Rehman Chishti
MP for Gillingham and Rainham
Con
Questions Asked by This MP
Parliamentary questions and government responses.
Response classifications show how directly each question was answered.
Families look out of windows this morning and see snow but are filled with dread from high energy bills. Does the Prime Minister regret offering no financial mechanism for these families this winter?
Context
The MP highlights the financial burden on families due to energy costs in winter, with children's delight at snow contrasting parental dread.
Rishi Sunak
Support has been considerable this year for energy bills. Pensioner households will receive up to £300 alongside their winter fuel payment, right at a difficult time.
Assessment
Stephen Flynn's specific ask about regret was not directly addressed with an explicit admission or denial of regret.
Session: PMQs
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The United Kingdom has a strong, deep, multidimensional relationship with Pakistan. There are over 1.5 million British Pakistanis here and many of them are dual nationals, as am I. The Prime Minister will have seen the scenes coming from Pakistan—the civil unrest where people have lost their lives due to the detention of Prime Minister Imran Khan. There are real concerns about the circumstances of his detention and the right to a fair trial. In the past, the United Kingdom has sent observers to hearings around the world to ensure that natural justice is done. Has the Prime Minister considered that? If not, will he consider it?
Context
The PM was asked about the civil unrest in Pakistan, including the detention of Prime Minister Imran Khan. There are concerns about his right to a fair trial.
Rishi Sunak
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The UK of course has a long-standing and close relationship with Pakistan—this weekend especially, as Commonwealth partners. The arrest of the former Prime Minister is an internal matter for Pakistan. We support peaceful, democratic processes and adherence to the rule of law, and we are monitoring the situation carefully.
Assessment
Did not address whether observers will be sent
Session: PMQs
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I very much welcome the Government's commitment to their hospital buildings programme. Can the Prime Minister clarify what criteria will be applied for the allocation of those new hospitals? Will it be done in line with the Prime Minister's personal commitment to a merit-based system of government? My hospital in Medway serves half a million people, is the busiest hospital A&E in Kent and we have some of the highest health inequalities in the country. Medway was one of the hardest-hit areas during covid-19. We need our fair-share allocation of resources in Medway.
Context
The MP is concerned about the allocation of resources for new hospital projects in Medway, an area with high health inequalities and significant impact from COVID-19.
Rishi Sunak
My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion for his local area, but especially for his local hospital. He will know that I cannot comment on any specific scheme, but I can tell him that submissions to be one of the new hospitals are being reviewed in the Department and an announcement will be made shortly.
Assessment
Did not confirm visit or criteria for hospital allocation
I Cannot Comment On Any Specific Scheme
Session: PMQs
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As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on missing children, I know that every year, 180,000 people are reported to the police as missing across our constituencies in the United Kingdom. I am sure that the Prime Minister and everyone in the House find that completely unacceptable. The Home Office's strategy on missing people has not been reviewed since 2011, so will the Prime Minister please urgently get the strategy reviewed and updated? Along with that, will he meet the Missing People charity, the Children's Society and me to look at this important issue affecting our society?
Context
Every year, 180,000 people are reported missing across the UK. The current Home Office's strategy on missing people has not been reviewed since 2011.
Boris Johnson
I thank my hon. Friend, and I would just remind him that 95% of missing person incidents are resolved without anyone coming to harm, or without the missing individual coming to harm. I thank him for the work that he does on this issue, because it matters a great deal to the remaining 5%, which is an unacceptably high level of suffering. I am certainly determined that we should continue to work with all the relevant agencies, police and social services to improve our response. I am very happy to take up his offer and ensure that he gets the meeting that he needs.
Assessment
Did not confirm urgent review of strategy or specific details on updates
Session: PMQs
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I thank the Prime Minister and the Government for all their hard work in these difficult times with regard to the delivery of the covid-19 vaccination. However, my constituents who are in their 80s and 90s have not yet had the vaccination despite Medway being one of the hardest-hit areas in the country. Will the Prime Minister please ensure that we have a mass vaccination centre in Medway?
Context
The constituency of Gillingham and Rainham has a high number of unvaccinated elderly residents and was one of the hardest-hit areas for the mutant variant. The local community is concerned about the availability of vaccines.
Boris Johnson
I share my hon Friend's sense of frustration about the pace of the vaccine roll-out. In spite of the fact that we have the fastest roll-out anywhere in Europe, it is entirely right that a constituency MP should want to see more done as fast as possible. I can tell my hon Friend that we have vaccinated more than 80% of those over 80 across the country, and we are certainly looking at establishing a large-scale vaccination centre near him. In his immediate vicinity, we have done 127,000 vaccines already, providing the hope of long-term immunity for the people of Medway and Gillingham and Rainham.
Assessment
The Prime Minister did not commit to a specific timeframe or location for establishing a mass vaccination centre near Gillingham and Rainham.
Looking At
Certainly Looking
Session: PMQs
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Congratulated PM on return; expressed condolences for Ashley Potter's family. Asked about discrepancy between rules for burials versus cremations, proposing funeral allowance with social distancing and faith service for families preferring burial.
Context
Request to address inconsistency between cremation and burial guidelines for funerals, allowing small church services with social distancing.
The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)
Acknowledged request; asked councils to facilitate attendance at burials without breaching social distancing rules, suggesting this as a balanced approach.
Session: PMQs
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There is a real cost of living challenge related to the war in Ukraine. A key part of it relates to energy supplies. The US has seized Russian assets to pay for reconstruction; why shouldn't the UK do the same?
Context
MP highlighted the cost of living crisis due to Ukraine conflict, suggesting UK should seize Russian assets for reconstruction costs.
Nigel Huddleston
Sanctions on Russia are important, showing impact of Ukraine invasion globally. Thanks to action taken by this Government and Bank of England, inflation is now falling and will soon hit target.
Session: Taxation Living Standards
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Will the Secretary of State visit Gillingham with me to ensure we get our fair share and allocation of resources?
Context
Gillingham did not receive levelling-up funding in the first two rounds of announcements.
Michael Gove
Either I or one of my junior Ministers will join my hon. Friend in Gillingham.
Session: Topical Questions
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The Secretary of State is aware of Medway's case for being part of the Government's hospital building programme. It was the hardest-hit area during covid-19, and it has some of the greatest health inequalities in the country, and one of the busiest accident and emergency units in Kent. Will the Secretary of State visit Medway with me to witness our urgent need, so that we can be part of that hospital building programme for the future?
Context
Medway was one of the hardest-hit areas during the COVID-19 pandemic and has significant health inequalities.
Steve Barclay
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the issues in Medway and those in Kent as a whole. When I met the chief executive of Maidstone Hospital yesterday, we discussed some of the innovation that it has introduced and the benefits of that innovation across the board. As for the new hospitals programme, I remind my hon. Friend of the comments made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 February, when he confirmed the Government's commitment to that programme.
Session: Topical Questions
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When will the Government appoint the chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board? The board was established in October 2022 following an independent review, and it is unclear if there will be another year's wait for this appointment to be made.
Context
The board was set up in October 2022, nearly a year after the independent review conducted by Sir Christopher Bellamy. The MP asks when this appointment will be made.
Mike Freer
The Secretary of State is considering the appointment and an announcement will be made in due course. The board has met and continues its work effectively without a formal chair.
Session: Criminal Courts Backlog
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What steps the Government are taking to reduce the backlog in the criminal courts. The outstanding case load at Chester Crown court stood at 626 at the end of September, highlighting the ongoing problem across the system.
Context
The MP is concerned about the backlog of cases in criminal courts and asks what steps are being taken to address this issue.
Mike Freer
We are taking action across the criminal justice system to bring down backlogs and improve waiting times. New legislation has been introduced, judicial capacity has been increased, and significant funding for the criminal justice system is being invested.
Session: Criminal Courts Backlog
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I thank the Minister for that answer, but it was for the wider Medway. I think Gillingham received £2 million with regard to the Britton Farm skills hub. Having worked very closely with Medway Council to put forward an outstanding bid for Gillingham Open Lines, covering an area with high levels of deprivation, I was disappointed to see that application turned down. It raises real concerns about fairness and a merit-based system of government, which the Prime Minister assured me would be the case.
Context
The question follows disappointment over the rejection of a bid for funding for the Gillingham Open Lines, despite high levels of deprivation in the area. The application was deemed to have been put forward as an outstanding bid by Medway Council.
Dehenna Davison
I will, of course, visit my hon. Friend's constituency again, after a fantastic visit just a few months ago. I should really reiterate that all the funds in the Department are distributed fairly and objectively, and that different allocation methods are used for each fund to ensure that funding reaches those who most need it.
Session: Levelling-up and Town Centre Funding Gillingham and Rainham
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What levelling-up funding and town centre funding has been provided to Gillingham and Rainham constituency.
Context
The MP is inquiring about specific levelling-up and town centre funding provided to Gillingham and Rainham constituency.
Dehenna Davison
His constituency has benefited from nearly £5 million of levelling-up funding since 2020, including £4 million from the Getting Building fund for the redevelopment of Britton Farm and the Connecting Rural Kent and Medway project, and £600,000 from the community renewal fund for the Medway Together project. His constituency will also benefit from £3.3 million that Medway Council was allocated from the UK shared prosperity fund.
Session: Levelling-up and Town Centre Funding Gillingham and Rainham
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What is the Government's strategy to tackle anti-Muslim hatred? The questioner mentioned a previous Home Office report showing alarming statistics on hate crimes, and questioned why the independent adviser on Islamophobia did not have clear terms of reference.
Context
A previous Home Office report on hate crime showed high numbers of incidents regarding Islamophobia and antisemitism. The independent adviser on Islamophobia was removed without terms of reference for two years.
Kemi Badenoch
The Government have a strategy to tackle anti-Muslim hatred. I recommend that my hon. Friend raises this issue with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who is responsible for that portfolio as part of the communities strategy.
Session: Workplace Inequality Gender and Race
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Has the pilot project taken place and what further steps have been taken to ensure that those pilot project results are taken forward?
Context
The MP pushed for pilot projects in Leeds, Newcastle and Snaresbrook Crown court for specialist sexual offences courts.
Gareth Johnson
The pilots in Leeds, Newcastle and Snaresbrook Crown court have taken place. We are considering the matter but need to carefully look at pros and cons of specialist courts for sexual offences.
Session: Criminal Court Backlog Bolton
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I thank the Minister and the Department for all they are doing in championing British exports. Jubilee Clips in Gillingham in my constituency is a fantastic local family-run business that employs over 100 people and exports hose clips to over 90 countries around the world. A real issue that it is facing is the uncertainty at the channel border crossing, which is leading to delays in delivering on its contracts. These delays are having a significant impact on local businesses and their ability to export. Will the Minister clarify what steps are being taken to address this specific challenge facing businesses in Kent and Medway?
Context
Jubilee Clips, a local family-run business employing over 100 people, is facing significant challenges due to border delays that are impacting its ability to deliver on contracts. These delays have a substantial impact on the company's export capabilities.
Mike Freer
The export support service notes all complaints about delays and raises them with HMRC, because the DIT is not responsible for the border. Where we find that there are different interpretations of the rules on either side, we work with our bilateral partners to eradicate those issues. On Jubilee Clips, if my hon. Friend wishes to write to me or bring the company in, I would be more than happy to discuss the matter in more detail.
Session: SMEs Support for Export to Global Markets
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What steps her Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises to export to global markets?
Context
The question arises from a need to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in expanding their reach into global markets.
Mike Freer
Our export strategy's action-led 12-point plan will support SMEs to thrive in the global market and raise the UK's exporting culture in the long term. It includes our Export Academy, which has already received over 7,000 business registrations, and our export support service, which has dealt with over 8,000 enquiries, 1,000 of which are from businesses around my hon. Friend's constituency in the south-east. We have the trade access programme, the international trade advisers, the export champions, and a whole range of support that we can provide, including UK Export Finance.
Session: SMEs Support for Export to Global Markets
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What will the Government do to address issues of religion-based hate crimes such as Islamophobia and antisemitism?
Context
Home Office statistics show significant hate crimes, including rises in Islamophobia and antisemitism.
Rachel Maclean
The Government take these issues seriously. A refreshed hate crime strategy will be published, and investments in measures to keep communities safe are being made, wherever they worship.
Session: Hate Crimes
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What steps are being taken by the Church to work with other faith leaders around the world to further address the issue of persecutions of Christians, who are the largest persecuted faith in the world, and to address the issue of other individuals of all faiths being persecuted for their faith through theological and inter-faith dialogue?
Context
The MP references recent acts of violence in the name of religion and quotes Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury, asking about steps taken by the Church to work with other faith leaders on theological dialogue.
Andrew Selous
Three years ago, the Anglican primates launched an inter-faith commission to build mutual understanding and trust between different faiths. The Archbishop of Canterbury said it will bring together the wisest people across the Communion to work on this area in the places of highest tension with the aim of replacing diversity in conflict with diversity in collaboration.
Session: Persecution of Christians
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What steps the Church of England is taking to prevent the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
Context
The MP seeks information on actions taken by the Church of England to prevent religious persecution, particularly highlighting his previous work as Prime Minister's special envoy for religious freedom.
Andrew Selous
The Church of England continues to press for the implementation of all the Truro report recommendations and challenges Governments and other faith leaders around the world who do not respect freedom of religion or belief.
Session: Persecution of Christians
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Rehman Chishti asks what steps the minister is taking to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is included in negotiations on free trade agreements. He references his previous work as a trade envoy covering Pakistan where human rights were part of the GSP plus trade clause and highlights concerns about religious minorities suffering under COVID-19.
Context
The UK has a programme led by Rehman Chishti as the Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion or belief, and there are concerns about religious minorities suffering under the pandemic.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Greg Hands
Greg Hands acknowledges the work Rehman Chishti has done as Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion and belief. He mentions the endorsement of the Truro report's approach by the current Government and confirms that the GSP plus scheme will be incorporated into a UK scheme, including key human rights obligations such as freedom of religion and expression.
Session: Free Trade Agreements Freedom of Religion or Belief
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Other Parliamentary Activity
Debates led and petitions presented.
Persecution of Christians and Freedom of Religion or Belief
21 October 2020
Responding: Nigel Adams
Main Concerns
["The lead MP expressed concern about the persecution of Christians globally, noting that according to a Pew Research Center report, 84% of the world's population claim to identify themselves with a religion. He highlighted that 83% of the world's population live in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned. The MP cited Bishop Philip Mounstephen's review stating that Christianity is the most persecuted religion of modern times and Christians are facing severe persecution across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa."]
Specific Asks
['The lead MP urged the Government to swiftly designate individuals involved in the Uyghur situation in China under Magnitsky sanctions on exceptional grounds. He also requested confirmation that the UK will move a motion for a Security Council resolution on freedom of religion or belief when it holds the presidency in February next year.']
Infected Blood Compensation Scheme
21 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Ukraine and Georgia
15 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Crime (Overseas Production Orders etc) Bill - Clause 30 - Child sex offences: grooming aggravating factor
15 May 2024
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
I move that the clause be read a Second time. This amendment aims to ensure that child sex offenders who engage in online grooming receive additional punishment, reflecting the severe nature of this a...
Risk-based Exclusion
13 May 2024
General Debate
Contributed to this debate
The debate focuses on a motion concerning risk-based exclusion policies in the House of Commons, specifically regarding amendments to Standing Orders and procedures for handling charges against Member...
Russia
08 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
War in Gaza
07 May 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Telegraph Media Group Ltd: Acquisition
30 April 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Football (Amendment) Bill - Clause 1
23 April 2024
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
17 April 2024
Ministerial Statement
Contributed to this debate
Smoking Reduction and Tobacco Control Bill - Clause 1
16 April 2024
Bill Debate
Contributed to this debate
Moves the Bill, stating its purpose is to prevent future generations from starting smoking. Argues that the only product that kills two thirds of its long-term users if consumed as intended is tobacco...
6
PMQs Asked
15
Ministerial Questions Asked
88
House of Commons Debates Involved
1
Westminster Hall Debates Led
0
Statements / Bills
0
Petitions Presented
0
Voting Record
Activity Compared to Peers
How does this MP's parliamentary activity compare to the national average across 1457 MPs?
Prime Minister's Questions
+64% above average
This MP:
6
Average:
3.7
Ministerial Questions
+12% above average
This MP:
15
Average:
13.4
Westminster Hall Debates Led
-60% below average
This MP:
1
Average:
2.5
Commons Chamber Debates
+1705% above average
This MP:
88
Average:
4.9
Statements / Bills Proposed
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
9.5
Petitions Presented
-100% below average
This MP:
0
Average:
2.5
Voting Attendance Rate (%)
-100% below average
This MP:
0.0
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 Rehman Chishti's parliamentary activity including questions asked, debates (Commons Chamber + Westminster Hall), statements/bills, and petitions presented.