Business of the House

Monica Harding Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating all those involved in the Brampton flood defence project, protecting their local community from flooding. I want to pay particular attention to the work of farmers in this regard. We have announced the largest programme tackling flooding in history, with £10.5 billion up to 2036 protecting 890,000 homes and businesses. I will ask the relevant Minister to give my hon. Friend an update and, if necessary, to update the House.

[Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)]

Despite wide agreement across the House in the debate on assisted dying that end-of-life care should be prioritised and resourced sufficiently, Princess Alice hospice in my constituency—one of the leading names in hospice care—has just announced that it must find £3.5 million of savings a year, which will see some of its services stopped completely or made smaller. Princess Alice provides care across Kingston, Richmond and much of Surrey, but NHS funding covers just 23% of its costs. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on the long-term sustainability of hospices given their importance to the House and, seemingly, to the Prime Minister?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The hon. Lady is right to raise not only the importance of hospices—we are grateful for the important work they do—but the challenges they face. The Government have provided support for hospices, but I accept that many still find it difficult. The answer in the longer term is to reform social care, and the Prime Minister is committed to doing that.