MP COLUMN
VIEWS FROM RICHARD FULLER, YOUR LOCAL MP...
With our departure from the European Union behind us, Parliament can now move on to other issues such as NHS funding, future arrangements for our farmers and improvements to our nation’s infrastructure. Even in these early days as your Member of Parliament, I have made sure to press Government Ministers on a number of key priorities for Bedfordshire.
I challenged the Health Secretary to pay special attention to the need for better access to a GP appointment in places such as Biggleswade, Sandy, Arlesey and Stotfold where there have been new housing developments. I presented the Chief Secretary to the Treasury with an ‘oven-ready’ deal, making Ministers aware of what could be achieved in North East Bedfordshire through a crossdepartmental infrastructure bid to support housing, health services and transport issues. After the announcement of the Eastern section route of East-West Rail, which will link Oxford to Cambridge via Bedford and a new station between St Neots and Sandy, I successfully lobbied the Transport Minister to look again at the case for realignment of the A1 to deal with the congestion and pollution suffered by people along the existing road. 6
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Outside of Parliament, I hosted a meeting so the Managing Director of Govia Thameslink could meet with representatives of the Rail User Groups for Arlesey and Biggleswade. Even with the current “hold” on any station skipping at Arlesey I am under no illusion as to just how bad things have been for passengers and I will be arranging a series of further meetings to tackle some of the causes of these disruptions. I have held my first Farmers’ Forum, to listen to opinions on the Agriculture Bill, food and animal welfare standards and on rural crime concerns. It has been a busy month, but I have enjoyed my constituency Fridays and weekends meeting and visiting schools, parish councils, local organisations and charities and I even had the pleasure of opening the new home for Stotfold FC. If you have questions for me, a campaigning issue close to your heart or if you would like me to visit a local organisation that you are a part of, then please call my office on 01767 313385. It will be nice to hear from you.
