St Peter’s Hospital
In recent weeks, I and Dame Priti Patel, MP for Witham, have had two meetings in connection with the Mid and South Essex ICB proposals for the future provision of services at St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon.
On 14th October, Dame Priti and I met Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health, with officials in the Department of Health. We set out the reasons why the proposed loss of services and possible closure of St Peter’s was unacceptable and would lead to a lack of provision of essential health services for the residents of Maldon District and beyond. In particular, we stressed the significant population growth that was taking place as well as the remoteness of parts of the District with poor transport links. The Minister stated that the ICB are required to take account of future demands as a result of housing developments and recognised the importance of the issue to the local community. She said that she would monitor the current review taking place and agreed to the possibility of a further meeting once the outcome is known.
On 17th October, I and Dame Priti had a meeting with Tom Abell, Chief Executive of the Mid and South Essex ICB to discuss the establishment of the Working Group. We welcomed the appointment of James Halden as an independent Chair, and the representation on the Group of Maldon District Council and Essex County Council as well as the Save Maldon Medical Services Campaign. There have been 2 meetings of the Group so far and it is intended to issue an interim report at the end of the year. The Group is considering how best to provide maternity services, intermediate care and outpatient services for residents, taking account of latest medical practices as well as the need for provision to remain locally based.
I personally welcome the progress made in setting up the Working Group with a view to it concluding its work in the first half of next year. I have also discussed the issues to be covered with James Halden and want to work closely with him to ensure that the Review Group remains focussed on obtaining the best outcome for residents. I recognise that the Group cannot allocate extra funding but will not hesitate to press the Government if it becomes clear that this is what is required.
The Budget
At the end of October, I delivered a speech in the House of Commons, responding to the measures announced in the Labour Government’s 2024 Budget, which the Chancellor set out on 30th October.
I am deeply concerned about the damage which I fear this Budget will do to our economy and working people. I made sure to mention specific areas which I believe will particularly concern my constituents, such as the rise in National Insurance for Employers, the removal of Agricultural Property Relief and the imposition of 20% VAT on school fees.
Please follow the links below to either read or watch the speech in full:
Income tax (charge) – Hansard – UK Parliament
Sir John Whittingdale MP responds to Labour’s 2024 Budget
Meeting with new NFU County Secretary at Great Whitmans Farm, Purleigh
In late October, prior to the Budget, I had the pleasure of meeting the new NFU County Secretary, Hamish Debnam-Sharp, with NFU Branch Chair, Cllr Jane Fleming, at Great Whitmans Farm, Purleigh.
We discussed a number of concerns held by farmers, including the then speculative reports that Agricultural Property Relief could be abolished. As previously mentioned, and to my immense disappointment, the Chancellor confirmed this in her Budget speech. Specifically, she announced that relief will be reduced from 100% to 50% for combined agricultural and business assets worth over £1 million.
NFU’s Mass Lobby Event in Westminster
This week, in Westminster, I met with farmers from my constituency who had come to Parliament as part of the NFU’s Mass Lobby Event on Tuesday 19th November.
Since my remarks on the measure in my budget speech, I have joined with other MPs in campaigning to have this destructive tax on family farms removed.
I am grateful to the 4 farmers from Maldon who came to Westminster to express their anger at this punitive tax. Like so many, they made clear that unless it is reversed, it will be impossible for them to pass on their farms to the next generation and that they will have to cease farming. This measure will destroy thousands of family farms resulting in a loss of jobs, a reduction in our food security and harm to the countryside and our environment. I fully support the NFU’s campaign to persuade the Government to drop this measure and will continue to press them at every opportunity to do so.
I am pictured below in Westminster Hall with constituents:
Paul and Sam Tallowin of Chigborough Farm, Maldon,
Martin Smith of Burnham Wick Farm, Burnham on Crouch,
Robert Stacey of Tinsley Farm, West Hanningfield,
Gavin Strathern of Spar Hill Farm, Purleigh.
Breast Cancer Now – Wear it Pink Event
I was very glad to attend Breast Cancer Now’s Wear it Pink event in Parliament last month as a show of support for everyone affected by breast cancer both in my constituency and around the UK.
Every 10 minutes, someone in the UK is diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s the most common cancer in the UK and each year around 11,500 women and 85 men lose their lives to the disease.
The Wear it Pink initiative is great way to come together with friends and family to have fun whilst raising money for Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research and life-changing support. I am proud to raise awareness of the impact of the disease locally, and to support and advocate for Breast Cancer Now’s research.
Visit to Burnham on Crouch Post Office
I was very glad to have the opportunity to visit the Burnham on Crouch Post Office recently, where I met Sub Postmaster Ani Patel as well as Andy Parker, Regional Director of the Post Office and Jack Foden, Head of Public Affairs.
Following the closure of all bank branches in the town, the Post Office has a vital role in providing banking services. Savages Pharmacy is also located within the premises alongside a retail store. I also saw the back office investment in creating an automated dispensing facility which serves the whole of the Dengie Peninsula. Furthermore, I had discussions regarding the financial pressure on small retail business created by wage rises, business rates and energy costs. Additionally, we spoke about the possibility of creating a Banking Hub to give greater access to banking services for residents at the other end of the town.
With the loss of the last remaining bank branch in the town, the Post Office provides essential financial services for the community while the co-location of the Pharmacy opposite Burnham Surgery is also very beneficial for the residents. Ani and his staff are doing a fantastic job and I will continue to work with them to help sustain the range of services they provide.
Pylons
I was very glad to join 16 of my colleagues in signing a letter calling for transparency on new grid infrastructure in relation to the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSPN).
As representatives of predominantly rural constituencies, My fellow signatories and I are profoundly concerned about the presumption to only install pylons for any new transmission infrastructure, and the adverse impact this would have on our communities.
When the Government commissions the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to set out a national strategic plan for the grid, we believe this ought to set out fully costed options for all technologies – not just pylons.
The letter to NESO and the Secretary of State for Energy is pictured below.
Chelmsford JobCentre Plus at The Gemini Centre
It was great to visit Chelmsford JobCentre Plus at The Gemini Centre in New London Road, last month.
On my visit I had the opportunity to talk to staff members and advisers and received a briefing from Essex Service Leader, Dave Cope. They updated me on the progress to transition existing claimants to Universal Credit.
I welcome the renewed effort to encourage all those eligible to claim Pension Credit, which is particularly important as a result of the Government’s decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners.
The Government’s removal of the Winter Fuel Payment will hit many older people hard and I hope that all those on low incomes will check whether they can receive Pension Credit, not only to top up their weekly income but to continue to receive the Winter Fuel Payment worth £200 or £300.
Lastly, it was a pleasure to meet the DWP staff working at the JobCentre, who do a fantastic job in helping claimants to find work in my constituency.
Live Facial Recognition Technology
In early October, I had the pleasure of joining Essex Police Officers in Chelmsford High Street to observe the use of Live Facial recognition Technology. This was the 13th use by Essex Police of this technology, having previously been deployed in Harlow, Southend and Clacton.
The equipment is used to scan the faces of all those seen by the camera and the images are compared with a pre-determined watchlist. If there is no match then the image is deleted within a fraction of a second. Its use has already led to a number of arrests of individuals wanted for serious offences such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, aggravated burglary and shop-lifting.
I recognise that Live Facial Recognition Technology can play a valuable role in finding those who are suspected of serious offences. I was also impressed by the strict limits which Essex Police put on its use including a narrowly drawn watchlist and the immediate deletion of images. However, it is worrying that there are no national rules or guidelines in place and I understand the concerns of Privacy Campaigners like Big Brother Watch about the potential for misidentification and the invasion of individuals’ privacy involved.
This issue has not been debated in Parliament before and so I was pleased to be able to hold a debate on the issue in Westminster Hall: Facial Recognition: Police Use – Hansard – UK Parliament. In her reply to the debate, the Minister for Policing recognised the need for national guidelines and committed to organising roundtable discussions on them.
Puppy Smuggling Event
Having received significant correspondence from constituents on this issue, I was very glad to pledge my support on the issue of puppy smuggling at a parliamentary event run by Dogs Trust, the UK’s leading dog welfare charity.
The event took place in the House of Commons last month and its purpose was to encourage Members of Parliament to back the charity’s calls to tackle the cruel puppy smuggling trade.
It comes as The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill is due to have its 2nd reading on 29 November. I welcome this Bill which aims to close some of the loopholes that allow the puppy smuggling trade to continue unabated.
