Contributions
753 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRural AffairsI congratulate the hon. Members who made their maiden speeches earlier. I thought they were all excellent, although I obviously take issue with anyone who does not think that…11 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)Fair funding for rural authorities, and indeed all local authorities, is something I have talked about many times in this House, and I absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman on…05 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)I am just about to conclude, so I will carry on. I was about to talk about farmers and the concerning differences between DEFRA and the Treasury on the number of farms that will…05 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. The point that we are trying to make is that some of the Budget measures will cost extra money. If we look at the detail on the…05 Nov 2024HANSARDIncome Tax (Charge)I declare an interest as a vice-president of the Local Government Association. I welcome the shadow Secretary of State to his place. He responded to my first Adjournment debate on…05 Nov 2024HANSARD Budget: Implications for Farming CommunitiesOne of many emails I have received in the past week is from a farmer who has an archetypal family farm of 330 acres of mixed dairy and arable that they are planning on passing on…04 Nov 2024HANSARD NHS Winter ReadinessI thank you, Sir Roger, the Minister, the shadow Minister, all my Liberal Democrat colleagues and the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for coming to this debate on a very…30 Oct 2024HANSARDEngagementsQ14. The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt hospital in Oswestry, in my constituency, is home to the veterans’ orthopaedic service, which is by far the largest provider of veterans’…30 Oct 2024HANSARD NHS Winter ReadinessI beg to move, That this House has considered NHS readiness for winter 2024-25. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Roger, and I am grateful to have secured a…30 Oct 2024HANSARDEngagementsQ11. Shropshire’s farmers have been suffering from flooding following 18 months of incredibly wet weather, topped off last Wednesday by a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours. They…23 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareThat is a really important point. A lot of people in my constituency have contacted me for help with drugs—for example, to deal with ADHD. People need to be able to access…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareI beg to move, That this House regrets that the NHS has been plunged into crisis by years of neglect by the previous Government, leaving far too many people waiting weeks to see a…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareThat is an important point. In my constituency, carers who go to pick up prescription medicines are finding that the pharmacists are not there because they are relying on locums.…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareMy hon. Friend is entirely right. I believe that the Government are taking steps to address that, but he has made an important point about the need for flexible GP funding. A…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareNo, I will make some progress. People do much better if they have access to continuity of care, but 8,000 more GPs are needed to deliver the rights that we laid out in our…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareFlexibility of contracting is critical, and learning from best practice elsewhere in the country will help to address the problem. I want to highlight how silly it is that people…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareI will make some progress now, if that is okay, because I am conscious that lots of people want to get in and make full speeches. We have called for a guarantee for urgent and…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareI thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. That is an important point and I apologise for not making it in my speech. Optometry is really important, and as somebody who…16 Oct 2024HANSARD Access to Primary HealthcareOther opticians are available, but I did! The Liberal Democrat manifesto suggested solutions to these problems, and they have been well received, as I mentioned before. We have a…16 Oct 2024HANSARDPatient Waiting TimesMy constituent Mel Lycett has terminal cancer. After repeated visits to her GP, she was referred to a two-week urgent pathway in May. She was not diagnosed until the end of July,…15 Oct 2024