HearFromYourMP

Messages for this constituency

Christmas 2013 update

Posted by Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield, at 17:38, Wed 18 December 2013:

I am glad to have the opportunity to update subscribers to the Hear from your MP project, I was unaware of this until very recently and welcome the opportunity to update subscribers on the work I have been doing on behalf of residents of Chesterfield and Staveley.

I am also keen to hear from you, so in addition to popping back on occasion to read any responses in the public forum, I would also encourage you to email me at toby.perkins.mp@parliament.uk if there is anything you want to raise with me privately.

Firstly Happy Christmas, can I wish you all the very best for the festive season. In between putting up the mistletoe and preparing my Christmas list, I have put together my latest email briefing highlighting some of my recent work in Chesterfield and Westminster. I hope you find it of interest.

Standing up for local services • On Monday 25 November I called a debate in Parliament on cuts to our local fire services. I think this is an extremely serious issue which jeopardises the safety of many local people and I am determined to fight these cuts.

• I am hugely concerned about the Post Office’s plans to relocate Chesterfield’s Crown Post Office into the Pavement’s Centre branch of WH Smith’s. I have expressed these concerns directly to Post Office bosses at a public meeting in the Chesterfield library, have responded to 287 enquiries received from constituents opposing the plans, and voted against the government’s privatisation of the Royal Mail in Parliament.

If you share my concerns you can email comments@postoffice.co.uk or writing to the Post Office, addressing envelopes ‘Freepost – Your Comments, Post Office Ltd’ on the plans to move the Crown Post Office into WH Smith store.

• I have recently conducted a local survey to find out people’s views regarding the quality and performance of the GP practices in Staveley and the Holywell Medical Group’s surgeries in particular, following a number of complaints and a damaging CQC report.

• Last month I also spoke against the wholesale privatisation of the Probation Service in Parliament and sent a message of support to those striking to save the service in Chesterfield.

Backing local businesses • I have been a strong supporter of the first ever UK Small Business Saturday which was held on 7 December. I was delighted that a battle bus which toured the country to promote the day decided to call at Chesterfield, the smallest town on its route, and met local business and press on the bus whilst it parked in the market square. • On Small Business Saturday itself I visited 25 independent retailers around our town. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to shop local and support our small businesses at Christmas, they are crucial to the diversity of Chesterfield and Staveley. • I also believe it is important to promote our town to investors across the country. That is why on 26 November I hosted an “Invest in Chesterfield” event in Westminster to demonstrate why businesses should choose to locate in Chesterfield and bring continued jobs and economic growth in our town. • Another group of small business which are struggling in the current climate are pubs, and I recently wrote an article highlighting how Labour can support our pub industry.

Recent appearances in Parliament • On 28 November I was called to sum up a Backbench Business Committee Debate in the House of Commons on how government should support small businesses. • On 2 December I asked a question of the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and urged him to support a petition calling for an immediate freeze in energy bills which 5,000 local people in Chesterfield have already signed. • On 4 December I led an Opposition Day Debate in Parliament (one of the rare opportunities when those parties not in government get to set the agenda of the House of Commons) on Business Rates. • On 9 December I had the honour and privilege of speaking during the tributes to Nelson Mandela in the House of Commons.

Christmas is coming so along with many people in Chesterfield I’ve been busy finalising my Christmas card list, which includes Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II. To design my card I hosted a competition for local school children and the winner whose design I will be using is Rehman Abdul from Hady Primary School.

And finally: this is a copy of the Christmas update that I have sent out to those who have emailed me or registered to receive my updates previously. If you go to www.tobyperkins.org.uk you can see a copy with hyperlinks to many of the speeches or debates mentioned so that you can learn more about them. In future versions of this update I will probably make them more specific to single issues.