This newsletter is one of the regular updates I send out to residents in Scunthorpe. You can sign up to receive future updates to your email on the left.
Dear Resident,
I hope that everyone had a really lovely few days over the past weekend as we celebrated seventy years since the Queen took to the throne. Her Majesty’s platinum reign has been extraordinary, not just because of its length but also the dignified, responsible and inspirational way that she has headed our country. The weekend was a fantastic celebration of her public service, and it made me be proud to be British.
More widely, I know that the global increases in the cost of living continue to affect individuals and families in our area. With other colleagues, I have been calling on the Government to add further support to the measures they have already put in place. Indeed, I directly asked the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how support would translate into cheaper food prices.
It was subsequently great to hear the Chancellor announce new support measures to help people deal with the cost of living on Thursday. He doubled the electricity bill discount available to all households from October, from £200 to £400, and the requirement to repay this money over five years has been scrapped. In addition, the groups most vulnerable to rising prices were also promised targeted support, including a new, one-off £650 payment to more than 8 million low-income households on Universal Credit, Tax Credits, Pension Credit and legacy benefits, a separate one-off payment of £300 to pensioner households and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits.
Residents may have also heard about the Household Support Fund, which I have been encouraging those who have got in touch to take a look at. The Government has provided a further £500 million to local Councils so they can distribute grants to those struggling to pay for food and energy bills, taking the total of the Household Support Fund to £1.5 billion. If you would like to find out more about this scheme including eligibility and how to apply, you can find more info here. This funding is alongside £50 food vouchers for 7,500 FSM-eligible children in the summer, whilst a further 1,000 families on the lowest incomes will also receive a voucher. There is no need to apply and these will be sent out automatically.
The Queen's Speech last month gave the Government an opportunity to present new legislation that will “Level Up Our Country”. I have written to businesses about some of the legislation that may benefit them, and you can read about the wider agenda laid out here. As your MP, it is my job to ensure that Scunthorpe's interests are represented in this legislation and I look forward to scrutinising these as they go through the Commons.
As ever, please find below my progress reports on key local issues:
Progress reports:
- Protecting and promoting our world-class British steel
- Improving our local health provisions, upgrading Scunthorpe Hospital
- Improving Our Local Roads
- Supporting our local businesses, community groups, and building up our high street
- Working with our schools
Progress Report:
Protecting and promoting our world-class British steel
What is being done?
My April Local Update highlighted two huge victories for our steelworks. Firstly, the Trade Secretary successfully persuaded the US to drop Section 232 tariffs on steel. Secondly, the Government expanded the compensation for high energy costs that steelmakers continue to face. These measures were welcomed by stakeholders across the steel industry. Just after, Network Rail announced that British Steel would continue to be their main supplier, extending their contract for another two years. Part of this includes building a new multi-million pound new-storage facility for long length rails and a new train servicing facility. It was really good to see that British Steel have been hiring for their manufacturing and support teams since.
I was absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to visit the steelworks earlier in May. I was shown around the Rod Mill and Caster 5 where we had some really interesting discussions. I took what I heard down to London.
I promised to keep pushing the importance of the steelworks to the very heart of Government, as I did a couple of weeks ago when my good friend and neighbour, Andrew Percy, and I went to Downing Street to talk to the PM about steel. We covered a lot of issues such as energy costs, international trade and procurement. The Prime Minister re-confirmed that our steelworks in Scunthorpe has his full support, and he showed his in-depth understanding yet again. We had the fortune of presenting him with a British Steel water bottle (courtesy of the Rod Mill) which he and Dilyn can hopefully use on their morning jog!
Some of the British Steel team and I were also fortunate to meet with the Minister for Industry Lee Rowley to discussed steel issues and reiterate the BEIS Department's commitment to the UK Steel Charter.
I continue to use my time in Parliament to push the issues affecting our steel. For example, any future changes to the carbon emissions trading scheme must consider the impact on existing steel decarbonisation plans, and I asked BEIS if they had considered this. Parliamentary Questions can also be used to find out the amount of UK steel used on big projects, and I have asked how much UK steel has been used on the new Elizabeth Line in London.
The impending challenge facing our steelworks now is the expiration of the extended steel safeguards at the end of June. Residents may remember that colleagues and I had to fight tooth-and-nail last June to prevent cheap imports from flooding our domestic market. I met the Prime Minister, the Trade Secretary, spoke in the House of Commons, met the Trade Remedies Authority and thankfully, the recommended removal of safeguards was overturned for a period of 12 months. As we come up to the expiry date again, it is my job to make it clear that these protections are still needed. The underlying conditions that prompted the introduction of the safeguards have not changed and the EU and the US are maintaining their own import controls. I wrote to the Trade Secretary this week, and will be campaigning hard on this to ensure our steelworks are not unfairly disadvantaged.
What's Next?
I will keep campaigning for another extension to steel safeguards, whilst keeping an eye on the continuing rise in energy costs for our steelmakers.
Progress Report:
Improving our local health provisions, upgrading Scunthorpe Hospital
What is being done?
As we wait for the Government to consider our £350 million bid for a new hospital (something I continue to push whenever I see a Health Minister!), I have been highlighting the local health priorities shared with me by residents in Parliament.
I know that people are still struggling to access GP appointments. Whilst this is an issue that is much wider than our area, I have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to pass on residents' accounts of their inability to get face-to-face appointments. My letter asks the Secretary of State to set out what is being done to help our local GPs see more patients, and I will share his response when I receive it.
It was one of the biggest privileges of my time in Parliament to take part in a debate on childhood cancer. With her mother Laura’s permission, I told the story of Ebony- a wonderful young girl from Scunthorpe who sadly lost her life to cancer. Her story, which I would strongly encourage you to listen to below, is a tragic one, but reflects the immense character of Ebony herself. In memory of children like Ebony, we covered important issues like researching, detecting and treating childhood cancer, through to how the children themselves and their parents are cared for during the treatment process and beyond. This is an issue I will continue to work with parents on.
With the memory of David Hopkin’s still strong in many residents’ minds, my work with Nicki Hopkins on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Brain Tumours (APPGBT) has become a matter of duty. It was through talking with Nicki that I was able to find out more about the need for adequately funded, dedicated brain tumour research in the UK. As such, I am proud to now be a member of the APPGBT inquiry panel that is looking to find the pathway to a cure. There must be a legacy left from those we have lost so prematurely, and our group will keep supporting those looking for it.
Where residents have got in touch with me on a disease or condition that has affected them and their families, I have tried to pass on their specific concerns to Government. Below are Written Questions to Ministers on helping Multiple Sclerosis into work, reducing pancreatic cancer mortality rates and the importance of research into Parkinsons’ Disease.
What's Next?
The Government's plans to recover the NHS after the pandemic are well underway, with promises to deliver 9 million more checks, scans and procedures, 100 community diagnostic centres, quicker staff and NHS reservist recruitment, and better digital infrastructure. I will be continuing to liaise with our local Clinical Commissioning Group to ensure these resources are visible in our area.
Progress Report:
Improving our local roads
What is being done?
Earlier this month, I went to look at developments to the open space on Laurel Way with Cllr Waltham and Cllr Saunby – residents may remember the site contains an archaeological site, first identified in 1994.
In conjunction with residents’ work to the open space that has been carried out, North Lincolnshire Council are undertaking plans to install perimeter fencing to the area, along with information boards due to arrive soon. It has been great working with local councillors, North Lincolnshire Council, and local residents on plans since the start. I can’t wait to re-visit the area once the project is completed. Watch this space!
What's Next?
I continue to help residents who get in touch regarding problems with local roads. Please do get in touch if there are any travel issues affecting you and I am happy to raise it with the necessary authority.
Progress Report:
Supporting our local businesses, community groups, and building up our High Street
What is being done?
I know that residents are concerned about the planning application that has been submitted by developers to pull down The Imp. Having been to The Imp many times over the years, I know how important it is to Scunthorpe’s music scene and local mental health charities. The concern is understandable. Therefore, whilst I cannot arbitrate on planning decisions, I wrote to the council to ask them to extend the deadline for consultation so everyone gets the chance to have their say. The deadline was extended to Thursday 2nd June so I hope people had the chance to contribute. I also wrote to households around The Imp to ensure they made their voices heard.
Over the Maybank holiday weekend, I attended Prim Jam IV, an event ran by North Lincolnshire Scouts. It was great to see so many young people having fun outside! There was a fantastic range of activities to take part in and I want to give a special shoutout to all the leaders and volunteers that made the event happen. If you know of a child who may wish to get involved in Scouting, please visit the following link: http://northlincsscouts.org.uk/.
I also want to provide a quick update on our local police efforts. Firstly, I stood on a manifesto to recruit 20,000 more police officers by March 2023 and I’m pleased to say we’re well underway in getting our share locally. Humberside Police now have 237 more officers than they did in 2019. In addition, the local Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison has opened a £1 million fund over the next three years to improve community safety. Not-for-profit organisations, charities, community groups, social enterprises and Town and Parish Councils will be able to bid for grants of between £500 and £35,000. Grants could be used to improve building or land safety, set up local events surrounding safety issues and organise activities for people at risk of falling into criminal behaviour. The deadline for Round 1 Applications is 30th June and you can apply here.
What's next?
As residents will know, there are several projects taking place to rejuvenate our local town centres, be it the new Business and Innovation Hub, the green space on Church Square or the new monthly outdoor market at Barton-Upon-Humber. Activity is growing in our urban hubs and my ambition is for this to continue.
Progress Report:
Working with our Schools
What is being done?
Our area received some fantastic local news recently as Bottesford Bunnies achieved an “Outstanding” Ofsted report! I took a visit to the preschool a couple of weeks ago to congratulate the team and have a look around. It was great to be able to chat to Ellie, Clare and Dave about the hard work that has gone into this fantastic result and to see the outdoor space too. The Ofsted result is clearly well deserved.
Our local education sector officially grew even bigger last week when I attended the launch of University Campus North Lincolnshire! Whilst the facility opened during lockdown, it was right that we waited until restrictions were properly lifted to celebrate this new institution. The creation of UCNL was a fantastic endeavour by everyone involved, repurposing used council building so that local young people have better access to higher education in our area. I also felt really privileged to open the new Institute of Technology there, which offers technical qualifications based on local employer demand. UCNL is certainly an enticing new option for young people looking for education opportunities.
John Leggott College (JLC) has been a crucial part of Scunthorpe’s Further Education offer for many years, yet thanks to Government funding, they continue to be at the top of the game in terms of innovative learning. Using £170,000 of the £900,000 given to the College from the Government’s Skills Development Fund, JLC have built a 180-degree immersive space for learning. The space involves visuals across a screen and the floor, so students can immerse themselves in whatever they are learning about at the time. This is going to provide some really exciting learning opportunities for people in North Lincolnshire and will be a big boost to an already excellent learning environment, offering skills and opportunities to local young people.
Speaking of Government investment, three schools in Scunthorpe were awarded capital funding last month to keep their estates in safe and good working order. Money from the Department for Education’s Conditional Improvement Fund was allocated to JLC, Scawby Academy and Huntcliff school for various projects concerning roof refurbishment. This is an important reminder that Government cannot just focus on the learning that occurs inside school buildings, but on maintaining the buildings themselves as they have done here.
After the Education Secretary recently commended the staff and teachers at St Hugh’s for their work during the pandemic, I decided to reunite with the students (having visited earlier this year) to join them for a student council meeting. The members of the Student Council and I discussed some really interesting topics, which included the introduction of more extra-curricular clubs, residential trips and even the food served in the canteen! As politicians know all too well, the most important thing to their peers is getting results, and I look forward to seeing how they have got on soon.
In May, I welcomed North Lincolnshire Youth Council to Parliament as part of their trip to London. The Council are a group of fantastic young people who give a voice to youth in our area, and it was a pleasure to welcome them down for a tour of Westminster. After the tough questioning they gave me at the end, I wouldn't be surprised to see many of them sitting on the Green Benches themselves in the coming years! They are a testament to North Lincolnshire and I really enjoyed meeting them all.
What's next?
Residents will know by now how keen I am to see young people from Scunthorpe visit Parliament. Having never visited Parliament before I became an MP, I ave made it my duty to give as many schools and youth groups as possible the chance to come down. I look forward to even more tours in the coming months!
Useful information and links for residents:
- My statement on the confidence vote in the Prime Minister here.
- Latest Business Update
- Latest News in North Lincolnshire
If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Take care and stay safe,
Holly