One thing we are certainly seeing a lot of in Westminster is drop-in groups who visit to highlight their particular agenda to MPs. It feels like there is some catching up going on as, like many of us, they have not been able to prepare these types of events over the last two years.
The groups visiting included the Society for Independent Brewers, as regards tax rates; TIDE (Together In Dementia Everyday) and their ‘Front of Mind’ campaign which highlights carers’ needs at the heart of dementia care by improving diagnosis rates and introducing a proper dementia pathway and Amazon, who were raising their community engagement. I also had a catch up with Local Trust, a place-based funder supporting communities to achieve their ambitions, about the Left Behind Neighbourhoods APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group). This APPG is working on an enquiry as to how, or whether, the Levelling Up agenda will deliver for the most disadvantaged communities.
The BEIS select committee last week started an enquiry into the semiconductor industry. For those not aware, we have a significant local footprint with the II-VI manufacturing site at Aycliffe and a number of other businesses at NETPark in Sedgefield, making this particularly interesting for me.
You may have seen that, for the first time for a while, I managed to get a question in PMQs on Wednesday. This gave me the opportunity to give a shout out to the team from Durham who delivered our City of Culture bid as I thought they did an exceptional job. It is also, of course, the time to ask the PM to get behind issues and I asked him about the Ferryhill and Leamside line rail projects for our region. His response was positive, but until I see actual spades in the ground, I will continue to put pressure on.
Back in the constituency I had meetings with the Neighbourhood police, where I was pleased to see some improvement in the Aycliffe ASB numbers but was also reassured that further initiatives continue to make sure that is embedded. I also met the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi, at a dinner in Darlington and was able to talk about our schools and colleges with him.
I called down to the town centre to see Lifeline Community Action Charity at their shop near Boyes. They are providing a great service and are always looking for more volunteers so, if you have any spare time, pop in and have a word to see if you can help. They cover quite a large area and would love access to a van for a day a week for some deliveries. Again if you can help give them a call on 07936 413 262.
I occasionally see letters or Facebook posts criticising my votes and usually implying that the opinion of the writer is a direct reflection of all my 65,000 constituents’ views. The next contact could be diametrically opposed but still believe they speak for all. I have to make judgements and I am not going to get into tit for tat messaging or letters in the press. Please, if you want to debate a point with me, just contact us and we can either arrange a meeting or a phone call.
On returning to Westminster on Monday I was appointed as a PPS in DEFRA. A PPS is a Parliamentary Private Secretary, it is an unpaid role and is there to keep the Ministers informed of opinion on their policies and proposals and to support them generally. DEFRA is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As the Sedgefield constituency covers 228 square miles, I have many farms and a significant rural community and this new role can help me to promote their concerns.
If there is anything I can support you on, then please get in touch in the usual way at paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk
Paul Howell MP
Member of Parliament for Sedgefield