North East Hertfordshire / data
Chris Hinchliff · Labour Party · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
440
of 504 possible
Attendance
87%
64 absent / paired
Whip alignment
97%
vs party majority
Speeches
248
93 debates
Written Qs
165
158 answered
Committees
1
memberships
Expenses
£175k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 150 claims
Interests
2
1 category
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 77 | |
| Taxation | 76 | |
| Employment | 48 | |
| Crime & Policing | 42 | |
| Education | 38 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 30 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 27 | |
| Housing | 23 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Local Government | 27 | 12,328 |
| Environment | 22 | 10,911 |
| Housing | 17 | 10,396 |
| Agriculture | 7 | 4,856 |
| Fiscal Policy | 10 | 3,850 |
| Economy Jobs | 20 | 3,082 |
| Cost Of Living | 14 | 2,580 |
| Social Care | 16 | 2,467 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2026 | Draft Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025MPs voted on new regulations expanding the Public Order Act 2023 to criminalise interference with key national infrastructure, such as energ… | Rebelled | No |
| 09 Jul 2025 | Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill: Third ReadingMPs voted on whether to pass the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill at its final stage in the Commons. The Bill makes c… | Rebelled | No |
| 09 Jul 2025 | Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 38Vote on Amendment 38 to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which would have provided greater certainty and protect… | Rebelled | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Alternative Measures to GDPOn the point about statistics and what GDP measures, I ask the Minister to take away the issue of imputed rent. A fairly strange part of GDP, it measures hypothetical rent on the v… Economy JobsEnvironmentSocial Care | 72 |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Alternative Measures to GDPWould the hon. Lady add to her list a request that the Minister consider a formal target to cut inequality in this country? We will never grow our way to a good life for all our ci… Economy JobsEnvironmentSocial Care | 57 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Social Housing Standards22. What steps he is taking to improve standards for social housing. HousingLocal Government | 12 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | SEND Provision and ReformWill the Minister give way? EducationSocial CareLocal Government | 5 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | Social Housing StandardsMore social housing is essential but, as Members across the House will know, increasingly distant housing associations are often far too quick to put up fees and far too slow to ta… HousingLocal Government | 60 |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Foreign Financial Influence and Interference: UK PoliticsI welcome this statement. The public must have confidence that political decisions are made in their interests, not those of wealthy donors. Nowhere is that more important than in … Fiscal PolicyDefenceTechnology | 85 |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Topical QuestionsThere are widespread concerns that we are way off our national biodiversity targets. Does the Minister agree that there must be no further backward steps on environmental protectio… AgricultureEnvironmentUtilities | 38 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Rural RoadsI guessed that others would raise the issue of potholes and poor safety today, so I want to make another point about the state of our rural roads. To put it bluntly, they are filth… TransportLocal GovernmentEconomy Jobs | 162 |
| 17 Mar 2026 | Child Maintenance ServiceI thank the Minister for setting the scene. Would he reflect back to the House that, notwithstanding what he has said, there is a clear pattern of a lack of reliable communication,… Social CareCost Of LivingCrime | 76 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1750)DEFRA recently published a review of the implementation of the planning protections afforded to ancient woodland in the NPPF and found that, “Almost half of applications were appro… | 160 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1750)My questions relate primarily to planning policy protection. I will focus on you, Dr Weatherall, but if other members of the panel want to come in please feel free. We recently had… | 109 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1750)Thank you. Coming straight back to you, Mr Tubby, I think for many people in this country, the iconic image in our mind of the ancient woodland may well be Wistman’s wood—one of ou… | 99 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1750)Would anyone else on the panel like to comment on the changes in planning policy and whether they will put any additional ancient woodland at risk? | 26 |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1750)That is good to hear. This is in the context of planning policy, which has experienced quite significant upheaval—some might say deregulation. Do you have any concerns that the cha… | 40 |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Environmental Audit Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1749)Secretary of State, I have a philosophical question. Given that you came into your current role from a previous role in the Treasury, I thought it would be interesting to know whet… | 101 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 32 | 19.4% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 21 | 12.7% |
| Department of Health and Social Care | 21 | 12.7% |
| Department for Transport | 14 | 8.5% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 13 | 7.9% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 11 | 6.7% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 11 | 6.7% |
| Treasury | 10 | 6.1% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026 to question 106695, what discussions she has had Natural England on restricting access to Sites of Special Scientific Interest,… | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if a Special Representative for important trees will be appointed to champion them at a political level, as recommended in the Government-sponsored Tree Council report,… | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to question UIN 123866, if he will provide an update on the delivery of the Government's cross-department nature strategy. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on which date was Natural England first notified of organised criminal activity in Hoads Wood Special Site of Scientific Interest. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the England Tree Action Plan will include a new legal protection and designation system for (a) important and (b) heritage trees. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of fly tipping have been recorded on the public forest estate in each of the last 10 years. | Pending |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the England Tree Action Plan will review and improve the scope and effectiveness of Tree Preservation Orders. | Pending |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to create a duty on housing associations to house homeless households. | Answered |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a duty on housing associations to house homeless households. | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when rollout of new Fracture Liaison Services will begin in areas without provision. | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2025 to question 97320, when her Department will publish its cross-government nature strategy; and for what reason it was not publi… | Answered |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her department expects to be able to publish the fully updated data and mapping for Agricultural Land Classifications in England. | Answered |
| 12 Mar 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support the chemical industry. | 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 she is taking to meet the nature targets set out in the Environment Act 2021. | Answered |
| 23 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of early and accurate dementia diagnosis; and if he will commit to an 18-week referral to treatment target for d… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Audit CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 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 | 122 | 24,928 | 14.3% |
| Accommodation | 9 | 14,820 | 8.5% |
| Staffing | 10 | 133,262 | 76.2% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 1,148 | 0.7% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 688 | 0.4% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 7 | 14,430 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 26 | 6,408 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 34 | 5,376 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 1 | 4,557 |
| Training - staff | Staffing | 8 | 2,662 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 8 | 2,319 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 2,300 |
| Service charge & ground Rent | Office Costs | 3 | 1,862 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 13 | 1,396 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 6 | 1,369 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 2 | 390 |
| Training - MP | Office Costs | 1 | 321 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Aug 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - installation & equipment purchase | Landline | -389 | Paid |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | LYRECO UK LTD [200011803-222] | 93 | Paid |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Electricity | 82 | Paid |
| 14 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Utilities | Water | 34 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Professional & consultancy | 4,557 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -270 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Training - MP | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 28 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Training, team strategy day | 321 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 219 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Maintenance, Redecorations & Repairs | Handyman services for constituency office | 120 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Service charge & ground Rent | LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY [200011725-9346] | 868 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Internet | 42 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Computer, laptop, PC, tablet & accessories | 9 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Office furniture | 238 | 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.
8. Miscellaneous2 entries
03 Feb 2026
I was elected as an Officer of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG), a formally constituted group within the Labour Party focused on rural policy development and advocacy. This is an unpaid role. As an Officer, I am involved in the direction of the group and contribute to its work and engagements.
Date interest arose: 12 January 2026
(Registered 27 January 2026)
17 Sept 2025
Vice Chair of the Climate and Nature Crisis Caucus. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 15 July 2025
(Registered 8 September 2025)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 11 wards, 18 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldock West | Alistair Willoughby | Labour Party | 1,002 | 02 May 2024 |
| Baldock West | Emma Rowe | Labour Party | 960 | 02 May 2024 |
| Baldock West | Michael Muir | Conservative and Unionist Party | 847 | 02 May 2024 |
| Braughing Standon | Frankie Woolf | Conservative and Unionist Party | 541 | 04 May 2023 |
| Braughing Standon | Stan Bull | Conservative and Unionist Party | 646 | 04 May 2023 |
| Buntingford | David Rupert Woollcombe | Green Party of England and Wales | 978 | 04 May 2023 |
| Buntingford | Sue Nicholls | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,055 | 04 May 2023 |
| Buntingford | Vicky Burt | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,151 | 04 May 2023 |
| Great Ashby | Laura Williams | Labour Party | 520 | 02 May 2024 |
| Great Ashby | Vijaiya 'VJ' Poopalasingham | Labour Party | 546 | 02 May 2024 |
| Hertford Rural | Bob Deering | Conservative and Unionist Party | 474 | 04 May 2023 |
| Letchworth Norton | Daniel Allen | Labour Party | 794 | 02 May 2024 |
| Letchworth Norton | Tina Bhartwas | Labour Party | 665 | 02 May 2024 |
| Little Hadham The Pelhams | Geoffrey Alan Williamson | Conservative and Unionist Party | 428 | 04 May 2023 |
| The Mundens | Aubrey Holt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 436 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ware Rural | David Andrews | Conservative and Unionist Party | 318 | 04 May 2023 |
| Watton At Stone | Joe Daniel Thomas | Liberal Democrats | 689 | 04 May 2023 |
| Weston Sandon | Steve Jarvis | Liberal Democrats | 540 | 02 May 2024 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 101,274 | Electorate 77,697 (2024) |
| Median age | 43 | years |
| Degree-educated | 37.4% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 90.9% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 67.8% | households |
| Private-rented | 13.1% | households |
| Social-rented | 19.1% | households |
| Employment rate | 61.0% | 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.