James Cartlidge
MP for South Suffolk
Con
7 May 2015 - Present
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Response classifications show how directly each question was answered.
I thank PM for support on coming forward with an offshore transmission grid which will help export our surplus offshore wind to continent and reduce infrastructure associated with new wind farm capacity. Given ambitious timetable already set out for increasing offshore wind generation, will he now come out with equally ambitious timetable for delivering offshore grid?
Context
Offshore wind generation is increasing, but an offshore grid to manage and export surplus energy needs a clear timetable. The questioner seeks confirmation of this.
Boris Johnson
My hon. Friend is spot on in what he says about need for offshore grid. As well as building fantastic windmills, it is vital that we bring energy onshore in way that has minimal disruption for local communities and enables us to maximise efficiency.
Assessment
Timetable for delivery of offshore transmission grid
Changing Subject
Session: PMQs
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Either the Secretary of State knowingly signed off a defence investment plan with a £5 billion gap, or he was kept in the dark by the Chancellor. Which is it?
Context
Defence investment plan is criticised for being late and lacking clear funding sources.
Dan Jarvis
I am sorry to say that this is performative nonsense from the shadow Secretary of State, who should know better. We have committed significant funds towards defence, including a £298 billion pledge over four years.
Session: Russia Level of Threat to UK 2026-07-06
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When did the Secretary of State learn about the missing £5 billion in defence investment plan funds?
Context
Reports indicate Russian provocation, highlighting the need for a fully funded DIP. The Minister admitted to only learning of the missing funds after publication.
Dan Jarvis
We inherited an underfunded and over-programmed MOD, but we have committed to spending more on defence. The Government has committed £298 billion over four years, with additional resources of £15 billion.
Session: Russia Level of Threat to UK 2026-07-06
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How will the increased defence spending benefit jobs in Hartlepool's defence industry and the wider north-east?
Context
The Labour Government has secured record investment in the defence industry.
Luke Pollard
We are determined to increase defence spending with British firms, and more of that spend will be seen in the north-east.
Session: Topical Questions 2026-07-06
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No wonder the defence investment plan is so late: the Labour Government still have not worked out how to pay for it. The good news is that others have said we cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget, and warned about potential overspending on incapacity benefits compared to defence. Is not the truth that whoever becomes the next Labour Prime Minister must cut welfare spending to boost defence?
Context
James Cartlidge referenced comments from Lord Robertson and Tony Blair regarding the need to cut welfare to boost defence spending.
John Healey
The hon. Gentleman has a brass neck. There is no recognition of the fact that we are increasing defence spending by a record amount since the end of the cold war, no recognition that this year the defence budget will be £11 billion greater than in his last year in government, and no recognition that there are contracts in place, including the AUKUS pillar II contract, that we have signed and that he did not sign when he was the Minister responsible.
Session: Topical Questions
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Echoing the Secretary of State's remarks about the sad news from Iraq, James Cartlidge asked if the Treasury had approved the defence investment plan.
Context
James Cartlidge expressed sadness over the recent death of a member of service personnel and questioned whether the Treasury has signed off on the defence investment plan.
John Healey
The hon. Gentleman may not have heard me when I answered before, but I can say to him very clearly that the Prime Minister is determined that we publish the defence investment plan before the NATO summit.
Session: Topical Questions
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There is a reason why that date matters: it is the date when purdah commences before the Scottish elections. Then we will have the Welsh and local elections. It is our understanding—and the Secretary of State is welcome to correct this—that the defence investment plan cannot be published during purdah. If that is the case, and if it is not published before the rise of the House on 26 March, we will not see it until well into May. That is why this question is so important.
Context
The question is prompted by concerns over the timing of the publication of the defence investment plan, which cannot be released during purdah periods before elections. This affects upcoming Scottish, Welsh and local elections.
John Healey
As the Prime Minister said, it will be published as soon as it is ready. This is not holding up major investments; there have been more than 1,200 major investments in contracts awarded since the election—and 86% of those contracts were awarded to British-based businesses, so we are boosting British security and the British economy at the same time.
Session: Defence Investment Plan
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Will the Secretary of State confirm whether the defence investment plan will be published before the House rises on 26 March?
Context
The MP is reiterating the question on the timeliness of publishing the defence investment plan.
John Healey
We are working flat out to conclude the defence investment plan. Previous plans left programmes overcommitted, underfunded and unsuited.
Session: Defence Investment Plan
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Can the Secretary of State confirm that it will finally be published this month?
Context
The Secretary of State promised to deliver the defence investment plan by autumn last year, but failed to do so. The most recent promise was to work 'flat out' to deliver it by the end of the year, which also did not happen.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
We are working flat out to complete the DIP, and the hon. Gentleman above all, having been responsible for defence procurement in the last Government, will appreciate just how overcommitted his own programme is. He will appreciate the truth of his former boss saying that, over 14 years, the Conservatives had “hollowed out and underfunded” our armed forces.
Session: Support for Defence SMEs
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Last August, the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius said that when his Government take sovereignty over the Chagos islands, nuclear weapons could no longer be stored there. In last week’s Chagos debate, in answer to our repeated questioning as to whether that was true, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry replied three times by reading annexe 1 of the treaty, whereby it grants ‘unrestricted ability to…control the storage of all goods, including but not limited to fuels, weapons and other hazardous materials’. Does the use of the word “weapons” in that sentence of the treaty definitely include nuclear weapons?
Context
The Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius stated last August that when his Government take sovereignty over the Chagos islands, nuclear weapons could no longer be stored there.
The Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (Luke Pollard)
I am not going to read it to him a fifth time—my God! The hon. Member is not being serious. He also knows, as a former Defence Minister, that we do not comment on the storage of nuclear weapons, but I am happy to read it to him again any time he wants, so that he can note the word “weapons” in there.
Session: Topical Questions
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Will the defence investment plan be published before the rise of the House on Thursday: yes or no?
Context
There are concerns about the government's commitment to meeting deadlines for important documents such as the strategic defence review, defence industrial strategy, and housing strategy.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
We are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the work on the defence investment plan. The shadow Secretary of State, who was responsible for deep problems and programmes beset by failures, will appreciate the scale of the challenges we face.
Session: Defence Spending Economic Growth
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From the Government Dispatch Box in May, the Secretary of State stated that the UK-EU defence pact 'opens the door' to the €150 billion EU Defence Fund. However, from June, it was noted this is surrendering precious sovereign fishing grounds without getting a penny in return. Who was right?
Context
There is concern over the UK-EU defence pact and its impact on sovereign fishing grounds without tangible benefits.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
We were talking about the strategic defence partnership agreement and wanted to follow that up with an agreement on Security Action for Europe, but it proved impossible to negotiate in a way that was good value for the British defence industry and taxpayer. However, we will do more alongside the European Union, particularly on Ukraine.
Session: Topical Questions
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According to their own written answer, the Government ordered only three drones for the British armed forces in their first financial year. At June’s Defence oral questions, I suggested that Labour could find the money to buy drones at the scale we need by scrapping the crazy Chagos deal. They rejected my proposal then, but given that the Secretary of State has just failed to deny £2.6 billion of cuts at the MOD this year, is it not even more urgent that they scrap their crazy £35 billion surrender and spend every penny on the uncrewed revolution for our own armed forces?
Context
The question compares the current Government's actions in procuring drones for the British armed forces with a previous statement made by James Cartlidge, suggesting that Labour could find funds for drones by scrapping deals like the Chagos deal.
The Minister for the Armed Forces (Al Carns)
The irony! The Conservatives started the deal and they processed the deal. When Labour came into government, we finished it and we put it into place, supported by our allies—both the US and multiple others. Not only did we finish that deal, but we have started and finished an India deal, a US deal, a Europe deal, a Typhoon deal, a Norway deal and a Germany deal.
Session: Drone Procurement
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Interestingly, the answer is not 3.5%, it is not 3%, and it is not even 2.6%—those are the figures we declare to NATO; they are not from the Ministry of Defence budget. As the then armed forces Minister, the hon. Member for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, confirmed to me last week in a written answer, the amount we will spend on the defence investment plan comes entirely from the MOD’s departmental budget. Therefore, the actual figure for funding our future defence equipment is just 2.2% by 2027, with no funded plans to go any higher. Given the threats we face, is 2.2% enough?
Context
The UK aims to spend 3% of GDP on defence during the next Parliament.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
It should come as no surprise to anyone that the defence investment plan will be funded from the defence budget. That is exactly what will happen. It will be funded and supported by the record increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war—by the £5 billion extra in this year’s Budget—with an aim to spend 3% of GDP on defence during the next Parliament.
Session: NATO Defence Spending Target
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On defence spending, can the Secretary of State confirm what percentage of GDP will be used to set the cost envelope for the defence investment plan?
Context
The UK aims to spend 3% of GDP on defence during the next Parliament.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
When we settle our defence investment plan and produce our annual report and accounts, the data that the hon. Gentleman seeks will be set out clearly and in the customary way to this House.
Session: NATO Defence Spending Target
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Given that one of the publicly stated roles of the Red Arrows is “supporting British industry”, will the Secretary of State guarantee that the next jet for the Red Arrows will be designed and manufactured in the United Kingdom?
Context
The question addresses the replacement of jet trainers and highlights the importance of British design, manufacturing, jobs, technology, and innovation in the context of supporting British industry.
John Healey (The Secretary of State for Defence)
As a former procurement Minister, I know that the replacement of our jet trainer is long overdue. This Government looks to direct British taxpayers’ defence investment to British-based firms, jobs, technology, and innovation.
Session: Defence Procurement SMEs
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On the highly topical subject of fishing rights, the Secretary of State will no doubt share my profound concern at reports that last week Mauritius and Russia agreed to deepen their co-operation on fisheries and other maritime issues. Does that not show that Labour’s policy of spending billions renting back a military base that we already own is not only a waste of taxpayers’ money but a major risk to our national security?
Context
There are reports that the Government has put the Chagos Islands deal on hold due to concerns over potential opposition from Labour MPs. The issue of fishing rights with Mauritius and Russia is also highlighted.
John Healey (The Secretary of State for Defence)
No. It shows that when we were elected last summer we inherited a situation of increasing questions and jeopardy over the continuing sovereignty—our operational sovereignty—of the Diego Garcia base. That is why we have been taking action since then.
Session: Topical Questions
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In fact, in every one of his answers he stressed the amount of work we are doing with France. Is it therefore not extraordinary that, at the very same time, France should be working to undermine our defence industry by having us excluded from a £150 billion European defence fund?
Context
The UK is leading efforts with France to support Ukraine.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
I just ask the hon. Gentleman to drop that Brexit rhetoric. We are leading efforts with the French Government and the French military to meet the challenge of the US and the requirements of Ukraine to have a coalition of countries willing to stand with Ukraine in the context of a negotiated peace, to help them secure enduring stability and deterrence.
Session: Military Aid to Ukraine
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When the Prime Minister said that the base “cannot operate”, he was referring to operations. That implies that there must be some kind of direct threat to satellite communications on Diego Garcia. The world will have seen that the Secretary of State has not defended that position—he is not leaning into it in any way—which makes us think this: given that the former Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and the previous Defence Secretary Grant Shapps saw the same intelligence and rejected the deal, which has since got worse and more expensive, is not the obvious thing to scrap it, and to spend every penny that is saved on our armed forces?
Context
MP references the Prime Minister's statement that the base 'cannot operate' and notes previous Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps rejected a similar deal due to intelligence concerns.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
The hon. Gentleman’s colleagues, of course, were responsible for 11 rounds of negotiation on the deal, and the Prime Minister’s point was that a lack of long-term legal certainty casts into doubt the operational security of the base. This deal will secure an operational guarantee for at least a century.
Session: Defence Spending
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Why are the Government prioritising higher taxes on defence instead of higher defence spending?
Context
British defence manufacturers will be hit with a £600 million tax rise this Parliament from higher national insurance.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
On the contrary, we are backing British industry. We are looking for firms that can design, invent and make in Britain—a big change from the industrial policy under the previous Government. I was in Derby recently to announce an eight-year contract for Rolls-Royce that will support more than 1,000 apprentices—200 each year—and thousands of small businesses in supply chains across the country.
Session: Topical Questions
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I congratulate the Minister for Veterans and People, the hon. and gallant Member for Birmingham Selly Oak (Al Carns), on receiving a distinguished service order—we are all proud of him.
The Government have tied the announcement of their timetable for 2.5% to the publication of the strategic defence review, so we need it to be published as soon as possible. Will the Secretary of State clarify why he has pushed back the SDR’s publication in Parliament from the spring to the summer?
The Government have tied the announcement of their timetable for 2.5% to the publication of the strategic defence review, so we need it to be published as soon as possible. Will the Secretary of State clarify why he has pushed back the SDR’s publication in Parliament from the spring to the summer?
Context
The Government have delayed the publication of the Strategic Defence Review from spring to summer.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
I have not done that. The work of the reviewers leading the strategic defence review is thorough and flat out. The review has been widely contributed to and is the first of its kind in this country, allowing fresh thinking in defence planning. On the 2.5% commitment, as we said in the plan for change, we will set out a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in the spring. The Government are delivering on defence and defence reform; we will deliver on defence funding, too.
Session: Defence Spending 2.5% of GDP
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Now we know why: the Mauritians want £800 million a year. Whatever the figure is, will the Secretary of State tell us what percentage of the cost of leasing back a base that we currently own will come from the Ministry of Defence budget?
Context
Ministers have refused to disclose how much their Chagos deal will cost British taxpayers.
The Secretary of State for Defence (John Healey)
I regret the Conservative carping over the Diego Garcia deal. The negotiations were started by Conservative Ministers, who conducted 11 rounds of negotiations. The agreement safeguards the effective operation of the joint UK-US base for at least 99 years.
Session: Topical Questions
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I join the Chair of the Defence Committee, the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), in strongly welcoming the decision by the United States to permit Ukraine to use long-range missiles in Kursk. I know the Secretary of State does not want to go into operational detail—I understand that—but I assure him of our support if he follows through in relation to Storm Shadow, as we believe he should. There will be those who talk about escalation, but does he agree that the only escalation that matters here is 10,000 North Korean troops on the ground supporting Russia in its illegal war?
Context
The question follows the US decision to permit Ukraine to use long-range missiles in Kursk, amid concerns about Russian escalation with North Korean troops.
John Healey
The shadow Secretary of State is right that the one person responsible for escalation in this conflict is President Putin, and the one side that has been escalating in recent months is Russia. In recognising that he has escalated his illegal war against Ukraine by intensifying the use of glide bombs, destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure and deploying thousands of North Korean troops into combat positions in Kursk, I am discussing this very serious development with the US Defence Secretary and will be discussing it with the Ukrainian Defence Secretary this evening.
Session: Ukraine
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Will the continuity of education allowance be uplifted to fund 100% of the new tax on those fees? Thousands of families will receive an unwelcome Christmas present this year with a 20% tax on school fees for independent boarding schools. Given that the new tax is entirely due to Government policy, will the Secretary of State confirm that the continuity of education allowance will be uplifted to fund 100% of these fees?
Context
Families are facing a new tax on school fees, leading to instability in children's education.
John Healey
We will uprate the continuity of education allowance to reflect the increase in school fees from January. We will do that so that the allowance continues to maintain the schooling of the many children of personnel that are deployed. Our mission as a Government is to lift the morale of our services. That is why we are investing in our servicemen and women, supporting their families and starting to fix the problems of the last 14 years that we have inherited.
Session: Improving Service Life Personnel and Families
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The Secretary of State says it is true that it is not normal practice for the UK to reveal the value of payments for military bases, but there have actually been several written answers, under this Government and previous ones, giving the costs of overseas bases. For example, in November 2015 the then Minister for the Armed Forces—Penny Mordaunt, no less—revealed in a written answer the cost of 10 overseas bases, including Diego Garcia and the cost of leases. The reason for withholding the cost does not stack up. What does the Secretary of State have to hide from Parliament?
John Healey
Absolutely nothing, nor will we. It is a matter of course to confirm running costs for bases. What we are talking about here is an agreement leading to a treaty that will be put before this House. I have said to the House and to the shadow Secretary of State that we will set out the costs and the details of that treaty in due course when the House comes to consider it.
Session: Topical Questions
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In relation to the cost of renting back our own military base on the Chagos islands, last week the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the hon. Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Stephen Doughty), said that the reason the Government refused to tell us what the cost will be is that “it is not normal practice for the UK to reveal the value of payments for military bases anywhere across the globe”. Is that correct?
John Healey
That is correct, but it is also true to say that the treaty is in the legal and national security interests of the UK and US. That is why the US Defence Secretary welcomed the agreement, which he said would “safeguard the strategic security interests of the United Kingdom…and the United States…into the next century”.
Session: Topical Questions
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That is a concern. In 2010, just to remind the House, the black hole in the defence budget was bigger than the defence budget, and we were left a note saying that there was no money left. It is significant if the wording is no longer “as soon as possible” and is now “in due course”. It is in the national interest to go to 2.5% because of the threats we face as a country. If the Secretary of State told us now that he was fighting hard with the Treasury to go to 2.5% in the Budget at the end of this month, he would have our full support. Is that what he is doing?
Context
The questioner references the significant underspending in defence from 2010, highlighting a shift in language from 'as soon as possible' to 'in due course'. He emphasizes the importance of reaching 2.5% of GDP for national security.
John Healey
Fourteen years, Mr Speaker, yet the Conservatives produced their unfunded plan for 2.5% on defence only four weeks before they called the election. It was the hon. Gentleman's former boss, the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who told the truth about their record in government when he said to the House: “we have hollowed out and underfunded”—[Official Report, 30 January 2023; Vol. 727, c. 18.] our armed forces since 2010.
Session: Strategic Defence Review
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Clarify whether the Government's commitment is to spend 2.5% of GDP 'as soon as possible' or 'in due course'.
Context
The government committed to a path of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence.
John Healey
The government is committed to spending 2.5% on defence to meet increasing threats, confirmed by the Prime Minister at the NATO summit in Washington. The last time this country spent 2.5% was in 2010 under Labour.
Session: Strategic Defence Review
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Thousands of children of armed forces personnel face unaffordable increases to their school fees because of this Government's ideological decision to charge VAT on education. That could have the perverse effect of forcing experienced personnel to quit the service of their country just when we should be seeking to maximise retention. Will the Minister therefore confirm that children of armed forces families will be exempt from the new VAT rise, and furthermore that that exemption will apply from January when the new tax kicks in?
Context
The MP is concerned about the impact of VAT being charged on education costs for children of armed forces personnel, which could lead to homelessness and other social issues.
John Healey
We recognise the extraordinary strain that is sometimes placed on the family of armed forces personnel, including their children. That is why the continuity of education allowance—an important part of the package that reflects and respects the service—is in place, and it is why we are looking very closely at options to ensure we continue with that.
Session: Topical Questions
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We now know from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that the chance of 12 to 15-year-olds ending up in intensive care with covid is two in a million. Given that statistic, is it still proportionate that millions of children are losing school days this week to be tested for covid?
Context
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has provided statistics about the risk of severe illness in children aged 12 to 15.
Gavin Williamson
My hon. Friend will be delighted to know that we will be reviewing the need for children to be doing home testing at the end of September. If there is not a requirement to do that, we will be looking at removing it. It is important that we continue to keep these matters under review. That is why we will be doing so at the end of this month.
Session: Topical Questions
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Does he agree that if we are to deliver better outcomes in cancer and all areas of care, our clinicians need the best possible infrastructure? Is not that why it is so important that the Prime Minister confirmed last week that we will deliver our manifesto pledge of 40 new hospitals? Does my right hon. Friend share my delight at seeing on that list a new rebuild for West Suffolk Hospital, to deliver even better outcomes for our constituents?
Context
The Prime Minister confirmed the manifesto pledge of building 40 new hospitals, including a rebuild for West Suffolk Hospital.
Matthew Hancock
Yes, I do. I share my hon. Friend and neighbour's enthusiasm for the rebuild of the West Suffolk Hospital. For treating both patients with cancer and patients with all other conditions, the West Suffolk is a brilliant local hospital that is much loved in the community; however, its infrastructure is getting very old and it needs to be replaced.
Session: Cancer Outcomes
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With schools closed, the problem of home-school transport affecting my constituents has paused but will arise again. The Government issued a consultation on home-school transport last October and five Suffolk MPs wrote asking for changes to prevent sibling separations. Has the Prime Minister had time to consider this consultation and will he publish the response soon?
Context
The issue of home-school transport has been raised by several Suffolk MPs due to potential separation of siblings under new guidelines.
Gavin Williamson (The Secretary of State for Education)
The consultation closed in October last year. We were hit by twin issues of purdah being imposed and now, obviously, our principal focus being on dealing with the coronavirus. We hope to respond to the consultation in the near future, but I am not currently in a position to give my hon. Friend an exact date.
Session: Covid-19 Home Learning
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Other Parliamentary Activity
Debates led and petitions presented.
Defence Investment Plan
30 June 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Opposition Day
23 June 2026
General Debate
Led by this MP
Moves the motion expressing regret over the chaos in Government, particularly regarding the temporary Prime Minister's attendance at the NATO summit. Calls on the Government to spend 3% of GDP on defe...
Russian Shadow Fleet
15 June 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Defence Investment Plan
10 June 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Armed Forces Act 2026 - Amendments 2, 3, 4, 88, and 89
02 June 2026
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
Ms. Nusrat Ghani proposes several amendments to the Armed Forces Act 2026 aimed at ensuring continuity of support for children with special educational needs, adoption and fostering arrangements, NHS ...
Defence Readiness
20 May 2026
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Defence
24 March 2026
General Debate
Led by this MP
The Conservative MP regrets that the Government has not published the Defence Investment Plan despite repeated promises to do so. He criticises the delay for freezing procurement and leaving the UK vu...
Middle East
23 March 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Middle East: Defence
09 March 2026
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Ministry of Defence
04 March 2026
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
Tan Dhesi, as Chair of the Defence Committee, emphasised the need for long-term strategic investment in defence to counter the increasing military threat from Russia and China. He criticised the UK's ...
Attendance
79.6%
78 of 98 votes
Aye Votes
43
43.9% of votes
No Votes
35
35.7% of votes
Abstentions
20
20.4% of votes
11 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Closure motion
Ayes: 293
Noes: 218
Passed
11 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading
Ayes: 270
Noes: 286
Failed
10 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Social Housing Bill [Lords]: Reasoned Amendment to Second Reading
Ayes: 77
Noes: 292
Failed
09 Sep 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Plant Health, Seeds, Seed Potatoes and Plant Propagating Material (Ame...
Ayes: 371
Noes: 100
Passed
08 Sep 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 140
Ayes: 79
Noes: 300
Failed
08 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 142
Ayes: 108
Noes: 357
Failed
08 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 143
Ayes: 106
Noes: 302
Failed
08 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Health Bill: Report Stage: Amendment 1
Ayes: 162
Noes: 297
Failed
07 Sep 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 6
Ayes: 77
Noes: 317
Failed
07 Sep 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Health Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 145
Ayes: 170
Noes: 316
Failed
04 Sep 2026
VOTED NO
Motion to sit in private
Ayes: 1
Noes: 79
Failed
02 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Representation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 65
Ayes: 166
Noes: 346
Failed
02 Sep 2026
VOTED AYE
Representation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 67
Ayes: 105
Noes: 410
Failed
02 Sep 2026
VOTED NO
Representation of the People Bill: Report Stage: New Clause 88
Ayes: 85
Noes: 427
Failed
02 Sep 2026
VOTED NO
Representation of the People Bill: Third Reading
Ayes: 411
Noes: 102
Passed
01 Jul 2026
VOTED NO
Employment Tribunal (Extension of Time Limits) (Miscellaneous Amendments and...
Ayes: 322
Noes: 107
Passed
01 Jul 2026
VOTED NO
Employment Tribunals Extension of Jurisdiction (England and Wales) (Amendment...
Ayes: 318
Noes: 107
Passed
01 Jul 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 2
Ayes: 80
Noes: 281
Failed
01 Jul 2026
VOTED AYE
Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4
Ayes: 173
Noes: 282
Failed
01 Jul 2026
VOTED AYE
Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5
Ayes: 177
Noes: 308
Failed
24 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Customs (Tariff and Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 4) Regulations 2026
Ayes: 323
Noes: 160
Passed
24 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Carbon Budget Order 2026
Ayes: 332
Noes: 94
Passed
24 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Climate Change Act 2008 (International Aviation and International Shipp...
Ayes: 329
Noes: 94
Passed
24 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2026
Ayes: 330
Noes: 93
Passed
23 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness
Ayes: 108
Noes: 307
Failed
23 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amen...
Ayes: 294
Noes: 110
Passed
23 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Opposition Day: Puberty blockers
Ayes: 112
Noes: 283
Failed
22 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: New Clause 4
Ayes: 164
Noes: 311
Failed
22 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: New Clause 11
Ayes: 104
Noes: 391
Failed
22 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: New Clause 22
Ayes: 74
Noes: 323
Failed
22 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11
Ayes: 171
Noes: 322
Failed
17 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
National Security (State Threats) Bill: Allocation of Time motion
Ayes: 233
Noes: 94
Passed
17 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
National Security (State Threats) Bill Committee: Amendment 3
Ayes: 85
Noes: 317
Failed
17 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
National Security (State Threats) Bill Committee: Amendment 8
Ayes: 143
Noes: 249
Failed
17 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
National Security (State Threats) Bill Committee: Amendment 13
Ayes: 135
Noes: 258
Failed
17 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
National Security (State Threats) Bill Committee: New Clause 3
Ayes: 144
Noes: 244
Failed
16 Jun 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remainin...
Ayes: 77
Noes: 255
Failed
16 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remainin...
Ayes: 151
Noes: 258
Failed
16 Jun 2026
VOTED AYE
Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill Remainin...
Ayes: 162
Noes: 246
Failed
16 Jun 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Clean Air Zones Central Services (Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulatio...
Ayes: 262
Noes: 86
Passed
24 Feb 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Opposition Day: Protections for children from online harms
Ayes: 69
Noes: 279
Failed
23 Feb 2026
VOTED AYE
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: Amendment 1
Ayes: 161
Noes: 272
Failed
23 Feb 2026
VOTED AYE
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: New Clause 2
Ayes: 156
Noes: 273
Failed
23 Feb 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill Committee: New Clause 3
Ayes: 77
Noes: 280
Failed
23 Feb 2026
DID NOT VOTE
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill Committee: New Clause 3
Ayes: 73
Noes: 256
Failed
23 Feb 2026
VOTED NO
Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill: Third Reading
Ayes: 361
Noes: 84
Passed
11 Feb 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Marit...
Ayes: 362
Noes: 107
Passed
11 Feb 2026
VOTED NO
Local Government Finance Report (England) 2026-27
Ayes: 277
Noes: 143
Passed
11 Feb 2026
VOTED NO
Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2...
Ayes: 279
Noes: 90
Passed
04 Feb 2026
VOTED NO
Draft Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Order 2026
Ayes: 392
Noes: 116
Passed
1
PMQs Asked
31
Ministerial Questions Asked
126
House of Commons Debates Involved
0
Westminster Hall Debates Led
6
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
98
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1370 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
-73% below average
This MP:
1
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
+131% above average
This MP:
31
Average:
13.4
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+2493% above average
This MP:
126
Average:
4.9
Statements / Bills Proposed
-37% below average
This MP:
6
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Voting Attendance Rate (%)
+15% above average
This MP:
79.6
Average:
69.2
Important Context
- - Ministers answer questions rather than asking them, so have different activity patterns
- - Activity quantity doesn't measure quality or effectiveness of representation
- - Some MPs focus more on constituency work than parliamentary questions
- - Newly elected MPs will have less parliamentary history
About This Page
This page tracks James Cartlidge's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.