Welcome to my March newsletter. I’d like to start this month’s newsletter by thanking all those who shared their thoughts and feedback on last month’s newsletter. It’s always good to hear from constituents about my work and how I can optimise this newsletter.
This month I’ve continued my promotion of the International Year of Reading as we celebrated World Book Day, visiting libraries and schools across Chester North and Neston to promote the benefits of reading. We’ve also celebrated the fantastic women on International Women’s Day and I’ve continued to meet with constituents at my constituency surgeries.
If you have positive news in Chester North & Neston please do get in touch so I can help share this positivity to fellow residents. As always, if you have a situation in which you think I could help, please do get in touch. I hope you enjoy the rest of this month’s newsletter and thanks to all those who replied sharing their views on last months newsletter.
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Since February’s newsletter, I’ve been able to visit several of the schools in Chester North & Neston to promote reading among young people. The photo at the top of the newsletter was taken at Willaston Primary School with Head Teacher, Mr Graham; the photo above is from Grosvenor Park Academy and below shows the Library at Blacon High School.
The Government is also running a consultation on the role of technology in the lives of young people so do get involved and encourage any young people you know to join in.
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As part of my tour for International Year of Reading, I’m committed to visiting every library across my constituency to highlight the benefits they bring to our communities. This month was the turn of Blacon Library and Neston Library which both have great range of books and community events for local people. If you have a favourite library, librarian or a book you are really enjoying please get in touch so it can be shared in a future edition of this newsletter.
I’d also like to highlight the excellent range of places to buy books in Chester North & Neston, from the main high street book retailers to our independent sector with Amblongus, Aldous, Bookingham Palace and many charity shops. This sector of our high streets continues to grow with the opening of Chapters set to take place on Saturday 21st March.
On the subject of reading, I enjoyed meeting members of the Neston Junior Council in Parliament and reading their wonderful letters. They asked some very thoughtful questions and showed a real curiosity in our Parliament and the functioning of our democracy. If you are ever in London, please let me know and drop into Parliament to visit.
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As I often highlight in these newsletters, we have some truly amazing local people in Chester and Neston. I’d like to thank all those who joined me in Vicars Cross for my International Women’s Day coffee morning at The Centurion. It was great to be joined by Isabel from the Visitor Information Centre to share the inspiring stories of women throughout Chester’s illustrious history.
If you find yourself in Chester City Centre, pop in to the Visitor Information Centre to find out more about our wonderful local area. I recently enjoyed learning more about the Roman Tours of Chester for English Tourism Week (13-22 March) and the wider visitor economy in talks with Dean Paton of Big Heritage and Christian Marcucci of Visit Cheshire.
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The recent good weather makes Chester, Neston, Parkgate and the villages look wonderful as we start Spring. Unfortunately, the weather for my recent constituency surgery at Neston Market was more varied. It was good to meet with residents to discuss their issues and ideas for Neston alongside Cllr Keith Millar and it’s great to see the market continue to be a key local asset in Neston.
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It’s been a busy month for me as a Minister and the wider Government given the challenges and distressing scenes we see internationally, be that in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine following the fourth Anniversary of the Russian Invasion.
As the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Elections, I’ve spoke at Conferences, visited a Democracy Cafe, taken the Grenfell Tower Memorial (Expenditure) Bill through the Commons, introduced The Representation of the People Bill into Parliament and so much more. It is truly an honour to represent Chester North & Neston and serve as a Minister to improve the lives of all residents.
I’d like to end some positive news. NHS Waiting lists fell again in January – by 43,000. Since Labour came to power in July 2024, they have fallen by 374,000. Ambulance response times are the fastest in five years. For heart attacks and strokes, they are down to less than 29 minutes. A&E waits are the shortest for four years, despite a hugely demanding winter.
As always, If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulty in navigating bureaucracy please reach out to arrange a surgery meeting or have your case dealt with directly through email.
Thanks again for taking the time to read this update.