IT is often said that a week is a long time in politics. This week, Parliament returned from summer recess, and what a busy week it’s been!
On Monday, the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, made a statement in the House regarding the terrible crimes that were committed at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Since my last column, the inquiry into Letby’s crimes has now been upgraded to a full independent statutory inquiry. This decision is absolutely the right one and will come as a relief to the families at the heart of this tragic case. This inquiry must now bring reassurances for these families and our wider community.
I also had the opportunity to question ministers about support for pensioners in poverty. It may be hard to imagine in a week with such glorious sunshine, but winter is just around the corner. Even before the cost-of-living crisis began, figures showed more than 20% of pensioners were already living in poverty. This is simply unacceptable.
Pension Credit is a vital lifeline for many low-income pensioners. Sadly, it continues to be widely unclaimed and almost a million pensioners are missing out on £3,300 on average.
If you would like to find out if you qualify for Pension Credit, please visit the Government website to check your eligibility. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me samantha.dixon.mp@parliament.uk. I‘d be pleased to help.
Many of you will have seen the shocking news about school building safety across the country. Children should be looking forward to getting back into classrooms with their friends. Instead, classrooms are being closed and parents across the country are unsure whether their schools are safe.
At the time of writing, no schools in Chester have been identified as being affected. I am working closely with local schools as well as Cheshire West and Chester Council and will continue to monitor the situation.
Meanwhile, it is good to be back in Parliament to champion Chester and be your voice in Westminster.
Please remember, I hold regular surgeries to discuss any issues you may be facing. If you want to meet me, please email on the contact mentioned above, call my office 01244 343229 or use my website www.samantha-dixon.co.uk.