MP’S UPDATE FOR RESIDENTS

FEBRUARY 2022

 

You can find previous reports of my work on my web site;
www.ruthcadbury.co.uk [1] I also report regularly on my Facebook page [2]
and via Twitter [3] and Instagram @RuthCadbury [4]. You can see full
details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, and get Regular updates
about my Parliamentary activities on TheyWorkForYou [5]in Hansard [6]and on
YouTube [7]

 

I AM HAPPY TO MEET CONSTITUENTS EITHER BY PHONE, OR ON-LINE, TO DISCUSS
YOUR CONCERNS. PLEASE EMAIL ME ON [email protected] WITH YOUR
ADDRESS, A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE ISSUE AND RELEVANT REFERENCE NUMBERS.  

SEE MY CORONAVIRUS WEB-PAGE [8] FOR INFORMATION ON LOCAL AND NATIONAL
SERVICES, HELPLINES AND VOLUNTEERING;   AND TO SIGN UP FOR HOUNSLOW
COUNCIL’S DAILY UPDATES.

 

Unsurprisingly Ukraine has overshadowed Parliament's business as well as my
"postbag" in February's final week. Putin's actions are unprovoked and
unjustifiable and will have a lasting impact not only on the Ukrainian
people, but on much of the world. Keir Starmer and our front bench have
demanded that the Government match the EU and US and bring in the toughest
sanctions on Putin's friends and their UK-based property and wealth, as
well as ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the people of Ukraine as
well as those who have fled to surrounding countries. The Government needs
to live up to our proud history of accepting refugees and offer sanctuary
to Ukrainians

HOUNSLOW COUNCIL: I was saddened that Steve Curran has decided not to stand
as a Councillor in May, but understand that he needs to focus on his health
and the treatment he will be having over the next few months. As a result
of Steve's leadership Hounslow was justifiably awarded the national Council
of the Year by the Local Government Chronicle. Despite the multiple
pressures and funding cuts, Hounslow delivers services well, and was
particularly praised for the way help and support went to the most
vulnerable, and also to local businesses during the height of the Covid
pandemic. Steve will be a hard act to follow!

FIRE SAFETY AND LEASEHOLDERS: For over four years constituents in blocks of
flats have been contacting me about the impact on them from the fire-safety
crisis that the Grenfell fire exposed. Having spoken many times in
Parliament and sat on the Building Safety Bill Committee I have lost count
of the times Ministers said that leaseholders wouldn't pay, but yet nothing
changed for those who are not responsible for the crisis. I visited a group
of concerned leaseholders at Grove House in Isleworth (pictured) with
Councillors Tony Louki and Unsa Chaudri to hear about their concerns.

Finally, new Housing Secretary of State, Michael Gove announced new
regulations to make the leaseholders the last resort to pay for necessary
repairs, not the first. The charity, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership [9]
have done a useful guide to the new regulations where they suggest that the
proposed changes raise more questions than they answer.

TFL SETTLEMENT: The Government is still dragging its feet in offering
Transport for London a fair funding deal. This is needed so our Tube and
bus services are retained at normal levels in the short term, as well as
capital funding for much needed improvements such as the Piccadilly trains
stopping at Turnham Green and more step-free access. I have written to
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport on behalf of this
constituency, demanding a fair settlement.

DURING CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK I learned so much from local young
people and the professionals who work with them, messages which I then
brought into my speech on Children's Mental Health. I was inspired by the
trained 6th form Mental Health Ambassadors at Gunnersbury School, and I
also saw what St Mary's Primary in Chiswick and St Mary's Primary in
Isleworth were doing to make talking about mental health easier. Hounslow
Youth Counselling Service, and the team of our local NHS Child and Adult
Mental Health Service (CAMHS) told me about how stretched their services
are. For children with greater needs there are not enough skilled
professionals to deliver their services to the increasing numbers of very
ill children, nor are there enough specialist inpatient beds in London for
young people.

 

MY PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY IN FEBRUARY

_You can see full details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, and
get regular updates about my Parliamentary activities __TheyWorkForYou_
[5]_ (votes) __in __Hansard_ [6]_ (speeches)__ and on __YouTube_ [7]_ _

_ _

At Ministerial questions about Levelling Up, I urged Michael Gove to tackle
inequality within communities as well as between UK regions. 40% of
children living in Hounslow are in poverty- despite the fact that West
London as a whole is one of the most prosperous economic sub regions of the
UK. Conservative policies such as cuts to Sure Start centres, cuts in
Universal Credit and the bedroom tax have fuelled this rise in child
poverty.

At Home Office Questions I mentioned two senior police officers who worked
locally who were recently sacked for gross misconduct. The IOPC report into
the conduct of Met Police officers was damning, and showed shocking
examples of sexist and misogynistic behaviour from police officers right up
to senior levels.

In the Energy debate I called for a windfall tax on the energy companies
and rebuked the Chancellor for calling the new loans a "rebate".

At Transport questions I pushed the Secretary of State to publish the long
overdue review of the Cycling and Walking Strategy

I spoke in a debate about exempt accommodation - where vulnerable people
are dumped in private bedsits, their rent not subject to the benefit cap
because the landlord is supposed to be providing additional support
services. With the exception of charities such as LookAhead, there is a
racket where private landlords are taking the money but providing next to
no support. I demanded the Government address the lack of oversight and
regulation.

With fellow Labour Trade Team member Gareth Thomas - I visited the UK's
biggest port by value - Heathrow! It was interesting and useful to have a
look around the cargo area, and also one of Dnata's huge warehouses.

COMMUNITY UPDATE – FEBRUARY

POLICING:  In the five years that Cressida Dick was London's policing
chief, too many have lost faith in the Met. Charing Cross station wasn't
the only example of racism, misogyny and bullying, and a serving officer
with history murdered Sarah Everard. There have been too many examples of
incompetence, young people fear being stopped & searched for no reason and
most rape crimes go unpunished. In many aspects of modern policing other
forces are doing better than the Met, while under Dick things were going
backwards. I was not sorry that Cressida Dick has resigned.

On the other hand, I have met and worked with many good, committed and
understanding officers and look forward to working with our new BCU
Commander, Chief Supt Sean Wilson, who I had a useful meeting with this
month.

 

I was pleased to be at the launch of the long-promised dedicated team for
Hounslow Town Centre which will focus on the High Street and immediate
areas. I hope this new force will ensure people feel safe visiting the High
Street and that local residents see an improvement in anti-social
behavoiur.

WEST LONDON BUSINESS AWARDS: It was a pleasure to attend the annual
ceremony and present the Creative/Media business of the year award with
Annabel Croft. Alliance Dance Unit, featuring many Hounslow children,
provided the entertainment.

THE GURDWARA SRI GURU SINGH SABHA is Hounslow's largest Sikh place of
worship. Seema Malhotra and I met the Trustees as they are concerned the
planning application for the Special School and housing on the vacant site
next door will have an impact on their ceremonial area. I am also concerned
about the way the proposed flats overlook the proposed school which will be
for children with special needs.

CHISWICK LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOOD:  I have had many emails raising
concerns about the latest changes to the south Chiswick LTN - so I met Cllr
Hanif Khan to discuss possible alternative ways to stop the long-distance
rat-running through the area without making life more difficult for
residents, both those who own, and those who don't own a car.

 

I'VE WRITTEN TO SOUTH WESTERN RAIL to raise a number of concerns that
local residents have raised with me recently about the poor services on the
Hounslow line. Service frequency is still not back at pre-pandemic levels,
communication with passengers is poor, and we experience poor reliability
and overcrowding.

 

CITIZENS ADVICE: I met Aiman and Annalisa from Hounslow CAB:  Despite
extra funding from Hounslow Council they can still only help half those who
approach them, such is the rise in demand, with benefit & debt issues
dominating the demand for their services. This rapid growth is a direct
result of Government policies that are leading to growing levels of poverty
in the country.

HOUNSLOW SWIMMING CLUB provide lessons and competition training for local
children, disabled children and women-only groups and their charges are
half those of other swimming clubs using Hounslow pools. However the club
needs more pool time to provide for the demand, especially for the
under-represented groups they see the demand for. It appears that much
pool-time is booked out to clubs without a local connection. I have raised
the club's concerns with Hounslow Cabinet members to seek a resolution.

 

KEEPING IN TOUCH

TWITTER: @RUTHCADBURY [3] WEB: WWW.RUTHCADBURY.ORG.UK [10] FACEBOOK: “
RUTHCADBURYMP [2]”

CASEWORK: for issues to raise with me as your MP, please contact my office:
[email protected]

TEL: 020 8581 3646 OR WRITE: RUTH CADBURY MP, HOUSE OF COMMONS, SW1A 0AA.

DIARY: I welcome the opportunity to attend community events to hear your
views about issues affecting the area, or to meet different groups in our
community. Please do get in touch with by emailing
[email protected] OR PHONE 020 7219 8590

UNSUBSCRIBE [11]

Printed from an email sent by Ruth Cadbury MP 367 Chiswick High Road
London, LON W4 4AG
United Kingdom




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