I should start January’s newsletter by wishing you a belated Happy New Year. Although the start of 2026, when hundreds of foolhardy souls, including my own son, braved the GAFIRS New Year’s Day swim in Stokes Bay, seems like ages ago! Life in both the Gosport Constituency and in Parliament is back in full-swing.

The Government certainly hit the ground running, with a number of u-turns. First out of the blocks was the decision to abolish the mandatory digital ID requirement. I received hundreds of emails from you, sharing concerns about the policy, so I am happy that the Government decided to listen to people around the country.


The Chancellor also announced a £300 million support package for pubs and music venues in an attempt to alleviate the pressures caused by tax hikes. Having written to the Chancellor and campaigned on this issue, of course I welcome the news, but I pointed out that the Government has forgotten other key local employers, like sport clubs and hotels, who also face huge business rate increases of up to 120% from April, with no prospect of support on the horizon.

I spoke about the plight of live music at the Music Venue Trust’s 2025 Annual Report launch at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Half of UK’s grassroots music venues did not make a profit at all in 2025 and 30 permanently closed.

These businesses are vital for our local communities and effectively act as the R&D department for our world class British music industry. I urged the Government to adopt the recommendations in the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report [**here**]([link removed] "[link removed]") and MVT’s report **[here]([link removed])**.


You will have noticed that the debate about how we protect children’s wellbeing in an increasingly digital world has hit both Parliament and the media this month. Under pressure from all sides, the Government launched a three-month consultation to explore potential bans on social media for under 16s and smart-phones in schools. You can read more **[here]([link removed])**. In Parliament I reminded the Minister about the early learnings from Australia’s social media ban, that it’s critical to plan for whatever gap is created by reducing screen time in children’s lives. There must be safe places for them to go and activities for them to take part in.


I also urged the Education Minister to publish the Government’s assessment on the impact of a smartphone ban in schools **[here]([link removed] "[link removed]")**. According to a survey I conducted among constituents in 2025, 80% of respondents said that children’s phones make issues like bullying worse, so I will be monitoring the Government’s next steps on this closely and I’m keen to hear your views.


While there is no doubt the online world can bring many benefits, it can also be a dark and dangerous place. This month I learned more about online suicide forums in a briefing with the Molly Rose Foundation. It’s heart-breaking to think of the untold harm and distress caused by these pernicious digital spaces. The Online Safety Act, which went live last March, made these sites illegal, giving Ofcom powers to take action. I will be working with other cross-party MPs to ensure they do.


I was also shocked to hear about horrific instances of child sexual abuse material and intimate image abuse (nudification) generated by Grok AI on X. I talked about this on **[BBC Breakfast]([link removed] "[link removed]") **and, alongside Conservative colleagues, **[wrote]([link removed] "[link removed]") **to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to stress the urgent need for Ministers to grip this situation.

Protecting our children and making sure they have access to the best quality of education is essential, so it was heart-warming to visit Haselworth Primary School to take part in interactive lessons and witness the work of dedicated staff who make sure that students are truly engaged and happy.

I was also delighted to welcome Year 6 from Meoncross School in Stubbington on a tour of Parliament. We caught up afterwards so I could answer all their burning questions on what they had seen and learned.
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I was lucky enough to hear some of our area’s most talented young debaters when I judged the Rotary Club schools debating competition. Teams from King's Academy Bay House and Brookfield Community School in Fareham will now go through to the next round and I wish them all the very best of luck.
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Hampshire County Council is arranging a Warm and Welcome event at Gosport Discovery Centre on Thursday 19th February offering free practical help with the cost of living aimed at young people aged 16–25. There will be advice on opportunities and next steps in education, training and independent living. You can check the timings and find out more [**here**]([link removed] "[link removed]").
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As part of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into Children’s TV and video content we visited Manchester for meetings, including with Children’s Programming bosses at BBC Media City in Salford. It was fascinating to visit the studios of CBeebies, Newsround and Blue Peter to learn how these programmes have developed over the years to fit the modern generation of young viewers.
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It was a pleasure to meet two of Britain’s most successful winter athletes, Lizzy Yarnold OBE and Kelly Gallagher MBE, in Parliament. With Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games starting this month, I wish the very best of luck to Team GB. I also popped to Planet Ice in Gosport to meet bosses and hear how they support the potential Winter Olympians of the future.

In other news this month, I joined Stubbington Cllr Jacquie Needham to visit the lovely gentlemen from Crofton Men’s Shed in their smart green HQ next to Holy Rood Church. I was delighted to hear about all the social activities on offer and experience the camaraderie. If you would like to get involved, you can check their website **[here]([link removed] "[link removed]")**.

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I met with Royal Artillery Centre for Personal Development to discuss how we can support our local veterans. I mentioned that we have wonderful veteran groups and breakfast clubs in the area and highlighted the importance of working together to maximise the reach of the services provided.
I was deeply moved by the Standing with Giants installation at Fort Nelson. Over 80,000 visitors came to witness this beautiful tribute to those who fell in the D-Day landings. A reminder of the human cost of war for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the families who loved them.

I asked the Ministry of Defence about the Department’s spending on the historic buildings such as Fort Rowner and Fort Blockhouse and was surprised to learn that they didn’t know. While in this unstable world it’s vital that the MoD is spending its money on our defence and security, there must be a better way of caring for our nations heritage assets that are currently rotting at public expense. You can watch our exchange**[here]([link removed] "[link removed]")** and monitor my Committee’s work on built heritage **[here]([link removed])**.


I keep banging on about Gosport’s unique heritage and history, so was delighted to have a chance to champion our area in the Times Radio feature “It’s a Constituency Knockout”. You will be pleased to hear that I emerged victorious from a head-to-head battle with the Member of Parliament for Harrogate on the back of some stupendous local facts, including the last fatal duel between two Englishmen taking place in Stokes Bay!

I caught up with the National Coastwatch team at their Fort Blockhouse look-out point at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour. It was lovely to hear more about the work of volunteers who are our ‘eyes along the coast’.

Concerned about recent issues with Capita’s administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme, I wrote to the Government asking for clarity on the steps they are taking to resolve delays. I have now received an update from the Cabinet Office Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, and you can read it [**here**]([link removed] "[link removed]").


Another pressing issue is the Housing Regulator’s damning report into the condition of Gosport Borough Council’s housing. Regular readers know that I have already talked about this in Parliament and spoke to That’s TV Solent about the problem. There are almost 1,000 maintenance jobs and safety checks outstanding, the waiting list is huge. You can watch my interview [**here**]([link removed] "[link removed]").


I met with the CEO of VIVID Homes to share local residents’ concerns about the maintenance of their accommodation. It was agreed that VIVID will improve communication with residents and work closer with suppliers to ensure that all issues are resolved in a timely manner.


I was due to meet with the Leader of Gosport Borough Council to discuss the “Pride in Place” funding, a £20 million investment in Rowner but sadly Cllr Chegwyn** **[**pulled out of the meeting**]([link removed] "[link removed]"). My office is working on finding an alternative date as I am very keen for the project to kick-off as soon as possible. GBC has already received £150,000 and with other Council’s Pride in Place schemes already up and running I would like to hear when ours is getting off the ground and how the money is going to be distributed.


I joined a meeting with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and requested an update on A&E waiting times and the impact of delayed ambulance discharges on patient handover. I also visited Q&A Hospital’s Robotic Surgery department. With 29 trained consultants and 5 robotic systems on site, it’s the most advanced in the UK.


I caught up with the brilliant Radiotherapy team who provide 8000 treatments per year. Don’t forget to contact me if you have any questions or issues about local healthcare provision as I can bring those up in my regular meetings with ICB and NHS.

I was disappointed to hear that the application for a second pharmacy in Lee was rejected by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight. I took part in the hearing last month, stressing the overwhelming support for the project among local residents. It is annoying to hear that the board felt we already have sufficient provision in the area. I [**raised this in** ]([link removed]- "[link removed]")Parliament, securing a meeting with the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP.


I found out more about the work of Sheldon’s Shooting Stars, a charity that provides vital support to secondary breast cancer patients. You can check their services and events **[here]([link removed])**. The team is planning a wonderful charity gala in the coming months.


For the last two years I have served as Co-Chair of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce, inspired by my incredible constituent Charlotte Fairall, Founder of Sophie’s Legacy. The Taskforce has been working on our chapter of the National 10 Year Cancer Plan, which is due to be published on Wednesday. Charlotte and I are determined to change the dial on how we detect, treat and care for children and young people with cancer, which is still the biggest cause of death by illness for those aged under 14 in the UK.


I have recently been contacted by a couple of local business owners and tradesmen who have been victims of tool theft from vans. I am keen to hear about your experiences and understand the scale of this issue across the constituency before I meet with police. If you were affected, please share the details of your case and the response that you received from our police using the email address below.


So that's it for January! As ever, my team and I are here for any questions, thoughts or concerns you may have. Please do get in touch via **[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected] "mailto:[email protected]")**.


Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP

167 Stoke Road 
Gosport 
PO12 1SE

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])


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