My Westminster Update

With the Summer fast approaching, I have been hard at work championing Staffordshire. Here is a little look at what I have been up to.

Backing High Street Businesses

From Stone and Penkridge all the way down to Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay, high streets are at the heart of our communities in Staffordshire. They a source of civic pride, and they contribute immensely to our local economy: for example, the hospitality sector alone adds £68.6m to our area’s economy and creates 2,819 jobs.

However, the future of many high street businesses hangs in the balance. Not only have they suffered from Labour’s increase to National Insurance Contributions and increases to the minimum wage, but they also face a drop in Business Rates Relief from 75% to 40%. This has had a devastating effect: an estimated 17,000 high street businesses are expected to close this year, with independents making up the bulk of this figure.

Losing our high street businesses means losing community connections and local pride. That’s why I held a debate in Parliament to raise awareness for the impact that changes to Business Rates Relief is having on high street businesses. In particular, I spoke about the effect this has on young people, many of whom are employed in retail or hospitality.

Business Rates Relief is due to be scrapped completely next year, and the Government has not yet confirmed what will replace this scheme. Please rest assured that I will continue to urge the Government to provide business owners with the reassurance and support they need so that the British high street can not just survive, but also thrive.

Bringing Back Winter Fuel Payments

I know that the Government’s cruel decision to slash Winter Fuel Payments for tens of thousands of pensioners across Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge was a source of great anxiety and anger for many. As such, I welcomed the Chancellor’s recent announcement that she intends to partially restore Winter Fuel Payments later this year.

Nonetheless, I am concerned that her announcement does not go far enough. It is clear that the Government can afford to restore the payments in full: Winter Fuel Payments only cost the Government £1.5bn per year, whereas they have just spent an estimated £30bn of our money on surrendering the Chagos Islands and an estimated £16bn on the deal with the EU.

Moreover, I am worried at the lack of further detail as to who will be eligible. At a time when many are feeling the pinch, it is unfair to make pensioners wait months to find out whether they will receive Winter Fuel Payments this year, or whether they will once again have to choose between heating and eating.

As such, I have written to the Chancellor to outline my concerns and to urge her to commit to reversing the cuts in full. My full letter can be read via the link below, and I will make sure to keep you updated.

https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8bheC4QM7hJm5wz9IOf2h4Zllm?domain=facebook.com

Protecting Staffordshire’s Countryside from Solar Farms

As the days get longer and warmer, I am sure I am not the only one who is making the most of Staffordshire’s beautiful countryside. However, our green spaces are increasingly under threat from solar farms, such as the developments proposed near Stowe-by-Chartley.

I am particularly concerned about the clustering of multiple solar farms near small villages like Stowe-by-Chartley, which may soon find itself encircled by solar panels. This is not fair on local communities, whose rightful concerns about the loss of their area’s countryside and character are being steamrolled. I made sure to raise this point in the Chamber, during a recent debate on this issue.

Moreover, I have questioned the Government on the process of decommissioning solar farms, and how they will ensure that land can be returned to its original state. I am increasingly worried that without the right procedures in place, this land will become brownfield, and we will lose even more of our precious countryside.

Supporting Dementia Patients

Finally, I was delighted to attend Dementia UK’s “Time for a Cuppa” reception in Parliament, to learn more about how we can support people facing dementia. Over 13,600 people in Staffordshire have this devastating condition that affects family and friends.

I know that Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses do a fantastic job in providing tailored, compassionate advice to those impacted by dementia across the UK, and it was great to have the opportunity to thank them for all they do. There are also many brilliant local groups offering support to families affected, such as the Brewood Dementia Support Group. These organisations do so much for those suffering, and I will continue to support and champion their work in any way that I can.

As always, my office and I have also been hard at work helping constituents with casework and other important matters. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any queries or issues you would like to raise - I can be reached by email at gavin.williamson.mp@parliament.uk, or you can phone my office on 01902 846616.