A comment on Mims' activities through the week, and the latest news from Parliament.
As I write this week’s column I am approaching the end of a week of ‘recess’…for anyone that knows very much about a Parliamentary recess, they will understand that a break it is not!
In fact, my recess started with something a little different to the normal ‘MP’ recess diary, acting as Quiz Master. On Monday evening, The King and Queen in Hamble held their annual Charity Quiz Night in aid of the Red Lipstick Foundation’. This local charity provide absolutely vital support to families who have suddenly lost a relative, either as a result of suicide or an undetected health condition, and so it was great to so many people turn out to support the event, which raised £100 for the charity. My thanks to Janet and her amazing team at the King and Queen for hosting the evening!
Next stop early on Tuesday morning came in the shape of a Charity Pancake Race outside Parliament! The charity involved, Rehab, carry out some truly amazing work across the UK, supporting people with a whole range of disabilities but particularly those relating to brain damage and the impact that this can have on somebody’s life. My father was brain injured at work and it was life changing incident for our family. The NHS saved him but life was never the same again and support in this situation is vital.
I was therefore honoured to be among the team of parliamentarians running in this year’s race, and in-spite of the cold, damp weather, stuck on my running gear and ran a frying pan and a pretty tatty pancake – by the end at least! - around Victoria Tower Gardens. Of course, I was disappointed that the House of Commons team were sadly battered by the media team! - but I’m trying not to sound too flat about the experience, as there is always a flip side to every race and in this case it was a win for this great charity. Next year we will be more tactical and I am determined to get us first over the finish line!
As it is for so many MPs, recess is an ideal opportunity to meet with more local residents, charities and businesses across the constituency, which with votes and Parliamentary commitments during Parliamentary ‘term-time’ can often be more squeezed.
Therefore this week I crammed my diary full of appointments, starting with a meeting at Hampshire County Council. I have written many times in this column about the importance of improving our local road network. Too often people get caught up in traffic queues and long delays. I welcome that, thanks to the work that I have carried out alongside Hampshire County Council and other local stakeholders, the Government is investing in our road network, putting millions of pounds towards Smart Motorway Schemes for both the M27 and M3, and improving motorway junctions – including a £2.5million investment which I secured to improve Junction 7 of the M27 - while also allocating £20 million work of funding to support the Botley Bypass and infrastructure to support development west of Horton Heath.
There remains more to do though, and unfortunately, owing to the way in which developments have been signed off by Eastleigh Borough Council right across the constituency, we are playing catch-up! I am therefore pleased that during my meeting with the Executive Member for Environment and Transport Councillor Rob Humby and Director of Economy, Transport and Environment at Hampshire County Council Stuart Jarvis, we discussed how we can continue to work together to attract investment in our road network, including supporting the ever-growing need for more infrastructure and joined-up working. As your MP it’s my job in Government to make sure Eastleigh gets its fair share, and I will continue to work hard to make sure that it does!
Later that day I visited Meadowmead, a SeeAbility supported living service in Eastleigh which only last month was rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission. I was delighted to meet with some of the residents and staff to hear how SeeAbility, one of the oldest disability charities in the UK and a pioneer in specialist support for over 200 years, has helped them to challenge what they hope to achieve in life, from themselves and from wider society.
After the visit I headed back to the constituency office in Hedge End and met with a number of constituents, including Charlotte Fensome. During our meeting I outlined how I have continued to raise Primodos with the Prime Minister, writing a letter this week outlining new research, and how this could prove a link between the Hormone Pregnancy Drug Primodos and malformations. I look forward to continuing to work with Charlotte on this important issue.
Continuing to support LGBT rights, and, in particular, transgender rights, also remains important to me, and I continue to work alongside local constituent Tara Maclachlan on these issues. In that spirit, I was delighted to meet with Hampshire based charity Chrysalis Gii on Friday, which, thanks to Diane & Lionnel Yexley, carries out amazing work supporting transgender people and their families across the Eastleigh constituency with counselling, peer support, workshops and life skills.
Later the same day I carried out one of my regular advice surgeries, before meeting with Eastleigh College Principal Jan Edrich. I feel truly privileged to have Eastleigh College within my patch! During a recent interview with the BBC I was delighted to congratulate Eastleigh College after one of their students won National Apprentice of the Year! The College supports 9000 apprentices across the UK, and I will continue to support them, and all of our excellent educational establishments.
And here we are, the week has flashed past, and next week its back to Westminster! I’ll continue to put all of my updates onto my website www.mimsdavies.org.uk and on social media, and as always, I look forward to keeping you updated via this local column.