Alison Bennett
MP for Mid Sussex · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“Q6. I put on record my appreciation for the hard work of the Prime Minister’s ministerial team in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in tackling the absolute failings of South East Water. However, last Friday, 1,200 pupils at Downlands community school in Hassocks were sent home because they had no water.”
“She told me the staff were amazing, but she also made it clear that amazing staff should never have to work in those conditions Perhaps the most difficult responses I have received were from the healthcare professionals themselves. One doctor told me that they regularly examine patients in corridors.”
“I am sorry, but I will not, in the interests of time. This is happening not because our NHS staff are failing, but because they are being asked to deliver excellent care in circumstances that make excellence almost impossible.”
“Many of those people wanted the House to be told one thing before anything else: the staff who cared for them were extraordinary. They spoke of nurses who never stopped smiling despite being exhausted, doctors who apologised because they knew patients deserved better, and paramedics who stayed compassionate under impossible pressure.”
“I agree with my hon. Friend. What we see time and again is that one problem becomes another until eventually the patient pays the price. My constituent, Catherine Jeater, has seen corridor care as a patient and as a relative of a patient.”
“I begin by thanking the hon. Member for Tooting (Dr Allin-Khan) for setting out so brilliantly, with her professional expertise and human touch, what it means for corridor care to be a normal habit across the NHS in all parts of the country—not just in the winter, with winter pressures, but throughout the year.”
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“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 their families and friends without their consent, forced to endure stigma and discrimination. They lost their jobs, and had their medals and their pensions taken from them. Some were criminally convicted simply for being themselves. This has made it nearly impossible for them to rebuild their lives, as they have faced significant barriers to finding employment and moving forward. My constituent Stephen Purves, from Haywards Heath, is among the thousands who were so deeply wronged.”
“On that point about young carers, does my hon. Friend agree that, at the moment, schools struggle to recognise how many young carers are on their rolls? Does she think that the Department for Education would be wise to look at better ways of measuring the number of young carers and giving schools the toolkits to identify them?”
“Her family just wanted me to bear witness to them, and I am so sorry that there is not more that we as parliamentarians can do.”
“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 say that when families come to me and I ask, “How can I help you?”, they say, “We don’t think you can help us. We just want you to witness and listen to what we are saying,” because the system is so broken. I met the family of Annabel in Mid Sussex. She has been out of school for several years, has been sectioned and has had multiple suicide attempts because her autism was not being managed in the schooling system.”
“We must also do better on dentistry, both generally, by sorting out the NHS contract and ensuring that we have a proper workforce plan for dentistry, and specifically, for people with those rare diseases that have a massive impact on dental health. As well as having access to a named GP, the Liberal Democrats are campaigning for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to have greater capacity, which would help to speed up the process by which new treatments reach patients—a potential game changer for those suffering with such conditions. We need change so that we can help the people living with those complex, long-term and debilitating conditions. The diseases may be complex, but I believe the solutions need not be. I am encouraged by the words of hon.”
“It is clear from my conversation with Carrie that we simply must do better on this issue. We must tackle the postcode lottery, exemplified by Carrie and her mother at opposite ends of the country; build a more joined-up system; and take rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases seriously so that we can start diagnosing earlier and more consistently. While the problems seem daunting, I believe that by collaborating—for example, with organisations such as RAIRDA—we can find solutions to the problems that Carrie told me about. It is already Liberal Democrat policy to ensure that everyone with long-term health conditions has access to a named GP.”
“Often, solutions can be as simple as helping with buying things such as thermal gloves or socks. Another major challenge has been the impact of her autoimmune conditions on her teeth, particularly with the Sjögren’s that she suffers from. Carrie has spent thousands and thousands of pounds on private dental care over the years—the only option as NHS treatment was not available. Despite that money, Carrie now thinks that it is not long until she will have very few teeth left. Carrie thinks that the current system is disjointed, with her dentist not understanding the issues surrounding her conditions, and her rheumatologist likewise not understanding the impact her conditions have on her dental health. She believes that a more co-ordinated, multidisciplinary approach to treating the conditions would help.”
“Contrastingly, however, she has always been made to feel like a hypochondriac—not an unusual experience for those seeking help with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Carrie’s mother was eventually diagnosed after many unnecessary years of suffering. She suffered for longer and to a greater degree simply because no one believed her or was able to diagnose her. Carrie told me that a postcode lottery exists in the quality of care for those with these conditions. It really is down to the specific medics and practitioners who an individual meets as to how well their condition is identified and whether treatment can begin. Carrie’s Raynaud’s is particularly debilitating in winter. She told me that more awareness of the issues around the conditions and how symptoms can be alleviated is vital.”
“Interestingly, for someone who has carried those conditions for 30 years, she considers herself fortunate to have been diagnosed with Raynaud’s and lupus at a young age, because it allowed her to start treatment early and receive consistent care. She knows from experience that early diagnosis and treatment makes a real difference, a point that has already been made by hon. Members. While Carrie believes that she has been lucky and has received good care, she stressed that many people face years of misdiagnosis or dismissal, and poor or almost non-existent care. Those failures only exacerbate their symptoms further down the line. Sadly, one of those less fortunate than Carrie is her own mother, who lives not in Sussex but in Yorkshire, and also has multiple autoimmune conditions.”
“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 his contribution. More than 160,000 people in the UK live with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Identifying, treating and caring for those people is complex. Yesterday, my constituent Carrie told me about her experience. She suffers from a number of conditions and has done since she was diagnosed 30 years ago.”
“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 responses?”
“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 compensation that is so long overdue. Why did the Government make last-minute changes to the accepted documents for interim compensation claims required from the estates of people who died after receiving contaminated blood and blood products? Will the right hon. Gentleman tell me what action is being taken to tackle the unacceptable delays?”
“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?”
“In the social care sector, MHA, which supports more than 17,000 older people across 80 care homes, 59 retirement communities, and 43 community based hubs, estimates that it will face an additional £4.6 million in costs in the first year alone.”
“They look after the weak, the vulnerable and the dying, but these organisations are themselves even more vulnerable than they were as a result of the Government’s proposed changes to employer national insurance contributions, announced in the Budget. That jobs tax jeopardises the quality and reach of the services that will be available in my constituency and across the country. The children’s hospice charity Together for Short Lives estimates that the rise from 13.8% to 15% in April 2025 that was announced in the Budget will increase costs for children’s hospices, which provide lifeline care to seriously ill children, by nearly £5 million annually. Combined with inflation, falling local NHS and council funding, and uncertainty around the NHS children’s hospice grant, this policy risks reducing or even closing essential services.”
“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 thanked me, and she told me that her husband had spent his last days at St Peter and St James. When she realised that I was the local MP, she grasped my hand tightly, and said, “You have to do something about NICs.” I said that I had been trying to, and had been raising the matter in the Houses of Parliament, but having not been heard so far, I will raise it again today. Our hospices and social care providers do hugely difficult, often invisible work.”
“Let us do right by those who work tirelessly to support and protect our most vulnerable, and in doing so, let us build a healthcare system fit for the future.”
“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 long-term positive change; I am sad to say that it is squandering it. The Government could have found better ways to raise the necessary funds. They could have reversed tax cuts for big banks, increased digital services taxes, or even reformed capital gains tax to ensure that the wealthiest pay their fair share. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have repeatedly urged the Government to exempt social care providers and hospices from the tax rise, and I do so once again today.”
“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 minimised. I have raised these issues with both Sussex police and the police and crime commissioner. What can the Minister do to ensure that Sussex police have sufficient resources to stop a small number of perpetrators having a disproportionate effect on law-abiding constituents across Mid Sussex?”
“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 since moving, and is yet to find similar support in Sussex. How will the Secretary of State tackle the postcode lottery that exists for those in need of extra help to get into employment?”
“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 vision of ensuring that no one goes through having a child taken into care more than once. However, more than half of areas have no support available for parents after a child is removed from their care, which leads to many being trapped in a cycle of pregnancies, care proceedings and repeat removals. What assurances can the Secretary of State give that this valuable work will be more widely rolled out across the country, and will she meet me and Pause to discuss how that work can be taken forward?”
“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 more GPs, but hiking national insurance puts that pledge in jeopardy. Surgeries are set to see eye-watering increases in staff costs, equivalent to 26,786 appointments in West Sussex alone. GPs will have no choice but to cut services and staff numbers, and patients will pay the price. Does the Minister agree that stronger primary care, with faster appointments and fewer people having to go to hospital, is better for both the NHS and patients? If so, will she protect services and press the Chancellor to end this GP penalty?”
“The first thing that we can do to achieve those vital baselines in dental care is to deliver a dental rescue package, including investing in extra dental appointments, fixing the broken NHS dental contract and using flexible commissioning to meet patient needs. Secondly, we need to ensure that a proper workforce plan for health and social care, including projections for dentists and dental staff, is written into law. Thirdly, we would reverse the previous Government’s cuts to public health grants to support preventive dental healthcare. We must tackle the root causes of the oral health catastrophe in the south-west by focusing on investment in prevention. In doing so, we can put an end to the suffering of so many children and adults, take away the need for DIY dentistry and provide some much-needed respite for the NHS system as a whole.”
“However, the issue is not limited to the south-west. Only one of the 13 dentists in my constituency of Mid Sussex is accepting children as NHS patients, and none is accepting adults. Using data from the House of Commons Library, it is estimated that 44% of children in West Sussex did not see a dentist in the year to March 2024. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are calling for three things and we have a plan to make them happen. First, we need guaranteed access to an NHS dentist for everyone who needs urgent and emergency care. Secondly, we need guaranteed access to free NHS check-ups for those already eligible: children, new mothers, those who are pregnant and those on low incomes. Thirdly, we need guaranteed appointments for all those who need a dental check before commencing surgery, chemotherapy or a transplant.”
“Our failures stretch across the full breadth of age groups. Last year, a poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats revealed that a shocking one in five people who fail to get an NHS appointment turn to DIY dentistry. Indeed, during the general election, I knocked on the door of somebody who told me that he had pulled his own teeth out. It is simply Victorian that that has happened to dentistry in our country in 2024. The Darzi review found that “only about 30 and 40 per cent of NHS dental practices are accepting new child and adult registrations respectively.” To me, and I think to everyone here, the fact that our dentistry system is in a position where people feel the need to pull out their own teeth is appalling. The south-west is feeling the full force of the crisis, having lost more than 100 dentists last year alone.”
“In all those forums, grave concerns have been raised about the impact of the increase in employer national insurance contributions on the work that providers do, and the potential cuts to the number of people they employ and the services they offer. I ask the Minister to urge his team in the Department of Health and Social Care to reconsider and to press the Treasury to rethink the increase, or at least look at finding some form of dispensation. As hon. Members have said, tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admission in children between the ages of six and 10. Thanks to a freedom of information request commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, we know that over 100,000 children have been admitted to hospital with rotting teeth since 2018. That is shameful, yet also entirely preventable. That is what makes it so tragic.”
“While I welcome the Government’s injection of funds into the NHS as a whole, we must be clear that dentistry should not be forgotten. That is why I, along with many of my Liberal Democrat colleagues, have today written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ask her to reconsider the proposed increases in employer national insurance contributions in the case of various healthcare providers, including the dentistry sector and those providing NHS dentistry. Commenting on that letter, the British Dental Association said that the changes, should they go ahead, will inevitably punish patients. Before coming to this debate, I had meetings with the National Care Forum and the children’s hospice charity Together for Short Lives.”
“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 hon. Friend for making the debate about the south-west. I grew up in Gloucestershire, and my dentistry as a child began in Tewkesbury. The comment by the hon. Member for Stroud (Dr Opher) that dental treatment is preventive in its own right was helpful. Indeed, thanks to the insistence of my mother, Christine, on my going to the dentist twice a year, I never got a filling until I was into my 40s. I thank her for that.”
“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?”
“This is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for GPs and care providers to be exempt from national insurance rises. When those who employ us, care for us and choose to base their businesses in Mid Sussex feel “insulted, “abandoned” and “unsupported”, 1 fail to see how this decision is the right one.”
“They employ many people on low wages, so shifting the national insurance threshold to £5,000 has a huge impact. Katie, a Lindfield GP, said that the changes would directly undermine patient access and patient care. “In our area,” she said, “there are dwindling partner numbers, old estates, difficulties recruiting staff. We partners aren’t sure how long we can keep providing increasing healthcare for.” My constituent Tom, a GP partner, told me that because practices do not charge patients, they do not have the option to put up their prices as a business might. He is trying to digest how he feels about partners’ bearing the brunt of these changes. GPs have told me that they are not entitled to claim employment allowance, and we need clarity on that essential point.”
“The catastrophic impacts of the decision will be not just on employers but on employees—none more than those in Mid Sussex GP and care businesses who have written to me since the Budget. Niki, from Hassocks, a director in a social care organisation supporting adults with learning disabilities, raised two points. First, the national insurance changes will have a disastrous impact on the sector, with social care providers already struggling. Hit in recent years by covid, interest rate hikes, rises in the national living wage and the cost of living crisis, many are teetering on the brink. Secondly, social care providers will feel the Government’s measures acutely and disproportionately. They are people businesses, so almost their entire cost base is hit by the national insurance increase.”
“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 contingency plans and think seriously about his workforce going forward. He is right to say that “without thriving small businesses and SMEs the ability of local communities to thrive is inhibited”. That is true in Mid Sussex and in communities up and down the country. Another constituent of mine, Ian, who has invested considerably in a local business and employs a number of local people, says that he feels “abandoned”.”
“As Ministers are doubtless aware, domestic abuse includes financial abuse and coercive control. I have a constituent whose ex-partner is using the family courts to perpetrate his controlling and abusive behaviour against her. What can be done to prevent the legal system from being used as a vehicle for extending domestic abuse by former partners?”
“Carers Trust estimates that two children in every classroom across the UK are young carers, yet 72% of schools say that they have no young carers on their roll. What steps is the Department taking to address that?”
“Given the varied estimates of how many farms will be impacted by these changes to agricultural property relief, will the Minister confirm how many farms he thinks will be impacted?”
“It is vital that the Government commit to action to ensure that every child whose years are shortened, and every family involved, can make the most of every moment they have left together, just as Fred, Carey and the rest of the family were able to do.”
“Together we can create a future in which every child, regardless of their circumstances, or where they live, receives the best possible palliative care. That can happen when, first, the Government fix the postcode lottery; secondly, they review the declining charitable incomes of hospices and the links to deteriorating services; thirdly, they review commissioning for palliative care, which too frequently leaves hospices out of pocket for providing basic services and which leads to significant disparities within and between communities; and finally, they introduce a specific national hospice workforce plan to cut vacancy rates with the utmost urgency.”
“These are not just statistics: they translate into real-life consequences for families who need and deserve every bit of support they can get. Meanwhile, rising costs have not been matched by appropriate funding increases, and the lack of transparency in funding and services is concerning. Freedom of information requests revealed that only 31% of integrated care boards could confirm how many children with life-limiting conditions accessed hospice care in their area, while 14% could not even report on their spending in this critical area. This is unacceptable. We must have a clear understanding of the needs in our communities to ensure that no child is left behind. We cannot allow our most vulnerable children and their families to be at the mercy of a fragmented and inadequate system. We have a moral obligation to act.”
“A staggering two thirds of local areas in England fail to meet the required standard for 24/7 end of life care for children at home. Alarmingly, only 14% of integrated care boards—just six in total—currently fund services that provide round-the-clock access to children’s nursing care and specialist paediatric palliative care consultations. The postcode lottery is very real. In 2022, NHS funding for children’s hospices varied dramatically. Areas such as Norfolk and Waveney allocated £511 per patient; others, such as South Yorkshire, provided a mere £28. This disparity is totally unfair. It leads to unequal access to essential services, including therapies like physiotherapy, which can make a genuinely life-changing difference for so many children.”
“That is why we Liberal Democrats firmly believe in the necessity of a fair funding deal for hospices. It is time to address the inconsistencies that Members have spoken about in children’s palliative care funding, and ensure that all hospices are properly resourced to meet even the most basic NHS standards. Charities such as Together for Short Lives have identified systemic problems that stop children getting the care they need. With the large majority of funding being private or charitable, the sector is precariously poised. Although the increase in the children and young people’s hospice grant to £25 million is a positive step, I am sad to say that it falls woefully short of the £295 million gap in NHS spending on children’s palliative care identified by charities such as Together for Short Lives.”
“What Chestnut Tree House did for Carey was to make his and his family’s most difficult years as bearable and as happy as they could be. Every child whose years are shortened and every family involved deserves such support. I fear that unless the Government take decisive action, such vital support services will continue to wither, and children like Fred and family members like Carey will be left to fend for themselves in truly dark times. This is not an issue to be addressed at a later date, but one that has consequences for children and families throughout the country today. The challenges faced by children’s hospices are daunting. Each year hospices across the UK provide vital services to around 300,000 people, including approximately 7,500 children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.”
“I went to his house for a cup of tea and he pointed to a photograph on the wall and said, “Just so you know, this is my son Fred, and Fred died when he was a teenager.” Roll on to 2024, and Carey and I are no longer fellow constituents—he now lives just outside Mid Sussex—but we are both served by the wonderful Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice in Arundel, which serves families right across west Sussex. Chestnut Tree House did an incredible job for Carey, Fred and the whole of their family as Fred approached the end of his life. Carey said he is certain of the fact that “without the support of Chestnut Tree House for our lovely Fred, and for us as we helped him, on his journey from lively teenager to death, we would all have been broken beyond endurance”.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. I begin by thanking the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) for securing this really important and timely debate. I also pay credit to his efforts and the efforts of the good people of Liverpool for all the work they have done to save—hopefully—Zoe’s Place. However, the fact that all those efforts, including the trombone-playing, have been required means that today we are not where we should be. Based on the contributions across the Chamber this morning, there is widespread agreement among Members that this total dependence of children’s hospices on fundraising—putting out the begging bowl to keep them going—is unacceptable and something that we would like to see change. In Mid Sussex, where I live, I know somebody called Carey who I first met in 2019.”
“The financial future of West Sussex county council is bleak: it faces a cumulative budget gap of over £200 million for 2029-30. At present, 64% of the council’s budget is being spent on adult and children’s social services, and that is set to rise. How will the Minister ensure that West Sussex county council and others do not have to close libraries, cut bus routes or reduce road repairs in order to meet the growing demand for the most vulnerable members of our community?”
“His family were terribly worried about what George might say when he met Government Ministers. They had a plan that if George let rip, they would whisk him away in his wheelchair before any embarrassment could be caused. I am pleased to say to Conservative Members that he met Gillian Keegan, Grant Shapps and the former Prime Minister’s wife, and no event occurred. I asked Paul what George’s messages to the House would be, and the answer—what Paul thought his dad would have said—was characteristically robust. He was passionate about remembering his shipmates, those who gave their tomorrow for our today. He stayed in contact throughout his life with the daughter—”
“When he was still 17, he pestered and pestered the recruiters at the naval office to sign him up. Eventually, they took him on, even though he had not yet reached his 18th birthday. George saw active service in the channel as a gunner on a boat, with close combat with the Germans occurring very frequently. On D-day, he provided cover for American troops landing on Omaha beach, watching the slaughter before his eyes. He returned from the D-day landings to Newhaven in East Sussex, and saw rows and rows of empty coffins waiting for the dead. This year, George was one of a handful of remaining veterans who took part in the 80th anniversary commemorations. He went to No. 10 Downing Street, HMS Belfast and the trooping of the colour. This caused George’s family a certain amount of consternation, for George was not a Conservative.”
“My constituent and resident of Burgess Hill, Able Seaman George Chandler, was due to lead the blind veterans at the remembrance parade on Remembrance Sunday the weekend after next. Sadly, George died earlier this month. He was 99 years old. I never had the privilege of meeting George, but I have been able to speak to his son Paul, who gave me a wonderful insight into his father. He was full of character and, in Paul’s words, an old rogue. George was born to a working-class family off the Old Kent Road. When war was declared, aged 14 George stayed in London—he was not evacuated—and experienced the blitz in all its horror. His father, Will, had been a soldier at the Somme, and George was determined that he would not be what he called one of the “poor bloody infantry”. He was not going to go into the Army.”
“I will draw my comments to a close, Madam Deputy Speaker. George’s messages would be: “Don’t be stupid like my generation. Don’t do it again. Don’t listen to the stupid politicians. Most of all, we must have more compassion for each other.””