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GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.225
In Westminster, the return from recess to the Treasury has been pretty hectic but one highlight was a reception in No 11 to thank donors who have supported the campaign for a new Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey. We are now up to £360,000 raised from an amazing 1700 donors. Today I welcome Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey to the patch where we will be talking AONB extensions and National Park status for the Surrey Hills.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

TREASURY UPDATE It has been a busy first week back which started with one of my regular Business Breakfasts ([link removed]) – this week with leaders in financial services. We are the second largest financial sector in the world and tax revenues from the 2.2 million jobs it supports pays for more than the entire cost of our police. EY ([link removed]) confirmed this week that the UK remainsEurope’s top destination ([link removed]) for foreign direct investment in financial services. This is also what the Edinburgh Reforms I announced in December were designed to secure, so the breakfast was a good opportunity to hear from bank bosses - in particular how we can channel more investment from pension funds into our high growth sectors. The OECD also joined the International Monetary Fund, Bank of England, and Office for
Budget Responsibility in upgrading UK growth forecasts, as you can read in my Twitter thread here ([link removed]) . The OECD now predicts we will grow faster than Germany and particularly praised the childcare reforms I announced in the Spring Budget. However, though they did also forecast a substantial fall in inflation, it remains too high and cutting it is the best help I can give ([link removed]) to families feeling the pressure from cost of living increases.

PM IN THE USA Many of you will have seen that the Prime Minister is also having a very productive trip to the USA. Writing with my Chancellor hat on, I was delighted that US firmshave announced £14 billion of new investment in the UK ([link removed]) , which grows our economy and creates thousands of jobs. It was also brilliant news that the UK will host the first major international summit on AI. ([link removed]) The UK is the world’s 3rd largest tech economy and new research showed that London is the world’s most high-tech city, taking over New York ([link removed]) , so we are very well-placed to be international leaders. As the PM says, AI offers huge opportunities for the UK but we need to keep our eyes open to the risks.

RECORD NUMBER OF TEACHERS I have written here before that a strong education system is crucial not just for the economy but also socially - which is why I prioritised school funding in the Autumn Statement. Therefore the fact that there are now a record number of teachers ([link removed]) in our schools– almost 2,800 more than last year and over 27,000 more than 2010 – is a really good step towards ensuring every young person has the best possible future prospects.

FRANCE Thoughts and prayers with families affected by a knife attack in Annecy injuring four young children.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

GREEN SPACES One of the main priorities in my Green Spaces campaign ([link removed]) is protecting the Surrey Hills national landscape, which is why I helped to persuade Natural England that the AONB should be considered for significant boundary extensions. As frequent readers will know, they have since opened a consultation which closes next week on Tuesday 13th June and which you can send your thoughts to here ([link removed]) . As I wrote in the Herald ([link removed]) this week, I have also invited Thérèse Coffey down to Surrey Hills where she will meet the Surrey Hills board and see for herself how breathtaking the area is. I am hoping our day will be both productive and rain-free!

CANCER CAMPAIGN - NO.11 RECEPTION This week I held a reception ([link removed]) to thank the brilliant supporters of my campaign to build a new Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre at the Royal Surrey. Some 80 people, including Amanda Pritchard (Chief Executive of the NHS), joined me and members of the hospital's senior management and surgical teams to learn more about the new facility, and hear how the campaign is progressing. The centre will treat 7,000 more patients a year, which is equivalent to 28 or more each day and will bring the latest keyhole and robotic technology to the Royal Surrey. The Royal Surrey is England’s fourth biggest cancer centre and I am incredibly proud of the work they do already but the new centre will be a game-changer locally, bringing state of the art robotic technology to surgeries to the amazing regional cancer centre. So far we have raised an incredible £360,000 from 1700 supporters– which does not even
include the many generous people who sponsored me for my two marathons! I am incredibly grateful for all of the help– thank you. For more information on the campaign (and even to donate!), please click here ([link removed]) .

UKRAINE UPDATE Many local guests are now moving into rental accommodation, but this has been challenging due to landlords often asking for 6 months rent in advance, often with a guarantor. Local supporter Cherry Gower continues to work incredibly hard raising money to loan guests for the first few months of rent. When they can afford to repay this, it rolls over to the next person. The council are also offering to loan 6 months rent, but this would have to be repaid straight away, on a monthly basis. Cherry now has a team of volunteers helping her to locate suitable properties for guests, and this includes sourcing furniture and other household items. The good news is that she has had many generous offers of furniture and household goods, but can only store the smaller items herself. Therefore, we are on the hunt for a local storage facility in the Godalming area. If you have a space you think is suitable, or know someone who does, please do email Cherry directly at: [email protected]
(mailto:[email protected])

FRENSHAM GREAT POND A reminder that new car parking charges come into effect at Frensham Great Pond as of 12th June 2023 to reflect increasing popularity at the ponds, especially during the warmer months. They apply on all parking at Frensham Great Pond car park every day during charging hours (9.00am to 7.00pm). The charges will now be £1.60 up to an hour (up from £1.50), £3.30 for 1-2 hours (up from £3), £4.40 for 2-4 hours (up from £4) and £6.50 for all day (up from £6). Last summer we had lots of complaints about the behaviour of visitors at the ponds including littering, noise pollution and anti-social behaviour but keep me posted on anything you see at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

GODALMING MUSEUM REMINISCENCE CLUB Age UK are currently working on making Godalming a dementia-friendly town, and the staff and volunteers at Godalming Museum (of which I am a Patron) have supported this fantastic project by creating the Reminiscence Club ([link removed]) . The club is a place where people living with dementia are encouraged to recall early memories, and go along for a chat. It’s also a place where carers can meet and support each other, and the lonely can make new friends. Sue Kings is a volunteer at the museum who has specialised within various organisations in the unlocking of the early memories of people living with Dementia, and has kindly offered to use her skills to help Reminiscence. The club is open 11am-1pm on the 3^rd Monday of each month - all are welcome, and the refreshments are free!

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND? Why not head to the Surrey Artists Open Studios at Birtley Woodland Art Space ([link removed]) ? There will be fourteen talented artists displaying and selling their work around the Birtley Woodland Art Space - a woodland studio on the Birtley Estate in Bramley. From 9th - 11th June, the studios are open 11am - 5pm and dogs on leads are also welcome!

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

AND FINALLY… Having done two marathons for the Royal Surrey, I am starting to think about my next fundraising effort… perhaps I should join this ([link removed]) crazy Gloucestershire race that happened over half term?!

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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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