This week the remaining stages of the Trade Bill (Australia and New Zealand) returned to the House. While MPs can’t vote on the content of free trade agreements themselves, as Parliament’s approval is not required for a government to ratify treaties, we can vote on enabling legislation which is what this bill is all about. Indirectly, it does allow an element of scrutiny. Many have raised concerns regarding food standards and animal welfare. Our food standards do not change as a result of agreeing to these FTAs. The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and the government is delivering a series of ambitious reforms to strengthen those standards even further.

The Government’s 2019 manifesto committed to “Levelling Up” all parts of the UK, driving local growth, and empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas. The aim was to get away from the idea that ‘Whitehall knows best’. Instead, the government wants local people and communities to be able to make the decisions for their towns and villages that are right for them. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill completed its passage through the House of Commons this week – and it will deliver just that. Quite a large part of the bill was about housing and planning. 

The government now accepts that communities through their local councils should be able to determine housing numbers and the type of housing built through their locally agreed and adopted local plan. Councils will now be able to say “no” to inappropriate development. Housing targets will be advisory not mandatory, and homes will be built to meet local need, rather than taking on the housing requirements from neighbouring urban areas. We still need housing, but a more strategic approach is needed developing housing where there is little, creating new towns and villages rather than densifying existing communities.

Over 40,000 people have illegally crossed the Channel in small boats this year. This trade must stop – it costs lives as we were once again reminded on Wednesday. The only winners are the criminal gangs. My heart goes out to those who have suffered and those who are bereaved. They need to take the legal and safe routes that are there for genuine asylum seekers. But many are not asylum seekers in the true sense of the word but economic migrants. The truth is many originate from safe countries and pass through safe countries. They need to think again.

This queue jumping isn’t just dangerous, it’s not fair on those who wait to have their application properly assessed. It’s also not fair on those who have genuine asylum claims who really do need help and quickly who get lost in the sheer volume of applicants. And all of this puts huge pressure on local communities’ resources. This week the Prime Minister committed to legislation making it very clear that if someone deliberately enters the United Kingdom illegally from a safe country, they should be swiftly returned to their home country and have no right to remain. The PM has committed to clearing the asylum backlog by 2023 by doubling the number of case workers and radically streamlining the process.

On Wednesday His Majesty King Charles III visited Parliament to remember and honour Queen Elizabeth II. The king unveiled a Lying-in-State Plaque in Westminster Hall, the place where thousands and thousands of members of the public paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during our nations mourning in late September. It has been an extraordinary moment in time. She was a very special Queen.

As I noted last week, with the Christmas season now in full swing it sees the return of my Christmas card competition! I was back in the constituency on Thursday and Friday to award prizes to the five winners. There were some fabulous designs, and it was a hard decision to make! Well done to everyone who took part! 

And to all, a very merry Christmas!

As always, if you would like to book a surgery appointment (in-person or virtual) or raise a specific issue, please call my office on 01626 368277 or email [email protected] to arrange an appointment.