Contributions
205 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Young Children’s Screen TimeAs someone who is dyslexic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, I used my phone quite a lot at school. I was also bullied quite badly, and my phone was a release.…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportLast year, bosses of Wessex Water received £50,000 in extra pay—more than many people in Yeovil earn in a year—from the parent company, while constituents in Ilminster report that…10 Feb 2026HANSARD Postal Services: Rural AreasRoyal Mail staff in my area tell me that, apart from having to focus on first-class post, a big cause of the delays is poor recruitment, which leads to unachievable workloads.…04 Feb 2026HANSARD Educational Outcomes: Disadvantaged Boys and Young MenAbout 90% of children in higher-income households can get a dyslexia diagnosis when needed, compared with only 43% in lower-income households. Does the hon. Member agree that not…03 Feb 2026HANSARDSupport for Defence SMEsDoes the Minister recognise that many small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector are supported by bigger defence firms? Companies such as Honeywell operate on the…02 Feb 2026HANSARD Defence Industry: Environmental, Social and Governance RequirementsDefence firms such as Leonardo in Yeovil are happy to invest in environmental and social products. Leonardo has invested heavily in Yeovil college and entertainment venues and is…28 Jan 2026HANSARDLocal Authority Children’s ServicesSomerset council tells me that providers of residential homes for children in care can charge as much as £8,000 to £15,000 per week for one child, because they know that the…28 Jan 2026HANSARD Business RatesMany business representatives who met me after the Budget, including Shaun who runs Lanes hotel, will welcome the decision to review the way in which hotels are valued, but their…27 Jan 2026HANSARD Rural Broadband: InstallationOne of my constituents runs a company that develops semiconductor technology, but the listed building he is in was recently removed from an Openreach fibre-to-the-premises plan.…27 Jan 2026HANSARD Consumer Energy Bills: Government SupportA constituent of mine was having energy retrofit work carried out by Consumer Energy Solutions under the energy company obligation 4 scheme, which seeks to lower heating costs.…27 Jan 2026HANSARD ADHD DiagnosisI completely agree. We have seen this issue across the board with lots of conditions, and I thank my hon. Friend for mentioning it. Higher diagnosis rates over recent years…20 Jan 2026HANSARD ADHD DiagnosisIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I declare interests as vice-chair of the ADHD all-party parliamentary group, and as someone with ADHD. I congratulate the…20 Jan 2026HANSARD Factored Energy Arrangements: PricingI thank the hon. Member for securing this debate. Business owner Gary Helliar, from Yeovil, signed an energy contract through a broker who convinced him that energy prices were…14 Jan 2026HANSARDAjax ProgrammeThe new medium helicopter contract has reportedly been delayed. We now risk losing the site at Yeovil if the contract is not awarded by March. Does my hon. Friend agree that such…14 Jan 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsAccess to mental health services in rural communities is a challenge when services are stretched and underfunded. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to improve access to…13 Jan 2026HANSARD Finance (No. 2) BillGareth, who runs the Cow & Apple in Yeovil, has told me that he feels that the assessments and consultations on how the proposals in the Finance (No. 2) Bill will impact the…13 Jan 2026HANSARD New Medium Helicopter ContractThank you again, Mr Speaker, for granting me this urgent question. I also thank the Minister for his response. Leonardo in Yeovil, the home of British helicopters since 1915, has…12 Jan 2026HANSARD New Medium Helicopter Contract(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the delays to the awarding of the new medium helicopter contract and the potential…12 Jan 2026HANSARD Therapeutic Play and Children’s HealthcarePlay therapy services in Yeovil that support adopted children and those in kinship care are struggling due to cuts to the adoption and special guardianship support fund. Services…06 Jan 2026HANSARD Railways BillToo many rural railway stations are not accessible for disabled people. Without support staff, constituents in Yeovil have had serious accidents at railway stations. Although the…09 Dec 2025