2024

On Tuesday 19 November 2024 I chaired the debates held in Westminster Hall from 9.30-11.30am. The first motion, moved by Seamus Logan MP was ‘That this House has considered the use of foodbanks’, and was responded to by the minister Alison McGovern MP. The second motion, moved by Jim Allister MP was ‘That this House

On 14 November 2024, I intervened in the debate on the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill, which aims to increase female representation among the bishops who sit in the House of Lords. It seeks to extend the provisions of the 2015 Act for a further five-year period, allowing vacancies among the lords spiritual

The House met to debate and vote on the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill on Monday 25 November. This Bill, introduced to the House on 13 November 2024, amends the non-domestic rating system in England to enable the introduction of new tax rates, introducing powers to create new lower tax rates for qualifying

On Wednesday 13 November 2024, I chaired the Delegated Legislation Committee, to consider the Draft Local Loans (Increase of Limit) Order 2024. The motion was moved by Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The order increases the aggregate limit on local loans through His Majesty’s Treasury’s Public Works Loan Board lending facility from the

On 12 November 2024 the House voted at Committee Stage on several amendments to the bill, which would see the removal of all hereditary peers. Amendment 25: Provides that the Bill would only come into effect after the report of a joint committee on wider reforms of the composition of the House of Lords has