Sarah Dyke MP: speeches 2024

Speeches

• 23 Jul 2024 · NHS Mental Health Services · Hansard source

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  Mental health pressures in the farming community are rising, with the Farm Safety Foundation survey finding that 95% of farmers under 40 agree that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing the industry. Will the Minister work with colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to improve access to NHS mental health services in rural areas and support the continued roll-out of rural health hubs?

• 22 Jul 2024 · Aerospace Industry: Northern Ireland · Hansard source

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  In a segue from Northern Ireland to Somerset, Leonardo is an aerospace manufacturer located just outside my constituency. Last month it held its AeroWomen event to highlight the diversity of careers for women in the sector. Does the hon. Member agree that the Government can play a role in encouraging more girls and women to study science, technology, engineering and maths—STEM subjects—and to work in this field, which would help to close up the skills shortages that the industry faces?

• 22 Jul 2024 · Economy, Welfare and Public Services · Hansard source

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  It is an honour to return to the House and to represent residents of this new constituency. Constituents tell me that the issues that matter to them most are health and social care, rural affairs, housing and local services. About 2.5 million people are out of work with long-term sickness, so the challenge for this Government is to fix the health and care crisis, because a healthy economy requires a healthy NHS. This new Parliament presents an opportunity to work collaboratively to fix many of the issues plaguing my constituents. There is a dental provision cavity in Somerset. There are no dentists in Glastonbury and Somerton taking on new NHS patients. One practice in Street has not had an NHS dentist in post for 18 months, although the job has been advertised continuously. I am sure that all Members have heard many heartbreaking stories from people suffering in dental agony. I recently spoke to Ian from Langport, who told me that he was unable to access the crucial NHS healthcare that he needs. His only option is private dental treatment, which will cost him more than £3,000. For Ian and for so many others, this is simply unaffordable. It is no wonder that residents are left open-mouthed when they hear that £8 million was underspent on NHS dentistry in Somerset last year alone. NHS dental contacts need reform urgently, and the recruitment crisis must be unblocked. People are also waiting longer to see a GP. Last year the number of four-week waits rose by 49% in Somerset. The number of GPs must increase in order to guarantee patients the right to see a GP within a week, or within 24 hours if the situation is urgent. By improving local frontline services, we will reduce pressure on our hospitals. I was delighted to visit a rural health hub during the last Parliament, and I call on the Government to maintain support for such hubs because they have proved that they offer flexible and accessible healthcare provision for our rural and farming communities. This week is Farm Safety Week, and it marks the 10th anniversary of the Farm Safety Foundation, an organisation that I am proud to work alongside to highlight the key challenges faced by farmers and farm workers every day. People working in agriculture are 21 times as likely to be injured at work compared with the national average, while 95% of farmers under 40 agreed that poor mental health was the biggest problem facing the industry today. The agricultural sector is crucial to the rural economy, and farming is vital to UK food security, but inflationary pressures continue to damage farm businesses, and the mismanaged transition from the basic payment scheme to environmental land management schemes is forcing many farmers out of business. Food security also requires fair access to international markets, but the last Government’s botched trade deals damaged that. Those deals undermine our nation’s health and our environmental and animal welfare standards, and they must urgently be renegotiated. To protect the rural economy, there needs to be fairness in the food chain, and the groceries code adjudicator needs more teeth. That would support our farmers and protect consumers from unfair price rises. Glastonbury and Somerton is home to some of the lowest-lying land in the country, so a serious commitment to food security requires a robust approach to flood management. Of course, agricultural land will always play a vital role in preventing flood damage to urban areas, but this cannot be at the expense of agricultural businesses, which need to be properly compensated for the sacrifices they make. Ensuring that water is managed correctly also means managing the nutrient load of rivers and lakes. We require legislation to ensure that nutrients enrich and improve our soils, rather than being leeched away into our rivers, which adds to the pollution crisis. Making such reforms would unlock the 18,000 homes in Somerset that already have planning permission and are currently waiting to be built. The new Government have pledged to make that possible, and I welcome the new Secretary of State for Housing’s recent commitments on this issue. I eagerly wait to hear the Government’s plans, because there is a serious shortage of homes and a solution is desperately needed. However, I am clear that homes must be built in the right places and to the best possible environmental standards, and they must be delivered with the infrastructure that communities so desperately need. After years of an out-of-touch Conservative Government taking us all for granted, I am looking forward to having the opportunity to work together to deliver the ambitious changes we desperately need.

• 18 Jul 2024 · Clean Energy Superpower Mission · Hansard source

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  I welcome the Secretary of State to his place. Somerset is home to many ground-mounted solar farm developments. Although I fully support the significantly increasing amount of electricity that we generate from renewables, I believe that the communities that host the infrastructure should receive compensation. The Government’s recent policy statement on onshore wind agreed with that, so will community benefit funds be mandated for new solar farm developments?

• 17 Jul 2024 · Health Services: Rural Areas · Hansard source

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  I apologise for coming a bit late to this debate. Primary care is asked to do more in rural areas than in urban settings, piling pressure on GPs, pharmacists and dentists, yet they struggle to recruit staff, as my hon. Friend said. A dental practice in Street, in my constituency, has been without an NHS dentist on its books for 18 months, despite its best efforts. Does my hon. Friend agree that we must explore ways in which we can incentivise healthcare professionals to practise in rural areas?