Welcome to my March 2024 newsletter

As we approach Easter and (hopefully) Spring, I have been busy following up a number of concerns people expressed in my recent survey. I have fixed to talk to Primark about any prospects of them coming to Ashford, I have asked the Rail Minister about international services to and from Ashford, and as you see below I have been seeking reassurance from Kent’s Police and Crime Commissioner about the safety of the Town Centre. I have also visited four of our primary schools in the past few weeks. In Parliament the main focus has been on the Budget when we heard some encouraging news. More on that below as well.

What’s happening in Parliament?

There has been a lot of activity in Parliament this month with the main event being the Spring Budget. It has been confirmed that inflation has halved, the economy has performed better than forecast, and debt is on track to fall. The headline tax reform was a 2p cut in National Insurance contributions which, combined with the 2p cut announced at the Autumn Statement last year, will reduce the tax paid by an average worker by over £900 per year. Additional funding of £2.5 billion for the NHS was announced to support further progress towards improving performance and reducing waiting times. I also welcomed support for the creative industries, which I hope will benefit Ashford when the new studio complex, currently in early development at Newtown Works, opens. You can watch my contribution to the Budget debate below.


Select Committee Update:

In the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee we currently have five inquiries: Grassroots music venues, British film and high-end television, Minority languages, Gambling regulation, and Women’s sports. Our most recent publication is our report on safety at major sporting events. We looked at how sporting events can be made inclusive, ensuring they are well policed and welcoming environments.

Stay up to date with local news and information on my website

DAMIANGREEN.CO.UK

Good news! The Government will introduce a £15 million fund to help farmers redistribute surplus food, preventing millions of meals worth of edible food from going to waste.

DAMIANGREEN.CO.UK

Following my Town Centre Survey, which showed some of the reasons people may not be using the town centre as much as before, there is now some interesting information which shows that there is more spending power than there has been in recent years, so there is hope for our shops.