Dr Roz Savage
MP for South Cotswolds · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“I express my gratitude to the Minister and to the Government for delivering this second nature and climate statement, as they promised to do during the conversations around the time of my Climate and Nature Bill last year. It may not be exactly what I had envisaged, but I welcome it none the less.”
“Q8. My constituency is the ninth most sewage-polluted constituency in the entire country, with thousands of hours of sewage pouring into the Thames, Avon and Coln, but that metric of hours conceals the truth. It does not convey the actual volume, and clearly a trickle is very different from a gush.”
“T7. The Government recently shelved plans to require solar panels on new car parks, despite the significant potential to generate clean electricity, support electric vehicle charging and provide greater shade cover.”
“First past the post encourages parties to focus their policies on core marginal seats that they want to influence. That means the kind of policies they present and whether they suit a constituency will depend largely on the postcode and political history of that constituency.”
“I feel like I now personally have a representative in Westminster.” At the last general election, the current Government got 30% of the vote, 60% of the seats and they now have 100% of the power. How can that be fair? In effect, that means that 70% of votes have no power.”
“I wish the Government had gone further and introduced alternative vote for those single-position elections. The proof is in the result. In last year’s mayoral elections, the Mayor of the West of England won with just 25% of the vote. That is clearly not democracy.”
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“I particularly thank the Minister, the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy), for her long-term persistence and commitment to this cause. It shows that when we work together across the House, we can turn ambition into action. However, ratification is only the beginning; turning this treaty into a practical reality will demand co-ordination, funding and focus. As such, I would like to ask the Minister a few practical questions about implementation from the FCDO perspective, questions that I have sent to her office. First, on institutional co-ordination, how will Departments such as the FCDO, DEFRA and the Department for Transport work together to manage marine genetic resources, environmental assessments and new conservation tools under a single, coherent system?”
“The ocean is becoming more acidic, threatening the existence of plankton—the base of the entire marine food chain—and weakening its capacity to absorb carbon and regulate our climate. That is what is at stake. The health of the ocean is the health of our planet. That is why the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction treaty matters so profoundly. It is the first global treaty to bring order, fairness and protection to the high seas. It offers a framework for managing those shared waters responsibly and ensuring that the benefits of ocean science are shared globally, not hoarded by the few. Earlier this year, when I brought the Climate and Nature Bill before this House, I further pressed the Government to commit to ratifying the BBNJ, and I am pleased and thankful that they are now delivering on that promise.”
“The deep sea is home to some of the most extraordinary forms of life on Earth—I was particularly pleased to hear the Minister refer to sunfish, which are surely the weirdest creatures I have ever seen—but it is increasingly targeted for exploitation. We know the surface of the moon better than we know the bottom of the ocean. There is a real danger that we could destroy species before we even know they exist. More than 60% of the world’s surface and nearly three quarters of its ocean volume lie out there in the places beyond any country’s control. For centuries, the high seas have been treated as no one’s responsibility—beyond the environment, a lawless expanse—and still today, only 1% is properly protected. Meanwhile, overfishing, pollution and deep-sea mining are degrading ecosystems that we barely understand.”
“Out there in the middle of an ocean, when you have not seen dry land for several months, thousands of miles separate you from the closest land mass and the nearest human beings are on the International Space Station, it feels like you are well beyond jurisdictions, and often beyond justice. It was out there in that lawless place that I came to understand both the power and the fragility of the ocean—you see its beauty and its bounty, but also its vulnerability to what we humans choose to do. The ocean has no voice in this place, so today, we are being its voice. The ocean may seem boundless, but it is not indestructible. We have polluted it, overfished it, and warmed it.”
“The oceans have long struggled to get the attention they deserve—there are no voters out there on the ocean. Thanks are owed to Sir David Attenborough and the many filmmakers and photographers who, over the years, have brought the oceans into our living rooms and helped us to get to know them and care about them. Most of us only get to experience oceans from a beach, or from 30,000 feet—looking down from an aeroplane window at a vast, endless blue expanse—but I have spent months and months alone on the ocean, a long way beyond national jurisdictions, rowing across oceans to raise awareness of the environmental crisis facing our world, particularly the parts of it that are blue. I was trying to bring a human face to the plight of our oceans.”
“National action must also connect to global leadership. Later this week, the House will consider the global ocean treaty. Oceans are potentially great allies in the fight against climate change. If COP28 was the promise, COP30 must be the proof that the UK can move from words to integration, from fragmentation to resilience and from short-term fixes to long-term stewardship of the planet that feeds us all.”
“Climate change, soil degradation and water scarcity threaten supply, while global demand for food is set to rise by up to 56% by 2050. Without urgent change, we risk cascading food shocks that will drive inflation and deepen inequality. We know that degraded soil releases carbon, but healthy soil becomes an effective carbon sink. Farmers everywhere, including in my South Cotswolds constituency, want to be part of that change, but they need support and certainty. They need the Government to lead with them, not leave them guessing. Resilience is about not just production, but education. Last night, I hosted a roundtable in Parliament that brought together campaign leaders, education experts, teachers and parliamentary champions to shape a future-facing curriculum to make sure that our young people are food and agriculture-literate.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Pippa Heylings) for her excellent speech leading the debate. When we talk about transforming global food systems, what we are really talking about is resilience: the resilience of people, of ecosystems and of economies. Right now, that resilience is dangerously thin. Our food systems are failing on every front. Globally, agriculture and land use drive 30% of emissions and 60% of biodiversity loss. Every 1°C of warming means 120 fewer calories per person per day. This is not abstract. It is hunger, instability and conflict. The scientific consensus is clear: industrial farming is nearing its physical and environmental limits.”
“Crown courtrooms are sitting empty for up to 75% of the time. Judges used to be booking in trials three to six months into the future, but now they are booking well into 2027 or even into 2028, which is to save the cost of bringing in a recorder at £830 a day. However, these cases still need to be tried at some point, so that is not actually saving costs, just deferring them. In the meantime, there is a terrible impact on complainants, and in fact on justice itself. What will the Secretary of State do to clear this backlog and ensure that cases come to trial?”
“It is a legal term: a child has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability that means they cannot use standard educational facilities without extra help, and if they require special educational provision—extra or different support from what is normally provided. This can include one-to-one support, smaller classes, adapted curricula or therapies such as speech and language support. A diagnosis is not required. What matters is whether the child’s needs make learning harder and whether extra help is essential to their participation and progress. We all know that the system is under immense pressure.”
“I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 711021 relating to assessments and support for children with SEND. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship in this extremely popular debate, Dr Huq, and it is a privilege to open it on behalf of the Petitions Committee. Over 122,000 people have signed this petition, led by Save Our Children’s Rights, parents and organisations including the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, Special Needs Jungle and SOS!SEN. Their message is clear: the primary goal of education policy must be to ensure that every child fulfils their potential to the maximum degree possible. They are deeply concerned that weakening statutory duties would reduce not just rights but opportunities. What do we mean by SEND?”
“The report also shows that the cost of independent special school places is now more than double that of state special schools on average. The IFS warns that, without reform, spending pressures will balloon over the next few years.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. Given the number of people who want to take part, I will proceed with my speech to allow the maximum number possible the chance to speak. We extended support from birth to 25 in 2014, replacing statements with holistic education, health and care plans, but those reforms coincided with major funding pressures. Families now routinely have to enforce their rights through tribunals, with almost all appeals finding in their favour. Last week, a new Institute for Fiscal Studies report confirmed the seriousness of this crisis. It found that, since 2018, the number of pupils with EHCPs has grown by nearly 80%, from under 3% to over 5% of pupils, while local authorities face cumulative high-needs deficits, which are projected to reach £8 billion by 2027.”
“I totally agree with the hon. Member’s intervention. Change must focus on early support, mainstream inclusion and capacity, which is exactly what the petitioners are calling for today. In the light of that evidence, the legal rights given by EHCPs are not a luxury but a necessary tool for ensuring that children get the support to fulfil their true potential. Without these legal rights intact, many families face months or years of legal challenge or delay just to obtain what should be automatic.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I, too, have hosted roundtable events such as the one that he describes, and I agree that collaboration and greater education across the board is the way forward. Three guiding principles should underpin the Government’s White Paper and coming reforms. First, early intervention must be real. If mainstream schools had better statutory support earlier, fewer children would need EHCPs. Making SEND support stronger and more reliably available would allow many needs to be met before they escalate.”
“I thank the hon. Member for her intervention, and I agree. Secondly, individual need absolutely must be at the heart of provision. Every child, and their needs, is different. Generic packages or waiting until needs become acute undermines potential. Provision must be tailored so that each child can achieve as much as they are capable of. Thirdly, we need capacity and accountability. The system should get decisions right the first time.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention —I was about to expand on that very point. The high success rate at tribunal reflects systemic problems, not overdemand.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I agree that, at this formative stage of a child’s life, a year is forever. It is unacceptable to have to wait that long. Without capacity and timely support, costs rise and outcomes worsen. This autumn, the Government will publish a SEND White Paper. This is a critical opportunity, but it is also a moment of danger. Change that simply cuts legal rights or dilutes statutory support to reduce short-term costs will fail children and ultimately cost more in the long run. The petitioners and the IFS urge the Government to ensure that the White Paper retains and protects legal rights, including EHCPs, so that each child can access what they are entitled to.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention and would emphasise that point. We know that investing money up front early in a child’s life ultimately ends up costing less. The White Paper should also invest in early support in mainstream schools to ensure that SEND support is strengthened, so that schools are properly resourced and not forced to chase EHCPs just to unlock basic help.”
“If the White Paper delivers on those points, children will not just get by, but will be given the firm foundation they need to realise their potential to its full.”
“At its heart, this petition and today’s debate are about one fundamental, non-negotiable principle: that every child, in mainstream or special settings, has the right to an education that meets their needs and allows them to fulfil their potential. The IFS report confirms what parents, teachers and schools are saying. The current system is creaking. It is overburdened and under-resourced, and it is operating under legal obligations that are increasingly hard to meet. My call to the Government is simple. When they publish the White Paper, let it align squarely with the arguments made here today by protecting legal rights, strengthening early support, investing in capacity, ensuring inclusion and creating accountability.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I think he is echoing the same points that I am making. The White Paper must also close funding gaps and workforce shortages, so that element 2 funding keeps pace with inflation and so that the capacity of speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and occupational therapists is rebuilt. It needs to ensure fairness and accountability, with clear expectations of quality and reducing postcode lotteries. Finally, the White Paper must embed inclusion across mainstream settings, so that children with SEND are supported close to home whenever possible, rather than having to spend many hours a day travelling, often at great cost to their families.”
“We need accountability, training and funding; we need early and timely intervention; we need a system that works with and for parents, not against them; and above all else, we need a system that enables all children, no matter what their challenges, to fulfil their potential. I, for one, look forward very much to hearing what the Government will do to provide that. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered e-petition 711021 relating to assessments and support for children with SEND.”
“I thank the petitioners again for making today’s debate possible, and I thank everybody who spoke. I hope the breadth and depth of both feeling and understanding across the House is clear to the petitioners. I thank the Minister for her response and welcome her to her place. I hope she will forgive me for observing that I heard a great deal of empathy but not a great deal of action. I trust that the forthcoming White Paper will set out in much more detail and far more concrete terms what the Government will do to address the crisis in SEND. There is a crisis of funding and of trust, but behind the national crisis are countless families in crisis, pushed to breaking point by the fight to get their children the provision they deserve.”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for drawing attention to the need to provide for disabled bus users. My amendment would require local authorities seeking a franchise to take people with special educational needs into account, and to consult them and the groups that represent them. Does he agree with that proposal?”
“That means backing domestic supply chains, ensuring the right market signals are in place, and providing the certainty that investors and communities need. If we truly seize this moment, the UK can lead the world in clean hydrogen.”
“What is missing at the moment is the scale of investment and policy certainty to move from promising prototypes to production at pace. This debate is extremely timely. We have a chance to shape the supply chains, the regulatory framework and the financial environment that will allow British firms to thrive and lead in this vital sector. If we succeed, the prize is not only economic but environmental: cleaner air, lower emissions and a more resilient, self-sufficient energy system. I echo the hope expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) that this technology enjoys genuine cross-party support. Let us match the boldness of the innovators in my constituency and beyond with equal boldness in our policy.”
“In just three years, a start-up called Wild Hydrogen has grown from a small lab team to employing 18 skilled people. It is exploring ways to turn waste into clean hydrogen and biomethane, with the added benefit of capturing carbon. The company’s aspiration is bold: the idea that Gloucestershire could possibly host the world’s first carbon-negative town before the decade is out. Another exciting young company, which is clearly hosting numerous MPs, is ZeroAvia, based at the Cotswold airport in my constituency. As already described by my hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse), ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-powered planes with enormous potential to disrupt the aeronautical industry. Whether or not those specific goals are realised, the principle stands: innovation is happening already here in the UK.”
“Hydrogen can be partnered with offshore wind in tanks under the water, reducing the need for pylons. It could reduce the need for oversized solar farms on agricultural land, which reduce the land available for food production. But if the UK is to reap the benefits, we must act with urgency. The Hydrogen Innovation Initiative has calculated that securing just 10% of the global hydrogen technology market could deliver £46 billion per year to our economy by 2050 and support over 400,000 jobs. That is a huge opportunity, but it will not wait for us. Other countries are also moving fast and if we are too cautious, we risk being left behind. In my constituency of South Cotswolds, we see a glimpse of what that future could look like.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I thank the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing this debate, and the hon. Member for Worcester (Tom Collins) for leading it with such competence and aplomb. Hydrogen has long been talked about as the fuel of the future, and we are beginning to see how it can be the fuel of the present. If we are serious about net zero, energy security and building the industries of tomorrow, hydrogen must play a central role. Electrification is advancing rapidly but, as we know, about 80% of global energy demand is still for molecules, not electrons. Heavy industry, transport and heating remain stubbornly difficult to decarbonise. Hydrogen offers us a way forward. It is flexible, storable and able to integrate with existing infrastructure.”
“The River Thames arises in my constituency, and hence the Thames Path does too. As well as providing a beautiful walking route, it offers a valuable corridor for wildlife. Does my hon. Friend agree that funding the Thames Path adequately is essential if we are to protect habitats, contribute to biodiversity targets and preserve the natural beauty of South Cotswolds?”
“As my hon. Friend the Member for Henley and Thame (Freddie van Mierlo) mentioned, many of the challenges facing our national trails are caused by the impacts of climate change, but at the moment Natural England’s fund for environmental incidents covers only coastal erosion and riverbank erosion. Does the Minister agree that this funding pot must be expanded and increased in line with inflation to cover proper provision for climate impacts such as storm damage and flooding?”
“If developers include them from the outset, the cost is very reasonable—far lower than the cost of trying to retrofit them later on. New estates should be designed so that no home is more than 400 metres from a defibrillator, because when cardiac arrest happens, every moment counts. Each year, thousands of lives are lost because help simply does not arrive quickly enough. By ensuring that defibrillators are widespread, visible and easy to access, we can change that. Let us make defibrillators as commonplace as fire extinguishers and as trusted as seat belts. Let us make sure that help is never more than a few steps away.”
“But survival from cardiac arrest should not come down to luck; it should come down to preparation. I recently visited a newly installed defibrillator in my constituency. With huge thanks to the Lechlade Lions, the South Western ambulance service and Gloucestershire street lighting, Lechlade and Fairford now have some of the best defibrillator coverage in the country. They have pioneered the use of lamp post power to run devices, the first scheme of its kind in the south-west, making installation simpler and cheaper. We should be broadening that approach across the whole country. Every community, rural or urban, deserves the same safety net. I advocate for defibrillators as a standard requirement in the planning process for all new housing estates and industrial estates.”
“As the MP for the South Cotswolds, I know that living in a rural area brings many blessings, but also some challenges. Ambulance wait times are nearly 50% longer in rural areas. When every second counts, that delay can make the difference between life and death. That is why access to defibrillators matters so profoundly. Let me share the story of one of my constituents , Sonya Harris. In October 2023, Sonya collapsed outside her son’s school in Malmesbury after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. Only about one in 10 people survive such an event. Sonya was one of those lucky ones: someone nearby knew CPR, a defibrillator was close at hand and she received swift care from the NHS and her family. Without that chain of good luck, she would not be here, and her son would be growing up without a mother.”
“More than 20,000 Palestinian children have been hospitalised for acute malnutrition this year alone. Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s use of starvation as a “weapon of war”, and the UN deputy relief chief has called the aid blockade a “human-made crisis”. Will the Minister move beyond words of condemnation and commit to concrete action, including stopping all arms exports to Israel, and immediately and unconditionally recognising the statehood of Palestine?”
“To pick up on my hon. Friend’s point about environmental concern, at the moment local authorities have a weak duty on biodiversity—to consider from time to time what they might do to conserve or enhance biodiversity—so does she agree that the Bill offers a real opportunity to strengthen such environmental protections, to get this country back on track?”
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take immediate action to support the establishment and ongoing operation of a new healthcare facility in Sherston, in order to ensure continued access to NHS services for the local community. And the petitioners remain, etc. [P003094]”
“The petition states: The petition of the residents of Sherston and the surrounding villages, Declares that the future of Sherston surgery remains uncertain; that the existing Tolsey surgery in Sherston is no longer fit for purpose; a new purpose-built facility has been offered by a developer; the integrated care board has, to date, refused to commit to operating NHS services from the proposed new premises; further declares that, without such a commitment, many residents in Sherston and its neighbouring villages are in real danger of being left without reasonable access to essential NHS primary care services.”
“I rise to present a petition on the continued existence of a GP surgery in the village of Sherston, in my constituency of South Cotswolds. I thank the 1,695 local residents who have signed a similarly worded petition, and I hope that this demonstrates to the Government this rural community’s strength of feeling about the need for a new GP surgery to replace the existing one, whose lease will shortly expire.”
“So I ask again: when will the Secretary of State meet me, my fellow Liberal Democrats, Zero Hour and the environmental non-governmental organisations to create an annual climate and nature Bill that is bold and ambitious, brings transparency and hope, and shows that the Government are genuinely bridging the gap between policy and delivery?”
“People across the country are already driving change in their communities, schools, farms and businesses, and to build a better, greener future, the Government should be tapping into that Great British human energy—to coin a phrase. The Liberal Democrats are proud to be doing exactly that, with policies such as an emergency home insulation programme, solar panels on every new build, investment in cheap renewable energy, support for community energy, local nature recovery strategies and an extra £1 billion for nature-friendly farming. People need hope and a role in shaping the solutions. Despair is not a strategy and action is not optional. It is essential and urgent to protect our health, our economy and our national security.”
“In reality, engagement so far has been very limited. If stakeholders had been involved, he might have acknowledged calls from the Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to remove the threats to nature protection in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, or the Nature Friendly Farming Network’s concern over the suspension of the sustainable farming incentive. He told the Environmental Audit Committee that this would be a “public participation issue”, yet there was no consultation of the Climate and Nature Bill campaigners ahead of this statement. If we want to bring communities with us, we have to include them and listen to them.”
“I thank both the Energy Secretary and the Environment Secretary for today’s momentous statement, which I trust will be the first of many annual climate and nature statements. I also thank them for recognising the role of Zero Hour and the campaigners behind the Climate and Nature Bill—the private Member’s Bill that I am proud to have brought to this House, with cross-party support. I warmly welcome the move to more joined-up thinking between the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and applaud the willingness of the Government to work across the House, even if that willingness is not always reciprocated. However, this statement has missed a trick. The Secretary of State promised collaboration with campaigners, non-governmental organisations and communities.”
“We know that we need to transition away from fossil fuels. My Climate and Nature Bill is a vital opportunity to back a joined-up, science-led approach to the climate and nature crisis, but that drive—that transition—is being undermined by advertising falsely giving the impression that business as usual is sustainable. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government must act now to ban those adverts, and that they must give the Climate and Nature Bill the debate time it deserves?”
“If we are serious about levelling up healthcare access, that has to change, so I have launched a petition to save Sherston surgery. I invite residents to sign and share it. Once we have gathered sufficient support, I will present it in Parliament to show the Government just how strong the feeling is. I was impressed by the figures from the Health Secretary that my hon. Friend the Member for Newton Abbot cited—that the cost for a GP visit is about £40, versus about £400 for an A&E visit. Failing to fund rural GPs adequately is a false economy. For economic reasons as well as for health reasons, rural communities should not be treated as an afterthought. Everybody, wherever they live, deserves compassionate, reliable and, above all, accessible healthcare.”
“I was told that the surgery did not meet the criteria and has “not been selected for this year’s funding.” Well, Sherston surgery does not have very many years left. This response reflects a deeper issue: a fundamental lack of understanding of rural life in our national decision making. A site visit and a short attempt to navigate the journey from Sherston to Malmesbury by bus—or, more likely, the lack of a bus—would speak volumes. I understand that not every village can have its own GP surgery, but when a brand-new, purpose-built facility is being offered, free, to replace a much-used existing practice, why would we say no? It is not just Sherston. Across the south-west, rural GP surgeries are being overlooked in NHS investment planning.”
“Sherston has no regular reliable public transport to Malmesbury, which is five miles away. Many elderly residents no longer drive. For a sick or disabled person in significant need of a GP, or for a parent with young children, getting to a GP appointment in another town can be close to impossible. Once again, as in so many other contexts, we see rural issues—transport, healthcare, infrastructure and resilience—being treated in silos, when in reality they are deeply interwoven. We must start recognising that in the system. Following the Health Secretary’s announcement in May of new funding for GP surgeries, I wrote to his Department to ask whether Sherston might benefit. Unfortunately, the reply was disappointing.”
“Early in our discussions, it acknowledged that the toolkit was designed with urban settings in mind and is not well suited to rural areas, yet the ICB has continued to defer to the toolkit, as if it is unable or unwilling to apply common sense to a rural context. It argues that there is spare capacity at the Malmesbury primary care centre, but anybody familiar with these places knows that that is simply not the case. Staff are stretched, appointment slots are limited, car parking slots are even more limited and patients are already struggling to get seen. Understandably, the people of Sherston are at their wits’ end. This is not just about one surgery; it is about a broader failure to meet the healthcare needs of rural communities. Access to healthcare in rural areas is closely tied to transport.”
“A local housing developer stepped in and offered to build a brand new surgery at no cost to the NHS, in exchange for a modest increase in the number of homes in a proposed development. Understandably, the community overwhelmingly backed the plan. The only missing piece is a commitment from the integrated care board to fund the running of the surgery. The issue has been running and running. It is not just the local residents who have been calling for action; the parish council, our county councillor and I have all repeatedly urged the ICB to commit to supporting this facility—not just the bricks and mortar, but the long-term operation of a much-needed service. After months of dialogue, however, no clear answer has been given. The ICB relies on a toolkit to decide how to allocate resources.”