· The Government has a strong track record of supporting and delivering for disabled people, but there is more to do to further remove barriers and make the UK more accessible for everyone.
· That is why the Government has published its new Disability Action Plan, setting out 32 practical actions to transform the everyday lives of disabled people and ensuring they can participate fully in society.
· The Government is delivering its long-term plan to make the country the most accessible and equal place to live in the world, building a brighter future for disabled people.
· Crawley Borough Council will receive £800,000 and West Sussex County Council will receive £56.3 million respectively in extra funding next year as part of the Government’s £64.7 billion Local Government Finance Settlement 2024-25.
· The Government is sticking to the plan, continuing to drive down inflation and ensuring local authorities in England have the long-term funding they need through an increase in their Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion and additional measures worth £600 million this year. The settlement includes £1.5 billion of additional funding for adult social care.
· This increase in funding for councils will enable local authorities to provide vital services for residents while helping them to manage their finances for the long-term, securing a brighter future for taxpayers.
Pubs are a significant part of our community. For generations, they have been a place to meet, to socialise and to relax. We are however seeing changing consumer trends and the sector under pressure. On average across the UK, 21 pubs close for good every week. Over the years, we’ve seen some neighbourhood pubs close in Crawley, which has been a loss for those areas.
· The pandemic put huge pressure on the NHS, but the Government has made good progress on its priority to cut waiting lists, virtually eliminating waits of over two years and cutting 18 month waits by over 90 per cent from their peak – but there is more to do.
· That is why Henry Smith MP has welcomed the Pharmacy First approach, meaning 284 pharmacies across Sussex will be able to treat common health conditions without patients needing to see a GP, ensuring up to 10 million GP appointments a year are freed up as part of the Government’s Primary Care Recovery Plan.
· By sticking to the plan, the Government will continue to make progress on improving access to primary care and cutting NHS waiting lists, helping patients to receive the treatment they need more quickly.
Last Friday, I was pleased to attend and take part in the Sussex Police and Crime Panel. This is the body that scrutinises the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne. The panel has a total of 18 members, made up of councillors from across the whole of Sussex representing their local authorities, plus there are two independent appointed members. Representing West Sussex County Council were myself and Cllr Zack Ali, both of us from Crawley.
Henry Smith MP has signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, in doing so pledging his commitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who were murdered during the Holocaust as well as paying tribute to the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today.
· Gigabit broadband now covers 80 per cent of the UK and 91 per cent of Crawley thanks to the telecoms industry and Government.
· The Government announced Project Gigabit in 2019 – a long-term decision to invest £5 billion to enable hard-to-reach communities access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, helping to grow the economy and improve services for households.
· More people across Crawley can now access high-speed internet connectivity, making their lives easier and more productive with the Government taking long-term decisions for a brighter future for all.
I believe that we should never take anything for granted and that it takes sustained effort to maintain good things. Until a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable to think that inflation would ever return as a problem, given that it hadn’t been since the early 80s. The rest is history, but thankfully we are seeing good progress on this front with inflation having more than halved, although we still need to halve it again to get it down from 4% to 2%.
Henry Smith MP has welcomed the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, to Gatwick Airport in Crawley (on Thursday, 18th January), where they met Border Force officers and discussed the importance of aviation to economic growth.