I want to start this week by sending my best wishes to Councillor Jimmy Atkinson who is poorly, get well soon Jimmy.
Monday 4 March started with a morning train to London followed by a meeting with Matt Vickers, Member of Parliament for Stockton South, to discuss the adjournment debate, Matt had succeeded in getting to raise concerns about the proposed solar farm running from Bishopton to Brafferton. Adjournment debates take place at the end of each day and are usually just one Member raising a point for a Minister to answer, but Matt and I had worked together on this as it affects both of our constituencies, so we were both able to speak. I am a fan of solar farms, but concerns have been raised at the scale of those planned in this area and the consultation process. The debate took place at the end of Monday’s business. Earlier in the day I had hosted a session on Demand Responsive Transport which is one of the potential opportunities to fix some of the gaps in bus services we have.
Tuesday started at 8.30am at a British Airways’ showcase event where a number of the Transport Select Committee were guests to see their plans for the future. Then it was into Westminster for a meeting with the Local Government Minister to raise Durham’s concerns again. Later it was an online session with Darlington Council Leadership and then I chaired a meeting of my Left Behind Neighbourhoods’ All Party Parliamentary Group. Here we heard how culture had supported the recovery of some communities. I then performed my duties as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at a Westminster Hall debate on wine duty before joining the Bus Minister, Guy Oppermann MP, to particularly discuss the X21 service that used to connect Sedgefield, Fishburn and Trimdon to Newton Aycliffe. We discussed this with Arriva and have follow up meetings scheduled to see how we can recover this connection.
Wednesday was Budget Day and is one of those occasions when the Chamber is full. This means that if you want a particular seat you need to be in the queue for when the doors open. I was therefore there at 7.30am ready for 8.00am to secure the seat traditionally taken by Treasury Parliamentary Private Secretaries, directly behind the Chancellor. As a Treasury Parliamentary Private Secretary this meant I joined the Ministerial team in No 11 before appearing with the Chancellor and team in Downing Street for the traditional pictures. I then headed to the Chamber for the usual Prime Minister’s Questions and then the Budget speech. The speech is responded to by the Leader of the Opposition and then other Members of Parliament start the four days of debate. This means that myself and the other Treasury Parliamentary Private Secretary, Jerome Mayhew, spend a lot of time in the Chamber supporting the Ministers. On Wednesday evening I went to a dinner where the Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, Leader of the House, was the main speaker.
On Thursday, I went into the Chamber for Business Questions where I raised a question with Penny Mordaunt as to progress on the infected blood enquiry. Later I took some visitors around the Palace of Westminster before then spending some time performing my duties as Parliamentary Private Secretary re the budget speech. Took the train home on Friday morning before time in the constituency that started at Sugar Hill School talking to the Year 5’s, then to Trimdon Station (Deaf Hill) for a constituency surgery where once again the issue was primarily buses! After this I went to Ferryhill and called to see constituents in the Dean & Chapter before briefly calling at the Scout Centre in Newton Aycliffe. I was pleased to see the Rail Minister commit further funds to support the business case for the Leamside Line which is significant for long term transport plans in the North and we also saw another £73m announced to support buses in County Durham so I will be doing all I can to ensure our part of County Durham gets at least its fair share.
Saturday saw me at Fishburn to speak at the celebration of an extension to the Community Centre, Lynne and the team have been extraordinary in their efforts. Then it was over to St Michael’s Church in Heighington to attend the meeting led by the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway team on Heighington Station and the plans to revitalise it. We heard about its extraordinary place in history as the oldest railway station and platform in the world. They have a campaign running on their website, https://www.sdr1825.org.uk/ where you can either donate funds or just register your support. Even just registering your support helps them have good numbers for other funding applications.
As usual, over the week, I had discussions with the Rail Minister, Huw Merriman MP, and the Secretary of State for Transport, the Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, as regards rolling stock issues and Hitachi as well as Ferryhill Station and the Leamside Line and I took the opportunity to mention Heighington Station to him as well. I will be calling in on Monday at the Aycliffe Hitachi site to catch up with Union officials as well as Management.
As always, if you want to catch up with me, either email: paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk or call Newton Aycliffe 01325 790580.