Speeches by Dyke.

“My hon. Friend is telling the heartwarming story of her constituent. Two constituents of mine, Liz and Steve from Wincanton, have recently become the special guardians for their grandchild. They faced a long-drawn-out process as a result of the delays to the adoption and special guardianship support fund, and they have…”

“My hon. Friend, as a veterinarian, will know that farmers also suffer with significant mental health issues. My constituents are under immense pressure following the family farm tax and the sudden closure of the sustainable farming incentive. Alongside that, they work extremely long hours, and the unpredictability of f…”

“This closure follows today’s no-notice closure of the special care baby unit and maternity unit at Yeovil district hospital, and comes amidst a crisis in our health services. I take the opportunity to thank the hundreds of NHS volunteers in Glastonbury and Somerton, who give millions of volunteer hours to the NHS, but …”

“Somerset is home to many growing defence sector SMEs, such as Needles and Pins Aerospace in Somerton, which will shortly be opening a new factory in the town. It has been a supplier of bespoke support equipment to Leonardo helicopters for many years. What support is the Minister providing to SMEs such as Needles and Pi…”

“My hon. Friend makes a really good point. Those are, indeed, the unintended consequences we will see if the scheme is rolled out in its current form. I am really worried about how this will impact the independent pubs in my constituency such as the Etsome Arms in Somerton, which prides itself on celebrating brilliant l…”

“I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this important debate. In Somerset we have a huge number of libraries, and a recent independent review cited Somerset libraries as examples of excellence nationally. In community-managed libraries such as Castle Cary, links to carers’ groups have been established. Does he agre…”

“My hon. Friend is right: Somerset council operates many mobile libraries across the county, which provide a lifeline to rural villages in Glastonbury and Somerton such as Penselwood, Beercrocombe, Norton-sub-Hamdon, and Baltonsborough, to name a few. The cost of delivering library services has increased, and the recent…”

“My hon. Friend was probably going on to say that most carers have no idea that they have accidentally been overpaid carer’s allowance. Unpaid carers are doing such a remarkable job. I have been contacted by many in Glastonbury and Somerton who deserve our support. They are facing extreme financial hardship. Does she ag…”

“A constituent of mine who lives in Glastonbury told me that she cares for her 95-year-old mum who needs constant assistance. She is concerned because not only is she having to spend more time with her as time goes on, but she has lost her winter fuel allowance and respite care is out of her reach. Does my hon. Friend a…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer, and to speak on behalf of the Liberal Democrats on this important issue. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rotherham (Sarah Champion) on securing the debate. It is right that the Government are taking action to make manufacturing and packaging more sustaina…”

“On that, what discussions have you had with DEFRA and the Pensions Regulator on safeguarding staff pensions to avoid any derogatory effects on their pensions?”

“Sir Adrian, Thames Water announced an eight-year turnaround plan in March 2021 under the previous chief executive, Sarah Bentley. In June 2023, Sarah resigned suddenly, reporting conflicts with shareholders. In December 2023, the then interim CEO, Alastair Cochran, informed the previous Committee they had refocused on …”

“There are the six priorities that you are delivering around health and safety, pollution, customer complaints, water quality leakage, and supply interruptions. Chris, how would you judge the performance against those measures that you have put in place over the period so far?”

“Please do, yes.”

“I think we would agree, as you are suggesting, that you are making solid progress—as a report showed recently—in those critical areas of performance. An article in the Financial Times said that Thames came dangerously close to running out of water supplies in the hot summer of 2022. This year is already proving to be v…”

“How is that looking going forward, given that we will see an increase in demand as climate change takes effect? What are you doing to future-proof that supply?”

“What would that impact be and how will you mitigate it?”

“Going forward.”

“Okay. How confident are you that staff pensions are going to be protected in the case that Thames were to go into special administration?”

“You have previously confirmed your commitment to attracting and retaining good staff, but there has been considerable concern about the future of Thames Water staff pension, which is 12,000 members and is currently facing a £119 million deficit as at the end of March. Worryingly, in 2023 Thames Water proposed charging …”