With spring upon us, I realise how busy the first couple of months of 2024 have been. Here’s a flavour of some of my recent activities as your Member of Parliament.
When chatting with Erewash residents, I know many are concerned about the lack of access to NHS dental appointments, particularly as a number of local NHS dentists have recently retired. In Parliament, I asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, how the Dental Recovery Plan will help speed up the recruitment of NHS dentist, ensuring that practices in Erewash can offer patients NHS appointments. You can view my question here.
Other parliamentary debates that I have participated in include one on tackling obesity, where I called on the Government to immediately act on the advertising and marketing of unhealthy food products aimed at children; and I also intervened in a debate on digital exclusion where I provided a live example of how it is impacting Erewash residents. Specifically, how Labour-controlled Erewash Borough Council are restricting a discounted price for brown bin collection to those who apply online only. You can view my contribution to the tackling obesity debate here and my intervention on digital exclusion via this link.
One of my key priorities as your MP is to ensure that Erewash continues to prosper by bringing Government funding to our area. Thanks to my efforts, Erewash charity P3 (People Potential Possibilities) is one of 24 Early Support Hubs across the country that will receive a share of £8 million to help support children and young people with their mental health. More information can be found via this link. I also successfully lobbied Government Ministers to increase support to Derbyshire County Council and Erewash Borough Council via the Local Government Financial Settlement. The County Council will now receive an additional £54.9 million, with the Borough Council’s increase representing an almost 6 per cent uplift. Further details can be found online.
During National Apprenticeship Week 2024 I was pleased to meet a variety of Erewash apprentices and talk to them about their exciting work as well as why they decided to take an apprenticeship. Those who I chatted with are undertaking apprenticeships at local businesses such as Dales Fabrications, in the retail sector with Asda and at multinational organisations such as Rolls Royce. More details about National Apprenticeship Week 2024 can be found here.
There have been numerous other events in Erewash I’ve had the privilege to attend, including the Environment Agency and Derbyshire County Council’s public drop-in flood event at Sawley Memorial Hall & Community Centre as well as meeting Ilkeston’s Police Community Support Officers and representatives from Royal Mail. I also attended a plaque installation ceremony commemorating local World War II hero fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Clowes at Sawley War Memorial. Through my casework, I’ve helped hundreds of Erewash residents and within the last month have successfully resolved 503 cases.
Other useful information:
💷 Energy regulator Ofgem has announced that the price cap will fall by 12.3 per cent from 1 April, saving the average household £238.00 over the course of a year. More information can be found via this link.
🏠Council in Chaos – After the Borough Council’s Scrutiny Committee meeting farcically ended after 15 minutes at Ilkeston Town Hall, 181 local campaigners travelled to Long Eaton Town Hall to witness the rearranged meeting held to discuss an application to “call-in” a controversial decision made by the Borough Council’s Labour Executive to sell of seven acres of Ilkeston’s Pewit Golf Course. The Borough Council’s Labour Executive are determined to sell off Erewash’s public land behind the closed doors of the Town Hall. I will not let this happen – you can read more here.
💻 95.8 per cent of premises in Erewash now have access to superfast broadband thanks to the Government sticking to its plan to deliver ‘Project Gigabit’. Further information can be found via this link.
📜 Bereaved parents who experience a loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy in England can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss. This applies to all parents who have experienced baby loss since 1 September 2018. Further information can be found here.
🕵️♂️ Did you know in the year ending September 2023, 1 in 17 adults were victims of fraud? The Government has launched a new anti-fraud ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign providing useful tips and advice on fraud safety – Follow this link for more information.
With best wishes, Maggie Throup OBE MP
Member of Parliament for Erewash
P.S. My Community Office is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday from 9am-5pm and on a Thursday 8am-5pm. Should you have an issue I can help you with, please either phone my office on 0115 930 0521 or email me at [email protected].
P.P.S. Your friends and family can now sign-up to receive my Westminster Despatches, by visiting www.maggiethroup.com. In addition, should you know of anyone who does not have access to a computer and would like to receive paper copies of my e-news on a regular basis, then please do let me know their details (including their full name and address).
Promoted by Ian F. Gutteridge, on behalf of Maggie Throup MP, both of Unit 2 The Old Co-Op, South Street,
Ilkeston, Derbyshire DE7 5SG.
