MP’s UPDATE FOR

BRENTFORD AND ISLEWORTH RESIDENTS

OCTOBER 2024

You can find previous reports of my work on my web site; www.ruthcadbury.co.uk  I also report regularly on my Facebook page and via Twitter and Instagram @RuthCadbury.    

 

If you would like to raise issues with me please email on [email protected] with your address, a quick summary of the issue (and relevant reference numbers).   

 

See my Web page for information on local and national services

Labour Party Conference this year was probably the largest ever, with delegates and party members celebrating Labour’s return to Government, along with campaign groups and businesses hoping to catch a moment with Government Ministers. 

As conference fell just over a week after my election as Chair of Transport Committee, most of my time in Liverpool was spent speaking at Transport-related fringe events on a range of issues, meeting key representatives, (and sitting in the cab of an electric bus). As ever at conference, with my diary packed with these events, I learned so much in such a short time.

MY PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY IN SEPTEMBER

For full details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, get regular updates about my Parliamentary activities TheyWorkForYou (votes) or see Hansard (speeches) & on YouTube

We were back in Parliament for two weeks before the Conference Recess – during which time I was elected by MPs from all parties to be the Chair of the Transport Committee.  

As one of the departmental standing committees of Parliament that scrutinise the Government’s policy and programmes, my committee will be holding the Transport Secretary, Lou Haigh, and her Ministers to account along with transport decision-makers in the public and private sector.  We will also be looking at examples of good practice.  The rest of the committee will be in place by mid-November after which time we’ll agree our agenda, but I expect that accessibility of public transport, investment in rail infrastructure, decarbonising transport and the bus network across England will all be high on our agenda.

 

My next update will cover the Budget, as so much of what we need to deliver for growth and for public services is dependent on it, and the fiscal rules the Chancellor needs to comply with.

In the Chamber;

I met Craig and Shân of Fighting With Pride, a national charity that supports LGBT+ Forces Veterans, service personnel and their families.  They support those most impacted by the ban on LGBT+ personnel serving in the Armed Forces prior to January 2000, and they asked me to lobby the Government to address the inadequate level of compensation to those affected by being dishonourably discharged part-way through their careers.

I have been elected as the Co-Chair of the Choice at the End of Life All Party Parliamentary Group which will be supporting a change in the law on assisted dying.  I am glad that Kim Leadbeater MP has decided that her Private Members Bill (she came top on the PMB Ballot) will be a Bill to change the law to mean that terminally ill people with full mental capacity and only 6 months or less to live, can choose the place and time of their death.

COMMUNITY UPDATE

At my regular meeting with Hounslow Council leader, Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, I raised my concerns about the dismissive and sometimes bullying way that some Council staff treat residents when they are not able to provide a service (such as due to the housing crisis or inadequate special educational needs provision).  This issue has been raised with me by constituents asking for my help.  Whilst all Councils, especially in London, are under extreme pressures due to cuts in their budgets and rising demand for core and specialist services, I feel that residents, especially those in crisis should be treated with care and respect. Shantanu committed to address the problem.

Nawajang London is an important news site for the diaspora Pakistan Community, so I was glad to attend their 23rd anniversary celebrations, and present an award to Ehsan Chaudhry who is the founder pf the amazing Open Kitchen on the A4/Jersey Road junction – providing free food to hundreds every day.

I met representatives of Heathrow Airport to discuss their application to operate easterly operations on the Northern Runway, which was banned for many years under the Cranford Agreement.  If allowed to go ahead it will mean some additional noise for residents in north Heston/Norwood Green when the airport is on Easterly operation (about 30% of the time and is weather-dependent.)  At Conference I also met Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s newish CEO for the first time.  I offered my support to the airport, but re-iterated that I will continue to oppose it taking more flights, whether on the existing two runways, or via a third runway.

From JMW Turner to the present day, Isleworth has been home for many artists.  For over 20 years Redlees Studios has been an arts base, and I was shown round by artist John Potter and met other tenants; John Carberry, Annie Hetherington, and Nicki Rolls.  Along with Kate Rosser-Frost of the Designers and Artists Copyright Society (that works for recognition and reward for artists) we discussed how local artists and studios can be better supported.  Whist Redlees provides a studio space, art classes and Open Days, there is inadequate affordable space locally for the many local artists we are lucky to have in the area.

We celebrated the opening of the Brentford stretch of the C9 segregated cycle path, meaning there is now a safe route, set apart from traffic all the way from Brentford to Chiswick (and beyond through Hammersmith).  Whilst this is a great improvement on our transport infrastructure, I did raise with TfL staff who attended, the need to properly mark crossings to the “floating” bus stops, with zig-zag markings and other information so that cyclists treat the crossing in the same way as one on a main carriageway).

West London Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) held a wellbeing and mental health fair was for young people and families, open to all, whether they use CAMHS or not, with lots of information and advice on a variety of issues faced by young people.  I met some of their Youth Ambassadors, young people who have used the service and who now work to support others, while also advising CAMHS on how they can improve the service.  Although I was really impressed with the enthusiasm of all those working to support young people and their families with their mental health problems, I was acutely aware that CAMHS is a vastly overstretched service, with too few specialist staff, and growing numbers of young people needing their services – meaning painfully long waiting lists for those who need appropriate diagnosis and treatment now.

 

With best wishes

 

 

 

Printed from an email sent by Ruth Cadbury MP