Contributions
188 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI do agree, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his work in this area. Every change must be responsible with public money and it must be manageable for employers. The evidence…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI agree. It is quite stark that lots of parties are represented here today, but apart from the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith), there is not…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayAbsolutely. I know that my hon. Friend has a lot of experience in his own family to bring to this debate, and I wonder if his daughter is watching it. A parental leave system that…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI start by wishing a very happy second birthday to William, the son of my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Alex McIntyre). Perhaps he is at a soft play centre in…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 715292 relating to statutory maternity and paternity pay. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse,…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI agree, and those are some of the themes that I will come on to. We know, from parents such as Grace and from the stories that we will hear throughout today’s debate, that the…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayMy hon. Friend is a great champion for his constituents. Many of the issues that he notes will come out in the debate today. He is right to say that the Government have begun the…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI know that that is the experience of many parents, and I am sure that the Government will look at it as part of the review that they are undertaking. Under the current…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayThe hon. Lady has highlighted an area that needs to be addressed. One of the starkest, most glaring inequalities in the system is that dads who are self-employed or freelance are…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayYes, absolutely. My hon. Friend is a real champion of his constituents, and I too welcome the Government’s commitment. Shared parental leave was designed to bring flexibility, but…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI agree. The day one rights that the Government will introduce will be helpful in the context that my hon. Friend sets out. Ministers have rightly said that they want to remove…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayThe hon. Member can hear from the Chamber that there is support for that position. I am sure the Minister has heard that. Trade unions have welcomed the Government’s review—I…27 Oct 2025HANSARD Statutory Maternity and Paternity PayI do agree. I think the Government will look at those international comparisons and where Britain is in the league tables. The TUC seeks day one rights, individual entitlements to…27 Oct 2025HANSARDHeathrow: National Airports ReviewI thank the Transport Secretary for her statement and recognise the national importance of this project. As she said, we must ensure that the whole of the United Kingdom benefits…22 Oct 2025HANSARD A50/A500 CorridorMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. There will be a £24 million benefit to Stoke-on-Trent, a £30 million boost to Uttoxeter and east Staffordshire, and an £11 million benefit to…20 Oct 2025HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills StrategyIn my constituency, major employers offer excellent apprenticeships, but the number of places is limited. They have told me that they would welcome the ability to share…20 Oct 2025HANSARD A50/A500 CorridorMy hon. Friend has made the case that this investment would benefit not just the people of Staffordshire, but the people of east Staffordshire and the wider midlands. I hope that…20 Oct 2025HANSARD A50/A500 CorridorI will.20 Oct 2025HANSARD A50/A500 CorridorI refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the important issue of the A50/A500 corridor, a route…20 Oct 2025HANSARD A50/A500 CorridorAbsolutely, and if we see that investment, we can create even more jobs. Midlands Connect’s long-term vision goes further by predicting 17,000 new jobs and £12 billion of added…20 Oct 2025