Contributions
270 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsBack to the 1 July tariffs: the quotas are too small and the commodity codes are too broad. The steel required for aerospace can come only from, I think, SSUK, which is currently…21 May 2026HANSARD Steel Industry (Nationalisation) BillIn March, the Government released their steel strategy, which talked about taking bold steps to help to grow the industry. The bold steps that we have before us include granting…21 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2 ResetMany farmers, small businesses and residents have had access to their properties disrupted by the construction of HS2. The Wilcoxes in my constituency have been battling for more…19 May 2026HANSARD High Speed 2: Impact on CommunitiesThe communication element is certainly important. Villagers in Greatworth and Radstone in Northamptonshire have been massively isolated by the works that have been carried out,…19 May 2026HANSARDReferral of Prime Minister to Committee of PrivilegesThe Prime Minister came to this very Dispatch Box and said that “No pressure existed whatsoever” in relation to the Mandelson case. I recall Her late Majesty famously saying,…28 Apr 2026HANSARDSecurity VettingThe Prime Minister is repeatedly telling us that either he was not told, or he was not allowed to be told, but what culture has he created around him and across the civil service…20 Apr 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)The Minister is talking about the past, but we always talk about the importance of the present and moving forward. All the plans that the current Government want to put in place…16 Apr 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)I will reinforce the points made by my hon. Friend. As he said, the ECHR was created in a completely different environment and age from that in which we are living now. It is its…16 Apr 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Seventh sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. To reinforce the importance of having a review on retention, the Navy’s loss is perhaps my gain in that a new member…16 Apr 2026HANSARD Business of the HouseIt has just been announced that the last NHS dentist provision in Towcester in my constituency will be withdrawn on 1 August 2026. That represents a significant loss, especially…16 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. We are focusing on the concept of floating solar, which I am entirely behind. One of the drivers for that is the…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesI want to make a point about volatility. With the unpredictable way in which solar is adopted, there is a danger that we will end up making compensation payments. When the sun is…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesI entirely agree, and we have been trying to promote that argument. It has unfortunately been claimed that Northamptonshire could become the warehousing capital of the UK, but we…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesAbsolutely, and that is one of the arguments that we were trying to make in the hearing against the Green Hill proposal, which is for 60 years. We cannot see the justification for…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesI am not debating the National Farmers Union; I am saying that we should not be putting farmers in this position. I would not blame any farmer trying to make a bit of extra money…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesAbsolutely. It certainly should not be put there, and the national planning policy framework states we should not be doing that. I therefore find it quite extraordinary that we…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesThank you, Mr Stringer. These sizes are huge. As I say, the solar farm in my constituency will be the size of Heathrow airport. If this application goes through, more than 1% of…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesI thank my fellow member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee for making those points. Yes, all the different incentives matter. In the farming environment, our…14 Apr 2026HANSARD Ground-mounted Solar Panels: AlternativesAbsolutely. It completely changes the nature of the relationship. We know that our farmers are already having a challenging time because of Government policies that are coming in;…14 Apr 2026HANSARDArmed Forces Bill (Fourth sitting)If there is one phrase my father always says to me, it is “Sarah, you can’t teach experience.” We have talked about bringing retired officers back into the justice system; this is…14 Apr 2026