Andrew Griffith MP

Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs

Extra funds for those hosting Ukrainian refugees

We continue to observe the tragic devastation caused by Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. I commend the efforts made by the thousands of Sussex households who have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into the warmth of their homes. Indeed, the County is one of the most generous in the UK in the number of Ukrainian refugees safely housed here. In recognition of this, all hosts will receive an increased ‘thank you’ payment of £500 a month for guests who have been in the country for over a year. The ‘thank you’ payments to hosts will also be extended from 12 months to 2 years, so that our Ukrainian guests can remain where they are until the war ends – and we hope this outcome will come sooner rather than later.

Cap on bus fares for single journeys

In January the Department for Transport announced a cap on bus fares at £2 for single journeys until the end of March. This is excellent news for those who rely on and regularly use our bus network, and most Sussex operators have signed up. This subsidy is part of the wider cost of living support provided by the Government.

Building regulations and ‘Project Gigabit’

Whilst we saw good progress on faster and more reliable broadband in 2022, some of the most rural households - those furthest from exchanges - continue to struggle with browsing speeds. Representing a rural constituency, I welcome the news that all new homes in England will be built with gigabit broadband connections. The Government has amended building regulations to ensure all new homes constructed in England must enjoy ‘lightning-fast’ gigabit broadband. This is in addition to upcoming funding for West Sussex from the £5 billion Project Gigabit to connect 68,000 households and businesses with superfast broadband. I am hopeful this will help to improve the battle-for-bandwidth in our homes.

Andrew Griffith MP for Arundel & South Downs

Andrew.Griffith.MP@parliament.uk www.andrewgriffithmp.com