Nationality and Borders Bill
The United Kingdom has a proud record of helping those fleeing persecution, oppression or tyranny from around the world. Alongside providing £10 billion a year to support people through our overseas aid, the UK is a global leader in refugee resettlement. As a country, between 2016 and 2019 we resettled more refugees from outside Europe […]
Health and Care Bill
The NHS is a vital and important service which this Government is committed to protecting and improving. The NHS will always be free at the point of use, and any proposed reforms will aim to continue to improve the quality of these services and patient outcomes. The Government has made a clear commitment to supporting […]
Local NHS Waiting Times
Mr Whittingdale been contacted by constituents over the past month about NHS waiting times and the disruption that Covid has had to treatment. To illustrate the disruption caused by Covid to local NHS services, the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for hospital treatment in the Mid and South Essex area was 324 in […]
A12 Consultation Opens
Highways England will begin a public consultation on the potential widening of the A12 from Chelmsford to A120 outside Colchester, which will improve journeys between Junction 19 (Boreham interchange) and Junction 25 (Marks Tey interchange). Whilst the A12 does not pass through the Maldon constituency, it is important route for many constituents, who use the road to […]
Protesting Rights
The measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, that pertain to protesting powers, in no way undermine the public’s right to carry out protests. The Government knows that protesting is a cornerstone of our democracy. These measures merely seek to protect people from highly-disruptive protests that seek to cause havoc in the daily […]
June Update
I understand the reasons why the Prime Minister made the difficult decision on 14 June to extend the period of current Covid restrictions until 19 July. Whilst I appreciate that there will be some disappointment that Stage 4 will come a little later than had hoped, we cannot risk the virus – especially its more transmissible […]
NHS Pay
I believe that the passion, commitment, and specialist knowledge of our NHS staff is part of what makes our NHS so special. In particular, I recognise the sacrifice, commitment and dedication of our NHS workers over the past year. I believe it is important to honour this, but I know that pandemic has had real consequences […]
Mandatory Vaccines for Careworkers
I know that the Government is encouraging frontline workers in health and social care to be vaccinated because they are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19. They are also often working with the most vulnerable to this devastating disease. NHS England figures for the number of vaccinations up to 8th July show that 90 […]
World Press Freedom Day Debate
John was called to respond on behalf of the Government to a Westminster Hall debate on this year’s World Press Freedom Day. Press freedom in the UK and across the world has been an issue John has been closely involved with both during his time in government and as a backbencher. The debate was therefore a […]
John Reopens Maldon and District Constitutional Club
John was delighted to be invited to reopen the Maldon and District Constitutional Club clubhouse after a period of closure during which the Club carried out major refurbishment works. The reopening of the Club happily coincided with the reintroduction of indoor hospitality on 17th May. In the picture are Club Chair Dave Harrop, Mayor of […]