Commons
Oral Questions
Housing, Communities and Local Government
12 January 2026
Topical Questions
Shropshire council had its funding cut in the local government finance settlement, despite needing exceptional financial support this year and a surge in demand for social care in the years to come that cannot be managed down by the council. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how to put Shropshire…
Commons
Debate
7 January 2026
Rural Communities
The local government finance settlement is a huge problem for rural local authorities. In Shropshire, we have had 16 years of Conservative mismanagement, we have a surging social care demand and our allocation has been cut in cash terms over the next three years. The black hole is unfillable and a s…
Commons
Debate
5 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
The psychological impact of the past 14 months has been profound in rural places like North Shropshire. At every primary school visit that I have made in the past 14 months, I have been asked by children as young as seven or eight to confirm that I oppose the family farm tax, because it is having a …
Commons
Ministerial Statement
17 December 2025
Local Government Finance
I know the Minister is aware that Shropshire council ran out of road this year, having been caught in a perfect storm of 16 years of Conservative mismanagement of the council, surging demand for social care and the failure of the previous Government to recognise the reality of delivering services in…
Commons
Proceedings
17 December 2025
Puberty Suppressants Trial
I hope that everyone in this House can agree that medical treatment should always follow the evidence on safety and effectiveness. It is right that expert clinicians are building this evidence base and therefore right that the Government are seeking to run this trial, because it should be led by evi…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 December 2025
Transgender People: Provision of Healthcare
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I thank the hon. Member for North Warwickshire and Bedworth (Rachel Taylor) for securing this important debate on healthcare for transgender people and the excellent opening speech she made.
As Liberal Democrats, we believe that everyone…
Commons
Debate
15 December 2025
NHS: Winter Preparedness
It is obvious already that this year is going to be very difficult for the NHS, with many A&E departments already overwhelmed, hospital wards full and too many patients looking at spending their Christmas on a corridor. Indeed, corridor care has been common throughout this year and even trusts t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
15 December 2025
Topical Questions
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt orthopaedic hospital in my constituency is home to a world-class veterans centre that provides not only excellent orthopaedic care but wraparound support to help veterans to continue their lives in civilian society. Will the Minister come to North Shropshire and meet …
Commons
Debate
9 December 2025
Railways Bill
In constituencies such as North Shropshire, where access to the railway is very poor indeed, we have initiatives for step-free access at Whitchurch station and to connect Oswestry, which is the second largest town in Shropshire but has no rail connection, to the line at Gobowen. Does my hon. Friend …
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
8 December 2025
Topical Questions
A lady came to my surgery the other week to tell me that she had been assessed at only the basic level of PIP and as fit to work. I was staggered, because she could barely walk and could barely breathe. Will the Minister meet me to see how we can rectify this crazy situation in which somebody who ca…
Commons
Proceedings
2 December 2025
4 contributions
Budget Resolutions
The NHS continues to face a historic crisis after years of mismanagement by the last Conservative Government. Their dire legacy is still felt across the country, with hospitals crumbling and dental deserts across England—not least in my constituency—as well as a mental health crisis and many people …
If the right hon. Gentleman had listened to our leader’s response to the Budget, he would understand that the Liberal Democrats do not propose to tax the British taxpayer further. We would sign a customs union deal with the EU and create £25 billion in extra tax revenue every year without going back…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
Topical Questions
Every MP will be aware of the huge value that unpaid carers add to the NHS, taking the pressure off paid carers while often under intolerable pressure themselves. We were therefore really pleased to hear the news this morning that thousands of unpaid carers will have their cases reviewed, after they…
Commons
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
Health Inequalities
The impact of health inequalities on women’s health are starkest when it comes to maternity care, with many NHS trusts requiring improvement. Black and Asian women, and those from the most deprived communities, are far more likely to suffer the worst outcomes or even lose their babies. The Royal Col…
Commons
Proceedings
24 November 2025
Ministerial Code
One potential breach of the ministerial code is the briefing to the papers, but not to this House, that the Government will pay a major increase to pharmaceutical companies, seemingly at the behest of Donald Trump. Can the Minister confirm today that people who are worried about their local health s…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
20 November 2025
Business of the House
My constituents are no strangers to flooding, whether that is from the Rivers Severn and Vyrnwy in villages such as Melverley or from surface water or inadequate infrastructure in Gobowen and Hadnall. The Environment Agency says that another 1,600 properties in my constituency will be vulnerable to …
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 November 2025
World COPD Day
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I start by congratulating the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who is a friend of all of us in this House, on securing this debate and raising awareness of World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day, which took place yesterd…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
17 November 2025
2 contributions
Rural Crime
4. What steps she is taking to tackle rural crime.
There is no doubt that my constituents are concerned by crimes such as equipment theft and wildlife crime, but they are also really worried about drug dealing taking place in broad daylight in parks, in our villages and in country lanes. Can the Minister tell us what the Government’s drug strategy i…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
13 November 2025
Business of the House
Sixteen years of Conservative mismanagement of Shropshire council combined with successive Governments’ failures to understand the needs of rural local authorities have left Shropshire council with a dire financial emergency and in need of exceptional financial support. The situation is critical. Ca…
Commons
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
2 contributions
Court Backlogs
7. What steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.
I thank the Minister for her answer. The situation she describes is similar to one that I am about to describe. A constituent of mine got in touch about a case of historical sexual abuse, which they bravely reported in 2018. After years of waiting, a trial date was set for this May, only for it to b…
Commons
Westminster Hall
11 November 2025
6 contributions
Rural Railway Stations: Step Free Access
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the matter of step free access at rural railway stations.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner.
In constituencies such as North Shropshire, access to public transport is poor. There are just three fully operational railway stat…
I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. She raises a good point because none of the stations in my constituency is staffed on a regular basis, which adds an extra dimension for people struggling with their mobility or carrying heavy items.
The nearest alternative stations in Shropshire are Pre…
+4 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
Cross-border Healthcare
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I also thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) for securing a debate that is really important along both the Welsh and Scottish borders.
It is always a pleasure to respond for the Liberal Democrats.…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Topical Questions
T6. I have been campaigning on service family accommodation since shortly after my election, so I welcome the Government’s commitment to improving it over the past few weeks. However, single living accommodation continues to be a considerable concern. There have recently been reports of rat infestat…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
Topical Questions
T5. The 25-year-old son of one of my constituents unfortunately lost his leg when it was amputated above the knee after a motorcycle accident, but he was awarded personal independence payment and a specially adapted car, and he has been able to rebuild his life. However, in August he was told that t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
2 contributions
Indexation of Pension Rights
16. What steps he is taking to help tackle the potential impact of the lack of indexation on pre-1997 pensionable service in defined benefit pension schemes on people affected.
I have been contacted by a constituent who, along with her husband, worked for Hewlett Packard. They accrued their pensions before 1997, and now, along with about 50,000 members of the Pre-97 Alliance, they are facing real financial hardship. In 10 years’ time, their pensions will be pretty much wor…
Commons
Proceedings
23 October 2025
Business of the House
A number of constituents have come to see me about adaptations made to their home under the ECO4 scheme, where an installer has received a grant from the Government—from the taxpayer—to hopefully improve the energy efficiency of their home, but what the homeowner has actually experienced is signific…