Contributions
1,335 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMaritime SectorI am very aware that this may be the last time I face these Ministers across the Dispatch Box, so I just want to say that from my perspective, they are a good bunch. I have really…16 Jul 2026HANSARDLivestockScotland’s beef breeding herd is in trouble; it is down 373,000 in the last decade. There are also declines in dairy cattle, pigs and chickens, which show that the industry is in…15 Jul 2026HANSARDLivestock8. What recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on Scottish livestock numbers.15 Jul 2026HANSARDEngagementsQ7. Books are going to be written about how a Mayor of Manchester has managed to out-manoeuvre a sitting Prime Minister with a 170-seat majority and take the keys to No. 10. The…15 Jul 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsT1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.13 Jul 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsGiven the reports in the press of yet another U-turn being forced on the Government by revolting Back Benchers, does the Home Secretary still believe that the qualifying period…13 Jul 2026HANSARDDraft West Midlands Combined Authority (Key Route Network) (Amendment) Order 2026Thank you for agreeing to chair us today, Sir Desmond. May I take this first opportunity to apologise to all members of the Committee for my late attendance? I am afraid I was at…07 Jul 2026HANSARDDraft West Midlands Combined Authority (Key Route Network) (Amendment) Order 2026I have already made clear that I think this is a sensible statutory instrument, and I am not proposing to oppose it. It is none the less a relevant consideration when considering…07 Jul 2026HANSARD Future of British HorseracingLike my hon. Friend, I am no expert on the racing world, but I am lucky enough to represent Fakenham racecourse. Does he recognise that the loss of a racecourse impacts not just…07 Jul 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanIt is quite clear the Secretary of State knows that we need to be spending a lot more on defence than he has been able to announce in the defence investment plan. In writing the…30 Jun 2026HANSARDApprenticeshipsThere is no correlation between what the Minister says and what is happening on the ground. In Broadland and Fakenham, in the last year the number of apprenticeships has dropped…22 Jun 2026HANSARDApprenticeships3. What steps her Department is taking to support apprenticeships for young people.22 Jun 2026HANSARDPathways Study: Puberty SuppressionDespite all the safeguards and precautions that the Secretary of State has listed, we must be clear about what this trial actually does: it proposes to give puberty blockers to…22 Jun 2026HANSARDPassenger Rail ServicesLast night, the Secretary of State claimed that the arrival of the class 701s at South Western Railway was an example of what a nationalised railway could do. As she well knows,…11 Jun 2026HANSARDPassenger Rail ServicesThe Minister refers to yesterday’s vote. Last night, he and his Secretary of State ordered Labour Members to vote against the protection of rail discounts for veterans and their…11 Jun 2026HANSARD Compassionate Use Medicine Schemes: VATThe Minister is responding to this urgent question because the Government have decided to charge VAT on donated medicines used for compassionate EAM schemes. The Minister says,…11 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillI am interested in pragmatism. I am interested in what works for the taxpayer and for the user of the railways. If state companies want to operate as private businesses in the…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillI stand to correct the hon. Gentleman: the most punctual is, I believe, Greater Anglia, which services my constituency, but the point he makes is a good one. The greater…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillI have addressed that point, so I want to move on. We have the key challenge that the division of track and train at times created some perverse incentives between the track…10 Jun 2026HANSARDRailways BillThe Father of the House is nailing me down to a cast-iron assurance at the Dispatch Box. I am not in a position to do that, but I fully expect to be in this role in a future…10 Jun 2026