Contributions
191 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesIf we could move forward from the events of the 1980s, in the last Parliament, the Conservative Benches were full of Members representing former mining constituencies, including…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesI thank my hon. Friend for securing this really important debate. Would he agree that the example of Nissan, in the neighbouring constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for…06 Feb 2025HANSARDCoalfield CommunitiesI thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) for securing this important debate. My constituency of North Durham has a proud mining heritage. In almost…06 Feb 2025HANSARDLocal Government FinanceMy residents in North Durham are in a local authority area, County Durham, that is rural and deprived. I assure the shadow Minister that the previous version of the formulas was…05 Feb 2025HANSARD Children’s Social Care: North-east EnglandI thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate and for raising, in his fluent speech, many of the core issues. In County Durham we have an issue with children’s mental…05 Feb 2025HANSARDBenefit Fraud by Criminal GangsDoes my right hon. Friend agree that tackling fraud against the taxpayer is key to setting the country’s finances on a sustainable footing and allowing the investment in public…03 Feb 2025HANSARDBenefit Fraud by Criminal Gangs4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle benefit fraud by criminal gangs.03 Feb 2025HANSARDChester-le-Street Post OfficeI wish to present a petition relating to the potential closure of the post office in Chester-le-Street, which has been at the heart of the community in North Durham since 1936.…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsOn that point, will the shadow Minister give way?30 Jan 2025HANSARD Local Post OfficesI thank the hon. Gentleman for his generosity in giving way to a number of Members during his important speech. On the proposal to replace Crown post offices, does he agree that…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsOn that point, will the shadow Minister give way?30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsDoes the hon. Lady accept that one of the great advantages of moving to a proportional voting system would be that there would be no need to put any bar charts on any leaflets—it…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsI thank the hon. Gentleman for the intervention. I have looked at compulsory voting, which was advocated at one point by Lord Watson of Wyre Forest. I am open to the suggestion,…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsI do share my hon. Friend’s viewpoint, and I will come to that later in my remarks. We do not know how much turnout would increase in areas where it is now depressed because the…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsI think that is a different subject to the one we are debating. If the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I will proceed on the subject of proportional representation. We do not know…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General ElectionsI thank the hon. Members who secured this important debate. I have been debating on this subject outside the House for, unbelievably, nearly 40 years, so I have had some time to…30 Jan 2025HANSARDProportional Representation: General Electionsrose —30 Jan 2025HANSARD Local Post OfficesI thank the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) for securing this debate, which, as is shown by the number of hon. Members wishing to participate, is incredibly…30 Jan 2025HANSARD Fiscal Policy: Defence SpendingUnder the last Government, only two out of 49 major defence projects were being delivered on time and on budget. Will the Minister set out what the Government are doing to get to…27 Jan 2025HANSARDChild SafeguardingLast week, the Leader of the Opposition dismissed safeguarding measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill as a distraction. [ Interruption . ]27 Jan 2025