Epping Forest / data
Dr Neil Hudson · Conservative and Unionist Party · sitting since 12 Dec 2019 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
2326days
from 12 Dec 2019
Divisions
375
of 504 possible
Attendance
74%
129 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
86
63 debates
Written Qs
282
280 answered
Committees
0
memberships
Expenses
£228k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 97 claims
Interests
5
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 92 | |
| Economy | 74 | |
| Crime & Policing | 42 | |
| Employment | 36 | |
| Education | 35 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 23 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 21 | |
| Pensions | 21 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | 30 | 26,901 |
| Agriculture | 21 | 20,075 |
| Economy Jobs | 26 | 12,488 |
| Health | 17 | 9,687 |
| Cost Of Living | 9 | 6,298 |
| Social Care | 6 | 3,718 |
| Local Government | 16 | 3,478 |
| Utilities | 6 | 3,373 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
| Date | Division | Whip | MP voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2025 | Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill aims to create a 'smokefree generation' by graduall… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | EnvironmentAL Audit CommitteeAs shadow DEFRA Minister, I congratulate and thank the Chair of the Committee and his cross-party Environmental Audit Committee for this excellent and timely report. As he has said… EnvironmentHealthEconomy Jobs | 140 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Coastal ErosionI congratulate the hon. Member on her powerful contribution, and also congratulate the cross-party EFRA Committee on its thoughtful and thought-provoking report. Coastal communitie… HousingEnvironmentLocal Government | 125 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Craniocervical InstabilityI thank the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury) for securing this important debate. I apologise, Ms Furniss, that I was not in the Chamber for the beginning of it; my shad… HealthSocial Care | 124 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement: NegotiationsStakeholders have expressed alarm about the fact that the Government’s guidance for businesses on the UK-EU SPS agreement, published last week, has legislation in scope on the use … AgricultureEconomy JobsEnvironment | 159 |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Student LoansI have been contacted by many students in Epping Forest who are deeply concerned about their future debt and by many graduates who are worried about ballooning debt on these plan 2… EducationEconomy JobsFiscal Policy | 71 |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Environmental Protection and BiodiversityIt is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I congratulate the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire (Chris Hinchliff) on securing this important debate.… EnvironmentAgricultureLocal Government | 689 |
| 05 Feb 2026 | Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966I declare a professional and personal interest as a veterinary surgeon and a fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. I welcome the fact that the Government have launche… HealthCost Of LivingEconomy Jobs | 160 |
| 04 Feb 2026 | EngagementsQ8. For months, our communities in Epping have been deeply distressed by the Bell hotel reopening as an asylum hotel. My thoughts remain with the victims of the sexual assaults, in… CrimeDefenceLocal Government | 107 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Fishing IndustryI congratulate my friend the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), the Chair of the EFRA Select Committee, on securing this vital debate. I have a huge amount … AgricultureEconomy JobsEnvironment | 880 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Fishing IndustryI thank the hon. Member for his intervention. When requests like this come in, we have to take a very logical view across the United Kingdom and the UK Government have to be strong… AgricultureEconomy JobsEnvironment | 1,037 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Agricultural Sector: Import StandardsI thank my hon. Friend for his very kind intervention. He proudly stands up for that important institution, which I know the Minister has visited, as has the Minister in the other … AgricultureEnvironmentEconomy Jobs | 1,066 |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Agricultural Sector: Import StandardsI start by thanking the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Sam Carling) for securing this debate and opening it so excellently. It has offered Members from across the House… AgricultureEnvironmentEconomy Jobs | 1,245 |
| 20 Jan 2026 | Water (Special Measures) Act 2025: EnforcementIt is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan, and to speak in this important debate on the enforcement of the Water (Special Measures) Act. I thank the ho… EnvironmentUtilitiesCost Of Living | 1,343 |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Sale of FireworksMy hon. Friend is making a powerful statement about the impact on animals. I thank the petitioners in Epping Forest who have signed the petition, including the Redwings Horse Sanct… CrimeCulture CommunityHealth | 93 |
| 13 Jan 2026 | Primary Care in Epping Forest: House Building TargetsAs my constituency neighbour, the Health Secretary will be aware that Chigwell parish has no GP surgery of its own, requiring many of my constituents to travel to his constituency … HealthHousingLocal Government | 101 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 144 | 51.1% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 42 | 14.9% |
| Department for Education | 18 | 6.4% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 11 | 3.9% |
| Home Office | 10 | 3.5% |
| Department for Transport | 10 | 3.5% |
| Treasury | 9 | 3.2% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 7 | 2.5% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the level of proposed development on Green Belt land in the Epping Forest District, and what steps his Department is taking t… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his department is taking to ensure that Advance Care Planning for people with dementia is a) proactive, b) effective and c) regularly reviewed. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will reflect the complexity of dementia within system design, including coordination across health and social care services. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia includes a clear, defined pathway for post-diagnostic support for people with dementia. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of publishing a Data Protection Impact Assessment on the quality of public responses to the consultation on digital identity. | Pending |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether a Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed in relation to the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. | Answered |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to publish a Data Protection Impact Assessment for GOV.UK One Login before 5 May 2026. | Answered |
| 24 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times, since 5 July 2024, the Government has attended meetings of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group. | Answered |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of approved planning permissions in England that have not yet been built out. | Answered |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support criminal prosecution of fly-tipping. | Answered |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to embed CPR training in schools in a) Epping Forest constituency and b) England. | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of VAT liability on further education colleges’ capacity to deliver the skills priorities set out in the Industrial Strategy; and whether her Depar… | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that further education colleges are included in the design and implementation of the SEND reforms set out in the Schools White Paper, including the new Individu… | Answered |
| 04 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the sustainability of mackerel stocks in UK waters. | Answered |
| 04 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Waitrose's withdrawal of mackerel from sale on the UK fishing industry. | Answered |
E · Committees
No committee memberships recorded for this MP.
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 59 | 20,870 | 9.2% |
| Staffing | 2 | 195,248 | 85.7% |
| Accommodation | 20 | 9,614 | 4.2% |
| Miscellaneous | 6 | 882 | 0.4% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 1,022 | 0.4% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 243 | 0.1% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 2 | 5,265 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 26 | 3,734 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 2,040 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 6 | 1,815 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 9 | 1,287 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 1,197 |
| Service charge & ground Rent | Office Costs | 1 | 1,025 |
| Website hosting and design | Office Costs | 2 | 720 |
| Utilities | Accommodation | 10 | 660 |
| Cleaning services | Miscellaneous | 2 | 516 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Accommodation | 9 | 512 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 1 | 262 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 20 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 15 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 14 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 6 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 6 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 5 | Paid |
| 06 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Website hosting and design | BLUETREE WEBSITES [200011725-3361] | 360 | Paid |
| 17 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 262 | Paid |
| 10 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 27 | Paid |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner February 2025 | 312 | Paid |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner February 2025 | 305 | Paid |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner February 2025 | 278 | Paid |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner February 2025 | 139 | Paid |
| 17 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner February 2025 | 41 | Paid |
| 14 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 70 | Paid |
| 01 Jan 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | ELECTED TECHNOLOGIES | 1,440 | Paid |
| 06 Dec 2024 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 37 | Paid |
| 19 Nov 2024 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 9 | Paid |
| 12 Nov 2024 | Office Costs Service charge & ground Rent | Provision of Services | 1,025 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
1. Employment and earnings2 entries
05 Aug 2025
Remuneration: £416.67 a month (£5000 per annum)
From: 15 July 2025. Until: 30 June 2028.
Hours: 7 hrs a month
(Registered 25 July 2025)
05 Aug 2025
Role, work or services: Independent Non-Executive Board Member
From: 15 July 2025. Until: 30 June 2028.
Payer: British Horseracing Authority's Horse Welfare Board, Holborn Gate, 26 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AN
(Registered 25 July 2025)
8. Miscellaneous3 entries
18 Apr 2024
On unpaid sabbatical leave as a senior lecturer from the University of Edinburgh from 1 January 2020.
Date interest ended: 12 May 2025
(Registered 7 January 2020; updated 7 May 2025)
18 Apr 2024
Member of the British Equine Veterinary Association.
(Registered 7 January 2020)
18 Apr 2024
Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
(Registered 7 January 2020)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 8 wards, 24 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhurst Hill East Whitebridge | Barbara Cohen | Independent Loughton Residents Association | 646 | 02 May 2024 |
| Buckhurst Hill East Whitebridge | Elizabeth Gabbett | Green Party of England and Wales | 639 | 02 May 2024 |
| Buckhurst Hill East Whitebridge | Rose Brookes | Independent Loughton Residents Association | 792 | 02 May 2024 |
| Chigwell With Lambourne | Craig James John McCann | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,164 | 02 May 2024 |
| Chigwell With Lambourne | Darshan Singh Sunger | Conservative and Unionist Party | 947 | 02 May 2024 |
| Chigwell With Lambourne | Kaz Rizvi | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,018 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping East | Edward Matthew Barnard | Liberal Democrats | 850 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping East | Janet Hilda Whitehouse | Liberal Democrats | 1,100 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping East | Jon Whitehouse | Liberal Democrats | 1,020 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping West Rural | Holly Whitbread | Conservative and Unionist Party | 832 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping West Rural | Mandy George | Liberal Democrats | 945 | 02 May 2024 |
| Epping West Rural | Razia Sharif | Liberal Democrats | 926 | 02 May 2024 |
| Theydon Bois With Passingford | Clive Ewart Amos | Liberal Democrats | 949 | 02 May 2024 |
| Theydon Bois With Passingford | Sue Jones | Conservative and Unionist Party | 698 | 02 May 2024 |
| Theydon Bois With Passingford | Tippy Cornish | Liberal Democrats | 882 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey North | David Stocker | Conservative and Unionist Party | 447 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey North | Jeane Lea | Conservative and Unionist Party | 483 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey North | Martin Victor Morris | Labour Party | 520 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey South Rural | Maria Markham | Conservative and Unionist Party | 676 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey South Rural | Steven James Heather | Conservative and Unionist Party | 715 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey South Rural | Tim Matthews | Conservative and Unionist Party | 622 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey West | Jodie Holly May Lucas | Conservative and Unionist Party | 618 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey West | Joseph Parsons | Conservative and Unionist Party | 663 | 02 May 2024 |
| Waltham Abbey West | Shane Peter Yerrell | Conservative and Unionist Party | 598 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 102,357 | Electorate 72,229 (2024) |
| Median age | 41 | years |
| Degree-educated | 34.3% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 81.1% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 68.7% | households |
| Private-rented | 15.5% | households |
| Social-rented | 15.7% | households |
| Employment rate | 60.2% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.