We contacted all of the candidates vying for your vote to be the next MP for the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency, asking each of them the same questions. We've taken their responses exactly as they were sent to us - so you know where each of the candidates stand, to help you decide who to vote for.

Here's their responses to the question:

How will you ensure that vital public services, such as libraries, community centres, and youth services, are maintained and improved?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative:

"Libraries, community centres, and youth services are vital parts of the community and I would fight to protect them.

From talking to people across Shepton there is a desire for youth services so that young people can have access to positive opportunities and new experiences. The Government has recently invested in over 100 new youth clubs across the country. I would lobby for investment in more youth provision in Shepton."

Craig Clarke - Independent:

"I will not have an office in the constituency as it would be a waste of taxpayers' money - what I will do is visit constituents in their homes to discuss their issues, or meet in their local pub or cafe, if that suits them better, I'll buy the tea or coffee."

Helen Hims - Reform UK:

"Local authorities can't provide quality community services when they have no money. Government spending has increased by nearly £200 billion p/a since 2019, and that obviously filters down to our councils and our communities. Britain is on the verge of 'going bust'.

Bank of England must stop paying interest to commercial banks on QE reserves. Other central banks don't do this - we could save around £35 billion p/a based on current interest rates.

Save £5 in every £100: Our massively bloated public services must find savings without touching frontline services. This will enable lower taxes and more money available for our communities.

Brexit Bonus - Cut unnecessary regulations: We still have 6,700 EU laws in circulation, an enormous amount of government red tape and many nanny state regulations. Cutting these can save billions which could then filter down to our cash-strapped communities."

Abi McGuire - Independent:

"I supported saving our local library as a town councillor while also broadening its remit and maximizing use of the facilities. If necessary, I will repeat this across the constituency. These services are important to our communities. However, we do have to be realistic about how we fund and run these services. Looking to the future I believe they need to be community-led rather than provided at the unitary level."

Tessa Munt - Liberal Democrats:

"For communities to flourish, local councils need powers and resources but the previous Conservative government has robbed them of both and in recent weeks they've begun trying to pass the blame for this.

Lib Dems would fund local services, urgently close the £4 billion funding gap in local government and reform business rates to boost local economies and make sure there is money to put back into local areas.

To support these vital services, we'd also provide clarity for councils around how much money they will have over a longer period than the current year-on-year agreements. This will make it possible for better decisions around investment to be made and to free up money for public services."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op:

"Somerset County Council is in distress, but a Labour government will help by giving them a clear long-term funding settlement. We will also be supporting more youth hubs, supporting young people's social, emotional, and mental health development."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.

What are your plans for enhancing public safety and reducing crime in our area?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative: "More police. Supporting the police to do their job and seeking swift and effective prosecutions.

Rural crime is a big issue and we need to make sure that the police take it seriously and pursue criminals and not just hand out crime reference numbers."

Craig Clarke - Independent: "Shoplifting is on the increase - it is becoming quite normal in food shops like the Coop throughout the country. Our staff have been spat at, kicked, punched, and hurled awful verbal abuse. For this to become the norm is dangerous. Allowing people to think they can steal is dangerous to the fabric of a civil, ordered, and, crucially, profitable society. I think I know why this is happening - people don't have jobs and don't have money - unemployment is wrong. I will get 700 willing unemployed into stable and rewarding work - that's a practical start to this enormous I know the centre of the constituency and I would be grateful for guidance on how to help the East."

Helen Hims - Reform UK: "Increase Police Numbers: Recruitment must be prioritized to increase rates to 300 police officers per 100k population. That is 40,000 new frontline officers over a five-year parliament, with a strong preference for ex-military personnel.

Zero Tolerance Policing: Clamp down on all crime and anti-social behaviour. Prison for all violent crimes and possessing a knife. Increase Stop and Search substantially.

Start building of 10,000 new detention places in state-built and state-managed prisons. Commission disused military bases if needed.

More bobbies on the beat, and allow PCSOs to become police officers before the role is phased out.

Common sense policing - not 'woke' policing: Scrap all diversity, equality, and inclusion roles and regulations to stop two-tier policing. Protect the public without fear of favour."

Abi McGuire - Independent: "As a former police officer, this is high on my agenda. I think the police service has lost the ability and resources to investigate crime effectively. For example, here in Shepton when the Town Council reported an arson in the park with accompanying CCTV, it was not investigated, and the nearest cell block is a 45-minute drive away. I will work alongside our newly elected police and crime commissioner and local police officers to promote public safety and the reduction of crime."

Tessa Munt - Lib Dem: "Unnecessary cuts and ineffective resourcing by the Conservatives have left our police forces overstretched, under-resourced, and unable to focus on tackling the crimes that affect our communities the most. We must ensure our communities have a more visible police presence.

We must free up Police Officers' time so they can focus on their local area and be more visible in rural areas. To help with this, we would:

• Establish a new national Online Crime Agency to better protect people from online crime while freeing up local forces' time to tackle local crime.
• Properly resource the National Crime Agency to combat serious and organized crime, with a focus on organized rural crime.
• Work with Police Forces to determine what tasks are using disproportionate amounts of officers' time, and how those processes could be streamlined so police can spend more time where they should be.
• Reverse cuts to Police Community Support Officer numbers."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op: "We have to stamp out crime from the hills to the high-street. This includes a strong focus on rural crime. Labour will recruit 13,500 more police officers and PCSOs to boost community policing. On the high-street, this means alongside more officers, we will bin the £200 threshold for pursuing theft and implement a new law to deal with assaults on shop workers. In addition, we need to tackle anti-social behaviour from fly-tipping, livestock worrying, and intimidation. We'll introduce new Respect Orders to tackle this."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.