Contributions
70 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Victims and Courts BillI really welcome this Bill, which delivers long-overdue reforms to protect victims and goes a long way to rebuilding confidence in our judicial system. I particularly thank my…27 Oct 2025HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills StrategyI welcome the Secretary of State’s statement and the Government’s continued commitment to promoting vocational and technical education, which is welcome. Can she outline how the…20 Oct 2025HANSARD Work for Serving PrisonersI completely agree that all the evidence points towards the need to invest in prison training and employment programmes to reduce reoffending. Doing so is good for society and for…15 Oct 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsT4. Last Friday, I visited Demelza children’s hospice, which does amazing work for children and their families, but it needs certainty and sustainable funding to survive. Will the…09 Sept 2025HANSARDSEND Provision: South-east EnglandIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward, and I thank the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mike Martin) for securing this really important debate. We all know…15 Jul 2025HANSARDNew Unitary AuthoritiesI have been contacted by constituents who are concerned by media comments over the last week that suggest that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill may render sites of special…09 Jun 2025HANSARD Legal Aid Agency: Cyber-security IncidentA recent Public Accounts Committee inquiry found that the Government still have substantial gaps in their understanding of how resilient their IT estate is to cyber-attack. It was…19 May 2025HANSARD Mental Health Bill [Lords]I welcome today’s Second Reading of the Bill. I would like to focus on one aspect of the legislation: the removal of autism and learning disability from the definition of mental…19 May 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsT9. Next week I will be visiting the site of a proposed project in my constituency that will create the only new interconnector between Great Britain and France, which can be…29 Apr 2025HANSARDEngagementsQ12. The previous Government failed to properly support further and adult education over the past 14 years. In contrast, the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to technical…19 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe invest in women taskforce aims to drive investment in female-powered businesses at every stage. That includes putting more money in the hands of female investors, as we know…13 Mar 2025HANSARDInstitute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]I do not support the amendment but will speak in favour of the Bill. As many have highlighted, there is a gap between the skills needed by employers and the skills held by the UK…25 Feb 2025HANSARDAI Growth Zones7. What progress he has made on setting up AI growth zones across the country.12 Feb 2025HANSARDAI Growth ZonesRochester and Strood, positioned between London and mainland Europe, is well placed to help drive the UK’s AI economy. We have: several net zero energy projects ready to go, with…12 Feb 2025HANSARDApprenticeshipsWill my hon. Friend give way?04 Feb 2025HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)This Budget will improve the lives of so many of my constituents in Rochester and Strood. They will see the benefit in their wage slips, see the things they care most about in…05 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)I have only 20 seconds left, so apologies, but I will not. We all know that the social care sector needs to be transformed, and I hope that over time we can move to a more fully…05 Nov 2024HANSARD IPP SentencesI thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southgate and Wood Green (Bambos Charalambous) for securing this debate. The introduction of IPP sentences was well intentioned but in…29 Oct 2024HANSARD Lower Thames CrossingDoes my hon. Friend agree that the lower Thames crossing has the potential to boost skills and economic growth not only in Dartford, but across Kent, and in particular in Medway,…29 Oct 2024HANSARDSentencing Review and Prison CapacityI welcome the sentencing review and thank the Secretary of State for her explanation of why IPP sentences are not included in the review. What steps will she take to accelerate…22 Oct 2024