Speeches by Bennett.

“I thank the Minister for her response. So much could be said about special educational needs across the country and in my constituency of Mid Sussex. The Minister mentioned how we all as Members of this place are undoubtedly trying our best to help families navigate the special educational needs system. I am sorry to s…”

“As has been said today, it is almost extraordinary now, in 2024, to think that for so long the UK armed forces upheld a ban on LGBT+ personnel. The ban allowed for the legal discharge of LGBT+ individuals from their duties, and in some cases it meant that people were criminally prosecuted. LGBT+ veterans were outed to …”

“T4. I am sure that the Secretary of State agrees that creating high-value jobs in science and technology is important. In local business, our local plan gives us the opportunity to build a science and technology park delivering over 5,000 high-value jobs, but we cannot proceed until the Department for Transport release…”

“I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Mid Sussex district council has a local plan, and it is well advanced in making its next local plan, which, significantly, has cross-party support from Conservative, Green and Labour councillors. We also have a design guide, and are deliveri…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for bringing forward this debate on a subject that all too often does not get enough attention, but that is important and affects millions of people. I also thank the hon. Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd) for h…”

“I am incredibly concerned about the news that funding for organisations that co-ordinate multi-agency responses in the event of emergency, such as the Sussex resilience forum, is set to end in April next year. Will the Minister commit to long-term statutory funding for crucial organisations that plan emergency response…”

“T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”

“During the recent debate on the infected blood compensation scheme, the Government made promising indications regarding boosting engagement with affected groups. Victims and their families in Mid Sussex and across the country have been waiting for decades for answers. It is essential that people begin to receive the co…”

“The Minister rightly mentions the need for more sustainable land management, but is it not the case that the changes to APR will actually undermine the sustainable land management initiatives that farmers in Mid Sussex are trying to deliver every day?”

“I would like to make progress. Around 18,000 private social care providers operate in the UK. We must help them to help those in need, and we cannot afford to put up more barriers for them. How can we expect those providers to survive if we impose higher taxes on them? This is not making the most of an opportunity for …”

“On Saturday evening, I was lucky to attend Sussex Chorus’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at St Andrew’s church in Burgess Hill. There was a collection at the end for the St Peter and St James hospice, which looks after many people in Mid Sussex. As I put my donation in the bucket, the lady holding the bucket thanke…”

“My constituent Linda, along with other members of my community, is extremely concerned about antisocial behaviour in Burgess Hill. Car racing, e-scooters and bike thefts are causing fear and distress to residents across the town. As the Minister noted in her statement, the impact of that behaviour should not be minimis…”

“My constituent Diana has a daughter who has autism and lives independently with some low-level support. She previously had a part-time role while living in Bath, with help from an employment support job coach, and she wishes to do the same having now moved to my constituency. However, she has found that much harder sin…”

“What assurances can be offered that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority has sufficient staffing and resources at its disposal to meet expectations of the swift payments promised by the Government?”

“I welcome the Secretary of State’s broad commitment to reducing the number of children who need to go into care. Building on the comments of the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell), I want to emphasise the work that Pause does with West Sussex county council and 24 other authorities. Pause has a visio…”

“The increase in employer national insurance contributions will erode the very investment in the NHS that the Budget sought to prioritise. Katie, a GP from Lindfield in Mid Sussex, wrote to me saying that the NICs increases “serve to directly undermine access and patient care.” The Government have promised to recruit mo…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Vickers. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Foord) for securing this debate. The strength of the contributions by south-west Members from all parts of the House show how important this issue is for everyone in the region. I thank my …”

“Bolney and Twineham parishes in my constituency hosts the Rampion windfarm substation, which leads to several battery energy storage solution applications. What reassurance can the Minister give my constituents about the adequacy of the regulatory framework?”

“In Mid Sussex we do not have many large employers, so small and medium-sized enterprises truly are the backbone of our economy. When watching the Budget statement, Bob from Hurstpierpoint, who is involved in multiple small Mid Sussex businesses, told me: “the big loser was small business.” Bob is already having to make…”

“Will the Minister give way?”