Adam Dance
MP for Yeovil · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“As the hon. Member knows, small abattoirs are at breaking point in almost every imaginable way. One big issue is contradicting and inconsistent inspections. Does he agree that the Government urgently need to set out a clearer plan to streamline the regulation system?”
“The petitioners therefore request “that the House of Commons urges the Government to put pressure on the Post Office to ensure a replacement operator for the post office in the area is in place before the current site is closed; and to consider how to provide communities with more resilient in-person services.” Following is the full text…”
“One of my relatives went into hospital to get intravenous antibiotics but later died in that hospital due to being stuck there. She was ready to move on to a community hospital, but she gave up because she was scared in the hospital—they did not keep an eye on her, she fell out of bed and cracked her head open, and she later passed away.”
“My constituency neighbour will know that in Somerset and Dorset, we get older models of buses no longer used elsewhere. At the same time, rural bus depots, such as the one in Yeovil, are closing. If a bus breaks down from Ilchester on the way to Dorchester, passengers have to wait over an hour for a replacement bus. Does my hon.”
“AI is increasingly being used to make cutting-edge assistive technology for people with special educational needs and disabilities, but the industry is a bit of a wild west, and access for young people in areas such as Yeovil is uneven. Will the hon.”
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to put pressure on the Post Office to ensure a replacement operator for the post office in the area is in place before the current site is closed; and to consider how to provide communities with more resilient in-person services.”
The complete record
Every one of 329 lines we hold for Adam Dance, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 7.
“We have to make dyslexia and other neurodiversities—such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and dyscalculia—a priority by having a national dyslexic strategy, and a national body for SEND to oversee it. Any changes must start with early identification and teacher training. That is why I proposed my Bill on universal screening and teacher training. The idea is simple: that the Department for Education uses its expertise and resources to work with us all to create a universal screening programme for neurodiversity in primary school-aged children to identify their needs, and to provide statutory guidance on training on neurodiversity in initial teacher training and continuous professional development. The screener can be classroom based and the assessment done in a cost and time-effective way.”
“I definitely agree and I thank the hon. Member for her comment. Young people with dyslexia are also three times as likely to not be in employment, education or training by the age of 16 to 17. Research suggests that about half of people in prison may have dyslexia, compared with one in 10 in the general public. I have heard from people who have come out of prison and found out that they were dyslexic. They realised that had they had the right support, they may not have given up on school and ended up where they were. That tells us all we need to know about the dire consequences of not getting support for dyslexic people. What can we do? Action is long overdue.”
“Does the hon. Gentleman agree that if someone with dyslexia has not been identified and fails English at GCSE level, and then has to go to college and retake it, that puts them off going to university? It certainly put me off.”
“On reading, does the Minister agree that teaching assistants are vital? Without teaching assistants, I would not have got through education. To this day, if someone gives me a book to read, it daunts me; I have probably only ever read one or two books to the end in my whole life, because it takes me so much time. Does she agree that teaching assistants are important to help with reading?”
“Children are already hearing, “Oh, you’re going to stay behind to say something you shouldn’t.” That is the perception we have to change in our education system. I will follow those two lads’ careers and see where they get to, because that really has stuck with me. I think they will succeed. Let us keep working together on this. As I will say to the Minister tomorrow, “Let’s get on with it, move positively and make real change together.” Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered support for dyslexic pupils at school.”
“Something stays with me; we all, as Members of Parliament, visit schools in our constituencies, and the other day I visited a rural school to talk about my life and background, and why I got involved in politics. At the end, two lads asked their teacher whether they could stay behind. The teacher said, “You’re not going to say anything you shouldn’t be saying to Adam, are you?” They said, “No, we just want to talk to him,” and I said, “Let them stay behind.” Those two lads were primary school-age children, and what they said stuck with me: “Thank you. We both have ADHD and dyslexia. We keep thinking we’re going to fail in life, and you’ve taught us that we’re not going to fail in life. We want to thank you for that.” Just before that, the teacher had said to those children, “What do you want to stay behind for?”.”
“I, too, thank my co-sponsor of the debate, the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Juliet Campbell). It has been absolutely fantastic to hear so many supportive remarks about dyslexia from across the House. It is important to get across that this issue should not be political; it should be cross-party, because we want the best for our young people and their future. It is clear that in Parliament, dyslexia is on the agenda; that is great news, but it has to stay there and translate into real change. We need to make sure that it does not come off the agenda, so I will carry on pushing. I am sure that the Minister will get fed up of me eventually, but I look forward to meeting her tomorrow. We need to make sure that school is not somewhere dyslexic people fear, but somewhere to set them up to do what they want in life.”
“I welcome many of the changes the Government have brought forward. The review highlighted the attainment gap for people with SEND at school. To close that gap, will the Secretary of State commit to universal screening for neurodivergence, and to more teacher training on the subject for those teaching primary school-aged children? Though strengthening the phonics screener is great, it is not enough.”
“Small businesses in the area, including the Acorn café, have told me that antisocial behaviour in Yeovil is negatively affecting footfall and trade. That is why we need the Government to invest more in community policing in rural areas. Rural areas seem to get missed off the list. We have heard that many times today and we have been overlooked for far too long. Finally, for rural communities such as those in Yeovil, a huge issue nowadays is just being able to get to your local high street. Public transport is a nightmare, shown by the constant issues with the cancelled No. 11 bus. That is why most people drive, but parking is also an issue. Local business owners, such as Jane who owns Café 50 and the owner of the Mad Hatter, are really worried about the potential closure of car parks in Yeovil and the impact on footfall and revenue.”
“The system would be based purely on the value of the land where the business is located, shifting responsibility for tax from businesses to commercial landlords. This would not be a debate about high streets without mentioning banks and banking hubs. We were able to get one in Crewkerne in my constituency, but Chard and Ilminster were denied banking hubs despite having the same needs—in some cases greater. That is why assessment criteria for banking hubs must include the need for in-person banking services and financial advice. The Government must also be a bit more ambitious and push for far more than 300 banking hubs over five years. That is hardly any, considering there are 650 constituencies.”
“I want to raise the concerns of fantastic businesses in the Yeovil constituency. The current Government’s employer national insurance increase will damage high street businesses. Shaun, who runs Lanes Hotel in West Coker, put it better than I ever could: “At a time when we needed help,” the Chancellor “has chosen to give us another kicking. We are sick of it”. That is why we Liberal Democrats oppose the unfair jobs tax that has hit small businesses hard in rural areas like mine. Andrew, who was the landlord of the Cat Head Inn in Chiselborough, which has sadly now closed, wrote to me to point out that the business rates system is “fundamentally outdated”. He is right and changes to the system keep getting kicked down the road. I urge the Government to replace the broken business rates with a commercial landowner levy as soon as possible.”
“One reason why house building on some of our car parks is being proposed is because of the Government’s underfunding of rural areas. I agree that parking charges are a problem. We have the same issue in Somerset. They are having to be levelled out because of the unitary council, which the hon. Gentleman’s Conservative Government pushed on Somerset council. Parking is a massive issue and charges do sometimes deter people from coming to our constituency. I know that is not the council’s intention, so I urge them to take on those concerns and think again, but Somerset also needs more money from central Government for better rural public transport and roads. For too long our high streets have been left to decline. That must change.”
“The target for patients with a clot stroke is to receive treatment within 180 minutes of 999 being called, but data collected by John and the Quicksilver Community Group shows that that would be met for only 13% of Yeovil patients taken to Taunton and 30% taken to Dorchester, compared with 74% when treated at Yeovil. Although staff at Taunton and Dorchester can provide treatment for people from Yeovil, there is real concern that some patients may not get there in time, with consequences, as we have heard today. My constituents want to know why greater resources cannot be invested to maintain a full, sustainable service in Yeovil. I am calling on the Somerset ICB to run a trial—as I have previously asked—comparing outcomes for patients in the Yeovil HASU and those taken outside the constituency.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Vaz. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for securing this debate and sharing her stories. I start by sending my best wishes to my constituent John Falconer, who recently suffered a mini stroke. John has been campaigning tirelessly to reopen the hyperacute stroke unit at Yeovil district hospital—he was campaigning before he had the stroke. In 2024, Somerset ICB decided to close the unit as it could not sustain a full service. Instead, patients are now treated at Musgrove Park hospital or Dorchester county hospital. While I understand the reasoning, I remain deeply concerned about the impact that has, particularly the long travel times. When someone has a stroke, every minute matters.”
“I call on Somerset ICB to run a trial comparing outcomes for patients in the Yeovil HASU and those taken outside the constituency. Staff in Yeovil hospital would welcome that, and it would give peace of mind to know that the decision was based on clear evidence. When it comes to stroke care, speed saves lives. My priority is to ensure that every person in Yeovil can get the treatment that they need, as quickly as possible. With one in four of us at risk of having a stroke in our lifetime, we must make sure that our health services are safe, local and accessible.”
“Finally, as that last case shows, we must ensure that local authorities’ homelessness relief systems are accessible to those who are visually impaired, neurodiverse or homeless with no access to technology. I ask the Minister to review this matter urgently. Hearing today’s heartbreaking stories, it is difficult not to feel hopeless and powerless. But we are not powerless; we have the power.”
“For example, my office was made aware of a blind woman sleeping rough in Ninesprings park; she was forced out of her home because squatters took possession of it. She would have remained entirely off the radar, with no engagement from local authorities, if a member of the public had not approached her and told her to reach out to my office. A country is only as good as the support it gives to the most vulnerable, and right now we must do more to end homelessness. But homelessness is not just a housing issue. We desperately need to invest more in drug treatment and rehabilitation, and get more mental health hubs in rural communities. We also need more community centres and police officers, to tackle crime and reach out to vulnerable people.”
“If he removed himself from the tenancy, he risked being labelled purposely homeless, but if he remained on the tenancy, the council would consider him still to have suitable accommodation. After several months, the council accepted a release duty and offered him a placement in shared accommodation. However, he had to decline the offer because of the high level of drug activity at the property—he feared he would relapse. Since then, he has been denied any further housing support. This constituent, as is the case for so many constituents like him, is just trying to get his life back on track, but now he is living in a garage with no access to basic facilities. Unfortunately, there are so many other stories.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank the hon. Members for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) and for Liverpool Wavertree (Paula Barker) for securing the debate. Since I was elected, housing and homelessness has been the biggest issue that my team have been dealing with in Yeovil. We have had hundreds of cases. I will share a few stories to highlight the impossible situations in which some people find themselves in my constituency, but I will not share their names due to the nature of the cases. One constituent has been homeless since April, after the breakdown of his long-term relationship. As he shared a tenancy with his ex-partner, he was left in a complex legal position.”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that Labour needs to wake up? This scheme could put our personal data at risk, while costing taxpayers billions and doing little to restore public trust in the immigration service.”
“Does the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) agree that knife crime is not increasing just in towns and cities and that we desperately need more funding for community policing in rural areas, such as the Yeovil constituency?”
“If we act on this, we can finally move towards an education system that teaches and tests for the strengths in all of us. Surely that can only be a good thing.”
“I have written to the Minister to ask for a meeting on that and I am still waiting to hear back. Two, reduce the intensity and number of exams and have more coursework or continuous assessments where possible. Three, introduce and properly invest in more vocational and functional pathways. Yeovil college in my constituency is fantastic at that. Four, invest in access to assistive technologies and integrate it into teacher training and testing as early as possible. Five, get a designated mental health professional in every school who is trained to support SEND children with anxiety at school. Finally, look at removing spelling, punctuation, and grammar marks from non-English exams. As listeners can tell, I struggle even reading my own speech. People are struggling on a daily basis and we need that support.”
“I come back to to dyslexia: 80% of dyslexics will leave school without their needs formally identified—unless, of course, they are lucky enough to come from a high income family, as 90% of children from households earning over £100,000 have a formal diagnosis, according to the BDA. That is just not fair. The result is not just an attainment gap, but damage to mental health. Seven in 10 people with dyslexia say it has made them feel bad about themselves—I know that all too well. Nearly eight in 10 say people assume they are not clever. I have a list of demands for the Minister today—and they are demands, because things as they stand really are not good enough. One, identify and support needs for early universal screening and better teacher training on neurodivergence.”
“Current assessments, such as GCSEs, are focused on an intense number of written exams, which favour good memory recall, fluent reading and writing and correct spelling in a high-pressure, timed environment. When someone’s strength lies in creative thinking, problem solving or practical or artistic work, then exams are not testing or rewarding for their strengths. While assistive technologies can make a huge difference, they are not available for too many neurodiverse people. The BDA found that only one in five dyslexic pupils say they have access to assistive technology at school—that is shocking. The bigger problem is that too many neurodiverse kids do not have their needs identified at all.”
“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Ms Lewell. I thank the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) for securing this debate. With severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, I struggled at school and hated exams. The current system of exam-based learning has a role to play in higher education, but it is far from perfect. Today I will focus on the changes we can make to the assessment system so that it is fairer on neurodiverse students because there is an attainment gap. The British Dyslexia Association found that in the 2023-24 academic year, just two in 10 students with special educational needs achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE, compared with over half the students without SEND—that is an attainment gap of over 30%.”
“Change cannot just mean more cuts; it has to be built on the experience and knowledge of everyone involved in education. Young people across the country deserve so much better. Since my ten-minute rule Bill, I have had thousands of people across the country support that motion, and my casework is going through the roof. We need change now, and I hope the Government listen.”
“In the time that I have, I will focus not on negativity, but on what steps we can take to change things. The Government have to make sure that they do several things if they want to start fixing the SEND system. They must not just cut provision to save money. A child’s right to assessment must be protected. For a start, I suggest that the Government support my ten-minute rule Bill on universal screening and teacher training on neurodivergence. We also need to invest in new special school places and education centres. Finally, all our councils need funding fairly, by extending the profit cap from children’s social care to SEND provision, and by making sure that the national Government support any child whose needs exceed a specific cost threshold. The Government cannot afford to get this wrong.”
“Although it is great to see so many Members here to debate this issue, it shows how dire things are in the SEND system. Somerset is one of the 40 lowest-funded education authorities in the UK. I have heard from many constituents, such as Becky, whose son has been denied mainstream education for over a year because no school feels that it has the resources to support him, and Kayleigh, who is struggling to get the one-to-one provision that her child’s EHCP requires. People in Yeovil are worried about the planned changes in the upcoming SEND White Paper: Ministers have failed to rule out scrapping EHCPs without a clear vision of what comes next, and people fear a similar mess to the recent attempts at personal independence payment reforms.”
“I have said this before, but so many constituents from Yeovil—some as young as 11—have told me that they are so frustrated that Britain is not doing more. Will the Minister reassure my constituents that the Government are doing all they can to make sure that these strikes do not break down the peace process completely and that enough aid gets into Gaza now?”
“Does the Minister agree that we need to take stronger steps to deter Putin? That starts with seizing billions in frozen Russian assets across the UK and using them to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, because Putin has shown that if we give him an inch, he will take a mile.”
“We have had enough debating and enough promising. Let’s bring everyone together, roll up our sleeves and take the next steps to making education inclusive and accessible for every child. Question put and agreed to. Ordered, That Adam Dance, Tessa Munt, Ed Davey, Munira Wilson, James MacCleary, Freddie van Mierlo, Ian Roome, Ann Davies, Clive Jones, Lewis Cocking, Juliet Campbell and Vikki Slade present the Bill. Adam Dance accordingly presented the Bill. Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 21 November, and to be printed (Bill 303).”
“This Bill is about empowering teachers to do what they signed up for and care deeply about—namely, educating and supporting all their pupils. To go back to the Universal Classroom screener, it only takes five to 10 minutes per pupil. With the profiles from a screener like that and with better training, all our teachers will have the confidence to make the right adjustments for each child in their class. Even small things such as different paper, extra time or time-out cards can make life-changing differences. I know this only too well. What I am proposing today is no silver bullet. It must go alongside other changes in education. If the Government would rather take on these measures in their upcoming White Paper or in some other legislation, fine, I do not really care. All that matters is that we get on with it.”
“I do not want this Bill to be about forcing labels on young people. That will not help. Again, it is about helping teachers to identify all their pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. The Government will be pleased to know that it is not about forcing costly screeners on schools either. While I have not set out a preference, the Universal Classroom has worked with teachers to create a universal screener that will be free, so this will not break the bank. Most importantly, this is not about putting more burdens on to our fantastic teachers. I personally believe that teachers do far too much for far too little pay, support or thanks. I urge the Government to look at the National Education Union’s list of 23 admin tasks that teachers should not be doing.”
“As I have said, we all sit on the spectrum of neurodivergence in some way—no matter what others say—so the screening should not be about labels but about creating a profile of strengths and weaknesses. This will help teachers to identify where all their pupils sit on the spectrum of neurodivergence and the level of support they need, from in-classroom adjustments to more formal referrals. Finally, we need proper teacher training. The Secretary of State must produce statutory guidance on training for teachers on neurodivergence in initial teacher training and in continuous professional development. This should be for all teaching staff. This training should provide teaching staff with: a clear understanding of neurodivergence, knowledge of how it presents differently in different people, and the tools and resources to support their pupils.”
“Members will be pleased to know that it is not complicated. In fact, the idea behind it is fairly simple. It is about getting the Government to use their resources and knowledge to bring everyone together to act, so that we can create a system to better identify neurodivergence and support children early on. What I am proposing can be broken down into three parts. First, we need to define what we are introducing: universal screening, and teaching training on this. Before the legislation can come into effect, the Secretary of State must lay a report before the House that defines neurodivergence. Secondly, we need a programme of universal screening for neurodivergence in primary school age children. This would preferably be a light-touch, teacher-led process.”
“Evidence also suggests that neurodiverse children can just memorise the words for the test, meaning that their actual needs may be overlooked. That is one of their superpowers! Even when a child’s needs are identified, there is no proper dedicated special educational needs and disabilities training in initial teacher training or continuous professional development programmes. Nor is it there for teaching assistants. Our overworked teaching staff are pretty much just left to get on with it themselves, and that is not good enough. Some schools manage fantastically, particularly when they are properly funded, but others are struggling. In some ways, this is another of those postcode lotteries we hear so much about. Our children, their families and our teachers deserve better. That is why I am introducing this Bill today.”
“Getting into politics and into this place was certainly not on my agenda at school, but I feel that I have to do all I can to make sure that everyone in communities such as Yeovil and beyond get the help that I had in school, or better. Despite all the progress that our country has made in recognising and empowering neurodiverse people, and despite our amazing educators working their socks off—believe me, they do—things seem to have got worse in places such as Somerset since I was at school. Our schools are under-resourced, under-supported and local authorities are totally underfunded. We have the phonics screener, but this test does not cover all the areas that neurodiverse people may struggle and need support with, such as attention control or working memory.”
“In other ways, it is a superpower and you can do anything you want with the right support—I definitely have with what I have done today. We are problem solvers, critical thinkers and fantastic creators, but with those strengths come challenges such as reading, writing, social skills or maths. That does not mean there is anything wrong with us; it just means that we learn and understand things differently, and we might need to be supported in different ways from others. I was lucky at school, because I was identified and got the support I needed. That is why I am standing here today. That support gave me the confidence to fight for what I believe in.”
“I believed that school was not for me, I fell behind, I was bullied and I certainly acted out. I am not alone in that. Since I started campaigning, I have heard from so many people who struggle, from constituents to celebrities such as Jamie Oliver, who is a great advocate in this area. I wish I could share them all today, but we would be here for many days. Around one in seven people in the UK have what we might call neurodivergence. It is a non-medical umbrella term describing the ways people’s brains may develop or work differently from the norm. In some ways, we are all neurodivergent to a greater or lesser extent. Neurodivergence is not a weakness, a condition or a flaw—I want to make that crystal clear.”
“I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make provision about screening for neurodivergence in children at primary school; to make provision about teacher training relating to neurodivergence; and for connected purposes. I thank hon. Members across the House for their support, and I thank the right hon. former Member for West Suffolk for bringing forward similar Bills in the past. School was hard for me, and that is putting it lightly. Dyslexia meant that reading and writing was challenging. Words seemed to float all over the page—in fact, they are doing so right now, so I ask hon. Members to please bear with me through this speech as I am likely to make some mistakes. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder meant that concentrating was a nightmare, with the slightest thing pulling my attention away.”
“Does my hon. Friend agree that the challenges neurodiverse people face with employment often start at school, and that we need universal screening for neurodivergence, alongside proper teacher training, so that our fantastic teaching staff are given the tools and confidence to identify and support all their pupils?”
“The original Bill was supposed to save around £5.5 billion, but the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicts that the amended version will deliver basically no savings over the next four years, as over that period, the forecast savings from reducing the universal credit health element for new claimants will be offset or exceeded by the cost of increasing the UC standard allowance. What is the actual point of this Bill?”
“The whole point of the Bill, as far as I can tell, was to get people back into meaningful work and lower the welfare bill—things that I think we all want—but at no stage has the Bill done what is needed to help get people back into meaningful work: address the crisis in our NHS and social care system, and our growing chronic health issues. I have constituents who would have ended up homeless as a result of the original proposals, and now, without a full impact assessment, we do not really know what effect the Bill will have on our constituents. I am really concerned that people with Parkinson’s and conditions like MS will effectively be excluded, as a result of the criteria, from the higher rate of the health element of universal credit. At the very least, I urge colleagues to support amendment 17 to address that.”
“I wish to speak in favour of amendments 12, 13 and 17, and Liberal Democrat new clauses 2, 3, 6 and 7. The Bill has been an absolute shambles from the start; there was no consultation with disabled people, and there has been last-minute chopping and changing. The Timms review and the removal of the PIP elements of the Bill are welcome, but the process that got us there has left disabled people in Yeovil fearful, and with little confidence in the Government. For example, my constituent Noel has unfortunately been unable to work due to a degenerative condition. He receives universal credit and has been left deeply distressed by the proposed changes; he visits my office almost daily for support. He is not alone. So many people in Yeovil have made it clear that the proposals are just unfair.”
“I thank some Labour Back Benchers for having a backbone and voting against their Government in support of disabled people. I hope they do so again today.”
“I completely agree with my hon. Friend and neighbour. We will see a huge impact from ICBs having to make a 50% cut. We are already seeing the impact in Yeovil, as hon. Members will have heard me say. The maternity unit has had its funding cut, and is being shut for six months. The Bill was not produced with disabled people; lots of its content is being removed; there is no impact assessment; and the Bill is not likely to make any real savings. This tells me that the Government should go back to the drawing board, and either withdraw the Bill, or adopt the Lib Dem amendments and new clauses that require proper consultation and impact assessments. Either way, the Government must stop making decisions about disabled people without them.”
“I have spoken to people who found out in prison that they have neurodiverse conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which I also have. If they had been supported at school, things would have been different. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to roll out universal screening for all neurodiverse conditions at primary school level?”
“Many feel that the railway services in Yeovil are not good enough. Does my hon. Friend agree that in rural areas we need to replace the old trains that we rely on, some of which are more than 40 years old—a lot older than I am—and improve access and staffing at railway stations so that constituents with disabilities can use trains in a safe manner?”
“Will the Minister and the Government agree that it is vital to try to get more electric trains across the south-west? After meeting with the railways, I know they are concerned that they will find it hard to replace the diesel stock with electric stock down in Somerset. Can we urge them to push and look at getting more investment into electric trains?”