Martin Wrigley
MP for Newton Abbot · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“I thank Mandy Hobbis, Tiya Ivy, CatsMatter and the nearly 200,000 people who signed the petition, which has enabled us to have this debate. I also thank Members from across the House for their contributions.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“A duty to report to the police would not in itself get an injured cat to a vet, or ensure that that a dead one is scanned for a chip. Police forces are stretched, and ringing 101 will not bring help to the roadside. The sense of unfairness that the petitioners feel is real, and I understand it.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I agree with my hon. Friend that that is the right, moral thing to do and we need to encourage drivers to do it. The animals in section 170 are ones whose owners are expected to keep them under control or fenced in, and the law has long accepted that cats roam.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“When they see that dogs are covered and cats are not, they feel that the law simply does not value their animal in the same way. Other countries have updated their laws to include cats, including Italy and Hong Kong.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Yes, that is a very good way forward. The campaigners have answered the Government’s points with some care. On the working animals argument, CatsMatter has done its own sums.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I tend to agree, and we will come to working animals shortly. Cats are not on the list. Neither, I might add, are llamas or alpacas, which gives a fair idea of how old the list is. It has come down to us, almost untouched, from the Road Traffic Act 1930. The usual explanation—my hon.”
House of Commons26 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
The complete record
412 held · 393 searchable for Martin Wrigley. The searchable lines are below in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 8.
This is not an official version of UK Parliament proceedings. It reproduces the published record and links to it; the official version is the one UK Parliament publishes.
“In addition to the point about socially necessary routes, companies such as Stagecoach cut the frequency of essential buses—such as the No. 2 from Exeter through to Dawlish in my constituency and on down towards Paignton. That drives people away from the buses; when the frequency goes down from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes, it makes the service unusable and takes away the social value of the route.”
House of Commons10 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Clearly, if it is forever, and all of them, we have a very interesting situation here. Will the data used in this way be allowed to be analysed in the new Government data-mining AI systems, such as the Palantir systems? There is clearly a danger of leakage into the health systems, in which they are also used. That brings extra concern about crossover of data between those, especially under AI data mining. What reassurances can we give our constituents that that will not happen?”
House of Commons9 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Jeremy. I also congratulate the Minister on her new appointment. I thank her for explaining what is going on in this secondary legislation, because I read it a number of times and did not really get it until I listened to her explanation. It raises a number of questions. The answers may be specified elsewhere; if so, I apologise for asking obvious questions. On the designation notice that these organisations can now ask for, is there a stipulation on the number of agencies in the list that can come together for a single designation notice with an intelligence agency? Is it just one, is it many or is it all of them? Is there a duration on the designation notice? Is this something that can be applied for for a week, for a year or forever?”
House of Commons9 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Does the hon. Member agree that the Ukrainian situation is similar to the Hong Kong situation? People on Homes for Ukraine visas have now been here for more than four years. We should be considering including them in the five-year period for leave to remain in this country.”
House of Commons8 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“On transport links, does the hon. Gentleman agree that the final repair in phase 5 of the Dawlish rail resilience programme is vital to remote coastal communities in both Devon and Cornwall?”
House of Commons8 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Does the hon. Gentleman agree that if coastal communities had just a fraction of the investment in public transport that is made in places such as London and other big metropolitan areas, they would flourish beyond belief?”
House of Commons8 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I appreciate the Minister listing the disadvantages that we have in our coastal communities, although she did not mention the fact that our health services are overwhelmed in the summer. The Dawlish minor injuries unit not being open due to lack of staffing, for example, does not help when numbers in our towns double in the few weeks of summer. It really is very disadvantageous for the local residents.”
House of Commons8 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“That is because her behaviour has escalated to the point at which she can no longer cope in mainstream school. For years, her parents fought for therapies and support, but they received only fragmented and inconsistent help. Funding is another problem. Last year, a child received 14 sessions of therapy through the fund, but this year it has been cut to eight; the family is expected to pay privately if more is needed. They have already waited 16 weeks for a referral to a specialist paediatrician as the first step towards an EHCP for suspected foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Those are not isolated cases. Most children placed for adoption in the UK have experienced trauma, neglect or abuse, with a lifelong impact on development and behaviour. I urge the Government to rethink their approach.”
House of Commons4 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) on securing this important debate and on the passion of her speech. I would like to raise the serious challenges that adoptive families in my constituency face in accessing the adoption support fund and wider post-adoption services. Too often, the system is designed for crisis rather than prevention. Overstretched social workers are forced to firefight, and families wait months, even years, for help. One family in my constituency told me that their daughter showed clear needs from the moment she was placed with them as a baby, yet only now, at the age of eight, is she undergoing an education, health and care plan assessment.”
House of Commons4 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Does the hon. Member agree that this is almost a circular problem? The more people park on the pavements, the harder it is to walk, so the more they have to drive and the more they park on the pavements. By getting rid of it and having consistency, as my hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) is asking for, we will start to solve this problem, which is so difficult for my constituents as well as the hon. Gentleman’s.”
House of Commons3 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I have a couple of questions about the SI. Having worked for a regulator that was similarly funded by a charge on those regulated and the ability to levy fees, I question what power we are giving Ofcom to collect the fees charged. Is it explicit in the Act? It does not seem to be explicit in the SI. How is the penalties regime, albeit it relates to a different percentage of global revenue, actually worked out? Is global revenue worked out on the same method as that for the GDPR, under which companies can similarly be charged a proportion of global revenue if they get things wrong?”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We will see a few senior executives go, but the numbers of people on the bins, doing the work in the streets that needs to be done across Devon, will not be reduced. Reorganising councils will not save money; in fact, it will cost a huge amount of money, which is not being funded.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests as someone who is still a sitting councillor. In fact, when I came into this place, I sat on three different councils, so I speak from a good history of local council knowledge. This Bill focuses on mayors, yet we hear about putting power in the hands of local people. Having a Mayor of Greater Manchester, which has a single identity, is quite different from having mayors in Devon, which is a vast area containing different sorts of places—let alone, perhaps, a mayor of Devon and Cornwall. That is not power in local hands, and the idea that reorganising councils will save money is a fallacy.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Finally, I welcome the return of the alternative vote for mayors, but urge the Government to go further and introduce full proportional representation for all the new unitary councils, making every vote count.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“We must protect Dartmoor and the other parks for people to freely access and enjoy, and not let greed rip things apart for mere profit. The Bill must address how these authorities will maintain independence and protect the identities of the areas they serve. Another missed opportunity is the need to make the provision of public toilets a statutory responsibility. Too often, councils in financial difficulties cut these vital facilities, and in Devon we know that there will be no money left over once the special educational needs and disabilities overspend has been paid for by the carefully managed districts and their reserves. It will still be a case of there being no money left.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Bill allows mayors to convene partners and request collaboration, but those are discretionary powers. They may be used, or they may be ignored. There is no enforceable duty and no statutory requirement to co-operate, and that is a profound weakness. National park authorities are mentioned not once in the Bill, yet they carry the legal responsibility for some of our most precious landscapes. National park authorities, such as Dartmoor, have a majority of members from a mix of local authorities—five, in Dartmoor’s case—and a minority of Government-appointed members. Without changes, if Dartmoor ended up completely within the boundaries of a new unitary, it would effectively be managed as part of that unitary and lose its unique identity. Its planning authority will be overridden and its strategic vision may be subsumed.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As district councils disappear, their local assets of less significant value to the new unitary authority will likely suffer, or be overlooked or sold off without considering local input from the town or parish council, despite any changes to the community right to buy, whose successes—as we have heard—are few and far between. This Bill must contain a statutory obligation to work with the most local and community-rooted bodies, which are our parish and town councils. A duty to co-operate must be put into the Bill. Neighbourhood committees or areas, as vaguely set out as they are in the Bill, may play a part in keeping planning and other functions local within the wider unitary geography, but they must also consider and work with the town and parish councils that they cover. This must be a statutory requirement.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. However, in my remaining minutes, I will focus on two or three other areas that were not covered by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Vikki Slade). In all the powers and broad strategic aims of this Bill, the key roles played by town and parish councils are forgotten; in fact, the Bill barely mentions them. It also omits the role played by our national park authorities. Parish and town councils are the first port of call for residents. They are closest to the ground and most responsive to the day-to-day needs of their communities—these are the truly local hands.”
House of Commons2 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The United Nations described the famine in Gaza as a “deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival” and “a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself.” Every day my constituents ask me, “What more would it take for the Government to recognise this as genocide?” What would the Foreign Secretary have me say to them?”
House of Commons1 September 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“That means that, with missiles and drones falling in record numbers on the cities of Ukraine, our guests who have integrated into society, taken jobs, rented flats and paid taxes are starting to face the fact that fewer than 12 months are left on their visas, which makes it hard, if not impossible, to rent a new flat or get a new job. Let me give the House some basic facts about where we are today. New arrivals now only get 18 months to stay. The visa gives a special status to Ukrainian guests. They do not have refugee status; they do have the right to work, and they are supported by funding—for example, the monthly host payments, or help with rent. The three years plus the 18 months do not count towards any settled status here in the UK. The 18-month extension can be applied for only in the final 28 days of the original granted visa.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am happy to have secured this debate on Homes for Ukraine and the Ukraine permission extension scheme. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin’s Russia started on 24 February 2022, eight years after the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014. Now in its fourth year, this awful war has seen some 7 million members of the Ukrainian population of 45 million—more than 15% of the population—seek sanctuary outside the war zone. Just under 270,000 visas under the Homes for Ukraine scheme have been issued to Ukrainian guests here in the UK, of whom 2,399 are in Devon. Initially offering a three-year duration, the scheme was extended by 18 months under the Ukraine permission extension scheme in February 2025, nearly six months ago.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I absolutely agree, and people in that situation are very worried—I have several in my own constituency. I have spoken to groups of guests in Newton Abbot, and they are mostly working, getting on with integrating into the local community and strongly supporting each other.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention and I absolutely agree. Ukrainians are scared of what happens next, and we have no answer for them. They see reports of their countrymen being refused asylum in the UK because it is said to be safe to return to Ukraine, even while Putin’s drones explode in Ukraine’s cities in record numbers.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Yes, I believe that we should be looking for a permanent solution and a permanent answer for the Ukrainians, and that is why I asked the Prime Minister about it last week. His answer was more positive than before, and he even appeared to say that another 18 months would be added. I ask the Minister to clarify that statement.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Yes, we need to do exactly that. If the UK is to support the defence of Ukraine, we must continue to support the vulnerable Ukrainian guests in our country and to give them some certainty about their future. In my discussions with groups around the Newton Abbot constituency, I have heard many of their concerns. We have one family with a 17-year-old son with them. Ukrainian child passports have a duration of just four years, and they have to renew his passport. He has been told to do that, but he will need to return to Kyiv. His parents are now worried that he will either not be allowed to get back here, or not be allowed to stay here with an expired passport.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I mentioned that there are now some 7 million Ukrainians, out of the original population of 45 million, safely outside the country—that is 15%, or about one sixth in old money. It will not be practical for all of them to return to a country with a shattered infrastructure for a number of years. Clearing landmines, dealing with unexploded bombs, demolition and rebuilding must be done before most of the guests we have here could think about returning. My basic ask of the Minister and the Government is to look at a longer-term extension of the Homes for Ukraine scheme to give our guests certainty, in some part of their lives at least.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The right hon. Gentleman has obviously been reading my speech. I shall get on to that shortly. I have spoken to a Ukrainian lady and her elderly mother in Newton Abbot. This lady has lost her husband, her son and her father. Her home in Ukraine is in the Russian-occupied zone and, like much of her village, has been razed to the ground. Even when peace does break out, what does she have to go back to, other than landmines and unexploded bombs? Ukraine is the home of the fabled Cossacks, and it is no wonder that the war was not over in the three weeks or so that Putin expected. However, that means that we have to think longer term about the Homes for Ukraine scheme visas.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the hon. Member for mentioning a report from my old university, which I will go away and look up. However, I think this is more about getting the visas extended, rather than pursuing the people who are refusing them.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“However, to become a fully qualified dentist, he needs to spend £4,300 and more time, and the waiting time alone may make that futile, given the short time left on his visa. Another bright young student has started a dentistry qualification at Plymouth University, but she asked me if she would be allowed to stay to finish it. Another family wanted to get a mortgage to buy a house, but they cannot given the time left on their visas. They are brave, inventive and industrious people, and we need to help them by extending their visa scheme.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention and will be moving on to that shortly. I have been impressed by the way that the Ukrainians do not sit back, but get up and get working. In many cases, they have taken jobs way below their qualifications while they learn the language, settle in and find their way. Their children have integrated into schools and set out on paths to GCSE, A-level and degree courses. Despite the fact that they do not have the confidence that they will have a visa that covers the duration of those courses, they are still working hard at them. I have one guest who is a fully qualified Ukrainian dentist—and we need dentists, especially in Devon. He has done the first part of verifying his qualification for the UK, but it has taken many months and cost £600.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“A foreign country, unfamiliar customs, lack of knowledge of the language—all this is covered by the sensitivity and care of people around us. The Ukrainian diaspora supports everyone, learning the language, helping to solve problems and always being in touch. Thank you for giving a peaceful sky to our children!””
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Secondly, to leave the home where the children grew up, where there were dreams, where every corner has its own story. But the safety of the children came first, so we decided to leave. Not knowing the language and taking a backpack with us, we set off for the UK, where our host Julie met us. A new stage in our lives began. Thanks to Julie, we gradually got to know, and continued to get to know, the local system. My daughter immediately went to school where she was happily accepted, and she began to meet new classmates. Recently, she saw a plane high in the sky, took a picture and sent it to her father, saying that it was a piece of peaceful sky. My son is preparing to enter college, is studying English and going to the gym. I was almost immediately offered a job, where I work without knowing English.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I want them to sleep peacefully and study, so that they can see life. When I arrived here, not only the children but also I was afraid when a helicopter flew overhead. We saw a plane overhead when with my son in the garden, and it flew very low. I froze and when I turned around I saw my son, who was sitting by a tree, screaming at me. The horror of war cannot be put into words. It is when you go to sleep and don’t know whether you will wake up. It is when life can end in a minute. This is universal, since every day brought its own experiences, pain and despair. It cannot be described. My husband made the decision for us to leave Ukraine, probably because he sees much more. For me, it was a difficult step, firstly, to leave my husband without support. He sometimes came home for two days, and it was always a holiday for our family.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Since no one expected this, panic began: empty shelves in stores, lights going out and terrible alarm signals. My children and I went to bed dressed, so that at night during the alarm we could quickly run to the basement where we decided to hide. A suitcase with documents was constantly packed in the basement; there were warm things and blankets. When you hear a rocket, your thoughts are about the children and how to save them. Missile alarms become our daily routine: children playing hear the alarm and run to the basement or to the house where we made a small shelter. My husband was invited to the military registration and enlistment office, and taken to war. We were left alone at home without support and with constant worry. Why did we decide to move? Because as a mother, I want a peaceful life for my children.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Absolutely. I would like to give a couple of stories from Ukrainians here. I am keeping an eye on the time. This is from Anya Glebova in north Devon, who is hosted by Julie. I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker, for using the word “you”. These are her words: “How do you live during the war? And can a person who has not experienced it understand us? I think not, because I myself did not believe that such a thing is possible in our time. But it turns out it is possible. That morning will remain in my memory for a long time, when I woke up to collect the children for school and a man who was in Odessa called and said that the war had begun, they were shelling us. To say that it was horror would be an understatement, but a completely different life began for us.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Ukraine’s Government publicly changed their position in late May, asking all Governments where Ukrainians have sought safety and sanctuary since spring 2022 to provide them with a choice: to remain where their lives are being rebuilt or to return to Ukraine when it is safe to do so.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Mila is settled in the only school she has known, starting year 3 in September. Ksenia is studying in order to be able to go to university. There is little education in Ukraine at the moment. They have already lost a brother and their father is fighting for his country. The thing that keeps him going is that his two younger daughters are safe. I hope that you can get the Government to see that we need to carry on supporting our Ukrainian family.” I asked the Prime Minister last week about extending the scheme, and the Home Secretary was asked about it in a Select Committee on 3 June. However, the situation is changing.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention and I absolutely agree. I want briefly to mention another story. This is of Mariia and Ksenia in north Devon, written by their host Helen. I apologise for my Ukrainian pronunciation. They said: “On 21 June Oleh Yurash age 28 was killed in Sumy in a missile strike. He was the husband of Liudmyla Yurash also 28 and father to Roman, four years old. Liudmyla is the sister of Mariia and Ksenia Yurash, my adult guests. He was almost unrecognisable. Mariia and Ksenia travelled back to Ukraine to attend his funeral. Liudmyla was also carer for their mother, who recently had a stroke. The girls’ father wants them to stay in the UK, where Mariia and her daughter are safe from the war, especially as Mariia is a single mother and the Russians have been kidnapping children.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Without urgent changes, we are at serious risk of putting thousands of Ukrainians—children as well as parents—into homelessness or worse, as the terms of their visas will be too short for them to carry on. We owe them much better treatment than we are currently giving them.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The war seems further from ending—perhaps more protracted than ever. The EU clarified its position, extending temporary protection for all guests to March 2027 and requiring all member states to find ways for guests to have pathways to residency or settlement within those two years. The Home Secretary commented in a Select Committee that continuing the stability of education for children, university students and adults in training or apprenticeships is key and that enabling that continuity through housing and jobs is an important part of the Government’s support for Ukraine. We need the Government to review the short-term nature of the Ukraine permission extension scheme urgently.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“That is a dreadful situation. I really hope that the Minister can give us some positive news, or at least a glimmer of hope of where we can go.”
House of Commons21 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am proud of our long-standing commitment to defending freedom of religion or belief, and I am deeply concerned by the growing threat to those rights internationally. Religious minorities across the globe continue to face harassment, discrimination and persecution. In 2021, the Pew Research Centre found that Christians faced Government or societal harassment in 160 countries, with Muslims facing it in 141 and Jews in 91. We should reflect on what those numbers mean: in those countries, people live in fear, and face violence or even imprisonment simply for their beliefs. Unfortunately, the situation is either deteriorating or stagnating in many such countries.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Member for North Northumberland (David Smith) for securing this important debate on the role of freedom of religion or belief in UK foreign policy, and for his work as special envoy. The ability to express one’s political and religious affiliations freely is a fundamental human right that must be preserved. That principle is enshrined in article 18 of the universal declaration of human rights, and must remain central to UK foreign policy. The Liberal Democrats have long believed that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are not just aspirational values, but the foundation of a just and peaceful world.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is a bellwether for broader freedoms: where it is restricted, restrictions on other rights soon follow. We will continue to push for a foreign policy that defends the rights of all people, everywhere, to live without fear and in accordance with their consciences. The UK must not be a bystander. We must lead with conviction, courage, and a clear commitment to human rights at the heart of our foreign policy. I ask the Minister what concrete steps the Government will take this year to challenge countries where religious repression is entrenched, and to ensure that our foreign policy truly upholds the values we claim to defend.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Their gender adds a further layer of marginalisation, and it is essential that UK policy reflects that reality. We must also be alive to the modern tools of repression. In China, surveillance technology and biometric data are being used to monitor and intimidate religious groups. Technological repression is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the UK must be ready to challenge those abuses at the international level. To have the biggest impact, the UK must work through international bodies, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth, to press for reform, support democratic movements and uphold the right of all people to live with or without faith. Persecution based on religion or belief should have no place in today’s world.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It is not enough to make declarations; the Government must match words with action. That means ensuring that the special envoy for freedom of religion or belief—I understand why he uses the acronym FORB; it is much easier to say—is properly resourced, has a clear mandate and is empowered to influence policy across the FCDO. I also urge the Government to appoint an ambassador-level champion for freedom of religion or belief, with cross-departmental reach and the responsibility to ensure that religious freedom is not an afterthought in UK foreign policy, but a guiding principle. The UK’s approach must also recognise the intersections between religious persecution and other forms of oppression. Minority faith women and girls face heightened risks, including forced marriage, exclusion from education, and sexual violence.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Absolutely. The situation is very grave in many parts of the world. In fact, it is more than grave—it is intolerable. In our foreign policy, the UK must proactively seek to champion freedom of belief and religion. The hon. Member for North Northumberland, the special envoy, has identified 10 priority countries where freedom of religion or belief is under particular strain; I am concerned that diplomatic pressure in those countries remains inconsistent and at times ineffective. Where religious legislation remains stagnant or regressive, I see little evidence that UK engagement has shifted the dial. I urge the Government to take a far more active and co-ordinated approach, not just to maintain relationships but to use them to drive real progress on rights and freedoms.”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am delighted to hear about all the work going on in the hon. Lady’s community. That is also happening across the country; Dawlish Against Plastic and Plastic Free Newton Abbot are in my constituency However, the Marine Conservation Society wrote to me to say that plastic pollution on UK beaches rose by 9.5% between 2023 and 2024. Indeed, in Devon, an average of 103 items of plastic are picked up on every 100 metres of beach. Does she agree that we must deal with the situation not only in our communities but internationally?”
House of Commons17 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Q15. During my meetings with guests who are in my constituency under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, they have told me that they are worried about their visas running out, even with the 18-month extension. They see reports of Ukrainians being refused asylum in the United Kingdom because it is said to be safe to return to Ukraine, even while Putin’s missiles explode in record numbers in Ukrainian cities. Some of their children are working through two or three-year education courses, and are frightened of having to leave. Will the Prime Minister meet them, and me, to hear about their plight and offer them some hope in this uncertain and dangerous world?”
House of Commons16 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I was slightly concerned that the franchising of Crown post offices, such as the one at Teignmouth in my constituency, has already gone ahead, prior to the consultation. Turning to a different issue, Royal Mail is obligated to provide a post box within half a mile of any house, but many new estates in my constituency have no access to a post box—they are just not there. Will the Minister put pressure on Royal Mail to ensure that post boxes are provided?”
House of Commons14 July 2025Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗