Contributions
271 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Pride MonthI thank my hon. Friend for that lovely intervention, and for all he does for this House and for his constituents.04 Jun 2026HANSARD Pride MonthI hope the hon. Member has gathered from my remarks that I am absolutely focusing on this very important ban with speed and determination. Before I conclude, I want to recognise…04 Jun 2026HANSARD Pride MonthSorry—in Harlow. I missed my chance there. I want to say very clearly from this Dispatch Box that I recognise the community’s fear and anxiety. When public debate becomes toxic,…04 Jun 2026HANSARD Pride MonthI beg to move, That this House has considered Pride Month. It is a privilege to open this debate on behalf of the Government as we mark Pride Month, and it is a real honour to do…04 Jun 2026HANSARD Pride MonthI thank my hon. Friend for the very important points he makes. I would just like to restate that, as the Supreme Court said, trans people have rights enshrined in law, and we are…04 Jun 2026HANSARDConversion PracticesConversion practices tell people that their identity is wrong, that it can be changed, and that they should be subjected to physical and emotional abuse to change it. These acts…29 Apr 2026HANSARDConversion PracticesI think I have been clear in my answers so far, but let me be very clear: conversion practices tell people that they should be subjected to physical and emotional abuse to change…29 Apr 2026HANSARDConversion PracticesMy hon. Friend is right. Conversion practices are dangerous, discredited and abusive, and I can make a commitment to everyone taking part in Suffolk Pride that this Labour…29 Apr 2026HANSARDConversion PracticesI thank my hon. Friend for being such a fantastic champion of the LGBT+ community. This Government will deliver our manifesto commitment to a trans-inclusive ban on conversion…29 Apr 2026HANSARD Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI have been clear with the hon. Member about our determination to act swiftly. These measures are a ceiling, not an ambition. We will act swiftly, reporting by the summer and then…27 Apr 2026HANSARD Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI am pleased to speak once again on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and I will start by reminding colleagues why it matters. First, and most importantly, this Bill is…27 Apr 2026HANSARD Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI beg to move, That this House insists on its disagreement with the Lords in their Amendments 38V to 38X to Commons Amendment 38J, and proposes Amendments (a) to (j) to Commons…27 Apr 2026HANSARD Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI thank Members from across the House for their considered contributions to the debate, at this late hour and throughout the passage of this legislation. There were some fantastic…27 Apr 2026HANSARD Children’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI will repeat what I said earlier. Let us be clear that the status quo cannot continue. We are consulting on the mechanism—that is the right thing to do—but we are clear that…27 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI apologise, but I am going to make progress. I am happy to discuss this with the hon. Lady at any time. My hon. Friend the Member for Reading Central (Matt Rodda) rightly paid…22 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI thank all colleagues for their contributions to the debate, which I found very engaging. I will try, in the few minutes that I have, to respond to some of the key points made. I…22 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI can be extremely clear on that, as I have just been. We are categorically crystal clear that there is no access to phones at any point during the school day. The guidance says…22 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI will finish this section of my speech and then give way. As the Government have consistently said and as sector leaders have repeated, this is a challenge of enforcement, and I…22 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI thank my hon. Friend for his important intervention and for all his work for his constituents in Reading Central. To underline the fact that we will act quickly, we have…22 Apr 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI thank my hon. Friend for his work. I do agree with him; this is an important point. The issue is a part of our revised national curriculum and also the relationships, sex and…22 Apr 2026