It was good to meet the Horticultural Trades Association and Minister Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries at a drop in at the House of Commons on 28 November 2023.The event was to introduce two reports The Value of Plants and Delivering the UK Environmental Improvement Plan through the value of plants and to  highlight he value of plants worth £15.7 billion to the UK. The HTA was founded in 1899 as an organisation formed by its members, for its members with the aim of representing horticultural tradesmen to deal with the issues they faced as an industry, which still drives the HTA today. Find out more by visiting: hta.org.uk

At Home Office Questions on Monday 27 November 2023 I asked the Home Secretary Rt Hon James Cleverly MP a question. I asked: "One of the ways of dealing with illegal migration is to look at the number of cases. Can the Home Secretary say how many legacy backlog cases there are—if they have yet been triaged—and how many of those result from illegal migration?"

The Home Secretary answered by saying: "The historic backlog has been reduced by 65%. It has fallen by more than 59,000 cases since the end of November 2022. We have recruited 2,500 asylum decision makers, and we have increased tenfold the pace at which these decisions are made."

The Home Secretary did not answer the question. It is vital to know the total number of backlog cases and how many of those result from illegal migration as the Prime Minister has said he will deal with this before the end of 2023. 

I was a member of the Committee scrutinising the Aviation (Consumers)(Amendment) Regulations 2023 on Tuesday 11 November 2023 relating to Regulation (EC) 261/2004 to restate key principles of relevant European Union (“EU”) case law. This Regulation establishes common rules on compensation and assistance for passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation, or long delay of flights. The instrument aims to maintain the status quo and clarify the safeguarding of consumer rights in the United Kingdom (“UK") aviation industry. 

I was pleased to invite the  Heads of schools in Walsall,  Davina Clacy, Headteacher of Old Church CofE Primary School, Sean Davis, Headteacher and Governor at Old Church, and Andy Mills, Headteacher as part of Old Church family of schools, to meet with the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing David Johnston OBE MP on Tuesday 21 November.

The Heads were able to discuss with the Minister the difficulties the Schools are having with their budgets and SEND pupils and other topics about life in schools and the challenges the schools are facing. 

On the SEND budget, the Minister said that the local authority is given funding directly but the Heads said they were having to use their own budget including turning a toilet into a sensory room. I was concerned this was not being received by the schools.

I will continue to raise the issue of funding for our schools for which there was no allocation for schools in 2023‑24 and 2024-25 in the Autumn Statement.

On Wednesday 15 November 2023 there were amendments tabled to the Motion on the King's Speech. HM Opposition Labour Party and the SNP tabled two amendments on the conflict in Gaza. 

In my speech during the King's Speech debate, I referred to the conflict:  "I say to the right hon. Member for Gainsborough that we are talking about a ceasefire not only to enable the hostages to be released but to stop the killing of innocent civilians. When organisations such as the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development cannot even enter Gaza and do the work they need to do, and when 44% of the United Nations workers have been killed, we have to do something. We cannot sit back and do nothing, which is why I will add my voice to the calls for a ceasefire to enable our brilliant diplomats to try to find a solution to this intolerable situation. People may have seen what took place at the weekend, but let me say that I was writing this speech and I just could not carry on, as it was incredibly upsetting to see babies’ bodies lined up—that is just a horrific thing. They have done absolutely nothing; they have just come into this world, and for what—just to be dead? Parents and all sorts of people are facing incredible difficulties, not being able to eat or drink; doctors are even unable to carry out operations."

The first amendment (r)was tabled by HM Opposition in the name of Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party.

 “and submit to Your Majesty that this House wishes to see an end to the violence in Israel and Palestine; unequivocally condemn the horrific terrorist attack and murder of civilians by Hamas, call for the immediate release of all hostages and reaffirm Israel’s right to defend its citizens from terrorism; believe all human life is equal and that there has been too much suffering, including far too many deaths of innocent civilians and children, over the past month in Gaza; reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the rules-based international order, international humanitarian law and the jurisdiction of the ICC to address the conduct of all parties in Gaza and Hamas’s attacks in Israel; call on Israel to protect hospitals and lift the siege conditions allowing food, water, electricity, medicine and fuel into Gaza; request the Government continue to work with the international community to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict in the region, guarantee that people in Gaza who are forced to flee during this conflict can return to their homes and seek an end to the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank; and, while acknowledging the daily humanitarian pauses to allow in aid and the movement of civilians, believe they must be longer to deliver humanitarian assistance on a scale that begins to meet the desperate needs of the people of Gaza, which is a necessary step to an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible and a credible, diplomatic and political process to deliver the lasting peace of a two-state solution.”

I voted Aye to Amendment (r), but this was defeated:  Ayes 183 : Noes 290.

Amendment (h) was tabled by the SNP in the name of the Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.

“but respectfully regret that the Gracious Speech fails to include measures that would require the Government to uphold international law and protect all civilians in Israel and Palestine; unequivocally condemn the horrific killings by Hamas and the taking of hostages; reaffirm that there must be an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people; call for the urgent release of all hostages and an end to the siege of Gaza to allow vital supplies of food, fuel, medicine and water to reach the civilian population; note the growing calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire from the United Nations and its aid agencies; and therefore call on the Government to join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.”

 I voted Aye to Amendment (h), but this was defeated:  Ayes 125 : Noes 293.