Contributions
154 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Child Poverty and No Recourse to Public FundsIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. I congratulate the hon. Member for Sheffield Hallam (Olivia Blake) on securing this important debate—it is also clearly…11 Jun 2025HANSARD Yeovil Hospital: Maternity UnitMy hon. Friend mentions the Somerset NHS foundation trust, which made a decision recently to reduce the number of beds and associated staff at Frome community hospital. Does he…03 Jun 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI have not seen that research by The Observer , but it is interesting. I live in a town in my constituency and I have poor mobile coverage. I am sure it is not uncommon to find…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI thank my hon. Friend; there are a couple of interesting points there. The number of people affected may be relatively low, but they can be concentrated in one area, and it is…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI have met the Minister before, which I will come on to. I know there is a plan, about which I have some specific questions. I totally agree that this is a nationwide challenge.…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI beg to move, That this House has considered broadband and mobile connectivity in rural areas. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. I represent the…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasThat is an extremely good point; perhaps the Minister will be able to address it in his response. In today’s hyperconnected world, no community should be excluded. We speak of…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that those issues hold back rural economies. I am sure there are some interesting statistics on how much more growth—which is the…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasI agree with my hon. Friend; when I moved into my house in Frome recently, I was told that only one broadband provider was available, because all the other cabinets were full.…21 May 2025HANSARD Broadband and Mobile Connectivity: Rural AreasThat does sound very unfortunate. I know of villages in my constituency where vouchers have been applied for and received, but it is taking so long to get internet coverage that…21 May 2025HANSARDFuture of Public LibrariesI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. The risk with mobile libraries is that, in terms of numbers, they may not necessarily have as much footfall as a static library, but they…14 May 2025HANSARDFuture of Public LibrariesIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Jonathan Davies) for securing this debate. I want to talk about the future of…14 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I rise to speak to new clause 13, but the Liberal Democrats also support Opposition new clauses 27, 32, 96 and 98, which are grouped with it. We want to amend the Equipment Theft…08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. The new clause would require the Secretary of State to establish a rural crime taskforce, which is a long overdue step in…08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I want to come back on some of the questions asked by the Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for Stockton West. He asked about the resources that would be required to…08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)New clauses 15 and 16 are vital in ensuring robust neighbourhood policing across England and Wales. New clause 15 mandates the Government to publish proposals within six months to…08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)The shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Stockton West, made a couple of points. The first related to who would set the levels of neighbourhood policing under the new clause. Our…08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.08 May 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill (Fourteenth sitting)New clause 17 addresses the critical issue of pollution performance by water and sewerage companies, and is essential to ensuring accountability and protecting our environment.…08 May 2025