Chris Clarkson Portrait

Chris Clarkson

Conservative - Heywood and Middleton

First elected: 12th December 2019


Energy Bill [HL]
17th May 2023 - 29th Jun 2023
Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 13th Dec 2022
Co-operatives, Mutuals and Friendly Societies Bill
23rd Nov 2022 - 30th Nov 2022
Pension Dashboards (Prohibition of Indemnification) Bill
19th Oct 2022 - 26th Oct 2022
Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
10th Oct 2022 - 18th Oct 2022
Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill
7th Sep 2022 - 11th Oct 2022
British Sign Language Bill
9th Feb 2022 - 23rd Feb 2022
Charities Bill [HL]
19th Jan 2022 - 25th Jan 2022
Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Bill
1st Dec 2021 - 14th Dec 2021
Elections Bill
15th Sep 2021 - 26th Oct 2021
Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
12th May 2021 - 24th Jun 2021
Regulatory Reform
2nd Mar 2020 - 20th May 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Chris Clarkson has voted in 998 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

17 Jun 2020 - Health and Personal Social Services - View Vote Context
Chris Clarkson voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 104 Conservative Aye votes vs 124 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 253 Noes - 136
30 Mar 2022 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Clarkson voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 72 Conservative Aye votes vs 175 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 215 Noes - 188
View All Chris Clarkson Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Cat Smith (Labour)
(14 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(13 debate interactions)
Christian Matheson (Independent)
(11 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(81 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(22 debate contributions)
Ministry of Defence
(18 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020
(7,715 words contributed)
Elections Act 2022
(4,571 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Chris Clarkson's debates

Heywood and Middleton Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

The SNP government appears solely intent on getting independence at any cost.

The Government is refusing to release official research on the characteristics of grooming gangs, claiming it is not in the “public interest”.

We, the British public, demand the release of the official research on grooming gangs undertaken by the Government in full.

The Home Secretary said what happened to victims of child sexual exploitation gangs was “one of the biggest stains on our country’s conscience.” Last year local authorities identified 18,700 suspected victims of child sexual exploitation. We want an independent public inquiry into Grooming Gangs.


Latest EDMs signed by Chris Clarkson

Chris Clarkson has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Chris Clarkson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Chris Clarkson has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Chris Clarkson has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Chris Clarkson


A Bill to require building developers to ensure that the streets of major new developments are lined with trees; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 15th July 2020
(Read Debate)

Latest 20 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
28th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle fly tipping.

Fly-tipping policy is a devolved matter. In England, we are taking action to crack down on fly tipping and support people to dispose of their waste properly. We have announced grants worth £450,000 to help councils in England use innovative methods to tackle fly-tipping and launched a consultation to close a loophole that allows recycling centres to charge for recycling DIY waste.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
18th Mar 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent representations she has made to the Palestinian Authority on reports that 31 schools are named after Palestinian terrorists.

We have raised our concerns about school naming at senior levels within the Palestinian Authority (PA) and will continue to do so. Our partnership with the PA includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to assess that the PA’s commitment to peace is in line with our Partnership Principles.

UK support to the PA contributes to the salaries of carefully vetted teachers and education workers in the West Bank through the Palestinian-European Socio-Economic Management Assistance mechanism, which screens recipients against international sanctions lists.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
18th Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of restoring the twice-hourly train service between Castleton and Manchester following the lifting of covid-19 public health restrictions.

Passengers currently have an hourly service between Manchester and Castleton which increases to two trains per hour during the morning and evening peak. Northern operates on a complex network and like other operators, it has to make difficult decisions to maximise the number of services it can offer to customers whilst maintaining a high-performing railway that people can rely on.

Chris Heaton-Harris
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the environmental sustainability of all aspects of the High Speed Two project.

Environmental sustainability is embodied in HS2’s strategic goals. All phases of the railway have environmental minimum requirements (EMRs) which set out the government’s high level environmental and sustainability commitments across all aspects of the project. HS2 is critical for the UK’s low carbon transport future; providing a low carbon alternative to road and air travel. HS2 will run highly energy efficient electric trains powered by a grid increasingly using zero carbon sources. As the grid moves to supplying 100% zero carbon energy, journeys on HS2 will also move to zero carbon.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of High Speed Two construction waste he plans divert from landfill.

The impacts and effects arising from managing the material from HS2 were set out in the Environmental Statements for Phase 1 (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-one-environmental-statement-documents ) and Phase 2a ( https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hs2-phase-2a-environmental-statement ). These were based on a forecast landfill diversion rate of 90% for construction and demolition material. This forecast rate was based on a review of industry good practice landfill diversion rates achieved on other large-scale infrastructure projects in the UK.

HS2 Ltd has set a performance target of 95% diversion from landfill for construction and demolition material in all of its relevant contracts with suppliers.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) recording and (b) preservation of archaeological finds during the construction of High Speed Two.

During route development, design of the scheme and early construction, HS2 Ltd has sought to avoid and reduce impacts on heritage assets, including archaeological remains. HS2’s historic environment programme employs a wide range of specialists to undertake the historic environment works required. This includes historic environment evaluation, recording and investigation, post-excavation assessment, analysis, archiving and dissemination of the results.

Many exciting discoveries have already been made during excavation works on Phase One and these have been shared with communities close to the line and further afield. The creation of HS2’s historic environment physical and digital archive is an integral part of the lasting legacy of the programme. HS2 Ltd and its supply chain continue to host webinars, provide lectures, and work with communities and academics, in order to deepen our understanding of the history of England.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure the maximum use of rail freight for moving materials during the construction of High Speed Two.

HS2 Ltd’s Environmental Statement and Code of Construction practice states that as the ‘Nominated Undertaker’ HS2 Ltd should plan to move as much material as is reasonably practicable by Rail (or Water) before Road.

Joint industry resources (including Network Rail, the Freight Industry, and HS2 Ltd) have collaborated to develop the Materials By Rail strategy and secure every available opportunity to maximise Materials By Rail volumes and accelerate the materials delivery and removals programme.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the extent of opportunity the construction of HS2 presents for creating skilled jobs throughout the North.

Providing opportunities for Skills and Employment is one of the seven strategic objectives of HS2. HS2 Ltd’s 2018 Skills, Employment and Education (SEE) Strategy sets out the company’s aim to help the next generation develop the technical skills to not only design and build HS2, but to deliver the project pipeline of the UK’s future infrastructure and leave a lasting skills legacy for the country. Currently around 9000 people are working on HS2 and since Royal Assent in April 2017, over 350 individuals have started an apprenticeship on the project.

Underlying the SEE Strategy were labour and skills forecasting data and analysis which assessed the labour and skills that will be required to deliver the construction and rail engineering elements of the HS2 programme against an assessment of the future availability of those skills. This analysis provided a preliminary assessment of potential mismatches between HS2 labour and skills requirements and their availability. Given the changes to both the HS2 project and also the macroeconomic environment size since 2018, HS2 Ltd is about to begin a reforecasting exercise to update the demand, supply and skills mismatches for HS2. This work is due to be completed by April 2021.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many businesses in the North West of England have secured HS2 contracts.

So far, at least 99 organisations registered in the North West of England have delivered work on HS2 to date. HS2 Ltd recognises the strong capabilities of the supply chain in the North West, especially from a rail, manufacturing and aerospace perspective. It is a region which will play a significant role in the delivery of HS2 and HS2 Ltd looks forward to continuing their programme of engagement to help ensure that businesses across the North West continue to secure HS2 contracts, grow and develop.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that businesses in the North West secure HS2 contracts.

HS2 Ltd has undertaken a comprehensive programme of market engagement since 2013, engaging with over 5,000 businesses of all sizes and types, across all UK regions, to raise awareness of the opportunities available on HS2 and how to access them. This includes a range of engagements specific to the North West where HS2 Ltd has hosted or supported a HS2 supply chain conference in Manchester, two Local Enterprise Partnership events, two UK Northern Powerhouse conferences, a HS2 roadshow event in Liverpool, two Trans-City Rail conferences, two Chambers of Commerce events (South Cheshire and West Cheshire and North Wales), a Sellafield supply chain event, and have a planned Lancashire Chamber of Commerce event.

Andrew Stephenson
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
3rd Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to provide all (a) hospice patients and (b) next of kin with written guidance on the possible (i) effects and (ii) outcomes of medications used in end-of-life care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidelines on end of life care for adults and care of dying adults in the last days of life. This guidance covers topics such as communication, shared decision-making, and pharmacological interventions.

Ensuring patients, and those important to them, are fully informed regarding their care, including medications, is the responsibility of individual staff and provider organisations. NICE guidance and quality standards, the Ambitions Framework, NHS England’s Palliative and End of Life Care Statutory Guidance for Integrated Care Boards and Care Quality Commission inspection key lines of enquiry all support this by emphasising the needs for individualised care and communication. NHS England also published an Accessible Information Standard to promote the provision of information in a way that meets the needs of each individual.

Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
13th Dec 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of reports that Iran has produced 25kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity.

Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verified that since April 2021, Iran has produced highly enriched uranium  (HEU) at 60%. It is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons to enrich at 60%.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
5th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of confirmation from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is 14 times the limit set under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear agreement.

Iran's continued systematic non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), including its increasing stockpile of enriched uranium, is undermining the non-proliferation benefits of the deal and jeopardising our efforts to preserve it. On 18 February in Paris, the Foreign Secretary joined his French and German counterparts and the US Secretary of State Tony Blinken to discuss concerted action to bring Iran back to full compliance. Our priority is to find a diplomatic way forward with the parties of the JCPoA and the US Administration that realises the benefits of the deal.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
2nd Mar 2021
What diplomatic steps he has taken to support a peace settlement in Cyprus.

The Foreign Secretary has been actively engaged in the run-up to UN talks at the end of April in support of a just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue. He visited Cyprus on 4 February and met with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Communities and encouraged them to show flexibility at the talks and to engage without preconditions. The UK fully supports the UN’s approach to negotiations.

The Foreign Secretary also delivered similar messages to Greek Foreign Minister Dendias and Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu on 2 and 3 February. He has engaged the UN Secretary General on how we make the most of the current opportunity and discussed this further with the UN Special Representative for Cyprus on 4 February.

28th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the recent charges brought by Hamas against Gaza peace activists who took part in a video call with Israelis.

We strongly condemn the detention of peace activists by Hamas. The UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas in its entirety. We monitor the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories closely, including reporting on human rights violations in our annual Human Rights and Democracy Report.

James Cleverly
Home Secretary
27th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of small boat crossings of the English Channel.

We have to stop these dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings and are investing £480m with our French partners on additional personnel, facilities and technology.

Our Illegal Migration Bill will do more to remove those with no right to be here, deter migrants from crossing, and reduce the intolerable cost to the taxpayer. We will also seek permission to appeal the recent judgment about our partnership with Rwanda from the Court of Appeal.

26th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that procurement for the SKYNET enduring capability supports high-skilled jobs in military satellite design.

The Skynet programme is currently running a competition to procure up to three Wideband Satellites that are to contain a specified set of technologies that must be UK designed and manufactured. This pass/fail condition will help to secure technological capital and develop the United Kingdom’s space workforce, promoting both the technologies and skills investment in the UK industrial base.

In addition, the social value requirements that feature in all Skynet procurements support our drive to bring new people into the UK space industry, by securing industrial sponsorships of educational schemes and through-life skills development. The MOD is working in close consultation with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on a plan for the space industry that will be published in the coming months. This will increase growth and resilience for this vital part of the economy, generating a demand for additional high-end satellite design skills.

James Cartlidge
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
26th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution to UK GDP of military space exports; and what steps he is taking to help ensure that his Department's approach to procurement supports the skills required to grow such exports.

The UK has a strong space industry, which was worth over £17.5 billion in income to the UK in 2022 alone. Space exports are valued at £5.9 billion to the UK economy, and although there is no precise figure for military space exports, UK Defence and Security Exports estimates that UK companies are currently competing for exports totalling around £4.4 billion to be delivered between now and 2030, which will continue to grow.

Recognising the importance of the space to the UK's economy, we deliberately develop and retain skills in the UK as part of our space capabilities. For example, through the social value component of our procurement of the SKYNET secure satellite communications programme, which is largely designed and manufactured in the UK. In addition, UK Space Command is developing the UK Space Academy to enhance space training for both Government and industry.

Skills will also be an important theme in the forthcoming plan for the space sector which will be published soon by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in close consultation with Defence.

James Cartlidge
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
4th Jul 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to protect and enhance green spaces.

The Levelling Up Parks Fund has made available £9 million for local authorities in areas which rate highly on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, to create or significantly refurbish green spaces.

The Fund also requires the planting and maintaining of trees and encourages projects to work towards Green Flag Award status. The local community should also be consulted during project design and delivery.