Hyndburn / data
Sarah Smith · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
662days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
325
of 504 possible
Attendance
64%
179 absent / paired
Whip alignment
96%
vs party majority
Speeches
189
63 debates
Written Qs
13
13 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£195k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 152 claims
Interests
2
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 78 | |
| Economy | 67 | |
| Employment | 34 | |
| Education | 30 | |
| Crime & Policing | 27 | |
| Housing | 24 | |
| Defence and Foreign Affairs | 21 | |
| Energy | 19 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 13 | 4,206 |
| Economy Jobs | 15 | 3,647 |
| Defence | 15 | 3,177 |
| Transport | 6 | 2,747 |
| Local Government | 9 | 2,187 |
| Crime | 4 | 1,650 |
| Culture Community | 7 | 1,627 |
| Fiscal Policy | 4 | 1,391 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dyin… | Free vote | No |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 16A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Rep… | Free vote | Aye |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 24Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have chosen to stop… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1780)It puts a lot on a young person to be able to differentiate and understand what they are subject to, and then to act differently to that. Would you support stronger guardrails to s… | 43 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1780)Good morning. Two of the major reforms in the Bill are automated voter registration and votes at 16. What assessments have you made of the impact that these changes will have on yo… | 34 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1780)I am Sarah Smith, MP for Hyndburn. | 7 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1780)There is a growing amount of evidence now about the impact of algorithms, and particularly around children and young people. If you look at the gendered impact of algorithms and wh… | 142 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1780)Laura, what would you need to feel confident about the implementation of these reforms? Your organisation has indicated that more detail is needed, particularly on the automated vo… | 43 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)Is that for M4(2) or M4(3)? | 6 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)You would not mandate for all homes to be built to the M4(2) based on what you have just said, but what is a reasonable percentage objective for the Government, particularly given … | 49 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)I assume that that will demonstrate significant value to the business over time, because you are reducing cost by having the systems in place earlier and being preventive in your a… | 35 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)In your experience, how long did it take to make that transition? What is the investment or the cost that that might have had at the scale that you are aiming to produce at? | 34 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)We heard about this as well from the previous panel. Would you support the proposal for 40% of new homes supplied to comply with M4(2), or would you agree with the point put forwar… | 63 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)For the rate of house building to increase to meet the target of 1.5 million homes, it would mean an average of 300,000 or so being built each year. In recent memory, the highest a… | 68 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)You referenced there the increase of £76,000 in costs. Over what period is that? | 14 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)What about from the perspective of the private sector or those building largely for private buyers? | 16 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)You mentioned that element of regionality—the impact it has on different parts of the country. Is the data out there around the estimated cost on M4(2) and M4(3) dependent on where… | 62 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1154)What do you think of the actions that the Government have been taking, specifically on skills? There have been quite a lot of commitments around construction skills hubs and a numb… | 48 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 5 | 38.5% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 2 | 15.4% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 1 | 7.7% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 1 | 7.7% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 1 | 7.7% |
| Treasury | 1 | 7.7% |
| Women and Equalities | 1 | 7.7% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 1 | 7.7% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Nov 2025 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the role of school nurses in tackling health inequalities. | Answered |
| 13 Mar 2025 | Women and Equalities | To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote equality as part of the Government mission entitled Break Down Barriers to Opportunity. | Answered |
| 11 Mar 2025 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the welfare system in supporting families with disabled children. | Answered |
| 03 Jan 2025 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether funding for the School Games Organiser network will continue beyond March 2025. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities consult local communities on authorising the opening of shops operating for 24 hours a day. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that local communities are consulted on statutory nuisances. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what guidance her Department issues for local authorities on authorising the opening of shops for 24 hours a day. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to tackle online disinformation. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with social media companies to protect online users from anonymous accounts publishing abusive and offensive material. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help tackle online harassment and abuse on social media. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to regulate online content. | Answered |
| 19 Dec 2024 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support families of (a) missing and (b) deceased individuals that are experiencing online abuse. | Answered |
| 05 Nov 2024 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review import duty. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing, Communities and Local Government CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 21 Oct 2024 | present |
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 | 96 | 26,067 | 13.4% |
| Accommodation | 31 | 11,279 | 5.8% |
| Staffing | 4 | 139,755 | 71.7% |
| Miscellaneous | 5 | 1,550 | 0.8% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 1,248 | 0.6% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 8,364 | 4.3% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 6,740 | 3.5% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 9 | 8,832 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 10 | 7,659 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 3 | 6,957 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 7 | 5,230 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Moving Fees | Office Costs | 1 | 2,418 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 2 | 2,040 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 21 | 1,682 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 14 | 1,675 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 6 | 1,597 |
| Removals | Miscellaneous | 5 | 1,550 |
| Equipment - hire | Office Costs | 6 | 1,372 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 58 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 1,250 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011782-36] | 60 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | [200011782-38] | 20 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 0 | Repaid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -770 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,168 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 30 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Other fuel | 375 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Waste disposal, confidential waste & rubbish collection | Waste collection | 84 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,000 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | decoration of constituency office | 1,200 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Miscellaneous Removals | Removal service [***][***][***] | 660 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | 3000 overprinted letterheaded paper | 317 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | 2 pull up banners for constituency events - 800mm wide | 166 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 91 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 91 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 894 | Paid |
| 11 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline & internet package | 46 | 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.
6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Type of land/property: Residential property (Flat)
Number of properties: 1
Location: Cheltenham
Rental income: Yes
(Registered 4 August 2024)
7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Name of company or organisation: Limina Group ltd
Nature of business: Consultancy business
Held jointly with or on behalf of: Jointly with my husband
(Registered 4 August 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 17 wards, 19 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altham | Vanessa Karen Alexander | Labour Party | 687 | 02 May 2024 |
| Barnfield | Clare Elizabeth McKenna | Labour Party | 546 | 02 May 2024 |
| Baxenden | Edward Blake | Labour Party | 553 | 02 May 2024 |
| Central | Mohammed Shabir Fazal | Green Party of England and Wales | 818 | 02 May 2024 |
| Church | Stewart Thurston Eaves | Labour Party | 441 | 02 May 2024 |
| Clayton Le Moors | Melissa Fisher | Labour Party | 590 | 04 May 2023 |
| Haslingden | Adrian Lythgoe | Labour Party | 644 | 02 May 2024 |
| Haslingden | Ann Kenyon | Labour Party | 632 | 02 May 2024 |
| Haslingden | Marilyn Procter | Labour Party | 630 | 02 May 2024 |
| Huncoat | David Parkins | Labour Party | 915 | 04 May 2023 |
| Immanuel | Judith Helen Addison | Conservative and Unionist Party | 572 | 04 May 2023 |
| Milnshaw | Paul Ian Cox | Labour Party | 605 | 04 May 2023 |
| Netherton | Noordad Aziz | Labour Party | 774 | 02 May 2024 |
| Overton | Clare Marie Yates | Labour Party | 798 | 02 May 2024 |
| Peel | Clare Pritchard | Labour Party | 359 | 02 May 2024 |
| Rishton | Ethan Jack Rawcliffe | Labour Party | 832 | 02 May 2024 |
| Spring Hill | Munsif Dad | Labour Party | 532 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Andrews | Andy Gilbert | Labour Party | 492 | 02 May 2024 |
| St Oswalds | Tina Walker | Conservative and Unionist Party | 812 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 92,583 | Electorate 67,147 (2024) |
| Median age | 39 | years |
| Degree-educated | 25.4% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 82.2% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 63.2% | households |
| Private-rented | 22.9% | households |
| Social-rented | 13.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 54.4% | 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.