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Welcome to news and updates of Parliament and the constituency.
Parliament has now been prorogued until the State Opening of Parliament on the 10th of May for the Queen’s Speech. I intend to speak up for local and national interests.
The Queen's Speech sets out the legislative agenda for the next 12 months. Anticipate announcements for Green Energy, new legislative sanctions against Putin and the Russian administration, and measures to tackle empty shops and retail units in town centres across the country.
We are all deeply saddened by the images of the continuing atrocities happening in Ukraine. We pray for those fleeing the conflict and those who have lost loved ones. We are heartened by the many local volunteers already welcoming refugees into their homes and their communities. We stand ready to help the agencies supporting those seeking refuge in our community and beyond when possible.
No request for help has gone intentionally unanswered – my caring team and I continue to be here to help constituents in need.
The challenges will change; the opportunities to help will continue.
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Updates from Arun, Worthing and West Sussex
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Constituent Advice Session in Goring-by-Sea
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Local residents spoke with my casework team and me at my most recent advice session at Goring-by-Sea Library. We help wherever and whenever possible. Requests for help ranged from assistance with housing concerns and the situation in Ukraine to those wishing to discuss current affairs in Westminster. Some thanked my team and me in person for helping them over the course of a difficult few years. Thank you to the library staff for their warm hospitality and for accommodating us. We help most people by telephone and online. Contact details are on my website, here.
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Congratulations to the team at Perch on Worthing Pier, led by local resident Alex Hole. They have brought all trades together to renew and repurpose Worthing Pier's Southern Pavilion. Friends and I shared a meal during the soft opening. The Perch on the Pier is a fantastic initiative and will be a great success. It will contribute to the fame of Worthing and turns people's love of a good meal into economic activity, training and hospitality, as well as enhancing the rejuvenation of Worthing's beloved Pier. It has been exciting to see the progress Alex and his team have achieved. I encourage all to visit.
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Bin Strike Stopped: Discussion and Settlement
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Local residents will share in welcoming the news that the industrial action by waste collection teams in Worthing has ended. Bins are again being emptied. It is wrong that the GMB continued with their industrial action regardless of recognised industrial relation customs. That delayed negotiations. News that local left-wingers vocally supported those going against these respected national procedures will disappoint some. The hard work of our local refuse teams is respected and remunerated appropriately. The strike was unnecessary and expensive. Disputes between unions should not hold local residents to ransom.
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Worthing FC - Champions of the League
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In April, Worthing FC won in their match against Bowers & Pitsea, launching them to the top as champions of the Isthmian League and securing promotion to the National League South. We welcome this well deserved and overdue promotion for the club, three years in the making. Two years ago, I supported the club in contesting the decision to suspend the league due to the pandemic. The following year came the same disappointing decision. In both years, the club was at the top of the league and should have been promoted. Well done, Mackerels, we share in pride for what you have achieved.
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Visiting Kamelia Kids in Goring-by-Sea
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Kamelia Kids Day Nursery is one of the jewels in the crown of Goring-by-Sea. I was pleased to visit recently to see the hard work within and to better understand the challenges they face as a sector. The children at Kamelia appear happy and active. The caring staff are qualified and enthusiastic. The leadership is confident and admirable. It is evident that the well-being and development of the children in their care is their top priority. For many years, the present team have built on success and I have been pleased to support whenever possible. They continue this service with great care and determination.
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Recognising the Continued Work at St Barnabas House
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Over the years as Member of Parliament for Worthing West, I have been able to help with the planning permission for Chestnut Tree House and for the relocation of St Barnabas House. Both are in excellent positions, now. I have supported the hospice movement since my aunt, a retired doctor, assisted Dame Cecily Saunders at the world’s first purpose-built hospice. The chief executive and the chair helped refreshed my knowledge of how the local hospice team maintain and develop life-serving care. They provide invaluable support for patients and their families at the most vulnerable of times.
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Worthing Borough Council has got a good reputation nationally for good reasons, I have encouraged residents to consider this when going to the polls in May. For several years, the Council has been delivering for local businesses and maintaining fair taxes for residents. Their efficient management of support for businesses and communities during the pandemic is a testament to their dedication and work for all beyond political party lines. Many hardworking Councillors are standing again this May, many dedicated community champions are standing too. All are dedicated to continuing their longstanding and unwavering service to their community and to Worthing as a whole. Do remember this.
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Access to NHS Dentistry in Worthing, Arun and Nationally
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I joined the Minister in thanking dentists and their teams for helping to bring back dentistry services that have been severely depleted since the pandemic. Problems with access to NHS dentist services were growing prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The crux of the problem is mainly to do with the current NHS dentist contracts which need changes to attract more dentists to take on NHS work. Constituents continue to voice concerns, as do dentists who share in wanting to see access restored for all. I want Government and the NHS to get this right and will continue to press for this to be prioritised at every level.
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My Opposition to Channel 4 Privatisation
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Channel 4 and its viewers have my support. Sell-off is bad for the diversity of television, bad for viewers and bad for independent producers. Channel 4 was launched in 1982, in my early years as an MP. It was designed and committed to being different from the first three. Its approved remit has been to include programmes for minority interests and groups. My underlying question: why change the successful arrangements unless something substantially better is guaranteed? We recognise that there is a necessary discussion. Know that the Government will find opposition from all sides of the House.
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At-Home Deaths During Covid-19
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I support the call by Hospice UK and Dying Matters for the UK Covid Inquiry to investigate the significant increase in people dying at home during the pandemic. They estimate over 100,000 excess deaths at home across the UK since the beginning of the pandemic. Were these ‘good deaths’? Have the stories of the people who died at home, their loved ones and the frontline workers who cared for them gone unheard? Anecdotal evidence astonishingly suggests that over 2/3rds of at-home deaths did not receive the right end of life care. Death at home can be natural and gentle and should always be pain-free.
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New Measures to Combat Fly-Tipping
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DEFRA have announced several new measures to tackle fly-tipping. The new measures include removing costs for households getting rid of DIY waste; new funding for Local Authorities to clamp down on fly-tipping; and a consultation on the use of booking systems at recycling centres. These new measures will hopefully greatly reduce fly-tipping which continues to plague the lives of so many living and working across Worthing and Arun. My team and I regularly support hardworking councillors trying to manage reports of fly-tipping. These measures could make a real difference.
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Protecting Freedom of Belief and Religion
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We can share in a vision of a world free from religious persecution, where everyone is free to practise a religion or belief of their choice. A vibrant freedom of belief is crucial for society. We can see the strengths of a multicultural society where we are not simply tolerant but, rather, embrace and celebrate our differences and similarities and cherish the community we have built. I was pleased to meet with CSW recently to hear about the work they undertake worldwide to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief is protected. Too many continue to face persecution because of their religion, or lack of.
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Welcoming Ukrainian Refugees
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Russia recognises that UK MPs criticise and oppose their heinous acts of aggression in Ukraine. We are on a list of people banned from travelling to Russia. Perhaps I could do more to merit their mention? A part of me is grateful for being included on this honourable list. What they continue to do is a crime against humanity. We must continue as a nation and as a free world to help Ukraine and to combat Putin’s aggression. In the past weeks, we have seen images of loved ones reunited and new friendships strengthened with Ukrainians arriving. The refugee sponsorship scheme is still open.
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