Halesowen / data
Alex Ballinger · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
378
of 504 possible
Attendance
75%
126 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
358
109 debates
Written Qs
147
147 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£212k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 198 claims
Interests
4
2 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 74 | |
| Taxation | 70 | |
| Employment | 39 | |
| Crime & Policing | 34 | |
| Education | 28 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 26 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 25 | |
| Housing | 18 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | 38 | 11,797 |
| Economy Jobs | 29 | 5,745 |
| Local Government | 12 | 4,829 |
| Fiscal Policy | 8 | 4,693 |
| Culture Community | 12 | 4,635 |
| Social Care | 8 | 4,030 |
| Health | 11 | 2,362 |
| Immigration | 10 | 2,078 |
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.
No notable votes recorded for this MP yet.
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingThe shadow Minister is talking about an historical example of a bookmaker’s. At that time, how many children and young people were exposed to gambling advertising? Is he happy with… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 42 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Foreign Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 385)When the information was shared with the Prime Minister, the whole of No. 10 would have been able to know that information. Or how many individuals, roughly, in that circle might h… | 35 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingThank you, Mrs Harris. I thank all Members who have joined in this lively debate: the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds (Charlie Dewhirst), my hon. Friend the Member for Wo… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 117 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingWill the hon. Gentleman let me respond? HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 7 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingI will check, but I think my hon. Friend the Member for Worthing West responded on what the all-party group may have said. I should say very briefly that there seems to have been a… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 110 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Foreign Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 385)You have rightly talked about the importance of keeping this highly classified information in the vetting system away from the Committee and away from the public generally, but the… | 117 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingThe hon. Member raises the scale of public interest in this issue in Northern Ireland, and the number of people who are fed up and have had too much of gambling adverts, particular… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 60 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingI beg to move, That this House has considered gambling advertising. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris, particularly as you have taken such an interest in g… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 304 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingI will not accept that. Having met lots of people with lived experience of gambling and having seen the evidence in our report, I know there is a clear link between gambling advert… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 167 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingThe APPG recognise that horseracing and greyhound racing are much more dependent on gambling advertising than other industries; that is why we made that separation. HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 25 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingI will not give way at this point, because I am just wrapping up— HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 14 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingIt is in the report. I have just told you. HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 10 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingAbsolutely. This has been driven a lot by the argument that the unregulated industry will somehow capture the market. If we are talking about restrictions on gambling advertising, … HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 211 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingThe hon. Member’s concerns are about the unregulated market. However, the proposals in the APPG report are talking about restrictions on gambling advertising, including unregulated… HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 70 |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Gambling AdvertisingSitting adjourned. HealthCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 2 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Transport | 29 | 19.7% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 23 | 15.6% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 12 | 8.2% |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 10 | 6.8% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 9 | 6.1% |
| Home Office | 9 | 6.1% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 9 | 6.1% |
| Treasury | 8 | 5.4% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of potential shortfalls in funding for service delivery by hospice providers. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Mr Ameer Kotecha was given a leave of absence from her Department to (a) run the Platinum Pudding Competition and (b) write the Platinum Cookbook. | Answered |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether an event was held within her Department to mark World Afro Day in August 2021. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Work and Pensions | To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to provide support for people who are disabled and on benefits when their condition deteriorates; and what assessment he has made of the potential meri… | Answered |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to limit the import and sale of fur produced from unethical practices overseas. | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's press release entitled New international coalition launched to end violence against women and girls globally, published on 2… | Answered |
| 09 Mar 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes in gender and conflict advisory capacity on the ability of the Integrated Security F… | Answered |
| 03 Mar 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of (i) Official Development Assistance allocations to peacekeeping and multilater… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which organisations will replace Healthwatch Dudley; and how health and social care will be monitored in Dudley borough. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department made of the potential impact of the level of conflict prevention on UK national security when determining the of the multi-year level of funding for the UK Integrate… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will set out the basis for determining the funding level of the UK Integrated Security Fund multi-year allocations for (a) conflict prevention and (b) Women, Peace and Security, including th… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Culture, Media and Sport | To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking in the context of the University of Sheffield’s findings that gambling advertisements during the 2022 FIFA World Cup significantly influenced be… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing train leasing companies into public ownership, including to achieve a fair price for leasing rolling stock. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the projected level of loss of UK soft power in the Western Balkans in the next five years. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Cabinet Office | To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Integrated Security Fund will deliver programmes through contracting and pre-qualified partners during 2026 to 2029; and whether he plans to amend the UK Integrated Security Fund's… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select Committee on the Armed Forces BillSelect | Member | Commons | 09 Feb 2026 | present |
| Foreign Affairs CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 16 Dec 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 | 171 | 29,336 | 13.8% |
| Accommodation | 12 | 18,538 | 8.7% |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 3,060 | 1.4% |
| Staffing | 2 | 157,127 | 73.9% |
| Dependant Travel | 0 | 49 | 0.0% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 1,621 | 0.8% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 2,753 | 1.3% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 8 | 16,325 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 12 | 9,427 |
| Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Office Costs | 3 | 7,255 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 23 | 6,280 |
| Removals | Miscellaneous | 1 | 3,060 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 3,000 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 13 | 2,517 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 4 | 2,213 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 95 | 1,815 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 4 | 672 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 6 | 395 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 5 | 275 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 May 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 15 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,000 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -755 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -1,000 | Paid |
| 26 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Signage - Shopfront constituency office [200011803-356] | 2,550 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | AVANTI FITTED KITCHENS [200011725-6411] | 4,700 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Business rates | HTTPS://WWW.DUDLEY.GOV [200011725-6410] | 98 | Paid |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Repayment of 90047851 | 0 | Repaid |
| 14 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Repayment of 90047139 | 0 | Repaid |
| 11 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Rent | 2,440 | Paid |
| 09 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Software & applications | KAPWING PRO PLAN [200011725-4544] [200011804-84] | 14 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 1,000 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 750 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 120 | Paid |
| 04 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 27 | Paid |
| 01 Mar 2025 | Staffing Recruitment Services &Costs | INDEED [***] [200011725-1961] | 36 | Paid |
| 27 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 332 | Paid |
| 19 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Business cards | 42 | Paid |
| 19 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 2 | Paid |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 156 | 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.
4. Visits outside the UK1 entry
06 Jan 2026
Name of donor: Doha Forum
Address of donor: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Almirqab Tower, West Bay, Doha, Qatar
Estimate of the probable value (or amount of any donation): Flights (£5,581), food and accommodation (£404), value £5,985
Destination of visit: Qatar (Doha)
Dates of visit: 5 December 2025 to 8 December 2025
Purpose of visit: To participate in the Doha Forum 2025 on regional diplomacy and dialogue. Included meetings with Qatari ministers, ministers from other countries and key multilateral partners to discuss efforts to resolve regional conflicts. This visit is relevant to my role as a member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
(Registered 16 December 2025)
8. Miscellaneous3 entries
02 Dec 2025
Member, Halesowen Abbey Trust Board. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 18 November 2025)
02 Dec 2025
Member, Rowley Regis Town Board. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 18 November 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Trustee of The Birmingham Settlement. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 15 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 4 wards, 10 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cradley Heath Old Hill | Vicki Smith | Labour Party | 1,340 | 02 May 2024 |
| Cradley North Wollescote | Ethan Brian Stafford | Liberal Democrats | 1,049 | 02 May 2024 |
| Cradley North Wollescote | Kash Khan | Liberal Democrats | 1,120 | 02 May 2024 |
| Cradley North Wollescote | Ryan Ashley Priest | Liberal Democrats | 1,627 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hayley Green Cradley South | Andrea Goddard | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,638 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hayley Green Cradley South | Bex Collins | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,483 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hayley Green Cradley South | Ian James Bevan | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,599 | 02 May 2024 |
| Quarry Bank Dudley Wood | Ashley Smith | Labour Party | 1,039 | 02 May 2024 |
| Quarry Bank Dudley Wood | Jackie Cowell | Labour Party | 1,190 | 02 May 2024 |
| Quarry Bank Dudley Wood | Luke Hamblett | Labour Party | 1,062 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 90,592 | Electorate 68,549 (2024) |
| Median age | 41 | years |
| Degree-educated | 25.1% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 81.8% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 66.5% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.4% | households |
| Social-rented | 18.8% | households |
| Employment rate | 55.5% | 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.