Contributions
717 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Rail Services: East Durham CoastlineMy hon. Friend’s point is well made. I completely agree: the problem affects not just my Easington constituency, but Hartlepool, Billingham and the Tees valley. Not only does it…01 Apr 2025HANSARD Rail Services: East Durham CoastlineI beg to move, That this House has considered rail services on the east Durham coastline. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. Some hon. Members might be…01 Apr 2025HANSARD Rail Services: East Durham CoastlineWill the Minister give way?01 Apr 2025HANSARDWater BillI congratulate my good and hon. Friend on making an excellent speech and on advocating for public ownership of water and the opportunity to make things better. Does he agree that…28 Mar 2025HANSARDWater BillWill my hon. Friend give way?28 Mar 2025HANSARDPrevention of Drug DeathsThat is the status quo, but should we not be challenging that and looking at the evidence from, for example, prisons? One might assume that someone who is incarcerated due to…27 Mar 2025HANSARDPrevention of Drug DeathsIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my good and honourable friend, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), on securing this really…27 Mar 2025HANSARDPrevention of Drug DeathsI am very pleased with the Minister’s response. I appreciate that she has an awful lot on her plate, with cancer services and piloting a Bill through the House of Commons…27 Mar 2025HANSARD Council Tax ReformReforming council tax is an enormous problem and I do not underestimate the scale of the task, but does the Minister recognise that council tax is even more regressive than the…19 Mar 2025HANSARD Council Tax ReformMy hon. Friend and neighbour makes some excellent points about the unfairness of the council tax system. My view is that it cannot be tinkered with and it is fundamentally flawed.…19 Mar 2025HANSARDOpen Access Railway ServicesOpen access operator Grand Central already runs five services daily from Sunderland to London King’s Cross through my constituency, but unfortunately they currently do not stop.…13 Feb 2025HANSARD Business of the HouseI am sure you are aware, Madam Deputy Speaker, and I hope the Leader of the House is, that we are currently undergoing a digital refresh of computer equipment and laptops here in…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesI congratulate my good and hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) on securing this important debate on coalfield communities. It is very oversubscribed, and…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesI must take issue with that. I served a number of years on Easington district council, and we were twinned with a similar mining area in North Rhine- Westphalia in Germany. When…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesWill the Minister give way?06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesMy hon. Friend is kind and generous, and I thank him for that, but this is not about me; it is about the communities we represent. We have to give credit that, at the recent…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesI am grateful for the Minister’s reassurance on the BCSSS. Before he moves off the issue of funding for growth, a number of hon. Members, including my hon. Friends the Members for…06 Feb 2025HANSARD Gambling HarmsI congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate. One death is one too many. However, 22.5 million people in this country gamble and enjoy betting safely without…05 Feb 2025HANSARDOutsourcing: Government DepartmentsI am interested in the hon. Member’s contention about value for money. Does he actually believe that the prison maintenance contract delivers value for money for the taxpayer?29 Jan 2025HANSARDOutsourcing: Government DepartmentsIt is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I wish the Minister, Members and staff kung hei fat choi—happy Chinese new year. I congratulate my good and hon.…29 Jan 2025