It’s been a busy week. Following the King’s successful state visit to the US, Parliament has now been prorogued. I’ll be out across the area in the coming days speaking to residents ahead of Thursday’s elections. This is an important moment in both West Surrey and Hampshire, and to keep delivering for our community, it’s vital I have a strong local Conservative team on our Councils. I’m looking forward to speaking to as many of you as possible - do say hello if we cross paths.
Greg
FEATURED THIS WEEK
Major win for homeowners in Waverley
There’s a serious issue with some complex legislation for home extensions which, under Lib Dem Waverley Borough Council, has seen my constituents handed combined bills of nearly £1m that they should never have had to pay. The Conservatives have finally secured a commitment to fix this issue for good.
New support building at Waverley Abbey School
I was delighted to officially open a new Emotional Literacy Support Assistant - ELSA - building at Waverley Abbey School in Tilford. It offers a new, calming space for children to access targeted support to thrive. It’s great to see new provisions like ‘The Hive’ in our area, and I enjoyed meeting the students already making use of the space.
More than £500k for St Andrew’s Church
I am thrilled that one of Farnham’s most iconic landmarks at the heart of the community has received more than half a million pounds in initial grant funding. St Andrew’s is central to Farnham’s history - and now its role in the town’s future is more secure. I lent my formal support to their application last year.
Nuclear power and the cost of energy
I appeared on BBC Politics Live on Monday - while covering key national issues, we spoke about new investment for nuclear power in Wales. I’m clear that nuclear power has a clear role to play in Britain’s energy security, but we still need targeted support for everyday bills today, like cutting VAT and levies.
Watch the full show on BBC iPlayer
SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTIONS AND PHONES IN SCHOOL
After months of sustained campaigning by Conservatives, the Government has now confirmed it will bring new restrictions on smartphones in schools and a commitment to tighter controls on children’s access to social media – a significant and welcome step forward. I have consistently raised concerns about the impact of smartphones on children’s wellbeing, learning and behaviour, and it is right that Ministers have acted. The focus now must be on ensuring these measures are clear, workable and properly enforced so they deliver real change for families.
I’ve been in touch with the local Smartphone Free Childhood campaign too. Thanks to their help in raising this issue across Surrey, Headteachers wrote to parents recently to urge them to delay giving children smartphones until at least age 14, backed by growing evidence while thousands of parents have signed up to the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact. As these national changes are implemented, I will continue working with the campaign in pressing for clear guidance and consistent enforcement, so parents can have confidence that restrictions will be applied properly in practice.
LONG-TERM IMPACT OF SEND REFORM
I’ve been clear about how the Government’s planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system need to protect legal rights, improve delivery and address underlying pressures. But while the Department for Education is focused on school-age SEND individuals, I asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about how his Department is going to work to ensure those with SEND have long-term success in life - after they leave school.
There needs to be a joined-up approach across Government in order to ensure these reforms deliver the system, and life, that those with SEND deserve. I am pleased to have secured a meeting with the Minister for Social Security and Disabilities to discuss this further.
THIS WEEK’S CASEWORK 'WINS’
There’s been several positive outcomes for constituents this week. I assisted a gentleman in Liphook in securing a £20,000 stamp duty refund from HMRC after a clerical error, and supported a lady in Farnham in obtaining a long-awaited Occupational Therapy assessment from Surrey County Council to adapt her home for her severely disabled child.
I also helped a gentleman in Grayshott receive his driving licence following significant delays with DVLA medical assessments dating back to July last year, and raised ongoing postal delivery issues in Farnham with Royal Mail, where improvements are now being reported and deliveries are arriving more regularly.
