Contributions
205 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Farming: Financial SustainabilityI will be honest: I had quite a different speech prepared for today, but I have scrapped a lot of it following today’s statement. When it comes to farming, we have heard all sorts…24 Jun 2026HANSARD Farming Road Map and Profitability ReviewWhat steps is the Secretary of State taking now to help farmers manage the impact of this extreme heatwave on food production and prices for consumers in Yeovil? What steps are we…24 Jun 2026HANSARD Role of Big Tech in SocietyI thank the right hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) for securing the debate. It goes without saying that big tech companies, like everyone else, should pay their fair…23 Jun 2026HANSARD Role of Big Tech in SocietyI totally agree with my hon. Friend. Will the Minister set out the steps that the Government are taking with big tech and the Financial Conduct Authority to crack down on…23 Jun 2026HANSARDSteel TariffsFrom Yeovil’s cutting-edge defence manufacturers to Thorn Wood Forge, which makes hand-crafted tools in Hinton Saint George, businesses in my constituency need steel that is…17 Jun 2026HANSARD Rural Pubs: Fiscal SupportThe concerns about taxes that the hon. Member is raising have really affected Jack, the owner of the Ye Olde Poppe Inn in Tatworth, and Buddy, the owner of the Flying Fish. Does…17 Jun 2026HANSARD Abuse of Customer-facing WorkersThe staff at St Michael’s Co-operative in Yeovil have reported to the police more than 100 incidents of shoplifting a week, but the police presence still is not forthcoming. Do…17 Jun 2026HANSARD Mental Health: Parity of EsteemSome residents in rural Somerset have said to me that they are waiting 18 months to receive talking therapies. That is just not good enough.17 Jun 2026HANSARD Mental Health: Parity of EsteemTragically, my constituent’s husband, John, took his own life in 2021 after a mental health crisis while in the care of NHS mental health services. Does the hon. Member agree that…17 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity HospitalsI have had loads of emails from staff who were worried that Crewkerne community hospital was shutting down, because the communication from local NHS leaders has not been good…16 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI completely agree with the hon. Member on that point. We have seen that in my constituency and others in Somerset: one place will be on a higher rate, and another place will be…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryLike me, the hon. Member represents a rural constituency. Does he agree that this issue affects us a lot worse in rural areas? We do not have universities close by to train…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI beg to move, That this House is concerned about NHS dentistry; notes that over a quarter of a million people have signed a petition calling for urgent action to save NHS…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryThere is always a dig like that from the Labour Benches. Look, that was back in 2010. I was 18 at the time—I turned 34 on Saturday. Things have changed. The hon. Gentleman’s…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI agree with the hon. Member, and I will come on to that issue later. During covid, people missed appointments, and then got completely taken off the dental list. One local…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI will move on, but if the Minister could remember to address that question later, it would be most helpful. On urgent care, we Liberal Democrats would go further by introducing a…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryIt is late; I will be quick, so that we can all go home, brush our teeth and get some sleep. I thank everyone for their contributions to the debate, my co-sponsors —the hon.…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI totally agree with the hon. Gentleman, my constituency neighbour. I will come on to contracting later, but he is completely right on that point. Dentists in my area are asking…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI totally agree with the hon. Member, and I will come on to that point later. I hope the Minister can clarify my point about broadening the definition of “urgent” dental…15 Jun 2026HANSARDNHS DentistryI thank the Minister for all his replies to my questions. Can he give me a timescale for when the contract will change? He also mentioned to the hon. Member for Bridgwater (Sir…15 Jun 2026