Emily Darlington MP: speeches

Speeches

• 2 Jul 2025 · Investment: Technology Businesses · Hansard source

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  5. What recent discussions he has had with technology businesses on investing in Northern Ireland.

• 1 Jul 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The loan charge scandal was absolutely awful and has devastated the lives of tens of thousands of people. It failed to be addressed under the last Government. Can the Minister please tell us what he is doing to make sure people are not still being sold this illegal product?

• 25 Jun 2025 · Health Science and Innovation · Hansard source

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  7. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of funding for health science and innovation on the UK’s global influence.

• 9 Jun 2025 · Breast Cancer Screening: Bassetlaw · Hansard source

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  Medical testing of the BRCA1 gene is effective, but polygenic risk factors mean that if someone has a combination of genes, they might be more at risk of breast cancer. Does my hon. Friend think we should be rolling out polygenic risk testing so that, with a better understanding of their genes, women know how often they should have their breasts checked?

• 2 Jun 2025 · Decriminalising Abortion · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, as have all hon. Members who have spoken today. I am lucky never to have had an abortion, but I have had two miscarriages, and I cannot tell you how vulnerable I was at that time. Anybody coming up to me at that point would have made me feel even more terrible than I already did. I have friends who have had abortions, and it is a terrible choice to make, for whatever reason anybody makes it. Whether the child would not survive or was a child of rape—for whatever reason that choice gets made, nobody makes it happily. Does my hon. Friend agree that the reason there are exclusion zones is that the human rights of that woman, who is going through one of the worst times of her life, must be protected at such a horrible time?

• 2 Jun 2025 · Decriminalising Abortion · Hansard source

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  I completely agree that we need to be respectful in this debate as people hold views on all sides. But does the hon. Member agree with me that when we criminalise women, their bodies and abortions, we get absolutely mad circumstances as we have seen in the US, where a woman cannot be saved in the emergency room or in A&E because it might facilitate losing the child, or she is kept alive by machines against her family’s wishes just because she was nine weeks pregnant at the time of her accident?

• 22 May 2025 · Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  And fashion. In fact, AI is a poor copy of what my hon. Friend represents and bring.

• 22 May 2025 · Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  Does the hon. Member agree that what that quote proves is that AI cannot capture the wit and humour that my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant) brings to this Chamber?

• 22 May 2025 · Data (Use and Access) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

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  I thank my right hon. Friend for the way in which he is comprehensively showing our commitment to the creative industries. Like him, I am a huge nerd when it comes to amazing new innovations in data and AI. I am hugely enthusiastic about them, but I also share his equally huge enthusiasm for the creative industries. I appreciate what he is saying about transparency—for me, that is the absolutely key point—but what is the backstop if the voluntary approach does not create the transparency that creators need to understand how their creations are being used and if they are being remunerated properly for that?

• 20 May 2025 · Victims and Courts Bill · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Lady give way?

• 5 Mar 2025 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office · Hansard source

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  rose —

• 23 Jan 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T7. Innovation lies at the heart of our five missions. I would like to ask the Minister about her reflections on seeing innovation when she visited Milton Keynes recently and how we can take it forward across the country.

• 22 Jan 2025 · Child Arrangements: Presumption of Parental Involvement · Hansard source

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  I appreciate that the Act was amended in 2014, but our understanding of abuse has widened since then to encompass financial, emotional and coercive control—abuse is not limited to just physical violence. In the light of that, is it not time to review the law and change the definition of harm to the child to encompass the wider definition of what we now understand abuse to be?

• 21 Jan 2025 · Official Development Assistance · Hansard source

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  2. What the fiscal circumstances are that would allow official development assistance to return to 0.7% of gross national income.

• 9 Jan 2025 · Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I am back now.

• 8 Jan 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  Does my hon. Friend agree that it is also important to look at breakfast clubs for certain secondary schools, to make sure that teenagers are also getting the breakfast that they deserve and need for learning?

• 6 Jan 2025 · Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse · Hansard source

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  Over half a million children are sexually abused each year, and there are about as many perpetrators, yet some Opposition Members want to focus only on a few, rather than the big cases we have heard about involving TV presenters, the Catholic Church and others. This is something we have to take seriously, rather than exploiting it to chase headlines or look for future funders for political parties. We are taking action, led by two formidable women who will not let any abuser get away with exploiting women, men or children anywhere, particularly online. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will tomorrow begin an inquiry into algorithms. Can the Home Secretary reassure the House that action is the priority for this Government, not further years of talking? Action is what survivors need.

• 29 Nov 2024 · Men’s Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. There are far too few refuges, and those that exist often have too few beds and are often not appropriate for the kind of care and support that both survivors and their children need. I would like to see more examples like the purpose-built refuge in Milton Keynes, which provides care and counselling for every family member who needs to flee. However, achieving this will require more support from both local authorities and the Government. We must ensure that best practice is shared and that funding is in place. Excuses have been made for far too long. “I was drunk.” “Her skirt was short.” “Her heels were high.” “It was a teenage indiscretion.” We must remember that our behaviour, our words and our actions are being watched. We have the opportunity to turn the tide for the 50% of the population who are scared to walk down the street, to attend a festival, to go for a run or even to go home. The statistics on violence against woman and girls make too many women feel like it is inevitable that something will happen to them, even if it has already happened to them before. To them, it feels like only a matter of time. It is up to every Member of this House, women and men, to hold themselves up as an example of how real men behave and how women deserve to be treated.

• 29 Nov 2024 · Men’s Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  In January, Tia Simmonds was killed by her husband. Her body was hidden in a storage area in the loft of her home, lying face downwards, covered in clothing and bedding. In March, Wendy Francis was stabbed to death by her daughter’s boyfriend, who also tried to kill her daughter. In April, Rachel McDaid was strangled to death with a bootlace by her estranged husband, who had broken into her house. In June, Rita Fleming was drowned in the bath after sustaining serious head injuries from her fiancé. In August, mother of three Courtney Mitchell was chased down the street and stabbed to death in broad daylight by her ex-boyfriend. Every three days in this country, a woman is murdered by a man. Any other murder or violent spree against a group in our society would be front-page news every single day.

• 29 Nov 2024 · Men’s Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  It has been a long day for all of us, and I really appreciate that hon. Members have stayed so late on such an important day—

• 29 Nov 2024 · Men’s Violence against Women and Girls · Hansard source

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  I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, who is a big champion on this issue, not least with White Ribbon UK being in his constituency. I want to move on to that subject. What do we do to make sure we challenge this? The work that the Government are doing is to challenge this through the law and the courts, but it is up to us to challenge it in our communities. We are role models in our communities. That is why I am proud to have led Milton Keynes to become the first White Ribbon city.

• 24 Oct 2024 · Government’s Five Missions · Hansard source

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  15. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to implement the Government’s five missions.

• 21 Oct 2024 · Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015 · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for securing this debate, which is so important not only for taxi drivers but for safety, particularly for the safety of women and girls at the end of the night, when too often things happen. Does he agree that deregulation has led to a decrease in their safety—especially for councils such as Milton Keynes, a white ribbon city—and that the white ribbon should be part of the taxi licensing regime?

• 24 Jul 2024 · Relations with Ireland · Hansard source

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  14. Whether he has had discussions with the Irish Government on UK-Ireland relations.