Speeches by Dillon.

“I congratulate the hon. Lady on securing this debate. Will she join me in congratulating Newbury Road Club, Newbury Velo and West Berkshire Spokes, which organised a glow ride in October last year as part of Cycling UK’s “My ride. Our right” campaign? If we had segregated cycle lanes, it would help to improve all cycli…”

“If temporary accommodation is increasing and you are not using B&Bs, you only have so many properties to be able to source from. Are you finding that you are having to source higher-quality properties to house people in because you have already used all the low-hanging fruit, so to speak?”

“I welcome the introduction of this draft Bill and, as a member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, I look forward to scrutinising it. I wonder whether the Minister will make available to the Committee evidence around the peppercorn rent and the 40-year requirement. I suspect is to do with invest…”

“I am seeing a lot of nods, so I do not think there is any dissenting opinion.”

“I was one of 100 MPs who signed a cross-party letter calling on the Government to take action for WASPI women. Such is the strength of feeling in my constituency that I am regularly contacted about this issue. In the Government’s determination, are they planning to consult with the Women Against State Pension Inequalit…”

“5. What recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of compensating 1950s-born women affected by the maladministration of state pension age changes.”

“I do add my congratulations to the council. This debate pulls out the local innovations that are taking place, which the Government can hopefully consider rolling out to a national platform. I am conscious of time and of other hon. Members who wish to contribute, but it is important to thank the BHS, the British Horser…”

“Thank you for that guidance, Mr Dowd. I will move on. I want to talk about some excellent examples of best practice that are already in place. In Leicestershire and Rutland, the rural policing team, alongside Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, have been delivering the “Virtual Insanity Experience” through the Haza…”

“rose—”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered horse and rider road safety. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I am pleased to have secured this debate and grateful for the opportunity to raise an issue that has, for far too long, not received the attention it deserves. It is a timely debate as …”

“I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. The Forestry Commission looks after our forests. They should be open for us to be able to enjoy, and the Forestry Commission should work with all relevant groups to make open access as easy as possible. The road safety strategy also announces the establishment of a new road…”

“I agree that body-worn cameras can help to produce evidence to bring drivers to account when they are causing horses or people to suffer injury or death. Fifty-eight horses lost their lives in 2024 and a further 97 were injured.”

“The hierarchy of vulnerability introduced in 2022 is important in establishing who are the most vulnerable on our roads, but the highway code could go further and say “must” go at 10 mph rather than “should”. Last September, I introduced the Road Traffic (Horse and Rider Safety) Bill. Through that presentation Bill, I …”

“My hon. Friend makes a key contribution with that intervention: it is that holistic approach to all road traffic management systems that people need to be aware of. It is vital that young drivers understand how to drive safely on our rural roads and how to behave when encountering animals. Alongside that, I urge the Go…”

“My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. Councils are responsible for maintaining bridleways, but unfortunately their funding has been cut over numerous years and they do not have the money to do so. That forces more riders to use the roads because other routes are not available. Indeed, I was contacted this morning by…”

“I absolutely do, and I will come to that later in my speech and also highlight some of the good work happening in police forces across the country on driver awareness, once drivers have been caught going too close to a horse. Turning to my own constituency, in Lambourn the horseracing industry contributes over £22 mill…”

“I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, which shows that this is not a party political issue; rather, it is about the safety of riders. I am sure that the Minister, too, will take the hon. Lady’s views onboard. I welcome the commitment to publish the national guidance on road safety education training and publicity…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention, and I ask him to pass on my best wishes to his constituent. That shows why the debate is so important, because this is a daily reality on our national highways. Behind all the figures we talk about, there is a rider, a family and a community affected by trauma and loss. I wa…”

“Are you confident you will be able to deliver these new towns in light of that potential opposition?”

“In a functioning market.”