Speeches by Dyke.

“Thank you very much. Despite this, the Glastonbury water recycling centre spilled 94 times, polluting the Glastonbury mill stream and the River Brue for 1,267 hours last year. What kind of sewage monitoring system is being used at this site, and how can we stop this level of spills happening?”

“T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered ambulance service response times. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Jardine. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for scheduling this important debate. Unacceptable ambulance response times have become endemic in the UK, leaving people in pain and dist…”

“Women in rural areas often face additional barriers to their engagement in politics, at both local government and national Government levels. The reasons can vary: they may be social, cultural, structural, institutional, or often a perceived lack of knowledge. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, what steps is th…”

“I am sure you will appreciate, Madam Deputy Speaker, the importance of the cider industry to my constituency, which is home to many fantastic traditional cider makers: Burrow Hill cider, Bere cider, Hecks cider, Harry’s cider and Tricky cider, to name just a few. However, as we enter the spring blossom season, many ind…”

“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I will come to that point a little later. With the stark realities facing people in an emergency and the distressing sight of ambulances backed up at hospitals now commonplace, leaving my constituents in Glastonbury and Somerton in despair, it is time to properly address…”

“I thank all hon. Members for their contributions to this important debate. The examples that they raised highlight the urgent need to improve ambulance response times. It is just unacceptable that people cannot trust that when they need an ambulance, one will arrive. That is not fair on patients or on the incredible am…”

“You mentioned some areas we could work on to help prevent diseases coming into the country. Do you think Border Force should interact better with our European neighbours to tackle the flow of illegal meat products?”

“Do you think the 2 kg threshold for personal use is confusing and difficult to enforce, and that perhaps we should look at a zero tolerance scheme instead?”

“That intervention needs to come quicker; 18 months is too long. Having those conversations undoubtedly has a knock-on effect to veterinary professionals as well, because at the end of the day, you are not trained counsellors. What impact is it having on the veterinary workforce and how do you think we can mitigate it?”

“Sarah, turning to you, what assessment have you made of the merits of establishing an independent agency to manage bovine TB outbreaks?”

“Exactly. On that, do you feel the Farming Community Network has a sufficient amount of funding support to deal with the amount of demand you are experiencing?”

“Do you think Government across all its Departments are doing enough to support farmers’ mental health during disease outbreaks?”

“That is really interesting. The stats show that, from the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak, 73% of farmers in Somerset experienced depression and anxiety. If we are going to move forward into potentially another outbreak, do you have any stats around how farmers might deal with their mental health struggles? To me, we have…”

“Coming from a farming family myself, I know there is an element of stigma that is still involved, the proudness that the farming community has. There is also that difference of working in isolation. To have somebody they know who talks the same language as them is important, and the work your volunteers do makes such a…”

“Jude, coming to you first, I wanted to say a huge thank you for the work your organisation does to help support farmers and those involved in the industry, particularly the 400 volunteers you have. I have met with several volunteers in my constituency, Glastonbury and Somerton, and their compassion and resilience in th…”

“Thank you. Jenny, over to you. Is there anything you want to add?”

“Finally, what role do the Port Health Authorities play in intercepting non-compliant products of animal origin and deterring smugglers? And how could this be bolstered, given the issues that we have with the amount of meat that is now being imported into the country?”

“Do you think the legal deterrents that are in place at the moment are currently strong enough to deter illegal meat imports?”

“I note the Secretary of State is working with the Home Office on plans to seize and destroy vehicles used to smuggle meat. Do you think that alone will solve the problem?”