This month saw the State Opening of Parliament, which officially marks the start of the parliamentary year.
While sadly the Queen was unable to attend, Prince Charles and Prince William attended in her place. For the first time, I was this year privileged to have a seat in the House of Lords Gallery and was pleased to hear his Royal Highness set out the 38 Bills which will help boost economic growth, cut crime, support communities, and clear the Covid backlogs.
For us locally, amongst the most pertinent included:
- The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, will see the planning system reformed to give residents more involvement in local developments - and will hopefully mean here in Sevenoaks & Swanley we can continue to protect our much-loved Green Belt from over development;
- The Schools Bill will build on the work I have been doing locally to provide more school choice and offer better facilities;
- The Energy Security Bill will deliver a more secure and home-grown energy system that is more affordable and cleaner while also cutting costs for families, something that I know is of huge concern to us all;
- The Financial Services and Markets Bill will ensure consumers have a legal right to withdraw and deposit cash within "a reasonable distance" of their home – which is very important following the closure of some local bank branches;
- The Public Order Bill will give the police new powers to deal with highly disruptive protests;
- And finally, The Mental Health Act Reform Bill which make sure the Mental Health Act works better for people by modernising services and ensuring a more personalised level of care.
I know that many of you reading this today will be worried about their energy bills and I was therefore pleased to see the Chancellor this week set out a significant package of support for families in Sevenoaks and Swanley to help with the rising cost of living.
Every household across the country will benefit, with additional help targeted at those most vulnerable households receiving £1,200 each. It included:
- £400 energy rebate for every household in the autumn
- £650 cash payment for households claiming means tested benefits (including Universal Credit) in two instalments from July
- Additional £150 for those on disability benefits
- Extra £300 for pensions eligible for Winter Fuel Payments
- Household Support Fund increased by £500m
- This is on top of the £150 Council Tax rebate for homes in bands A to
I have also this month made a speech in Westminster and wrote a column in the Times, which included a proposal to make it illegal for energy suppliers to cut off supply to households following non-payment. I am having some encouraging conversations to date so will keep you update on its progress.
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Below is a snapshot of what we have been working on. If there is anything I can do to support you, please get in touch.
- I was delighted to hear that the Sevenoaks District Council bid for a new Sevenoaks East/West cycling route has received almost one million pounds of central Government funding. The route, which I wrote in support of to the Department for Transport last summer, will provide a safe walking and cycling route from Riverhead Infant School and Amherst Primary in the west of the town, all the way to the secondary school campus in the east, taking in Knole Academy, Sevenoaks Primary and Sevenoaks railway station. It has been a long-term commitment of Conservative district councillors, and part of the long-term ambition to continue to improve the district’s air quality and reduce our environmental impacts across the district. I would like to thank the brilliant team at Sevenoaks District Council for all their hard work in putting the bid together, alongside Kent County Council who supported them in securing the investment.
- This week I spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on the perennial issues of fly tipping. Sevenoaks District Council, alongside Kent County Council, are doing some fantastic work in this space – in fact Sevenoaks District Council is the only council in Kent to have a dedicated fly tipping investigation team – but more does need to be done to make fly tipping a thing of the past. I asked the Minister for stiffer penalties and more financial support for councils on enforcement. She gave a very positive response, so I will keep you posted.
- I was delighted to receive a letter from the Mayor of London this month, which confirmed that after our successful campaign, he will not be introducing a boundary charge for driving into London. This is fantastic news, and I know will be a huge relief to all of us who cross the boundary for work, leisure, school or childcare. However, in his letter, the Major also set out that he is now looking into an extension of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across London in 2023. At a time when people are really struggling, imposing another tax on people is not acceptable. I will be working with colleagues to oppose this proposal.
- Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of meeting many of the Ukrainian families who have now joined our community under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Over 150 people were in attendance at the BBQ in Ash and having supported many of these families through the application process, it was wonderful to meet them for the first time and welcome them to the Sevenoaks district. I want to say a particular thank you to Valerie Tranter, who organised the event. As a Ukrainian herself, she has not only opened her home but also been a fantastic support locally for so many refugees and sponsors. What is happening in Ukraine is heart-breaking, however I am so proud once again of the local response and the amazing host families.
- Further to my meeting last month with Miles Scott, Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (which covers Pembury Hospital), I am delighted the hospital has made changes to their visiting policy, which now includes one guest per patient in the Emergency Department and for in-patients two visitors for up to two hours. All nursing staff have also been asked to be flexible with patients and their visitors where appropriate, as well as offer virtual opportunities for patients to keep in contact with their friends and family and support the use of phone calls or video messaging if requested. I am still pushing for us to go back to the pre Covid regime of visiting hours, but I thank Miles and his team for this additional progress.
- It was great to see the newly extended service from Sevenoaks to Welwyn Garden City, via St Pancras start running this month. The service means that those travelling from Otford, Eynsford, Shoreham and Swanley can now access central London stations, such as Farringdon and London St Pancras International, faster and without the need to change. This service is part of my broader campaign for better rail links in our area. It is an important step forward, but I continue to campaign for the Maidstone East Fast line via London Bridge and it was great to have met up with fellow supporters recently at the station. From my transport survey of Otford residents last year, it’s incredibly clear the strong support this fast line has amongst residents, and I will continue to press for this vital new rail link.
- I had the honour of opening, alongside Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, the Annexe building of St Peter's Hextable. This project has been nearly 20 years in the making, and it was great to be able to join in the Thanksgiving service and hear from many of the people involved in the project over the years. Although this celebration was the formal opening, the extra space and Next Door Hextable Café (which are operating within the Annex) have been in use for some weeks, and so many people I spoke to told me it was already making a difference to their lives. Many generous individuals have played their part in this project over the years, but it would not have been possible with the drive and vision of the amazing Rev. Johnny Douglas. I know many people across Hextable are very grateful for his work,
- Earlier this month I took part in Greenpeace’s The Big Plastic Count, which involves counting your plastic waste for one week. Plastic waste is a huge concern often raised with me, particularly by local school children. And, while the Government has done a great deal to limit plastic pollution through a range of policies and new laws - including stopping free plastic carrier bags being the norm in shops, and banning microplastics, we need to do much more nationally and internationally as the amount of plastic waste produced around the world is set to double by 2040. For me personally, the plastic count was eye opening. Although I try my best on a daily basis to avoid plastic use, even I was surprised by the amount that is still in daily circulation – especially when it comes to food packaging. I have now sent my results back to Greenpeace, and I look forward to reading the national results which will be shared in July.
- Finally, let me say a huge congratulations to Emily Bulford, who successful won the Sevenoaks District Council by election held this month in Fawkham and West Kingsdown. I look forward to working with her.
