Contributions
377 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Police Grant ReportThe 2026-27 settlement delivers a cash increase nationally but once again fails to address the structural unfairness faced by rural forces such as Dorset. It does not properly…11 Feb 2026HANSARD Police Grant ReportI thank the right hon. Gentleman for saving me from the indignity of not being intervened on by him during this debate. I agree that local police forces need to be local, and that…11 Feb 2026HANSARD New Medium Helicopter ProgrammeI thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for giving way. He will know that many people who work at the Leonardo site live in West Dorset and commute. The company is…11 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportI beg to move, That this House has considered the Independent Water Commission Final Report. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting the debate, and my co-sponsors…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportWe as the Liberal Democrats always try to be a constructive Opposition, so I absolutely will identify where the White Paper makes steps in the right direction. I hope that the…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportI 100% share the hon. Lady’s concerns that water companies will exploit this moment in time. The public are calling out for firmer action, so the speed of the transition is vital.…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the issues in his constituency. At a time when people are paying higher and higher water bills, there is understandably a sense of…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportThe hon. Member is absolutely right. I shall come on to some of the recommendations that we believe are necessary to make it more than just a reset in name only. Let me start with…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportMy hon. Friend works tirelessly on River Lim issues. I agree there are essential works throughout the system that need to be done if we are to reduce sewage release, but we need…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportDuring my speech, I will outline some such recommendations. This is a good opportunity to thank Surfers Against Sewage for all its hard work. Like my hon. Friend, I use the app…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportThe hon. Member is right to highlight the work of Feargal Sharkey and the many campaigners around the UK who give up their free time to raise awareness of the issues in their…10 Feb 2026HANSARDIndependent Water Commission: Final ReportThank you, Sir Jeremy, for your excellent chairing of this debate. I thank all hon. Members who have spoken today—too many to name in the time that I have. It is clear that…10 Feb 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsFollowing Storm Chandra, vast swathes of West Dorset are under water. An amber warning is in place, and we are expecting more flooding. Whole villages have become islands.…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Eleventh sitting)It is a pleasure to speak under your chairship, Mr Western. I wanted to speak briefly in support of new clause 52, which, as the hon. Member for South West Devon indicated, was…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move amendment 254, in clause 64, page 36, line 14, at end insert “and the higher amount does not hinder progress against the Rail freight target set out in section 17.”05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. It will escape no one that, in the absence of my hon. Friend the Member for Didcot and Wantage, I have been left with…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)I heard what the Minister and the Opposition spokesperson said but, because of my long-standing and passionate support for freight targets in the context of charging regimes, I…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)I beg to move amendment 203, in clause 68, page 38, line 35, leave out subsections (6) and (7). This amendment, along with Amendments 204 and 205, strengthens the role of the ORR,…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)Amendments 203 to 205 were tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Didcot and Wantage. The clause gives the Secretary of State extensive powers to intervene and, ultimately,…05 Feb 2026HANSARDRailways Bill (Twelfth sitting)I listened to the Minister’s points. I think that the Liberal Democrats have been adamant throughout scrutiny of the Bill that we want to establish clear lines between the ORR,…05 Feb 2026