Newsletter from Peter Bone
Posted by Peter Bone, MP for Wellingborough, at 17:03, Thu 22 December 2005:
This is the first of a regular newsletter which I will be sending you at the beginning of each month. I would like to thank you by taking the time to sign up to Hear From Your MP and I hope you find this service, and my email news of use and of help to you.
The last month has been extremely busy both at the Houses of Parliament and in the Constituency.
I have spoken in many debates over the last month, and was very lucky to have secured a debate of my own in the House of Commons Chamber on Friday 2 December 2005. My debate was on Secondary School Provision in Wellingborough and it gave me the chance to raise the issue about the lack of secondary school places.
The debate I secured was called an adjournment debate and it was held at the end of the day after all other Parliamentary Business had concluded. I was given half an hour to express my concerns and the Minister from the Department of Education and Skills was present in order to respond. I was also joined by the Honourable Member for Kettering, Philip Hollobone MP, who spoke about the problem of increased development in our area and the need for more infrastructure in place before this development is forced upon us by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
For a full transcript of my debate please click on http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm051202/debtext/51202-26.htm#51202-26_spnew13 to read my arguments for the need for a new secondary school in Wellingborough.
I am currently 9th out of 647 MPs for speaking in the debates in the House of Commons and have spoke in 67 debates since my election in May.
I recently spoke in the Work and Families Bill debate. I feel very strongly about this Bill because the Government has made no provision to give mothers the choice to stay at home and bring up their children. I welcome the fact that the Government will be extending the length of maternity pay to nine months but I do feel that women should be given the choice on whether they want to go back to work or whether they want to raise their children at home. Unfortunately the Government has made it almost impossible for most families to do this because mothers are forced back into work for financial reasons.
One of the campaigns that I am running at the moment is on hospital waiting times. The Prime Minister stated recently that no one will be waiting over six months for an appointment by the end of November. When I spoke to Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust on the 1 December, I discovered that there were still 437 patients who had been waiting more than six months for treatment. In January to March this year there was 397 patients waiting for over six month so this number has risen by 10%. I believe that we need a new community hospital in the constituency with minor accident and emergency facilities. This would ease the burden on the existing local hospitals and would provide good local facilities for my constituents to use if and when they need to.
I have also been asking many Parliamentary Questions. Members of Parliament can ask written questions to Ministers on most subjects and issues. For a full list of the questions I have asked both written and those that I have asked in the Chamber please log onto www.theyworkforyou.com for more information.
I am continuing with my weekly surgeries in the constituency. I have surgeries on a Friday or Saturday in Wellingborough or Rushden. If anyone would like to come and see me at my surgery, please contact me on 01933 279 343 to arrange an appointment.
My constituency office in Wellingborough is now up and running. The office is open most week days from 10am until 2pm each day and constituents are more than welcome to drop in during these times. At all other times, please contact me on 01933 279 343 or 0207 219 8496. I have provided a list of my contact details below.
I am continuing to receive up to 1000 letters, emails and telephone calls a week and I have an excellent team of staff who deal with these quickly and efficiently. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you feel that there is anything I can help you with.
Peter Bone’s contact details:
Peter Bone MP House of Commons London SW1A 0AA
Telephone: 01933 279 343/ 0207 219 8496 Fax: 0207 219 0301 Email: bonep@parliament.uk
May I take this opportunity to wish you a very peaceful and prosperous New Year. I will be sending out my next newsletter at the beginning of February.
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