Ian Roome MP: speeches

Speeches

• 4 Feb 2026 · Tarka Line · Hansard source

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  Further to our online petition, signed by more than 3,000 people, calling for the Tarka rail line to be future-proofed, I present this petition on behalf of rail passengers in northern Devon, who have suffered overcrowding and repeated service disruption due to flooding this winter, despite a record-breaking 1 million rail journeys per year between Barnstaple and Exeter. Following Storm Chandra, all trains have been cancelled. North Devon’s rail link has been shut for over a week, and service will not resume for several more days. The petitioners therefore request “that the House of Commons urge the government to ask Network Rail and Great Western Rail to prioritise the Tarka Line for improvements, and to work together to make rail travel in North Devon more resilient. And the petitioners remain, etc.” Following is the full text of the petition: [The petition of residents of Northern Devon, Declares that the Tarka Rail Line between Barnstaple and Exeter needs structural improvements to the line ’ s capacity and resiliency. The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the government to ask Network Rail and Great Western Rail to prioritise the Tarka Line for improvements, and to work together to make rail travel in North Devon more resilient. And the petitioners remain, etc.] [P003161]

• 2 Feb 2026 · Naval Shipbuilding · Hansard source

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  We could invest better in naval shipbuilding if the Government paid attention to a report published by the National Audit Office, which estimates that £1.5 billion a year of defence spending is lost to fraud and that the Ministry of Defence recovers only 48p in every £1 spent on counter-fraud work, less than other Departments. What will the Minister do to ensure that more of that funding can be recovered for our national defence?

• 27 Jan 2026 · Rail Infrastructure · Hansard source

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  The Tarka line in North Devon has seen a massive increase in footfall. However, the line is often closed because of the lack of infrastructure upkeep. Will the Minister meet me to discuss various funding opportunities? It is a rural line that is vital for students to get into Exeter and for people’s job opportunities—I know that the Government are all about job growth.

• 26 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T4. One of my constituents is a disabled Royal Navy veteran. Their migration to universal credit has been a nightmare, involving incorrect payments, long delays to identity verification and a lack of help with accessibility. I have received no response to their case since 13 November last year. Does the Minister agree that that falls short of what people should expect from the DWP? Will he help me to get this matter resolved?

• 26 Jan 2026 · Armed Forces Bill · Hansard source

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  It is a privilege to speak on the Armed Forces Bill, which will shape the direction of this country’s armed forces for the next half-decade. The war in Ukraine should be a wake-up call to all of us, and the world has not looked so dangerous since the end of the cold war. The strategic defence review talks about a whole-of-society approach to making Britain more resilient. The Bill makes no firm commitments on troop numbers or combat, but it does begin to fix some glaring 21st-century gaps in our readiness to defend this country. I have spoken with senior officers who worry that we are poorly prepared to fix the recruitment crisis, stop cyber-attacks or prevent sabotage here in the UK. Some threats will not arrive over the horizon, because they are here already. Giving our forces the tools and authority that they need to protect key infrastructure against drone attacks, as specified in clause 4, to organise reserves and recall, and to support the next generation of recruits, will be critical. For me, protecting our armed forces personnel is closest to my heart, and that is why it is so important that the Bill enshrines the armed forces covenant into law across Government, and why the new Defence Housing Service needs to be a success. More than three quarters of our armed forces live in service accommodation. I have done it myself, but I was still horrified by the findings of the service accommodation report published by the Defence Select Committee in December 2024, which detailed everything from rodent infestations to damp, mould and crumbling facilities. The Bill lays the groundwork for the Ministry of Defence to begin to fix that disaster. I am pleased that the Government have agreed with the Liberal Democrat position that the decent homes standard should be applied to all forces accommodation, and the Bill gives the Defence Housing Service wide-ranging powers to do more. It is the very least that we owe to those in uniform. I hope that when the Secretary of State reports on the progress of the Defence Housing Service from the Dispatch Box, as specified in schedule 1, he will never again have to say that we let our armed forces down so badly. The Bill clarifies the role of the new Armed Forces Commissioner and gives courts martial the authority to support those who may be suffering from mental health disorders. The requirement in clause 17 for commanding officers to report welfare allegations that have not yet been flagged, even outside their own chain of command, is another important addition that, in my opinion, is decades overdue. The Bill also introduces measures to bring the powers of the tri-service military police up to date. It creates a stronger framework to stamp out sexual assault, stalking and other offences committed in uniform and by civilians subject to service discipline. I know that the terrible case of Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck will have been at the forefront of everyone’s minds when the Bill was drafted. I hope that she, and many like her, will be our first thought when those clauses are studied in Committee. The stakes are suddenly very high. This Bill needs to be our best work. We must safeguard every one of our armed forces personnel more than at any point in the last 30 years. They will keep this country safe, and the House owes them our unwavering support in return.

• 14 Jan 2026 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  Will the hon. Member give way?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Ukraine · Hansard source

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  Just today it has been reported that 18 tankers from the Russian shadow fleet have passed through the channel since the Defence Secretary’s statement to the House on 7 January on curtailing Russian oil exports. Does the hon. Member agree that we must show the Russians that we mean what we say?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Horse and Rider Road Safety · Hansard source

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  I was shocked to read those statistics, but in Devon since 2020, there have been 375 road incidents involving horses, with 19 horses injured and three killed, and 29 riders injured and one killed. Does my hon. Friend agree that there is a strong case for asking riders across the country to use body cameras to record evidence of dangerous driving, as many motorists and cyclists do today?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Chinese Embassy · Hansard source

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  I will offer the Government some advice. It is one word: common sense. [ Interruption. ] Well, two words. Given the interest in national security, I am quite surprised that a Planning Minister is at the Dispatch Box to talk about this case, but the two issues are intertwined. The Minister has rebutted other Members’ questions with “That is a security issue; it is not my portfolio”, but given what we know, will he review the proximity of other countries’ embassies to major underground fibre-optic cables? That is a big worry for the country’s intelligence services and for many constituents throughout the country.

• 13 Jan 2026 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  T2. Over Christmas, I was contacted by constituents in North Devon who have been without NHS dental care for nearly 20 years—one with a tooth held together with superglue. When will the Government reform the dental contract and properly tackle recruitment and retention, especially in rural areas, so that we stop the haemorrhaging of dentists from the NHS in the longer term?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Finance (No. 2) Bill · Hansard source

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  Does the shadow Minister agree that as a result of this policy, lots of local pubs, including lots more in the hospitality industry, will go out of business?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  I agree with my hon. Friend that more people could benefit from the scheme. I am sure the Minister will take note of that in his response. As I said, the scheme benefits around 125,000 local residents and many visitors across the UK, including the remote parts of the Scottish islands, Cumbria, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, the Isles of Scilly and Exmoor. That includes residents in my constituency of North Devon, who live in areas around Lynton and Lynmouth, Parracombe and Brendon, including many living in upland areas within the boundaries of Exmoor national park. The tax relief is targeted at highly rural areas. A brief glance at a map shows that these are some of the most isolated and indispensable filling stations across the country. If someone forgets to fill up at Barbrook filling station in my constituency, while heading out over Exmoor, it is nearly 20 miles to the next fuel stop at Wheddon Cross or Minehead. When the rural fuel duty relief scheme was introduced under the coalition, and approval under EU state aid rules was granted in 2012, the relief was set by the Government at 5p per litre. That 5p per litre remains unchanged today in 2026, despite more than 30% of its purchasing power being eroded over that time because of inflation. An update to the scheme is now long overdue. According to research by the Rural Services Network in 2023, transport difficulties in highly rural areas force households into paying high costs for motoring, which contribute significantly to rural poverty. A car is needed for daily life and for someone who earns a modest wage that is expensive. The research estimates that for every 10% decrease in public transport speed relative to motoring in any area, the average household pays more than £400 more for transport each year.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  Fifteen years ago, Barbrook in my constituency was officially one of the most expensive places to fill up in England, but thanks to the scheme it has stayed competitive on price, as a small business that employs four people all year round, in an area where employment can be highly seasonal. During the summer, Barbrook’s fuel deliveries increase to several tankers per week because of extra demand, driven mainly by tourists visiting Exmoor national park and the famous North Devon coast on holiday. I am also told that Barbrook filling station rescues many of those visitors—people who do not understand the extra challenge of driving long distances on small rural roads, or who do not plan for the extra fuel consumption of their journey. Many rural communities already suffer from very sparse public services, and fuel for transport is an important part of anyone reaching essential healthcare, such as their local hospital or dentist. As I know from speaking to chemotherapy patients at North Devon district hospital, where I worked before I was elected to this House, access itself is half the battle. My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I—including my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), my hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) and others—champion the real needs of rural communities, as do colleagues who are here today. We have argued for the rural fuel duty relief scheme’s importance and for extending it to many more rural parts of the country. However, support for the scheme should really be cross-party. By my count, at least 11 directly impacted rural constituencies are represented by MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National party. There are also many neighbouring rural constituencies with villages that rely on a filling station just over the border that is supported by this tax relief. Since 2011, it has become a feature of Budgets under successive Governments that fuel duty will be frozen. That has benefited motorists across Britain, yet in March 2022, a further 5p cut in fuel duty was introduced and then held in place, even as the value of the rural fuel duty relief scheme continued falling in real terms. That means that in recent years we have gone backwards: many of our most rural taxpayers have effectively increased their support to motorists in some of the best connected parts of the country. Motorists in urban communities not only benefit from having more public transport alternatives but often have numerous filling stations to choose from—all competing on price, to the benefit of local people. By contrast, many of my constituents count themselves lucky to have even one filling station in their area. The Government have stated that economic growth across the country is their top priority for this Parliament. In parts of the country that are distant from major infrastructure projects, such schemes are an important measure, supporting small businesses, farming and tourism, helping young people to access opportunities, and helping patients to access essential healthcare. At a time when the Government are increasingly under fire for their policies towards rural and farming communities, updating the rural fuel duty relief scheme would be one way for them to demonstrate their concern about those families who live in rural areas and the problems they face in their daily lives.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  I will be brief, Ms Furniss, because I know we are almost out of time. I thank the Minister for his response and I appreciate his taking the time to engage with me and others on this issue. While we do not expect the Government to commit themselves ahead of a future Budget, I know that my constituents value the support that the scheme provides to very rural areas, and it would be good to see progress towards restoring the funding to its former level. I also thank all Members for their contributions—what a debate! We have covered from the top of Scotland down to the Isles of Scilly and Land’s End, which is absolutely fantastic. We have heard representations from Wales, Northern Ireland and England, obviously, so what a great and inclusive debate it has been, from across the whole of the United Kingdom and all our rural constituencies. Fuel is very much part of my constituents’ daily lives. It is an unavoidable cost; personal transport is much needed, because there is no regular public transport in any of the EX35 area, and people cannot walk to bus stops because of the terrain and the rurality. Many accusations have been thrown at the Government over the past year to claim that they do not care about rural areas. When the next fiscal event arrives later this year, updating the scheme for 2026 will be a chance to counter those claims, at very little cost compared with other schemes. I therefore hope that the Government will take that opportunity, on behalf of communities that are often forgotten, to deliver good news at the pumps for rural people. Question put and agreed to. Resolved, That this House has considered the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I am pleased to have the opportunity to introduce this debate, especially in the new year at a time when many people across the country will be watching the pennies closely. As hon. Members representing rural constituencies will be aware, the rural fuel duty relief scheme was announced more than 15 years ago and supports people living in some of the most remote rural communities in Britain. Under the scheme, a 5p per litre tax relief on unleaded petrol or diesel is granted to specific filling stations in a small number of rural postcode sectors. That relief must be passed on to rural motorists, helping many with their commute, school run or weekly shopping. The scheme benefits around 125,000 local residents and many visitors across the United Kingdom.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  I know there are various apps that do that. There should be more awareness of them among members of the public. Fuel duty is only part of the expense of running a vehicle, but many who fill up in areas impacted by the scheme have simply no transport alternatives. In my constituency, the households that benefit are 20 miles from their nearest train station, and bus passengers receive only the most limited bus service. Every January, those passengers are also hit by annual price increases from bus companies, which put extra strain on the cost of living. The scheme is not particularly expensive. In the published list of non-structural tax reliefs, the Treasury estimates that the rural fuel duty relief scheme costs only around £5 million per year, and its uncertainty rating is considered low, yet during the past decade the scheme has been a roaring success. Barbrook filling station in my constituency tells me that this tax relief has made a massive difference to the viability of its business, keeping open an essential local service for many rural residents, local farmers and tourists.

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Fuel Duty Relief · Hansard source

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  I agree with the hon. Gentleman and thank him for that input. When so many people are struggling with the cost of living, schemes like this one are a concrete example of how tax relief can have an out-sized impact. A relief of 5p per litre would be welcome anywhere, but it is particularly valuable to those constituents of mine who have no choice but to drive, in an area where gross median wages are £84 a week less than the national average. Just last week, the Prime Minister stated that the Government would spend this new year proving to people that they can support them with energy costs, warm homes and the cost of living. My constituents see their fuel costs displayed digitally on a sign by the side of the road every single day. The rural fuel duty relief scheme makes a material difference to many of my constituents and to tens of thousands of people in rural communities across the United Kingdom. I will close by asking the Minister some questions. Does the Treasury recognise that time and inflation have effectively bled the funding of the scheme by around 30% since it was introduced? Will the Government consider updating the value of the scheme in the coming year to rectify that gap, at least in part? Just a few weeks ago, it was highlighted in the Treasury Committee that the Treasury lacks a suitable review process for existing tax reliefs. What more can be done to ensure that in the future small but important schemes such as this one, which are a lifeline in rural areas like mine, do not get left behind again?

• 5 Jan 2026 · Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief · Hansard source

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  Many of my rural constituents are relieved that the Government have partly seen sense on this issue. Given the track record of U-turns from this Government, when I meet with a group of local farmers next week, what reassurance can I give them that the Government will not change course on this policy again in the near future?

• 17 Dec 2025 · Local Government Finance · Hansard source

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  As an ex-council leader, I welcome the multi-year settlement and am glad that the Government have listened; I have campaigned for it for many years, so thank you. I welcome the remoteness element. In my constituency of North Devon, we have North Devon council and also the wider Devon county council. Could the Minister describe what percentage the remoteness allocation will represent for places such as Devon and North Devon district council?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Topical Questions · Hansard source

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  The strategic defence review states that we need a 30% increase in cadet forces, from 140,000 to 180,000. However, I am informed that there is a severe shortage of adult instructors. What is the Minister going to do to address that problem?

• 15 Dec 2025 · Defence Spending: Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  We were told that the defence investment plan would be available before the Christmas recess. What day this week will it be announced?

• 9 Dec 2025 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  As the Government move to create a publicly owned Great British Railways, I want to speak on behalf of several thousand rail passengers in my constituency, and to say what they have suffered in recent weeks. We all want a rail network that delivers a fantastic service, supports the economy and protects the environment. In 2026, the last thing we want is ever more cars crammed on to our roads. Last year, the North Devon Tarka line, which runs for 39 miles through my constituency and that of the right hon. Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride), recorded a record 1 million journeys for the first time. It is among the busiest branch lines anywhere in the south-west. Office of Road and Rail figures show that footfall at Barnstaple station, which is heavily used by young people and college students, has skyrocketed by 63% since 2019—by far the biggest surge at any station in Devon and Cornwall. The Tarka line has again set new records for passenger numbers nearly every month this year—until November, when that success came to a grinding halt. On 17 November, heavy rain closed three bridges and ceased all rail traffic between Barnstaple and Exeter. Since then, our line has been shut three times. On Friday afternoon, it was closed again because of signal faults, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in Exeter. The operator was issuing fresh warnings of likely cancellations just yesterday afternoon. If we were to ask those passengers what needs to be in the Bill, few would argue the merits of public versus private ownership. Instead, many in North Devon put up with immense overcrowding, or worry that their train may not even turn up. Back in 2017, Network Rail committed £2.9 million to improvements on the north Devon line, but that is only a tiny fraction of the capital investment in other parts of the country, and hundreds of thousands more passenger journeys now rely on that infrastructure. Greater accountability to the public will be important for our railways. However, public ownership will be doomed to fail if the Government do not use this window of opportunity, and the extra powers in the Bill, to make lines in rural areas like mine more resilient for the future.

• 9 Dec 2025 · Railways Bill · Hansard source

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  I agree. Disabled access is absolutely necessary at all stations, particularly in rural areas. My hon. Friend is a big advocate for accessibility for disabled people in Yeovil who need it. As the network and operator are brought together, we need joined-up planning for increased capacity, and against bad weather. My party has supported freezing rail fares after years of price hikes, but, as many of my constituents can attest, it is no good buying a ticket for a train that is not running. I urge the Government to resist declaring victory once public ownership is achieved—it is only the first stop. The long-term planning will be the important part of this Bill. We must give passengers in North Devon, and many places like it, good reason to have faith in their railway. That will require more than a new flag painted on the side of a train. What does the Minister plan to do next to make rural railway lines, such as the Tarka line, ready for the 2030s?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Child Poverty Strategy · Hansard source

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  In the year 2000, half of children in poverty lived in workless families, but now almost three quarters of children in poverty are in working families and millions of universal credit recipients have a job but suffer from low wages. Can I ask the Secretary of State how that has shaped the new strategy to end child poverty in rural and coastal communities, like North Devon, where many parents’ wages are very basic?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Ajax Armoured Vehicle · Hansard source

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  The former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, Lord West, who is also a former Labour security Minister, said in the other place that “the Ajax programme, no matter how much one dresses it up, has been a complete and utter disaster.” —[ Official Report, House of Lords, 12 December 2022; Vol. 826, c. 452.] Does the Minister agree?