Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 30th September

Lots of residents ask me what exactly it is that MPs get up to when they are in Parliament, as speaking in the House of Commons Chamber is just one of a number of things that can occur on a regularly busy day.

Now that I have re-joined the backbenches, I tend to balance my time between speaking in the Chamber, meeting organisations and responding to residents’ concerns. I also do a lot of work as part of my role as chair of the APPG for sport, and I also look into raising questions and seeking answers on the various campaigns that I focus on.

A lot of the time local residents quite rightly email me to question national policy. I pride myself on being meticulous in seeking an answer for them. As a result I am usually fielding Parliamentary Questions every day, often covering a huge range of issues. PQ’s work by requesting a response on the issue from the relevant Minister either in the Chamber, or by submitting it in writing to the correct Government department. The latter option gives you the ability to ask as many questions as frequently as possible.

And that is exactly what I have been doing since Parliament has begun the autumn session. In the Chamber, I’ve asked Ministers if we can extend the use of our excellent Universal Technical Colleges so we give children and parents more choice when it comes to education. I have also asked what more we can do to increase the conviction rate for disability hate crime - an issue I’ve actively led on in Parliament. And I have called on the Government to do more to deliver Superfast Fibre Broadband to both urban and rural communities across Swindon. 

Through Written Questions to Ministers, I have pressed for; better protections for local residents whose trains are delayed; a review of the support we give to armed forces personnel & veterans, better investment in the social work sector; and what more can be done to support victims of crime.

As a result of some of the responses I’ve received already, I will be working with colleagues on a number of issues including ensuring we tackle childhood obesity through increasing funding for school sport and protecting vulnerable consumers. So when Parliament returns, I’ll be putting more questions directly to Ministers on behalf of fellow local residents. I truly believe that the process of questioning Government Ministers, especially when it is on behalf of the people I represent, is one of the strengths of our democracy. That’s why I work so hard to honour it.