Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
LabourMP for Wirral West
“I take every opportunity to champion Northern Ireland’s brilliant manufacturing sector, and whether it is Denroy, Airbus or Thales, or even Harland & Wolff, which has just announced that it is bidding for a major UK-Dutch shipbuilding d…”
“There is rightly huge pride in the defence sector in Northern Ireland, where aerospace and defence are worth more than £2 billion a year. The defence growth deal will unlock even more opportunities for businesses, workers and apprentices.…”
“We are all indebted to the men and women who serve in our police force, who work day in, day out to keep our communities safe. I know that the Police Service of Northern Ireland purchased the site in the honourable Member’s constituency las…”
“Public services in Northern Ireland can and should be better. The Government are backing the Northern Ireland Executive every step of the way, starting with a record £19.3 billion settlement. Of course there is more to do and we will contin…”
“May I associate myself with your tribute to Karen, Mr Speaker? I also wish you, your team and the whole House a happy new year. The Secretary of State and I regularly meet Executive Ministers. I recently met the Education Minister, Paul Giv…”
“I am proud that this Government are investing £1 million into the connect fund to strengthen collaboration between communities across the UK. Mr Speaker, I know that as a dedicated supporter of our veterans you will be pleased to hear that …”
“It is a real pleasure to close this Second Reading debate for the Government, and I thank all right honourable and honourable Members who have contributed. I wish to declare an interest. Members should be aware of my declaration in the “Lis…”
“In this role, I am committed to supporting all people across Northern Ireland. From its businesses to its community groups, there is much to champion. I will do all that I can to build on the excellent work of my predecessor, my honourable …”
“Last week I heard from Keith and Aviva Siegel, who had been held hostage by Hamas. It was a powerful reminder that until all hostages are released, no hostage is released. That is true for Avinatan Or and his family and Gali and Ziv Berman …”
“I thank the Secretary of State, because with this NHS plan, ambition is back. That ambition matters to my constituents, who for too many years have seen a health service in decline. I brought many of those constituents to a community meetin…”
“At the heart of any progressive society is a simple test: how do we support people when they are most in need? The test is simple, but the answer is anything but, because need is not uniform. The duty of the Government is to create a safety…”
“The Conservative party presided over multiple reforms of welfare, and the results were a disaster. Perhaps cruellest of all was the fact that adults who had an irreversible health condition, and who could never work, were forced to go throu…”
“Today we are faced with a defining choice. We have debated assisted dying for months, and in some ways we could never have enough time for this. I wish there had been more opportunity to debate the amendments, but I can also say, based on m…”
“For many people in Wirral West, their church is a hub where they can practise their faith and put their values into action. That was evident to me at a recent meeting with representatives of St Luke’s church in Hoylake, West Kirby Methodist…”
“When the UN’s nuclear watchdog says that Iran is closing in on the ability to develop up to nine nuclear weapons, I worry. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that it is in our national interests that Iran never acquires those nuclear weapons?…”
“I wonder whether the Chancellor can help me. I want to write a letter to my constituents, and I do not know which story I should lead with—whether it is the rapid investment in our NHS to get more doctors’ appointments, the money for our po…”
“4. What steps she is taking to support high streets.…”
“14. What recent progress he has made on establishing an infected blood compensation scheme.…”
“The energy industry is central to our mission for growth, but it is also important to our tackling of the generational challenge that is climate change. This is a sentiment felt in my constituency, which is proud to be a regional hub of car…”
“Not a week goes by without more worrying news coming out of the middle east, and my thoughts are with the innocent people in Gaza who are worried about a new offensive, with the hostage families who are worried about their loved ones, and w…”
“I welcome the Government’s commitment to securing a peaceful future for the region, but that future feels far away for the families of the hostages still held by Hamas. As the Minister mentioned, yesterday he and I heard from Eli Sharabi, w…”
“20. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reform public services.…”
“I welcome the Chancellor’s £3 billion investment into a transformation fund to sort out how government is run. Does the Chancellor agree that the Tories ducked that reform—they should have done it but did not—and their failure to address it…”
“This ceasefire must be desperately salvaged for the 59 hostages—they and their families have lived through hell for 530 days now—and for the innocent people of Gaza, who need aid, safety and security and have themselves lived through hell i…”
“1. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.…”
“I start by paying tribute to the pensioners in my constituency. They have worked hard all their lives and made immeasurable contributions to our community by volunteering for others and supporting family members and friends through hardship…”
“9. What steps he is taking to support the development of carbon capture and storage technology.…”
“I welcome the statement from the Prime Minister. This is a major commitment to our defence; I think it will be heard across the world and welcomed by our allies, particularly those facing Russian or Iranian aggression. How will the Prime Mi…”
“Barriers to growth were in place in this country for so long that I thought they would be permanent, but we have a Government so committed to growth that they are tearing them down daily, and I welcome that. I also welcome the pilot announc…”
“While Hamas were busy smuggling weapons, and spending money building tunnels in which to hold hostages ahead of their barbaric attack on 7 October, the people of Gaza relied each and every day on aid coming in. For those of us who want a tw…”
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