Mary Kelly Foy Portrait

Mary Kelly Foy

Labour - City of Durham

11,757 (28.9%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 12th December 2019


Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
8th Jun 2020 - 30th May 2024
Bishop's Stortford Cemetery Bill
10th Jan 2024 - 30th May 2024
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
24th Apr 2024 - 14th May 2024
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
7th Jun 2023 - 11th Jul 2023
Health and Care Bill
7th Sep 2021 - 2nd Nov 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Mary Kelly Foy has voted in 3 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Mary Kelly Foy 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
Keir Starmer (Labour)
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
(1 debate interactions)
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Department Debates
Cabinet Office
(1 debate contributions)
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Legislation Debates
Mary Kelly Foy has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debate
View all Mary Kelly Foy's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Mary Kelly Foy

10th September 2024
Mary Kelly Foy signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 11th September 2024

Challenging stigma

Tabled by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
That this House recognises that people affected by drug and alcohol use should be treated fairly, justly and with dignity; further recognises that they are, however, frequently dehumanised, marginalised and discriminated against; acknowledges that stigma is a major barrier to treatment and wider healthcare, preventing people getting the support they …
9 signatures
(Most recent: 12 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 8
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
10th September 2024
Mary Kelly Foy signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 11th September 2024

Sycamore Gap

Tabled by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
That this House mourns the anniversary of the felling of the iconic tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian's Wall; notes the impact that both domestic and international tourism has on the economy of Northumberland; recognises that the loss of such a majestic and iconic tree has caused a sadness that …
7 signatures
(Most recent: 11 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 5
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Independent: 1
View All Mary Kelly Foy's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Mary Kelly Foy, 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.


Mary Kelly Foy has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Mary Kelly Foy has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Mary Kelly Foy


A Bill to impose duties on certain education and training providers in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2021 and was enacted into law.


Latest 22 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
1 Other Department Questions
23rd Jul 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what account she plans to take of the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in the development of the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill; and if her Department will consult with Gypsy and Traveller civil society in the development of that Bill.

Our Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will include a range of measures to tackle racial inequality

We will engage with a wide range of stakeholders while developing the Bill, and will ensure that Gypsy, Traveller and Roma civil society have the opportunity to share their views.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to meet with the Durham Miners' Association to discuss the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.

The Scheme Rules and their operation are agreed between the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees and the Government. I will be meeting the Trustees shortly to discuss how best to deliver on our manifesto commitments.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much his Department has received from the (a) Mineworkers' Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

As of today, the Government has received £4.8bn from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and £3.1bn from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) former miners and (b) former miners' widows are in receipt of a mineworkers' pension in (i) City of Durham constituency and (ii) the North East of England.

As at June 2023, there were 756 Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members in the City of Durham constituency and 17,483 members overall in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme North East of England. The breakdown between former miners and widows is not available.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
19th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) help build new grassroots football facilities and (b) renovate existing pitches for grassroots football in County Durham.

This Government recognises that grassroots sports clubs are at the beating heart of communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and, by backing these clubs, the Government will support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live.

To mark the achievements of England’s senior men’s and women’s football teams, and inspire the next generation as we look ahead to hosting UEFA EURO 2028 across the UK and Ireland, we have set out plans to strengthen our support for grassroots clubs. This includes continuing delivery of funding to build and improve pitches and facilities through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme this year, and a commitment to work with the sector to develop a funding package that will support these plans in future years.

Currently in England, the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is delivered through the Football Foundation. The Foundation is working with local authorities (and local football associations and other partners) to refresh Local Football Facility Plans that identify the specific needs of local areas. These are used to inform the pipeline of projects which will receive funding from the Foundation.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. Sport England’s newly established Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of special educational needs and disability services for children in City of Durham constituency.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission inspected local arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in County Durham in June 2024. The report is due to be published in August 2024.

County Durham is part of the department's Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. The DBV programme, which was established by the previous government, aims to work with selected authorities to review how services are structured and delivered to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with SEND in a sustainable way. The DBV programme achieves this by helping each of the participating local areas complete a diagnostic to work out the root causes of their challenges and identify local opportunities to sustainably improve the outcomes and experiences of the children and young people with SEND in their care.

On completion of their diagnostic, County Durham created an action plan to address their key local challenges and implement service reforms. Based on this, the department provided grant funding of £1 million to support the delivery of their plans.

This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, and to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to change existing policies to prevent the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

This Government is committed to preventing the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides that threaten our vital pollinators. At this stage, officials are currently determining the most effective way to implement this commitment.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 21 February 2024 to Question 14064 on Universal Credit: Disqualification, if she will direct her Department to begin collecting statistics on the number of children living in households subject to a Universal Credit sanction.

In line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the Chief Statistician determines the need for new official statistics, and the development of existing statistics. User engagement is at the heart of our considerations for future statistics. These development priorities are regularly updated and published as part of the DWP Statistical Work Programme.

Whilst a full appraisal of the resources needed to enable the development and publication of statistics on the number of children living in households subject to a Universal Credit sanction has not been made, our data on sanctions is for individuals and it is not possible to identify children in the households of individuals receiving a sanction without significant development of the data we hold.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to allow the sharing of relevant information with police forces to help identify potentially fraudulent benefit claims.

DWP has a close working relationship with the police and other law enforcement agencies to enable the Department to investigate fraud. This joint working allows full exchange of information from the police to DWP and the DWP to police, under data sharing legislation.

Andrew Western
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential mental health impact of benefit sanctions.

Under the previous administration, no assessment was made of the mental health impacts of benefits sanctions. The new government will reform labour market policy and operations with the aim of increasing employment and integrating work and health support.

Sanctions are not applied to those with a severe medical health condition or disability where they have been found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity following their Work Capability Assessment (WCA), or where they have a specified condition or are undergoing certain treatments ahead of their WCA.

Those subject to work-related requirements will only be sanctioned if they fail to meet the labour market requirements that they’ve agreed to with their work coach without demonstrating good reason for doing so. To ensure these requirements are realistic and achievable, they are discussed and agreed with the claimant and based on their individual capabilities and household circumstances, including any health issues, caring responsibilities, earnings, and ongoing work or volunteering.

We acknowledge that there will be times when a claimant’s circumstances are such that there their ability to carry out their labour market requirements is disrupted due to their personal circumstances. In these cases, an easement can be applied to lift these requirements completely for an agreed period of time.

To support those who demonstrates that they cannot meet their most immediate and essential needs as a result of receiving a sanction, we have a system of recoverable hardship payments. These needs can include heating, food, and hygiene.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to (a) reform or (b) replace the Work Capability Assessment.

The government is committed to reforming or replacing the Work Capability Assessment, alongside putting in place a proper plan to support disabled people into work.

We will also give disabled people the confidence to start working without fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. More disabled people and those with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve. These plans are central to our missions of kickstarting economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

This government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices will be at the heart of all that we do.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential health impact of the two-child benefit cap on children's (a) mental and (b) physical health.

No formal assessment has been made.

We recognise the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, and we will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government and wider society to drive forward the change our children need.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
17th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to meet with representatives from the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

As a newly formed Government, we need time to review the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We will listen to all views, including those of 1950s-born women as we take this work forward.

The WASPI organisation has written to me and I intend to meet with their representatives in due course.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of preparedness for future pandemics.

The Department is embedding lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic within its approach to pandemic preparedness. This includes amending the approach to cover all five routes of communicable disease transmission, rather than focusing on planning for specific threats. We are working with partners in the health and social care system, including the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, to maintain a flexible and scalable set of response capabilities that can be adapted to any future novel disease. The approach to pandemic preparedness also recognises that the underlying resilience of the health and social care system is crucial to the ability to respond to a novel disease threat.

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry published its first report on 18 July 2024, which focuses on resilience and preparedness for a pandemic, and the Department will consider the inquiry’s recommendations in full.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support adults affected by backlogs for ADHD assessments.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for those waiting for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has launched to explore challenges in ADHD service provision and to help provide a joined-up approach for the growing numbers of people coming forward for support.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities in the North East of England.

As part of our health mission, the Government is committed to ensuring people live well for longer. This includes tackling the determinants that underpin stark health inequalities to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions, and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.

Local authorities in the North East received a total of £238 million in Public Health Grant funding for 2024/25, with Durham County Council having received £53.9 million for 2024/25. This provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, school health visits and nursing, and sexual health, among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities. Additionally, Directors of Public Health from each local authority are working in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to support action to address inequalities in access, experience, and outcomes associated with health care.

Durham County Council is one of 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation, receiving funding to improve outcomes for families with babies as part of the £300 million Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme. This programme is creating a network of family hubs with services to support families from conception to the age of two years old.

The North East Mayoral Combined Authority was formed on 7 May 2024, and has also committed to creating a fairer North East, reducing inequalities, and improving health. Its priorities include work to address the causes of health inequalities, such as bringing investment into the region to boost economic growth, and improving available housing, education, inclusion, and skills. The Tees Valley Combined Authority also works to secure investment, create jobs, and grow the economy, helping to create the conditions in which health inequalities can be reduced.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to support Palestinian Christians.

The UK will continue to champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, globally. We are clear that incitement of violence or hatred against individuals based on their religion or belief is unacceptable. Respect for FoRB, and the promotion of interreligious dialogue, plays an important role in securing sustainable peace. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly meets and discusses issues with the Christian community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle drought in southern Africa.

Severe drought has tipped Southern Africa into a food security crisis, where acute humanitarian needs are already emerging. The UK is a major contributor to humanitarian funds which have made allocations totalling £36 million to tackle drought and disease risks. We are a founding member and donor of Africa Risk Capacity, which has provided timely disaster risk financing pay outs to member states. The UK is adapting existing programmes to support national responses and deploying a regional adviser to improve humanitarian risk analysis and coordination. We are also raising the humanitarian needs with our international partners, maintaining focus on long-term, anticipatory solutions to climate-related crises in the region.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
25th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to help prevent a polio outbreak in Gaza.

The UK is supporting humanitarian agencies including UNRWA, UNICEF and UK Med to provide essential healthcare to civilians in Gaza. This includes activities to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) - which is important to help prevent the spread of diseases such as polio.

The UK is also supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which, since 1988, has led global efforts to reduce Polio Virus cases by more than 99 percent. In Gaza, GPEI is working with partners including WHO, UNICEF, UNWRA and local NGOs, to plan a response campaign that will integrate polio vaccination alongside other essential health and nutrition services. This will be dependent on securing safe access and a safe environment in which to conduct the campaign, through either a ceasefire or a temporary cessation of hostilities.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a wealth tax.

There are several long-standing taxes on assets and wealth that generate substantial revenue for the government.

The government is committed to making sure everyone pays their fair share of tax, helping us to fund public services whilst staying within the Chancellor’s fiscal rules. This includes progressing the government’s manifesto policies to close tax loopholes and tackle tax avoidance. These policies will make the tax system fairer and support government priorities including funding the NHS and schools and supporting the UK’s transition to clean energy.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of differences in inheritance tax thresholds for people (a) with and (b) without children; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such thresholds on saving for adult care costs.

The estates of all individuals benefit from a £325,000 nil-rate band for inheritance tax. The residence nil-rate band is a further £175,000 for those passing on a qualifying residence on death to their direct descendants, such as children or grandchildren. Other countries recognise the relationships between parents and children with different thresholds in equivalent systems.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process.

James Murray
Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)