Each week, my inbox fills up with thousands of different issues from NHS dentistry, poor public transport options, scarce rural housing and, of course, the Coronavirus outbreak. However, the biggest and most consistent problem is the lack of NHS dental services in Brecon and Radnorshire. We should not have to travel over the border or have to resort to paying privately for a basic health right. I will not accept a second-class service just because we are in a rural area. I’ve raised this issue with the Health Minister in Cardiff Bay, but he simply ‘accepts the challenging of retaining dentists’ as opposed to putting his shoulder into tackling it. If residents in Cardiff or Swansea were unable to see a dentist for up to two years, it would be headline news so I am going to keep pushing on this issue until it is resolved.
You may be aware Hay-on-Wye, has been selected to trial as a Cash Pilot site. This should be fully up and running by the end of this year and runs until the end of June 2021. This scheme will offer easier ways for small businesses to make deposits, offering automated note deposit machines in the Post Office. It will also trial cashback (with purchases) from local retailers, and as cashback-without-purchase through PayPoint. I’m really grateful to the local businesses who have worked together to make this pilot possible.
At the start of September, I wrote to all Primary and Secondary schools wishing teachers the best of luck for the term ahead. I know how hard they have worked to ensure our schools are safe for pupils to return and I look forward to visiting as many as possible when circumstances allow. Normally at this time I should be receiving letters from head teachers organising trips for year groups to Westminster. In the absence of these visits, Parliament’s Participation Team are offering a range of online tours, talks and school workshops that are available to book free of charge. The sessions cover an introduction to how the UK Parliament works, how laws are made and the role of MPs and Peers. To learn more visit https://learning.parliament.uk/en/
The Government is pressing ahead with plans to redraw the parliamentary constituencies, ensuring that there is a fairer representation for all constituents. Brecon and Radnorshire is not immune from this – Wales looks set to lose eight seats, bringing the total down to 32. I joined with Lord David Lipsey in supporting an amendment to the Bill which would add Brecon and Radnorshire to the Protected Constituencies List. The Government is looking at it closely which I very much welcome. The constituency is already the second largest in England and Wales and I am concerned that widening the borders will make it harder for an MP to be as visible and present as they should be.
I am leading a campaign to stop Pavement Parking in our High Streets after witnessing a collision in Brecon earlier this month. A visually impaired gentleman was struck by a car when his guide dog was unable to cross the road as the pavement was blocked by parked motorbikes. Fortunately, the car was travelling at a slow speed and the gentleman was not seriously hurt but I am very concerned that this incident could easily happen again, potentially with more serious consequences. Whilst we must do everything we can to ensure people can access shops and businesses in all our town centres, pavement parking has to be stopped. I’ll be leading this campaign until our towns and villages across Brecon and Radnorshire are safe.
My constituency office is open, but all appointments and Friday surgeries remain by appointment only. If I can help at all please call 029 2233 8545 / 07515 034124 or email the office [email protected].
