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Once upon a time, it would not have been necessary for a Secretary of State for farming to come to the House to say that the primary purpose of farming was food production. The central recommendation of Minette Batters’ report was to make food security a national strategic priority. Does...
Once upon a time, it would not have been necessary for a Secretary of State for farming to come to the House to say that the primary purpose of farming was food production. The central recommendation of Minette Batters’ report was to make food security a national strategic priority. Does...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken a recent review of the security and defence of the Falkland Islands; and what steps he plans to take to improve the adequacy of the preparedness of the UK to defend them.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken a recent review of the security and defence of the Falkland Islands; and what steps he plans to take to improve the adequacy of the preparedness of the UK to defend them.
The United Kingdom’s position on the Falkland Islands is long‑standing - sovereignty rests with the UK, and the Islanders’ right of self‑determination is paramount.
As the Strategic Defence Review set out, a core role for Defence is the protection of the UK’s overseas territories, which includes maintaining a defensive military posture in the Falkland Islands consisting of air, land and maritime forces.
We review that posture regularly to ensure it reflects all relevant developments. I am confident that our current military presence is at the appropriate level to ensure the defence of the Islands.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with rural and coastal self-catering and tourism businesses in Torridge on promoting the sector.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with rural and coastal self-catering and tourism businesses in Torridge on promoting the sector.
DCMS recognises the vital contribution that tourism and self-catering businesses make to the UK economy, particularly in rural and coastal constituencies such as Torridge.
DCMS regularly engages with representatives from across the tourism sector, including those operating in rural and coastal areas, to understand their specific priorities and to support the continued growth of the visitor economy. A few weeks ago I was pleased to participate in a roundtable at Crealy’s Theme Park with representatives from the visitor economy in Devon, hosted by the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions, where we discussed how the government can work with the industry to grow the sector.
DCMS also works closely with VisitBritain, VisitEngland, and Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), including the Devon LVEP, to ensure that the unique challenges and opportunities of coastal and rural tourism are reflected in national policy. We remain committed to working in partnership with the industry to promote the UK’s diverse tourism offering and to ensure that areas like Devon continue to thrive as world-class destinations.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that rural and coastal self‑catering and tourism businesses in Devon are adequately supported in the context of (a) increased business rates, (b) rising energy costs, and (c) increased wage and National Insurance...
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that rural and coastal self‑catering and tourism businesses in Devon are adequately supported in the context of (a) increased business rates, (b) rising energy costs, and (c) increased wage and National Insurance...
DCMS recognises the vital contribution that rural and coastal self-catering and tourism businesses make to the economy of Devon.
On business rates, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills following the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year.
The Government has also protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by more than doubling the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change in 2025/26.
We are also continuing to develop policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the non-domestic sector and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make low carbon heat the economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses.
DCMS and VisitBritain are actively working to boost visitor numbers and extend the tourism season for coastal and rural operators. The ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign uses the UK’s film and television heritage to drive international visitors into rural destinations, increasing the profile of areas where many self-catering businesses are located.
The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will cement these measures, providing a long term plan to increase visitor flows, maximise sector value, and deliver sustainable growth for our coastal and rural communities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussion she has had with Natural England and the Environment Agency to enable Catchment Sensitive Farming teams in Devon and Cornwall to process applications expeditiously.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussion she has had with Natural England and the Environment Agency to enable Catchment Sensitive Farming teams in Devon and Cornwall to process applications expeditiously.
Following the closure of the 2025 Environmental Land Management Capital Grant, Catchment Sensitive Farming have worked with farmers and land managers to prepare for the 2026 Capital Grants round. Catchment Sensitive Farming advice is very popular and there is the need to prioritise advice and support visits for those who have already requested one. This means Catchment Sensitive Farming are now focusing efforts on those who have already requested a visit to support 24 items in the 2026 Capital Grant offer. Once the offer opens in July Catchment Sensitive Farming will start accepting new requests for advisory visits.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the number of Catchment Sensitive Farming grant applications in Devon and Cornwall applied for in 2025 that are still to be processed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the number of Catchment Sensitive Farming grant applications in Devon and Cornwall applied for in 2025 that are still to be processed.
Catchment Sensitive Farming acts as an advisory and endorsement route for relevant Farming Grants and includes Capital Grants and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier where applications have included specific items.
In the 2025 scheme year, the Rural Payments Agency received 271 Capital Grant and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications from farm businesses in Devon and Cornwall that required and had received Catchment Sensitive Farming support from Natural England. Of these, there are three applications that have not been offered an agreement as yet.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable and terminally ill residents in rural communities in Devon can rely on the provision of daily phlebotomy services within a reasonable travelling distance.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable and terminally ill residents in rural communities in Devon can rely on the provision of daily phlebotomy services within a reasonable travelling distance.
It is important that people have access to the services they need, and, especially for vulnerable and terminally ill patients, for them to be located in the community, where possible.
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs), such as the Devon and Torbay CDC in Torquay, and the Exeter Nightingale CDC, are supporting one of the Government’s top priorities for health, to shift care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home, and greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, whilst also reducing pressure on hospitals.
The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This money is allocated to systems for them to invest as locally determined.
Investment in diagnostic services, including phlebotomy, is delivered through CDCs and local commissioning arrangements. It is up to local systems to determine how investment supports clinic-based services and domiciliary provision.
In Devon, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH) operates community phlebotomy services across the county, including in rural areas. The service provides planned weekday blood tests across local community hospitals, such as Holsworthy Community Hospital and Torrington Hospital. RDUH provides a "Community Collect" service, while home visits for housebound patients can be arranged. Some general practices in Devon are also providing blood tests for patients, as required for a hospital purpose. Further information on the RDUH is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/services/acute-trust/royal-devon-university-healthcare-nhs-foundation-trust/RH8
Not just now.
I say to the House, in all conscience, that jury trial is precious. Why? It is precious because it unites all parts of the political spectrum. It is precious because it allows the people of this country to be directly engaged in the adjudication of guilt or innocence...
Not just now.
I say to the House, in all conscience, that jury trial is precious. Why? It is precious because it unites all parts of the political spectrum. It is precious because it allows the people of this country to be directly engaged in the adjudication of guilt or innocence...
I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman. Postmasters, postmistresses, postmen—those whose honesty and integrity are integral to their employment and who, for a breach of trust, would not receive three years’ imprisonment—would all be deprived of their jury trial, and at a time when the sharks and the vultures are...
I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman. Postmasters, postmistresses, postmen—those whose honesty and integrity are integral to their employment and who, for a breach of trust, would not receive three years’ imprisonment—would all be deprived of their jury trial, and at a time when the sharks and the vultures are...
No, I am not giving way. I am mindful of time and I must complete what I have to say.
This is a time when not just this House but the judiciary and the courts are under attack. The unprecedented attacks upon the judiciary and the legal profession are deplorable. Institutional...
No, I am not giving way. I am mindful of time and I must complete what I have to say.
This is a time when not just this House but the judiciary and the courts are under attack. The unprecedented attacks upon the judiciary and the legal profession are deplorable. Institutional...
I will not take interventions now, and certainly not if they are of the quality that we have had up till now.
The reality is that jury trial is the cornerstone of our justice system. Do away with it and we are in trouble. Let us look at the way in...
I will not take interventions now, and certainly not if they are of the quality that we have had up till now.
The reality is that jury trial is the cornerstone of our justice system. Do away with it and we are in trouble. Let us look at the way in...
No, I am not giving way. Let me make that clear now. I want to finish in a moment.
The reality is that jury trial is too precious a thing to lose. We are faced with a question of principle here. The savings that the Government claim will be made are...
No, I am not giving way. Let me make that clear now. I want to finish in a moment.
The reality is that jury trial is too precious a thing to lose. We are faced with a question of principle here. The savings that the Government claim will be made are...
The other logical absurdity is that, under the Government’s proposed reforms, somebody with a previous conviction may well go above the three-year threshold, so those who have a string of previous convictions will get a right to jury trial, but a person of good character will not.
The other logical absurdity is that, under the Government’s proposed reforms, somebody with a previous conviction may well go above the three-year threshold, so those who have a string of previous convictions will get a right to jury trial, but a person of good character will not.
I should declare an interest at the beginning. I am a member of the Bar—that is not uncommonly known—I still practise at the Bar, and I have the honour to be a criminal barrister and a member of the Criminal Bar Association. I have spent 44 years at the Bar....
I should declare an interest at the beginning. I am a member of the Bar—that is not uncommonly known—I still practise at the Bar, and I have the honour to be a criminal barrister and a member of the Criminal Bar Association. I have spent 44 years at the Bar....
Not just now, but I will come back to the hon. Member.
We in this House are engaged in ideological strife. Every day of our lives we are engaged in a political battle, and frankly, sometimes we do not always live up to the highest standards that even our own parties...
Not just now, but I will come back to the hon. Member.
We in this House are engaged in ideological strife. Every day of our lives we are engaged in a political battle, and frankly, sometimes we do not always live up to the highest standards that even our own parties...
Not now—later. I will.
I want to appeal to Labour Members. We are engaged in ideological strife. But in the Venn diagram that any society depends upon for the sustaining of sufficient points of common ground to keep a society together, jury trial is one of those that appear in a...
Not now—later. I will.
I want to appeal to Labour Members. We are engaged in ideological strife. But in the Venn diagram that any society depends upon for the sustaining of sufficient points of common ground to keep a society together, jury trial is one of those that appear in a...
I will give way to the hon. Member for Colchester (Pam Cox) first, if she can give me just two seconds. I want to develop this theme, because it is very important to me.
There are some things that have to be above politics. If there are not, we have no...
I will give way to the hon. Member for Colchester (Pam Cox) first, if she can give me just two seconds. I want to develop this theme, because it is very important to me.
There are some things that have to be above politics. If there are not, we have no...
I will give way to the hon. Member for Colchester first.
I will give way to the hon. Member for Colchester first.
There has always been a summary jurisdiction—invariably never for offences of dishonesty, and invariably never for offences that might lead to the destruction of the reputation of those who are facing it.
If one Member of this House, who must be disqualified if there is a sentence of imprisonment of more...
There has always been a summary jurisdiction—invariably never for offences of dishonesty, and invariably never for offences that might lead to the destruction of the reputation of those who are facing it.
If one Member of this House, who must be disqualified if there is a sentence of imprisonment of more...
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her timetable is for notifying local authorities of their multi‑year allocations for the Local Authority Bus Grants.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her timetable is for notifying local authorities of their multi‑year allocations for the Local Authority Bus Grants.
Multi-year allocations of the Local Authority Bus Grant allocations were published on GOV.UK on 5 December 2025.