Conference recess is coming to an end, but I have been very busy working on some important local campaigns throughout.
I've been particularly focussed on working towards a common sense solution to the issue of school transport for Thrapston students to Prince William School in Oundle; pressing for a suitable alternative approach to be identified, following the unfortunate closure plans by the National Autistic Society of their daycentre provision in Irthlingborough; efforts to push forward progress on a number of highways safety issues in Weldon; as well as urging that a plan be agreed with the developer to deliver the vital infrastructure promised at Little Stanion, including the village hall and a football pitch. All of that is just a snapshot, but you can read about these issues and many others below. I also enjoyed debating on the Sunday Politics East sofa last weekend!
My work across the constituency and in Westminster never stops and I will always work hard on the issues that matter, both local and national, campaigning on them for you, all year round. Indeed, below are some of the things I’ve been up to over the last few weeks.
As ever, if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please don't hesitate to get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this newsletter at any time.
With best wishes,
Tom Pursglove MP
Member of Parliament for Corby & East Northamptonshire
Working for you across Corby & East Northamptonshire!
My thoughts on the appalling terrorist attacks in Israel that took place last weekend, and events since
I know that many in our community, myself included, have been horrified by the news of the recent terrorist attacks and what we have seen on our television screens has been truly shocking and frightening. As news of the attacks and their aftermath have been coming in, I have been shocked and appalled at the barbarism perpetrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad against innocent men, women, and children.
Around 1,300 Israelis are believed to have been murdered, with many more injured, and at least 150 Israeli civilians taken hostage in Gaza. Never before in Israel’s 75-year history as an independent state has it been forced to endure such an atrocity. My deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of the victims, and with the people of Israel in these darkest of hours.
Let me be absolutely clear: I, and the Government more broadly, unequivocally condemn the heinous acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself, as guaranteed in Article 51 of the 'United Nations Charter'.
I know that the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Israel’s Foreign Minister to express the UK’s condolences and reaffirm our support for Israel, and will be continuing to engage closely with them. He has also spoken to the Palestinian Prime Minister, urging the Palestinian Authority to condemn the terrorist attacks and to cooperate with the Israeli security forces to prevent further violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as speaking with other regional partners. The Prime Minister has spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as with President Biden, Chancellor Scholz, President Macron and Prime Minister Meloni, all of whom have declared steadfast and united support for Israel, and issued the strongest possible condemnation of the terrorist actions of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
More broadly, the FCDO is maintaining a close eye on the situation, and is working to support affected British nationals as an utmost priority.
UK aid funding to the Occupied Palestinian Territories is also focused on essential basic services and life-saving humanitarian assistance, mostly through dedicated UN programmes. The UK ended direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority in 2021.
Furthermore, the UK maintains a strict and longstanding non-contact policy with Hamas, as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Equally, I am extremely alarmed and concerned at reports of rising antisemitism against the Jewish community here in the UK, following the events in Israel. Antisemitism has no place in our society, and we must all come together to call it out and condemn it in the strongest possible terms wherever we find it. The Home Secretary has my full backing in her commitment to supporting and protecting the Jewish community and I note the additional funding that has been made available by the Government this week in support of that important work, alongside greater visible policing presence.
I stand in solidarity with Israel, and the Jewish community, during this terrible time, and will continue to follow developments closely, whilst standing ready to assist anyone affected here in our community in any way I can.
Fantastic Q&A sessions with young people from local schools in Parliament!
It was brilliant to attend a number of Q&A sessions in Parliament with a couple of our fantastic local schools this week, including Prince William School in Oundle and Kimbolton School just over the border. As ever, the students raised some really insightful - and often quite tricky questions - including local issues such as school transport in Thrapston, which I'm actively working on (see the story below!) and the proposed, large-scale warehouse plans for Thrapston/Titchmarsh, as well as some broader policy questions involving the current voting age and the debate surrounding the legalisation of cannabis.
I'm always keen to offer an insight into the workings of politics, both locally and in Westminster, so it was a pleasure to participate in these Q&A sessions - the future of our local political scene looks bright, with so much interest from the next generation and strong debating skills on show!
If you are a local teacher and would like to get your students involved in Parliament, do check out Parliament's fantastic Education Centre, here. They host involved and varied workshop days for students of all abilities, ages and needs, at no cost. Do check it out!
The proposed closure of the National Autistic Society's daycentre provision in Irthlingborough and pressing to find a better way forward
The National Autistic Society's decision to close Irthlingborough Daycentre, with virtually no notice and without meaningful dialogue with the local authority to identify an alternative way forward, is completely unacceptable. Having met the families of affected service users at the weekend, who are understandably very distressed by this news, I have called on the charity to suspend the closure for six months and to now engage in constructive dialogue with North Northamptonshire Council - who I know stand ready to engage meaningfully in the spirit we would all wish to see - to ensure continuity of provision for the vulnerable autistic people with complex needs who rely on this service. I hope they will agree to do so, and I shall continue to press for such engagement to happen as a matter of urgency, with a view to that hopefully bringing about a better way forward.
Letter to North Northamptonshire Council on the Thrapston home to school transport issue
I wanted to share a copy of the letter that I recently wrote to the Interim Chief Executive of North Northamptonshire Council, highlighting the concerns of parents in Thrapston, and in some of the surrounding villages, whose children attend, or will in future attend, Prince William School in Oundle, owing to recent changes to the local authority’s home to school transport policy. I genuinely hope that a common sense solution can be found to address this obvious need, in a discretionary way outside of the policy, and am pressing North Northamptonshire Council to that end, alongside the local ward councillors. I will of course provide any updates as I have them, but it was good to go along to the special meeting of Thrapston Town Council on Monday evening, which was convened to discuss the community's response to this issue and next steps to help ensure the voices of parents are heard, to which I was pleased to contribute.
Weldon highways issues meeting
Following a recent, very well-attended public meeting I took part in in Weldon of local residents and Weldon Parish Council representatives, to discuss their valid concerns relating to highways matters in the village, I was pleased to host some local residents, along with North Northamptonshire Council, Weldon Parish Council, and Persimmon representatives, for a further intensive meeting last Friday, to try and get actions agreed between the relevant parties, to deliver action on these understandable safety concerns.
In short, we discussed the key issues at play - namely how the weight of traffic created by the new Weldon Village Academy and the Persimmon development is to be best dealt with, how HGVs can be better directed away from the centre of the village, and how safer pedestrian routes may be ensured, as well as finally getting a safe crossing of the A43 agreed and delivered, given the very worrying near-misses that have been seen of late, with people crossing this fast-paced road via the roundabout, to get between the village and Priors Hall Park.
Productive discussions were had, with all of the parties involved taking away 'actions' to go and work through, and I will be keeping a close eye on these issues going forward, so that local residents' views are properly heard. I will of course post any updates as I have them, as I know Weldon Parish Council will, but people can be assured that I will be pressing for progress.
Making your views known about the proposed unwanted industrial warehouse developments at Thrapston/Titchmarsh!
Over recent weeks and months, I have heard from so many local residents regarding their valid concerns in respect of the proposed warehouse developments affecting Thrapston and Titchmarsh, along with several other of our local rural communities. Before the standard consultation expiry date for any comments came on the 12th October, I was pleased to help raise many local residents' very legitimate objections. Simply put, these are the wrong developments in the wrong place, on heritage, environmental and flooding grounds, and we ought to be exploring all brownfield site options in the first instance. I will of course post any updates as and when I have them as this progresses through the planning process, and it was also good to meet with STAUNCH representatives this week to make sure that we are working in a joined-up way, and to lend a hand on various areas that we discussed, particularly around helping them to gather the information they need to best challenge these applications and the merits of them. Watch more, here.
Visit to Specsavers in Corby
I really enjoyed my visit to Specsavers in Corby last Friday, to hear more about the optometry services they provide, to see for myself the technological advances that have been made and the benefit of them, as well as to discuss how these services could be further enhanced in our local area - which I will now be picking up with our local health service commissioners. Keeping our eyes healthy is of course so important, and is especially topical in light of Glaucoma Awareness Week 2023. Thank you for having me for what was a fascinating and insightful visit, where I learnt so much!
A share of £80 million for North Northamptonshire Council to protect and improve bus services locally – good news!
The Department for Transport have let me know that North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) have been awarded a share of £80 million to protect and improve bus services locally, which I was especially pleased to hear about, given the recent dialogue I have been having with NNC and Stagecoach about local services and routes. The £569,412 allocated to NNC will help protect essential bus services, which I know are especially important to people in our towns and rural areas alike, and allow them to make improvements that would most benefit communities. I for one will be pushing for our fair share of the funding to be spent on services benefitting Corby & East Northamptonshire and will post any updates as and when I have them. This investment takes total Government support to protect and improve bus services, while keeping fares low, to £3.5 billion since 2020. Find out more about this announcement, as well as how the Government is helping people to save on everyday travel costs amid the cost of living challenge, here.
A good debate on Sunday Politics East!
We had a good debate on the Sunday Politics East sofa last weekend, with a cross-party panel discussing how we best meet our climate change commitments in a practical way, home to school transport, including our local issue here in Thrapston, and party conference season! You can watch the full episode,here.
Visit to Powdertech in Corby - another proud and impressive local manufacturing business!
It was great to again visit Powdertech in Corby during another packed Friday in the constituency, which is a specialist powder coater for architectural metals. I've always been a huge supporter of Corby manufacturing businesses and so it was fascinating to hear more about the work they are doing and their plans for the future, as well as to talk about some of the prestigious projects that they have worked on, and which they will be working on over the coming months, with a real focus on better environmental outcomes. A really impressive operation!
Visit to Company Shop in Corby
It was great to visit the Company Shop in Corby last week, who support those working in the food manufacturing supply chain, as well as those in social care, NHS emergency services, the British Armed Forces, as well as those who work in the charity sector and people receiving means-tested benefits.
It was fascinating to see how their social enterprise model aims to help those who might need a little extra support; beyond access to greatly discounted, everyday items, members have access to a Development Hub and kitchen, where they can learn and develop vital skills to gain confidence and become more independent individuals, with a huge number of their members saying Company Shop's services have improved their daily living; in the Corby store alone, local members saved £4,832,339 in 2022.
What's more is, through a new exciting partnership with Biffa, Company Shop has been able to tackle the huge issue of food waste head on, within their organisation, taking a huge step towards adopting a sustainable and innovative approach to surplus management, and genuine industry collaboration, diverting food away from going to landfill and putting it to far better use.
Very interesting stuff and I look forward to working with Company Shop in the future - thank you for having me!
A round-up of my recent ministerial work in September as the Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work
My work as the Minister for Disabled People, Health & Work at the Department for Work and Pensions continues to keep me very busy, alongside my duties as your local MP, as we continue to work across Government and with some fantastic disability champions, organisations and charities, to ensure that the support we're providing allows disabled people and those with long-term health conditions to fulfil their full potential, including in work and beyond, as well as ensuring that there is a strong safety net for those in need.
By way of a latest update, given that I know this is of interest to many people locally, I wanted to include an outline of what I've been up to in the past month or so, including some very insightful meetings, drop-ins, as well as appearances in Select Committee, to pull out just a few.
• It was great to see Debbie North, Countryside Disability & Access Ambassador, given a 'Points of Light' award for making the Yorkshire Dales more accessible to disabled people. My congratulations also to Jo Milne, who was awarded for her brilliant work raising awareness of Usher Syndrome. See, here.
• I was especially proud to lead the effort to develop the Disability Action Plan consultation and to encourage anyone interested in improving the lives of disabled people to respond with their thoughts and ideas. I was also glad to meet up with MPs to discuss how their constituents' comments would be greatly appreciated as part of this work, including with Kevin Foster MP. This invaluable feedback will guide Government policy moving forward and I look forward to reviewing the feedback in due course, which is now being analysed to help us decide on next steps, taking account of that feedback. See more, here and here.
• It was great to join Chris Heaton-Harris MP, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on a visit to Belfast to see first-hand the fantastic collaborative work happening between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and to discuss how we can continue to improve the vital services that we offer. See, here.
• It was good to get back in the swing of things following the summer recess and participate in DWP Questions in the House, where I answered probing questions, including around Access to Work, the work and health join up, and new assessment related improvements. Watch the session, here.
• I also responded for the Government to a good debate in Westminster Hall, which focussed on the issue of disability benefit assessments, with a whole range of views expressed about their importance and how they are best delivered. You can watch that debate, here.
• I was proud to celebrate the launch of England’s Country Capacity Assessment of Assistive Technology (AT) report. I welcome its research towards improving access to life-changing AT products for disabled people across England. Find the full report, here.
• I was delighted to have attended AI Research UK's event on the 'Future of Dementia'. With over half of us knowing someone affected by dementia, there must be a greater focus on putting a stop to the heartbreak this condition causes.
• I was pleased to celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages, which reminds us of the historic moment the BSL Act became law last year. With over 300 different sign languages, it’s vital we continue to support deaf people in a world where they can sign everywhere. See more, here.
• It was great to see #AskDon'tAssume launch last month, following co-development with disabled people, stakeholders and extensive research with 500+ people with lived experience of disability. The campaign aims to start conversations about the everyday assumptions disabled people face and how everyone in society can be better allies to disabled people. See, here.
• It was brilliant to visit AbleStay in London recently with our Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism, Ross Calladine, to see how co-founder, Jo, is paving the way in accessible tourism and helping to make our capital city open to all. A really impressive organisation. See here for more.
Letter to North Northamptonshire Council in respect of development infrastructure promises that must be kept at Little Stanion
Promises of a village hall and a football pitch were part of the vision sold to people when they bought their homes in Little Stanion. In advance of the North Northamptonshire Council meeting where this issue was recently debated, I wrote, emphasising that those promises must be kept by the developer. At the council meeting itself, the item was deferred for more information and discussion, but I shall be sure to keep pressing on this important issue for Little Stanion residents, who rightly expect the vision they were sold to come fully to fruition.
Good news! X4 bus service to extend to the New Weldon Village Academy after half-term
Following my recent, productive meeting and follow-up correspondence with Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director of Stagecoach Midlands, I’m very pleased that the X4 bus service is set to be extended to serve the new Weldon Village Academy, when students return to school after October half-term. The new timetabling will ensure students arrive in time for the start of the school day and is a big step in ensuring this fantastic £30 million new school in our community can best cater for its staff and students - in fact, it was an issue that came up on my recent visit and I undertook to see if I could help to resolve it. Obviously, there are still improvements to be made elsewhere in terms of ensuring that the rest of our community is better connected, as per my recent separate update, but I’m continuing to press both North Northamptonshire Council and Stagecoach for improvements. This news is, however, very welcome!
Should you have any concerns regarding local bus services, please drop me a line to pursglovet@parliament.uk, and I will be glad to raise your concerns as appropriate.
Please do get in touch with any issues or concerns you may have!
My work never stops on behalf of local people, and I just wanted to restate that I am always available to hear your concerns and worries, or about any issues that you may be facing and would appreciate some help with. You can get in touch via telephone, letter, or email and can also organise an appointment for one of my weekly surgeries if you would like to have a more detailed discussion. For more information about making an appointment, please see: https://www.votepursglove.co.uk/weekly-advice-surgeries.
I also made a short video during last year, encouraging residents within Corby & East Northamptonshire to get in touch at any time, which you can find, here. You can also find my contact details in full, here. I look forward to hearing from you!
Local engagement, help and support – September 2023 in numbers:
To give local people an idea about the work I have been doing on the ground in recent weeks, actively raising local issues, feedback, and concerns, and taking up individual cases, I thought it would be useful to include the pie chart below, which includes the data for the month of September.
Notably, in September, my office received over 1,400 emails from local residents and 430 specific new cases were created for individual constituents. For context, this is aside from the significant incoming telephone enquiries my office receive each day.
Despite recess periods, it has undoubtedly been a busy time, with a wide range of issues and concerns being raised with me, covering national, international and very local issues, as well as requests for help with many individual casework issues, and numerous surgery appointments have been held too to help advance cases. It might have been recess, but my constituency work continued at the usual high tempo throughout!
I shall provide an update on October next time.
• BIPC Northamptonshire will be at Corby Enterprise Centre on Tuesday 17th October. If you are interested in starting your own business, or are a business owner and would like some free, one-to-one advice, support or guidance, then do drop in between 9am and 4pm to chat to one of their advisors and learn more about the free 'Build Your Business Programme'. The programme also offers start-up grants of up to £2,000 for new businesses – so please don’t miss out! For more information, see, here, or drop them an email to bipc@west-northants.gov.uk.
• This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am proud to join Asda and their charity partners BreastCancerNow and CoppaFeelPeople, in raising awareness of the ‘Real Self-Checkout’ campaign, to encourage people to check themselves for signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Learn more about signs and symptoms, and how to donate, here. #TickledPink
• I’m proud to support the Road Haulage Association this National Lorry Week at the end of October. I know that here in Corby & East Northamptonshire, and indeed nationwide, road haulage businesses and their 42,000 employees across the country do vital work in ensuring our communities and local businesses stay connected and can operate as they need to. Having visited a number of haulage and logistics businesses locally recently, I'm always struck by just how sophisticated their operations are – we certainly should not take them for granted, as the work they do matters to all of our day to day lives!
• The NHS winter vaccine programme is now underway, and eligible groups, including housebound individuals and residents of older adult care homes, can now receive COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. With the winter period fast approaching, and in light of a new COVID-19 variant emerging, it’s especially important to make sure we’re all up-to-date with our vaccinations, and so if you are part of a vulnerable group, then please do make sure you’re sufficiently protected. Children aged 2-17 are also eligible for flu vaccinations, and so I’d strongly encourage all parents to complete their school consent forms to enable their children to receive the shots. The #NHS winter vaccination programme is underway, offering flu and COVID-19 jabs to eligible groups. With winter on its way, and a new COVID-19 variant emerging, it’s even more important to ensure you’ve received the shots. You can book online, via the NHS App, or by calling 119.
• I am proud to support local convenience stores across Corby & East Northamptonshire and the invaluable role they play in our communities. I therefore welcome the ACS Local Shop Report 2023, which once again shows that our local convenience stores contribute hugely to our local economy, as well as being invaluable within our communities in terms of the service they provide, which we should all seek to support where we can. You can find out more, here.
• Applications are now open for the Community Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Fund, through which community organisations can apply for grants to fund defibrillators. With £1 million of Government funding, the fund will provide at least 1,000 defibrillators in community spaces across England, which will enable 24-hour access to these life-saving pieces of medical equipment. Using a defibrillator within three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest increases survival chances by 40%, so it’s hugely important that we have as many defibrillators as possible to provide emergency medical interventions. I’d strongly encourage community groups across Corby & East Northamptonshire to consider applying for funding, demonstrating that defibrillators will be placed in accessible areas where they’re most needed. You can find out more about the fund, and how to apply, here.
• With the new university and college terms getting underway, it’s really important that new and existing students ensure they are up-to-date with their vaccinations. These free vaccines include HPV, MenACWY and MMR, and are routinely provided by the NHS, and you can check whether you’ve received all these vaccinations via the NHS App. Particularly with new data showing that one in eight students are unprotected against four deadly types of meningitis, ensuring you’re fully vaccinated is even more crucial, and if you’ve missed out on any then please do contact your GP to arrange a catch-up.
• Historic England have recently announced another round of funding for 'Everyday Heritage Grants: Celebrating Working Class Histories', to support community-led projects telling the stories of working class history. They’re inviting heritage groups to apply for grants of up to £25,000, as well as £1,000 grants for smaller community initiatives, for projects that share untold stories about their local areas, and encouraging communities to tell their stories in their own ways. I know many in Corby & East Northamptonshire, myself included, would really appreciate, and be interested in, projects highlighting the history of our area, so this is certainly not one to be missed! Applications close on the 7th November 2023, and you can find out more, here.
• Parliament’s Education and Engagement Service have been in touch with news of their next residential UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme, from 29-31 January 2024. As part of this programme, teachers will get to experience Parliament first hand, with a view to helping their students to better understand and engage with Parliament and its work. The course includes Q&A sessions with the Speaker and Members of both Houses, tours of the Palace of Westminster, and workshops devoted to key aspects of the work Parliament does. It’s a great opportunity to learn about Parliament and how British democracy works, and provides plenty of practical ideas that teachers can then take back to school. Transport, accommodation, and most meals are provided, so if you are a teacher, school, or college leader, then do consider applying! The closing date is Sunday 22nd October 2023, and you can find out more, here. Don’t miss out!
• UK Parliament Week is back for 2023 between the 6th and 12th November. It’s Parliament’s flagship public engagement campaign, spreading the word about what Parliament is, and is a great opportunity to find out what it does and crucially, how you can get involved. Organisations, irrespective of size or age group, including community groups, youth groups and schools, can sign up online and receive free resource kits to help them organise their UKPW activities. Last year, 1.1 million people took part in over 10,000 activities in every region and nation of the UK. Find out more and sign up, here. Don’t miss out!
If you have anything you would like to be featured next week, please email all the details to pursglovet@parliament.uk.
Also, if you have taken any photos of constituency landscapes or landmarks, which could be featured in my ‘Community Notices’ headers, please send them in and I will try to use as many of them as possible (and credit them accordingly!), as a celebration of the fantastic place we live and work in. I know we have many budding photographers in our community and it would be great to showcase their work!
LOBBY CAMPAIGNS:
As you might be aware, I respond to standard campaign emails via my website, here. For ease, I also wanted to share the links to the most recent replies, which you can find below:
