It was a busy week last week for the Transport Select Committee, which I sit on in Parliament. As well as the private planning meeting held on Tuesday (16th May), on Wednesday (17th May) we met for our ‘normal’ session where we listened to evidence about E-Scooters and then separately a session on self-driving vehicles. Both of these have so many areas to consider, and it is very interesting listening to them all.
On Thursday (18th May) the Transport Select Committee had an extra session where we went to Buckingham to have one of our regular sessions specifically on HS2. This started with listening to local councillors about their engagement with HS2 before we then met local landowners to hear their perspectives. After this it was a visit to the local HS2 site to see the work being undertaken. The scale is enormous with so much work going on, this clearly disrupts the local communities. Part of the purpose of this trip was to evaluate how HS2 were behaving in relation to the local communities. The feedback was not good and hence in our last session of the day, where we met the CEO of HS2, Mark Thurston, the questioning was pretty robust. This session took place at the Buckingham Railway Centre, which made a nice change from Westminster, but I am not sure Mr Thurston particularly enjoyed it! This session is available to view on the Parliament website, like all Select Committee sessions.
On Wednesday (17th May) I had drawn a question in Scotland Questions, which took place just before Prime Minister’s Questions, although this week it was Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions as the PM was away in Japan at the G7. The reason I took a question in Scotland Questions was to talk about connectivity between England and Scotland and the importance of the East Coast Main Line and the need to invest in rail in the North East. There was also a Statement made by Transport Minister Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, about £2 bus fares and I spoke to remind him that whilst these reduced fares, and also the further £1 fare announced by Transport North East for under 22s, are very welcome, the biggest problems we see are services being removed or being unreliable.
We have a big piece of work ongoing, relating to buses, so if you have any perspectives you want to add please get in touch. I also made it to some interesting drop-ins on Wednesday 17th May. These included Mental Health Awareness Week which looks at increasing understanding of the root causes of poor mental health and included personal testimonies from people with lived experience of anxiety. On the same day, I also attended an Alzheimer’s Society drop-in and then I called at the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards as they are celebrating 25 years of providing breakfast clubs support to schools across the UK. It was a delight to see that Deaf Hill Primary School – from Trimdon Station – were overall National Breakfast Club Winners!
Friday (19th May) was the usual busy constituency day and started with a transport update before meetings with the leadership of the UTC – the University Technical College – which is located on Aycliffe Business Park and then a call in at The Ark in Silverdale, Newton Aycliffe, to see Katie, the new community development worker as well as the team from Junction 7. Then I went off to County Hall at Durham, to meet Councillor Elizabeth Scott and Councillor Richard Bell who is the Portfolio Holder for Finance. Elizabeth is the Cabinet member with the transport brief, and I raised the bus problems with her again and shared some potential options to consider in her discussions with Arriva and other local operators. I also provided her some information from a recent survey of buses in my constituency and we promised to continue to work closely together.
Later, on Friday, I attended a fundraising afternoon tea, where a number of the local mayors were present, including our then Town Mayor of Great Aycliffe, Ken Robson. This had been arranged by DCC’s Chair, Cllr Beaty Bainbridge, before she sadly passed away earlier this year. The weekend included meeting some constituents, as well as my wife and I taking a walk around Bishop Middleham as part of the ‘Discover Brightwater’ guides. We really have some lovely countryside to enjoy, and we finished the day nicely by calling in for refreshments at The County at Aycliffe Village.
This week includes meetings on Monday 22nd May around dentist provision and questions to the Home Secretary, where I will be putting questions to her on dealing with ASB.
If there are any issues you particularly want us to pick up on, please do get in touch by email – paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk or call Aycliffe 790580.