October has been a fairly dramatic month for those of us working in Westminster. At one stage it seemed events were moving so quickly that my replies to constituent’s emails were almost out of date as soon as I'd sent them!

 

As you will know, we now have a new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. Over recent weeks I’ve increasingly felt that the Conservative leadership was not reflecting the Party on whose manifestos I have been proud to stand for five consecutive elections. So, it was welcome that, in the end, the situation was resolved so quickly. Rishi is a serious and competent leader, I have no doubt that he will provide much needed unity, stability and direction for our country as face the challenging times ahead. I look forward to working with him to ensure the best outcomes for my constituents in Gosport, Stubbington, Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head.

 

The House of Commons returned following the death of Her Majesty the Queen. I took the opportunity to make my oath of allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III.

Back in Parliament, I took part in a debate on sewage pollution. Regular readers will know that this is something I have long been campaigning on. This Government have gone further than any other to drive improved monitoring of our seas and rivers. Only 5% of outflows were measured in 2016, today that’s 90%. I urged the Minister to go further and faster with Government targets for water companies to end sewage outflows and asked for water quality testing to be monitored year-round, rather than just across the summer.

 

The Environment Secretary also announced a very welcome 1000-fold increase in fines for sewage companies who illegally dump sewage into our waterways. The maximum fine that the Environment Agency can give is now £250 million.

As former Minister for both Health and Social Care and Digital and Culture, I was delighted to be asked to be a Commissioner for the Creative Health Review. This study will explore the health benefits of creative pursuits. I’m sure we all recognise the therapeutic impact of activities from gardening to singing, theatre to handicrafts and as an MP I have seen how organisations like Singing for the Brain and the Gosport Men’s Shed have a positive impact locally. I look forward to applying this evidence on a national scale to fully harness the power that creativity can have in helping physical and mental wellbeing.

 

The landmark Online Safety Bill, which I worked on for nearly two years as Minister for Digital, is due to return to Parliament soon, and this month I took part in a Westminster Hall debate focusing on Online Harms. We all know the positive impact that the internet has in our lives but it is largely unregulated, meaning there are few measures in place to ensure that online platforms are protecting children and other vulnerable users from illegal and harmful content. The Bill is an enormous piece of legislation, which will put in place the systems and processes to begin to put this right. 

There was a very welcome and nostalgic sound ringing around the Parliamentary estate this month- Big Ben was bonging once again! Tests were conducted on the bells, giving us a taste of what is to come once refurbishments are over.

 

Earlier this year I was chosen by the Foreign Secretary to be a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together legislators from NATO member countries to consider security-related issues of common interest and concern. This month, the role took me to South Korea where my committee met with South Korea’s Foreign Minister, US and NATO defence forces and visited the De-Militarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.

 

Back in the constituency, I’ve had plenty of visits and meetings this month.

 

It was great to join so many volunteers litter picking in the sunshine for the Great Big Green Week organised by Gosport and Fareham Friends of the Earth.

I also joined the brilliant Repair Café for their first anniversary. A community non-profit which started with a Hampshire County Council waste reduction grant, a team of whizzy volunteers are on hand at Make Gosport in Quay Lane, on the second Saturday of each month, to fix broken household items, from sewing machines to vacuum cleaners. In the last 12 months their efforts have saved over 475kg of waste from going into landfill.

 

This month also saw the news that the Home Office is looking at the feasibility of reopening the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (IRC). It is good that a future is finally being decided for this site which currently sits empty and increasingly dilapidated. I spoke to BBC Radio Solent to outline my position. My regular Gosport Taskforce also took place this month and this was one of the items on the agenda. Representatives from the Home Office have now joined this group following the announcement.

 

In other welcome news for train commuters in the constituency, the Portsmouth Direct Upgrade is now underway. This will improve reliability, journey times and capacity on the Portsmouth to London line.

 

Queen Alexandra Hospital has also received final approval for the new Emergency Department by the Department for Health & Social Care and HM Treasury. After fighting hard for the funding, this is a very welcome and long overdue investment to improve the inadequate A&E service in our region.

 

I also visited the Gosport Oil Fuel Depot which has recently completed an £80 million redevelopment and replacement of the fuel tanks. Providing fuel for Navy ships for well over a century, this site is a vital part of our defence infrastructure.

I met with Hampshire CAMHS (Child Adolescent Mental Health Services) who provide support and services to young people struggling with their mental health. We discussed the importance of signposting children and their parents to the right support as quickly as possible. They have an extremely useful website that offers valuable advice and guidance.

 

As winter approaches, the NHS is ramping up its flu and COVID vaccination programme. I recently volunteered at a local vaccine clinic to support the hard-working GP staff. With both COVID and seasonal flu cases on the rise, I would urge local people to get their jabs. It’s also vital to keep those appointments. In the morning clinic I attended 16 people didn’t show up for their appointment, denying others who would have happily filled that slot.

Autism Hampshire are a fantastic charity providing services and assistance for autistic people and their families in our area. This month, I caught up with their new Chief Executive to discuss how services are being delivered in Gosport, and how I can support their work.

 

I also met with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to discuss the services they regulate across health and social care in our area. From acute hospitals, like the Queen Alexandra, to GPs, and from Adult Social Care to ambulance services, they have a new inspection framework which gives much more information about the quality of care we can expect. You can also give them feedback on a local health or social care service. 

 

I spoke at the Youth Parliament Eco Conference at Winchester College, attended by schools from across our region. It was good to see the keen interest that young people take in issues that concern the wellbeing of our natural world and the future of our planet.

Meoncross school paid a visit to Parliament, and I was delighted to catch up with them on their tour. Increasing engagement with politics and Parliament is really important to me as an MP. If you are ever in Westminster and would like a tour of Parliament, please do get in touch with my office and my team will be happy to arrange it.

These kind of opportunities for young people are so important both for their own development and in reducing anti-social behaviour.

 

This month Y Services for Young People held a showcase of their local services at their new home in the Freedom Centre in Gosport. I chatted to volunteers and youth workers about the different events and groups they run, for as little as £1 a session!

I always enjoy meeting businesses in our constituency who are so vital to local economic prosperity. This month was no different, I visited Momentum Electrical in Victoria Quay who were recently awarded Alcumus SafeContractor accreditation, recognising their excellent health and safety standards. I also joined Hooper’s Milkshake and Sandwich Bar for their grand opening on Forton Road.

I also met with Spar Investments, the new owners of the Sanderson Centre. Home to over 80 local businesses, it really is a hub for the local economy! They recently celebrated their 50th anniversary and are undergoing a process of modernising the site.

A useful source of information and support for business in our region is the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). I met with them to hear about their latest funding streams and help available to businesses in Gosport.

Alongside Grange ward councillors, Maggie Morgan and Tony Jessop, I organised a meeting this month between Vivid Housing Association and residents of Ark Royal House. This was a very useful platform for residents to raise concerns with the management of the building.

 

Many constituents have contacted me regarding the proposed sale of Haven House and Haven Cottage at the Titchfield Haven nature reserve, leading to the closure of the visitors centre, shop and café. I met with Cllr Oppenheimer, the Executive Member for Countryside, Culture and Communities at Hampshire County Council to discuss these concerns. We talked about potential funding streams to avoid closure of this much-loved asset. A consultation is open for residents to express their views until November 1.

 

Local key workers may be interested to hear of a discount scheme. Network Digital Marketing have partnered with over 1400 retailers to offer discounts to nurses, teachers, carers (including unpaid carers!) and other key worker groups. This is applied on a range of products from groceries, holidays, entertainment and utility bills.

 

Finally, as ever, my team and I are on stand-by to assist you with any issues or concerns you may have. Please do get in touch at [email protected]