Charlie Dewhirst MP: speeches

Speeches

• 1 Jun 2026 · Lord Mandelson Humble Address: Government Response · Hansard source

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  On pages 115-116 in volume II, part I of the documents released today, there is an email from Olly Robbins dated 16 September 2025 in which he writes to another senior civil servant in Downing Street saying that he has still not yet seen “potentially crucial documents” in relation to the appointment of Peter Mandelson. That date is important: it is the same day that Chris Wormald, the former Cabinet Secretary, wrote to the Prime Minister saying that all “appropriate processes” had been followed in appointing Peter Mandelson. Can those two things be true? Can appropriate processes have been followed if Mr Robbins himself had not seen these “potentially crucial documents”?

• 20 May 2026 · EU Regulatory Alignment: Science and Technology · Hansard source

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  2. What discussions she has had with the science and technology sector on closer regulatory alignment with the EU.

• 16 Apr 2026 · Client Board: Progress · Hansard source

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  11. What recent progress the Client Board has made on its work.

• 13 Apr 2026 · North Atlantic Submarine Activity · Hansard source

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  The Minister may be aware that the RAF’s investment in the P-8 submarine hunting programme was made in 2015, at a time when Russian activity in the north Atlantic was much less of a threat to the UK. I welcome the £100 million announced just now, but that is less than one third of the cost of one of those aircraft, so can I ask him what assessment he has made of the P-8 submarine hunting capability in the light of the increased Russian activity? Will he assure the House that he will go further if the RAF needs him to?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Support for Motorists · Hansard source

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  Anyone who has been to the pumps in the last couple of weeks will have felt the pain of price rises. I do not blame the Secretary of State for that—obviously, international events have taken over—but can she guarantee the House that there will be no further rise in fuel duty for the remainder of this calendar year?

• 26 Mar 2026 · Support for Motorists · Hansard source

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  10. What recent steps her Department has taken to support motorists.

• 25 Mar 2026 · Points of Order · Hansard source

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  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. This House passed the Humble Address so that there is full transparency on Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States. That includes the due diligence undertaken by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team. Yet, in an answer to a written question, Cabinet Office Ministers have now admitted that the people advising on what is to be redacted or deemed in scope are the very same propriety and ethics team that undertook the due diligence. Is that not a massive conflict of interest? What advice can you provide to Ministers on mitigating those conflicts of interest in responding to the House, given that the advice on such matters would normally be provided by the very same propriety and ethics team?

• 19 Mar 2026 · EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement: Negotiations · Hansard source

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  6. What steps she is taking to support UK interests in sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations with the EU.

• 5 Mar 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  In the light of the arrest of three individuals yesterday for Chinese espionage, can the Minister confirm that security vetting for all special advisers is up to date?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Gibraltar Treaty · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way? [ Laughter. ]

• 26 Feb 2026 · Gibraltar Treaty · Hansard source

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  Madam Deputy Speaker, I can only apologise for being a naughty boy. Hon. Members will remember that in 2001 the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, entered into negotiations with Spain over a joint sovereignty agreement with Gibraltar, which resulted in a referendum in which 98.5% of Gibraltarians rejected that deal. Although the Government of Gibraltar welcome today’s treaty, which I am sure is well intentioned, the Minister will no doubt understand that there may be some concern with that history and the involvement of Spain in the operation and governance of Gibraltar. Can he therefore reassure the House, the United Kingdom and the Gibraltarian people that any future changes to the current treaty and any further alignment with the EU will be done only with the agreement of the people of Gibraltar?

• 26 Feb 2026 · Client Board: Progress · Hansard source

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  1. What recent progress the Client Board has made in its work.

• 15 Jan 2026 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  I must congratulate the Minister on doing an excellent job as a human shield for the Prime Minister. He says that this scheme will bring down the number of people crossing the channel on boats, but that is clearly a farce. You have just said that you will be able to access—

• 15 Jan 2026 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  My apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Minister has just said that once he has rolled out this digital ID scheme, we will be able to access certain things that we cannot currently access. Can he list exactly what services we will be able to access?

• 9 Dec 2025 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  The east coast main line is a fantastic example of where privatisation has worked. Open access operators such as Hull Trains, Lumo and Grand Central are competing with the franchisee and keeping prices down and service levels up. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the Bill does nothing to protect open access operators, and that there is a real danger that this centralised, Soviet-style monolith will squeeze them out in due course?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Maccabi Tel Aviv FC: Away Fans Ban · Hansard source

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  Is the Minister aware of any representations made by UEFA in advance of this fixture?

• 4 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  Tomorrow will mark a year to the day since the Government launched the plan for change, to great fanfare, with its milestones, its mission boards, and its dashboards that never materialised. We have now found out that the five mission boards have been deleted from the latest list of Cabinet Committees. Has there been any change at all from the plan for change?

• 27 Nov 2025 · Vicars: Rural Parishes · Hansard source

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  I thank the Leader of the House for that answer, and please can he pass my best wishes on to the Second Church Estates Commissioner? In my area, 26 churches are covered by just five priests, and only three of those priests are paid, so I hope that the Leader of the House will join me in thanking all the regular churchgoers who do so much to ensure the maintenance and upkeep of the beautiful churches right across East Yorkshire. Will he do everything he can to ensure that the Church of England attracts more priests into the fold?

• 27 Nov 2025 · Vicars: Rural Parishes · Hansard source

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  5. What steps the Church of England is taking to increase the number of vicars in rural parishes.

• 20 Nov 2025 · Motorists · Hansard source

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  13. What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of support for motorists.

• 18 Nov 2025 · Large-scale Solar Farms · Hansard source

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  11. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the development of large-scale solar farms.

• 22 Oct 2025 · Heathrow: National Airports Review · Hansard source

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  I am and always will be a proud Yorkshireman, but I lived in west London for a number of years, so I am aware of the diverse range of views on Heathrow expansion. I certainly do not subscribe to the luddite nimbyism of the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Chiswick (Andy Slaughter), but may I ask the Secretary of State what consideration she has given to potential Chinese investment into this critical national infrastructure?

• 3 Sept 2025 · Hospitality Sector · Hansard source

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  It is not for me to say whether the Minister will or will not, but he should do so, and he should be shouting much more loudly on behalf of the hospitality sector.

• 2 Sept 2025 · Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse · Hansard source

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  On 6 August, the Minister described certain councils that do not believe that they have a problem with grooming gangs as “idiots”. Can she explain if that also applies to the Government, given the enormous pressure it took for them to implement this inquiry and the disparaging comments previously made by the Prime Minister?