Your Latest Briefing from the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.

As the third largest party, we have three opposition days every session of Parliament where we set the agenda in the House of Commons. On Wednesday, we held our first with a focus on the health and social care crisis.

The day began with a huge win - after months of Lib Dem pressure, the Government has finally launched a review into the carer’s allowance overpayments scandal.

Our first motion of the day urged the Government to go further, to write-off existing overpayments, raise the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit, and conduct a full review of carer support.

Ed Davey MP opened the debate:

Our second motion focussed on access to GPs, NHS dentists, and community pharmacists. Our Health and Social Care Spokesperson Helen Morgan MP opened the debate, addressing the pain, suffering, and economic impact of the current crises and sharing our practical solutions:

In the House of Lords, we introduced an amendment to the Water Bill to ban bonuses for water company bosses until sewage spills end and leaks are fixed. Despite £35 million in bonuses since 2021, the industry continues to dump sewage into our waterways. With Ofwat, the regulator, failing to issue any fines for sewage dumping since 2021, it’s time for tougher action.

With conflict escalating, our International Development Spokesperson Monica Harding MP called for more aid to the region, especially in Gaza, where three quarters of people currently rely on food aid.

Monica urged the government to step up talks to ensure aid gets through and she reaffirmed our commitment to an immediate bilateral ceasefire to resolve the humanitarian crisis, get the hostages out and open the door to a two-state solution.

Lib Dem Peers led a debate on strengthening UK-EU ties in areas like culture, diplomacy and security. Baroness Smith of Newnham opened the debate, highlighting the mutual benefits of cooperation, and supporting a youth mobility scheme as one step we can take.

Mike Martin MP challenged the Government on when the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act would take effect.

This law is crucial for protecting women and girls, but despite being passed in 2023 it is currently not in force because the government hasn’t updated the necessary regulations.

Our Housing and Planning Spokesperson Gideon Amos MP welcomed the Renter’s Rights Bill to ban no-fault evictions. Gideon said tenants deserve the security that all other residents have, and supported the Bill as a step toward ending homelessness.

However, Gideon also pushed the Government to go further. Our fair deal for renters would also make three-year tenancies the default and create a national register of licensed landlords.