News from Westminster
Looking back over the last few months provides a very good snapshot of the varied life of an MP. In Parliament I have had meetings with Ministers – whether briefings in Downing Street about the EU, more informal discussions about the Armed Forces with military personnel, discussions with foreign delegations such as with the High Commissioner for Singapore, and updates from Secretaries of State on a variety of issues.
I have spoken in over 80 debates in the House over the last year, on a diverse range topics; from Climate change to tax, and Counter-Daesh operations to Telecommunications. Many constituents contacted me about the Assault on Emergency Workers Bill which I was pleased to be able to support. I am on the Bill Committee for this, so will be having regular meetings to hear evidence from organisations and members of the public before it becomes law. This Bill means that people who assault emergency workers will receive longer sentences.
I have also been contacted by hundreds of constituents concerned about the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on the bee population. I am a member of the All Party Group on bees, and my position has always been that we must take a scientific approach. The government have examined all the evidence, and agree that neonicotinoids do harm bees, and therefore supports further restrictions on the use of these pesticides.
I continue to meet charities regularly in Parliament, and recently heard about the great work of Shared Lives South West. They provide care for vulnerable adults in people’s homes, ensuring a supportive environment. I also dropped in to hear about the work of The Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs for children suffering from hair loss. A local schoolgirl from Dorset recently sent them her newly cut hair to enable another child to benefit from this special charity.
I was pleased to meet a group of constituents who had come to Parliament to discuss school funding. Dorset and Poole are going to receive an increase in funding for their schools, and I will continue to press or better funding for education in our area.
In the constituency, I have recently visited a local pharmacy to hear about the services they can offer people, and had my flu jab whilst I was there. I am always keen to support local businesses, and will be involved in an event with Wimborne Business Improvement District supporting small businesses before Small Business Saturday.
I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.
I continue to hold regular surgeries for constituents. If you have an issue that you need help with, please do get in touch; email me on [email protected] or contact my office on 01202 624216. You can also follow what I’ve been doing on Twitter @Michael4mdnp or Facebookwww.facebook.com/michael4MDNP