First elected: 9th June 1983
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
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).
Urgently fulfil humanitarian obligations to Gaza
Gov Responded - 8 Aug 2025 Debated on - 24 Nov 2025 View Jeremy Corbyn's petition debate contributionsAct to ensure deliverer of fuel, food, aid, life saving services etc. We think this shouldn't be dependant/on condition of Israeli facilitation as the Knesset voted against UNWRA access to Gaza. We think if military delivery of aid, airdrops, peacekeepers etc, are needed, then all be considered.
These initiatives were driven by Jeremy Corbyn, 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.
Jeremy Corbyn has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Jeremy Corbyn has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to make provision for establishing an independent public inquiry into UK involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza; to require the inquiry to consider any UK military, economic or political cooperation with Israel since October 2023, including the sale, supply or use of weapons, surveillance aircraft and Royal Air Force bases; to provide the inquiry with the power to question Ministers and officials about decisions taken in relation to UK involvement; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide for the regulation of letting agents; to protect tenants’ deposits; to require the enforcement of environmental and energy-efficiency standards in private-sector rented accommodation; to amend the law on secure tenancies; to provide for fair rent to be applicable to all rented accommodation; to require landlords not to discriminate against people in receipt of state benefits; to require local authorities to establish a private rented sector office; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to provide for the regulation of letting agents; to protect tenants’ deposits; to require the enforcement of environmental and energy-efficiency standards in private-sector rented accommodation; to amend the law on secure tenancies; to provide for fair rent to be applicable to all rented accommodation; to require landlords not to discriminate against people in receipt of state benefits; to require local authorities to establish a private rented sector office; and for connected purposes.
Glaucoma Care (England) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Shockat Adam (Ind)
Child Poverty Strategy (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Kirsty Blackman (SNP)
Climate Education Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Nadia Whittome (Lab)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jim McMahon (LAB)
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and we operate one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.
We assess all export licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including Criterion 2 which requires us to consider the current human rights situation in the country which is the final destination of controlled exports, as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law. The Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We also keep extant licences under constant and continual review on this basis.
If a landlord fails to pay a rent repayment order, the order may be enforced by creditors using civil recovery action, such as pursuing a County Court judgment or ultimately petitioning for a winding-up order against the company. Should a winding-up order be made against the company, this would trigger an investigation by the Official Receiver into how the company's affairs have been conducted and to establish the cause of its insolvency.
Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with press stakeholders on a range of issues.
The Government clearly laid out its priorities in the manifesto and in the King’s Speech.
The National Procurement Policy Statement, published in February, underscores the government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards and upholding ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts. The department believes our high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet this. It is important that schools have flexibility in how they procure.
The Government expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to this end.
We are clear as Government that we expect water companies to ensure their customers know what support schemes are available and how to access them if they need help. We expect water companies to put robust support in place for vulnerable customers and keep current support schemes under review to ensure vulnerable customers are supported and access the support they are entitled to.
The Government’s Water (Special Measures) Act provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period. The Act also enables the public to hold companies to account through introducing new, statutory reporting requirements for emergency overflows and pollution incidents.
As announced in July 2024, consumers will gain powers to hold water company bosses to account through powerful new customer panels. The Water (Special Measures) Act now provides Ofwat with the power to make rules on company governance, including rules which achieve having arrangements in place for involving consumers in decisions that are likely to have an impact on consumer matters. Ofwat will conduct a consultation this summer that will determine the new rule and allow for the establishment of the panels.
The Independent Commission published its results today. This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-water-commission-review-of-the-water-sector.
Ministers are reviewing policies, which will be announced in the usual way, including the consultation on the Fur Market in Great Britain. Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The report that they produce will support our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps.
We have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and this Labour Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation.
The government committed in its manifesto to banning the import of hunting trophies.
We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and will work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/
The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people on the scheme in March 2025 in Islington North was 1,763.
There is no individual prosecutable offence under section 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, failure to comply with Regulation 20(2)(a) and (3) Duty of Candour is an offence. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) can either issue a Fixed Penalty Notice administratively, or can prosecute the offence through the court. The following table shows the providers the CQC has successfully prosecuted over the last five years, for Regulation 20 Duty of Candour breaches:
Year | Provider | Fine |
2020 | Plymouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | £1,600, for a single count of Duty of Candour charged |
2021 | Spire Healthcare Limited | £5,000, for four counts of Duty of Candour charged |
2022 | Premier Care (Southern) Limited | £3,300, for two offences of Duty of Candour charged |
2023 | DM Care Limited | £120,000 following prosecution under Regulation 12, failure to provide safe care and treatment, with no separate penalty issued for the Duty of Candour offence |
2024 | Claremont Care Services Limited | £24,000 following prosecution under Regulation 12, failure to provide safe care and treatment, and an additional fine of £800 for a single Duty of Candour offence |
There were no other Duty of Candour prosecutions prior to September 2020.
The funding allocation formula used to set budgets for integrated care boards includes an adjustment to reflect the impact of the excess finance costs that some trusts face due to the financing arrangements for some buildings constructed under historic Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements.
The Department does not centrally provide funding to support trusts in paying for their PFI schemes. However, the Department, along with NHS England, is supporting National Health Service trusts to manage their PFI contracts, including looking for opportunities to deliver better value for money. This support is available to all trusts with a PFI contract.
Tackling illegal settlement expansion and settler violence are vital to protecting a two-state solution.
Israel must stop settlement expansion and crack down on settler violence, which has reached record levels.
Alongside 26 international partners, we have condemned the E1 settlement plan and we condemn the recent steps to further that plan. We urge Israel to listen to the weight of international opinion on this issue, rather than lessen the prospects for long-term peace.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has sought to maintain a constructive dialogue with senior figures in the Venezuelan opposition in recent years, including Maria Corina Machado, and as the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 5 January, she spoke to Ms Machado in the wake of the removal of Nicolas Maduro to reassure her of the UK's support for a peaceful transition to a democratic government in Venezuela, respecting the will and rights of all its people.
There is no record of any such discussions.
The Government regularly engages with major British businesses about their global operations, through different departments, at various levels, and in multiple countries. We do not hold a central register of all the issues discussed.
I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised after that statement.
Israel has never declared a nuclear weapons programme. The UK Government continues to encourage Israel to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non nuclear-weapon State. We regularly monitor all global nuclear developments and will continue to work with international partners to reduce nuclear risks, strengthen the non-proliferation regime and advance multilateral nuclear disarmament.
The government does not support the establishment of an independent public inquiry into the UK's involvement in Israeli operations in Gaza since October 2023. The government has already set out the role of UK military operations in relation to Gaza. In support of ongoing hostage rescue activity, the Ministry of Defence has conducted surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including in airspace over Israel and Gaza. Surveillance aircraft are unarmed, do not have a combat role and have been tasked solely to locate hostages in order to uphold the government's primary responsibility: the security of its citizens.
The devastation that would be caused by nuclear war has been long understood and was written into the preamble of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's focus since then has therefore been on upholding the NPT and nuclear risk reduction.
The UK voted against the United Nations General Assembly Resolution "Nuclear War Effects and Scientific Research", which proposed establishing an independent scientific panel on the effects of nuclear war, because the devastation that would be caused by nuclear war has been long understood. The UK questioned the benefit of further research in that area, which could not change our collective understanding of the horror of a nuclear war.
The UK strongly condemns any instances of enforced disappearances. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families. We continue to encourage progress towards the criminalisation of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The British High Commission regularly raises these issues with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. The UK will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people as laid down in Pakistan's Constitution and in accordance with international standards.
Settlement expansion reached record levels in the past year and has been accompanied by an increase in settler violence. During the Foreign Secretary's visit to Israel and the OPTs on 14-15 July, he met with Palestinians displaced in the West Bank and was horrified to hear of acts of violence carried out by settlers.
The Foreign Secretary made the UK's position clear to those communities and to the Israeli Government. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution.
The Government will challenge those who undermine the prospects of a two-state solution or use hateful rhetoric. We will look at all options to take tougher action.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian Prime Minister on 23 July and committed to continuing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago. It is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, but it is the Government's priority to resolve this long standing and important issue, including ensuring the long-term secure and effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia and other key issues. As appropriate, we will continue to engage with all relevant parties including the Chagossian diaspora.
The terms, conditions and jurisdiction considerations that govern the US – and any other visiting NATO force permanently based in the UK – are enshrined in the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (1951), which is embedded into UK law by the Visiting Forces Act (1952). This is publicly available. It is longstanding UK policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location.
The UK does not place any restrictions regarding the numbers of US military forces in the UK. It is up to the US to determine the number of personnel it stations in the UK at any particular time. However, significant adjustments in the nature or scale of the US footprint would be subject to discussions between the UK and US Governments.
The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. There is no one identified budget for three sites, the officials would have to go into each individual item of expenditure.
It has been UK policy for decades to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any given location.
The Ministry of Defence offers a very broad range of International Defence Training to our partners. Information regarding the provision of training to the US Armed Forces is therefore spread across a range of sources and providers across Defence. It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Due to operational security reasons, the specific factors of consideration cannot be disclosed. However, all decisions on whether to approve foreign nations’ use of military bases in the UK for operational purposes considers the legal basis and policy rationale for any proposed activity.
Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis, dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity. For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military aircraft movements.
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations. Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.
For operational security reasons, we do not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military operations. Permissions to utilise UK military bases are considered on a case-by-case basis and the decision to grant permission is dependent on the nature and purpose of their activity.
There are approximately 11,000 United States Visiting Force (USVF) members in the UK at various defence sites, excluding family members and defence civilian personnel and contractors. In the interests of personnel security, I will not currently share specific numbers of USVF personnel at each individual site.
It is longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any location.
For the launch of the Strategic Defence Review, the Government offered embargoed briefings to our people and senior defence leaders, plus certain parliamentarians, trade unions, businesses, allies and media. This was broadly consistent with the approach for previous defence reviews. At no point did stakeholders receive any commercially sensitive information ahead of publication.
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 29127 from the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead on 14 February 2025.
Infrastructure and Projects Authority delivery confidence assessments reflect a judgement at a particular point in time. They do not represent the likelihood or not of successful delivery but are a representation of the level of risk and what further mitigation may be required in order to reduce such risk. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority has confirmed ongoing actions are appropriate.
In an unpredictable security environment, exacerbated by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, we must remain ready to deter all threats and to defend all Allies. Exercises like Steadfast Dart enhance our collective defence and deterrence, and are planned and publicised well in advance. NATO’s actions are defensive, transparent and proportionate. NATO and Allies fully respect our international obligations, and abide by both the letter and the spirit of the OSCE’s Vienna Document on military transparency.
The unarmed UK surveillance aircraft are employed solely to support hostage rescue. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant Israeli authorities responsible for hostage rescue.
We are unable comment further on detailed intelligence matters for operational security reasons.
The unarmed UK surveillance aircraft are employed solely to support hostage rescue. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant Israeli authorities responsible for hostage rescue.
We are unable comment further on detailed intelligence matters for operational security reasons.
Rent repayment orders (RROs) are an important and effective tenant-led enforcement tool. They deter landlords from non-compliance and empower tenants to take action against unscrupulous landlords.
The Renters’ Rights Bill includes measures to significantly strengthen and expand RROs. Changes include doubling the maximum amount a landlord can be ordered to pay, extending them to new offences, doubling the period in which tenants and local authorities can apply, making superior landlords and company directors liable and requiring landlords to pay the maximum amount when they have been convicted.
When an RRO is made, the relevant landlord must pay. Where they do not, the tenant or local authority can apply to the county court for a judgment to enable enforcement of the debt through the court. If necessary, the tenant or local authority can, for example, use county court bailiffs to enforce the order and recover the debt.
A full Equalities Impact Assessment will be published alongside legislation as is usual practice. This will include an assessment of the potential impact of these reforms on minority ethnic groups. The criminal court reforms are not expected to impact trial outcomes, only how trials are heard.