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Dear Constituent,
Welcome to my latest newsletter to keep you updated on my work in Parliament and around Amber Valley.
As always, you’ll find a selection of what I’ve been up to over the last few months and details of upcoming events. You’ll also find the usual information about my columns, surgeries and how to contact me.
GDPR and privacy notice:
Data laws have recently changed with the introduction of the new GDPR legislation. You can find my office’s privacy policy here and, if you don’t want to receive these emails anymore, you can unsubscribe here.
Brexit update:
I’m pleased that the EU Withdrawal Bill recently passed through both Houses, after several votes and debates! You can find my full update on the Bill and its progress here, and the House will now be moving on to consider the Brexit Trade Bills over the next month.
There has also been additional information set out on the process and timelines for the settlement of EU citizens, which you can find more about here.
NHS funding:
As the NHS approaches its 70th birthday, I welcomed the Prime Minister’s recently announcement of an additional £20.5 billion a year for the NHS. This equates to £394 million a week by 2023-24, and will help set the NHS on a sustainable and long-term path.
The full package will be set out with the upcoming spending review, and we’ll also use this opportunity to bring forward further proposals for our social care system and funding later this year.
Constituents’ coach trip to Parliament:
Constituents have recently contacted me to ask for a tour of the Houses of Parliament, but have expressed concern over how to travel to London. To make this easier and cheaper, I’m looking into the possibility of a ‘constituents’ coach day trip’ to London later this year or early next year with a tour of Parliament. The approximate cost of travel would be around £15 to £20 per person, depending on numbers. If this is something you’d be interested in coming on, I’d be grateful if you could get in touch so we can see if we have the numbers to proceed.
Eurocell visit:
Following my recent community litter-pick with the company, I was delighted to visit Eurocell in Alfreton to hear about this fantastic local manufacturer’s expansion and investment plans in our area – and open their new showroom. You can read more about my visit here.
Ripley Greenway:
I’m pleased that, after a long campaign, access to the Ripley Greenway has been opened up for people with mobility scooters. This is a trial run, to make sure there are no anti-social behaviour issues or problems associated with the more open access, but the restrictive barriers on the other entrances will then be removed so everyone can enjoy the green spaces and paths.
Universal Credit rollout:
As part of the rollout of Universal Credit throughout Amber Valley, I’m visiting our local Job Centres to discuss the changes with them. I also visited Marylebone Job Centre with the Work and Pensions Committee to see their work coaches as the rollout started, and I then took the opportunity to discuss this with the Secretary of State during a debate in the House, which you can find here.
Please do get in touch to let me know your experiences of Universal Credit, or if I can help in any way.
Appearances in Parliament:
Planning/contamination – Prime Minister’s Questions:
During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House, I raised residents’ concerns over local contaminated sites, and the need to fully assess their potential risks as part of any planning considerations. It was a good opportunity to highlight local contamination concerns nationally with the Prime Minister, and you can see the clip of the question and reply here.
PKU treatment and support:
Several constituents have recently contacted me to raise awareness of Phenylketonuria (PKU). This is a rare and serious disorder which means people can’t break down amino acids in proteins, which means they build up in the blood and brain and can cause brain damage.
So, I was pleased to attend and speak at a Westminster Hall debate on the access to, and availability of, new and innovative treatments for PKU. I raised the important issue of ensuring there is clear guidance for CCGs and GPs on the specialist foodstuffs and diets people with PKU need. This was a good opportunity to raise awareness of PKU, and you can find the full debate here.
Innovative cancer treatments:
Along with the announcement of additional funding for the NHS, the Prime Minister emphasised more funding for personalised medicines and new technology to transform care. As part of this, during recent Health Questions, I asked for an update on the NHS rollout of CAR-T therapy for patients suffering from cancer. The cancer Minister confirmed NICE is considering the first of these therapies, and its rollout this year. You can read more about this, and the Accelerated Access Collaborative, to help bring innovative treatments to market, here.
Nuclear Power:
During a recent statement in the House on nuclear power projects and expansion, I urged the Secretary of State to encourage new small modular reactors, in the right places, which could be the solution for lower-cost nuclear energy. The Secretary of State confirmed this Government’s support for helping encourage the nuclear industry bring forward these ideas, through a £56 million investment in research and development for small modular reactors and an upcoming nuclear sector deal. You can read the full debate here.
Cost of living:
As part of recent Treasury questions, I asked for an update on the cost of living; I’m pleased that the Minister confirmed people’s disposable income is now 4.6% higher in real terms than in 2010 due to the growing economy and keeping taxes down.
Free trade:
During International Trade questions, I asked the Secretary of State about promoting free trade and resolving market distortions, which sometimes happens with imports of ceramics (a big local industry in the constituency) from state-distorted markets and offers challenges to our domestic markets. You can read the full debate here.
Committees:
Work & Pensions Committee:
In recent committee meetings, we’ve continued our inquiries into the collapse of Carillion, pensions and Universal Credit. Read more about these, and other evidence, sessions here, and find out more about upcoming inquiries here.
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee:
In the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, we’ve continued our inquiries into the impact of Brexit in Northern Ireland. This included a recent committee visit to Portavogie to visit the fisheries there and consider the best changes to the Common Fisheries Policy and quotas as part of Brexit. You can find details of all the committee’s recent meetings and the committee’s upcoming business here.
Backbench Business Committee:
In the Backbench Business Committee, we’ve been considering requests for debates on the banking sector, the 90th anniversary of the Equal Franchise Act, spending in Departments such as Justice, Education and Social Care, and a tobacco control plan. Find out more about what the Committee does and see all the recent debate requests we’ve considered here.
Column:
You can find my latest newspaper column here, which looks in detail at the recent progress of the EU Withdrawal Bill through Parliament.
Street Watch:
As always, if there are any street repairs in your area, such as potholes, pavement repairs or broken street lights, you can report these issues and concerns to me quickly and easily here so I can ask for the repairs to be investigated and addressed.
Surgeries:
I regularly hold surgeries to give you the opportunity to meet with me and discuss any concerns or problems you may have. These are held on Friday evenings between 5pm and 7pm.
If you would like to meet me and discuss any issues, the dates of my upcoming surgeries are:
- Kilburn – 13th July 2018
- Ripley – 27th July 2018
- Riddings – 3rd August 2018
Please contact my office on 01773 744341 to book an appointment for any of the above, or to arrange an alternative meeting.
Get in Touch!
As always, you can contact me by hitting the ‘reply’ button on this email, or you can ring my office on 01773 744341.
Twitter and Facebook
You can also follow me on Twitter @NigelMills and like me on Facebook here to stay up to date with news and events in Amber Valley throughout the month.
Yours sincerely,
Promoted by Nigel Mills MP, of Unicorn House, Wellington Street, Ripley, Derbyshire, DE5 3EH.
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