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GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.210 -
Last week I put out an explainer video on inflation, visited Lancashire with the Prime Minister and met the Japanese Finance Minister. Locally I was in touch with Lisa Townsend, our Police & Crime Commissioner, about what more Surrey Police can do to fight bike theft in Haslemere and also released my South West Surrey Annual Report ([link removed]) - my round up of an incredibly busy 2022.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER

TREASURY UPDATE Last week I put out a video about the need to tackle inflation ([link removed]) seen by more than four million people (a Treasury record), helped (it has to be said) by a fair amount of ribbing online. It is part of my job to explain why abstract economic concepts actually matter - and indeed in this case is the root cause of so much industrial unrest. This was my reaction to the actual inflation number of 10.5% ([link removed]) , still stubbornly high and with food inflation at a shocking 16.8%. I also visited Accrington ([link removed]) in
Lancashire to announce £20m to help regenerate its town centre & renovate the Grade II listed Market Hall into a bustling food hall and trading space. It was a day when the levelling up agenda got some knocking - I would simply say that it matters, wherever you are in the country. If our regions were as prosperous as regions in other large countries our GDP would be 5% higher which is an awful lot more doctors, nurses and police officers.

MAKING MONEY SAFER - We are lucky to live in one of the world’s largest and most open economies but that is sometimes exploited by criminals. So this week we progressed the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill ([link removed]) , which returned to the Commons for its Committee Stage this week. Research has shown that between 2000 and October 2019, nearly 1000 UK-based companies were involved in almost 90 cases of corruption and money laundering amounting to £137bn in economic damage. This Bill will increase the powers of Companies House to sort these issues out and I hope, bear down further on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse the financial system.

PATIENT SAFETY - As you may remember, prior to becoming Chancellor, I was Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and focused heavily on the issue of patient safety (even writing a book on it Zero ([link removed]) ) So on Tuesday morning, I was pleased to see my old Select Committee taking evidence ([link removed]) on the links between pressures on A&E departments and excess patient deaths. It’s been a very difficult time for the NHS but there are now plans in place for 7,000 additional beds which should make a big difference in A & E.

COVID UPDATE Something that should help is that as of 20th January, the total number of Covid cases in England has decreased yet again, with the ONS now reporting that 1 in 40 have the virus ([link removed]) , compared to 1 in 25 the previous week. The government’s Coronavirus dashboard ([link removed]) corroborates this, showing that cases are down 44.9%, hospitalisations down 27.4% and deaths down by 23.1%. Only 64.6% of all eligible people in England have now received their autumn booster, so click here ([link removed]) to book yours.

The key number remains 0300 200 1008 for anyone with pandemic related difficulties. Also please check out my full list of local groups ([link removed]) working to support vulnerable residents.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY

BRAMLEY SEWAGE LEAKS Last Friday a substantial sewage leak occurred in Bramley, with raw sewage leaking into the River Wey for a whole week - rather ironically since less than two months ago we had a public meeting with the head of Thames Water and the Environment agency in Bramley itself. I’ve been told by residents that it took ten Thames Water lorries to suck the sewage out of the Wey. As I’ve said before, (including at the public meeting) these overflows are totally unacceptable. I heard from some that even this time, some Thames Water employees didn’t appear to be taking the situation seriously so have raised this as a matter of urgency with CEO Sarah Bentley and plan to check the site myself at the weekend.

MORE RECYCLING PLEASE - As many of you may remember, last year I sent out a survey on a range of environmental issues (as part of my Green Spaces ([link removed]) campaign), including single-use plastic waste. Over 90% of respondents joined me in asking our local supermarkets to increase the availability of proper recycling. So this week I have written to the CEOs of every supermarket in South West Surrey to ask what they are currently doing to ensure that we can recycle easily and effectively in-store, and also what further steps they will be taking to allow a wider variety of waste to be recycled.

IN FIPS AND STARTS -The Farnham Infrastructure Programme (FIP) was formed at my instigation in 2019 when I, Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council, Farnham Town Council committed to work together to tackle the town's air quality and congestion issues. The last Board meeting of the Group was in December and we will soon see - finally - more visible progress. Some of the highlights include new 20mph zones and speed limits (in the town centre, Weydon Lane and Upper Hale Road) and the finalisation of wayfinding maps in the form of totems which have started to pop up around the town to aid navigation without relying on a car. A lot of work continues on a wide range of other short and medium-term interventions along with many projects outside the town centre such as the cutting back of foliage on the approach to Wrecclesham bridge, getting Wrecclesham bridge repainted the bridge to make it more conspicuous and a feasibility study to identify options to stop it getting hit by HGVs. For
more information on the programme please email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

CANCER CAMPAIGN GETS A BOOST - I was delighted this week when the Royal Surrey County Hospital confirmed that our fundraising campaign for the Cancer Centre has received a £25,000 boost from a charitable foundation. Huge thanks must go to this organisation for their support. The Royal Surrey is already a regional centre for cancer but the new centre will be a game changing development treating around 7,000 more people a year and tapping into the latest cutting edge expertise in robotic surgery. For more information and (dare I say it) how to donate, clickhere. ([link removed])

LOCAL CRIME In addition to Lisa Townsend’s (our Police & Crime Commissioner) community meeting on Wednesday 1st Feb at 6pm in the Lecture Hall at Haslemere Museum, the rescheduled Farnham Community meeting is now taking place on Tuesday 31st January. This session also starts at 6pm and will be held in The Ivy Room at the Ivy Lane Club. For both of these sessions, there’s no need to book in advance.

COLD WEATHER PAYMENTS for those on relevant benefits have been triggered for those living in GU7, GU8, GU9, GU10, GU26 & GU27 for the period 16/01/23 - 22/01/23 which means that the average temperature at a specified weather station (in this case Odiham) must be recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below for seven consecutive days. The DWP’s Cold Weather Payment pages ([link removed]) provide further information for claimants, and the DWP also publishes statistics on the current Cold Weather Payment season ([link removed]) .

JOIN ME Want to get more involved locally? Email me at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to join my growing team supporting our work in our community.

AND FINALLY BACK TO SMELLING THE COFFEE…in the space of 3 months, it appears I’ve gone from Bond ([link removed]) toBean ([link removed]) - I look forward to seeing what the next 3 months bring!!

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Promoted by Sean Donovan-Smith on behalf of Jeremy Hunt MP and South West Surrey Conservatives, all at 2 Royal Parade, Tilford Road, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6TD.

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