Autumn was a busy period, kicked off by Conservative Party Conference. I also made a visit to Japan earlier this month to attend the Internet Governance Forum.
I attended the 18 th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, which was hosted by Japan in Kyoto. I was proud to represent the UK, as Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure, and support discussions on how we can continue with open and inclusive governance of the internet.
I had the opportunity to attend several meetings with international colleagues, including Mr Taro Kono, the Japanese Minister of Digital Affairs. I also enjoyed speaking to Vint Cerf, who is recognised as one of the ‘fathers of the internet’, as the co-designer of the architecture of the internet.
Last month I visited Sandon School, to meet with Year 12 and Year 13 Students studying Politics A-Level. I was invited by Head of Politics, Sam Bay, and was given a tour of the school and met by other members of staff.
I am always pleased to visit schools in my constituency, and to discuss with students my work as an MP as well as national and local issues.
The students at Sandon showed a keen interest and I was encouraged that a number were interested in pursuing a political career.
I was also pleased to recently visit Maldon Primary School to talk to members of the School Council and answer their questions. The children had been learning about Parliament as part of UK Parliament Week. I was also shown round by the Headteacher, Deborah Conroy, and met members of staff.
I very much enjoyed talking to the children about my work as a Member of Parliament and answering their questions on a wide range of topics. I was also struck by the happy atmosphere throughout the school and am delighted that in the latest Ofsted inspection, Maldon Primary School was classed as Good School. I congratulate Miss Conroy and all the staff on their hard work to achieve this.
I was invited to cut the ribbon to mark the opening of Barclays Local in South Woodham Ferrers last month.
Following the closure of the Barclays Branches in South Woodham Ferrers and Burnham on Crouch last year, Barclays have launched Barclays Locals in both towns to offer non-cash services to customers.
In South Woodham Ferrers, the Barclays Local will operate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in Champions Manor Hall. In Burnham on Crouch it is located in the Town Council Offices on Chapel Road on Tuesday and Thursdays. Whilst cash services for Barclays Customers are available through the Post Office, customers will be able to have face to face meetings with Barclays staff who can provide financial support and advice.
I am delighted that with many banks closing their branches, that Barclays customers will still be able to meet and talk to financial advisers in person. This is a great initiative by Barclays working with the Town Councils of South Woodham Ferrers and Burnham on Crouch.
I was delighted to make a visit to Wales at the end of the month, to visit S4C, which is the Welsh Language public broadcast channel. It was interesting to visit the set of ‘Pobol y Cwm’, which is a popular Welsh language soap opera produced by BBC.
I also paid a visit to the Senedd in Cardiff, to attend the session by the Senedd Culture Committee, which discussed public service broadcasting in Wales.
I am delighted that South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre has been awarded £53,605 from the Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund.
The Government is making over £60 million of new funding available to safeguard the future of public swimming pools and to make them more financially sustainable. Today’s announcement of the recipients of the first Phase of funding will provide £20.3 million in total of revenue support. Applications for the second phase of funding worth £40 million are currently being considered with announcement of awards early next year.
Essex Police are holding several ‘Let’s Talk’ events in our constituency this month, providing an opportunity for residents to meet with Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers who are based in our local area.
They will be available to listen to any concerns you may have, and answer questions about local policing and what they are doing to keep the community safe.
Upcoming events include:
- 28 th November, Maldon United reform Church in Maldon, 10-12pm.
Essex Police also recently re-launched their Dispatch newsletter, produced by local officers and featuring news and crime prevention articles relevant to the district. To sign up to the newsletter, and receive it in your email inbox every week, sign up here: Dispatch newsletter | Essex Police
Frontline NHS staff, over 65s and those who are clinically vulnerable are now able to have their Autumn Covid Booster. Like the flu and other viruses, covid has been shown to peak in the autumn and winter, so getting your booster helps to mitigate the spread.
You are also able to safely get your annual flu vaccine alongside your covid booster. If you are eligible, you should receive an invite for both.
You can also visit the NHS website or visit your local pharmacy to enquire about an appointment.
Earlier this month, I attended the Remembrance Sunday service in Maldon High Street, followed by the service at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome. I was pleased that attendance at both ceremonies was considerably higher than previous years and that I was able to lay a wreath as Member of Parliament at both War Memorials. Also in attendance were HM Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, Chairman of Essex County Council, Cllr Jill Reeves, and Chairman of Maldon District Council, Cllr Kevin Lagan.
I was delighted to speak at a breakfast meeting for local business owners organised by Backing Essex Business at the Boar Hotel, Maldon. The meeting was attended by about 30 representatives of local businesses and I was joined by Leader of Maldon District Council, Cllr Richard Siddall, to speak about the opportunities and developments within the District. In addition, Robert Laurie, Business Advisory Manager at Backing Essex Business, set out the help and advice available to businesses from Backing Essex Business. This includes 12 hours of free professional advice on finance, marketing and recruitment, as well as loans for business growth and Start-Ups.
I am delighted that there was a good turn out for this meeting organised by Backing Essex Business. I know that there is still a challenging economic climate for many businesses and am keen that more will take advantage of the help that is out there.
Maldon District Survey 2023
I welcome engagement between Maldon District Council and the residents they serve. That is why I am pleased that the Council are inviting residents to complete an anonymous survey about their experience of living in Maldon. Your answers will help to inform the decisions the Council makes about your community. Respondents are also in with a chance of winning one of two £50 vouchers. If you are a local business owner, you can also share your views of running a business in Maldon by selecting the relevant box.
