Ben Maguire MP: speeches

Speeches

• 14 Sept 2026 · Water Sector: Public Ownership · Hansard source

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  We have heard a lot about constituents getting sick; one of my Padstow constituents was hospitalised just a few weeks ago. On the hon. Member’s point about the Environment Agency’s ratings, Surfers Against Sewage says that 80% of hospitalisations come from bathing waters judged “good” or “excellent” by the Environment Agency. Does he agree that it is a nonsense to have a regulator like that?

• 7 Sept 2026 · New Housing: Infrastructure · Hansard source

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  4. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that adequate infrastructure is provided for new housing developments.

• 7 Sept 2026 · New Housing: Infrastructure · Hansard source

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  To protect its profits, Wain Homes is now backing out of £350,000 of promised infrastructure funding in my town of Bodmin. But with more than 3,000 homes to be built by 2030, Bodmin now faces an infrastructure emergency. Just last week, the Prime Minister said: “Cornwall lacks a basic level of infrastructure, which in turn harms growth and holds back…life chances”. —[ Official Report , 1 September 2026; Vol. 790, c. 27.] Will the Minister please consider greater control over infrastructure levies, like that enjoyed by other local authorities, as part of Cornwall’s bespoke devolution package?

• 3 Sept 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Since my election, I have been campaigning for a new GP surgery building in the fast-growing town of Bodmin, which is set to receive more than 3,000 new homes by 2030. The current building is already running at around 160% capacity, yet the clear and urgent need is not being met by our local integrated care board, which is dragging its heels on the extra costs that must be met to get shovels into the ground. As we know from discussions about restoration in this place, further delays mean that build costs go up. Will the Leader of the House assist me in securing an urgent meeting with the relevant Health Minister, so that we can help bridge this funding gap and finally deliver the new GP building?

• 3 Sept 2026 · Bluetongue Virus in Livestock · Hansard source

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  My North Cornwall farmers have had the summer from hell. Bluetongue virus has decimated their herds, and that is on top of a crushing drought. One farmer has told me that he has lost 40 of his sheep to bluetongue, with no vaccine available when he needed it most. Seeing their animals suffer is hard enough without the huge associated costs of disposing of fallen livestock, compounded by the financial loss of the animals themselves. Will the Minister back my call in my letter to him back on 3 August, and supported by the NFU, for urgent financial assistance for farmers facing these extraordinary disposal costs?

• 8 Jul 2026 · Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Hansard source

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  I sincerely thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for asking the urgent question. Highly skilled, experienced coastguard volunteers are being badly let down by the Government, and I cannot imagine other rescue service personnel being treated in the same way. No one could argue that £11 an hour was enriching these volunteers; it was merely enabling them to do their vital work. As one coastguard volunteer from my constituency put it, “I make significant personal and financial sacrifices to be available for emergency callouts—and I didn’t join the service to get paid.” Sadly, we did not need to get to this point. Did the Minister even speak to any of the CROs to hear what impact the changes would have on them before this rushed decision was made? Will he commit himself to a full risk assessment of these damaging changes? Finally, will he confirm that the Government are considering viable alternatives, such as a statutory stipend system, passing legislation to exempt CROs from worker status, or even just embracing their worker status?