A Letter From Our MP

Dear Parish,

Welcome to the April edition of my monthly newsletter reporting back what I have been up to here in West Sussex or in Westminster. I’m sending it a few days before the start of the month as it’s been a busy March and I’m conscious some will be away or looking forward to celebrating Easter.

Readers often remark that there is a lot in these newsletters. The truth is that I don’t have room for more than a fraction of what I do in the interests of length so the best way to see it all is to follow my Facebook or Instagram pages.

I write – optimistic for peace – but against the backdrop of continuing wars in Iran and Ukraine.  This certainly coloured the debate in Westminster as many aspects of national life from the weakness of our Navy, our lack of energy security and the parlous state of our public finances have all been exposed as wanting. All are fixable but this will require leadership and honest conversations. And of course there is a nasty cost-of-living headwind coming.

Locally, the big news is a government plan to smash up West Sussex into bits – something literally no constituent has ever said to me is a priority, let alone at this moment in time. Read more about it below.

On a more positive note I also write below about an inspiring meeting with carers, progress on bringing average speed cameras to West Sussex and a great turn out yesterday for my roadside litter pick.

Finally, I wish you and your family a very happy Easter.

With the most rural constituency in West Sussex I am acutely aware that many rely on oil or LPG for heating their home. The cost of this has almost doubled at an extra cost of around £600 per tank. Although government cannot solve every problem, I was quick to remind ministers that protections in place for electricity do not apply to heating oil users.

A modest £53 million fund has been put forwards but only for those in receipt of benefits leaving many on low fixed incomes ignored. And so far, nothing for farmers whose ‘red diesel’ has moved similarly in price.

The KSS Air Ambulance is a charity that relies almost entirely on donations, and I will continue to do everything I can in Westminster and Sussex to support their life saving missions. You can find more about them here.

After a consultation and public meetings with constituents, I voted against this Bill in the House of Commons although it did get enough backing to continue. Concerns about the safeguards then arose in the House of Lords when they conducted their detailed scrutiny.

The Bill does not sufficiently guard against coercion or protect the most vulnerable people in our society. Issues included face-to-face assessments, eating disorders, vulnerable groups, multidisciplinary input, opt-in arrangements for medical professionals, powers of attorney, patient motivation and hospice concerns. These are material issues that go directly to the safety, workability and legal consequences of the Bill.

The medical profession’s view also remains unchanged. Not a single medical Royal College supports this Bill, while the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians have said it is unsafe.

There is nothing to stop a future bill in Parliament on this topic but given its complexity, I would hope all sides might agree that rather than a limited-time private members bill, there could be some form of long period for pre-legislative scrutiny such as a Royal Commission before any future such proposals.

This could see a division between inland and coastal areas or a split down the middle of West Sussex. The current leading proposal, announced in Parliament this week, would see Chichester district end up in a ridiculous authority which includes Crawley and Arundel end up in one with Shoreham!

Splitting up the current West Sussex County Council would mean:

• New boundaries impacting school catchment areas
• Disruption to social care
• Delays or disjointed road repairs
• Two expensive County Halls instead of one
• Your council tax spent on more officer salaries and less services

Following the views of my residents – not one of whom has ever said this is a priority for them  with everything else going on in the world and our country – I have opposed this re-organisation from the start.

The battle to save our County is on. Awareness and apathy is the challenge so please spread the word.  And do let me know what you think?

The message is clear with 95% believing it has already taken too long and that authorities should step in to force progress. I hope it does not come to this but there are compulsory purchase powers which can be used by the local authority if plans don’t come forward for the site soon.

A majority of respondents prioritise speed over conservation, wanting the site cleared and rebuilt symathetically so our local town can finally thrive again.

With our constituency being the third oldest in the country, the challenges facing carers (whether looking after a spouse or a child with severe needs) are a large part of my daily casework.

I shared my own experience with the group, as I know first hand how exhausting it is to act as an advocate or to battle for joined up support from multiple agencies 24/7. I am so grateful to Caroline Pope and her team for their vital work, who make sure our unseen carers are seen, heard, and supported remains a top priority for me.

Katy and I are agreed about the benefits of bringing this technology to West Sussex and she will shortly be launching her own consultation about doing so.

Following my own recent Road Safety Survey, I am pushing for this tech to be rolled out on identified ‘hotspots’ like the A272, the A285, and the A283 Steyning Bypass. it will take time but I know cannot come quickly enough for many.

I am hugely grateful for their efforts and over 20 large bags were filled just from a short stretch of single carriageway road between the Ford road roundabout and the Crossbush roundabout.

Thank you too to Michael Tu, Arundel Town Councillor, who joined us and some of the staff from the local branch of McDonalds who participated and provided bags and equipment.

We were not permitted to pick on the faster, A27 itself, but as well as leading by example I will also put pressure on National Highways to properly remove litter from that too.

It was great to hear about his ambitious plans for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, but our conversation also turned to the serious hurdles facing the industry. We discussed the critical importance of bio-security to protect our landscape whilst also ensuring checks for trusted traders are carried out sensibly so as to not to damage stock.

These are bread-and-butter issues for rural businesses. Following our meeting, I have written to the Secretary of State for Defra to formally raise these concerns and ensure our growers get the support they need to flourish.

It was a fantastic morning at St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Pulborough, where I held a Q&A with some very bright and buzzy Year 7 students.

We dove straight into the heart of democracy, where I answered questions on how local and central government work together and why we have the laws that keep our society safe. The pupils were particularly curious about future General Elections and what my day-to-day role in Parliament involves. It is always refreshing to see such keen interest in how our country is run from our future young adults.

Nationally, I would like to see the cost and time of the planning process reduced as well as removal of the ‘two-tier’ system which treats so-called ‘Gypsy, Roma and Travellers’ in a different manner to everyone else. I’ve no issues with anyone’s lifestyle but we should all be equal before the law.

Pic: Andrew Griffith with Roger Agate and Matt of The Sportsman in Amberley

It has been wonderful see The Sportsman in Amberley grow from strength to strength just months after being saved by the community when the pub was threatened with permanent closure.  The icing on the cake is being crowned Best Pub in Sussex by the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).  It was great to drop in to see Roger and Matt and some of the team who brought the project to life and kept the beer flowing.

This weekend is their Beer Festival featuring 15 cask ales and 3 craft kegs as well ciders, food, and music.  Do get out and support – or if you miss it pop in for a beer anyway – and enjoy some of the very best views of any pub I can think of – quite spectacular!

After pressure on ministers by myself and other MPs, to make the system fairer the DVSA is introducing major changes this spring and summer to stop bots and resellers from gazumping local learners.

Starting 12th May, only learner drivers will be permitted to book or change car tests. From 9th June, you will also be restricted to moving a booking only to the three nearest test centres, preventing people from slot squatting across the country. This follows the 31st March rule change, which cut the number of allowed booking amendments from six down to two.

I am relieved we’ve won this battle and I hope many more of our young people can get on the road safely without being exploited.

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Kind regards,