Parliament was on recess last week and up until the Easter weekend. We are back in London again on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday weekend and my first session will be the BEIS select committee where we will continue our Energy Pricing and the future of the Energy Market enquiry. Whilst the House will only sit from 2.30pm the committee will start at 9.30am so an early train for me. The business next week includes the Online Safety Bill second reading as well as considering the Lord’s amendments to the Subsidy Control, Building Safety and the Nationality and Borders Bills.
Last week we saw the Prince of Wales visit our area and he went to two venues in the Sedgefield Constituency. He went to the new Farmers Market just outside Darlington on the Heighington road. The ‘Mart’ has a fabulous cafe which is open to the public and I would encourage any of you to give it a try. He also visited Kromek in Sedgefield, a fantastic business who specialise in equipment to protect us from both radiation and now viruses. I was unable to join them as I was away, but it was great to see the recognition for these two brilliant organisations.
This week started with a visit to Play Cafe, which is always a pleasure, they normally have me helping pack or deliver but this week I was given the job of bingo caller. The team provide an important service and I always enjoy supporting them. I then went up to Station Town, this is on the north east corner of my constituency, where I went to support some volunteers trying to improve the play facilities for local children. One of the best parts of my job is getting out and meeting the many exceptional people in each of the towns and villages so this was the perfect start to the week.
I will also have meetings on the Shared Prosperity and Levelling Up Funds with Councillors, Ministers and Council Officers. Just because Parliament is in recess does not mean that work stops for either me or my team, it only means that Parliament is not operating as a legislative chamber. We will continue to work for you and be available if you need us.
We have our next surgeries scheduled, including at Woodham Community Centre on Saturday 23 April at 1.30pm. If you would like to catch up, please contact us to make an appointment. We have been advised to make surgeries ‘appointment only’ since the dreadful killing of Sir David Ames, you may have seen that his murderer was convicted this week and my thoughts are of course again with Sir David’s family at this time.
You are welcome to use these surgeries to raise personal issues or just to come and tell us what Government is getting wrong (or right). I look forward to seeing some of you over the coming weeks and wish you all a happy Easter.
If you want to catch up with me on anything, please email paul.howell.mp@parliament.uk
Stay Safe
Paul Howell, Member of Parliament for Sedgefield