Sarah Bool
MP for South Northamptonshire · Conservative · United Kingdom
“Greatworth in my constituency is a beautiful village, yet it is beset with problems. Not only is peak High Speed 2 construction going on, causing road closures, but the village is having inordinate issues with Anglian Water.”
“Silverstone put Northamptonshire on the map this week with the best attended grand prix ever: 564,000 people visited over three days, which is amazing. The next date I want Members to put in their diaries is the Blakesley Show on 1 August. In its 141st year, it is the perfect opportunity for locals to celebrate our farming community.”
“My constituent Guy Smith runs Sky Birds Sales, which successfully imports budgies. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has drastically changed its approach to batch testing, which is devastating his business. Will one of the Ministers meet me and my constituent to discuss this issue?”
“My apologies, Mr Speaker; my voice is going—it has nothing to do with England on Monday. These large solar schemes will need battery energy storage systems, but there are growing concerns about the safety of these systems.”
“On the issue of support for businesses, Brackley Antique Cellar is a unique business that has 200 dealers, but business rates are really affecting it. Antique spaces often take on unique properties, and business rates are really hurting them. Will the Minister reconsider the business rates for businesses such as Brackley Antique Cellar?”
“I think this is an important moment for us to remind all our constituents to check their insurance policies and make sure that they have sufficient cover, but on a practical note, may I ask whether the Minister expects the flood protection certificates to have the same status as energy performance certificates?”
The complete record
Every one of 479 lines we hold for Sarah Bool, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 10.
“There would be at least 95 to name. We ask all those who run these businesses to take a risk. We ask them to keep our communities together and to offer jobs, but we do not give them the environment in which to flourish. They are working so very hard, but it is a real struggle with employer national insurance increases, business energy costs remaining incredibly high and the national minimum wage increase of about 17% in little over a year. Nationally since April, 220 pubs have had to shut and more than 1,000 have shut in the last year. What are the Government going to do to turn this around? I ask the Minister to consider the measures proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood).”
“There are 3,566 veterans in my constituency, of which 28% are disabled. Many are concerned about the future support available to them. Can the Minister assure disabled veterans, not just in South Northamptonshire but across the country, what the Department will do, and that it will not forget them?”
“They work relentlessly, but this Government are not giving them the ability to plan correctly. Changes to agricultural property relief, business property relief, the sustainable farming incentive and capital grants, as well as the double-cab pick-up tax and the fertiliser tax all make things unsustainable. They are the backbone of our society. Establishing and running a business is a risk, and we need to give our entrepreneurs some security and some hope for the future. I ask the Government to go back to the drawing board to help back British rural business.”
“The Government talk about growth, but the policies such as the hikes in employers’ national insurance disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises. Whittlebury Hall, for example, is a huge employer in my constituency and the hike hit it with a bill of nearly £1 million bill overnight. That makes offering new jobs totally unsustainable. The hairdressers and beauty salons in my constituency are scared that they will not be able to continue to offer apprenticeships. Indeed, it is said that by 2027 there will be no new apprenticeship starts. The 95 pubs in my constituency, such as the White Hart in Hackleton, supply local jobs for local people, but this Government’s policies are really hurting them. As for my farmers—my poor farmers—please do not get me started on them. They do absolutely all that they can.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Western. South Northamptonshire is 92% agricultural, forest or semi-natural, so it really is a quintessential rural constituency. It is home to 5,300 businesses, of which 5,200 are small or medium sized. Reports say that almost a quarter of British businesses are in rural constituencies, but they often feel that their voice is not heard. That will certainly not be the case on my watch. I run a series of business breakfasts where I listen to the concerns that they raise, and they all say that they need support to be able to grow. That is across all sectors, from Yummy Grains, just outside of Towcester, which sells granola and free range eggs, all the way up to BPY Plastics in Brackley.”
“In Prime Minister’s questions last week, I raised the need for a universal national screening programme for type 1 diabetes. Will the Secretary of State agree to meet me to discuss this, so that it could form part of the 10-year plan, given that it fits so neatly into prevention of issues such as diabetic ketoacidosis over treatment?”
“Schools with a smartphone ban were rated higher by Ofsted, and their students achieved better GCSE results. All the evidence shows the benefit of banning smartphones in schools, but the Government are simply issuing non-statutory guidance and passing the buck. Does the Minister not understand the evidence? Does he need more evidence, or does he not trust the Government to be able to implement a ban on smartphones in schools?”
“T8. Another private school, Queen Margaret’s school for girls in York, has announced its closure, months after the Carrdus school in my constituency announced its closure. Over 11,000 children have left the private sector in this first year, which is more than three times what the Government expected. Does the Minister believe that the impact assessment of the introduction of VAT on private schools is correct? Will she look again at the flawed case for it?”
“I do not believe that I heard an answer to a number of the questions asked by the Leader of the Opposition, so I will ask the Home Secretary again. When did Baroness Casey submit her findings, and did the Government request any changes?”
“It is National Diabetes Week, and as someone living with type 1, as we both are, Mr Speaker, I am more than aware of the serious complications of diabetic ketoacidosis—DKA—which can prove fatal if not caught early enough. A quarter of children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when in DKA, and that could be avoided with early diagnosis. Will the Prime Minister commit to rolling out a national universal screening programme, as seen in Italy, for type 1?”
“The Government are creating an either/or situation by allowing battery energy storage systems and solar on higher-quality agricultural land. I urge Members to support these new clauses.”
“By simply extending the energy bills discount, the Government would at least put an arm around those who bear the burden, and would encourage communities to embrace renewables. I encourage the Minister to take that forward, but I will not hold my breath. New clauses 39 and 84 are essential. The number of proposed battery energy storage systems is—if Members will pardon the pun—exploding. They should not be built on higher-quality agricultural land. The Government say repeatedly that food security is national security, but any plans that take agricultural land out of producing food leads the Government and this country down a very dangerous path. We must encourage and incentivise farmers to do exactly that: farm.”
“I rise to speak to my amendments 145 to 147 and to highlight the importance of new clauses 39, 84 and—if I have time—83. My amendments seek to correct a clear oversight in the legislation by extending the energy bill discounts to those who live near energy generation sites, rather than simply to those who live near energy transmission sites. Why is it that those who have pylons built near their homes are compensated, while those who have solar farms—such as the proposed Green Hill development near Grendon, Easton Maudit and Bozeat in my constituency —are not? That arbitrary distinction exposes the Government’s proposals as not only inconsistent, but fundamentally unfair. Such disparities understandably rile residents who must live cheek by jowl with solar farms.”
“It mandated elevation in flood-prone zones, and it enforced the training of the fire departments and first responders to give them the expertise that they need. That framework is prescriptive, yes, but when it comes to the health of members of the public—health threatened by these sites in the ways that Members have articulated—we must be prescriptive. If we are not careful, much like a fire at a battery energy storage site, a fire will be lit that we cannot put out, and it will burn and burn. I ask that the Government immediately pause the roll-out of these sites until a proper regulatory framework is in place.”
“We have not gripped the potential threats of these sites and attempted to mitigate them. Thankfully, there are examples of where countries have faced up to the need to recognise the threats. The United States is further along the path of rolling out BESSs than the UK. As we have experienced here, they have faced large-scale fires, explosions, environmental concerns and, understandably, a gap in expertise when it comes to the emergency response to the unique challenges. In response, they realised that guidance did not suffice, so they passed, as the Housing and Planning Minister sort of alluded to, an “appropriate, robust and future-proofed” statutory framework that did simple things. It required co-ordination with local fire services during the planning process. It specified minimum distances from residential buildings.”
“The Minister for Housing and Planning wrote to me this week after I raised with him several of the significant risks that the site poses to residents and the environment. He said that the current regulatory framework was “appropriate, robust and future-proofed”. The hon. Member for Horsham (John Milne) has already alluded to this comment. I am sure all Members will agree that that sounds rather good, but the title of the framework that the Minister spoke so highly of was “Health and Safety Guidance: Guidance for Grid Scale Electrical Energy Storage Systems”. Unfortunately for the Minister, he has exposed exactly what is lacking in our approach to BESSs. Our framework for regulating the design, construction, running and decommissioning of these sites is simply guidance.”
“It is part of the wider Green Hill solar farm proposal owned by Island Green Power, and I note the comments from the hon. Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) on that. This proposal exposes how the Government are asleep at the wheel on this issue. The Green Hill BESS is a massive 500 MW site proposed for the edge of the town, just a few hundred metres from the centre and next to the beautiful Grendon lakes and the River Nene. On the border of a site of special scientific interest, the environmental importance and sensitivity of the site cannot be understated. The proposal is likely to come to the local planning authority eventually, which understandably has virtually zero experience in balancing the risks and benefits of a large-capacity BESS.”
“I rise to speak on the looming crisis facing us in relation to battery energy storage sites. As Members have explained, the sites are beginning to play a larger and larger role in the transition to greener energy sources, but at the moment ideology is winning the day and pragmatism is disappearing. There is over 78 GW of battery capacity that is either operational, awaiting construction having been approved or in the early stages of the planning process. For context, that is enough power to supply nearly 200 million homes at once, which is almost 10 times as many as we have in the UK. One of the 1,100 installations that are proposed but not operational is a battery energy storage site just outside of Grendon in South Northamptonshire.”
“I want parole boards involved in the decision to give an open prison placement to a domestic abuse offender, so that we can ensure that victims’ voices are heard. It was said earlier that timely access to justice is key, but confidence is, too, and we must be careful about the language we use. We must ensure that all victims trust our legal system, and I fear that some discussions do more harm than good.”
“They must be given more information about an offender’s upcoming release and the discharge of licence conditions, and should be notified of key events, such as an offender’s transfer to an open prison. One of my constituents raised with me the case of a domestic abuse survivor who, along with her unborn child, survived an attempted murder by her ex-partner. Although he received an 18-year sentence in 2016, in March this year he was eligible for open prison placement four years early, and that was incredibly distressing. As they often say, perpetrators of domestic abuse know everything about their victims. They know where they live, where they work and where their children go to school. It is terrifying for victims to find that perpetrators are potentially being released early; they cannot prepare for that.”
“I pay tribute to that powerful contribution from the hon. Member for Knowsley (Anneliese Midgley). Our thoughts and prayers are with Liv’s family in the Gallery. I truly welcome the provision of better information for victims of crime. It is essential that victims are at the heart of justice. As Baroness Newlove has said in regard to domestic abuse: “Victims and survivors of domestic abuse must be able to trust in our criminal justice system—that it will provide a robust, trauma-informed response that prioritises their safety while holding perpetrators to account.” We must ensure that victims feel not only that they will get justice, but that they can trust the system. We need to restore trust and confidence in our system. I am glad to see that the Bill will bring more victims into the scope of the victim contact scheme.”
“They should never be offered assisted suicide; they could recover with the right support. I have spoken to the hon. Member for Spen Valley about my concern that conditions like diabetes may be caught unintentionally. The amendment would be a step to protect those who may be unable to protect themselves using standard means. Diabetes and anorexia have been a reason for assisted suicide in Oregon, so please be aware of what could happen.”
“Finally, but briefly, I also want to add my support for amendment 38, which clarifies that an individual who is not already terminally ill under the definition of clause 2(1) cannot qualify by refusing standard treatment or taking steps to induce a terminal condition. I live with type 1 diabetes, which, for the record, is a progressive illness that cannot be reversed by treatment. This condition is managed—or not, in cases of extreme stress—solely by the individual. I therefore recognise that the amendment is an incredibly important protection. Diabetics face multiple daily injections, and have to think about and monitor everything that they do, 24/7, and they can be at risk of diabetic distress, or even develop disordered eating. That could prove fatal if standard treatments are not accepted.”
“High doses of barbiturates, combined with paralytic agents that suppress all voluntary muscle movement, may result in what outwardly appears to be a calm and peaceful death, but that may conceal considerable psychological suffering. The hon. Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater) talks about offering choice, but a choice made in the absence of information is not true autonomy; it is abdication. Making a meaningful decision requires the individual to be aware of not only what is intended to happen, but what may plausibly go wrong. In both Oregon and California, legislation explicitly requires that patients be informed of any known risks associated with the medication to be administered, so why would we adopt a lesser standard here? The amendment simply calls for honesty.”
“The state of Oregon’s most recent data shows that complications were recorded in approximately 3% of cases in 2023, but historical data shows a complication rate of 11%. Since the introduction of the law there, there have been nine recorded incidents of patients regaining consciousness after ingesting the prescribed substances, and time to death has ranged from three minutes to 137 hours—that is, more than five and a half days. Canadian studies indicate that around 5% of oral assisted deaths result in a prolonged and often distressing process. In some instances, medical intervention is required. Evidence also suggests that younger adults, particularly those aged 18 to 24, are more likely to experience extended and unpredictable deaths. Furthermore, not all complications may be outwardly evident.”
“The amendment would impose a duty on assessing doctors to inform individuals seeking an assisted death of any reasonable body of medical or scientific opinion indicating that the prescribed substance carries risks of complications, including pain. Clause 11 requires doctors to explain how the drug is expected to bring about death, and to discuss with the individual what ought to be done in the event of complications. However, it omits a critical element identified by the General Medical Council in its guidance on consent: the obligation to communicate known risks of harm and the uncertainty surrounding those risks. A patient cannot be said to give informed consent if they are not made aware of the full range of potential complications, including pain, distress and the possibility that the drug may not act as expected.”
“However, I note that in the House of Lords in re B case in 2008, Baroness Hale said, “There are some proceedings, though civil in form, whose nature is such that it is appropriate to apply the criminal standard of proof,” and a subsequent 2012 case affirmed that. If we stay silent and let the assisted dying review panel and the courts try to work out whether they should interpret “satisfied” as meaning satisfied to the civil or criminal standard, it would merely result in numerous litigation battles. On a matter as serious as death, Parliament must provide the clarity needed. Without it, the Bill is simply not safe. The second area I am focusing on is informed consent and complications, through amendment 51 to clause 11.”
“At that point, the “balance of probabilities” test does not suffice; it must be “beyond reasonable doubt”—this is life and death. All hon. Members need to ask themselves whether, without this new clause, they are happy with someone being provided with lethal drugs to end their life by our NHS in circumstances where we are not absolutely certain of their intention. I acknowledge, for the record, that the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst) has made an objection to the use of “beyond reasonable doubt”, asking whether it is right to apply a criminal standard of proof when a civil standard may be flexible enough.”
“Here I argue that the balance of probabilities test should be used, because it feels perhaps overly punitive to exclude someone from the process at the initial stage if it is more likely than not that they will meet the test, but there are some doubts. However, under subsection (2), when the assisted dying review panel is making its assessment, it must use the “beyond reasonable doubt” test. Given that, at this stage, it will have all the reports from the doctors and professionals, if it is not sure beyond a reasonable doubt, the application should not be approved. That is an essential safeguard. Subsection (3) relates to the moment of supplying the lethal drugs. The doctor is required to satisfy themselves that the person has capacity and a clear, settled and informed wish to end their life, and is not being coerced.”
“Finally, we have the most serious standard: the “beyond reasonable doubt” test, which applies for criminal cases. That goes further than the balance of probabilities, and requires the person to be sure. Given the lack of clarity and confusion in Committee about whether the test for doctors should be reasonable belief or the balance of probabilities, I have proposed the new clause. As Members will see, it has three parts. Subsection (1) relates to the assessment by the co-ordinating and independent doctor. As Members will see, it has three parts. Subsection (1) relates to the assessment by the co-ordinating and independent doctor.”
“I am grateful to speak in this debate, and I will focus on three amendments: new clause 9 and amendments 51 and 38. To save time, so that other Members can speak, I will not take interventions. New clause 9, which is in my name, would essentially establish the standard of proof—namely, the degree of certainty and the amount of evidence—required in decision making under this Bill. Let me put that into context. Various standards of proof are used in law. At the very lowest end of the scale is reasonable belief, which is a belief that would be held by an ordinary person in the same circumstances. There is then the civil standard of proof, known as the balance of probabilities, which is sometimes known as the 50% plus one rule, or “more likely than not”.”
“If, as a condition for getting an SPS agreement, the French insist on a multi-year agreement that naturally shifts the favour further towards their industry and our Government agree, they will have harmed another community. First, they attack our farmers; now they attack our fishermen. At the PPA meeting, members said that everyone should be clear that this Labour Government are clear in their ambition to reset the relationship with the EU, but I offer a word of warning: we must not betray our fishermen and risk our food security in doing so.”
“We must also be alert to the trade-offs in this debate. I fear that, to secure a veterinary agreement, we will concede on dynamic alignment. The Minister has another opportunity to intervene, should he so wish. Silence once again. I also fear that our fisheries, which were not mentioned once in the Labour manifesto, may be the next sacrificial lamb. The PPA recommendation, which the Conservatives dissented to on the whole, states that the assembly would provide “a signal at or before the Summit that a fair deal on fisheries will be reached, building on current arrangements”, but what does “a fair deal” mean to this Government?”
“The red lines seemed to be drawn in disappearing ink. It very much felt that the leadership and the Members were singing from different hymn sheets, or perhaps the Members belie the Government’s true intentions. If that is the case, the Government should be much clearer with the British public and those in this House about what they are trying to achieve. Going into the summit, the conspiracy of silence cannot continue. Brexit at its heart was about restoring powers to Britain, allowing us sovereignty. Despite the result of the referendum, the goal of Labour Members seems to be to get ever closer to the EU again. Talk of youth opportunities seems innocuous, but Labour Members must explain their terms and be realistic about what that would mean for opening up free movement of people between the European Union and the UK via the back door.”
“In mid-March, in my role as a vice chair of the EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, I formed part of the delegation that headed out to Brussels for the assembly meeting ahead of the 19 May summit meeting. While it was a convivial affair, I came away with great concerns about the tone of the conversations and contributions made by Labour Members. While the Prime Minister is on the record as saying, as part of his red lines, that there would be no return to freedom of movement and no rejoining of the customs union or the single market, the assembly would not allow me to include such a statement in the committee’s recommendations that were published. If, as was said, it was implicit, surely it is not controversial to include it as a statement of fact. The tone of the conversations and debates indicated a different direction.”
“I know that there may be a debate on the issue, but I also ask the Leader of the House to speak to the Secretary of State about the severe risks posed by BESS, because applications are being pushed through that create serious risks for our communities.”
“May I associate myself with the comments about the passing of Pope Francis? As a Catholic, I very much appreciate them, and I wish the best to the conclave in selecting our new Pope. As was mentioned earlier, if the current trend continues, more than 1.5% of my constituency will be covered in solar farms. One of my main concerns is about the use of battery energy storage systems, which my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood) mentioned. Green Hill solar farm in my constituency will have a very large one. They pose a huge risk of fire. Those fires release toxic fumes, and putting them out pollutes the waters and takes days—if the solar panels can ever be put out.”
“Without a register, VAT avoidance and disguised employment will continue unchecked, costing the Treasury billions while putting responsible businesses at a disadvantage. My businesses pride themselves on taking apprentices and bringing the next generation along, but my fear is that, as the British Hair Consortium believes, apprenticeship starts are set to reach zero by 2027, which contravenes the Government’s objective of reducing inactivity among 18 to 21-year-olds. These businesses simply cannot afford to take on the next generation, which will stifle the industry in the long term. I implore the Government to engage with the industry and take immediate action. Hair is a beautiful form of self-expression. Where will we be left without it?”
“The British Hair Consortium’s February 2025 report explains that as VAT is applied evenly across goods and services, it has a disproportionate burden on labour-intensive industries such as hairdressing and beauty, where 60% of the costs are wages. When they are unable to reclaim the VAT on their primary cost, which is people, there is a distorted market with competition between VAT-registered and non-registered businesses, which incentivises VAT avoidance tactics such as bunching, disaggregation and disguised employment. We should not be surprised by the rise in cash-only salons, and should think carefully about what that means in practice. The consortium is also calling for a mandatory register of all hairdressing professionals.”
“According to the British Beauty Council and Oxford Economics, the sector contributed £8.541 billion to the UK economy in 2023, supporting the direct employment of more than 224,000 people. I have many excellent hair and beauty salons in South Northamptonshire, but it really pained me when Defern Beauty in Brackley and The Beauty Works in Towcester met me and explained how desperate the position is for the industry. It was heartbreaking to see them explain how their life-long work is being eroded by this Chancellor. After NICs increases and business rate relief changes, they desperately need help. One of their asks is for a review of the VAT position, which would help not only to save businesses and raise revenues for the Exchequer, but also to save apprenticeships.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch and Upminster (Julia Lopez) for securing this most important debate. When thinking about the debate, I looked up some quotes on hair. My favourite was, “Invest in your hair: it is the crown you never take off.” That is a very true sentiment, although I apologise to the men among us who are perhaps lacking in the hirsute department. Naming no names—they are kings in their own right. Hair is such an integral part of our being and our confidence, and we can appreciate how traumatic it is when people lose their hair while undergoing cancer treatment or suffering from alopecia. We often expect to walk on to our high streets and find a hair and beauty salon that can help to tame our locks or restore our nails, but we cannot take the sector for granted.”
“The Royal College of General Practitioners in Northern Ireland has said that the hike in national insurance contributions will be catastrophic for GP surgeries. With many practices teetering on the edge, why are Ministers not doing more to talk to their colleagues in the Treasury?”
“Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the start of the war in the Falklands—another key overseas territory. Government Members keep referring to the non-binding advisory judgment as the basis of the Chagos deal. If the Argentinians were to seek a similar judgment against the Falklands, would the Minister cede control?”
“During the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill Committee, we Conservatives proposed a new clause that would provide a mechanism for a binding annual cap on the number of non-visitor visas issued by the UK. That would have introduced accountability and transparency, but it was voted down decisively by Labour Members. The Government talk tough, but does the Home Secretary not believe that the British public deserve a transparent and honest answer to the question of what the level of migration will be under this Government, rather than the Government’s just blaming us, or saying “lower numbers” on every occasion?”
“During the upcoming Easter recess, I urge Members to support their local pubs, take a day trip to their local tourist attractions, and help to preserve the heart of our local communities.”
“I implore the Minister to speak to the Chancellor ahead of her spring statement next week and ask her to think again about how she can support our employers, grow businesses as they so desperately want to, and hire young workers and give them their first jobs in our local communities. All those things are slipping away under this Government. I want my destinations to continue—unlike Oakwood theme park in Wales, as my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Bedfordshire mentioned, which has announced its closure, with national insurance a contributing factor. Our tourist destinations are based on not just bricks and mortar, but the very people who run them, and we must remember them in all that we do.”
“I applaud the Government’s ambitious strategy to grow inbound tourism to 50 million visits by 2030, but I return to the theme of this week—supporting people and places to drive growth. Many people who run tourism businesses do not feel that support, because they are worried by the Budget announcements on employer national insurance contributions and minimum wage increases, alongside the reduction in business rates. Those policies do not help them to grow. In response, the Government often just cite the £22 billion black hole or 14 years of chaos, but I gently remind them that that is of little comfort to those business owners. Dismissing years of hard work with a slogan, while pushing on with harmful measures, does not do justice to the worries that they are facing.”
“They can go to Sulgrave Manor, a Tudor manor and the ancestral home of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. It was recently announced that a local visitor economy partnership for Northamptonshire has been approved by the Government and the tourism body VisitEngland. That is great, as it comes in the year in which the wider country of Northamptonshire hosts the women’s rugby world cup and celebrates 75 years of Formula 1, alongside a cultural programme remembering the anniversary of the great fire of Northampton. It is the first step in a long journey to unlock funding and support, and to allow us to compete on the national stage.”
“Friend noted, South Northamptonshire may not have the illuminations of Blackpool, the beaches of St Ives in Cornwall or the famous Giant’s Causeway of County Antrim, but in addition to our racing jewel in the crown, we have the Stoke Bruerne museum alongside the Grand Union canal; Tanks-alot, a tank driving experience in Helmdon; Salcey forest, a medieval royal hunting ground; Wollaston Museum; Towcester Museum; some beautiful grade I listed churches; some gorgeous gardens such as the Evenley Wood garden; and beautiful high streets in Towcester and Brackley, the latter of which hosts the Brackley’s Got Talent summer show and the former a midsummer festival. Visitors do not need to go to my alma mater of Oxford to see history in action.”
“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Blake Stephenson) on securing this important debate. The theme of this year’s English Tourism Week is supporting people and places to drive growth, which is a sentiment that I fully support—and not just because it refers to driving and I have the world-famous Silverstone in my constituency. I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Tourism brings so much to our areas. As my hon.”