GOOD AFTERNOON & welcome to my South West Surrey update No.214
A historic week nationally with the unveiling of the Windsor Framework which even critics are conceding is a remarkable achievement for Rishi Sunak. I have been to the G20 finance ministers meeting in India and then head down in my budget preparations with just under two weeks to go. Locally, I’ve been continuing to support Bramley residents on environmental issues and have followed up with Waverley my suggestion they should designate bathing areas in the Wey - as well as doing an 11 mile marathon training run around Hambledon and Hascombe (the best cure for jetlag!),
WHAT’S GOING ON IN WESTMINSTER
TREASURY UPDATE Last week I updated you from the G20 meeting in Bengaluru in India which was my first international trip as Chancellor. It was also my first trip back to the city for 38 years after backpacking there in 1985 when it was called Bangalore. Since then it has become Asia’s Silicon Valley, with a greater concentration of tech jobs even than California. The trip was productive on many levels. I started by meeting our host, the Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a delightful Anglophile who lived in London for five years. India is in many ways the most remarkable of the world’s democracies and although it has been reticent in public about the invasion of Ukraine we spoke extensively about the risks presented by the situation. We also discussed what I hope will be a landmark free trade deal between our countries which could mean much better access for UK financial services organisations. I also met my G7 counterparts - including America's Secretary Yellen and France's Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, to discuss the challenges facing the global economy and how we keep the economic pressure up on Putin. There was a definite sense that solving the Northern Ireland protocol issues was removing a major block in relations with countries who are our most natural allies.
THE WINDSOR FRAMEWORK As I am sure you have already seen, this week has brought about a historic agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union: the Windsor Framework, which replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol. It marks a turning point for the people of Northern Ireland and begins to fix the practical problems they face whilst preserving the delicate balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. It was a personal triumph for Rishi Sunak. I know I am biassed as his Chancellor but to me it vindicates his approach to running the country: patient, hard work; attention to detail but then sticking to his guns when he finds the right solution. The new agreement, internationally binding under the Vienna Convention, includes a ‘Stormont Brake’ which means new EU goods laws can be vetoed if both communities in Northern Ireland do not support them. A new green lane has been created to remove any sense of a border in the Irish Sea - and Northern Ireland will benefit from the same VAT, food, drink and medicines as the rest of the United Kingdom. Importantly it is supported by key Brexit supporters like Steve Baker MP and David Davis MP and key remain supporters of remain such as Theresa May MP. Almost seven years after the referendum, it looks like we can finally focus on achieving the benefits of Brexit.
NHS TRANSFORMATION - We all know the NHS is struggling, and it’s why I found extra funding for the health and care systems in my Autumn Statement. Locally, the Royal Surrey and Frimley Park continue to do an excellent job and we are counting the months before the new Cancer Centre opens at the former (for which many thanks for your fantastic support). But across the country the fact remains that despite more doctors, more nurses and more funding the NHS has not returned to pre-pandemic levels of activity. So a few of my thoughts on the issue in this week’s newsletter:
Firstly, my experience as both Health Secretary and Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee tells me much of it is a pandemic hangover: infection control measures that are (rightly) stricter than before, combined with exhaustion amongst staff who did such a magnificent job. Some of those issues will resolve themselves, but on the latter, a long-term workforce plan will be essential to reassure those on the frontline that the pressures they feel at the moment, will not last forever. I announced such a plan would be developed at the Autumn Statement and work is continuing on it apace.
Secondly the issue of pay, given the current wave of strikes. We are open to discussing all pay issues except awards that would themselves be inflationary. But there is absolutely no point in funding an award that means inflation and interest rates stay higher for longer. To do that would simply mean insidious inflation continues to eat into people’s pay for years to come - prolonging rather than solving a cost of living crisis.
But thirdly there are many other things the NHS could do to increase activity levels. One of them is to scrap the hundreds of targets that mean managers on the frontline are micro-managed in a way that does not happen in any other health system. Patricia Hewitt is now conducting a review into the way targets work and I hope she will lead the way to a dramatic reduction in such targets. Another is to reverse a mistake from two decades ago when we scrapped the system of everyone having their own GP. The evidence is clear: seeing the same doctor makes you less likely to go to hospital and less likely to die. Finally, we need reforms to social care to help get people out of hospital more quickly, something I addressed with an extra £4.7 billion of funding in November. In short, we need a mixture of short-term support and long-term reforms: no quick fix, but with determination we really can transform the NHS so we are as proud of it nationally as we continue to be locally.
COVID UPDATE - Unfortunately, the number of Covid cases in England has continued to increase, with the ONS reporting that 1 in 45 now have the virus compared to 1 in 55 the previous week. The government’s Coronavirus dashboard confirms this, showing that cases are up 20.09%, hospitalisations up 12% although most importantly, deaths are down by 19.5%.
The key number is 0300 200 1008 for anyone with pandemic related difficulties. Also, check out my full list of local groups working to support vulnerable residents.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH WEST SURREY
PROTECTING GREEN SPACES - Sewage discharges into the River Wey have been problematic for some time now, and having raised this in the House of Commons and with the previous Secretary of State, I am pleased to see that DEFRA have announced plans to go even further, to increase the number of monitors installed in storm overflows. We get criticised by Labour and the LibDems on this, so it is worth noting that under the last Labour Government left office, just 7% of storm overflows had monitors installed, but we have increased this annually, and are aiming to ensure that 100% of storm overflows have monitors installed by the end of 2023. You may have also seen that I am looking into designated bathing areas along the Wey, especially as we have a fantastic river community in South West Surrey, made up of wild swimmers, canoeists and paddle boarders alike. Please take a look at my website and get in touch by email to let me know what you think on the issue.
BRAMLEY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS - Good news of a sort: officers from the Environment Agency have attended the site, and have confirmed that there is currently no evidence of fuel contamination of the local watercourse, and there are no water abstraction points in the vicinity. During a further visit from Waverley on 20/02, officers didn’t witness any odour issues on the High St, or pollution of the brook. They also checked a domestic oil tank nearby. Although I am still waiting on a copy of the pressure test report from the Petroleum Officer at SCC Trading Standards, they have advised that the initial results are in order. I’ve been told that a further pressure test was carried out on Friday, with results due this week. SCC have also checked the integrity of the interceptor at the filling station, and are satisfied that is not an issue.
Waverley have also been liaising with Thames Water about work they have recently done to the sewers, and although Thames Water haven’t found any pollution, they did purge the sewer to flush through any potential blockages. As a result, Waverley has asked them to check the integrity of the sewer along the High St to the brook, to see if there are any defects. I am concerned that if the sewer has been compromised, contaminated liquids discharged into the sewer could escape into the groundwater, potentially impacting cellars/causing this worrying odour. To establish if there is a link between these two incidents, I immediately got back in touch with Thames Water, and am awaiting a response. I will of course update you again as soon as I know more.
HOPPING INTO THE FINAL - The fantastic Waverley hoppa Community Transport has made it through to the finals of the 2023 Smiley Charity Film Awards. Their short film was made to raise awareness about their service, and to answer some of the questions people have when they find they are no longer able to drive, and cannot access other transport (but still need to go shopping and attend medical appointments). Please watch their film, share with those who may benefit from their services, and vote for hoppa! Your vote will help hoppa be in with a chance of winning a People’s Choice Award.
ON A POSITIVE NOTE - Saturday’s concert in Haslemere turned into lots of positive notes of song, and positive notes of money, raising an amazing £3,700 for the Royal Surrey’s Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre. Massive thanks to the indomitable Judith Storey and her team of volunteers for the hard work they put in to make the evening such a success. A huge thanks must also go to Home Instead Godalming and Moma restaurant in Haslemere for sponsoring the event. The four groups of singers; Royal Surrey choir, Midhurst Community choir, Haslemere Rock choir, and Haslemere Players joined together (led by Musical Director, Jake Hellier) to sing “We are the Champions” after a fabulous four sets. The evening was well attended - guests included His Honour Christopher Critchlow DL - High Sheriff of Surrey, Angela Richardson MP and Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey. With many more events in the pipeline, fundraising for this campaign is going from strength to strength.
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