June news from Freddie van Mierlo MP

I wanted to start a massive thank you to everyone who sponsored me to abseil Dorchester Abbey tower in aid of two very worthy causes Be Free Young Carers and Dorchester Abbey. We raised over £1000! I'm also relieved to report that I reached the ground in one piece - see photo above!

May saw the start of a new parliamentary ‘Session’. That means the Government set out its legislative agenda in a King's Speech, and also all previous activity has been reset. Previous Early Day Motions, Written Questions, and Private Members Bills have all been archived and consigned to posterity. That’s the theory - in reality very little changes and I continue to grind on with campaigning locally and on national issues. Plus ca change!

Campaigns
I took the opportunity of a statement in the house on HS2’s colossal £100 billion price tag to raise how just a few million pounds would massively benefit active travel protects like the Thame-Haddenham Greenway. I was also pleased this month to see the Environment Agency (EA) present its plans to Henley and Shiplake residents to fix Marsh Lock Bridge. I spent 3 hours at the event, fielding questions myself as well as asking them of the EA. It’s clear to me that whilst residents were encouraged to see progress they were impatient and frustrated at the wasted time arguing over who owns the bridge. I won’t be happy either until I can walk to the Baskerville with my dogs and stop for a pint.

The campaign to get Oxford University Hospitals (includes the John Radcliffe Hospital) to give patients in Oxfordshire a new life changing drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has reached a conclusion, it will be amongst the first hospital trusts to order the medication following NICE approval. Whilst I’m bitterly disappointed the Trust stuck stubbornly to its decision not to take part in an early access initiative, I’m relieved that the medicine is now available here.

Finally, with the new session, my proposed legislation on fines for water companies fell, but the Government has proposed new legislation and I’ll be re-tabling my ideas - this time as amendments to a Government Bill. I'll also be including one to ensure privately owned water companies in England and Wales are held to the same code of conduct as publicly  owned bodies. My campaign to hold water companies to account continues...

In Westminster
It’s been stop and start in Westminster with prorogation and a recess, but my select committee found time to explore developments in agri-tech including hydroponics. Which linked in nicely with a visit I made to Chinnor Allotmentson peat free horticulture - if only I’d heard their expertise before the committee session!

I also attended an APPG meeting on ADHD - highlighting the need to implement the results of the Government's taskforce on ADHD. Meanwhile I’m pressing still for waiting lists to reopen in Oxfordshire and to get a proper service in place that can cope with demand.

I also spoke at the second reading of the Government’s Health Bill. This legislation is unlikely to make headlines but brings in some significant changes to the NHS’s structure - giving more powers to the Secretary of State for health to intervene directly in local services. I welcome the fact that this will provide an opportunity for local campaigns to be escalated to the highest level when cuts or changes are proposed.

Across the constituency
It was great to visit Mill Lane Primary School in Chinnor last month,  the Headteacher invited me and local County Councillor Georgina Heritage to visit the school to observe their daily struggle with temporary buildings still in use but long past their sell by date - the school has long been waiting for improvements. Very similar concerns about school buildings and maintenance were also raised on a visit to the vibrant Peppard Primary School in Rotherfield Peppard.  I’ve made it clear to Oxfordshire County Council these concerns must urgently be addressed. 

Alongside the Allotments and Mill Lane School, my visit to Chinnor also included a visit to the brilliant Chinnor Community Church Tots and Baby group. I enjoyed a lovely lunch with the group and had some really useful conversations with local mums and dads around how essential paternity leave and pay is, as well as flexible working, and local support networks.

Sticking with the school theme, I went back to Chilworth House - a specialist school for children with SEND. We covered the Government’s White Paper proposed reforms with parents, as I heard how transformational this kind of provision can be. Later in the month I heard from more parents about their SEND experiences at the SEND crisis evening forum in Thame.

In Henley I met with Scottish and Southern Electric (SSE) to visit a substation and hear all about their work keeping the lights on and minimising disruption where work is required. It follows on from a question I asked previously in parliament on rural power network resilience.

Over in Reading, I met with the new Chief Executive of the Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. At the meeting, I stressed how valuable Townlands is and hope to work with him to make it even stronger.

I was grateful to receive a follow up briefing from Thames Valley Police in Garsington on Operation Multiball (the recent crackdown on anti-social parking and vehicle offences  which resulted in multiple arrests). It's great to hear that new powers have been secured by the District Council to aid in future enforcement when rules are flouted. 

With special thanks for the warm welcome I received from Checkenden Equestrian Centre, Le Manoir in Great Milton, Thame United and the  Checkenden Polish Heritage Fete this month.

Many thanks also go to the local B Corp Business group I met at a meeting hosted at the Ella's Kitchen HQ, it was brilliant to hear about their plans  to grow the impact and influence of the movement in the constituency. And a final thanks to Benson House Care Home for their generosity providing a venue for my constituent surgeries once again.

I wanted to close this newsletter this month by saying that my thoughts remain with the family and friends of the students affected by the outbreak of meningitis cases at Henley College last month, a heart-breaking and incredibly difficult time for all involved. I have asked Ministers for an update on when the Meningitis B vaccination programme will be reviewed.