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Thanks to everyone who got in touch with me about action to tackle plastic waste. I know this is a real issue, so I wanted to outline my thoughts on the matter. I share your concerns about how much plastic is thrown away each week. That is why I am so pleased the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has made it one of their key priorities to end a throwaway society and work towards a zero-waste economy. Plastic, as those who wrote in to me are very l

Have you written in to me to support or oppose a ban on social media for under 16 year olds? See my view here and have your say in our Government's national conversation.

Thanks to everyone who got in touch about the recent WaterAid event in Parliament. It is unacceptable that approximately 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, while 3.4 billion are without safely managed sanitation and 1.7 billion lack basic hygiene services at home. I know that global health is an international development priority for our Government, and I welcome that improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), is a key part of this agenda. For e

I was very sorry not to be able to attend Kinship’s most recent parliamentary reception, but I know that the event provided an insightful opportunity to hear from experts in the care sector, as well as those with lived experience of kinship care. This is an issue really close to my heart, and I was proud to set up the first cross-party kinship carers taskforce in 2018, which is now an All Party Group shaping kinship care policy. Kinship carers are remarkable people who step

Thank you to everyone who got in touch with me to let me know about the most recent meeting of the Motor Neurone Disease APPG. Whilst I was unfortunately unable to attend, I did want to outline my thoughts on MND and what we can do to improve research into this horrific disease. I sympathise deeply with all those living with motor neurone disease (MND) or supporting a loved one, and have experience myself of how awful this disease really is. We must improve care for people wi

Thank you to everyone who got in touch with me about our Water White Paper and the state of our water. I agree 100% that every family in this country deserves clean water from their taps, seas safe to swim in, and fair and affordable bills. I support the upcoming Water Bill, which is a central part of our Government’s programme and a priority for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It will be an opportunity to progress an ambitious, coherent reset of the l

Thank you to everyone who got in touch with me about improving endometriosis care. I was honoured to stop by Endometriosis UK's recent event in Parliament to hear about the launch of their new report on endometriosis care in the UK. This is a campaign really close to my own heart, and it is always amazing to speak to the incredible women who refuse to give up in the fight for their health.      Far too many women with endometriosis face long waits for diagnosis and treatment.

Thank you to everyone who contacted me about the Animals (Low Welfare Activities) Abroad Act.  I do not want to see the abuse of animals in any circumstances. Some animals abroad are subjected to considerable suffering and unacceptable practices to provide entertainment for tourists. Many individuals may not be aware of the conditions these animals experience. I want tourists to be supported to choose higher welfare activities when on holiday to help protect animals. Business

The true measure of a society is how it supports those who are most vulnerable. People living with dementia should always have access to care that is dignified, dependable and centred on what matters most to them. High‑quality palliative and end‑of‑life care is essential for maintaining comfort, supporting informed choices and providing families with stability during difficult moments. Everyone who needs this support deserves to rely on the highest standard of care. Nearly on

Thanks to everyone who contacted me inviting me to attend the event, ‘From Roadmap to Reality: Implementing the UK Strategy to Phase Out Animal Testing’, in Parliament back in February. I wanted to outline my stance on animal testing as I think it’s really important. I understand the animal testing plan will support work to end animal testing wherever possible, rolling out alternatives as soon as it is safe and effective to do so. This roadmap will ensure government, busines

Our world-class creative industries are a key part of our economy which create jobs and drive growth right across the country, yet the industry faces great uncertainty from emerging technologies. In today’s fast changing world, I recognise the need to ensure that creators have control over the use of their content in the training of AI models and their ability to be remunerated for their work. Copying protected material in the UK will infringe copyright unless it is licensed

I first wanted to draw your attention to the consultation we are running on how to keep children safe online and social media use. I think it’s vital that every voice is heard, so please do contribute and have your say:  Growing up in the online world: a national consultation - GOV.UK I completely appreciate that there will be so many different perspectives on social media, and I do think it is important to find a balance, as I recognise there are many children’s charities wh

As many readers might know, I have voted consistently in favour of the Bill since it was first announced. I do understand concerns about the delays in the Lords, but I wanted to offer my perspective on the matter to reassure you that there is a lot of support for the Bill and I also do not want to see it unfairly pushed back. Back in November 2025, our Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords announced that the Lords will sit on an additional ten Fridays in early 2026 in o

I am determined to work hard to speak out about the problems people face in our constituency, so we can work to lift people out of poverty, tackle inequality and improve the health of our community. I'm contacted all the time by constituents who are struggling to access healthcare and medical support, and am frequently advocating for better access to treatment for our area, so please know this remains an absolute priority for me. Whether that is by helping individual constitu

Thank you to everyone who contacted me about community energy and enabling local renewable energy schemes to sell the power they generate directly to local households and businesses. I agree with you on the importance of this issue. I believe local and community renewable energy has a vital role to play in delivering clean power by 2030. It will contribute to Britain’s total power capacity, deliver important local benefits and reduce network system losses by bringing electric

I know people care very deeply about protecting important species and managing our uplands in a sustainable way to protect wildlife, the environment and the people who live there – wildlife crime is so serious, so please know I want to see an end to cruelty too. I know there is evidence linking gamebird shooting to illegal raptor persecution. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally, the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. As you may

I sympathise deeply with all those impacted by secondary breast cancer, whether facing a diagnosis themselves or supporting a loved one. In February, our Government launched the National Cancer Plan – outlining how, for the first time, the NHS will commit to ensuring three in four people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 onwards are cancer-free or living well after five years. Through the plan, we will ensure people with secondary breast cancer have faster diagnoses and treatme

Pollution incidents across Redcar and Cleveland from the activities of the water industry are unacceptable and can have a devastating impact on our environment. I know a lot of constituents have contacted me about sewage in Saltburn and Marske in particular, and it is an absolute disgrace that this should continue to happen. The water industry must do more to reduce pollution and protect our rivers, lakes and seas. I supported the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, which our

I share the concerns of every constituent who has contacted me about electric shock collars –they are deeply cruel and outdated, and as a dog lover and owner myself, the thought of any dog being subject to such awful treatment infuriates me. That is why I am delighted our Government has committed to consulting on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars this Parliament as part of the new Animal Welfare Strategy, which I've spoken about on my website before. I’ll be fo

I’m really excited about the NHS 10-Year Plan, which has now been published. In the months leading up to the plan’s publication, our Government held the biggest ever national conversation on the future of the NHS, asking staff and patients for their views, experiences, and ideas to help shape the final plan. The plan is underpinned by three key shifts: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is