Mr David Heath | ProjectParly

Parliamentary History

Liberal Democrat

Somerton and Frome

1 May 1997 – 30 Mar 2015 (17 yrs 10 mo)

Ideology spectrum

64.7

ProgressiveCentreConservative

Leaning conservative — based on 34 coded votes across 3 axes (2% coverage).

Policy axis scores

0 = progressive, 50 = centre, 100 = conservative. Based on coded division votes.

Economic policy 60

Medium confidence 10 votes

Civil liberties 100

Low confidence 1 votes

Climate / energy 65

Medium confidence 23 votes

Voting trends (most recent 12 months of activity)

Voting record

March 2015 16 votes

Division	Date	Vote
Social care is a priority for the Government, and, in the context of difficult spending decisions, we have taken steps to protect care and support services. For example, we have allocated extra funds for those services during the current Parliament. We have created a better care fund, which, next month, will introduce a £5.3 billion pooled budget for health and care that will provide much needed f...	25 Mar 2015	NO
I was simply making the case that our procedures are brought into disrepute when we have not had the chance even to debate a huge number of amendments, much less to put them to the vote, including an important amendment that would have closed a tax-dodging loophole for private equity firms. Can we look again at the way in which the business of this House is organised, Mr Hood? I thank the hon. Lad...	25 Mar 2015	AYE
I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point, and there is also the issue about where people live, where they work and what services they use. The south-west has a particular issue when its population doubles every summer, because people may not make a contribution through taxes paid directly in the south-west, but they are using services there. There is another whole argument to be had about the locat...	25 Mar 2015	NO
He also said that “the best evidence we have still suggests that raising the top rate of tax would raise little revenue and make, at best, a marginal contribution to reducing the budget deficit an incoming government would face after the next election.” I am spoilt for choice, but ladies first. I thank the Minister for his generosity in giving way again. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said t...	25 Mar 2015	NO
That is why the £12 billion of welfare cuts that have been pencilled in for some two years now in various statements by the Treasury, and by the Chancellor in particular, are very important. Part of that approach might be to cut away further the support given to people in work, perhaps through the tax credits system, at some future point. Tax credit is to be replaced by universal credit, but the i...	25 Mar 2015	NO
For most people, a Government who are fiscally credible are a Government who meet their own fiscal targets. The budget deficit will be around £90 billion this year, and next year’s budget, far from being balanced, as was promised in 2010, is projected to show a £75 billion deficit. Meanwhile, public sector net debt will be £217 billion higher in 2015-16 than was projected in 2010. How can the Gove...	24 Mar 2015	AYE
“(aa) in subsection (1)(h), omit “36(2),”, and”. (4) In section 55B(4)(a) of the Income Tax Act 2007 (transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners: entitlement to tax reduction), for “£1,050” substitute “£1,060”. (5) The amendments made by paragraphs (3) and (4) have effect for the tax year 2015-16 and subsequent tax years. And it is declared that it is expedient in the public...	23 Mar 2015	AYE
(c) for any relief, other than a relief that— (i) so far as it is applicable to goods, applies to goods of every description, and (ii) so far as it is applicable to services, applies to services of every description. The Speaker put forthwith the Questions necessary to dispose of the motions made in the name of the Chancellor of the Exchequer ( Standing Order No. 51(3) . Question put,	23 Mar 2015	AYE
No, I will not. This is the most significant tax cut for working people in a generation. As a result of the increases to the personal allowance, a typical basic rate taxpayer will be £905 a year better off in 2017-18, and 27.2 million individuals will have benefited from increases to the personal allowance since 2010. As a result of these changes, over 3.7 million people— [Interruption.] Oppositio...	23 Mar 2015	AYE
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As I was saying, I am slightly confused. It worries me that we are having a debate about immigration when we should be debating slavery, which is what this Bill is about. Does the Minister agree that we seem to have heard the Labour Front-Bench team and the hon. Member for Linlithgow and East Falkirk (Michael Connarty) being what some might call soft on immigration...	17 Mar 2015	AYE
That sort of process is a scandal, to be frank. We would not tolerate it in other public bodies, and I do not understand why we are allowing it to happen with TfL. The whole purpose of having the lists proposed in new clause 1 is to make sure that the information is genuinely public. At the moment, even some of the people living on these sites are unaware of TfL’s ambitions. They were certainly no...	16 Mar 2015	AYE
It may be that the Minister is coming to my fourth question, but I would be grateful to know whether it is correct, as my constituent claims, that Ark held out that it was regulated by HMRC and the Pensions Regulator. If that is correct, does he believe that any responsibility for the fact that the scheme was advertised in that way rests with those two regulators? I reassure the right hon. Gentlem...	11 Mar 2015	AYE
My hon. Friend referred to the 80,000 figure that I quoted for retaliatory evictions as “fantasy” figures. He prefers his figure of 6,000. I understand that the English housing survey does not give figures on retaliatory eviction, but just talks about the fact that 9% of tenancies are ended by the landlord. As I understand it, that does not provide the clarity that he wants on the numbers. My hon....	10 Mar 2015	NO
As many in the House are aware, I have been interested in the secondary ticketing market for many years now, and, alongside the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) , I have co-chaired the all-party parliamentary group on ticket abuse, the report of which spearheaded the former amendments to those we are debating today. Does the hon. Lady agree that it was bizarre that the CMA came out with guid...	9 Mar 2015	AYE
I beg to move, That the House sit in private. Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 163 ).	6 Mar 2015	NO
“larger proportional falls in income for higher-income households.” That is absolutely vital. Inequality has fallen and the biggest burden has been borne by those with the broadest shoulders. We can only have a fair society on the back of a healthy, well-functioning economy and we can only have a healthy, well-functioning economy on the back of sustainable public finances. The Government’s long-te...	4 Mar 2015	NO

February 2015 8 votes

Division	Date	Vote
I leave the House and the Minister with the thought that in the present economic climate, given the fall in the price of oil, we can allow ourselves the luxury of making sure that the regulatory regime is independent and fit for purpose and that no fracking will take place until the regime has been tried and tested. to oil prices internationally. That is why I and other Members on both sides of th...	11 Feb 2015	AYE
Question accordingly negatived. Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 31(2) ), That the proposed words be there added.	11 Feb 2015	AYE
We have been calling for Lord Green to make a full and frank statement. No allegations have been made, but he needs to explain what he knew about what was going on at HSBC. The Exchequer Secretary should correct the record on what we have been requesting from the Government and from Lord Green and say whether she agrees that he should make a full and frank statement. Let us be quite clear on the p...	11 Feb 2015	NO
“the draft Country Specific Recommendations published 2 June call for commitment to the UK’s Youth Contract to be maintained.” In other words, it would not pursue Labour’s proposal on guaranteed jobs, and what we did was correct. We supported people and put money in place to create work experience, sector-based work academies, and incentives. I am grateful to the Minister for giving way; this must...	11 Feb 2015	NO
That is not all. Contrary to the impression that we are somehow drawing the heart out of local communities through this funding settlement, we have to see it in the context of resources that have been given to local areas. For instance, £12 billon is being given to local enterprise partnerships in England to spend on local economic priorities. Those growth deals will help to train young people, cr...	10 Feb 2015	AYE
Division 150	10 Feb 2015	AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. Motion made, and Question put forthwith ( Standing Order No. 118(6) ),	2 Feb 2015	AYE
With the leave of the House, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a few more comments about the order. I am grateful to the official Opposition for their co-operation. There has been a remarkable consensus in the House this evening, despite all the efforts of the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) , who did his best to challenge that consensus by violently agreeing with everything that was said ...	2 Feb 2015	AYE

January 2015 6 votes

Division	Date	Vote
This has been a very good debate in many respects— [ Interruption. ] Yes, there is a “but”. I want to return to the opening of the debate. We have a motion before us that seeks to divide the House. I have sat here and listened to all these excellent speeches and searched for the issue of substance that divides us. What have we got in the motion that seeks to divide us? The 0.7% target? We were all...	28 Jan 2015	NO
My hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (John Woodcock) talked about the huge financial problems facing his trust, and made a powerful case for its uniqueness in terms of its geographical position and transport links, such that it needs to be looked at seriously in future. My hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson) expressed concern about financial irregulariti...	28 Jan 2015	NO
Division 144	28 Jan 2015	NO
“make provision which is the same or similar.” There is real anxiety about the fact that the form of words used by the Government does not include such a provision, and hence does not abide by the agreement reached by them and by the last Government with the trade unions. Amendment 115 refers to “all the rights and liabilities relating to the person’s contract of employment.” It is a pleasure to h...	26 Jan 2015	NO
(Stephen Williams.) This amendment aims to secure that, in England, the species control provisions will not apply to Eurasian beavers which are released into the wild under licence. It will continue to be the case that Eurasian beavers may only be released into the wild under licence. Amendment made: 85, page 33, line 35, leave out “which is” and insert “the freehold interest in which was” — This ...	26 Jan 2015	NO
made by the Minister and explain why new clause 16 is, on all fronts, a better and neater solution that the very welcome concession the Government have made. Let us bust some myths. First, new clause 16 simply puts pubs on the same footing as laundrettes, theatres and—would you believe it—casinos and nightclubs, which currently enjoy more protection under the planning law than pubs do. Most people...	26 Jan 2015	NO

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