The big celebration this week, is of course, England’s Lionesses winning Euro 2022, my heartfelt congratulations to them. I hope that this can inspire lots of our young people, particularly girls, to take up a sport. We have so many opportunities on the town, as demonstrated by the recent event in the town centre. From water polo to axe throwing; from dance to cricket; from football to gymnastics, these and many others are available. I would encourage everyone to find one that suits you. They are great not only for your physical health but your mental wellbeing too.
It was good to catch up last week with Phillip Hawkins from the Around Town show on Aycliffe Radio, we talked with Berni Borsberry about supporting a football aid project in Kenya and I am also going to do an interview with Phillip about Parliament, which will be broadcast on Sunday 7th August 2022. The Around Town show is broadcast on the 1st Sunday of each month and if you have any questions, you may want him to ask me for any future interviews, please get in touch with Phillip via Aycliffe Radio.
I had anticipated having the Minister for Exports, Andrew Griffiths MP, visiting last Tuesday but due to problems with the overhead wires his train never left Kings Cross. However, credit to the Minister he has rescheduled and is coming this week instead. He will be visiting Roman Showers on the Business Park following the brilliant news about their second Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for International Trade. I have also arranged for him to meet local farmers and the NFU to discuss the opportunities arising from the trade deals being negotiated.
I had the pleasure of opening the NMI (National Microelectronics Institute) conference at Ramside Hall which brought together businesses from the semiconductor market both from across our region and the rest of the UK. The other reason I attended was to launch North East Advanced Material Electronics, otherwise known as NEAME. NEAME is a cluster of semiconductor and advanced material electronic companies in the sector here in the northeast, based mainly at NETPark in Sedgefield. Since being elected, I have been getting to know them and I am continuing to learn about the challenges and opportunities they face which is giving me important background information for the BEIS select committee semiconductor inquiry where we are looking at supply chains, government communication and manufacturing.
On Wednesday I had the privilege of a visit to BTS Fabrications where Phil and Marcia introduced me to their fantastic business and their team. It really is a pleasure for me to be shown around a manufacturing business, having spent around 40 years working in that environment I have always liked seeing how different businesses work, particularly when they are as impressive as BTS.
Thursday was a day primarily in the office where we had a number of constituents come in for surgery discussions before going out to Sedgefield delivering some leaflets and catching up with constituents. On Friday I had a meeting with the Neighbourhood Police Inspector for the north of the constituency, primarily from Thornley to the Trimdons, before discussions on the Leamside Line and how we keep it on the Government’s agenda and then on the plans for our Levelling Up bid for Aycliffe Town Centre.
Monday, I had a meeting with my team at Aycliffe to plan our work through the summer and how we engage with any new ministers that are put in post following the inevitable reshuffle after the leadership election concludes. We have many ways to engage, ranging from letters to ministerial surgeries but also by using adjournment debates, Westminster Hall debates, 10-minute rule bills or Oral Questions to the Department. I will explain a little about each of those in the coming weeks. If there is anything else you would like me to explain, just get in touch through the usual routes, email: paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk or ring 01325 790580.
Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield