Commons
Westminster Hall
18 November 2025
Flood Risk and Flood Defence Infrastructure: North-west England
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Warrington South (Sarah Hall) for securing this important debate.
In recent years, communities across the north-west have repeatedly endured devastating flooding, most recently following Storm Éowyn, which bro…
Commons
Westminster Hall
18 November 2025
Land Use Change: Food Security
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Murrison. I thank the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton) for securing this important debate.
British farmers are the best in the world. They are the bastions of the countryside and our rural way of life, and the backbone of o…
Commons
Proceedings
17 November 2025
Illegal Waste: Organised Crime
Waste crime on an industrial scale is blighting rural communities across the country and costing the UK economy £1 billion a year. It has even been described as the “new narcotics” by a former chief executive of the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency needs the resources to both investigate t…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
17 November 2025
Violence against Women and Girls
My constituent Fiona from Milborne Port is a victim of historical rape. With recent reporting highlighting the vile attitudes of some in regard to historical rape victims, Fiona has told me that her confidence in the judicial system and the police has been well and truly knocked, and detectives have…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
5 November 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review
Food and farming are almost entirely missing from the national curriculum, leaving young people with limited understanding of where their food comes from, or awareness of career opportunities in agriculture and the food system. What plans does the Secretary of State have to embed agriculture, enviro…
Commons
Debate
4 November 2025
Supporting High Streets
The Loft bar in Street—a locally owned and run business—contributes so much to the social fabric of the town but has been crippled by business rates and rocketing utility and national insurance costs. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must support the hospitality sector, through the fundamental refo…
Commons
Oral Questions
4 November 2025
2 contributions
Agricultural and Business Property Relief: Impact on Farmers
10. If she will hold discussions with farming representatives on the potential impact of changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on farmers.
A Liberal Democrat freedom of information request revealed that the Treasury recently had plans to review the family farm tax. Farmers across the country are fed up with bickering and infighting from a Government who just do not understand them, but there is still time to act and end months of confu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
4 November 2025
Official Development Assistance Reductions
My hon. Friend speaks about security and education. A charity in my constituency, School in a Bag, based in Chilthorne Domer, has delivered 160,000 school bags filled with stationery to children all over the world, giving those who live in the most deprived circumstances the tools for an education a…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
3 November 2025
Defence Sector: Economic Growth
The south-west, as the Minister has already confirmed, is home to major military assets. The defence sector supports over 60,000 jobs in the region, including many in Glastonbury and Somerton. The area is uniquely positioned to drive forward the Government’s industrial strategy ambitions. What actio…
Commons
Debate
28 October 2025
Support for Disabled Veterans
John, who lives in Fivehead, lost his hearing due to inadequate ear protection on the practice firing range, and he receives compensation as a result. He has never claimed benefits. However, if he needs to apply for them in future, his compensation payments will disadvantage him. That is contrary to…
Commons
Oral Questions
Work and Pensions
27 October 2025
Topical Questions
T4. Only 30% of people with autism are in work, compared with nearly 55% of disabled people. Charlie, who is celebrating his 31st birthday on Saturday, lives in Baltonsborough with his parents, but like many young adults with autism, he has struggled to find employment. His mother, Jenny, told me ye…
Commons
Westminster Hall
27 October 2025
Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay
The current support for multiple birth families is inadequate. Samantha from Wincanton is a mother of twins, and after giving birth she received the same statutory maternity pay as a parent of one child, despite having to pay double for the cost of essential childcare equipment and so on. Does the h…
Commons
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister
22 October 2025
Engagements
Q13. Many in Glastonbury and Somerton are forced to travel hundreds of miles to see an NHS dentist or suffer in agony, fall into debt to pay for private treatment or turn to DIY dentistry, like Jennifer, who extracted two of her teeth over the weekend. They simply cannot wait for the consultation on…
Commons
Debate
15 October 2025
Jhoots Pharmacy
Jhoots Pharmacy has revealed the severe financial strain facing community pharmacies. The towns of Glastonbury and Bruton are home to fantastic independent pharmacies, continuing to serve their communities despite more than half of pharmacy owners losing money last year. How will the Government ensu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 October 2025
2 contributions
Tree Maintenance: Guidance to Local Authorities
I thank the right hon. Member for giving way and for securing this important debate. In addition to proper maintenance, which is essential—it is heartbreaking to hear the stories that she has outlined today—the current protection under tree preservation orders is inadequate and covers only a small s…
On tree canopy cover, I was lead member for environment and climate change at Somerset council when it was developing the tree strategy. The county is 8% tree canopy—way below the national average, which is about 13%. Obviously, increased canopy cover helps to reduce storm water run-off, prevent flo…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 October 2025
2 contributions
Community Helipads: Rural Access
I thank my hon. Friend for giving way and for securing this important debate. South Western Ambulance Service covers 10,000 square miles. However, due to the large rural areas in the region—different from, but similar to those in his constituency—the response times are three times slower than the NH…
I also want to celebrate and thank all ambulance crews, as well as everybody working in the NHS, for the brilliant work they do providing this service. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Since its first mission in 2000, the team has responded to 29,000 m…
Commons
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
Tackling Climate Change: International Co-operation
COP30 begins next month in Brazil. The UK must play a leading role on the world stage to tackle climate change. At home, however, Somerset council is hampered in its attempts to achieve net zero by an escalating financial crisis following the maladministration of its previous Conservative administra…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 October 2025
COP30: Food System Transformation
I thank my hon. Friend for securing this really important debate. She is absolutely right that we must support our farmers on food security and farm sustainability, but poor returns are threatening their viability right now. The dairy industry has contracted by 6% in the past year, and prices have d…
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 October 2025
4 contributions
Bovine Tuberculosis Control and Badger Culling
It is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stuart, and to speak in this important debate. I thank all the petitioners, including the 321 from Glastonbury and Somerton.
Having grown up on a dairy and beef farm, I am all too aware of the devastating impact that TB is capable of unleashing. I …
I wholeheartedly agree. The financial burden, and also the emotional burden, on farmers is devastating. We know the pressures our farmers are under already. With inheritance tax, the recent withdrawal of the sustainable farming incentive and the countryside stewardship scheme coming to an end this y…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 September 2025
London Fashion Week: Cultural Contribution
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this really important debate. Lynne Franks is a good friend of mine and a constituent, and she is also the creator of London Fashion Week. However, her impact does not end there. It is global, but also local. She is the founder of the SEED Hub in Wincanton,…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 September 2025
International Day of Democracy
The hon. Member mentioned young people. Last Friday, I met some A-level politics students at Huish Episcopi academy in my constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton and I was struck by the political enthusiasm of the young women in the classroom. However, we face an alarming rise of extreme misogyny t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
15 September 2025
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
It is an honour to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Huq, and a privilege to follow the powerful speech of the hon. Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft). I thank all the petitioners, including the 221 from Glastonbury and Somerton.
As vice-chair of the f40 group, which represents the worst-funded 43 local…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2025
Free-to-air Broadcasting: Cricket Participation
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms McVey. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) for securing this important debate and for his excellent speech. This summer has been a great one for British sport with the Lionesses’ success in the Euros, and I hope the Red…
Commons
Westminster Hall
9 September 2025
Neurodivergent People: Employment
It a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms McVey. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire (Charlotte Cane) for securing this important and timely debate and for her excellent speech.
As vice-chair of the f40 group, I know how vital fair funding is for education. Toda…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
8 September 2025
2 contributions
Women in the Armed Forces
4. Whether he plans to implement the outstanding recommendations of the second report of the Defence Committee of Session 2021-22, “Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life”, HC 154.
The Atherton report, published in 2021, surveyed 4,000 female service personnel and veterans. It revealed that 62% had been victims of bullying, discrimination, harassment or sexual assault during their service. Does the Minister recognise that at a time when we are expanding our armed forces, we mu…