Rob Butler Portrait

Rob Butler

Conservative - Aylesbury

First elected: 12th December 2019


Justice Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 20th Feb 2024
Victims and Prisoners Bill
14th Jun 2023 - 11th Jul 2023
Finance (No. 2) Bill
10th May 2023 - 18th May 2023
Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Offenders (Day of Release from Detention) Bill
1st Feb 2023 - 8th Feb 2023
Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill
25th Jan 2023 - 1st Feb 2023
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
20th Sep 2022 - 27th Oct 2022
Finance (No.2) Bill
8th Dec 2021 - 11th Jan 2022
Approved Premises (Substance Testing) Bill
8th Dec 2021 - 15th Dec 2021
Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill
28th Jun 2021 - 6th Jul 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Rob Butler has voted in 916 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

23 Jun 2020 - Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme - View Vote Context
Rob Butler voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 45 Conservative Aye votes vs 235 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 238
30 Mar 2022 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Rob Butler 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 Rob Butler 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
Dominic Raab (Conservative)
(31 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(27 debate interactions)
Alex Chalk (Conservative)
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
(17 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Justice
(107 debate contributions)
Home Office
(61 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(47 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Victims and Prisoners Bill 2022-23
(8,748 words contributed)
Media Bill 2023-24
(4,648 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Rob Butler's debates

Aylesbury 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 ask Parliament to repeal the High Speed Rail Bills, 2016 and 2019, as MPs voted on misleading environmental, financial and timetable information provided by the Dept of Transport and HS2 Ltd. It fails to address the conditions of the Paris Accord and costs have risen from £56bn to over £100bn.


Latest EDMs signed by Rob Butler

Rob Butler has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Rob Butler, 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.


Rob Butler has not been granted any Urgent Questions

3 Adjournment Debates led by Rob Butler

Thursday 13th July 2023
Wednesday 19th April 2023
Monday 24th May 2021

2 Bills introduced by Rob Butler


A Bill to make provision about substance testing in approved premises; and for connected purposes.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.


A Bill to provide that persons charged with a criminal offence having been aged under 18 at the time of the alleged offence are subject to the jurisdiction of the youth court and to youth sentencing provisions; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 23rd February 2021
(Read Debate)

1 Bill co-sponsored by Rob Butler

Apologies Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - John Howell (Con)


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
1st Feb 2023
To ask the Attorney General, what steps she has taken to reduce administrative requirements on the police for the submission of documents to the Crown Prosecution Service.

I am working closely with colleagues across Government to identify and if possible to reduce the administrative burden on the Police and CPS. Of course, there is an important balance to strike in protecting sensitive personal information, whilst not over-burdening police officers.

Michael Tomlinson
Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
22nd Oct 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the value and effectiveness of independent (a) schools and (b) special schools’ contribution to SEND education in England.

In January 2021, local authorities reported placing 4,555 children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans in mainstream independent schools and 17,839 in independent special schools (5.2% of EHC plans). There are 610 independent special schools currently registered with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, representing 36% of special schools. 65% were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ following inspection.

Local authorities are responsible for determining where children and young people with EHC plans should be educated. Decisions are informed by whether a school is suitable for the age, aptitude and needs of an individual, and compatible with the efficient use of resources. The local authority is responsible for monitoring the placement (for example through the annual review of the EHC plan), to ensure the provision continues to meet the child or young person’s needs.

In order to comply with the Independent School Standards, an independent school must take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those with an EHC plan, ensuring all pupils have the opportunity to learn and make progress. Where independent schools are identified as not meeting the required education or boarding standards, the Department for Education, as the independent school regulator, may take regulatory or enforcement action to require independent schools to improve within specified time constraints.

3rd Dec 2020
What progress his Department has made in trialling e-scooters.

E-scooter trials are progressing well. Legal changes were made in June, twenty trials are now live and supporting the green recovery across the country.

11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of the proposals for a mined tunnel in Wendover; and if he will publish the results of that assessment.

The Wendover Mined Tunnel was considered in detail during the passage of the Phase One Bill in both the Commons and Lords committees. Cost comparisons of the consented scheme and the tunnelled alternatives were considered in evidence to both committees during the Bill process and the primary conclusion was that the now consented scheme would be less expensive than the tunnelled alternatives.

Since then, DfT officials and HS2 Ltd have been challenged by Wendover Parish Council and your predecessor, Sir David Lidington, over these decisions and have presented further reports by OTB and Michael Byng (mbpc) challenging the consented scheme.

In each instance, it has been concluded that the Wendover Mined Tunnel would be harder to construct, is costlier and involves a significantly greater degree of risk to the consented scheme.

The Department and HS2 Ltd remain convinced that the Select Committee made the right decision when they accepted that there was a significant difference in cost between the mined alternative schemes and concluded that the HS2 Ltd scheme should be retained.

Even if the alternative mined schemes were broadly comparable in these respects, the subsequent costs of seeking legislative consent for the detailed design change and the consequential cost of delaying the introduction of HS2 services do not represent good value for money or an effective use of public money.

Grant Shapps
Secretary of State for Defence
11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the hydrological effect of the construction of the green tunnel at Wendover on the potential risk of flooding in Aylesbury.

The Environmental Statement assessed the impact of the scheme on Water Resources (Volume 5 WR-002-010) in the Wendover area and specifically the impact of the green tunnel construction on water receptors.

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140613022805/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/hs2-environmental-statement/volume-5/water/vol5_CFA10_Water_resources_and_flood_risk_ass_Water_resources_assessment_WR-002-010.pdf

HS2 Ltd advises that the scheme is now entering the detailed design phase. My officials will respond to you shortly with further details on this matter.

Grant Shapps
Secretary of State for Defence
11th Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that valid compensation claims by (a) residents and (b) businesses are paid on time and in full by HS2 Ltd.

The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) 2017 Act sets out the compensation arrangements for the compulsory purchase and temporary possession of land and property on Phase One of the route. The Secretary of State has also introduced a range of statutory and non-statutory property compensation schemes across the three phases of HS2 to support people and businesses affected by the programme. In applying all the property compensation schemes, HS2 Ltd aims to ensure that the compensation arrangements adhere to the Compensation Code. The Code provides for the payment of fair compensation to property owners whose land is acquired as part of HS2.

HS2 Ltd applies the standards set out in the Compensation Code and its own internal targets for the payment and completion of compensation claims. Their performance is monitored and overseen by the HS2 Ltd Executive in accordance with the published HS2 Development Agreement and the HS2 Ltd Framework Document.

However, as the Prime Minister announced earlier this month, going forwards, there will be changes to the way HS2 is managed. A Minister will be given the full-time job to oversee the project and I am clear of the need for the Company to continue to raise its game in how it treats communities affected by the project along its line of route.

Grant Shapps
Secretary of State for Defence
17th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether staff employed by the Oakervee Review secretariat were seconded from (a) his Department, (a) other Government Departments and (c) executive agencies.

As set out in the terms of reference for the review, the secretariat was provided by the Department for Transport.

Paul Maynard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
12th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce inactivity in the labour market.

DWP supports people across the country to move into and progress in work, and we are committed to reducing economic inactivity.

Over the last year, we have announced a wide range of additional measures building on our extensive employment support, breaking down barriers to work for those we know are more likely to experience economic inactivity.

Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help people with the cost of living.

The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and is taking action to help. Overall, we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023- 24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of bills.

This includes up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments for households on eligible means-tested benefits. The DWP successfully delivered the second payment of £300 to over 7 million households, 99% of those claiming DWP benefits who are eligible, between 31 October and 7 November. The remaining eligible households will continue to be automatically paid between now and 19 November by DWP. HMRC started to make their payments from 10 November. This follows on from the £301 payment issued in April 2023 to 8.3 million households. A further payment of £299 will be made by spring 2024 for those entitled.

Also, more than eight million pensioner households across the UK will receive an additional £300 Cost of Living Payment during winter 2023-24 paid as a top up to the winter fuel payment, and 6.4 million individuals on eligible ‘extra-costs’ disability benefits have also received a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.

For people who require additional support, in England, the Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the cost of essentials. Local Authorities are expected to support households in the most need, and in particular those who may not be eligible for the other support Government recently made available but are nevertheless in need. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.

From April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, and in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels also increased by the same amount.

To support those who are in work, from 1 April, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.

Mims Davies
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
3rd May 2023
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the competitiveness of the UK's tax regime.

The Chancellor is committed to ensuring the UK tax system is one of the most competitive amongst major economies.

The Government has announced full expensing for investments in qualifying plant and machinery for the next three years, permanently set the Annual Investment Allowance at its highest ever level of £1 million to significantly boost business investment, and has provided further support for businesses’ R&D spending to promote the conditions for enterprise to succeed.

The Chancellor will look to cut business taxes further when it is responsible to do so.

Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
25th Apr 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle rural crime.

We are committed to driving down rural crime, which is why the Government is providing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

We have also tabled amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to introduce tougher sentencing and improved police powers for hare coursing.

29th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of trends in re-offending rates for people subject to a home detention curfew for the final part of their custodial sentence.

The proven reoffending rate for adults released from custody in 2017/18 and who reoffended within one year of their release was 47.6%. For offenders released on Home Detention Curfew (HDC), the reoffending rate was 23.0%.

The 2017/18 cohort has been chosen since this is the most recent cohort available where the reoffending data within a year (i.e. up to 2019) is not affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and associated court backlogs.

HDC has been operating well for over 20 years and provides a safe and effective way of managing the transition of suitable, lower-risk prisoners from custody to the community whilst maintaining restrictions on their liberty through the use of an electronically monitored curfew – ‘tagging’. Offenders released on HDC face strict eligibility requirements and a risk assessment process, which seek to select cases which are suitable because they can be safely managed in the community and have a lower likelihood of reoffending. We are seeking to expand the benefits of HDC for suitable prisoners whilst ensuring that public protection remains the overriding priority.

Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
29th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the armed forces in Scotland.

Our armed forces in Scotland play a vital role in defending the whole of the UK.

Most recently, I was delighted to see £83m of UK Government investment awarded to RAF Lossiemouth to build a new facility ready for the UK E-7 Wedgetail fleet. This award - and the creation of 125 jobs - is another great example of how UK defence investment is supporting our armed forces in Scotland.

Alister Jack
Secretary of State for Scotland