Lola McEvoy Portrait

Lola McEvoy

Labour - Darlington

2,298 (5.4%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


Renters’ Rights Bill
16th Oct 2024 - 5th Nov 2024


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lola McEvoy has voted in 248 divisions, and 9 times against the majority of their Party.

29 Nov 2024 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 147 Labour No votes vs 234 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 330 Noes - 275
3 Dec 2024 - Elections (Proportional Representation) - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 50 Labour No votes vs 59 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 138 Noes - 136
16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 129 Labour Aye votes vs 200 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 279
16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 127 Labour No votes vs 206 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 288 Noes - 239
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 160 Labour No votes vs 224 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 314 Noes - 291
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 122 Labour No votes vs 198 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 274 Noes - 224
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 122 Labour Aye votes vs 186 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 213 Noes - 266
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 113 Labour Aye votes vs 185 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 208 Noes - 261
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Lola McEvoy voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 125 Labour Aye votes vs 190 Labour No votes
Tally: Ayes - 223 Noes - 269
View All Lola McEvoy Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 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
Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Mental Health)
(5 debate interactions)
Darren Jones (Labour)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
(5 debate interactions)
Chris Curtis (Labour)
(4 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(10 debate contributions)
Home Office
(9 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lola McEvoy's debates

Darlington 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

We believe social media companies should be banned from letting children under 16 create social media accounts.


Latest EDMs signed by Lola McEvoy

Lola McEvoy has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lola McEvoy, 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.


Lola McEvoy has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Lola McEvoy has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Lola McEvoy has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 14 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
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many projects are waiting to be connected to the National Grid in Darlington constituency.

The Government does not hold data on projects awaiting a grid connection on a constituency basis. The latest national register for transmission connections is available at https://www.neso.energy/data-portal/transmission-entry-capacity-tec-register/tec_register_-_25_february_2025 and for distribution connections in the North-East at https://northernpowergrid.opendatasoft.com/explore/dataset/embedded-capacity-register/information/?disjunctive.local_authority&disjunctive.point_of_connection_poc_voltage_kv

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department is making on the rollout of 5G in Darlington.

In their Connected Nations Spring update, published 8 May 2025, Ofcom reports that 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone 5G) is available outside almost 100% of premises in the Darlington constituency from at least one mobile operator, but this falls to 11% from all four operators.

Our ambition is for all populated areas, including Darlington, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. Where mobile network operators rollout 5G is a commercial decision but I am working closely with the mobile operators to drive up improvements in mobile infrastructure and we are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children who are home schooled due to a lack of appropriate SEND provision.

The department does not hold information on the number of children who are home educated due to a lack of appropriate special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.

The department collects data from local authorities on children in elective home education (EHE). The latest data shows that ‘School dissatisfaction SEND’ was the primary reason for EHE in 3% of cases. Breakdowns by reason for EHE are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/ae7909de-8a16-4ea2-252c-08dd564388e8.

The department recognises that barriers to attendance are wide and complex, and this is particularly true for pupils with SEND. Addressing these barriers requires a 'support-first' approach and strong relationships between families, schools, local authorities and other relevant local services.

This is why the department has published the ’Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which became statutory in August 2024. The guidance promotes a 'support-first' approach and provides detail on additional support for pupils with SEND. Where a pupil is not attending due to unmet or additional needs, this guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services work together to access and provide the right support to improve attendance.

The department is working closely with schools and local authorities to ensure that education settings are able to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including announcing £1 billion investment in high needs at the Autumn Budget 2024, to help ensure all children can access the high-quality education that should be their right.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reform the Child Support Agency to improve the speed and success of claims.

As more customers apply to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) the demand for our service is increasing. To allow us to meet this demand and provide an efficient service we continuously look at the resources we have and where we should focus our efforts to get the greatest value for money and deliver the best service to our customers. We review our overall resource supply twice yearly and take appropriate steps to ensure that staffing levels meet current demands

My Child Maintenance Case (MCMC) online service offers customers the ability to access and update information held on their case and request changes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CMS has the ability to process simple changes through MCMC, automatically speeding up the time taken to make a change and greatly improving customer outcomes.

Through extensive modernisation to both telephony and digital channels, and by promoting self-service online, the CMS are ensuring customers have greater choice of how and when they contact us. Our service improvements allow customers to use the most appropriate and efficient contact method to quickly resolve their queries and reduce demand on our services.

Through efficient call routing, we have freed up resources to deliver a more responsive service and allow caseworkers more time to better assist customers who need to reach out to us via telephone. We have improved all forms of communication, including greater use of SMS and email as well as improving letter content. Furthermore, we have taken timely action to further train, support and redeploy resource within CMS to where it is needed most.

In the response to the consultation on proposed reforms to the CMS, the Government has set out plans to introduce a single service where all payments will be monitored, enabling the CMS to identify missed, late, or partial payments in real time. This will enable swift enforcement action to restore compliance and increase the amount of money reaching children.

We expect the reforms will make hidden non-compliance within Direct Pay visible, enabling the CMS to intervene earlier to ensure children receive the financial support they are entitled to. Families currently using Direct Pay can either move to a family-based arrangement (with additional support from CMS to do so) or opt into Collect and Pay if that is not appropriate or they require the added security of enforcement.

Where compliance cannot be achieved, the CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers that are designed to get money flowing quickly, prevent the build-up of arrears and ensure children get the financial support they deserve.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will list the number of people in receipt of the personal independence payment due to a psychological disorder by (a) psychological disorder and (b) constituency in (i) January 2020 and (ii) in the most recent period for which data is available.

Information on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants by psychiatric disorder and constituency for January 2020 and April 2025 can be found on Stat Xplore.

The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Cases with Entitlement from 2019’ dataset. You can use the ‘Month’ filter produce figures for January 2020 or April 2025. You can expand the ‘Disability’ filter to narrow to ‘Psychiatric disorders’. You can use the ‘Geography’ filter to produce a breakdown by parliamentary constituency.

You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore is also available here: Personal Independence Payment data on Stat-Xplore: user guide - GOV.UK.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the guidance on people who will be protected from reassessment of PIP due to their long term severe conditions will be published.

The Government is committed to providing security and dignity for those who will never be able to work, and removing unnecessary stress, anxiety and uncertainty from the Social Security System. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Welfare Bill legislates to formally protect those with the most severe, lifelong health conditions, who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria, from being called for reassessment for Universal Credit. The Severe Conditions Criteria applies to eligible customers in receipt of Universal Credit rather than those in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

If a customer’s condition changes, they will continue to have the ability to request a reassessment via the existing change of circumstances process.

Regarding PIP, we are launching a wider review of the PIP assessment to ensure that it is fair, fit for the future and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence. There is no equivalent SCC in PIP, however we are considering how to protect those people who meet the SCC when the WCA is abolished and PIP becomes the passport to the new UC Health element.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to auto-enroll people who lose their PIP payments into suitable appropriate support programs within 13 weeks of the decision.

As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, this Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House regarding the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.

In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that we are going to remove clause 5 from the Bill in Committee. (Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, led by me and co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the level of Statutory Sick Pay on trends in the number of people claiming Universal Credit.

The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the level of Statutory Sick Pay on trends in the number of people claiming Universal Credit.

The Department has undertaken a Regulatory Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment of the Statutory Sick Pay changes to remove the Lower Earnings Limit and remove the 3-day waiting period. Both impact assessments can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6715f848386bf0964853d848/Impact_assessment_improve_access_statutory_sick_pay_removing_lower_earnings_limit_removing_waiting_period.pdf

https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2024-0716/Statutory_Sick_Pay_EA.pdf

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support social care workers to use their career experience to support their qualifications as NHS workers.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have institutional autonomy to set their own admissions criteria to healthcare profession qualifying courses. Some HEIs accredit prior experiential learning (APEL), including from working in social care, which helps reduce the time it takes to achieve a qualification in a healthcare profession working in the National Health Service. This will vary by HEI and course.

NHS England is leading a programme of work to standardise the approach to APEL across the country and maximise the opportunity from shortened programmes to deliver more professionals more quickly.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using Darlington as a pilot case study for the place based reforms to the Green Book.

Following the Green Book Review 2025, the government has committed to introducing place-based business cases. These will help to identify the right combination of long-term interventions needed to unlock growth in a particular area. The government will set out further details on place-based business cases in due course.

Darren Jones
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with police authorities to ensure a single point of contact in the police for families affected by (a) serious trauma and (b) violent crime.

Police Family Liaison Officers provide support and information, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, securing confidence and trust of families of victims of crime (primarily homicide), road fatality, mass disaster or other critical incident, ensuring family members are given timely information in accordance with the needs of the investigation.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with the Cabinet colleagues to help support Armed Forces Veterans into publicly sector jobs.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence represents veterans at Cabinet. Both he and I are working across Government and with Civil Society to strengthen the support we offer to our veterans and Armed Forces Community. This includes ensuring that the Civil Service benefits from the wide range of skills and talents the veteran community has to offer.

The ‘Great Place to Work for Veterans’ (GPTW) scheme is designed to encourage more veterans to join the Civil Service when they leave the armed forces. It is an opt-in recruitment scheme which allows those eligible, who meet the minimum standard required for a role, to progress to the next stage of the application process.

‘Going Forward into Employment’ (GFiE) is a Life Chances scheme, which provides eligible veterans, spouses, and partners with opportunities within the Civil Service in a variety of roles, most of which are for entry level and up to first line management grades. GFiE recognises that some veterans face unique barriers to employment and aims to address this by making the Civil Service application process as straightforward as possible.

Other public sector initiatives include ‘Step into Health’, which supports NHS employers in the recruitment and retention of talent from the Armed Forces community and seeks to promote the value that veterans can bring to the NHS.

A range of cross-government employment support is also available to veterans and their families after their time in service. This includes the MOD-hosted Career Transition Partnership which is the initial point of resettlement provision for veterans leaving military service, with directly provided support available for two years before and two years after leaving service.

The Government is expanding UK-wide career support for the armed forces community, ensuring support for all veterans, regardless of when they left service. The careers advice service Op ASCEND offer will include a broader range of job support for veterans, helping more into employment and boosting growth under this Government’s Plan for Change. This service will work with industry bodies to make sure businesses are set up to make the most of the talents veterans have to offer, showing how the Government is renewing the contract with those who serve and have served.

Al Carns
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to speed up the sentencing of people found guilty of domestic violence.

As part of our landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, we are committed to strengthening the justice system’s response to domestic violence.

Most domestic abuse cases are heard in magistrates’ courts where cases move more swiftly than the Crown Court. Despite this, we recognise that some cases are taking longer to work through the system, particularly in more serious cases that reach the Crown Court.

This Government inherited a justice system in crisis. That is why we have asked Sir Brian Leveson to lead an Independent Review of the Crown Courts, which will propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims of serious crimes, including victims of domestic abuse.

In parallel, we are actively exploring the merits of specialist domestic abuse court models as recommended in the Sentencing Review. In November, we launched Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in pilot areas to improve victim safety, and we have committed to rolling out domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms to improve frontline responses.

Nicholas Dakin
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that victims of domestic violence do not have the sentencing hearings of their abusers postponed the day before they are due to take place.

The decision on when and where a case is listed is the responsibility of the independent judiciary. Judges are guided in this task by judicial listing principles, which stipulate that cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses should be prioritised for hearing.

Judges continue to prioritise cases subject to Custody Time Limits, as well as prioritising cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses (including youth cases), domestic abuse and serious sex cases.

The courts do everything possible to ensure hearings take place for when they are listed, however, there are occasions when circumstances outside of their control result in a hearing needing to be postponed. In such circumstances, the court will notify parties as soon as possible.

The Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice have concluded the Concordat process, which sets out the overall budget for HMCTS and the number of days the courts can sit, earlier, to help ensure the courts can hear more of these important cases in a timely fashion.

There are a number of factors that would mean a case can no longer go ahead, including court maintenance. This is why we have announced a boost in court maintenance and capital project funding from £120 million last year, to up to £148.5 million for 2025/26. This will help fund vital repairs across the entire court and tribunal estate and contribute to the construction of the next generation of court and tribunal buildings.

However, we recognise we must go further. That is why the Lord Chancellor has commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, which will consider how the criminal courts could operate as efficiently and effectively as possible. Given the scale of the challenge facing the courts we will look to act on recommendations from the review swiftly to deliver improvements as soon as possible

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)