Dudley / data
Sonia Kumar · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
409
of 504 possible
Attendance
81%
95 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
179
107 debates
Written Qs
75
75 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£196k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 155 claims
Interests
7
5 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 88 | |
| Economy | 81 | |
| Crime & Policing | 39 | |
| Employment | 35 | |
| Education | 34 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 28 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 26 | |
| Pensions | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 25 | 3,937 |
| Health | 21 | 3,706 |
| Local Government | 22 | 3,484 |
| Economy Jobs | 29 | 2,822 |
| Crime | 12 | 2,432 |
| Culture Community | 8 | 2,399 |
| Fiscal Policy | 10 | 1,880 |
| Defence | 21 | 1,412 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 2Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance,… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Allied Health ProfessionalsHappy St George’s day to everyone in the Chamber. As a physiotherapist, I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to co-lead this debate on the contribution of allied health … HealthLabour MarketSocial Care | 1,761 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | EngagementsIn 2022, my constituent Masi Sibanda dropped her 14-month-old son Noah off at nursery, like any other day. Tragically, it would be the last time Masi would see her son alive. A sta… DefenceImmigrationEconomy Jobs | 110 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone Health HealthSocial Care | 0 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone HealthI beg to move, That this House has considered osteoporosis and bone health. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Lewell. As a practising physiotherapist, I have se… HealthSocial Care | 163 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone HealthI believe that we should be rolling those services out across the entire country, and I will come on to that in the rest of my speech. I am sure that the Minister will also comment… HealthSocial Care | 38 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone HealthThe hon. Member comes to this with a lot of experience. I agree that people do not know what osteoporosis is, which is why we are having this debate. It is important to discuss wha… HealthSocial Care | 144 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone HealthIf someone says physio, I am always going to say, “Yes, yes, yes,” behind them. I agree with my hon. Friend that we should roll out physiotherapists and the multidisciplinary teams… HealthSocial Care | 1,215 |
| 22 Apr 2026 | Osteoporosis and Bone Healthindicated dissent. HealthSocial Care | 2 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Youth Centres: DudleyYouth centres such as High Oak in Dudley, run by Angela Edwards, are finding it harder each year to stay open because of insecure funding, despite Dudley having some of the highest… EducationLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 78 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Women’s Health StrategyI warmly welcome the women’s health strategy. I recently visited the Navigating Our Womanhood Together bus in Dudley, which supports women’s health from menstruation to menopause, … HealthSocial Care | 71 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Youth Centres: Dudley8. What steps she is taking to support youth centres in Dudley. EducationLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 12 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Pride in Place: Community SpacesThe Pride in Place funding in Dudley is being divided between two constituencies, risking the dilution of its impact. Given the high levels of deprivation among many of my constitu… Local GovernmentCulture Community | 68 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Middle EastI welcome the Prime Minister’s statement and commend his leadership in steering the UK clear of the Iran conflict and blockade. During this war, healthcare centres, hospitals and a… DefenceEnergyCost Of Living | 66 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Transport Connectivity: Dudley14. What steps she is taking to improve transport connectivity in Dudley. TransportLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 12 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Transport Connectivity: DudleyFor far too long, communities across the Black Country have had to put up with poor transport links. That is why the long-awaited opening of the metro station later this year is su… TransportLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 108 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 25 | 33.3% |
| Department for Education | 14 | 18.7% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 10 | 13.3% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 5 | 6.7% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 4 | 5.3% |
| Home Office | 4 | 5.3% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 3 | 4.0% |
| Department for Transport | 3 | 4.0% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory, specialist domestic abuse training for all housing officers in England. | Answered |
| 11 Feb 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a co-investment fund with diverse angel investors. | Answered |
| 11 Feb 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he is taking steps to (a) monitor and (b) report on the gender investment gap, such as tracking year-on-year venture capital and angel investment into female-founded companies; a… | Answered |
| 11 Feb 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that support programmes provide meaningful access to all types of finance, as well as investment education and readiness support, such as training, ment… | Answered |
| 27 Jan 2026 | Ministry of Defence | To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how he is using allied health professionals to support soldier rehabilitation. | Answered |
| 21 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help ensure that defibrillators which have reached the end of their operational life will in state-funded schools in England will be replaced and funded by her Departmen… | Answered |
| 21 Jan 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mental health support is available to school staff who experience psychological harm as a result of witnessing or administering the use of a workplace automated external defibrillator on a p… | Answered |
| 14 Jan 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help protect children in Iran from actions taken by the Iranian authorities. | Answered |
| 07 Jan 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 mental health support is provided to adults with autism and special needs. | Answered |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people are adequately protected from unsafe or unregulated electrical work in homes, particularly where such wor… | Answered |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many prosecutions have been brought under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales in each year since their introduction in 2005; and if the Dep… | Answered |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of enforcement mechanisms relating to electrical safety and compliance with Part P regulations; and whether his Departm… | Answered |
| 17 Dec 2025 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Health and Safety Executive has assessed the potential merits of establishing a single mandatory national register of electricians under its statutory… | Answered |
| 15 Dec 2025 | Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the public health impacts of the Warm Homes Plan, especially regarding both indoor and outdoor air quality; and what metrics he… | Answered |
| 11 Dec 2025 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure freedom of expression for women's health publications on social media. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export ControlsSelect | Member | Commons | 05 Mar 2025 | present |
| Business and Trade 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 | 125 | 28,336 | 14.4% |
| Accommodation | 12 | 21,646 | 11.0% |
| Staffing | 7 | 139,275 | 71.0% |
| Miscellaneous | 4 | 1,089 | 0.6% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 3,645 | 1.9% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 2,168 | 1.1% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 19,775 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 31 | 10,019 |
| Advertising and contact cards | Office Costs | 39 | 4,391 |
| Training - MP | Staffing | 1 | 3,600 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 3,291 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 27 | 3,205 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 2 | 2,957 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 2,696 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 4 | 1,871 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 2 | 1,591 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 3 | 1,500 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 May 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | Repayment for part refund of claim 60293335:1 | 0 | Repaid |
| 06 May 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 644 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,225 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -3,047 | Paid |
| 30 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | FACEBK [***] [200011725-8990] | 33 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | STAPLES [200011725-8003] | 149 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 3,300 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - MP | Media and press training for MP. | 3,600 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Difference with heating installation costs | 626 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 308 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 229 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 186 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Cleaning services | Weekly cleaning of the constituency office for the month of April. | 125 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | INSTANTPRINT [200011725-5955] | 45 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 3,000 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | STAPLES [200011725-6971] | 885 | Paid |
| 18 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Advertising and contact cards | FACEBK [***] [200011725-6970] | 30 | 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 earnings1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Role, work or services: Physiotherapist
Payer: Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Russells Hall Hospital, Pensnett Road, Dudley DY1 2HQ
(Registered 15 July 2024)
2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation1 entry
03 Jun 2025
Name of donor: SME4Labour Ltd
Address of donor: 80 North Block, 5 Chicheley Street, SE1 7PN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £5,000
Donor status: company, registration 10685562
(Registered 23 May 2025)
2. (b) Any other support not included in Category 2(a)3 entries
01 Jul 2025
Name of donor: SME4LABOUR LTD
Address of donor: 80 North Block, 5 Chicheley Street, London SE1 7PN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £1,500
Date received: 20 May 2025
Date accepted: 20 May 2025
Donor status: company, registration 10685562
(Registered 17 June 2025; updated 7 July 2025)
17 Jun 2025
Name of donor: SME4LABOUR LTD
Address of donor: 80 North Block, 5 Chicheley Street, London SE1 7PN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £2,000
Date received: 20 May 2025
Date accepted: 20 May 2025
Donor status: company, registration 10685562
(Registered 16 June 2025; updated 7 July 2025)
07 Jul 2025
Name of donor: SME4LABOUR LTD
Address of donor: Flat 80 County Hall North Block, 5 Chicheley Street, London SE1 7PN
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £1,625
Date received: 6 May 2025
Date accepted: 6 May 2025
Donor status: company, registration 10685562
(Registered 2 June 2025)
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
21 Oct 2025
Name of donor: UK Friends of Ukraine Ltd
Address of donor: 81 High Street, Cosham,Portsmouth, England, PO6 3BL
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Conference cost (£372.04) transfers (£262), BUCC-USUBC Roundtable lunch (£45.88), performance by Cultural Forces (£28.00) Vinnytsia excursion transfers (£8.00), lunch (£18.00) dinner (£34.00), value £768.04
Destination of visit: Ukraine
Dates of visit: 10 September 2025 to 15 September 2025
Purpose of visit: Delegation of MPs attending the Yalta European Strategy Conference and to build relationships with our Ukrainian allies.
(Registered 8 October 2025)
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 (House)
Number of properties: 1
Location: Birmingham
(Registered 15 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 3 wards, 9 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brockmoor Pensnett | Judy Foster | Labour Party | 1,382 | 02 May 2024 |
| Brockmoor Pensnett | Karen Westwood | Labour Party | 1,246 | 02 May 2024 |
| Brockmoor Pensnett | Steve Edwards | Labour Party | 1,310 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castle Priory | Faye Barras | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,056 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castle Priory | Karl Denning | Labour Party | 1,014 | 02 May 2024 |
| Castle Priory | Keiran Robert Casey | Labour Party | 1,129 | 02 May 2024 |
| Upper Gornal Woodsetton | Adam Michael Aston | Labour Party | 1,534 | 02 May 2024 |
| Upper Gornal Woodsetton | Carol June Littler | Labour Party | 1,220 | 02 May 2024 |
| Upper Gornal Woodsetton | Mushtaq Hussain | Labour Party | 950 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 103,371 | Electorate 70,151 (2024) |
| Median age | 39 | years |
| Degree-educated | 22.4% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 79.8% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 59.4% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 25.5% | households |
| Employment rate | 54.1% | 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.