In Parliament
As always, it has been a busy month in Parliament with lots going on. I was delighted by the recent announcement of the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ White Paper. This plan addresses many of the issues I have been campaigning on over the years including further commitments to regenerating our town centres, improving public transport as well as investing in highly skilled jobs and better connectivity.
I am particularly pleased to see commitments for investment in Nottinghamshire and Broxtowe, through negotiations for a County Deal and further investment into our schools.
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are specifically mentioned as one of a select number of areas to begin negotiations for a County Deal. Devolution is a vital component of this Government’s agenda, and it is incredibly important that local people have a greater say in the issues that affect them. This marks a significant shift of power from Whitehall back to local communities. Coupled with this will be the decentralisation of the £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund, giving local leaders a real voice in how money is spent in their areas.
This announcement incorporates the news that the Government is pledging to create 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs) of which Nottinghamshire will be included. This will be crucial in addressing regional imbalances in educational outcomes and pledges to increase the standards of reading, writing and maths for all primary school age children ensuring that by the time they leave, 90% have reached the expected standard.
You can read the White Paper in full using this link.
I was also pleased to intervene during an adjournment debate secured by my fellow MP, Robert Buckland, on the detention of people with autism and other lifelong conditions under the Mental Health Act. This is an incredibly serious issue and one I am keen to work with colleagues on to find better solutions.
This week I also attended a meeting of the Choice at the End of Life All-Party Parliamentary Group. There were some very touching stories shared during the meeting and I believe it is important for all MPs to continue to engage on this important topic.
Sue Gray Report
Over the last couple of weeks, I have received large volumes of correspondence from my constituents on this matter. I have published my full response to this issue on my website which you can view here.
Energy Bills Rebate
To tackle the rise in global energy prices the Government has taken decisive action which will help people here in Broxtowe by providing:
- A £200 smoothing rebate on energy bills for all households, to be paid back over the next two years at £40 per year starting in 2023.
- A non-repayable £150 cash rebate for homes in Council Tax bands A-D, equivalent to 80% of all households, helping both lower and middle-income families.
- £144 million of discretionary funding for local authorities to support households not eligible for the council tax rebate.
This is in addition to the plans to increase the Warm Homes Discount and extended eligibility to 3 million vulnerable households.
For more information visit this link.
Holocaust Memorial Day
27th January was Holocaust Memorial Day, where we not only remember all those who lost their lives, but also work to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.
I joined local representatives here in Broxtowe to attend a ceremony service on the day in Bramcote at the Walled Garden and I also signed the Book of Commitment in Parliament along with my Parliamentary Colleagues.
Constituency Visits
I have been out and about across Broxtowe over the last few weeks meeting with constituents and organisations to discuss a range of issues.
I was pleased to meet with the new Police Inspector, Mike Ebbins in my constituency office to discuss our shared priorities to tackle crime in Broxtowe. Also having attended the Make Notts Safe launch, I am pleased to see that additional funding is being made available to address crime and anti-social behaviour. There is £1 million of funding available through the new Make Notts Safe Grants. These grants are available for third sector organisations in Broxtowe to fund projects to tackle crime.
Applications are now open and close on 7th March. Further details about the grants and how to apply can be found on using this link.
I met with numerous residents in Dovecote Lane in Beeston regarding the active travel proposals under consideration. I found the visit to be incredibly informative and I appreciate everybody that took the time to put their views forward to me.
Following the visit I made representations to both the County Council and the Department for Transport (DfT) requesting adelay in the funding deadline to allow members of the local community to have the chance to put their views forward. I was pleased to see the Minister’s response that the DfT has agreed to this so that a thorough discussion can be had with local people.
It was a pleasure to visit Gilthill School and meet with the new headteacher, Mrs Allison. We discussed issues such as traffic and road safety outside of school as well as staffing challenges as a result of COVID. I remain in regular contact with local schools and will continue to offer my support wherever I am able to do so.
This week has been National Apprenticeship Week. I was pleased to visit Beeston Job Centre earlier today. I spoke with the staff and work coaches discussing both the success of the Government’s Kickstart Scheme as well as the new Way to Work scheme.
I had a lovely time at the opening night of Kimberley’s Love Festival. It was an honour to open the event and I strongly encourage people to attend tomorrow and Sunday. Thank you to Neil Oakden for the inspiring idea of this Romantic Kimberley Festival and also the tireless work of Trevor Rood, Tony Mason and Neil Doherty, not forgetting Kimberley Town Council staff, Sue, Julie and Neil for their help and commitment.
We hope that the first UK Valentine’s festival will become an annual feature of the Kimberley entertainment programme.
East Midlands Railway - Nottingham to Matlock Service
The recent announcement by East Midlands Rail that there has been a further suspension to reinstating the Nottingham to Matlock rail service is incredibly disappointing. Despite initial assurances that these changes would be temporary, there has been little movement by East Midlands Railway to reopen the route which also serves Beeston and Attenborough Railway Stations here in Broxtowe.
I have written a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, asking for his assistance in getting this much valued service reinstated.
