Contributions
266 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSale of FireworksMy constituents, like those of so many of us, have written to me about this. I want to talk about Jessica, who wrote to describe how the impact that fireworks had on her father…19 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsNext year, the Tour de France will return to the UK for the first time since 2014, starting in Edinburgh. The route through northern England has yet to be determined, but does the…15 Jan 2026HANSARDFinance (No. 2) BillI very much welcome the fact that, from next year, an estimated 85% of farms will pay no more inheritance tax on their farming and business assets. I agree with the Minister that…12 Jan 2026HANSARD Rural CommunitiesI join the Minister in congratulating our rural crime teams on their work. I invite her to pay tribute to Special Constable Susan Holliday who has served almost 40 years as a…07 Jan 2026HANSARDAgricultural Property Relief and Business Property ReliefHappy new year, Mr Speaker. I pay tribute to Carlisle NFU and my constituents who have raised this issue with me over the last 14 months, and I thank the Minister and his…05 Jan 2026HANSARDJane AustenIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I sincerely congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Luke Murphy) for securing this debate. To take a…18 Dec 2025HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI took the opportunity a little earlier to wish you a merry Christmas, Mr Speaker. May I echo your thanks to all the House staff for everything they do all year round to guide us…18 Dec 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsMerry Christmas, Mr Speaker. A recent outbreak of avian flu near Wetheral in my constituency affected 43,000 birds and required the culling of the entire flock. Although I welcome…18 Dec 2025HANSARD Grassroots Cricket ClubsMy hon. Friend makes an important point about indoor cricket, which is particularly vital in Cumbria because our weather requires slightly more cover-ups than cover drives. I…16 Dec 2025HANSARDViolence against Women and Girls StrategyWomen and girls must have confidence both in the strategy and that the perpetrators of the violence against them will be brought to book. However, when I asked the Crown…15 Dec 2025HANSARDSt Andrew’s Day and Scottish AffairsThank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—today is indeed my birthday. I thank my Scottish colleagues for letting me, as an English Member, crash this debate on St Andrew’s day. I have the…11 Dec 2025HANSARDSt Andrew’s Day and Scottish AffairsIndeed, and my hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I was just about to mention Bonnie Prince Charlie and the 300 Jacobite soldiers he left in Carlisle castle after riding into…11 Dec 2025HANSARD AI SafetyOn the hon. Gentleman’s point about risk, I want to highlight another area that has been brought to my attention by the British sign language community, which is concerned that…10 Dec 2025HANSARDNet Zero Transition: Consumer-led FlexibilityThe hon. Member makes a point about a modern solution. I have felt for some time that our supermarkets, with the installation of bi-directional chargers, could offer consumers the…09 Dec 2025HANSARD Business of the HouseTomorrow marks the 10-year anniversary of Storm Desmond and the flooding of the city of Carlisle that forced thousands of my constituents from their homes. As we remember the…04 Dec 2025HANSARDEngagementsQ14. Over the summer, large quantities of illegal cigarettes were seized in shops in my constituency. However, many of those shops were reopened the very next day. Does the Prime…19 Nov 2025HANSARDUNESCO: 80th AnniversaryMy hon. Friend and I share not only Gilsland but Hadrian’s wall. Members may not be aware that it is only in the last eight years that Hadrian’s wall has yielded its long-kept…18 Nov 2025HANSARD Flood Risk and Flood Defence Infrastructure: North-west EnglandMy hon. Friend touches on an important point about early warning. My constituency experienced devastating flooding in 2005 and 2015. Last week, despite flood warnings, we…18 Nov 2025HANSARD Business of the HouseI am sure that Members from across the House will want to thank volunteers and members of the Royal British Legion for their exemplary work in recent weeks. Will the Leader of the…13 Nov 2025HANSARD Rogue BuildersI thank the hon. Gentleman for securing this important debate. One of my constituents was ripped off to the tune of £19,000 when the builder walked off the job part-way through.…13 Nov 2025