Each week, I am required to spend the first few days in Parliament. I vote on Bills, I ask Ministers questions on the floor of the House of Commons, and I attend debates on topical issues, representing the good people of Wolverhampton in Westminster.
Since I was elected in December 2019, 44 government bills have been passed, over 1,400 pieces of secondary legislation have been approved, and a number of Private Members’ Bills have become law. This has included enshrining our record NHS funding boost into law, toughening up sentences for the most serious offenders, and establishing a framework which will enable us to maximise the potential of the new opportunities that we have as an independent free trading sovereign nation.
Since shortly after my election to the House of Commons, I have been serving on the Defence Select Committee. This group was set up to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies. I am also a member of the Defence Sub-Committee which holds inquiries into topics of its own choosing. Building on this, I have become a member of the UK Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
In addition, I am currently Vice-Chair of the following All-Party Parliamentary Groups:
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on Veterans
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Black Country Economy
- All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Armed Forces' Covenant
I am also an active member of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for the Armed Forces and the Environment. This utilises the knowledge that I have gained from my career in the defence and security sector, and the passion that I have for ensuring that we are the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. As part of this ambition, I have signed up to become a member of the Conservative Environment Network's (CEN) Parliamentary Caucus.
Occasionally, I get nominated to serve on Delegated Legislation Committees.
In December 2020, Stuart won the Twitter poll to find the 'Parliamentary Beard of the Year', with 48% of the vote. 1,701 Twitter users voted in this poll. The organiser has confirmed that this poll is conducted each year as mainly light-hearted, but also to promote a more diverse appearance among public office-holders.
Below, you can read my contributions in Parliament from Hansard, the official record of parliamentary proceedings (feed provided by theyworkforyou):