St Peter’s Hospital
I very much welcome the decision of the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB to maintain out patient services at St Peter’s Hospital for up to five years while progressing plans for a new health hub. This is a clear recognition that Maldon needs its own community health facilities, as was recommended by the Community Consultation Working Group and the consultation that I conducted including by organising a public meeting in Maldon attended by over 400 people. I will now continue to work with the ICB and other groups to identify the funding package needed for a permanent new health facility on the St Peter’s site.
While pre- and post-natal services will continue to be available at St Peter’s, I am disappointed that it has been confirmed that the birthing unit will be moved to Braintree. This will mean that mothers from the furthest areas in the Dengie Peninsula face a journey of up to an hour to get to Broomfield or Braintree to give birth. As the population served by St Peter’s continues to grow, I hope that this decision can be looked at again when it comes to plans for the new facility as can the provision of beds for intermediate care and stroke rehabilitation.
I am delighted that as a result of the combined voices of so many in the local community, we have succeeded in reversing the original decision to close the hospital. Ever since the closure was first proposed, I have campaigned to have it reversed including raising it in Questions to the Prime Minister and holding a debate in Parliament specifically on St Peter’s. I and my colleague, Dame Priti Patel have also had meetings with Health Ministers as well as regular meetings with Tom Abell, the Chief Executive of the ICB. I have also campaigned with my colleague There is now a lot of work to do to address the defects in the existing building and to organise funding for a new one. However, I am confident that working with the NHS, the local authorities and the private sector this can be achieved. I am also very encouraged that Tom Abell has said that he will be putting Maldon forward as a location for a new Neighbourhood Health Centre and I will now be pressing the case for this with Ministers.
Foreign Affairs Select Committee Report on the Israel-Palestine conflict
I understand and share the deep concern many feel regarding the suffering endured by civilians in this conflict. I have spent the last nine months, as a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, looking at this issue in great detail including visiting Isreal, Jordan and the West Bank. The Committee has now published its report, which you can read here, setting out a series of urgent recommendations and conclusions.
The report makes clear that the current situation is intolerable. Ministers and diplomats must exert every effort to bring about an immediate release of the hostages still held by Hamas and at the same time an end to the fighting, the displacement of civilians, and the severe restrictions on essential supplies. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system has failed to deliver the necessary aid and should be dismantled and replaced by a UN-led mechanism operating on established humanitarian principles.
The report further urges the UK Government to redouble its diplomatic efforts to help secure a ceasefire in both Gaza and the West Bank. This includes using our close relationship with the United States to encourage more effective pressure on both Israel and Hamas. At the same time, the UK should insist that Israel opens all crossings to allow unrestricted access for food, medicine, shelter materials, and other life-saving aid. In addition, the UK must support the urgent medical evacuation of critically injured children from Gaza to the UK, ensuring safe transport and swift processing of permits and visas.
The Committee are agreed, as are almost all international bodies, that a two state solution represents the only way forward which can achieving a lasting peace. This will require an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. To achieve this will require a settlement which includes the removal of Hamas combined with bold leadership on both sides, supported by the neighbouring Arab states. Recognition of Palestine will be an integral part of any settlement but I do not believe that recognition now without a long term settlement will help bring this about. It has to be part of any overall settlement and it was for that reason I did not support this particular element of the Report.
A12 Widening Scheme Cancellation
The Government’s decision to scrap the A12 widening scheme is a body-blow to plans for growth and development in mid-Essex.
This scheme, which has been ready to commence for months, was planned with funds identified by the last Conservative Government. Scrapping it undermines the Chelmsford Local Plan, jeopardising plans for 11,000 new homes and around 4,000 new jobs.
The Government cannot now expect local authorities in mid-Essex to accept the imposition of a huge number of new houses while at the same time failing to fund the supporting infrastructure that they require.
Please follow the link for more information: A12 Widening Scheme Cancellation – Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP
30-Year Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide
Friday 11th July marked the 30-Year Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide, widely considered the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.
I was proud to have signed the Srebrenica Genocide Book of Remembrance on behalf of my constituents, to honour the victims and pay tribute to the survivors.
Follow the link below for more information: https://srebrenica.org.uk/
Tribute to Lord Norman Tebbit
I recently paid tribute to the late Lord Norman Tebbit, to whom I was appointed special adviser when he served as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under Margaret Thatcher.
In the clip linked below, I remark upon Lord Tebbit’s extraordinary service and selfless devotion to his wife, Margaret, after the Brighton bombing. His courage, duty and care for family defined his career—and had fate allowed, he may well have been our Prime Minister.
I offer my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones at this time. Please follow the links below for a clip of my tribute and my article in the Spectator:
YouTube link: Sir John Whittingdale MP pays tribute to the late Lord Norman Tebbit in Parliament
Spectator article: Norman Tebbit transformed the country for the better | The Spectator
C&M Precision Ltd
In July, I visited C &M Precision Ltd, a precision engineering business in Maldon supplying a wide range of key industries such as Mining, Aerospace, and Oil & Gas. There, I learned that for operations like theirs, electricity bills easily represent the business’s single biggest cost.
SME manufacturing companies like C&M play a vital role in the supply chain on which the UK’s economic performance depends. Yet too often, they are overlooked by Government whose policies are focussed on the largest employers.
I assured the owners that I would take the message back to Government that far greater attention needs to be paid to the impact of policies on SMEs with a dedicated Minister for Manufacturing. Therefore, following my visit, I put that point directly to the Energy Minister asking what steps are being taken to ensure that small- and medium-sized manufacturers like C & M have their concerns heard by government in the face of soaring energy costs.
Please follow the link for a clip of my question: Sir John Whittingdale MP questions the Energy Minister on high energy costs for SME manufacturers.
Asda’s Parliamentary drop-in event
Earlier in July, I attended ASDA’s drop-in event in Parliament to learn about their new Cashpot for Schools initiative. Every time you shop using ASDA Rewards, 0.5% of your spend is donated to the primary school of your choice and I am pleased that schools in my constituency schools have already received £14,960.
If you shop at ASDA, I encourage residents to sign up to Asda Rewards and select your local school. It is an effortless way to help local schools get further much needed resources.
See below for the breakdown of the cash raised by this initiative for each of the schools in the Maldon constituency.
| Downham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | £222 |
| Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School | £803 |
| St Mary’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Burnham-on-Crouch | £627 |
| Elmwood Primary School | £2,400 |
| Woodville Primary School | £1,793 |
| Collingwood Primary School | £1,790 |
| Trinity St Mary’s CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers | £828 |
| St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, SWF | £749 |
| Cold Norton Primary School | £464 |
| Purleigh Community Primary School | £378 |
| Maylandsea Primary School | £344 |
| Christchurch Church of England Primary School | £283 |
| St Mary’s Church of England Primary School | £278 |
| East Hanningfield Church of England Primary School | £259 |
| Priory Primary School, Bicknacre | £239 |
| Galleywood Infant School | £190 |
| Danbury Park Community Primary School | £158 |
| Rettendon Primary School | £154 |
| St John Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Danbury | £146 |
| St Peters Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, West Hanningfield | £141 |
| Thriftwood School | £97 |
| St Michael’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School | £78 |
| Stock Church of England Primary School | £78 |
| Heybridge Primary School | £322 |
| Wentworth Primary School | £251 |
| All Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | £158 |
| St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon | £118 |
| Maldon Primary School | £112 |
| St Luke’s Park Primary School | £249 |
| St Leonards Church of England Primary School | £493 |
| St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Tillingham | £289 |
| St Cedd’s Church of England Primary School | £129 |
| Runwell Community Primary School | £271 |
Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments in Essex
Recently in Parliament, I raised concerns with the Minister of State for Education about the growing delays in Essex for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments. The number of requests is rising sharply, and the county is struggling to keep pace—largely due to difficulties recruiting educational psychologists.
I asked the Minister to rule out scrapping EHCPs and instead commit to addressing the root cause of the problem. I will continue to press for action that ensures children and families in Essex get the support they need.
Follow the link to watch a clip of my question: Sir John Whittingdale MP raises delays in Essex for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments.
My article on the rise of new media on YouTube
I recently wrote an article for the Telegraph, which I have also published on my website.
In the article I explain that YouTube’s 2.7 billion users and 720,000 hours of daily uploads have made it the world’s biggest “TV channel”, but without editorial oversight, it is also a hotbed for misinformation and disinformation and presents real challenges to democracy.
Now more than ever, we need public service broadcasters and quality news outlets bound by strict standards to keep our democracy informed and intact.
Please follow the link for the full article: Sir John Whittingdale writes: YouTube is no replacement for old media – Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale OBE MP
Connexin visit in Maldon
I am delighted that Essex and Suffolk Water customers in the Maldon District will benefit from the new smart meter network provided by Connexin, supported by Essex County Council.
This technology which will ensure that they have up to the minute information about water usage and expense, helping to improve water management and keep down costs. I was also impressed by the innovative use of street lamps to install the antennae, which are unobtrusive while still able to connect a large number of households and businesses within range.
