Welcome to this week's newsletter!
Whilst the Conservative Party Leadership Contest is coming towards a close, I have been supporting issues in Parliament which are important to our constituency.
I was glad the Minister of State for Care has agreed to meet with me to discuss the challenges local GP practices face when looking to expand their sites. This is of course particularly relevant as I have been working with two local GP practices to try and advance their plans to move into new premises. I look forward to discussing this further during my meeting with the Minister.
In recognition of this week being Rural Crime Week, I took the time to attend the Countryside Alliance event to get a better understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities and how we can tackle rural crime going forward.
FairFuelUK was joined by a number of Conservative MPs to deliver a petition of 130,000 signatures, which I support, to Number 10 Downing Street. The “Don’t Hike Fuel Duty” petition calls on the Chancellor and Prime Minister to maintain the current duty on fuel to protect drivers from further economic strains. Whilst I couldn’t attend the delivery of the petition, I was pleased to meet with FairFuelUK representatives at a drop-in session earlier in the week to discuss the tireless work they do.
The Health Secretary organised a cross-party meeting to update MPs effected by the New Hospital Programme Review. I was pleased the Department acknowledged that the works to Eastbourne General District Hospital & Conquest Hospital are needed. Although unfortunately the Department could not confirm exact timelines for the conclusion of the review, I am encouraged by their engagement.
Youth Sport Trust hosted a drop-in session to talk about their Girls Active Programme, which I’m pleased to confirm my support for. With physical activity and sports such important part of our everyday lives, I look forward to supporting the charity in the Parliament.
I had the great opportunity of meeting some students from Chantry Community Primary School during their visit to Parliament. It is always a fantastic experience to engage with young people and encourage them to take an interest in our democratic processes, although it was good to see how many already were!
The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) held a forum to speak with MPs about those who undertake apprenticeships, and those who employ them. I always enjoy hearing the stories which come from the many programmes run by members of the AELP and will continue to advance the case for apprenticeships in our constituency.
GET SCREENED! Last week I was pleased to join MPs to support Breast Cancer Now’s #WearItPink fundraiser, which helps to raise vital funds for life-saving research and support. I encourage everyone eligible to take up the offer of screening when invited.
And lastly, I had the opportunity to attend the Kinship Care Event to learn a bit more about how we can support Kinship Carers across the constituency. I would personally like to see more support available so we can encourage more people to become Kinship Carers. I hope to support Wendy, a Kinship Carer I met, who plans to establish a local network of Kinship Carers in the constituency.
That’s it for this week’s newsletter. When I next publish, we will have a new leader of the Conservative Party. I am sure some of you, like me, are excited to see how the future of the Party will look.
Have a great weekend.
This Week's Newsletter:
- Minister Agrees to Meet and Discuss New GP Premises Locally
- Rural Crime Week
- FairFuelUK Petition
- DHSC NHP Meeting
- Youth Sport Trust Drop-in Session
- Chantry Community Primary School Visit to Parliament
- AELP Parliamentary Forum
- Breast Cancer 'Wear it Pink' Event
- Kinship Care Event
Minister Agrees to Meet and Discuss New GP Premises Locally
Last week, I asked the Minister of State for Care to meet and discuss the challenges local GP practices are facing in the process of bringing their plans for newer, bigger, more modern premises to fruition.
As constituents may have seen from previous posts, I have been working with local GP practices, Martin's Oak Surgery in Battle, and Oldwood Surgery in Robertsbridge, to try and advance their plans to move into new premises so they can deliver a wider range of primary care and diagnostic services for local residents.
The current primary care model places undue financial burden on GP partners and risks these plans falling by the wayside, which would be a real blow to residents of Bexhill and Battle.
There are a number of GP practices in the constituency in similar situations, who have plans to move to larger, more modern premises but have faced delays along the way.
I am pleased the Minister agreed to a meeting and look forward to discussing how the Government can support new GP practices going forward.
Rural Crime Week
National Rural Crime Week serves as an important reminder of the unique challenges faced by rural communities and the urgent need to strengthen efforts in tackling crimes that disrupt lives and livelihoods in the countryside.
Last week, I attended a drop-in briefing session on rural crime at Parliament, hosted by the Countryside Alliance, in collaboration with the National Rural Crime Network and Superintendent Andy Huddleston from the National Rural Crime Unit.
The event highlighted the significant impact of rural crime on communities, including theft of farm machinery, hare coursing, livestock theft, burglary, and fly-tipping. It was clear from the discussions that more needs to be done to address these issues.
I know that Katy Bourne, our local Police and Crime Commissioner, understands how important it is to tackle this issue. This week, Katy attended a meeting with the National Farmers’ Union (FU) alongside Chief Constable Shiner to hear about the challenges farmers are facing and to offer a full update on the work of our Rural Crime Team. Read more about it here: https://email.proworx.co.uk/t/r-e-tdklkiud-utkyhdirly-y/.
I will be writing to Katy to seek further information on what measures are being taken locally to tackle rural crime, particularly on policing and crime responses, as well as on strategies in place to return stolen equipment to their owners.
I am always happy to hear from farmers, landowners, rural business owners, and residents about the challenges they face, and learn about how they feel about local policing, crime prevention, and safety
FairFuelUK Petition
This week FairFuelUK, joined by Conservative MPs, delivered a petition with 130,000 signatures to Number 10 Downing Street.
The “Don’t Hike Fuel Duty” petition calls on the Chancellor and Prime Minister to maintain the current duty on fuel to protect drivers from further economic strains, in what is rumoured to be a particularly harsh budget.
Whilst I was unable to attend due to prior parliamentary commitments, I fully support FairFuelUK's petition.
This followed from my meeting with representatives from FairFuelUK at a drop-in session last week in Parliament.
FairFuelUK have campaigned tirelessly on behalf of all motorists to ensure that Government remembers what a big impact the cost of fuel is on the finances of families.
The previous Government continued protecting the price at the pump via maintaining the fuel duty freeze that has been in place since 2011, as well as an extra 5 pence per litre cut since 2022. These were proven to be excellent ways to keep the cost of fuel down and was another way that the Government cut taxes for working people.
I am worried that this Labour Government will hammer drivers by increasing fuel duty. I am committed to keep working with FairFuelUK, so that those in Westminster can understand the impact that the cost of petrol has, especially on more rural areas like ours.
DHSC NHP Meeting
I was glad the Health Secretary organised a cross-party meeting to update MPs effected by the New Hospital Programme Review.
Under the previous Government's New Hospital Programme, Eastbourne General District Hospital (EGDH) and Conquest Hospital had been earmarked for significant investment. EGDH was set to be rebuilt entirely, while Conquest hospital was due to be completely reorganised to make it fit for purpose. These new buildings are essential to enable our local NHS trust to deliver the best health outcomes for residents and tackle the significant health inequalities in coastal areas such as ours.
While it is unfortunate that the Health Secretary was unable to confirm the exact timelines for when the review will conclude, I am encouraged that the Department has acknowledged that these works are indeed needed and remains committed to delivering them.
We were promised better hospitals and these two projects will be transformational for our region. I will continue to push the Department for clarification on when we can expect to see these works commence.
Youth Sport Trust Drop-in Session
Last week, Youth Sport Trust, a leading charity to improve young people’s education and development through sport and play, held a drop-in session to talk about their Girls Active programme. I am pleased to say I’ve signed up with their campaign and will support it in Parliament.
Physical activity and sports are such an important part of our everyday lives, and it is critical that young people are encouraged to get involved from an early age.
It is why I’m so supportive of charities like the Youth Sport Trust, as they engage with primary schools across the country to support every young person to feel comfortable taking part in physical activities and find a sport they enjoy, by identifying potential barriers holding them back.
The recommendation for activity each day is 60 minutes. I know that some parents can wonder where an hour can be found in the day but being active during lunch time, or walks after school, can be a great way to make sure young people are getting the right amount of exercise each day.
I would encourage parents to think about how they can encourage and support their children to keep active. We know there are times when the amount of physical activity that children and girls, in particular, do drops – when they enter their teenage years for example. That might be when the support and encouragement from a parent can make a difference!
I will be writing to the primary schools in our constituency to make sure they are aware Youth Sport Trust’s array of different programmes to keep young people active.
Chantry Community Primary School Visit to Parliament
It was great to have the opportunity to meet some of the students from Chantry Community Primary School during their visit to Parliament.
One of the best things about being an MP is engaging with young people on the issues that matter to them and how we can encourage them to take part in the democratic process. I talked a bit about why I wanted to become an MP and how politics can impact our everyday lives in ways we might not even recognise.
They had lots of thoughtful questions, from cleaning up our waters to funding for schools, and it was inspiring to see how much they care about the future of our community and the planet. Their enthusiasm and curiosity give me hope for the next generation of leaders.
Thank you to the school and staff for having me—it was a fantastic visit!
AELP Parliamentary Forum
The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) visited Parliament earlier last week to talk to lawmakers about those who undertake apprenticeships, and their employers. It was great to hear about the challenges facing this sector, as well as what is working well at the moment.
Apprenticeships not only provide a brilliant avenue for those who have struggled with more traditional educational paths, but also give people who attend colleges and other institutions a chance to work in industry too.
I always enjoy hearing the success stories that come from the various programmes that members of the AELP run, and I will continue to advance the case for apprenticeships throughout my constituency, and the country as a whole.
Breast Cancer 'Wear it Pink' Event
GET SCREENED!
Last week I joined fellow MPs in Westminster to support Breast Cancer Now’s #WearItPink fundraiser.
While the picture may be light-hearted, breast cancer is a serious issue - every 10 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with the disease. This event helps raise vital funds for life-saving research and support.
Each year, 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2021, 1,798 of those were in Bexhill and Battle. Early diagnosis is key and regular breast screening is the most effective way to ensure this, but only 58.86% of eligible women in Bexhill and Battle attended their screening when invited. This is significantly lower than the national average of 64%. Research shows that those who don't attend their first screening are far less likely to in the future, this must improve.
I encourage everyone eligible to take up the offer and attend their screening when invited.
Find out more at wearitpink.org! #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth
Kinship Care Event
I had the opportunity to attend the Kinship Care event to learn more about how we can support kinship carers across the constituency.
For those that aren't aware, kinship care is when children are cared for by relatives or close family friends instead of foster care. It helps keep children connected to their family and community, providing a stable and loving home when parents aren't able.
There are an estimated 172 children in Bexhill and Battle in kinship care and it was great to meet some of those who give up their time as kinship carers at the event. One of those who I met was Wendy, a kinship carer from Hastings working with a number of kinship carers locally to try and set up a group. We had an insightful discussion about the challenges faced by kinship carers and what can be done to support them going forward.
Of course, looking after your extended family if it's needed is the natural thing we should all be willing to do - but it can be a financial challenge for pensioners and those on low incomes. Kinship care saves a huge amount of money compared to fostering or children's homes.
I would like to see more support available to make it a viable choice for more people to become kinship carers. As such, I will be looking to meet with Wendy to discuss her plans to establish a local network of kinship carers.
