Pippa Heylings MP: speeches

Speeches

• 17 Jan 2025 · New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill · Hansard source

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  It will not surprise anyone to hear that I agree wholeheartedly. The record has been corrected. It is vital that the Bill helps to repair that damage, and we look forward to the Minister’s commitment to bringing about these changes. As has been mentioned, the lack of ambition on the solar rooftop revolution has contributed to the barrier to public acceptance of larger scale solar farms. We are hearing people say, “Why not put panels on the rooftops of homes, industrial sites and commercial warehouses first?” We need a joined-up plan; we need the Government urgently to bring forward the much-promised land use framework and the National Energy System Operator’s strategic spatial energy plan, which will show how much solar farm energy is still needed and where it would be best placed. In that way, we can meet all our needs. The Bill is our chance to get this right. It is our chance for a cleaner, greener and more secure future that addresses the triple cost of living, housing and climate crises and takes people with us. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham.

• 17 Dec 2024 · National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill · Hansard source

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  I beg to move amendment 1, page 1, line 2, at beginning insert— “(A1) In section 9(1A) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, before paragraph (a) insert— “(za) if the employer is a specified employer under subsection (1B), the specified employer secondary percentage;” (A2) After section 9(1A) of that Act insert— “(1B) A “specified employer” means— (a) a person providing a care home service or a domiciliary support service who is regulated under— (i) Part 1 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, (ii) Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, or (iii) Part 5 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, (b) a person contracted to provide primary care under the provisions of— (i) Part 4 of the National Health Service Act 2006, (ii) Part 4 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006, or (iii) sections 17J to 17O of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, (c) a person contracted to provide general dental services under the provisions of Part 2 of the National Health Service (General Dental Services) Regulations 1992, (d) a person contracted to provide pharmacy services under the provisions of— (i) Part 7 of the National Health Service Act 2006, or (ii) Part 8 of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, or (e) a charitable provider of health and care, or (f) a person providing hospice care whether in a hospice or elsewhere. (1C) For the purposes of this Act, the specified employer secondary percentage is 13.8%.”” This amendment, together with Amendment 2 provides that care providers, NHS GP practices, NHS commissioned dentists, NHS commissioned pharmacists, charitable providers of health and care, and those providing hospice care would continue to pay contributions at current rates.

• 17 Dec 2024 · Community Energy Projects · Hansard source

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  It is so good to hear the Minister affirm the need to bring the public onside, as well as private sector investment, to achieve the transformation towards green power and net zero. The Liberal Democrats support Great British Energy if community energy is at the centre of the Great British Energy Bill. Our colleagues in the Lords are debating amendments relating to direct participation in and benefit from community energy. Will the Minister agree to those proposals if they come to this House?

• 12 Dec 2024 · SEND Provision: Autism and ADHD · Hansard source

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  I could not concur more. Over the past decade or more, we saw chronic under-investment from the Conservative Government, despite the needs having been recognised in statute, and that has left us in this pressure point situation. We are now seeing the results of that. I have also been told that this is a time bomb, because we will see the impacts in the future in the quality of life, in opportunities, in the NHS and in social services—in all services really—if we do not deal with this situation. I have also been told about the situation for siblings. When a child is not given the support that they need in school, young carer siblings are often drawn out of their class and asked to be with their sibling during their lunch break or lessons. There is an impact on all those affected.

• 29 Oct 2024 · Great British Energy Bill · Hansard source

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  I could not have put it better myself. I thank my hon. Friend for leading the fight for the Liberal Democrats as the former spokesperson on energy security and net zero. That question goes to the crux of the matter. We have fantastic examples from many communities of how important community energy is. My hon. Friend the Member for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire (Mr MacDonald) led the recent Westminster Hall debate, in which there were fantastic examples from rural communities of how they feel about community benefits. There are also the efforts of my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) in supporting the Aikengall community wind farm, which provides a direct benefit of an amazing £120,000 for the community. Community energy is not just for Scotland. In my own county of Cambridgeshire, there is the Swaffham Prior community heat network, and the village is the first of its kind to switch to reliable zero-carbon heating. It was started by the Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust, and it addresses fuel poverty and the village’s reliance on oil heating. The Liberal Democrats will continue to promote those who have pioneered community energy schemes, proving their worth and championing their critical importance to our energy future. While the Government have not previously backed our amendments, which is incomprehensible to us, I am grateful to the Minister for the conversations we have had recently and the assurances he has given us that the Government really do want to make provisions in the Bill for community energy in the Lords. I look forward to supporting our colleagues in the other place in this endeavour, but the interventions from Labour Members—saying that this will be in the founding statement and the strategic priorities, but not in the Bill—are causing us to doubt that commitment. I therefore urge the Government to make good on their promises. We know their commitment to community energy, so let that be understood clearly and let us put it in the Bill.

• 29 Oct 2024 · Great British Energy Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for that fantastic example from her constituency, which is exactly the kind of project we are talking about. We know that “Local power generation is an essential part of the energy mix, ensuring communities own and benefit from clean power projects, and reducing pressures on the transmission grid.” In fact, those words are taken from the Government’s founding statement for Great British Energy, and the Minister said in this Chamber that “Great British Energy will deliver a step change in investment in local and community energy projects, putting local authorities and communities at the heart of the energy transition.” —[ Official Report , 5 September 2024; Vol. 753, c. 530.] Yet the community energy sector was brought almost to a standstill by the former Conservative Government, and barriers still exist in selling directly to customers and in the cost of connecting to the grid, so welcome words are not enough.