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The House of Commons has now risen for the summer recess and Members of Parliament have left Westminster behind to spend some time back in our constituencies. It remains an absolute privilege to be your voice in Westminster and I enjoy fighting hard to ensure we get a fair deal from the Government. However, it is also nice to spend some time back home in the constituency as it means I have more opportunities to get out and about in our communities. I’ve recently spent some time in Kingsteignton, Woodland, Ogwell and Denbury and I will endeavour to resolve all the issues that have been raised with me.
The highlight of the first week of recess was the visit of HRH The Princess Royal to the Dewnans Centre at Langdon Hospital in Dawlish. The £27m Dewnans Centre supports people who, as a consequence of their mental health needs, have had contact with the legal system and require a safe and secure environment that enables them to receive a wide range of treatments, therapies and care to assist in their recovery. It is the most modern facility of its kind anywhere in the country and its state-of-the-art design sees 60 beds located in four wards. It also has a wide range of recreational, educational and vocational resources that include a Sports Barn and Therapies Centre. The Dewnans Centre is an important facility staffed with professionals doing incredible work and I was delighted for them that HRH The Princess Royal was able to visit.
Recess has given me the opportunity to meet with local businesses as part of my role as a Small Business Ambassador. Since establishing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Micro Businesses in 2011, it has been clear to me that our very smallest enterprises are both the lifeblood of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities and we must do much more to assist them. We are fortunate to have so many great small businesses in all our towns and many of our villages and my door is always open to them should they require assistance. Access to finance remains an important issue and I am absolutely delighted it was announced by the Treasury this week that banks will publish lending data across 10,000 postcodes. This should encourage competition, which can only be good news for homeowners and small businesses needing to secure finance.
On Wednesday, I was delighted to spend some time at Cricketfield General Practice talking to medical professionals about the challenges facing our GPs. Our GPs play such an important role in our local communities and it is important policy makers listen to their concerns so that our healthcare system is as good as it can possibly be. Later on in the week, I also opened the Dawlish Church Summer Fair and popped along to the RNLI Fete in Shaldon. The summer fare in Dawlish is always a wonderful occasion and it was a pleasure to open it. The RNLI meanwhile is a fantastic organisation that deserves our full support.
On Sunday, I spent some time watching the surf life saving training on Teignmouth beach. It was great to see youngsters from age 5 upwards having fun while learning about the sea and how to swim in it and feel and be safe. Children learn how to surf and how to save the lives of those getting into trouble in the water. Older members can become qualified lifeguards. None of this would happen without the dedication and support of parents and instructors giving up their Sundays in the summer months to train and support. The Teignmouth group has over 100 members and there must have been well over 40 children on the beach despite the wind and rain.
Looking Forward
Although the House is in recess, I am already planning what issues I will be raising when the Commons is back in session in September. One of the issues many of you have been contacting me about in recent times is potholes and the importance of ensuring our roads are properly maintained. Devon has one of the most extensive road networks in the country and I have spoken to Cllr John Hart, leader of Devon County Council, about the challenges associated with this. However, there is no doubt that more needs to be done to keep our roads up to scratch. The Government has recognised this and George Osborne announced £10bn worth of road maintenance funding in the recent spending round. This is good news and I will be working to ensure Devon gets what it needs.
If you are aware of any potholes that need fixing or roads that need to be better maintained then please do let me know and I will speak those with responsibility for this area to see what can be done.