A technical issue with Parliament servers means this newsletter is arriving in your inbox later than usual so July has officially swept by and we’re now firmly into the school holiday season with (so far) the fabulous beach weather to match.

 

Many MPs have now settled back into their local offices for the summer - but with a new Prime Minister in town, many Labour MPs stayed in Westminster to learn whether they’d won a job in his top team. Meanwhile, the rest of us are merely waiting to see what Andy Burnham has up his sleeve!

 

The day after our new PM walked into Downing Street I decided to strike while the iron was hot and wrote him a letter, which you can read [here]([link removed]). It set out some areas where I thought Sir Keir Starmer got it wrong for the Gosport Constituency. Despite a final PMQs where I thought both he and Kemi Badenoch struck the right note (which you can watch [here]([link removed])), the message that I had been getting on the doorsteps over the last year is that local people felt he was out of touch.


I know the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. I like him, and I share his views on the importance of some key issues, like youth unemployment and the crisis in adult social care, albeit not necessarily his views on how to solve them. But, once the dust settles on his buffet of sparkly new announcements it's important our new PM listens to communities like Gosport, who are struggling with high worklessness, high taxes on wealth creators, and high household bills. 

 

The first thing he could do is give the constituency a meaningful voice in determining the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre planning application. I have been [calling]([link removed]) on the Government to redirect the application through the usual process, which you can read about [here]([link removed]), but the Ministerial meeting I was promised when I raised this in the House of Commons was subsequently cancelled, and a new Minister is now in place, so I am pushing hard to secure a new one. 


I have since objected to the plans which you can read [here]([link removed]). My team and I have been busy working through the several hundred pages of documentation submitted as part of the Home Office’s planning application for Phase 2 of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre. After several months of secrecy, the full scale of the Home Office’s proposals has finally become clear. These include three-storey buildings which were not explicitly included in the public engagement event held under the previous Government, where residents were told future buildings would be no higher than the current ones. You can view the full application and submit comments through the Planning Inspectorate’s website [here]([link removed]). The deadline for comments is 11.59pm on Thursday 6 August 2026, so please make sure your views are submitted before then.


In the final days of his premiership Keir Starmer finally published the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, the document setting out how extra Defence funding will be allocated. Coming in at a full 300 days late, £13 billion short of what defence chiefs say we need and with a £5 billion black hole in the funding, there is still plenty more room for the Government to improve its offer to our Armed Forces. I asked the (then new, now ex) Defence Secretary about the promised spending on defence accommodation which is so desperate in this area. You can watch what I said [here]([link removed]).


This month it was announced that StandardAero will be building the engines for the Ministry of Defence’s New Medium Helicopter Programme, sustaining jobs at Fleetlands - a massive vote of confidence in Gosport’s largest employer which builds on the announcement earlier this year that the company would be maintaining Apache and Chinook helicopters. You can read the details [here]([link removed]).

 

Also in Parliament I urged Defence Ministers to ensure that Op Valour, the hub through which veterans can access services, was not just political window dressing whilst the services they signpost remain unfunded. You can watch the Minister’s response [here]([link removed]).

In this dry weather it’s easy to forget the devastation caused by the flooding in Alverstoke village a couple of years ago, but some residents are still living with the consequences. I wrote to the Environment Department this month asking them to publish their reasoning for changes that could see half of Gosport’s households paying more on their home insurance premiums. You can read that letter [here]([link removed]).

 

I’ve been concerned recently by an increased number of reports of ASB and dangerous driving in Lee on the Solent. I spoke to the Police and Crime Commissioner along with Councillor Stevyn Ricketts to find a solution. As a result, Gosport Police have implemented a disposal order for the area and efforts to clamp down on dangerous driving are already yielding results, as you can read about [here]([link removed]).


Alverstoke’s Crescent Garden and Stanley Park were mentioned in Parliament this month when they earned a Green Flag Award with Tidy Up Britain. The award is a recognition of the hard work of the groups of the many volunteers who manage the gardens and tend to them with such care.

 

I was glad to see the Government back down over possible changes to how Coastguard Rescue Officers were reimbursed for their time, which I wrote about in my Portsmouth News column. You can read it [here]([link removed]).

On St Swithun’s Day I came together with MPs from across Hampshire along with Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to proudly fly the county flag with its iconic Saxon crown and Tudor rose.


The Gosport Constituency looks its very best in the Summer and I have really enjoyed some fantastic events over July:
I dropped in to Rowner Carnival and immediately got involved with a taster drumming session with the Big Noise Samba Band! The atmosphere was brilliant, you can get a flavour of it [here]([link removed]). It was great to talk to residents about the work of the Rowner Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board, which will allocate millions of pounds to the regeneration of Rowner. Everyone on the Board is enthusiastic and determined to ensure the investment makes a meaningful difference to the area. The various sub boards who will drive this are currently recruiting members from the local community. You can find out more [here]([link removed]).


Gosport Community Support held a Community Connections Day at YourSpace in Gosport High Street which I dropped in to. It brought together some of the brilliant organisations supporting people across our local area, like Veterans Outreach Support, Stronger Together Community CIC, Age Concern Gosport, and others. Find out more about their offer [here]([link removed]).

I popped to GoSport Activity Centre on Alverstoke Creek to see some of their activities in action. Pupils and teachers were taking part in the Gosport School Games and I heard more about the Centre’s work with schools and families including through the Holiday Activities and Food programme. The HAF programme is open to children who receive benefits-related free school meals and includes sports, outdoor activities, crafts and creative workshops, alongside a healthy meal each day. You can find out more [here]([link removed]-).

I met some of the 150 members of Crofton Bowling Club in Stubbington, aged between 13 and 90. What a welcoming and friendly club with a real community atmosphere.

I joined the Mayors of Gosport, Cllr Kirsten Bradley, and Fareham Cllr Tina Ellis at Stokes Bay to help Gosport and Fareham Walking Rugby Club in their efforts to pull the GAFIRS lifeboat for 3 hours to raise money for the Dying for a Defib campaign. They hit their £10,000 fundraising target and I look forward to seeing more life-saving defibrillators placed around the community.

I met volunteers and participants at GADSAD, which provides weekly social and sporting activities for members with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. I toured the centre, meeting members and trying out some of the games and activities they take part in. The charity is always pleased to welcome new joiners and volunteer supporters, and you can find out more about getting involved[ here]([link removed]).


In Hill Head I caught up with Alice Hendy MBE. Alice founded the award winning R;pple Suicide Prevention charity in memory of her brother. We spoke about the impact of her online intervention tool which has been given a The Centre for Social Justice Award. You can find out more here at [ripplesuicideprevention.com]([link removed]). 

 

I met Duke of Edinburgh's Award students at King’s Academy Bay House. A remarkable 150 pupils took part in their DofE programme this year and it was lovely to hear more about their expeditions, volunteering and see some of the skills they’d learned, from chess to crocheting - I was terrible at crocheting!

I enjoyed meeting some of the charming residents and support teams from Community Integrated Care. Adult social care takes many different forms and all of them demand a particular set of skills. Almost without exception it is both vastly under appreciated and under paid.


I went to visit the Carpenters Yard artists’ quarter in Priddy’s Hard - now complete after a £750,000 investment by Arts Council England supporting Portsmouth Historic Quarter to regenerate the area. 

All nine of the beautifully restored historic studio spaces are now occupied with a whole range of craftsmen and creators in residence, from jewellery makers to ceramicists. It’s well worth a visit.

 

I joined Gosport Dolphins Swimming Club for their 50th anniversary celebrations and awards evening. So much dedication goes into supporting swimmers of all ages and abilities at Dolphins from coaches Mo and Leo and a number of other volunteers. The club is currently welcoming new members, from those learning to swim through to more advanced swimmers. Free taster sessions are available by emailing [email protected].

I treated myself to a few new chilli plants at Shore Leave Haslar’s Chilli Festival which was a huge success and raised welcome funds for this wonderful gardening project for veterans.

 

All these joyful visits just about dampened the pain of England being knocked out of the men’s football World Cup. 


The team did the country proud with some iconic and gripping games, particularly against Croatia and Mexico. I was invited to preview the Norway match alongside the Norwegian ambassador to the UK - and in full Mystic Meg mode correctly predicted the score, which you can hear [here]([link removed]).

Sadly the World Cup was not without its controversy, and of course Donald Trump got involved, controversially pushing to overturn a red card for a US player. I spoke about this  with Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live which you can listen to [here]([link removed]). 

 

One England team who did make the final was our women’s T20 cricketers. Sadly beaten by Australia, but I went along to Lords to cheer them on!

 

In Parliament we learned that the new PM would be rearranging the machinery of government, meaning the former Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, which I Chair, now adds Digital back to both our title and our responsibilities.  This month we published a report into Community and School Sport and I led a debate on the topic in the House of Commons, where I raised my disappointment that the Government had cut funding for PE. You can watch a short clip [here]([link removed]-) or read the whole report [here]([link removed]).

 

We also released a separate report on England’s built heritage, highlighting the madness that you pay VAT to restore an historic building, yet if you knock it down and build a new one in its place you don’t! We also pointed out the huge potential to deliver the Government’s ambitious housing targets by restoring disused old buildings. The report is particularly important for areas like Gosport, where so many historic buildings sit decaying at public expense, especially on MOD land where some, like Fort Blockhouse, could instead be contributing to the local economy or our national defence. Read the report [here]([link removed]).

 

The new Director General of the BBC told the Committee that the licence fee was “yesterday’s model” and that politicians should look again at the funding mechanism. You can watch a clip [here]([link removed]).

 

On the same subject we hosted Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy. I asked her whether she thought the BBC was doing too much, which you can watch [here]([link removed]). You can read everything that has been said in our inquiry [here]([link removed]). We will be reporting our findings in the autumn.

 

I co-signed a number of letters this month:


1.

With the Carers Parliamentary Group to the Work and Pensions Committee calling for a meeting to discuss Carer’s Allowance overpayments which are causing issues.


2.

With Dr Kieran Mullan MP to the Housing Committee about Asset Invest Ltd. There will be more information from me about this soon.


3.

From the Down Syndrome Parliamentary Group calling for the Government to publish guidance about the implementation of the historic Down Syndrome Act, which is long overdue.


I also met with the now ex-Minister for Health and Social Care Sharon Hodgson with the rest of the Chairs of the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to discuss the implementation of the recommendations we made to meaningfully shift the dial on children and young people’s cancer in the National Cancer Plan.


Eleanor, the winner of my 2025 Christmas card competition, visited Parliament for a tour.


Unfortunately after multiple efforts to secure a second pharmacy in Lee on the Solent we received news that the application was refused. I have raised the need for an additional pharmacy in Lee-on-the-Solent through every channel available to me, including on the floor of the House of Commons, in meetings with the Health Minister, and in a recent NHS hearing. I will now be writing to the Secretary of State to ask what can be done to put this right.


However I was glad to see the Planning Inspectorate has upheld the decision of Conservative-run Fareham Borough Council to refuse the application for up to 62 homes on land west of Old Street. Local councillors were absolutely right to reject this proposal following significant concerns from residents about the pressure it would place on our already stretched local infrastructure. I wrote to the then Housing Secretary in February to set out my objections to the appeal and I am glad that my response was considered.

I presented Scott’s Plaice with their award for winning my Best Fish and Chip Shop competition. It was the second time they had won the award!

 

Finally, the court case and sentencing this month of the wicked Hull funeral director, Robert Bush has brought back memories of our own similar local case. 

Regular readers will know I have been campaigning for changes in the regulation and legislation around the funeral sector at a result of the Elkin and Bell case.


This month I was interviewed for a podcast - Death: A Changing Industry, with funeral directors John and Barry who, like many reputable businesses, share my views on the need for better regulation. You can watch it [here]([link removed]).

 

I also spoke on Times Radio about my efforts to force the Government to tighten up the funeral sector, which currently has no legal duty of care to our loved ones’ bodies after their death. You can listen to that [here]([link removed]).

 

There are a few events to watch out for in August that might be of interest:


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Applications are open until September 7 for projects which support community engagement in the Rowner Pride in Place Programme. You can apply [here]([link removed]).


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The Gosport Summer Passport Scheme runs from 23rd July to 18th August 2026. It’s a set of fun holiday activities for secondary school kids living or going to school in Gosport and you can register [here]([link removed]).


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From August 24th you can connect with the Gosport Routes programme, an ambitious project to transform cultural access in Gosport. Visit the website [here]([link removed]).


In the meantime my team and I stand ready to respond to any questions or concerns at [email protected]


Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP

167 Stoke Road 
Gosport 
PO12 1SE

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


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