Layla Moran has today written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to call on the Government to support the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

The Private Members Bill, presented by Jim Shannon MP, aims to reduce the number of cardiac deaths by making it law that automated external defibrillators are available in public buildings, sporting facilities, schools, higher education, and other education and skills facilities, and facilities that provide care to vulnerable people. It also aims to ensure that people are given education and training on the devices and relevant signage.

Layla Moran MP,  Chair of the APPG on Coronavirus, has responded to the Science and Technology and Health and Social Care Select Committees’ joint report on the government's handling of the pandemic. 

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has said the Government are “putting dogma over saving Oxfordshire’s hospitality sector” after a Home Office Minister turned down proposals from the industry to introduce a Covid Recovery Visa. In response to a parliamentary question tabled by Layla Moran, Minister Kevin Foster said the Government will not consider introducing the measure.

Layla Moran has told the Government “don’t leave hospitality behind” as “piecemeal” temporary visas for HGV drivers are introduced. It comes after hospitality bosses renewed their calls for visas to help fill vacancies yesterday. Layla, who described the HGV visa changes as “barely scratching the surface” and “too little, too late”, warned that the hospitality sector in Oxfordshire faced continuing decline if action on visas is not taken soon. The Oxfordshire MP has been campaigning for the introduction of a Covid Recovery Visa for the sector since June when she raised the issue with the Prime Minister at PMQs. Layla and Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats also launched a petition in July 2021 calling for the Covid Recovery Visa will help to recruit hospitality staff from outside the UK who would otherwise be unable to come work.

Layla Moran, this week voted to maintain the pensions triple lock and protect over 19,000 of her constituents who stand to be affected by its suspension. Figures published by the Liberal Democrats show that 19,698 state pensioners in Oxford West and Abingdon are set to be impacted by the Government breaking its manifesto promise.

Responding to news that the Government has paused its planning reforms after a backlash from the Liberal Democrats, opposition parties, and Conservative MPs, Layla Moran MP said: “This is a victory for the Liberal Democrats - the writing has been on the wall for the Tories over their misguided, undemocratic planning reforms ever since our victory in the Chesham and Amersham by-election. 

Layla Moran joined other opposition MPs and some Conservative MPs in voting to demand the Government makes the Universal Credit uplift permanent. Speaking after the Parliamentary debate and vote, Layla Moran, “Boris Johnson and the Conservative MPs who abstained in this afternoon’s vote are completely out of touch. They have decided to rip up support for millions of families across the country.

Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, has said “the Government needs to get serious about eliminating rough sleeping” as figures show the number of households assessed as rough sleeping across Oxfordshire have risen by 90.5% in the past year, up from 95 to 181.

Layla, who recently held a House of Commons debate on rough sleeping, has called on the Government to take action to live up to their manifesto commitment of ending rough sleeping across the country stating that we are “in dire need of action”. 

Layla Moran has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to “demonstrate a clear commitment” to the Conservatives’ manifesto pledge of ending rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament by rolling out Housing First across England at the forthcoming Spending Review, and by pushing for the scrapping of the Vagrancy Act. 

In her letter, Layla says that the “time is right for a new national and political effort to tackle homelessness”, adding that “Because Housing First works, we also know in the long term it saves us money.”