Commons
Westminster Hall
4 June 2025
2 contributions
Business Rates Relief: High-street Businesses
April’s retail, hospitality and leisure relief reduction left Samantha, a shopkeeper from Langport in my constituency, with a £2,000 business rates bill, on top of a £5,000 bill, despite the fact that she was potentially eligible for exemption. She consequently faces losing her shop. When I spoke to…
As my hon. Friend alluded to, the previous Conservative administration in Somerset was a disaster; indeed, it oversaw an irresponsible record six-year freeze on council tax. Does he agree that the Liberal Democrats in Somerset are now delivering a successfully run administration after a very difficu…
Commons
Debate
3 June 2025
3 contributions
Yeovil Hospital: Maternity Unit
I thank the Minister and my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) for allowing me to speak, and I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. The closure of Yeovil special baby unit and maternity unit has shocked many of my residents across Glastonbury and Somerton, as it did m…
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that the impact is not just within the county, but causes a huge knock-on effect on wider services.
The decision is a damning indictment of how our health services have been treated, and how they have been run into the ground following the Conservatives’ regul…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Debate
3 June 2025
2 contributions
Dementia Care
My hon. Friend reminds me of a conversation that I had with William, a constituent from High Ham who has been caring for his wife, who has had Alzheimer’s for many years. He has relied on the intensive dementia support team in Yeovil, but the service has recently been reorganised. As a result, it ha…
My hon. Friend shares his experience of losing his father. I lost my father in the same way, and he too was a proud farming man. I want to raise an issue from a constituent who contacted me about her father James. He is currently alone in a room in a hospital, and he is scared to mix with other viol…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2025
2 contributions
Groceries Code Adjudicator
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I congratulate the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Sir John Hayes) on securing this important debate.
The number of English farms has fallen by nearly a quarter in 20 years, with dairy farms, which are highly promi…
Will the Minister give way?
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2025
Leasehold Reform
I have been working with some residents in Cavalier Way in Wincanton. They contributed £40,000 annually to Plymouth Block Management, their previous leasehold management company, which did not complete any repairs and deposited no reserves as it was transferred to the new company. The residents now …
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 June 2025
Animal Welfare in Farming
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair today, Sir John. I congratulate the hon. Member for Waveney Valley (Adrian Ramsay) on securing this important debate. It is also a pleasure to speak on behalf of the Liberal Democrats.
Glastonbury and Somerton is synonymous with farming. I have spoken…
Commons
Oral Questions
3 June 2025
Reoffending: Young Offenders
Somerset Youth Justice Service recently got a “requires improvement” rating from His Majesty’s inspectorate of probation. The situation is clearly damaging young offenders’ chances of rehabilitation, so what steps is the Department taking to improve SYJS and support young offenders in Somerset?
Commons
Debate
2 June 2025
Strategic Defence Review
Leonardo, based just outside my constituency, has been left as the sole bidder for a major defence contract worth up to £1 billion. The project could contribute more than 12,000 jobs to the UK supply chain, including 1,500 skilled jobs, some of which would be in Glastonbury and Somerton. Can the Sec…
Commons
Oral Questions
Home Department
2 June 2025
Vehicle Nuisance
Off-road bikes are often used illegally across private farmland, causing damage to crops, spooking animals and leaving farmers feeling scared and vulnerable. While the Crime and Policing Bill includes a provision to make it easier for the police to seize vehicles associated with antisocial behaviour…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
22 May 2025
Business of the House
The recent no-notice closure of the special care baby unit and maternity unit at Yeovil district hospital has shocked residents across Glastonbury and Somerton. A soon-to-be first-time dad from Martock told me:
“We are now left in this limbo state as the local NHS trust takes care of its poor manag…
Commons
Oral Questions
22 May 2025
Topical Questions
Somerset is home to some iconic film locations such as Glastonbury Tor, which featured in “The Kid Who Would Be King”; Montacute House, which featured in “Wolf Hall” and “Sense and Sensibility”; and Wells, where “Hot Fuzz” was filmed. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that the film industr…
Commons
Debate
21 May 2025
4 contributions
Business and the Economy
My hon. Friend is right: there is no doubt that the Government have a really difficult job to clear up the mess left by the Conservative Government, but there have been far too many erroneous decisions and policy disasters already. For example, Matthew from North Brewham has run his small business f…
Excuse me, Madam Deputy Speaker. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need a fundamental overhaul of the harmful business rates system so that small businesses in rural areas can survive and succeed?
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
21 May 2025
Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural Areas
My hon. Friend talks about rural businesses. Ollie, a constituent of mine in Glastonbury and Somerton, works in video editing and depends on fast and symmetrical broadband to be able to transfer his files, but his rural community is reliant on outdated copper infrastructure that severely restricts t…
Commons
Westminster Hall
20 May 2025
Adoption and Kinship Placements
My hon. Friend is telling the heartwarming story of her constituent. Two constituents of mine, Liz and Steve from Wincanton, have recently become the special guardians for their grandchild. They faced a long-drawn-out process as a result of the delays to the adoption and special guardianship support…
Commons
Debate
19 May 2025
Mental Health Bill [Lords]
My hon. Friend, as a veterinarian, will know that farmers also suffer with significant mental health issues. My constituents are under immense pressure following the family farm tax and the sudden closure of the sustainable farming incentive. Alongside that, they work extremely long hours, and the u…
Commons
Proceedings
19 May 2025
NHS and Care Volunteer Responders Service
This closure follows today’s no-notice closure of the special care baby unit and maternity unit at Yeovil district hospital, and comes amidst a crisis in our health services. I take the opportunity to thank the hundreds of NHS volunteers in Glastonbury and Somerton, who give millions of volunteer ho…
Commons
Oral Questions
Defence
19 May 2025
Defence Procurement: SMEs
Somerset is home to many growing defence sector SMEs, such as Needles and Pins Aerospace in Somerton, which will shortly be opening a new factory in the town. It has been a supplier of bespoke support equipment to Leonardo helicopters for many years. What support is the Minister providing to SMEs su…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 May 2025
2 contributions
Carer’s Leave
A constituent of mine who lives in Glastonbury told me that she cares for her 95-year-old mum who needs constant assistance. She is concerned because not only is she having to spend more time with her as time goes on, but she has lost her winter fuel allowance and respite care is out of her reach. D…
My hon. Friend was probably going on to say that most carers have no idea that they have accidentally been overpaid carer’s allowance. Unpaid carers are doing such a remarkable job. I have been contacted by many in Glastonbury and Somerton who deserve our support. They are facing extreme financial h…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 May 2025
2 contributions
Glass Packaging: Extended Producer Responsibility
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer, and to speak on behalf of the Liberal Democrats on this important issue. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) on securing the debate.
It is right that the Government are taking action to make manufacturing and pa…
My hon. Friend makes a really good point. Those are, indeed, the unintended consequences we will see if the scheme is rolled out in its current form.
I am really worried about how this will impact the independent pubs in my constituency such as the Etsome Arms in Somerton, which prides itself on ce…
Commons
Westminster Hall
14 May 2025
2 contributions
Future of Public Libraries
I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this important debate. In Somerset we have a huge number of libraries, and a recent independent review cited Somerset libraries as examples of excellence nationally. In community-managed libraries such as Castle Cary, links to carers’ groups have been estab…
My hon. Friend is right: Somerset council operates many mobile libraries across the county, which provide a lifeline to rural villages in Glastonbury and Somerton such as Penselwood, Beercrocombe, Norton-sub-Hamdon, and Baltonsborough, to name a few. The cost of delivering library services has incre…
Commons
Proceedings
13 May 2025
UK-EU Summit
The previous Conservative Government undermined farmers and our rural economy with a botched trade deal with Australia and New Zealand. Indeed, the former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs slammed it by saying
“the UK gave away far too much for far too little”. —[ Official …
Commons
Westminster Hall
13 May 2025
Flooding: Planning and Developer Responsibilities
I must contest my hon. Friend’s suggestion that he represents the wettest part of the country. Somerset is always at the forefront of flooding. Part of my constituency lies in the levels and moors site of special scientific interest. The area is increasingly threatened by inappropriate planning appl…
Commons
Ministerial Statement
8 May 2025
Trade Negotiations
Despite the reassurances from the Minister, many farmers in Glastonbury and Somerton will feel really anxious about being thrown under a bus yet again as a result of this trade deal, especially after the trade deals agreed by former Conservative Governments with Australia and New Zealand, which unde…
Commons
Oral Questions
8 May 2025
Water Sector Reform: Consultation
By 2050 we will need more than 4,000 additional megalitres of water a day, with rising temperatures resulting in a fivefold increase in drought risk. That is concerning news for farmers in Glastonbury and Somerton, given the necessity of water for livestock and crops. What steps is the Secretary of …
Commons
Westminster Hall
8 May 2025
3 contributions
Small Abattoirs
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the potential merits of Government support for small abattoirs.
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for scheduling this important debate.
The abattoir industry is at crisis point. In 2023, ju…
I absolutely agree. Reducing food miles is essential, along with carbon sequestration. Small farmers who supply local markets are doing sterling work by reducing food miles.
At Down Land abattoir, Luke is struggling to keep up with demand, for so many reasons. Recruitment is an issue and so is rete…
+1 more contribution in this session