The Bill was considered in a Committee of the Whole House on 8 and 9 June 2026. Clauses 1 to 51 of the Bill , which consider transfer powers, establishing a Stakeholder Advisory Committee, preparing a jobs and industrial strategy, duty to report a 10-year strategy for nationalised steel undertakings, and a requirement for a statement to Parliament on contingent liabilities were debated on 8 June. Three amendments were voted on:

1 Amendment 12, which would prevent the Secretary of State extending the sunset of the principal transfer powers, was rejected: Ayes 81, Noes 266.













2 New Clause 2 required the Secretary of State to establish a stakeholder advisory committee. The Secretary of State would be required to seek the committee's advice before making a determination that the exercise of a principal transfer power under the Act was in the public interest. This new clause was rejected: Ayes 65, Noes 251.








3 New Clause 8, which would require the Secretary of State to make a statement to Parliament on contingent liabilities acquired before they exercise a principal transfer power under this Act, was rejected: Ayes 145, Noes 251.



On 9 June Clauses 52 to 64 of the Bill were considered, relating to compensation, Parliamentary scrutiny of financial assistance, limitations on financial assistance, repeal of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025, the creation of duty to try and find a private sector purchaser for any nationalised steel undertaking, impact of nationalisation on inward investment to the United Kingdom, and the use of state aids for nationalised steel undertakings. Three amendments were voted on:








1 Amendment 20, which would only allow the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance if the National Audit Office had concluded that it would secure value for money for taxpayers, was rejected: Ayes 90, Noes 290
















2 New Clause 12, which would limit the financial assistance that can be provided under the Act, was rejected: Ayes 94, Noes 297.










3 New Clause 4, which would prevent the Secretary of State from paying more than £500m in financial assistance
and compensation under the Act, unless the House of Commons passes a resolution authorising them to do so, was rejected: Ayes 157, Noes 287.


















The Bill was read a third time and passed without division.

A launch of The Insuring Justice social impact report was held on 8 June 2026  highlighting the role that legal protection plays in extending access to justice and reducing barriers to opportunity jointly organised by ARAG and The Purpose Coalition.
ARAG,  Allgemeine Rechtsschutzversicherungs Aktiengesellschaft a German word meaning "General Legal Protection Insurance Company", was founded in 2006 with the mission: "To enable everybody, not just those who can afford it, to assert their legal rights". The company offers legal expenses insurance and assistance to individuals and businesses, addressing the widening justice gap as legal aid eligibility has narrowed.
The Purpose Coalition is an initiative that brings together organisations they work with to develop stronger leadership positions, share best practice, shape serious conversations and turn ambition into practical action for their customers, colleagues and communities. It includes work with some of Britain’s leading organisations, including UK Power Networks, bp, Sodexo UK & Ireland, Travelodge, the BBC, The Wise Group, Barclays, Enterprise Mobility, Leonardo UK and E.ON.
Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of The Purpose Coalition and David Haynes, CEO of ARAG, spoke on the "Key recommendations to policymakers" proposed in the report:
1. Put Early Legal Advice at the Centre of Constituency and Justice Reform - Greater awareness, clearer signposting and earlier access to legal advice would help individuals and businesses resolve disputes sooner, reduce escalation and support more effective constituency casework.

2. Strengthen Prevention-Led Access to Justice - Legal expenses insurance should be recognised as a practical complement to legal aid. It is not a replacement for publicly funded legal support, but it can widen access by funding action where legal aid no longer reaches and by providing early advice where legal aid remains the primary route.

3. Make Prevention a Core Principle of Justice Reform - Justice reform should focus not only on court capacity, but also on preventing disputes from escalating through earlier advice, negotiation and mediation. Policymakers could also explore targeted pilots with MP's officers, housing associations or local advice networks, focused on structured signposting and early legal intervention in disputes.

You can visit https://www.arag.co.uk/ for more information.

I attended a parliamentary drop-in event on 8 June 2026 to discuss 'Plugging the Skills Gap: Why a Skilled Plumbing Workforce is Critical to UK Growth' organised by JTL to draw attention to the skills gap. 

JTL is a specialist, not-for-profit Independent Training Provider set up by Unite the Union and the Electrical Contractors Association 35 years ago to train electrical and plumbing apprentices. They are a national training provider, rated Good by Ofsted in august 2023, delivering Level 3 electrical and plumbing apprenticeships in England and Wales. They work with 3,800 employers, the vast majority of which are small and medium-sized businesses, and support around 8,200 apprentices across their apprenticeship programmes.

In 2024-25, Walsall and Bloxwich had 3 Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician apprenticeship starts, under the national constituency average of 4.6; and 1 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician apprenticeship start, higher than the national constituency average of 0.6. These 4 combined starts were lower than the national constituency average of 5.2.

JTL outlined 5 points to consider: 

Recognise plumbing as a priority workforce for housing, infrastructure and clean energy
Support Small and Medium Enterprises to take on apprentices
Protect high-quality apprenticeship routes
Improve achievement rates and reduce barriers to completion
Invest in training capacity

You can find more information through their website: https://jtltraining.com/

I met with the RAC who are based in the constituency but came to Parliament to discuss the use of the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) with MPs. This is a small device fitted to a vehicle which uses speed limit maps and location based data to prevent a driver from exceeding the legal speed limit. 

I heard that excessive speeding remains one of the most persistent and visible dangers on UK roads with speed a contributory factor in 59% of the 1,671 deaths on UK roads in 2024. 

There is also clear evidence that for a minority of motorists, speeding is a repeat pattern of behaviour .  Data from DVLA show that 244,967 drivers in the UK were caught speeding twice within a four year period. 

Repeat speeding offenders would be offered the chance to use the device as an alternative to a driving ban. This would make our roads safer and prevent deaths on our roads. 

The RAC were asking for a trial of intervening ISA for repeat and serious offenders. 

On Tuesday (2 June 2026), the House of Commons considered aspects of the Armed Forces Bill. At a time of growing geopolitical instability, the Bill renews the nation’s commitment to those who serve.

The Government’s commitment to improving conditions for service personnel and their families through the creation of a new Defence Housing Service and a £9 billion investment programme to modernise military housing over the next decade. The Bill also supports the establishment of a publicly owned Defence Housing Service to manage military accommodation and oversee future housing development on surplus defence land.

The Bill also proposes the expansion of the Armed Forces Covenant beyond healthcare, housing and education to a wider range of public services. This will help ensure that Government departments, devolved administrations and local authorities properly consider the unique circumstances faced by serving personnel, veterans and their families.

The Bill also strengthens the Service Justice System through measures to improve protections for victims, enhance the powers of service police and courts, and improve the handling of offences such as domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and sexual misconduct.

In response to a more challenging security environment, the Bill introduces reforms to reserve service arrangements to improve readiness and mobilisation. These changes simplify reserve liability arrangements, raise certain recall age limits and support greater movement between regular and reserve service.

Opposition amendments to the Bill sought to introduce statutory provisions relating to the transfer of special educational needs plans, adoption and fostering arrangements, and NHS treatment pathways when service families relocate. While I recognise the importance of these issues, I agree with the Government that they are better addressed through practical reforms and guidance rather than primary legislation.

The House of Commons also considered amendments on the Defence Investment Plan, the European Convention on Human Rights and visa fees for dependents of current and former service personnel. In my view, the Government sufficiently addressed the issues they raised, and I believe it was right that these amendments were rejected.

The Government amendments to the Bill strengthen support for service personnel, veterans and their families. Together, these reforms represent a significant step forward in improving service life and ensuring that our Armed Forces are better prepared to meet future challenges.
The Bill will now proceed to its remaining stages through Parliament.

These are the amendments from the opposition:

Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 13  -  Ayes 80 Noes 298
Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 6    -  Ayes 99 Noes 371
Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 5    -  Ayes 170 Noes 301
Armed Forces Bill Committee: New Clause 2    -  Ayes 171 Noes 302