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On Wednesday 6 January 2016 I met with Whitehall Nursery and Infant School in Westminster for a Tour of Parliament. Unfortunately, as Prime Minister’s Questions was taking place at the time of their visit, the children did not have the opportunity to see the Chamber of the House of Commons. I met with the school after Prime Minister’s Questions. I told the children about the story of Emily Wilding Davidson about her campaign for women’s votes. she also wanted women to be represented in Parliament. Emily hid herself in the cupboard near St Mary’s Undercroft Chapel off Westminster Hall where the children were sitting during the night of the 1911 census so she could say that her address was the House of Commons. It is thanks to all those women who took a stand so women could vote and I could sit in the House of Commons.

On Wednesday 6 January 2016 HM Opposition Labour Party called an opposition day debate on Universal Credit Work Allowances. The debate was moved by the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Owen Smith. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr Shailesh Vara, responded on behalf of the Government.

The Report stage (day one) of the Housing and Planning Bill was debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday 5 January 2016.

Thank you for visiting my website. I would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and New Year.

I am pleased that Junction 9 of the M6 has finally reopened. The management of the closure by Highways England has been inefficient and my constituents have suffered disruption and inconvenience throughout 2015. The slip-road was to be reopened in May, but the date was put back to August, then to November and finally to Christmas. Even now it will be closed for a week from 4 January 2015 in the late evening.