Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire
Sixteen years of Conservative mismanagement of Shropshire council combined with successive Governments’ failures to understand the needs of rural local authorities have left Shropshire council with a dire financial emergency and in need of exceptional financial support. The situation is critical. Can the Leader of the House assist me in arranging a meeting with the relevant Secretary of...
I want to re-emphasise the point that to a person who lives in Whitchurch, Gobowen is a long way away; they have to drive there. There is no parking at Prees. It is in the middle of nowhere—literally, because the station is not in the village. At Wem, the barrier is down for seven minutes when a train comes in; it is really inaccessible. Although fewer people use those stations, they have...
I beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of step free access at rural railway stations. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. In constituencies such as North Shropshire, access to public transport is poor. There are just three fully operational railway stations in North Shropshire, along with two very rural request stops. Shropshire’s second and third...
I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. She raises a good point because none of the stations in my constituency is staffed on a regular basis, which adds an extra dimension for people struggling with their mobility or carrying heavy items. The nearest alternative stations in Shropshire are Prees and Wrenbury. Both are request stops, where we have to stand on the edge of the platform and...
My hon. Friend makes a good point. I think there is an element of pork barrel politics and of making undeliverable promises shortly before the election. That is not forgivable, because it has created an expectation among constituents that cannot be fulfilled. As I was saying, the lack of clarity has added to the frustration of residents in places such as Whitchurch—especially in Whitchurch,...
My hon. Friend is right: there should be more transparency, but there also needs to be more attention to the issue of step-free access in rural areas. I am about to come on to that in more detail. Improving the accessibility of Whitchurch station will bring more people to the town via rail. That obviously could boost tourism—Whitchurch is Shropshire’s oldest continuously occupied town and...
The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point. Whitchurch, like, I would imagine, many of the towns mentioned in today’s debate, has seen a huge amount of development. The criteria that might have been applied for step-free access some years back probably need reassessing now, because far more people are living there. The investment would help revitalise our market town high streets, which...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will answer Question 83934 of 21 October 2025 on support for St Martins School.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support St Martins School in North Shropshire constituency following the recent fire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the speed of arrhythmia diagnoses in integrated care systems.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase (a) awareness of the symptoms, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of ovarian cancer in Shropshire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to pharmacies in North Shropshire.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of disabled parking at hospitals.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to help improve access to public transport for disabled patients at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve sporting facilities for young people in North Shropshire constituency.
