Thanks to the NHS

It was a privilege to finally be able to attend the NHS Parliamentary Awards after they were delayed by the pandemic. Two teams that I had nominated won regional competitions and were subsequently nominated for national awards. They are the Luton and Bedfordshire Children's Rapid Response Team and the Integrated Discharge Hub at the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). I went to visit one of those teams last year to hear all about the fantastic work they do. Whilst they didn't win the national awards, it was great to see NHS teams across the country receiving recognition for their excellent work.

This month also saw the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the NHS by a Labour Government in 1948. Since then, the NHS has become more than a healthcare service. As we have seen during the pandemic people have a deep emotional attachment to it and it is a source of national pride. It is vital that we continue to protect it for future generations. As your MP, I will always vote against attempts to privatise this national institution and fight to protect the principle that the NHS should be for healthcare for all, not private profit for some.

Education Recovery

I recently spoke in a Westminster Hall debate regarding education support for children from low-income families. In my speech, I made the point that, prior to the pandemic, the previous 10 years of austerity had already resulted in the largest cut to education funding for 40 years. This has had a negative impact on children, particularly those from poorer families, causing a growing attainment gap with students from wealthier households. In Luton South, 37% of children are living in poverty, an increase of 3% since 2014. Before the pandemic, disadvantaged secondary school students were 17 months behind their wealthier peers. This has been further exacerbated by Covid as many students did not have laptops or devices, and/or access to data to help them learn at home.

The Government's plan to try to help students catch up is wholly inadequate, both in terms of the funds provided and its scope. The Government should be encouraging and funding afterschool activities such as sports and arts, or simply time to play. Arts and creativity, physical fitness and socialising are vital to a child's development. To read how Labour's education recovery plan would help to deliver a meaningful catch-up for children click here, and you can watch my full speech above.

Protecting Your Rights In Planning Processes

On Wednesday, I presented my first Ten Minute Rule Bill to Parliament. The Bill aims to safeguard the right of individuals, communities and local councillors to participate in individual planning applications. The Government's proposed planning reforms would create a zonal approach that would weaken local oversight of individual planning applications.

The Government's reforms would also expand the use of Permitted Development Rights (PDR). PDR allows developers to bypass the need to get full planning permission and leads to poor quality housing in inappropriate locations. We have already seen the effects of PDR on Luton with town centre offices converted into housing with no thought given to access to essential local amenities such as schools and green space. My Bill would allow local councils to refuse PDR developments if they believe the development would be harmful to individuals or the wider area.

Local communities must be able to shape their areas. To tackle the housing crisis, we need a planning system that delivers good-quality, truly affordable homes rather than one that allows the developers free rein. The Bill will hopefully return to the House on 22nd October for its Second Reading. You can watch my full speech above and read more about the Bill here.