Contributions
219 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Seasonal Hospitality Businesses in Coastal AreasIt is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. I represent Exmoor, the northern edge of which runs along west Somerset to the coast. There, the visitor economy…03 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI shall come to just that point in a minute. This sounds strange now, but I am going to say it: take obesity, for example. One in three people in the UK are currently classified…02 Jun 2026HANSARDArmed Forces BillThe Bill makes great strides in Ministry of Defence housing standards, and the enshrinement of the covenant is to be lauded. However, I cannot help but feel that there is a sense…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI do not have time to go through the list of hon. Friends and hon. Members who have made fantastic contributions. Suffice it to say that there is only one negative aspect of this…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesThe hon. Member makes a good point, which I shall return to in due course. The community pharmacy network has had to absorb real-terms cuts of 30% in Government funding. For most…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI agree wholeheartedly. I want to turn to two issues that I consider to be the systemic failures underlying all others: workforce and integration. On workforce, the community…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI agree that a strategic approach is always best. The distances, the limited public transport and the dispersed nature of rural populations mean that the closure of a single…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI have had that discussion with the Minister, who reassured me that the Jhoots scenario has been at the front of his mind and he will seek to resolve it. There is also the…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI beg to move, That this House has considered the future of community pharmacies. It is always a pleasure to see the Minister in his place. I know how committed he is to his…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesI assure the hon. Lady that some of the most frustrating conversations I have are with my local ICBs. Properly resourced pharmacies could release a staggering 51 million primary…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesAs I said at the beginning, the Minister is a very hands-on Minister, and I am sure he finds every visit absolutely fascinating. The community pharmacy budget will increase by…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesOf course, I fully agree with my hon. Friend’s comments, and I laud her good work in her constituency. I urge the Government to commit to above-inflation funding increases year on…02 Jun 2026HANSARDCommunity PharmaciesAs a rural MP myself, I certainly have a grasp of what my hon. Friend addresses, and I shall come to that in a minute. Analysis conducted by the Independent Pharmacies Association…02 Jun 2026HANSARDFamily Court: Harassment of Domestic Abuse VictimsAbout one in 20 rural households experience some form of domestic abuse, although experts believe that this figure is significantly understated owing to chronic under-reporting.…19 May 2026HANSARDBacking Business to Create Economic GrowthLike me, my hon. Friend represents a very rural constituency, albeit not quite as beautiful as Tiverton and Minehead. I completely concur with her points about rural transport: it…18 May 2026HANSARD International Parental Child AbductionI thank the Minister for his inclusive and thorough response to some of the concerns raised today. I will certainly be writing to him on behalf of my constituent who is sitting…28 Apr 2026HANSARD International Parental Child AbductionI beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of international parental child abduction. It is a privilege to make my remarks under your very capable stewardship, Dr…28 Apr 2026HANSARDNational ResilienceNot long ago, a Russian-flagged ship anchored just two miles off the Minehead coast in my constituency, directly above critical transatlantic cables. Our adversaries are becoming…23 Apr 2026HANSARDNational Resilience11. What steps he is taking to improve national resilience.23 Apr 2026HANSARDSecurity VettingWe know that MI6’s finding last September that Mandelson had compromising business interests was accurate—I mentioned it myself on 15 September 2025. He failed his security…20 Apr 2026