Speeches by Voaden.

“Good morning. In its first report last year, Skills England warned that there are significant skills barriers in the UK and reported that 36% of UK job vacancies were due to skills shortages in 2022. What do you think Skills England should prioritise in order to address these barriers and to improve the skills landscap…”

“24. What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing support for rehabilitation programmes.”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered dementia care. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for granting time for this important debate and Members for supporting it, as well as the charities and organisations that have provided material. Dementia is undoubtedly one of the most urgent health and care challeng…”

“I thank the hon. Member for her contribution, and I agree that community groups such as the one around the Yealm are vital in caring for people with dementia. Devon as a whole is falling worryingly behind. As of March 2025, our county’s dementia diagnosis rate stands well below the national average, placing Devon 39th …”

“I absolutely commend all those groups—the hon. Member is lucky to have so many in his constituency. Like many other diagnoses that can be equally shocking to receive, dementia has no cure. Approved medications offer limited benefit only in the early stages and not for everyone. For those in the moderate to late stages,…”

“The hon. Member has beaten me to it—I absolutely agree. The lack of respite support is pushing carers into crisis, and when that happens the result is clear: faster entry into long-term care, increased hospital admissions, more GP appointments and distress for everyone involved.”

“I could not agree more—I am sure I will agree with most of the interventions in this debate. This does not have to be the outcome. We know that with the right support at the right time, people can live well with dementia at home, and that reduces pressure on services and improves quality of life.”

“I absolutely agree that early diagnosis is one of the key things that makes a difference to anyone living with dementia. We talk a lot about social care in this place, and the Liberal Democrats have championed the cause of carers—those thousands of people who quietly and lovingly dedicate themselves to caring for someo…”

“Having regular, small chunks of respite is absolutely vital for carers.”

“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention—I have not quite got there yet, but it is in my speech. We are also calling for a cross-party commission to form a long-term agreement on sustainable funding for social care in England. Last week I met journalist John Suchet, whose wife Bonnie died of dementia. He is now mar…”

“There is a lack of equity, is there not? I looked at Hansard, and dementia has been mentioned 192 times since the general election last year, but cancer has been mentioned nearly 1,000 times—we have spoken about cancer five times more than we have about dementia. That shines a light on what a hidden problem it is, and …”

“So many thousands of people are doing this care for free, at home, living under this burden and worrying about what will happen if they are no longer there. They deserve recognition and help to put those plans in place, in case something happens to them—that is crucial. For many families, accessing respite care is a hu…”

“I absolutely agree. In 2023, Devon saw the closure of its dementia advice service after 10 years because of a cut in funding under the previous Government—a decision that left a significant gap in community support across the county. The service offered vital information, practical advice, and tips and strategies on co…”

“I could not agree more. If we had little chunks of regular respite care, people would not end up having to pay for several weeks, just to recover from the care that they are providing. There are some brilliant projects working to support families afflicted by dementia, and several of them have been mentioned already. O…”

“The former chief inspector of prisons said that LandWorks in my constituency “provides one of the best examples in the country of how we can reduce reoffending, turn lives around and prevent future victims.” Its reoffending rate is just 6%. The Government have announced £2.3 billion towards prison builds over the next …”

“I do not think there is much to add, but I want to thank all the Members who have come here today and shared their personal experiences of dementia affecting family members and loved ones. I know it is not an easy thing to do, and we all have really difficult experiences. It has been very moving to hear those personal …”

“Buses are often seen as a service for the elderly, and they are vital for older residents, especially in rural areas where isolation poses a serious threat to health. Buses can be a social lifeline, but in those rural communities they are also a vital connection to education, healthcare and work. The number of bus jour…”

“The national average reoffending rate for people who have done a short-term sentence is 54%. Among those who graduate from a prisoner rehabilitation programme in my constituency, the average reoffending rate is just 6%—and the programme is still in touch with every single graduate, after operating for 10 years. In the …”

“NHS dentistry is in crisis, and South Devon is no exception. According to the Nuffield Trust, it is now at “its most perilous point in its 75-year history.” Parents are pulling out their children’s teeth at home. Pensioners are travelling abroad for basic dental treatment. Hundreds of people in the dental desert of Sou…”

“I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of South Devon concerning the proposed temporary co-location of the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation trust’s out-of-hours primary percutaneous coronary intervention services at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital. This change would significantly increase trav…”