Wells & Mendip Hills / data
Tessa Munt · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
302
of 504 possible
Attendance
60%
202 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
665
121 debates
Written Qs
74
74 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£134k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 157 claims
Interests
6
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 63 | |
| Economy | 44 | |
| Education | 29 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 25 | |
| Employment | 24 | |
| Crime & Policing | 22 | |
| Pensions | 21 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 20 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Social Care | 30 | 18,005 |
| Crime | 32 | 16,093 |
| Local Government | 29 | 12,407 |
| Health | 29 | 11,000 |
| Economy Jobs | 32 | 6,571 |
| Education | 10 | 4,496 |
| Mp Performance | 10 | 3,672 |
| Environment | 5 | 2,514 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
No notable votes recorded for this MP yet.
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 2026 | EngagementsThe Prime Minister may be aware that in December, for the first time in over three decades, Defence Ministers met the families of those killed in the 1994 RAF Chinook crash on the … DefenceImmigrationEconomy Jobs | 192 |
| 16 Apr 2026 | Business of the HouseThe residents of Cheddar suffer the weekend misery of thoughtless, antisocial drivers who come from across the country to meet in Cheddar Gorge. Not all the drivers are careless, b… DefenceLocal GovernmentHealth | 122 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Regulation of the Marmalade MarketAt the end of October 2013, I led a debate on the regulation of jam, which caused a bit of a stir. It rightly warned of the end of the British breakfast as we know it. Thirteen yea… AgricultureCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 515 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Regulation of the Marmalade MarketI am trying so hard to avoid more references to Paddington, but you are quite right. AgricultureCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 16 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Regulation of the Marmalade MarketI partially agree with the hon. Gentleman, although if we were part of the EU, we might find ourselves in the position of being able to influence that a little more. He is right to… AgricultureCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 592 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Regulation of the Marmalade MarketI thank the Minister enormously for her explanation, and I am pleased that there is no intention to damage our trade in any way. We should boost trade of this well-known product wi… AgricultureCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 106 |
| 15 Apr 2026 | Regulation of the Marmalade MarketI apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. I acknowledge the commitment shown by the wife of the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) to marmalade. The critical thing is that … AgricultureCulture CommunityEconomy Jobs | 829 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)It is not going to stop, is it? There is no end point when you are going to go, “Okay, fine. Now we need this.” | 25 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)Sorry to interrupt you; why not? | 6 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)You would have had discussions with the Ministry of Justice about that. Is that an open door? | 17 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)What levers do you have to make up that 12%? | 10 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)I have to say, I have some sympathy with Sir Ashley’s view; you are not able to flex that muscle to make changes. It is surprising to find out that 12% of firms are clearly not com… | 74 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)On the subject of AI, do you feel you have the appropriate powers and competencies to regulate the new technologies and business models? | 23 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)If I return to my question, do you feel that the SRA has the powers and competencies that it needs to regulate new technologies? I can see that you are working on it, but do you fe… | 102 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Justice Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 1247)Thank you. I would now like to move to this: in its submission to the ongoing public bodies review of the LSB, the Legal Services Consumer Panel identified a number of consumer-fac… | 51 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 32 | 43.2% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 26 | 35.1% |
| Treasury | 4 | 5.4% |
| Cabinet Office | 3 | 4.1% |
| Department for Business and Trade | 3 | 4.1% |
| Ministry of Justice | 2 | 2.7% |
| Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 2 | 2.7% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 1 | 1.4% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Annex VII documents relating to consignments of end-of-life tyres were submitted to the Environment Agency’s enhanced verification procedure between 2nd Februar… | Answered |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her response of 12th February 2026 to question UIN 113530, how many of the 16 receiving sites that had failed to provide post-shipment Annex VII information h… | Answered |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her response of 25 February 2026 to question UIN 113530, what assessment she has made of the reasons that issues with Indian Customs and transport have… | Answered |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her response to Question UIN 106503 on 22nd January 2026, whether the regulations to remove the T8 exemption for the treatment of waste tyres have now been dr… | Answered |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her answer of 12th February 2026 to Question UIN 111664, how many of the 3,281 documents for which an Annex VII was submitted between 28th October 2025… | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Iran conflict on the a) UK aluminium import and export markets and b) aims of the Critical Minerals Strategy. | Answered |
| 25 Mar 2026 | Department for Business and Trade | To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact the European Commission’s plan to introduce new EU export trade measures on the UK’s aluminium recycling industry; and if he is seeki… | Answered |
| 19 Mar 2026 | Ministry of Justice | To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the countries who have agreed to receive nationals who have been convicted of an offence in the UK; and what the arrangements are with each of those countries on prisoners serving t… | Answered |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the context of the development of the Circular Economy Growth Plan, whether her Department holds data on (a) how many metric tonnes of recycled aluminium were imported into the UK in each of the la… | Answered |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the context of the development of the Circular Economy Growth Plan, whether her Department holds data on (a) how many metric tonnes of waste aluminium were exported from the UK for recycling in eac… | Answered |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many metric tonnes of aluminium were exported from the UK for recycling in each of the last five years; to which countries was that aluminium exported; in what quantities was it exported; and how… | Answered |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Treasury | To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many metric tonnes of processed aluminium were imported into the UK in each of last recorded five years; from which countries and in what quantities that processed aluminium was imported; and what… | Answered |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what clinical criteria are under consideration for determining eligibility for any nationally prescribed specialised service for severe or very severe ME. | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 12 February to Question 111664, how many individual receiving sites that have failed to supply the post-shipment Annex VII information re… | Answered |
| 20 Feb 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111664, how many individual receiving sites have failed to supply the required post-shipment Annex VII information… | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
| Justice CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Costs | 127 | 22,660 | 16.9% |
| Accommodation | 16 | 14,403 | 10.8% |
| Staffing | 5 | 93,109 | 69.6% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 3,220 | 2.4% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 315 | 0.2% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Accommodation | 6 | 10,939 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 63 | 5,878 |
| Bought-in services | Staffing | 3 | 5,328 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 21 | 4,975 |
| Pooled staffing services | Office Costs | 1 | 4,900 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 6 | 2,640 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 8 | 2,550 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 3 | 1,309 |
| Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Office Costs | 5 | 1,111 |
| Utilities | Office Costs | 5 | 712 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 2 | 440 |
| Council tax | Accommodation | 1 | 416 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Apr 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 10 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 425 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Staffing Bought-in services | Administrative services | 666 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 74 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -425 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Rent | Remove acc deposit from claim 60288053:1 | -2,653 | Paid |
| 30 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Computer, laptop, PC, tablet & accessories | 117 | Paid |
| 25 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | 143 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Service charge & ground Rent | Monthly service charge for constituency office | 60 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | -37 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Other office equipment | -98 | Paid |
| 23 Mar 2025 | Accommodation Utilities | Electricity | 24 | Paid |
| 21 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | postage fee paid for un stamped letter | 5 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 82 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 42 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Equipment - purchase | Banner March 2025 | 32 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 18 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 17 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
1. Employment and earnings2 entries
16 Aug 2024
Remuneration: £15,500 a year
From: 5 May 2017.
Hours: 15 hrs a week approximate
(Registered 4 August 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Role, work or services: Councillor
Payer: Somerset Council, County Hall, Taunton, Somerset
(Registered 4 August 2024)
6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year1 entry
16 Aug 2024
Type of land/property: Residential property (Flat)
Number of properties: 1
Location: Somerset
(Registered 4 August 2024)
8. Miscellaneous3 entries
03 Feb 2026
Vice Chair of WhistleblowersUK, a not for profit organisation. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 5 July 2024
(Registered 15 December 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 28 January 2026. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
03 Feb 2026
Director, Inaura School
Date interest arose: 5 July 2024
Date interest ended: 24 February 2025
(Registered 15 December 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 28 January 2026. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
16 Dec 2025
Director of WhistleblowersUK, a not for profit organisation
Date interest arose: 5 July 2024
(Registered 15 December 2025)
This is a late entry to which the rectification procedure was applied on 28 January 2026. Paragraph 51 of the Procedural Protocol in respect of the Code of Conduct refers.
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 13 wards, 23 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banwell Winscombe | Joe Tristram | Green Party of England and Wales | 934 | 04 May 2023 |
| Banwell Winscombe | Tom Nicholson | Green Party of England and Wales | 1,019 | 04 May 2023 |
| Blagdon Churchill | Patrick Keating | Liberal Democrats | 741 | 04 May 2023 |
| Brent | Bob Filmer | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,718 | 05 May 2022 |
| Brent | Tony Grimes | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,475 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cheddar | Ben Ferguson | Liberal Democrats | 1,185 | 05 May 2022 |
| Cheddar | Pauline Ann Ham | Liberal Democrats | 1,300 | 05 May 2022 |
| Congresbury Puxton | Dan Thomas | Green Party of England and Wales | 831 | 04 May 2023 |
| Huntspill | Mark Healey | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,289 | 05 May 2022 |
| Huntspill | Suria Aujla | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,218 | 05 May 2022 |
| King Alfred | Harry James Munt | Liberal Democrats | 1,641 | 05 May 2022 |
| King Alfred | Matt Martin | Liberal Democrats | 1,709 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mendip Hills | Edric Wayland Hobbs | Liberal Democrats | 1,450 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mendip Hills | Tony Robbins | Liberal Democrats | 1,375 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mendip South | Rob Reed | Liberal Democrats | 1,313 | 02 May 2024 |
| Mendip West | Heather Shearer | Liberal Democrats | 2,124 | 05 May 2022 |
| Mendip West | Ros Wyke | Liberal Democrats | 2,232 | 05 May 2022 |
| Shepton Mallet | Bente Height | Conservative and Unionist Party | 950 | 05 May 2022 |
| Shepton Mallet | Martin Lovell | Liberal Democrats | 1,196 | 05 May 2022 |
| Wells | Tessa Munt | Liberal Democrats | 2,507 | 05 May 2022 |
| Wells | Theo Butt Philip | Liberal Democrats | 2,047 | 05 May 2022 |
| Yatton | Steve Bridger | Independent Berwick Hills Resident | 1,339 | 04 May 2023 |
| Yatton | Wendy Hilda Griggs | Liberal Democrats | 1,212 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 85,507 | Electorate 73,538 (2024) |
| Median age | 49 | years |
| Degree-educated | 36.1% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 97.2% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 76.3% | households |
| Private-rented | 14.8% | households |
| Social-rented | 8.9% | households |
| Employment rate | 56.3% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.