Dear Constituent

Welcome to my February constituency e-newsletter and as usual there has been a lot going on, much of it involving flooding problems and Southern Water. There is also some good news on ‘Pharmacy First’ and a new ‘Dentist Recovery Plan’ announcement from the Government to take some of the pressure off local NHS services. I have also provided a number of other updates on ongoing issues such as my Inconsiderate Roadworks campaign and whether Royal Mail services are improving. There are also details of how you can again nominate your NHS heroes for the Parliamentary NHS Heroes Awards as well.

Most recently I have just returned from Ukraine after joining Parliamentarians from the UK and many other European countries to show solidarity with our Ukrainian allies at a conference in Kiev. In addition, we were taken to see some of the work going on to restore some of the territory occupied by Russian forces north of Kyiv and we saw at first hand the amazing work being carried out by the amazing British charity the Halo Trust in clearing the hundreds of thousands of mines left behind by Russian forces. I will be producing a more extensive video account of my visit shortly.

As usual if there are any subjects not included that you would like me to cover then please let me know.

As always, please let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover in the next newsletter. 

Best wishes  

Tim  

Surgeries

To arrange a confidential surgery interview, please ring the constituency office on 01273 757182, or email office@eastworthingandshoreham.org.uk. Location and timings to be confirmed on receipt of appointment confirmation.

Upcoming advice surgery dates:

• Friday 15th March 2024, Shoreham

Upcoming Street Surgery Dates – no need to book, just turn up:   

• Saturday 9th March 2024, Shoreham Farmers Market, 10.00am - 12pm.

For further surgery details visit my website here    

Tim questions the legitimacy of Bibby Stockholm and other asylum Christian conversions at Prime Minister’s Questions

After hearing some damning statistics in the aftermath of the terrible Clapham acid attacks by twice rejected asylum seeker and known sex offender, Abdul Ezedi. I wanted to use my Prime Minister’s Question to highlight the injustices of the British taxpayer to fund the damning conversions of asylum seekers to Christianity. While overall statistics in the last decade show a decline in church attendance and baptisms within the Church of England in recent years is at odds with reports on Christian conversions:

“Christianity in the UK seems to be on the wane unless apparently, you are from a Muslim country in the middle of an asylum claim. We’re now told one in seven occupants of the Bibby Stockholm have suddenly become practising Christians. Can I ask the Prime Minister that given that the Church of England has now issued secret guidance for clergy supporting asylum applications for these damascene conversions, who is the Church accountable to and are taxpayers being scammed by the archbishop?”

The incident has led to suggestions of a ‘loophole’ in the immigration system, as human rights laws prevent believers from deportation to countries where they would face religious persecution, especially when on average 1 in 7 of asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm have decided to follow the Christian faith on arrival to the UK, meaning their safety is jeopardised at the prospect of returning to their former country. The Home Affairs Select Committee of which I am a member will be interviewing faith leaders including Matthew Firth, the asylum conversion whistle-blower on the subject at a committee session on the 12^th of March.

The Prime Minister assured me that the Home Secretary has requested a review into asylum cases and the role conversions to Christianity have played in strengthening asylum claims. This is ongoing and something that I am following closely.

I have attached a video from a panel I spoke on with various religious and refugee representatives on the subject.

SNP Opposition Day ceasefire vote

Not surprisingly along with all other Parliamentarians, I have continued to receive a large number of emails from constituents often showing their passionate concern about the heavy loss of life in the ongoing conflict. I share those concerns, and at times outrage, in what appears to be a heavy handed military response by the Israeli forces. All decent people want to see a resolution to this conflict, an end to civilian casualties and the urgent opportunity for innocent Palestinian families to get on with rebuilding their lives and their communities with safety for all on both sides of the border.

I have written extensively on this subject previously as I always do when there are contentious issues which raise passions on multiple sides and I aim to give a full explanation of my position and voting intentions. Most constituents have written in a genuine and reasonable way understanding of the sensitivities of the conflict, and many have urged me to vote for a full ceasefire if given the opportunity. Some have found it necessary to be gratuitously offensive and assert that anyone not following their preferred course of action is complicit in genocide and has blood on their hands. As we have seen recently such intemperate and incendiary language has been directly linked with violent demonstrations and attacks on MPs offices and homes which go well beyond the thresholds of how we cherish free speech in a democracy. The following link will take you to a study on the policing of the Palestinian demonstrations conducted by the Home Affairs Select Committee, that I sit on: Policing of protests - Home Affairs Committee (parliament.uk): https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmhaff/369/report.html

As a result, security arrangements for MPs have been increased, some of my colleagues have been assigned close protection officers in their constituencies and others are having to wear stab vests. This is completely unacceptable and a sad state of affairs for a democratic nation such as ours which epitomises tolerance and constructive debate and engagement. I will obviously not comment on my own security arrangements, but I value my close interaction and accessibility to constituents, not least through my regular street surgeries, and I do not want to have to detract from that, but I am not able to engage with people who think it is right to use openly violent and threatening language.

On the whole historic Israel/Palestinian issue I have always tried to tread a middle way having visited the West bank with post pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organisations and given talks after each to constituents about what I had seen. My position has not changed and the position I set out after the latest conflict erupted remains consistent. We need a meaningful and sustainable ceasefire that involves the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in captivity for nearly 5 months now and for an end to Hamas control of Gaza. Whilst we certainly need a pause in the fighting to allow essential aid in for displaced Palestinians, a ceasefire without the above conditions will only help Hamas terrorists regroup and refocus their bloody campaign which has no regard for the sanctity of life on either the Israeli or Palestinian side, and the war will go on for longer and more lives will likely be lost.

So when faced with a Parliamentary resolution with a set of words that commit to a ceasefire without any attention to the practical requirements I have set out, I will instantly be sceptical. A ceasefire is a contract between two parties and unless both parties are willing then it is meaningless. To suggest that the UK Parliament in passing such a motion will magically bring about a ceasefire is nonsense and highly disingenuous.

Last week we were faced with a motion by the SNP which committed the UK Parliament to vote for an immediate ceasefire, noting the scale of casualties on the Palestinian side but making no provision for the end of Hamas’ reign of terror in Gaza or for the Israelis to live in safety. It was an entirely political device designed cynically for party political advantage primarily to embarrass other parties to vote against it and then characterise them as uncaring and complicit in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. Even if passed it was not a motion binding on Government policy and was gesture politics at its worst. On that alone I would have voted against it because this is a much for complex and sensitive problem than to be able to claim that it could be resolved by a vote in the House of Commons.

Working with our allies in the UN and in the region, we should be able to engineer a sustainable ceasefire and there are now encouraging signs that just such a deal is about to be landed in coming days and I would certainly support that. As our Foreign Secretary David Cameron has said ‘If we leave Hamas in charge of even a part of Gaza, there will never be a two-sided solution because you can’t expect Israel to live next to a group of people that want to do October 7th all over again.’ Hopefully a proper bilateral agreement now can lead to a sustained ceasefire and renewed comprehensive negotiations on finding a two-state solution where Israeli and Palestinians are rid of the extremist and incompetent governments that have served both people so badly for so many years. That is the ultimate prize that I hope we can all unite on.

The debate instituted by the SP in Parliament last Wednesday descended into farce and did not show Parliament in its best light. Too many people in the SNP and Labour Parties were trying to play ‘clever’ politics and the independence and integrity of the Speaker was unfortunately called into question too. Subsequently all the headlines and media coverage were about Parliamentary procedures and chaotic scenes rather than focussing on the main issue in hand – the horrific events in Gaza.

So, for those who asked me to vote for the SNP ceasefire motion if I had been given the chance, the answer was always not as this was gesture politics of the most cynical kind. I would have voted for the Government’s motion which did reference the need for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, called for a significant scale-up of aid to Gaza and the setting out of a credible pathway to peace, security and justice for both Israeli and Palestinians. It did not pretend to magic up an instant solution or that the UK had some power of veto over the Israeli Government, but it was even-handed in its treatment of both innocent Palestinians and Israelis.

For those who think that makes me complicit in genocide or war crimes then you are helping no one, and your gesture politics may make you think you look good, but it doesn’t help those most in need. As someone who has sponsored the Armenian Genocide Recognition Bill and who has been sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Government for calling out their proven genocide against the Uighurs in Parliament, I know what constitutes genocide in International Law, and neither myself nor any other British Parliamentarian is guilty of it. To suggest otherwise if offensive and just plain wrong.

I appreciate that many constituents will not agree with my view and my stance, but I hope you do respect my reasoning and my accountability to all my constituents who hold a multiplicity of views.

Visit to Ukraine to commemorate the two-year anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine

To mark the two-year anniversary of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, I was invited to visit Kyiv and surrounding areas to witness the atrocities and devastation caused by Putin and his barbaric regime.

It was my first visit to Ukraine and on the face of it little clue of the war waging in that country other than the signs to shelters and occasional air raid sirens, one of which I managed to sleep through. In addition, there were roadblocks, army checks and plenty of sandbags around Parliament and other public buildings.

The conference we attended constantly praised the lead the UK had taken but urged other allies to make their donations of weapons and funding much more urgently. We should be proud of the role that the UK is playing across so many areas: the British charities and NGOs (including from Sussex) taking vital supplies out as well as volunteers helping rebuild shelled houses; the blood group testing project encouraging more people to come forward and give blood as it’s estimated that 25% of casualties on the battlefield could be saved if blood supplies were more available.

We also met representatives from the Government of occupied Crimea and the office of the Public Prosecutor working closely with the Un and International Court to provide evidence of Russia’s war crimes which must be pursued. We also met the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament and attended a moving session in the chamber marking the second anniversary of the invasion. Everywhere we went Ukrainians were at pains to emphasise the incredible lead the UK has taken in galvanising support for Ukraine in some many areas, politically, economically and in provision of military kit and how grateful they all are. We should take great pride in the essential role our country has played and will continue to play until Putin’s thugs are expelled from Ukraine.

Most impressive, is the work that the British charity the Halo Trust is doing to clear the tens of thousands of mines and booby traps left behind in the formerly occupied areas. We visited an active minefield when we travelled north near the border with Belarus where you see the real horrors of war – hospitals deliberately targeted by missiles, destroyed apartments and the testimony of survivors of a whole village where the Russians rounded up 360 men, women and babies and kept them in darkness and squalor in a school basement for 6 weeks until liberated. The scrawled list of names of those who died there on the back of a door was particularly poignant.

Another deeply appalling war crime is the abduction of 19546 Ukrainian babies and children (and probably many more) now having their identities and nationalities changed in Russia and adopted despite having, living Ukrainian parents. This is something I will be taking up further in Parliament and I will produce a more detailed video of my trip shortly.

The UK have been highly instrumental in delivering military and humanitarian packages to Ukraine as well as the support scheme for inviting Ukrainians to the UK on short-term visas. Both locally and nationally, we have been hugely welcoming to Ukrainians fleeing conflict, which is why I am extremely proud to hear the statement from the Education Secretary that 20,000 Ukrainian children had been integrated into the education system, a tremendous achievement in ensuring that children of the conflict are not academically behind, and to prepare them for bright futures.

Earlier in the month was an important time those celebrating Chinese, Tibetan and Hong Kong New Year across the short span of a week. As an MP sanctioned by the Chinese Government my lunar new year experiences involved Tibetans and British Overseas Passport holders from Hong Kong who have escaped the Chinese regime’s latest persecution in Hong Kong.

As Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet I hosted the first Tibetan New Year celebration in Parliament, and we were joined by a very special friend of Tibet Dame Joanna Lumley. Dame Joanna was brought up in an army family with her father an officer with the Gurkha Rifles, was born in India and lived in Nepal, but I had not realised she had travelled widely in Tibet too, in happier times. After an evening of Tibetan music and dancing she spoke passionately about the spirit and defiance of the Tibetan people and a burning passion that someday Tibet will be free.

Across the country few areas have escaped from the impact of heavy sustained rain over recent months but locally we have had some particularly worrying instances, that I have been heavily involved with. In Southwick everyone will have seen the road closures in place around the Green since Christmas and continuing leaks from Southern Water’s sewers following the collapse of one of their drains. This is an area which has always been prone to flooding and Southern Water has already installed additional water retention capacity and I have also joined residents in lobbying against developments in flood prone areas of specific roads.

I therefore joined over 50 residents from around Southview Road at a meeting to discuss their continuing objections to several houses and flats in the space between Southview and Underdown Road on heavily flood prone land, which is going to appeal. We also discussed the ongoing disruption of Southern Water’s works and I have now arranged for representatives of Southern Water to come and meet residents to give them a full briefing on what is being done, what more needs to be done and why it is taking so long.

Similarly in Grinstead Lane, Lancing, the surface pipes down the middle of the road relieving some of the capacity underground. These have continued to impact on traffic and residents given the noise from generators and the closure of Curvins Way for storage of kit too. The pipes were removed but reappeared after a matter of days as the problem had not been resolved. Again, I gave met residents and arranged a meeting with representatives from Southern Water shortly.

At my Shoreham Farmers Market surgery earlier in the month I was approached by a Shoreham resident who informed me that the gardens along their road had all been completely flood due to the unprecedentedly heavy rainfall we have experienced throughout the month of February. I therefore visited gardens on the west side of Old Shoreham Road adjacent to the new Waterside development by Hyde Homes. Before the building work this area close to the river tended to flood after heavy rainfall but it was able to flow away on low tides. In recent months gardens have been completely submerged and unusable for weeks at a time and clearly drainage channels are not operating as they did. I have been in contact with the Environment Agency, Hyde Homes and the local councils and will be getting them altogether to try to get to the root of the problem.

Roll on a warm and (fairly) dry summer!

Community Spring Clean Payback Project by the Ministry of Justice

There are a few days left for constituents to nominate a local area which needs sprucing up with the work carried out by people subject to community sentences as part of the Community Payback Spring Clean. The scheme was instituted by the Ministry of Justice last year as a way for people with a criminal record but who have not been given a custodial sentence doing something constructive for local communities who have been impacted by their crimes.

There are several strands to the scheme but as part of the Spring Clean project, anyone can nominate an area that needs tidying up and the winning entries will be undertaken in the spring. I have already nominated the A27 from Southwick to Shoreham although the rubbish there is not as bad as it has been after I intervened to get Highways England to liaise properly with Adur Council to coordinate times when the road is closed for maintenance of Southwick Tunnel for litter picks.

For further details go to Nominate a Community Payback project - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or I have put a video with more information on my Twitter feed and website.

Festive visit to Worthing Hospital with Worthing Mayor to discuss innovations and improvements within the facility.

Worthing Hospital lies as a pillar of the Worthing and Adur community, and I was pleased to make my annual Christmas visit just after Christmas. Hospital on the 27^th of December to show my support to staff working over the Christmas period as well as talk through upcoming improvements to the hospital and innovative future technology to assist both patients and staff.

My thanks to Tori Cooper, Director of Nursing for Worthing and Southlands Hospitals who gave me a brilliant tour of Burlington Ward, the Maternity Department and the new Medical Day Case Hospital.

On the day, there were almost 100 inpatients medically fit to leave having completed their medical care, while many were due to stay in longer, which remains a big challenge.

Ward manager Terri Whiteside proudly showed me their prize for the NHS England Emergency Care Improvement Support Team Award which they received during 2023. Also, the Maternity Staff displayed their 2023 Patients first STAR Award – Chairman’s Price.

While all three Christmas Day babies had already gone to their new homes by the 27^th of December, I was thrilled to meet day-old Rex, a Boxing Day baby. The Maternity Unit is especially joyful around Christmas as all celebrate new life!

The Director for Cancer Services, Lisa Barrott finished the tour with the new Amberley Unit, allowing larger, lighter capacity to treat more patients receiving crucial cancer treatment.

While I was pleased with Worthing Hospital’s updates and facilities, I will continue to keep in close contact with the Director of West Sussex Trust to ensure patients are seen in a timely fashion and adult social care services work closely to support older patients, leaving hospital as soon as possible with the appropriate care packages.

Home Affairs Select Committee

Constituents will remember my visit to local radio station Regency Radio last summer. 

Regency Radio emerged as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns, set up by a group of experienced volunteers from the radio industry who were concerned at the loss of local radio content from the major providers. Small independent stations are increasingly taken over by global media empires for their local licences and the industry is increasingly seeing content homogenised for the appeal of "national" radio shows. 

Therefore, Regency Radio’s founders have now taken a brave leap and invested £50,000 of their own money to set up the station, build the studios and launch the station. The station, even though it is staffed entirely by volunteers still costs around £2,000 a month to run - due to rent, utility costs, broadcast transmission costs, OFCOM licence costs, insurance etc. Therefore, if you are able to, I encourage everyone to please support the local station! 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/keep-local-independent-radio-thriving 

Contaminated bloody lobby in the House of Commons and meeting affected constituents

Dame Diana Johnson, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee of which I am a member has campaigned relentlessly to ensure those affected by the Infected Blood Scandal receive the compensation they deserve.

I met with two constituents, one of whom had been affected by the scandal and assured him of my recent action in co-signing letter made by Dame Diana and my neighbouring MP, Sir Peter Bottomley to ensure that the Chancellor includes the victim’s package in next week’s Spring Budget announcement.

This Government has gone further than any to ensure that those affected are compensated, setting up an inquiry to ensure that those affected receive care and support, but I continue to urge them to deliver the compensation with further urgency.

West Sussex County Council consultation for cycle lane on the beach

Lancing Beach Green Active Travel Improvements | Your Voice West Sussex

We are nearing the deadline for the closure of the West Sussex County Council’s consultation survey for Lancing Beach Green over the proposed cycle lanes along the sea front.

Please add to the consultation to ensure that our cyclists are catered for in the local community.

Southern Water roadworks on the A259 at Lancing

After receiving many complaints as well as having my own regarding the catastrophic traffic delays through lancing last Monday, I spent the latter of the week trying to see who was responsible for the delays.

Naming and shaming unnecessary utility companies who undertake inconsiderate and highly disruptive roadworks has been a lengthy and major campaign concern for me as MP. While there are multiple roadwork deliveries across Adur and Worthing, I am sorry to say that Southern Water and SGN appear to be repetitive culprits. The companies ‘bulk-buy’ permit and licences from the Council and use them as and when they want to undertake (important but disruptive) roadworks.

I have called on the Council to further monitor the implementation of permits and to ensure that major roads are not blocked at the same time as other major roads, as was the example of the A259 a Southern Water operation, coinciding with SGN on the New Monks Farm strip of road.

Rampion Wind Farm expansion proposals

As constituents will know, I have been supporting the bid by Rampion to expand its windfarm capacity off our coastline. For years, the UK has led the world in offshore wind (and Rampion has been central to this success), as well the Government has set a target to deliver 50 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, a five-fold increase from 10GW in 2020. Rampion 2 is well-positioned to make a major contribution to this target and power the renewables revolution, required to:

• Secure our energy supplies
• Power electric vehicles and heat pumps
• Produce hydrogen
• Tackle the climate emergency

If consented and constructed, Rampion 2 would form part of the UK’s critical national infrastructure. The wind farm could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of over 1 million homes1 and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes every year. Put another way, Rampion 2 could generate the equivalent of around three-quarters of all the domestic and non-domestic electricity demands for the whole of Sussex.

Please follow the Rampion 2 newsletter to hear monthly updates:

January 2024 - Rampion 2: https://rampion2.com/newsletter/january-2024/

Sussex and Surrey Police Cybersecurity webinars

Sussex and Surrey Police are offering free cybersecurity training to ANY community group, small business, charity, school etc)

Surrey Police - Free Cyber Security Training | Michael Gove

Initially, Surrey and Sussex Police are launching 2 monthly webinars from the Cyber Crime Unit, all focused on Cyber Security and Online Safety.

 One for a general audience and one slower paced version for those less confident with technology.

Over 50% of all reported crime is fraud related and over 80% of that is facilitated using digital technology. In my role as Member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, I have been shocked to discover the new and innovative ways that fraudsters are convincing individuals to fall victim to their devastating schemes.

The aim of these webinars is to massively reduce the chances of our communities falling victim to Cyber Crime. I have been informed that the presentations have already been incredibly well received, with over 400 positive feedback surveys from the public. Surrey and Sussex Police are working on expanding these webinars too, with a planned monthly webinar on Online Safety for Women and Girls as well as one for businesses. So keep an eye on my social media as I will of course be promoting the positive initiatives.

Please sign up via the web links:

March 4^th – Cyber Security For Humans – Gentle Learning Version

Webinar - Cyber Security for Humans : Gentle Learning Version Tickets, Mon 4 Mar 2024 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

March 18^th – Cyber Security For Humans – Easy Tips to Stay Safe in a Digital Age

Cyber Security for Humans - Easy Tips to Stay Safe in a Digital Age Tickets, Mon 18 Mar 2024 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

Simple and Fairer: Our Plan to Recover and Reform NHS Dentistry

Our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have published Faster, Simple and Fairer: Our Plan to Recover and Reform NHS Dentistry.

The Government’s new plan will help patients get the dental care they need when they need it and support NHS dentistry to deliver 2.5 million more appointments for patients.

The plan will address the series of challenges facing NHS dentistry which affect patients’ oral health and ability to access the care they need, as well as workforce recruitment and retention. The new measures being announced include:

• Offering a New Patient Premium to support dentists to take on new NHS patients
• Introducing dental vans to deliver care to under-served areas
• Attracting dentists into areas of need with ‘Golden Hello’ payments
• Launching our ‘Smile for Life’ programme to focus on prevention and good oral health from birth so that every child includes toothbrushing as part of their daily routine by the time they reach primary school.
• They are keen to embed good oral health habits at an earlier stage, given the evidence that doing so later will have less impact on outcomes but add administrative burdens to primary school teachers.
• Streamlining and tackling bureaucracy to support and maximise the effectiveness of our entire dental workforce
• Expanding dental training places by 40% as set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan

Pharmacy First: treating 7 minor illnesses with extended powers to local pharmacies

This month, the Prime Minister announced plans to allow pharmacists across the country extended power to treat more health conditions without patients needing to see a GP, helping to unlock ten million doctors’ appointments as we stick to the plan to cut waiting lists so people can get the care they need.

The Government have made progress to cut waiting lists but there is more that can be done to make better, such as the use of professionals such as pharmacists to cut them further. That is why the Department for Health have launched ‘Pharmacy First’ as part of their primary care recovery plan, meaning pharmacists can treat seven common health conditions such as sinusitis and earache without patients needing to see a GP.

This will help free up ten million doctors’ appointments, meaning those who genuinely need to see a GP can do so more quickly, helping to continue to drive down wait times in contrast to Labour run Wales where patients consistently wait longer to be seen by a doctor.

Moreover, the news that the CQC has downgraded the ratings for Worthing Hospital is disappointing and we have grown used to having our local hospital as outstanding. This is the first inspection since 2017 and in common with many similar hospitals across the country updated ratings are reflecting the pressure on hospitals to catch-up since Covid. What remains outstanding though is the dedication and hard work of the staff in all areas and it is no surprise that we continue to score well in the ‘caring’ category of the inspection report which is worth reading in full beyond the raw headlines.

Supporting a registration system for children not attending school – Westminster Hall Debate

Lancing Business Park's Charity Bake Off with Bake Off star Janusz Domagala

It’s a tough gig but someone’s got to do it. I presented myself at Iagos Café on the Lancing Business Park last Friday to judge the charity bake-off with some three dozen entries from local firms. My co-judge, and former actual Bake-Off star Janusz Domagala, was obviously rather better versed than me in the technical department but we unanimously agreed the winners.

Despite an impressive array of spectacular and colourful cake entries, some with exploding smartie cascades and hidden trifle interiors the overall winner was a simple scotch egg in the savoury section. The humble yet perfectly delicious black pudding scotch egg stole the show, and the remains were polished off by the other competitors at the speed of light.

Proceeds from the Bake Off and other events held over the last year are going to the local youth charity Electric Storm Youth. Their youth worker Billy Hancock was there to give an update on ESY’s work and liaise with local firms to explore work-experience and apprenticeship opportunities. The AGM followed and it has been another impressive year for West Sussex’s second largest business park. Occupancy remains over 99% and such is the importance of the site which employs over 3100 people that West Sussex has agreed to a full makeover of all the main roads where potholes are a particular problem. Well done to Suzy Bastable who runs the Business Park and has made such a difference to its fortunes.

Lancing Business Park and UK Export Finance event

On the 15^th of March I have invited the Department for Business and Trade and UK Export Finance to visit Lancing Business Park with the aim of presenting to local companies, many of whom are manufacturing businesses, to show businesses the opportunities of engaging in new global markets.

The event is aimed at companies considering exporting for the first time, those seeking new export opportunities and markets, those needing help with specific export issues, as well as those wishing to network with other UK Exporters.

Experts from UK Export Finance (UKEF) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will highlight the benefits of exporting, UK Government export services, and how they can support UK Companies to access the finance needed to win overseas contracts, fulfil orders and get paid.

For further details and to register your free place please click below:

https://www.lancingbusinesspark.co.uk/event-5624000

National Apprenticeship Week – HIT training in Parliament

To celebrate #NationalApprenticeWeek from the 5-11 February I met representatives from HIT Training, an apprenticeship training provider for hospitality, retail and catering roles across the UK. Located at Shoreham Airport, it was great to speak to HIT Training's regional organiser who encouraged me that apprenticeships have benefited 70% of all occupations since 2010.

Across Adur and Worthing, the Government have created 7680 apprenticeships.

During a recent invitation to Adur and Worthing, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Shoreham Harbour and the popular new Port Kitchen, set up with the help of Kick Start apprentice.

Statement from Southern Water on the data breach

After hearing the terrible news that Southern Water customers had been subject to a data breach, I spoke to them directly to best understand how and why criminals were able to access sensitive information on Monday 12th February.

I have been informed that the investigation is ongoing and will likely continue for some time. So far, Southern Water have sent 126,300 emails and 54,500 hard copy letters as of sending this update. The company expect the notifications process for this customer group to be completed by Friday. Since the breach we have engaged with independent cybersecurity experts who have found no new evidence of the data potentially involved in this cyber incident being published online. They will continue to carry out their checks for as long as is necessary.

The notification includes security advice, as well as guidance on recommended precautionary steps and details of the support we are offering them. This support includes enhanced Experian credit monitoring, free of charge, for the next 12 months. The service provides active monitoring which can detect and help prevent fraudulent misuse of personal information.

Because of understandable suspicion that can arise when people receive unsolicited emails, each person affected will receive a hard copy letter. The authenticity of the emails has been the most frequently raised concern by our customers and our hotline remains open to alleviate these concerns where possible. The number is 0330 303 0025.

I have raised this in the Home Affairs Select Committee in our ongoing evidence sessions on fraud.

Any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and I can offer my support.

The UK becomes the first major economy to halve its emissions

The UK is the first major, G7 economy to halve emissions.

Not only that, but we have done it in a pragmatic way - growing our economy by 80% and protecting family finances at the same time.

Baby loss certificates – Tim’s Private Members Bill

Constituents will recall my Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 contained 4 main elements. Since December 2019 civil partnerships between opposite sex couples have been allowed and to date more than 25,000 couples have taken advantage of that status as an alternative to conventional marriage. Secondly, the Act righted an historic wrong whereby only the names of fathers could be included on marriage certificates. Since 2021 the names of mothers of bride and groom have been included on marriage records and I have had a great many of letters from appreciative mothers of the bride subsequently. A third measure was for the Department for Health to hold a review on baby loss with a particular reference to acknowledging pre-24-week stillbirths who are not recognised by the state as having existed. I sat on that review, and it has now reported and started to instate a raft of measures to improve safety for pregnancy mothers. As from last week a new scheme for hospitals to produce baby loss certificates for parents who have lost a child before birth to help with the grieving process. The new system will ensure that parents receive a certificate that formally recognises the impact of losing a child early on in pregnancy.

That just leaves one measure to be completed which I am still lobbying ministers hard on. Section 4 of my Act will extend powers to coroners to be able to investigate stillbirths where they think there are outstanding serous questions to be addressed. A consultation showed overwhelming support for the measures, and they are strongly supported by coroners including our own West Sussex Coroner Penny Schofield and now the Government needs to bring forward the relevant regulations to make it happen.

Securing extensive changes in my Private Members Bill which are having wide benefits for many people is one of my proudest achievements on my time in Parliament.

The poor conditions of Kingston Lane, Shoreham-by-sea

Following a series of complaints from constituents regarding Kingston Lane, Shoreham I wrote to the Portfolio for Roads and Highways at West Sussex County Council. The response was as follows:

We have arranged for officers to visit and inspect the length of Kingston Lane, identifying any defects that full within the thresholds of our Highway Inspection Manual. Where these are found they will be scheduled for repair.

In October of last year, we undertook approx. 115m2 of jet patching works throughout various sections of Kingston Lane. The road has also been identified for consideration for resurfacing works during 2024/25. Once confirmed this will be presented in the Annual Delivery Programme, which can be found on our website at  https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/roadworks-and-projects/road-projects/highways-transport-and-planning-delivery-programme/  

Until such point that resurfacing works commence, we will continue to regularly inspect and raise safety works accordingly. Once resurfaced, the road markings will also be reinstated.  Should constituents wish to bring any defects to the attention of WSCC Highways, we would recommend doing so via our online reporting mechanisms https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/report-a-pothole-online/ .

Royal Mail updates

As constituents will be aware, I have challenging Royal Mail repeatedly about the poor state of postal deliveries and visiting numerous local sorting offices across Adur and Worthing.

Following a recent update about Royal Mail, I joined other Sussex MPs in meeting the regional managers of Royal Mail who came to Parliament to respond to our concerns about their poor service. Alongside my colleagues, I was frustrated to learn that clearly the exact issues I have been complaining to them about on behalf of my constituents, are not limited to Worthing and Adur.  

Key to the problem remains recruitment. One interesting statistic that came out of this meeting is that whilst Royal Mail boast that they have recruited 1050 new posties in the last 6 months or so across the South-east region, they have lost 1030, meaning the net increase is minimal. With over half of posties nationally over the age of 50, many are also leaving or taking early retirement on health grounds, so clearly, they need to be doing a better job at retaining the posties they already have! 

I am in close communication with Royal Mail to ensure that I receive updates (which will be posted across my newsletter and other platforms) to allow my constituents to be kept informed of Royal Mail’s activities across Adur and Worthing.

Update on the Portslade Delivery office:

High sick absence causing disruption to mail is steadily improving. Unfortunately, there have been some recruitment challenges and Portslade are still recruiting five permanent postie positions. Mail addresses are taking place to the majority of addresses six days a week.

Update on the Worthing Delivery office:

High levels of vacancies and sickness, mail in Worthing was disrupted prior to Christmas. They have now recruited 20 new posties and have seen mail deliveries across the six days consistent since the recruitment push.

Link to my video on Royal Mail closures: https://youtu.be/lsKxhze2Ykc?si=NbdVrV4q_XN0uV4n

Questions to the FCDO regarding the Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference

As one of the sanctioned MPs/Peers by the Chinese Government for criticising the Communist Party for human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, I called on the Foreign Secretary to push for the repeal of the damning Hong Kong Security Law and for the immediate release of political prisoner, pro-democracy advocate and British citizen Jimmy Lai from Hong Kong prison.

Department for Health and Social Care updates: Martha’s Rule

Martha’s Rule is an initiative that gives patients and their families who are concerned about deterioration in their physiological condition the right to initiate a rapid review of their case 24 hours a day from someone outside of their immediate care team.

Calls for Martha’s Rule came following the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who, after being admitted to hospital following an accident, contracted sepsis and deteriorated quickly. Sadly, the signs of sepsis were not acted upon by doctors quickly enough, despite Martha’s family raising concerns with clinicians. Coroners found that Martha would probably have survived if doctors had identified the warning signs and transferred her to intensive care earlier.

I would like to pay tribute to Martha’s parents, Merope and Paul, who have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of what happened to Martha and to highlight the critical role that families play in recognising the signs of deterioration in their loved ones. In September, the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, asked the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, to rapidly lead work on how Martha’s Rule could be implemented in England.

I am grateful to Dr Hughes for her extensive engagement with system leaders and stakeholders and for her recommendations on what Martha’s Rule should look like. While some NHS Trusts already offer rapid review processes similar to Martha’s Rule called Call 4 Concern, others do not have an equivalent mechanism in place. In recognition of these variations in readiness, we are initiating a phased approach to implementing Martha’s Rule.

The first phase will see Martha’s Rule rolled out to at least 100 acute or specialist provider sites in England in 2024/25, supported by up to £10 million. NHS England will lead the process of identifying which acute provider sites will participate in this first phase and supporting the development of their local processes. Alongside this, drawing from the local learning from new and existing schemes, NHS England will develop proposals for national rollout in the next Spending Review period. This approach will enable significant progress to deliver Martha’s Rule next year and to evaluate the additional resources needed for national rollout. NHS England will lead the detailed implementation work to scope out precisely how it will work, but we want Martha’s Rule to be clear and accessible for patients and their families in all settings in which it is going to be rolled out.

NHS Parliamentary Awards 2024

The NHS Parliamentary Awards 2024 launched this week, with nominations opening on Monday 26th February.

The annual NHS Parliamentary Awards were launched in 2018 to give Members the opportunity to recognise the achievements of NHS staff in their local area. In 2023, 289 MPs nominated 755 teams and individuals for Awards, and I will be nominating again this year!

Please suggest suggestions by following this link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/nhs-parliamentary-awards/

3^rd and 5^th Lancing Sea Scouts receive signed copies of their visit from the Prime Minister

After all their hard work last month, it was great to see the look on the Sea Scouts faces when I handed them each a signed (by the Prime Minister) photograph from his visit to the sail training yacht, Supeta at Shoreham Harbour when I attended their scout hut in Lancing earlier this month.

Royal British Legion ‘Big Help Out’

RBL are holding an event in conjunction with The Big Help Out on Saturday June 8^th, 10:00-14:00, in Southwick Square. Please attend in support, I am sure I will see many constituents there!

Sir Robert Woodard Politics students visit Parliament

A few weeks ago, I welcomed Sir Robert Woodard students to Parliament. I wish the group luck in their upcoming Politics course study topics which is 'the role of select committees. I was able to inform the group of my role as member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and the importance of select committees in scrutinising ministers and hearing evidence for essential reports and inquiries. While we had no aspiring MPs, we did have one interested diplomat in the group.

'State of UK Rescue' adoption and fostering session in Parliament

I was thrilled to see some furry faces in the Houses of Parliament. However, these dogs came with a message, and this was to encourage people to adopt not shop when looking for their next pet.

Disposable vapes – RSPCA

I am appalled at how many of these single-use e-cigarettes end up as litter on land as well as in rivers and the ocean. But it’s also heartening to know that there is such strong support for banning these dangerous and polluting disposables vapes amongst the public. I was proud to show my support to the RSPCA and the Marine Conservation Society by attending their Parliamentary session to pick up a briefing and understand more about this important campaign. In addition, I will be doing my bit to help secure a ban on disposable vapes.

HIV testing week

An estimated 4,500 people living with HIV in England don’t know their status. It is more important than ever to check in and look after your health through free and easy at-home, discreet testing kits.

Anyone can pick up a free, quick and easy HIV test – you can also order one to your home here: bit.ly/3ZllH0p

'State of UK Rescue' adoption and fostering session in Parliament

I am delighted to announce that the UK government, in partnership with the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI), has announced that an additional 166,000km2 of ‘No Take Zones’, covering an area 8 times the size of Wales, will now be fully protected from dangerous fishing activity around SGSSI (now full protecting a total of 449,000km2 of water).

More details: https://gov.gs/mp-enhancements-feb24/

Thank you for reading to the end of my monthly newsletter, as always if you wish to contact me office regarding constituency and Westminster focused issues please email me directly to tim.loughton.mp@parliament.uk and I will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.