Speeches by Dyke.

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mrs Barker. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot (Martin Wrigley) on securing this debate and on his excellent and knowledgeable speech. I also point to the important intervention made by my hon. Friend the Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Fo…”

“Last week, 50 mm of intense rain fell across large parts of Somerset and exacerbated the already saturated ground, with a major incident declared on Tuesday. With more unsettled weather in the forecast and high spring tides imminent, residents have told me that they are worried they could be facing a repeat of the deva…”

“Yesterday, I hosted the Farm Safety Foundation in Parliament to launch the ninth year of its Mind Your Head Week campaign. Although there has been progress in talking about mental health in farming, we lose too many people to suicide every year. That must change. Can we have a debate in Government time on suicide preve…”

“In November last year, Henstridge post office closed, leaving a rural village without a vital service. Luckily, local resident Barry is working with the Post Office to reopen the facility as soon as possible. Does my hon. Friend agree that, following last year’s Green Paper, the Government must now commit to rural-proo…”

“T2. The need for increased defence spending is clear, but the growing uncertainty over the future of the new medium helicopter contract has left Leonardo in the lurch, over a year after the company was left as the only tender. It is putting our national defence readiness, and the jobs of hundreds of my constituents in …”

“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and I thank Mr Carter for all his amazing work to support the financing of these important rescue centres. Many people across the country do exactly the same thing. Despite having the best intentions, some establishments take on too many animals or animals they do not ha…”

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

“It is an honour to serve with you in the Chair this evening, Sir Alec. I thank the Petitions Committee for enabling this debate, and the 201 petitioners from Glastonbury and Somerton. For many years, the UK has enjoyed the reputation of being a nation of animal lovers, with over half of us owning a pet. Indeed, I am ow…”

“Reducing the number of police forces to 12 mega-forces risks rural forces once more being neglected and under-resourced. Since 2023, the cost of rural crime has tripled year on year, while Avon and Somerset’s rural crime team is vastly under-resourced, leaving communities throughout Glastonbury and Somerton feeling fru…”

“There are more than 8,000 WASPI women across Glastonbury and Somerton, including Miriam from Martock, who has lost a staggering £50,000 because of the maladministration of state pension ages changes. Because she was unable to work, she was forced to sell her home and live on released capital; now, aged 70, she has rejo…”

“I congratulate the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Sam Carling) on securing this important debate, and I thank the Backbench Business Committee for finding time for the debate to proceed. The UK agricultural sector experienced an enormous shift on leaving the European Union. There was simply no plan in place…”

“I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. The impact on coastal communities is even more severe and economically damaging. The House will know that fishing waters in Cornwall, including in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George), have been greatly affected by pollution, with many forced to cl…”

“Let me return briefly to Somerset—this is relevant, Madam Deputy Speaker. The European eel was once a key part of the county’s identity. It was so abundant that it even served as the local currency, and it was the most economically significant part of Somerset’s fishing sector. The presence of this keystone species is …”

“I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) on securing this important debate and on his powerful speech. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for finding the time for today’s debate. The UK’s fishing industry is central to our national economy. It contributes more than £1…”

“Somerset underwent local government reorganisation during the last Parliament, with an independent report citing that the Conservative administration’s business case was marked by poor decision making, while its reckless decision to freeze council tax for six years has seen over £330 million in lost revenue. What steps…”

“I thank the hon. Member for securing this important debate. Somerset is more often known for its cider production, but I have a brilliant, multi-award winning winemaker, Smith & Evans, based in Aller on the Somerset levels. As he rightly points out, sales of UK wine are increasing, but there are difficulties, such …”

“Although some proposals in this White Paper are welcome, it does not go far enough to guarantee the promised fundamental reforms. Record sewage spills of over 45,000 hours were recorded in Glastonbury and Somerton last year. The public are left in the dark as the Government refuse to record the true scale of the volume…”

“We have already said that farmers and growers need fair dealings within the supply chain to survive and thrive. Food resilience should be recognised as a public good. The review recognises the power imbalance between producers and the rest of the supply chain. The resilience of the food system depends on securing criti…”

“Good morning, Minette. Thank you very much. Going a bit further on dairy, an awful lot of butter and cheese has come through from Australia and America over the last few months. That has obviously pushed the price down significantly, because there is an oversupply now, and many dairy farmers are selling for way less th…”

“Thank you. Lastly, climate change is already one of the biggest factors undermining profitability in farming. It is not going to go away; it is going to get worse. There is little or no mention in the report of the need to move away from conventional farming practices, which, as we know, exacerbate some elements of thi…”