Contributions
918 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Covid: Fifth AnniversaryI pay tribute to the hon. Member for West Ham and Beckton (James Asser) for securing the debate, which takes place five years after covid-19 swept across the country. It is right…12 Jun 2025HANSARD NHS Funding: South-westWhat does my hon. Friend think about how ICB funding is weighted? I contend that the formula overemphasises the size of each ICB and the size of the registered population, but…11 Jun 2025HANSARD NHS Funding: South-westWill the Minister give way?11 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear Power: InvestmentNew jobs in clean energy are very welcome. Many of the skilled jobs at Hinkley Point C in the south-west are going to young people from beyond the area. Given the social mobility…10 Jun 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillLocal authorities could really do with compulsory purchase powers for cycling and walking paths. The Devon local cycling and walking infrastructure plan that came out last…10 Jun 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThat sounds similar to the Otter Trail in my patch, which would link Feniton to King’s School at Ottery St Mary. Does my hon. Friend agree that these new active travel paths will…10 Jun 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI, too, will keep my remarks brief, but I wish to put it on the record that Devon, which is rightly celebrated across Britain for its rugged coastline, its rolling farmland, its…10 Jun 2025HANSARD Israel and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesLast October, Lord Cameron said that, as Foreign Secretary, he had been working up plans to sanction extreme right-wing Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. What took the Government…10 Jun 2025HANSARD Winter Fuel PaymentI welcome the partial reinstatement of the winter fuel payment. When we met, the Minister and I discussed the cliff edge that existed last winter, which meant that people in…09 Jun 2025HANSARDOccupied Palestinian Territories: ChristiansOpen Doors reported earlier this year that about three quarters of houses belonging to Christians in Gaza have been damaged or totally destroyed. Given that that is true for…22 May 2025HANSARD School Teachers’ Review Body: RecommendationsThe Minister mentioned maintenance contracts and Department for Education support. Schools have seen steep increases in the cost of sustaining themselves. One school leader in…22 May 2025HANSARD UK-EU Summit: Policy PrioritiesI am grateful to the Chair of the Business and Trade Committee for this thorough set of proposals, and especially for the call for a greater role for Parliament. The Committee…22 May 2025HANSARD Mental Health Bill: Legislative ScrutinyI am grateful to the Joint Committee for this report. I note the Committee’s call for “more prompt and regular reviews by the Mental Health Tribunal.” The basis for that call is…22 May 2025HANSARD UK Health Security Agency: Porton DownIn addition to the HSA, the right hon. Gentleman’s constituency is home to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, and both do vital work on antimicrobial resistance. Does…21 May 2025HANSARD Ukraine: Forcibly Deported ChildrenIt is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stuart. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Johanna Baxter). Normally we would congratulate…21 May 2025HANSARD Ukraine: Forcibly Deported ChildrenAbsolutely. The hon. Member is right that pulling support from the programme is not an act of impartiality; it is an act of complicity. I am sure the State Department of the…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasMy hon. Friend mentions Airband. Building Digital UK wrote to me last month to say that villages and premises had been de-scoped because Airband had withdrawn from the contract.…21 May 2025HANSARDUK-EU SummitWe heard from Ministers over the weekend that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The Prime Minister said in his statement that the deal paves the way for access to the…20 May 2025HANSARD Adoption and Kinship PlacementsIt is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Harris. I pay tribute to the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) for securing this debate. About 3,000 children in…20 May 2025HANSARDNATO: European SecurityAt the end of March, the US Secretary of State told the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic states that the US wanted to continue participating in EU defence procurement initiatives.…19 May 2025