Work in Parliament

Heathrow was the focus of national headlines when it was forced to close following a fire at on of the electricity substation that supplies power to the airport. For those in west London the story highlighted a different issue: how much worse would the impact of such a major incident should the airport be increased in size by 50%? I raised this with Ministers during an emergency debate on the airport’s closure.

I spoke about disabled people’s access to transport in a debate led by former Chiswick MP, Ruth Cadbury, focused on the lack of step free access at Kew Bridge and Gunnersbury stations and the impact this has on those who are disabled or who have mobility issues.

I’ve had a lot of constituents writing to me about the Spring Statement, particularly those who are concerned about cuts in welfare benefits. It’s quite a complex picture, with some benefits rising and others liable to fall or be taken away entirely in the next few years. I’ve sent a fairly detailed response setting out the full proposals and offering to help any residents who think they may be made more vulnerable by the changes. You can see my letter here.

Last Thursday I took part in a wide-ranging debate on knife crime, where I spoke about the need for harm reduction. I focused on the work of the safer knives group, of which I am a member, and their calls to replace pointed kitchen knives into safer, rounded-tip knives. Most people do not use the pointed tip of their kitchen knives in cooking and pointed knives are more likely to pierce vital organs and sever arteries—injuries that are far more likely to be fatal.

In Israel and Gaza there was a very small glimmer of hope provided by the ceasefire. But after delaying any forward progress, Israel has broken the ceasefire in most violent terms, with over 400 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children. Basic services are not operating, with half of Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities damaged or destroyed along with most of the region’s schools and hospitals.

Given the breach of the ceasefire, the UK government has to do a lot more to support the rights of Palestinians, in particular asserting their rights under international law, controlling arms supplies and giving security to Palestinians by recognising state of Palestine. This is something I recently challenged the government on as well as asking the wider question as to what action the British government will take.

Assisted Dying Bill

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is continuing to make its way through the Commons, with the report stage set to take place at the end of April.

The Public Bill Committee held a number of evidence sessions before undertaking line by line scrutiny of the Bill, with amendments considered. Now that the Committee has finished examining the Bill, there will be a final opportunity for MPs to vote on whether to approve it. It will then also need to pass through the House of Lords.

The Bill is getting more scrutiny that any previous Private Members’ Bills and more than many public bills. There have been two weeks of hearings, and more than 50 witnesses have been called. As well as the scrutiny it is receiving in Parliament it is also receiving significant scrutiny in the press, which is only right.

There’s been significant amendment to the Bill in committee. This strengthens the safeguards in my opinion and I intend to support it in its remaining stages in the House of Commons.

NHS dentistry

I am often contacted by constituents who are struggling to register with an NHS dentist, with many people on waiting lists for over 12 months. This is true for so many people in the UK, and according to the British Dental Association, there are around 13 million people unable to access NHS dentistry.

In Hammersmith and Chiswick, there are 37 dental practices, and of these, 25 take NHS patients. These 25 practices serve nearly 117, 000 residents, meaning it’s no surprise that waiting lists are so long.

Dental care and treatment are a very important part of the overall health and wellbeing of our society. Without it, health inequalities begin to arise, where those with the ability to pay for dental treatment have access, and those who cannot afford it are left without. Untreated dental issues can lead to serious and painful health complications that could have easily been avoided by routine dental check-ups.

The Public Accounts Committee session on NHS dentistry made it clear that there is insufficient funding for the whole population to have access to an NHS dentist, but this cannot be an accepted reality. The government must do more to ensure accessibility to NHS dental treatment for everyone who wants to access this service.

Local Policing

Some good news on crime and policing as the government introduces a major new law to tackle everything from online offences and anti-social behaviour to knife crime and cuckooing. There have been big falls in robbery and other violent crime in Hammersmith and in Chiswick in the past year. Almost a 20% fall in overall crime in Chiswick and over a thousand fewer victims in Hammersmith compared with a year ago. It is not all good news however with the town centres still being crime hotspots and shoplifting a growing problem.

I am talking to the police in both boroughs about strategies to address this. This week I met with Craig Knight the Superintendent with responsibility for Hammersmith and Fulham, and last week I met with Chief Superintendent Jill Horsfall, who is the new Commander for Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow.

Out and About

Last Friday I did a walkabout in Hammersmith town centre with representatives of local businesses and investors, who spoke to me about some of the ideas they had for improving the area and the problems that local businesses and employers are facing.

Earlier this week I met with the chair of the Grove Park Group to discuss a number of local issues. The group has carried out a full survey of its local residents and has come up with a list of local priorities they have asked me to help with through engagement with Hounslow Council and other local bodies. These include the state of paving on local streets, concerns about how low traffic neighbourhoods are working and other environmental issues.

This Saturday is the Addison Singers Spring Concert, where the choir will be performing  Mendelssohn’s Elijah. I would definitely recommend buying a ticket and details can be found on their website.

Last weekend I attended a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 at Chiswick School.

I was thoroughly impressed by the school’s performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony last year and thought it would be difficult to top, but they managed to go one better with Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, one of the most difficult pieces in the classical repertoire. The school’s musical education is superb, thanks in large part to the head of music, Zac Moxon.

Today I spoke in the debate on St Patrick’s day, to talk about the Irish community in Hammersmith and particularly the wonderful Irish Cultural Centre, which continues to go from strength to strength.

Sulgrave Youth Club

The Sulgrave Youth Club will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year.

As part of the celebrations, the club is collecting memorabilia and personal recollections to build an archive to reflect the Sulgrave Club’s work with young people through its 100 years of history.

If you are a former member and have memories or memorabilia of your time at the club, then your help would be very much welcome. You can get in touch at centenary@thesulgraveclub.org.uk.

By-election results

We’ve had several local by-elections in the last month, and we’re pleased to welcome three new Labour Councillors: Callum Nimmo for Hammersmith Broadway Ward, Lydia Paynter for Lillie Ward and Max Moseley for Brentford East Ward.

All seats were comfortably held by Labour and I wish all three the best in their future roles. I know they will all do an excellent job in representing their constituents.

Justice Select Committee

The Justice Committee, which I chair, is well into its stride, with 11 MPs from the three main parties putting their energies into improving our courts and prisons.  We have three main inquiries underway into tackling drugs and organised crime in prisons, rehabilitation of offenders and the performance of the county court, which handles the vast majority of civil claims.

I have raised these and other justice issues in the Commons and in private meetings with ministers and officials.  We have visited courts and prisons around the country.  I was very impressed by one rehabilitation project right here in White City. Key4Life trains former prolific offenders on building a life outside crime who then go into prisons to mentor others.  Recent committee sessions have included taking evidence from senior judges such as the Master of the Rolls, responsible for AI and digitisation in the justice system, and experts on prison security.  We also find time for more discrete investigations, for example into the Criminal Cases Review Commission which looks at possible miscarriages of justice and a proposed National Oversight Mechanism which will track the recommendations of inquests and inquiries, like Horizon, Contaminated Blood and Grenfell, to ensure they are implemented.

Catherine Stables

Last week I paid my respects at the funeral of Catherine Stables, a long-term Hammersmith resident and one of the founders of Brackenbury Residents Association. Catherine was very well know locally and a champion of so many local issues. She was assiduous in standing up for people in Hammersmith and she is greatly missed by those who knew her.