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GOOD MORNING & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.219
I had a busy Easter break. After heaping up the Hunt children with unhealthy amounts of chocolate, I headed to Washington DC for the International Monetary Fund Spring meetings where, like me, most finance ministers are focused on tackling inflation and boosting growth. I have also been out campaigning for the Waverley elections in Farnham, Cranleigh, Shamley Green and Godalming as well as visiting a Surrey women's refuge and trying to get to the bottom of ‘that’ smell in Bramley.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

TREASURY UPDATE I spent last week in Washington DC at the IMF where Ijoined finance ministers from around the world ([link removed]) to discuss how to solve global economic challenges. I had positive meetings with the German ([link removed]) , Canadian ([link removed]) , and French ([link removed]) Finance Ministers, as well as joining the Five Finance Ministers ([link removed]) meeting with our partners from the Five Eyes alliance (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA) in which we spoke about economic security. Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey and I met Kristalina Georgieva, Director of the IMF, ([link removed]) in which we spoke about the improved economic outlook for the UK. I was also
happy to reaffirm ([link removed]) $1 billion of UK guaranteed World Bank loans for Ukraine in 2023 which helps to safeguard Ukraine’s economy and support the IMF’s programme to restore economic stability in the country. Overall there was a strong feeling that ‘Britain is back’ after a bumpy period - see this Telegraph write up ([link removed]) - but it was also concerning to see North-South divisions emerging between advanced democracies and developing countries - the former want more support on Ukraine and the latter feel they are being neglected. In the end if we want to raise living standards we have to raise productivity which I have written a tweet thread ([link removed]) about today.

GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT Easter Monday also saw the 25^th Anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, and celebrations are continuing into this week. The Good Friday Agreement was a big achievement for Tony Blair (and John Major before him). Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework was another important milestone for peace in the province because it means the GFA can now evolve securely in a post-Brexit context. It should also lay the foundations for the resumption of power sharing for which we are all holding our breath.

MATERNAL DEATHS As a former Health Secretary I campaigned on maternity safety and was proud that we saw big reductions in baby deaths over the last decade. But there is still much work to be done as there are still higher death rates for black women ([link removed].) and those from poorer areas in childbirth according to a new parliamentary report this morning. One of the solutions is more midwives, something I hope will be the outcome of the NHS workforce plan that is being put together after I commissioned it in my Autumn Statement.

ALERT THIS SUNDAY A reminder that a new Emergency Alerts system ([link removed]) will be tested on phones nationally this Sunday at 3pm. Your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe, which will be a siren-like sound and vibrations lasting for about 10 seconds. This system will only be used by emergency services and government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies, which may include things during events like fires, severe flooding and extreme weather. If you are confident, Groundhog Day style, that you can survive such events you can opt out of receiving the messages through the settings function on your phone.

COVID UPDATE Good news as the weather turns: the Coronavirus dashboard ([link removed]) confirms that cases are down by a whopping 36% and hospitalisations down 6.3% although deaths are up, perhaps because of a delayed impact. As always, vaccines are key to keeping these numbers low, so when called this month, all eligible individuals should schedule their 2023 Spring Booster. ([link removed])

You can find a list of local vaccine centres here ([link removed]) , and the key number is 0300 200 1008 for anyone with pandemic related difficulties. Also, check out my full list of local groups ([link removed]) working to support vulnerable residents.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

SURGERY STORIES The first resident I spoke to in my surgery was a local woman who has survived some awful domestic abuse. She had to leave her job due to PTSD, and has been struggling to survive on Universal Credit. She is now trying to set up her own business and wants to know what support is available, so I have done some digging and will let her know the outcome.
I then spoke to a young woman from Milford about the pressures she is facing - she’s a civil servant but is finding the repayments necessary for student loans incredibly burdensome, not least because of the 7% interest rate charge so I have taken the issue up with the Education Secretary. She was also concerned about the service from SWR which has made getting to work a nightmare with regular one hour delays - and even then the Delay Repay scheme only entitles her to a small refund relative to the cost of the ticket. I said I would raise this with the Transport Secretary.
Finally, I spoke to a Godalming resident who works in a company that wants to work with Heathrow to set up autonomous shuttles. He is looking for research funding to develop his idea but needs new legislation in place to encourage private sector investment in autonomous vehicles, something I strongly support.

I CHOOSE FREEDOM I recently had my first visit to a women’s refuge in Surrey, to hear about the incredibly important work Charlotte, Sophie and their colleagues are doing at@ichoosefreedomcharity ([link removed]) . I Choose Freedom helps domestic abuse victims, housing both single women and women with children for up to 6 months, providing wrap around care, therapeutics, and help finding permanent housing and school places for their children. Sadly, due to the current housing demand and
private rental fees in Surrey, many women are often unable to stay in the area of the refuge (where they’ve built connections and found stability), so look further afield - often in the north.
Because 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men suffer from domestic abuse, Charlotte has also set up eight single adult units across the borough for anyone in need of a refuge space (including those in the trans community). Despite being individual units, the same wrap around care will be provided. Thanks to the hard work that Charlotte and her colleagues do, survivors rarely go back to perpetrators after a stay at the refuge, as they have been empowered to live a life free of abuse. If you feel you would benefit from support from I Choose Freedom, you can self refer or reach out to the domestic abuse national helpline on 08082000247.

GREEN SPACES Sewage is an issue I knee deep in (sorry) so am working closely with Thames Water, Southern Water and the Environment Agency to secure a major investment plan ([link removed]) with a total of over £423 million to be invested locally by 2026 to clean up our local rivers. As Chancellor, I also made sure that fines paid by water companies are used to fix pollution. I recently met Tilford Parish Council Chair Deborah Lee ([link removed]) to discuss the environmental challenges facing the Wey in Tilford. Over the Easter break, the government stepped up our requirements for investment and brought forward £1.6 billion of extra infrastructure investment to tackle water pollution across the country. This is part of a new plan ([link removed]) to achieve clean water which includes even stronger
regulations and tougher enforcement on water companies. I am also meeting Thames Water CEO Sarah Bentley in Bramley on Saturday.

CANCER CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING BOOST I want to thank the Ahmadiyya community for allowing volunteers from the Friends of Royal Surrey County Hospital to collect for my campaign on Saturday at Baitul Futuh mosque in Morden. The event, known as the Big Iftar, was a community gathering to break the fast of one of the 30 days of Ramadan, and members of the community generously donated over £400. In the meantime, as I brace myself for the London Marathon this Sunday, many thanks to all my generous sponsors. The total on my Just giving page currently stands at a little over £22,000 including Gift Aid which is brilliant, nearly £1k per mile! Please click here ([link removed]) to donate and thank you for supporting a great cause that will mean 7,000 more people get cancer treatment every year.

AMBULANCE CEO SECamb have now appointed Simon Weldon as their new CEO. ([link removed]) I know Simon from my Dept of Health days and he is an excellent choice, so let’s hope we can turn around those ambulance waiting times soon.

JOIN ME Want to get more involved locally? Email me at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to join my growing team supporting our work in our community.

LOCAL EVENTS Why not swing by Loseley’s Spring Garden Show ([link removed]) this weekend for a unique opportunity to view Loseley gardens as they spring into life. There will be over 40 garden and artisan food stalls from local suppliers across the 3 days, with entry priced at just £10pp.

AND FINALLY… I never thought I would have common ground with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but after seeing this news story ([link removed]) , it appears we have one thing in common - a hatred of potholes!

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Promoted by Sean Donovan-Smith on behalf of Jeremy Hunt MP and South West Surrey Conservatives, all at 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6TD.

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