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Hello from Mims
It's September! How did that happen! The children are back at school and there is a chance to look back at summer across the Eastleigh constituency. It has been one filled with many exciting and important announcements from our new Prime Minister and not to mention some cracking weather at times which I hope many of you have been out enjoying! I have just returned from Japan at the G20 in my new role as Minister for Employment sharing our knowledge and best practice around jobs and the Labour market on flexible working, supporting the disabled, skills and retraining, those with care responsibilities balancing the youth job opportunities and older workers more about this later in the newsletter. Yesterday the new Chancellor Sajid Javid also brought forward the Spending Review, announcing extra funding for our schools, colleges, NHS and towards our defence, with specific funding towards further education, special educational needs as well as social care, and £750 million to deliver 20,000 more bobbies on the beat. I'll be sending out a separate newsletter focussing on this soon! Meanwhile, there is always much to look forward to and it's Eastleigh Pride this weekend and I am looking forward to a great day! Here's hoping the sun shines for the celebrations!
Recent Announcements:
This summer, the Government announced plans to boost our healthcare with a new vaccine strategy and investment into our hospices plus in the new spending round, a new £1,000 personal development budget over 3 years for every nurse, midwife and allied health professional. As Eastleigh’s MP, I have spent time visiting local hospices including most recently, the Countess Mountbatten Hospice, and meeting with many of their dedicated staff and volunteers, and I know how vital these commitments are. You can read more about these announcements and many more below.
Over the past year, I have received a growing amount of correspondence from my constituents over policing across my Eastleigh constituency, across Hampshire and across the country. I am thrilled to see that the Prime Minister has announced the recruitment of 20,000 new police officers. Read more here.
As many of you will know, and have taken the time to write in about, the Prime Minister will prorogue Parliament in September. I firmly agree with this decision and therefore understand his request to the Queen to end the current parliamentary session next month and then hold a new Queen’s speech on Monday 14th October. We urgently need to get on with the domestic agenda – helping our NHS, fighting violent crime, investing in key infrastructure and vitally cutting the cost of living for people up and down the country, including making progress on cutting the cost of living for people in work, something I am focussing on as the new Employment Minister. There are also vital Bills that need to be carried over in to a new Parliamentary session, including the Agriculture Bill and Fisheries Bill that so many constituents have written to me about.
I welcome this chance to set a new agenda and renewal of a much overdue Queen's speech and I would urge my constituents to read the Prime Ministers letter in full. You can find this below.
As we returned and business resumed this week, lots of constituents have emailed in about the Animal Sentience Bill and as you will see throughout this newsletter, animal welfare continues been a big topic locally and as we mark International Dogs Day, I am looking forward to continuing my support for animal rights and working with Ministers to campaign for this cause.
In addition to the Animal Sentience Bill, I've also had lots of emails about the Beer and Pubs and EU rights. I provide regular updates to key policy matters on my website, you can find my response here and here.
Thank you to all of those who have taken the time to write in and as ever, please get in touch if you’d like to be added to my mailing list or do contact me if there’s anything else you would like to have a chat about.
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Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill
The Animal Welfare Sentencing Bill returned to the house this week and I am proud to have worked alongside Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I know how important it is that we protect our environment and care for the animals around us.
You can read more about my involvement with the bill here. |
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New measures for Home Ownership
A new package of measures aimed at helping people on lower incomes to get onto the housing ladder - including changes to the Shared Ownership scheme meaning people will be able to buy their home in 1% chunks, rather than being forced to save up 10% at a time has been introduced this month.
The new measures will also make it easier for people to take out a mortgage through the Help to Buy scheme, and build upon the cut to Stamp Duty for first-time buyers.
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***One Community Annual Meeting***
Our voluntary organisations play such an important part within our communities. As former Charities Minister they’re so close to my heart! Please note One Community are holding their annual meeting on 24th September at The Point in Eastleigh.
It's open to public & more volunteers are always most welcome!
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Pavilion on the Park
Opened in 2008 and managed by Eastleigh Youth & Community Trust, a charity formed by Cllr Godfrey Olson in 1962, The Pavilion on the Park community centre is situated within the heart of Eastleigh and serves the community by offering a range of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages and abilities. With the Blackbird Café serving food and refreshment seven days a week and several halls and meeting rooms available for use, this busy centre is run by a small team of staff and a dedicated team of willing volunteers.
I was absolutely delighted to visit and catch up this month with Daisy Robinson, the Executive Director for Eastleigh Youth & Community Trust to hear about the exciting plans that are currently underway both inside and outside of the centre.
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New Job Figures for Eastleigh
The latest figures also brought good news for the Eastleigh area showing that the number of people claiming out of work benefits had dropped when compared to June 2019, with the total number of unemployed claimants in the Eastleigh constituency in July representing a rate of just 1.7% of the economically active population aged 16-64.
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£25 Million Cash Boost for Hospices
This summer, the Prime Minister announced a £25 million cash injection to protect hospices and palliative care services. These services support around 200,000 people at the end of their lives and this represents a huge step towards alleviating the everyday pressures faced on the frontline and ensuring they are able to continue their vital work supporting people at the end of their lives.
It is fantastic to see so much support for hospices and palliative care and a brilliant boost for so many hardworking employees & volunteers.
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Eastleigh Age Concern
Loneliness can have a huge effect on older people and as your local MP and the former Minister for Loneliness, I have always supported events like Silver Sunday, which promote getting people out of the house and socialising. That's why it was great to catch-up with Devan from Eastleigh Age Concern and Eastleigh Lions about their plans for Silver Sunday, including a charity dinner and dance which will be held on the 12th October as a fundraiser for a new community transport bus for One Community.
I would urge all of my constituents to get in touch if you can get involved & want to join in!
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Blue Badge Scheme
A key extension to the Blue Badge Scheme by the Government – representing the biggest change to the scheme in more than 50 years - and meaning that people with hidden disabilities, including Parkinson’s or a brain injury, can apply for a Blue Badge for the first time has been introduced this month.
Having cared for my parents at the end of their lives, I absolutely recognise how important this scheme is to the most vulnerable in our society, and I warmly welcome the scheme.
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Brexit Updates
I've had lots of emails and letters about Brexit over recess and over the past few days.
I sending out regular updates on this matter which you can read on my website.
Read my latest Brexit update here. |
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Constituent Tours and Local Visits
I’m delighted to announce that we will be kicking off our next round of constituent tours shortly, and looking forward to meeting more constituents, discussing local issues and showing them around Parliament!
I’m always very pleased to support local charities and organisations, regularly meeting with them across the constituency and representing their views in Westminster.
If you would like me to visit you this autumn, please contact [email protected]
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Mims in the Press!
Emergency Services - Daily Echo
My New role - Daily Echo
Pavilion on the park visit 👇
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Update from the Prime Minister on the Government's plans for it's business in Parliament
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Centrica for Friends Against Scams Training Workshop
British Gas' Friends Against Scams programme, in partnership with National Trading Standards, aims to raise awareness amongst staff of all the different types of scams, while training them to identify and support customers who might have fallen victim.
That's why it was great to visit the local Centrica office and take part in a Friends Against Scams workshop organised by employees of British Gas. The session highlighted devastating evidence on the impact of scams in the UK, where more than half of people over 65 have been targeted by scammers.
Read more here.
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16 - 17 Saver Launch
Travelling costs can leave a huge dent in your wallet, especially for younger people. That's why I'm delighted that from this Monday (2nd September 2019), our young people can apply for the ‘16-17 Saver’ railcard, guarantying 16–17-year olds across England and Wales 50% off most rail fares every day of the year with no time restrictions and no minimum fare. The new railcards are set to boost education opportunities and help communities and businesses by making travel cheaper for young people.
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Teachers Salary Boost
Making sure our children get the best education is a high priority for every parent and it is just as important to ensure our hardworking teachers are supported. That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome plans announced by the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, to boost salaries for new teachers which are set to rise to £30,000 by 2022-23. This is a fantastic boost for our teachers. I will know the finer breakdown about school and college funding for our local area next month, which I'll be sharing with you all.
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National Farmers' Union
Farming is vital in our communities and it's important to protect workers rights. This summer, I met with Sandra from the National Farmers Union to discuss key matters related to Eastleigh Constituents as well as what matters in our countryside - from farm to fork plus other pressing matters such as seasonable workers and future trade deal priorities.
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Town Council By-Election
Since 2015 we have had by-election after by-election or co-options of Town Councillors - after Lib Dems who have filled up the slate for them, only to resign soon after the election - often costing tax payers money on new elections that could be spent on services and community projects - we have seen this in Botley and other villages too.
It was therefore fantastic to be out and about this month with the the team in Hedge End ahead of the town council by-election, chatting and listening to local residents about what matters locally to them.
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International Dog Day
Animal welfare has been a top issue in my inbox this summer. Our beloved pets keep us all fit & keep us social too! Mine certainly gets me and my family out for a walk, meeting and chatting to others. There are also many dogs that do a fantastic job at looking after people everyday. That's why International Dog Day is a great opportunity to show appreciation for our guide dogs. Guide dogs and other types of assistance dogs support those who need them to live independent lives and hugely contribute to their wellbeing.
Read more about support for guide dogs here |
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Get your Vaccinations!
Last month, our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, ordered urgent action to improve vaccination uptake. Healthcare has also been big on the national agenda and in my inbox this month.
Getting a flu jab is now part of my annual get ready for winter routine and I am always encouraging constituents to look into having a flu jab in the winter months after going to Everetts Pharmacy in Hedge End to have the injection myself. The PM has called for urgent action to improve vaccination uptake after more than 230 cases of measles were reported in the UK during the first quarter of 2019.
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Congratulations on your A-Levels and GCSE's!
I know we've had lots of anxious school leavers this summer awaiting their results. A huge congratulations to every student across Eastleigh and beyond who has received their GCSE and A-Level results! Barton Peveril is just one example of the fantastic progress made. They have achieved their best ever results, for the second consecutive year. The College saw improvement across all their results and again achieved a 99% A Level pass rate. A huge congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard. Really incredible stuff from hardworking students and brilliant staff.
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What’s been the talk of the summer?
This summer we’ve received hundreds of emails covering a whole host of subjects. As MPs and Peers return to Parliament, I thought it would be helpful to give you a breakdown of what kind of emails we’ve been getting throughout recess.
Read the full breakdown here .
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