARDTaxesThis debate is much broader than mere numbers on a spreadsheet buried in the Treasury; it is about trust, stewardship and the future of our country. That matters because, at the…12 Nov 2025HANSARDTaxesNo, I want to make this point. The difference is that the Chancellor told the media last year that the buck stops with her. She has to own these decisions. As I say, people in…12 Nov 2025HANSARDTaxesThe hon. Member may have forgotten the covid pandemic that swept this country, which of course turned the tables, and difficult decisions had to be made.12 Nov 2025HANSARDPrisoner Releases in ErrorMistaken releases of prisoners do not just undermine public trust and confidence in the system; they cost money, because the police have to go and find them and return them to…11 Nov 2025HANSARDNorth Sea Oil and Gas IndustrySadly, this is not an isolated case; regrettably, it is a pattern of decline that we are seeing under this Government. Can the Minister tell us how many companies must go under…27 Oct 2025HANSARDSEND ProvisionI have spoken to many anxious parents whose children have not been in receipt of an EHCP or local authority funding but would historically have benefited from independent…20 Oct 2025HANSARDAlleged Spying Case: Home Office InvolvementThe Minister has repeatedly said that he is extremely disappointed that this case did not proceed to trial. That is thin gruel if all the steps necessary to ensure that it got to…20 Oct 2025HANSARD Northern Ireland TroublesWill the Secretary of State set out how many of the proposed six protections for veterans will also be available to former paramilitaries?14 Oct 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsIn July this year, alongside a cross-party group of parliamentarians and others, I wrote to the then Lord Chancellor seeking a meeting regarding improving gatekeeping and…16 Sept 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsT9. When will levels of shoplifting finally reduce rather than rise, as they have under this Government?15 Sept 2025HANSARD Employment Rights BillI am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to two specific Lords amendments proposed in turn by Lord Burns and Lord Sharpe in the other place. While addressing different…15 Sept 2025HANSARDIndefinite Leave to RemainLike the hon. Gentleman, I have a significant Hongkonger population in my constituency of Solihull West and Shirley—there are about 4,500 across the borough. Does he agree that…08 Sept 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsFor many veterans, hearing loss is one of the hidden scars of service, and in a number of cases, it has been linked to defective 3M hearing equipment. Will the Minister use their…08 Sept 2025HANSARDDefibrillatorsIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I also congratulate the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) on securing this important debate, and I…02 Sept 2025HANSARDDefibrillatorsThe hon. Member makes a really important point. The consequences of vandalism or damage to this equipment can be life-changing—it can end a life. The ramifications have to be…02 Sept 2025