Vikki Slade MP: speeches

Speeches

• 9 Jun 2026 · Mental Health Facilities: Dorset · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for his comments about Forston, which some of my residents use. Evidence suggests that half of mental health conditions are established by age 14, and three quarters by age 24. In Dorset, our rates of hospitalisation for self-harm are almost twice the national average for 15 to 19-year-olds. I recently met Anya, a student at Lytchett school and deputy Member of Youth Parliament for Dorset. She has launched her “Health in Mind” campaign to ease young people back into school following periods of mental or physical health issues. It is so inspiring to see the work that she is doing, but will the Minister meet me and Anya to hear more about her campaign and to see how we can reintegrate children more successfully back into school after ill health, particularly mental ill health?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Progression of Bills through Parliament · Hansard source

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  That is the key. Both the sponsor of the Bill in the House of Lords and others tabled amendments that might well, had they returned to the House of Commons, have had the opportunity to improve the Bill. Would the hon. Gentleman agree that the denial of that opportunity to improve the Bill is an absolute travesty?

• 8 Jun 2026 · Digital Safety: Children · Hansard source

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  I welcome the proposals announced today, but I am concerned that they appear to be limited to nudity. Children who have been subjected to self-harm content or who have been encouraged to take their own lives, and those who have seen extreme violence, do not appear to be covered. My son George told me that without any attempt to find them, he was fed the images of Charlie Kirk’s murder pretty much as soon as it had happened, and I do not see anything in this change to prevent something like that from happening again. Can the Minister confirm that it will include measures on extreme violence, as well as on those awful sites that are causing children to hurt themselves?

• 3 Jun 2026 · Lebanon: Israel Defence Forces Operations · Hansard source

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  Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir said in the last few days on social media: “Electricity must be cut off to Lebanon, the Zahrani River must be seized, and intensive fighting must be resumed”. Last week, he said of Dahieh, “flatten, flatten, and flatten again”, and that the suburbs must be targeted. The indiscriminate targeting of Lebanese people shows what the Israelis are really trying to do. Does the Minister agree that the time has finally come for a full ban on all arms to Israel?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Milburn Review: Interim Report · Hansard source

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  The only country in the whole of Europe that has a NEETs crisis worse than the UK’s is Romania. That is quite shocking. For me, the issue is funding for further education. Mike Taylor owns Bond’s Barbershops and runs an award-winning academy, and he has far more students than he can give places to. Other local providers tell me that they are taking on students with no funding because they need to get them in place for next year, with no funding at all for this year. The youth guarantee is a great idea, but surely it is better to get ahead of it, provide the places for our young people and stop them becoming NEETs, rather than waiting until they have been out of work for 18 months.

• 2 Jun 2026 · Transition from Fossil Fuels: Progress · Hansard source

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  Last month, alongside other Dorset MPs, I met with the Crown Estate to discuss the Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster. While I welcome its recognition of the area as a medium-term opportunity, it is concerning that development is likely at least a decade away, despite Dorset’s significant potential for a range of green energy initiatives. Given that net zero industries are already delivering higher wages than average and 50% greater productivity than the UK average, does the Minister agree that it is both an environmental and economic missed opportunity to delay Dorset’s potential for so long, and will he commit to reviewing this personally and consider appointing a ministerial advocate for the south-west on energy security?

• 2 Jun 2026 · Transition from Fossil Fuels: Progress · Hansard source

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  4. What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of transitioning from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Equality Act 2010: Code of Practice · Hansard source

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  One of my constituents described this code of conduct as “trans apartheid”. Another said that it was “state-sponsored repression”. Let us flip it, because we always talk about trans women; let us talk about trans men. If the rules say that somebody cannot enter a toilet of the gender that they were not born, a trans man is no longer allowed to go into a men’s toilet, but they also may not be allowed to go into a ladies’ toilet—their sex at birth—because at that point, they might become a threatening prospect for some people. They often are exceptionally well built young people, and a woman can say that they feel uncomfortable about that person in their toilets. Where are the human rights and privacy of the trans person in all this? I am concerned that we have missed the very group of people who are most affected.

• 1 Jun 2026 · Health Bill · Hansard source

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  The Secretary of State has not talked about the role of the governors of hospital trusts, which also appear to be abolished by the Bill. With the creation of mega-ICBs, the removal of healthwatch, and the removal of governors, I am worried that the voice of the local community is reducing rather than increasing.

• 19 May 2026 · Criminal Justice System: Support for Men and Boys · Hansard source

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  An often under-appreciated element of the criminal justice system is the impact that it has on fathers’ ability to stay part of their family. My hon. Friend the Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) shared research conducted by the University of Plymouth about fathers separated from their children, and the impact of that on family life. If we are to rehabilitate people in prison, we must help them maintain their family relationships. Will the Secretary of State take steps to tackle communication barriers for those with young children, and improve the way in which children can integrate with parents in prison?

• 19 May 2026 · Antisocial Behaviour in Holton Heath · Hansard source

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  I rise to present a petition about antisocial behaviour on behalf of the residents of Holton Heath Park in my constituency. The petitioners and I ask the Government to note that those residents have been experiencing an unacceptable level from antisocial driving, joyriding, racing, and excessive speeds from cars and motorbikes late at night and on weekends. We call on the Government urgently to roll out acoustic cameras and fund increased patrols by police to re-establish peace, quiet, enjoyment and safety. The petitioners request that the House of Commons ask the Government to take action to support relevant authorities in Dorset to tackle and prevent further antisocial behaviour. Following is the full text of the petition: [The petition of residents of the constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole, Declares that the residents of Holton Heath Park have been experiencing an unacceptable level of antisocial behaviour caused by dangerous motor vehicle driving in this area; further declares that this has been a major issue in the area for many years; and further declares that urgent traffic calming, surveillance and speed reducing measures should be implemented in the area to re-establish peace and quiet for Holton Heath’s residents. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take action to assist the relevant authorities in Holton Heath in tackling and preventing antisocial behaviour caused by dangerous drivers around Holton Heath Park. And the petitioners remain, etc.] [P003200]

• 18 May 2026 · Backing Business to Create Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  I welcome the deepening of the relationship with the EU and the measures on late payments, but the elephant in the room is that while the jobs tax exists, and the Government do not make the most of business rate changes in retail, hospitality and leisure, the benefit to small businesses is more than outweighed by the extra difficulties they face. Does the Secretary of State accept that there need to be changes on that front, even if we have to wait until the Budget for them?

• 28 Apr 2026 · Fire and Rescue Services: Funding · Hansard source

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  Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service’s core spending power is going up over the three years only because of the increase in local taxpayers. The actual amount being provided is going down, not just in real terms but in actual cash terms. We simply do not have enough money to keep our fire stations open. Will the Minister commit to meet us again to look at reforming our funding formula for Dorset and Wiltshire?

• 28 Apr 2026 · Fire and Rescue Services: Funding · Hansard source

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  Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has a similar deficit of £1.5 million. I do not think this is about party politics, because a fire authority can only work with what it has got. Does the hon. Member agree that we need to work across parties to encourage the Government to properly fund all our fire services so that we can protect all our residents, regardless of who runs their local fire authority?

• 27 Apr 2026 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  I am grateful to the Minister for letting me come back on this, because the missing link is not necessarily that it is a town and parish council structure; it is that 20% of the country has nothing, and there is nothing in place to ensure that those people have something. In the area that I represent, a huge cost has now come to the local area because there was a failure to put anything in place. Whether it is a town or parish council or another neighbourhood governance, the current structure does not provide for there to be anything.

• 27 Apr 2026 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  Can I just clarify the use of the word “should” rather than the word “must”? Where these bodies exist, they must have a right to be included; this is not just a “should”. I worry that the word “should” will allow a mayor or a larger authority to have the power over what is, as my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George) commented, possibly the most important level of local government.

• 27 Apr 2026 · English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill · Hansard source

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  I am really pleased to follow the speech of the hon. Member for Sunderland Central (Lewis Atkinson) with my own story of an early venue. In 2007, I remember visiting the Stage Door in Southampton—a venue above a pub—for one of the very first, intimate gigs of Scouting for Girls. They are now internationally renowned and celebrating their 20th year, but there were so few of us at the gig that we actually helped them carry their kit there and back afterwards. Without those little gigs, they would not have had that success such that 20 years later we can go and enjoy them at summer festivals. I rise specifically to speak to Lords amendment 37. During the Bill Committee, as the Minister will recall, my hon. Friend the Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Manuela Perteghella) and I spoke frequently about the importance of town and parish councils and the need to strengthen them as unitary councils take decision making further away from local people and dilute the identity and priorities of clearly defined places. As local government is reorganised and councils cover ever larger geographies, it is critical that communities retain hyper-local democratic structures not as an add-on but as an essential part of effective devolution. There was a lot of talk originally about what other structures might be in place as part of the Bill if not a town and parish council, but that does not seem to have made much progress. I am disappointed that without something really strong in that place, there is nothing recognising the critical place of our town and parish councils, whose strength forms part of our communities, as so passionately talked about by the hon. Member for East Thanet (Ms Billington) and my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George). I spoke on Second Reading about how the forthcoming local government reorganisation—it does not affect my area—will see the end of authorities such as Winchester and Southampton city councils. It is inconceivable that historic places such as Winchester will not either immediately or within a couple of years re-establish a town council to protect their identity and ensure that their unique needs—beyond those covered by the fairly nebulous unitary authorities that will replace them—are met. Parish and town councils give residents not only that opportunity to create their sense of place, but a direct, accountable voice. In Dorset, the plan for change created in 2016, which came before our local government reorganisation, talked about the expansion of town and parish councils and the creation of neighbourhood-level structures, but those decisions were deferred for future administrations to progress. On the Dorset side, the gaps were filled so the whole area became parished, but in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole they were never implemented after being blocked by the then Conservative-led councils. A decade on, we are having to retrofit them at local cost and with an administrative burden. I welcome that Conservatives in the other place have recognised that encouraging the expansion of parish governance in currently unparished areas really does matter—it is ironic that their colleagues have chosen not even to stand for election in the new town councils in Broadstone and Poole. As the remit of unitary authorities has expanded, funding has inevitably focused on statutory services and neighbourhoods with the highest levels of deprivation. I welcome that, but as a consequence many of the facilities that residents really value—the fabric of everyday community life—have quietly fallen away. When I moved to Broadstone at the turn of the century, Christmas lights, street furniture repairs, tree planting and small community grants were considered standard and funded, or at least supported, by the local authority. Today, they are routinely deemed out of scope for huge councils doing their best to protect the most vulnerable through statutory services. However, those things still matter deeply to the residents they serve; without them, communities begin to feel overlooked and to look unloved.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Departmental Response Times · Hansard source

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  2. What steps he is taking to improve his Department’s response times.

• 27 Apr 2026 · Departmental Response Times · Hansard source

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  I am glad that the call answering has speeded up, but, like those of many other Members, my office is constantly dealing with very long delays on the part of the DWP. Back in September 2024, my constituent Jackie appealed against a personal independence payment assessment for her husband, who died a couple of months later. In January, she received a letter saying that she had been overpaid by £7,000. I became involved in the middle of last year, when it was established that the figure was £75. The DWP confirmed that in January, but in April—so we are now nearly two years on—my constituent received a letter saying that she now owed £4,086. Given the radical plans to cut civil service numbers, what steps will the Secretary of State and his team take to deliver a better service in order to ensure that constituents such as Jackie do not suffer emotional or financial distress?

• 23 Apr 2026 · Allied Health Professionals · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for Dudley (Sonia Kumar) on securing this important debate and the hon. Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) for introducing it. During the Easter recess, I was invited to meet the Dorset Younger Onset Parkinson’s group in Wimborne. Two of the people I met, Simon and Julia, had been diagnosed with the condition in their 30s. The impact on their decisions about family life, their ability to work and save for the future and the effect on their families, who have had to take on caring responsibilities much earlier than most, was clear to see. They told me about the success of their open water swimming group and, in particular, about the impact of the recently introduced walking football team. The Dorset Parky Striders were named team of the year in the impairment section by the Walking Football Association in its grassroots awards last year, and achieved fantastic results at the Sport Parkinson’s walking football tournament earlier this month. Both programmes boost physical health and mental wellbeing and provide peer support. Simon and Julia shared their concerns about the complete loss of Parkinson’s nurses in the county of Dorset. I have since engaged with University Hospitals Dorset NHS foundation trust to call for the service to be restored without delay, and we have discussed the severe shortage of neurologists across the country, made more acute by our ageing population. Yet it is not just doctors and nurses who can make a positive difference for people living with Parkinson’s. Neuro physiotherapy focuses not on muscles or joints, but on improving movement, balance, co-ordination and overall quality of life for people living with neurological conditions. At its core, it aims to restore as much independence as possible, using targeted techniques to help people regain their function, relearn movement and adapt to physical challenges. It can be life-changing for individuals recovering from trauma or surgery, as well as for those living with long-term neurological conditions. If people with Parkinson’s can improve their balance and gait, they reduce their risk of falls—incidents that can have a profound impact on their independence, confidence and long-term health. This branch of physiotherapy also benefits people who have experienced strokes, live with multiple sclerosis or have acquired brain injuries. The mental health and wellbeing benefits are significant, as is the reduction in pain that can be achieved through that approach. I highlight the crucial role of occupational therapy, particularly in educational settings. Around one third of children starting school are not considered to be school-ready, often lacking the communication or functional skills needed to mix confidently with other children. Schools already under pressure are then required to provide significant extra support. Many children who spend more time using tablets than colouring books lack the fine motor skills needed to write, while others struggle with everyday activities such as eating a school meal with a knife and fork. Paediatric occupational therapy offers practical, play-based support and can prevent children from losing confidence or developing a fear or aversion of school by addressing those needs early. Children with special educational needs and disabilities can also be overwhelmed in traditional classroom environments. With growing evidence about the impact of excessive screen time on attention and regulation, small changes to the physical environment can help not only those children but all pupils to improve their focus and learning. My constituent Anna, who is an occupational therapist, shared the importance of using the profession’s principles in classrooms. On a visit to Colehill first school last year, I was impressed by how the school had removed bright colours from classrooms, replacing them with muted shades and consistent layouts as the children move through the school to create calmer learning spaces. At my son’s specialist setting—Summerwood in Bournemouth—ceilings include sound-absorbing panels and walls are gently curved to support children with neurodiversity to regulate and to reduce distraction. Those adjustments help everyone, not just those with additional needs. If such approaches work in classrooms, it is likely that they can be effective in workplaces and public spaces too. Reducing harsh fluorescent lighting, lowering background noise and creating opportunities for movement throughout the day are techniques that can be applied widely and successfully. However, inclusion of occupational therapy in programmes such as Experts at Hand is essential to make that happen. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists has welcomed the ambition set out in the SEND White Paper, but has raised serious concerns about whether the sector is sufficiently resourced to develop them. Its most recent workforce survey found that two thirds of respondents did not believe that the profession could currently provide the level of support that children and young people need, highlighting the need to fund more frontline teams. Taken together, the examples make one thing clear: allied health professionals, as already referenced by the hon. Member for Thurrock, are not a nice-to-have; they are essential in helping people to live independently and participate fully in education and work, in avoiding crisis later on and in ensuring that everyone fulfils their potential. I therefore urge the Government to match their recognition of the importance of allied health professionals with meaningful action in workforce planning and resourcing. If we are serious about prevention, inclusion and long-term value for money across health and education, investing in that workforce and ensuring that funding reaches the frontline must be part of that commitment.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Many across the House will have watched “Dirty Business” last month and been shocked not only by the behaviour of the water companies, but by the deliberate deregulation and defunding of the agencies that are there to protect our environment. When Storm Chandra devastated homes in my constituency, particularly those in Sturminster Marshall, the Environment Agency door drops did not arrive until after the flooding had entered my constituents’ homes. One of the causes of flooding is lack of maintenance of ditches by riparian owners. Even when the agency is able to raise it with owners, it has insufficient funding to take enforcement action, relying instead on neighbourly good will. As our climate changes and we have more frequent and severe flooding, will the Leader of the House consider a debate in Government time on the remit and capacity of the Environment Agency to keep us all safe?

• 23 Apr 2026 · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency · Hansard source

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  I thank the many Members who have spoken in today’s debate, and the shadow Minister and Minister for their comments. I am glad that the Chair of the Backbench Business Committee, the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), is here, because I can thank him again for allowing this debate—I think that is about the fifth time that has been mentioned. I hope that everyone whose case has been mentioned today gets their licence back very soon and that MPs can reduce the size of their inboxes and get on with doing the job we were sent here to do and not just be additional caseworkers. However, I must pay tribute to all the caseworkers in all our offices, who are doing the bulk of this work and helping our constituents. In particular, I thank my fantastic team, led by Emily. The DVLA relies on trust and accountability, and it is there for safety. I thank the Minister for his apology. It is rare that we get a straightforward “sorry” from a Government Minister, so that is very welcome. Given what he said, I am hopeful that we can all look forward to a much more efficient system as we come to renew our licences. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered reform of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered reform of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. I am grateful to the Backbench Business Committee for granting time for a debate on a topic that, as I can see from the number of Members present, regularly fills the inboxes of right hon. and hon. Members from across the House. This debate is primarily about two closely connected issues: first, whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is fit for purpose in how it delivers its current responsibilities, and secondly, whether it is equipped to play the role it should in improving road safety. Let me be clear from the outset that this is not about blaming the staff of the DVLA, who work under immense pressure and whom my constituents praise when they are able to get through. It is about whether the systems that the staff are required to use are modern, fair and safe, and whether they serve the public properly. There is no doubt that the DVLA is a large and busy organisation. Last year alone, it issued 12.5 million driving licences and 17.9 million vehicle registration certificates, and handled more than 14 million contact centre inquiries. It is an agency that most people will interact with frequently throughout their lives. On the surface, the DVLA’s latest customer satisfaction survey looks positive, with reported satisfaction of 92%, but that figure masks a serious problem. Satisfaction drops by 20 percentage points when it comes to medical driving licences, and by 34 percentage points when people are asked about the time taken to reach decisions.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for his comments. I am afraid the DVLA is certainly in the top three worst departments, and I will come on to some specific cases shortly. When constituents come to my office, they are frustrated but also really anxious. They have followed DVLA guidance by declaring their medical conditions, or they have reapplied for a licence after a temporary suspension, and then they wait, often for months, with no meaningful updates. The DVLA’s strategic priority is to drive up digital engagement, yet in practice the medical licensing system remains stubbornly analogue. The department does not routinely use email, it does not proactively chase missing documents, it does not provide status updates, and it still relies on posting medical questionnaires to GPs and consultants. Unless someone chases their MP, who then chases the DVLA and pushes the constituent to chase their clinician, cases simply stall. Applicants are left idling, with no sense of when or if the system will move them forward. This is not a functioning public service. Let me give Members one example, which sadly is not unusual. Ellie submitted a medical questionnaire in March 2025 relating to possible epilepsy. Her symptoms stopped following B12 injections, and her consultant confirmed in writing that she was fit to drive. Six months later, she received a call from the DVLA, and she confirmed that there had been no further episodes. A month after that, her licence was revoked without her even being notified. She discovered that only in January 2026, when she happened to check her driving licence online. When Ellie contacted the DVLA, she was told that her medical questionnaire was missing—one that had never been sent to her. After resubmitting the forms in February this year, she was informed that the original paperwork from last year could not be located. A full year after first engaging with the DVLA, her case is now classed as high priority after daily contact from her—sometimes 12 times in a day. No one should have to fight that hard to prove that they are safe to drive. The underlying issue is simple: the DVLA is stuck in manual, while the rest of us are on automatic. Medical applications are processed strictly in date order, correspondence with clinicians happens by post, and returned documents then sit in another queue. This is a system designed around administrative convenience, not the human impact.

• 23 Apr 2026 · Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency · Hansard source

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  I will come to some of those specific issues shortly. Our teams are incredible and work really hard, both here in Westminster and down in our constituencies, but that should not be necessary. People should not only get the help they need when their MP steps in.