Speeches by Dyke.

“I think we would agree, as you are suggesting, that you are making solid progress—as a report showed recently—in those critical areas of performance. An article in the Financial Times said that Thames came dangerously close to running out of water supplies in the hot summer of 2022. This year is already proving to be v…”

“How is that looking going forward, given that we will see an increase in demand as climate change takes effect? What are you doing to future-proof that supply?”

“Going forward.”

“Okay. How confident are you that staff pensions are going to be protected in the case that Thames were to go into special administration?”

“You have previously confirmed your commitment to attracting and retaining good staff, but there has been considerable concern about the future of Thames Water staff pension, which is 12,000 members and is currently facing a £119 million deficit as at the end of March. Worryingly, in 2023 Thames Water proposed charging …”

“What confidence does this give potential new staff when they are looking for new roles?”

“What confidence does it give your customers that the first place you go to is to them to make that deficit up?”

“Are you not aware that in 2023 Thames proposed charging customers £156.6 million to address the shortfall?”

“There needs to be accountability there, that that decision was made and that request was made. If that is so, what confidence do customers take from that?”

“For me, I wanted to get down into a little more detail about why you proposed going to your customers first to try to claw back some that deficit in 2023.”

“No, and the BBC reported that employees could see their future pension entitlements reduced.”

“On that, what discussions have you had with DEFRA and the Pensions Regulator on safeguarding staff pensions to avoid any derogatory effects on their pensions?”

“Going back to my first question, just to confirm, do you think everything that you are putting in place will attract and retain good staff?”

“The previous Conservative Government undermined farmers and our rural economy with a botched trade deal with Australia and New Zealand. Indeed, the former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs slammed it by saying “the UK gave away far too much for far too little”.—[Official Report, 14 November 202…”

“I must contest my hon. Friend’s suggestion that he represents the wettest part of the country. Somerset is always at the forefront of flooding. Part of my constituency lies in the levels and moors site of special scientific interest. The area is increasingly threatened by inappropriate planning applications. Locally el…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of Government support for small abattoirs. It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Desmond. I thank the Backbench Business Committee for scheduling this important debate. The abattoir industry is at crisis point. In 2023, just 60 small abattoirs—t…”

“Despite the reassurances from the Minister, many farmers in Glastonbury and Somerton will feel really anxious about being thrown under a bus yet again as a result of this trade deal, especially after the trade deals agreed by former Conservative Governments with Australia and New Zealand, which undermined British farme…”

“By 2050 we will need more than 4,000 additional megalitres of water a day, with rising temperatures resulting in a fivefold increase in drought risk. That is concerning news for farmers in Glastonbury and Somerton, given the necessity of water for livestock and crops. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to cons…”

“I thank Members for their contributions, which are much appreciated. I heard very clearly their passion for supporting farmers in their areas. They made it abundantly clear that small and local abattoirs form a crucial part of local food infrastructure, but they need support from the Government. Those abattoirs are sev…”

“I absolutely agree. Reducing food miles is essential, along with carbon sequestration. Small farmers who supply local markets are doing sterling work by reducing food miles. At Down Land abattoir, Luke is struggling to keep up with demand, for so many reasons. Recruitment is an issue and so is retention of staff, becau…”