A comment on Mims' activities through the week, and the latest news from Parliament.
As I write this week’s column I am delighted to be able to report on the progress that has been made on a number of the issues that have been affecting people right the way across the constituency.
The first of those news stories was highlighted by the Prime Minister during PMQs last week, and in more detail in a statement afterwards. Readers of this regular column will be aware that I have worked tirelessly on women’s health issues, such as Primodos, Valproate and Vaginal Mesh Implants.
Constituents, such as local resident and campaigner on behalf of her brother Steven, Charlotte Fensome, have come forward to me via social media, email, letter and my regular local advice surgeries to tell me how either they themselves, or their family members have been affected by these issues, and it has been my pleasure, as their local MP, to bring these items to the very forefront of debate, including raising them during a meeting with the Prime Minister at Downing Street.
Therefore, in the year in which we celebrate the 100 year centenary since the first women were given the vote, I am delighted that the Prime Minister has confirmed that the Government will take action and by doing support so many women across the UK and tackle these intimate and complicated issues.
Having spoken with a number of my constituents that have been affected by these issues, I am pleased that like me they welcome this progress, and I will always work hard on issues, such as these, that affect my constituents.
On a separate issue, but another which affects many of my constituents, I was pleased to meet with the Roads Minister earlier this week. I raised with him the real need to invest in our local and major roads, with too many of us getting caught up in queues and delays right across the Eastleigh constituency, and further afield across our region, harming local productivity. I was pleased that, further to this, the Minister has agreed to look at how our local roads are currently funded, the impact that not having a local lorry park is having on our local area with a growing Port nearby, and the obstacle that land in Eastleigh - currently owned by Network Rail – continues to pose to the future of the Chickenhall Link Road and what this could mean for local train services.
I am also delighted that the Minister has agreed to a further meeting to include myself, neighbouring MPs, Highways England officials and others to discuss our road network and the challenges that it faces. I will of course be sure to keep everybody updated on this vital work through this column and elsewhere.
Finally, and as you will have gathered, it has been a busy week as MPs return to Westminster, particularly as this week included a ‘sitting Friday’, an opportunity for backbench MPs to bring forward legislation. As such, I was delighted to support two Bills brought forward for debate. The first of these related to an ‘opt-in’ element being introduced for organ donation.
I was delighted to meet with one of my local constituents from Bishopstoke to discuss what an organ donation would mean for him, and was shocked to learn that, according to NHS figures, about 500 people are dying every year due to a lack of suitable donors.
In a determined bid to save more of these people’s lives, colleagues across the House spoke passionately on this Bill, and having gained the Government’s support, I am delighted that the Bill will now move on to its next stage.
And so on that note, let us all look forward to what will hopefully be some warmer weather in the not too distant future! In the meantime, I’ll continue to put all of my updates onto my website and on social media, and as always, I look forward to keeping you updated via this local column. If, on these cold days, you find yourself unable to bare the outside, why not take a look at my regular newsletter? You can sign up by visiting www.mimsdavies.org.uk