"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. Clause 1 obliges the Office of Rail and Road only to
“have regard to…avoiding adverse impacts for the strategic road network”.
That creates severe statutory asymmetry that will potentially leave council-maintained local roads completely unprotected. The amendment would correct …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"I beg to move amendment 37, in clause 1, page 2, line 3, after “strategic” insert “and local”.
This amendment expands the general duty of the ORR so that it must consider and avoid adverse impacts on local roads, as well as the strategic road network...." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"I thank the Minister for his comments. However, I remain unconvinced about local authorities not having that statutory duty, so I wish to press the amendment to a Division.
"My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We need that support to ensure that people can get from where they live in rural constituencies to other areas for work and education.
Growth is measured not by the number of new governance structures we create, but by whether people can find an …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"I welcome the Government’s recognition that economic growth cannot be driven solely from Whitehall and that local leaders and communities must have a greater say in shaping their future. The Liberal Democrats have long argued that decisions should be taken as close as possible to the people they affect. We …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"I think we need to recognise that we are looking forward. Multi-year settlements are a positive step, but there is still ultimately no fix for local government finances, which is causing enormous problems for local councils.
Returning to the issue of SEND, families do not lie awake worrying about governance …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"Q11. At Guilford’s probation hostel, experienced staff are being refused skilled worker visa sponsorship because their salaries fall below the Government threshold, despite earning over £42,000 when essential overtime is included. I understand from local probation management that this could affect hundreds of staff across the 104 probation hostels in …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"5. What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service in ensuring access to justice for victims of crime...." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"I thank the Attorney General for her answer, but a constituent from Guildford has endured repeated delays to a domestic abuse prosecution. Causes included the Crown Prosecution Service failing to secure a barrister, and a trial collapsing after eight days as the proceedings had overrun and jurors could no longer …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech
"Liberal Democrats have long championed our high streets, tourism and hospitality sectors. While we strongly support devolving economic powers, businesses are already struggling under mounting costs, a VAT rate higher than that of our international peers and the Government’s national insurance contributions hike. Without support, an overnight levy risks looking …..." Zöe Franklin - View Speech