Richmond Park News 16 May 2025

TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL - REPORT STAGE:

Today was the Report Stage of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill. In this debate I spoke about a number of amendments, some of which I tabled myself, and some of which were tabled by colleagues in Parliament.

Throughout the Bill’s Committee Stage, I have carefully listened to the arguments on both sides, including those of the many constituents who wrote to me on the issue, those from experts, who shared their counsel to the committee, and those from my fellow Parliamentarians. Today’s Report Stage brings together hundreds of hours of work for debate in the House of Commons.

For me, the fundamental question was whether or not we were putting vulnerable people at risk by passing this legislation and I resolved that, on balance, we were. I continue to be appreciative and respectful of the reasons why people are in favour of Assisted Dying, and my opposition is not rooted in a core objection to the principle of Assisted Dying, but in the approach taken to framing this particular piece of legislation.

It was a privilege to serve on the Committee and would like to note my thanks and respect to all those Members, Ministers, Chairs and House staff who served alongside me. You can watch a full clip of my speech in the Commons today, here.

I also spoke to major media outlets about this important Bill, appearing on Good Morning Britain (from 06:30 onwards) and BBC Radio 5.

PRESENTATION BILL: RAPE AND SEXUAL OFFENCES FREE SENTENCING REMARKS:

On Wednesday I presented a Bill to parliament calling for the current pilot scheme proving free court transcripts to victims of sexual assault to be made permanent. 

In May last year the Government introduced a 12-month pilot scheme to support sexual assault and rape victims in obtaining court transcripts of their trials which often cost thousands of pounds following a campaign I had lead on this issue.

This pilot scheme has been widely supported by victims and campaign groups yet the government is refusing to commit to continuing this scheme. In just two-weeks time, that scheme will end - leaving victims facing a massive bill to obtain these transcripts risking a price tag on justice and many victims without this crucial support scheme. 

I have also written to the Justice secretary on this issue and tabled a motion in parliament urging the government to ensure victims can continue to receive this support. You can see the letter here, and the full motion here. 

INFECTED BLOOD STATEMENT:

On Wednesday I responded to the government's statement on the Infected Blood Scandal. 

I was glad to hear the minister say that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) are scaling up their operation. However, I am alarmed that the roll out of this scheme has been far too slow, leaving victims without the justice they deserve.

I asked the minister to clarify what deadline he has for the implementation of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendations. As well as asking what further steps he is taking to increase the speed at which payments are being made and for confirmation of when all victims can expect to have received their long overdue compensation.

You can watch a clip of my response here.

RESPONSE TO THAMES WATER’S EFRA COMMITTEE APPEARANCE:

Regular readers of my newsletter will know that I share their frustrations with the management of Thames Water, which has seen shareholders take dividends out of the company, sewage dumped into our rivers and patchwork to fix leaks and bursts. 

On Tuesday, the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs Committee questioned Thames Water executives regarding their sustainability as a business, and one topic which arose was the bonuses for their staff and leadership. When the CEO of Thames Water, Chris Weston, was asked about his yearly bonus, he stated that he receives a 156% bonus from his base salary - this equates to over £1.25million in bonuses. 

Provided that Thames Water customers’ bills have recently increased by an average of 35%, and they claim that they need to hike these bills even further to meet Ofwat’s targets, it is sickening to hear this news. In addition, Thames Water’s junior employees who typically conduct hard and grueling work attempting to fix their network, receive between 3-6% of their salary in bonuses. 

Following on from my column in last week’s newsletter, I have also penned a letter to Thames Water’s Director of Economic Regulation to report the high volume of correspondence that I have received from my constituents regarding possibly erroneous bills. In this letter, I called for a review of their customer services to ensure that people can speak to a Thames Water representative regarding their bills, and to also request a dedicated point of contact specifically to review the bills that I have been sent.

I also co-signed a statement about Thames Water, alongside other Members of Parliament, which you can find details of here.

WESTMINSTER HALL DEBATE ON ACCESS TO VENTURE CAPITAL FOR ALL BACKGROUNDS

On Tuesday, I secured an important debate on the accessibility of Venture Capital financing for people of underrepresented backgrounds.

Whilst our Venture Capital industry is one of the strongest in the world, and the largest in Europe, access to financing that allows businesses to scale up and grow, is often concentrated in certain communities, with disproportionately lower access to VC financing for ethnic minorities and women in particular. 

I was pleased to raise these issues to the Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, who welcomed my suggestions, and spoke constructively on the need to do more. I was also pleased to hear him welcome many of the recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethnic Minority Business Owners, on which I sit as co-chair.

You can find the full transcript of the Westminster Hall Debate here.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE WOMEN WITNESS WORKSHOP:

This week I was pleased to co-host a workshop focused on giving senior female civil servants an insight into the work of the committee and how PAC sessions operate.

When I attend PAC sessions, my primary aim for the session is to ask questions that matter to my constituents - I want government departments to display an understanding of how their decisions have affected residents, and to show that they know what actions must be taken. At the same time, I also want witnesses to be proud of the progress that their departments have made and show a keenness to share that work with the committee.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE: 

In my capacity as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), I attended a session on Monday investigating the government’s use of private finance for infrastructure. New infrastructure has been identified as central to economic growth by the government, which has indicated plans to work in partnership with the private sector to deliver this. A recent National Audit Office (NAO) report outlined key lessons on how to support investor and public confidence in private finance for infrastructure investment.

I asked Darryl Murphy, the Managing Director of Aviva Investors, how he characterises current levels of investor confidence in UK infrastructure development. He replied that investors are concerned by the lack of opportunity sets for investment and previous political instability, but he expects that to change rapidly as the government increases their infrastructure investment.

APPOINTMENT AS LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BUSINESS SPOKESPERSON:

This week, I was delighted to be appointed as the Business Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats. 

As I take up this role, I look forward to championing business in the United Kingdom, holding the Government to account over policies including the hikes in National Insurance Contributions, and pushing the Government to give more clarity and support to small businesses, something I have been already pushing for in my capacity as a local champion for Richmond Park.

Constituents can continue to contact me as their constituency MP, through my email at sarah.olney.mp@parliament.uk.

SAVE THE CHILDREN KEW FASHION SHOW:

Earlier in the week, I was delighted to be invited to the Kew Fashion Show, in support of Save the Children, aligning with the new initiative London Textile Plan out this week.

This fashion show was a welcome opportunity to see how circular fashion and textiles work on the ground, and the fashionable, head-turning alternatives to buying new! I was delighted to see local customers sporting recycled, upcycled items from local shops to reflect the kind of clothing and beautiful textiles in our communities.

Every item was donated by local residents, and I would like to thank all those who contributed, and made this event a success, in particular Julia Gorrod. The money raised will go to Save the Children and The Local Rotary Club, two important organisations supporting the vulnerable and promoting goodwill in our communities and across the world.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

RICHMOND CARGO BIKE FAIR:

The inaugural Richmond Cargo Bike Fair will be taking place on Sunday 15th June at Old Deer Park. Cargo bikes are becoming increasingly popular across London, and the fair will offer residents a chance to try out a range of cargo bikes, as well speak to local retailers and experts about maintenance and safety.

The fair will take place from 11:00-17:00, and you can find out more about cargo bikes and Richmond Council’s commitment to active travel here.