Business of the House
Aphra Brandreth Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank my hon. Friend for using his own experiences to highlight the important issue of homelessness. I join him in wishing well everyone taking part—including my hon. Friend himself—in the forthcoming Snooze in the South Stand event. He is right: we have to tackle the root causes of homelessness. We have put more money into tackling homelessness, we are ending no-fault evictions and we are absolutely committed to one of the biggest house building programmes, including in social and affordable housing, that this country has ever seen.
Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)
I add my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House. As of today, while ultrafast broadband is available in Chester, only 19% of premises have access. Villages in my constituency that are within a few miles of Chester city centre, such as Waverton, Littleton, Christleton and Rowton, have an average download speed of just 10 megabits per second, as against the UK average of 69.4 megabits per second. These villages did not qualify for Project Gigabit, as they were classed as urban rather than rural, despite being in the countryside, and they are outside the boundaries of the city of Chester, so are not included in urban-focused projects. Would the Leader of the House consider providing an opportunity for the issue to be properly addressed in the House in the form of a debate on broadband speeds in rural areas?
Lucy Powell
The hon. Lady is absolutely right that the roll-out of fast, full-fibre and gigabit broadband has been too slow, especially in rural areas such as those in her constituency, which sound like they are between urban and rural. This Government are committed to that roll- out by 2030, but I will absolutely ensure that she gets an update on what is happening in her constituency.
Business of the House
Aphra Brandreth Excerpts(7 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue, which I know will be important to her constituents in South East Cornwall. I understand that there will be a final decision by the Transport Secretary once the inspector produces their report. I will of course ensure that the Transport Secretary comes to this House to tell my hon. Friend about that decision.
Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)
Just two months ago, Paul Reeves, a well respected farmer and agricultural business owner in my constituency, took his own life. Sadly, his story is all too common, with the many challenges that the industry often faces contributing to poor mental health. Farming families like Paul’s are the bedrock of our country. Without them, we simply could not function, and when they are struggling we must support them. In Paul’s memory, may we have a debate on improving mental health in our farming and agricultural communities?
Lucy Powell
I am really sorry to hear about Paul Reeves, and I send the condolences of the whole House to his family and friends. The hon. Lady raises the subject of the mental health of our farming community, and many Members across the House will relate to what she said. That community does an amazing job to keep this country fed and well cared for, and to support nature, among many other things. That issue would make a good topic for a debate, which would be a popular one.