Contributions
565 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDArmed Forces 2030 Recruitment Target: WomenA balanced workforce in the armed forces is good for British defence, but women still face a raft of challenges, making it harder to attract and retain female talent. What steps…10 Feb 2025HANSARDArmed Forces 2030 Recruitment Target: Women14. What progress his Department has made on achieving a 30% inflow of women into the armed forces by 2030.10 Feb 2025HANSARDInheritance Tax Relief: FarmsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Many in the industry feel that that figure is a vast underestimate, with inflation likely to bring yet more farms over the threshold within the…10 Feb 2025HANSARDInheritance Tax Relief: FarmsI thank my hon. Friend for a very well made point, and farming is indeed often multigenerational. This is putting huge stress on farming families. I myself am from a farming…10 Feb 2025HANSARDViolence against Women and Girls: Prosecution RatesI have had many victims of domestic abuse write to me, following lengthy periods of inaction from the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and other organisations, which have…06 Feb 2025HANSARD Business of the HouseNext week is Mind Your Head week, which aims to raise awareness of mental health challenges facing the farming community. The theme this year is “positivity, resilience, and…06 Feb 2025HANSARDFlood Preparedness ProjectsYet another wet winter across Somerset highlights the need for the Government to urgently deliver solutions to mitigate the impact of flooding on farmland and protect domestic…06 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasThe Butleigh village shop in my constituency of Glastonbury and Somerton will shut its doors for the final time and the post office alongside it will go, leaving the constituents…05 Feb 2025HANSARDLocal Government FinanceI start by drawing Members’ attention to my role as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rural services. The APPG is very concerned about the impact this settlement…05 Feb 2025HANSARD English Devolution and Local GovernmentDisappointingly, the Heart of Wessex devolution deal was not included in the priority programme, despite the region being well placed to support the Government’s growth objectives…05 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasI thank my hon. Friend for giving way so early in his speech. The Overt Locke is an independent family-run retailer that has been trading in Somerton for more than 100 years but…05 Feb 2025HANSARDApprenticeshipsI thank the hon. Gentleman for securing this important debate at the start of National Apprenticeships Week. Apprenticeships are particularly important in rural areas such as…04 Feb 2025HANSARD Six Nations Rugby Championship: Viewing AccessI thank the hon. Gentleman for securing this really important debate. According to a recent study by CHoosing Active Role Models to INspire Girls, only 28% of 14-year-olds were…04 Feb 2025HANSARDPeople with Disabilities and Long-term Health Conditions: Work SupportPeople living with disabilities in rural areas such as Glastonbury and Somerton face many barriers to finding work, including lack of opportunities, poor transport and high…03 Feb 2025HANSARDClimate and Nature BillMy hon. Friend is making a powerful speech, and I congratulate her on bringing forward this important legislation. Like many farms in Glastonbury and Somerton, Camel Hill farm’s…24 Jan 2025HANSARD Business of the HouseAmbulance crews strive every day to provide the very best care for their patients, but ambulances are not arriving to the most serious emergencies quickly enough. An 89-year-old…23 Jan 2025HANSARD High Streets: Autumn Budget 2024Many rural town centres in Glastonbury and Somerton, and the businesses within them, are really worried about business rates. Will the Minister consider implementing a fundamental…23 Jan 2025HANSARD High Streets: Autumn Budget 2024Responding to my small business survey, a local business in Street said that high employer national insurance contributions is one of the major challenges and that it could force…23 Jan 2025HANSARD Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs: OBR CostingI have heard from many farming businesses across Glastonbury and Somerton over the last few months, but one farm in Hurcot near Somerton recently wrote to me to describe the…23 Jan 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsT6. More than 170 tonnes of illegal meat products have been seized at the port of Dover since 2022. Given the biosecurity threat posed by African swine fever and foot and mouth…23 Jan 2025