Business and the Economy

Debate between Sarah Dyke and Nusrat Ghani

Wednesday 21st May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

My hon. Friend is right: there is no doubt that the Government have a really difficult job to clear up the mess left by the Conservative Government, but there have been far too many erroneous decisions and policy disasters already. For example, Matthew from North Brewham has run his small business for the last 28 years and is facing difficulties—

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. An intervention cannot have examples; it is short and to the point. What is the question?

[Sarah Dyke]

Excuse me, Madam Deputy Speaker. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need a fundamental overhaul of the harmful business rates system so that small businesses in rural areas can survive and succeed?

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Debate between Sarah Dyke and Nusrat Ghani

Wednesday 8th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

The hon. Lady mentions school breakfast. Child obesity is up by a third and diabetes is up by a fifth. Does she agree that, while free breakfast clubs are a great opportunity to ensure children are fed, we must also ensure that school meals are healthy and nutritious; and that, alongside the Bill, school food standards need to be updated in line with the most recent nutritional advice, making it clear that they apply to breakfast?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. We have a very long speaking list, so interventions must be short.

Flooding

Debate between Sarah Dyke and Nusrat Ghani

Monday 6th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. New Environment Agency modelling shows that one in four properties in England, including an additional 39,000 homes in the south-west, could be at risk of flooding by 2050.

Like many across Glastonbury and Somerton, I watch this happen in real time. Residents are on high alert, they are anxious and their mental health is suffering. Knole is a small hamlet between Langport and Somerton that previously never flooded, but last winter nine homes flooded every month. With just 40 houses in the hamlet, such incidents have a huge impact on the local community. One affected resident told me they had to watch the ingress of water through every wall in their house. Another said they were unable to return home until mid-summer after last year’s winter flooding. Their experiences and those of many residents across Somerset, and those set out in the national flood risk assessment, show that heavier rainfall and rising sea levels already threaten 2.4 million properties, so will the Minister commit to ensuring that agencies such as Natural England and the Environment Agency are properly funded to deal with flooding and future flooding?

Business of the House

Debate between Sarah Dyke and Nusrat Ghani

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I am not sure I will endorse fighting at the Dispatch Box.

[Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)]

Glastonbury and Somerton is home to wonderful cider, with producers including Tricky Cider in Langport, Harry’s Cider in Long Sutton and Burrow Hill Cider near Kingsbury Episcopi. Cider produces around £2 billion- worth of value for pubs each year, but damaging business rates are threatening the future of some pubs. Can we have a debate in Government time about the benefits of reforming business rates on pubs and hospitality?