I visited Kronos, a company in Wokingham which provides employee management systems which help companies and parts of the public sector look after holiday entitlement, hours worked, skills and training in ways which encourage good employee relations and higher productivity. I heard from the senior people how their computer bases systems worked, and then toured the offices meeting the staff.
In my constituency we had elections for 10 Borough Councillors for the Wokingham Unitary Council. 9 Conservatives and 1 Liberal Demo0crat were elected, with Conservative candidates polling 9236 votes and Liberal Democrat candidates polling 6097 votes in second place.
I congratulate the Councillors on their election, and look forward to working with them in the months ahead.
I have received a response from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency about the M4 improvements and motorway noise:
“Thank you for your letter about the proposed M4 Junctions 3 to 12 Smart Motorway scheme and the possible increase in noise levels for local residents.
We are currently undertaking an environmental assessment to determine the impact the scheme may have on the environment. The assessment considers air quality, landscape and nature conservation as well as noise and vibration and will identify any mitigation measures required. These may include the use of noise barriers made of materials which absorb noise, like those close to Junction 10, and low noise road surfacing.
The results of the environmental assessment will be available at exhibitions planned for the autumn. We will notify you of the dates and locations of the exhibitions nearer the time.”
Yours sincerely
Graham Dalton
Chief Executive
I was not surprised by the news that Sainsburys do not wish to rent or buy a large store to the south of the town centre. I have been asking the Council for sometime to get Sainsburys to sign an Agreement or accept they did not want the site.
I see their withdrawal as a good opportunity to rethink the total scheme. I have suggested to the Council going for less retail space, providing a larger green field open space at Elms Field, and concentrating more on lifting and improving the retail heart of the town which we already have. I am happy to intervene in Whitehall if government can assist, or if as MP I can help persuade or make contacts with those who can invest and help our town.
Last night I was the guest speaker as a dinner held by the Business Philanthropy club. A group of local business people raise money for charity, subscribe to the club, and enjoy the benefits of the network connections with each other. The Club chooses worthwhile causes to receive the donations.
I spoke about charity fund raising, based on my experience as an Ambassador for the Variety Club of Great Britain charity. I moved on to discuss the economy and economic policy formation for the next Conservative Manifesto through the Economic Affairs Committee I chair, and answered questions on a wide range of subjects. I wish the club every success in widening its membership and raising more money for good causes.
I had a meeting with Ed Vaizey, the Minister supervising the introduction of fast broadband in the UK. He said that they were nearing completion of the plan to ensure 95% of the country is on fast broadband, and were now undertaking pilots to see how to do the last 5%. I explained that many people in the Wokingham constituency work from home for some of the time, and need fast broadband speeds for a variety of good reasons. If any of you are still experiencing problems with getting a good service, please let me know so I can follow up with the Minister.
This morning I was invited to be a guest of the Church at their morning communion service. In place of a sermon I was interviewed about my work as local MP. I am grateful to the Church for their hospitality and interesting conversation.
I was asked about various issues. Do I represent the people in my constituency who do not vote for me or agree with me about various important matters? I explained that the job of an MP is to represent all his or her constituents, whatever their views. Where people’s views differ, the MP wishes to see that all sensible viewpoints are properly considered by those making decisions. An MP also wishes to understand the range of opinions and views before making up his or her mind about how to vote and what to say about an issue. Much of the time I am dealing with constituents who do not agree with my view, or with each other, which is why they have written to me to lobby in the first place. By definition the majority who agree with you or are not bothered by the issue tend not to write in.
Do I mainly deal with local or with national matters? I explained that we elect 54 Borough Councillors in Wokingham, and the West Berkshire part of my constituency helps elect the West Berkshire Council. These Councillors make decisions on our behalf and control substantial local budgets for social care, local transport, schools and planning. Councillors do not want MPs to second guess their decisions, so I usually refer local matters to those who make the decisions about them. I work with the Council on national financing of local government, on the framework of law and regulation under which our Councils operate, and national guidance. Most of my work is about national policy matters, from tax and benefits through law and order to economic policy, defence and foreign affairs.
I was asked what do I do if my own view is in disagreement with the majority view of the constituency? I explained that I try not to let that happen, and find I share the majority view on a number of crucial issues. In each case I have to weigh the evidence, the professional advice and the views of the constituency when deciding what to say and how to vote. In some areas I feel I have sufficient expertise and understanding to lead the debate. In other cases I am more reliant on party or government views, or on the majority view of my electors. In each case a judgement has to be made. The aim is to carry as many people with me as possible when coming to a decision and helping Parliament to a national conclusion on an issue. An MP tries to bring his or her local community together in support of an approach where possible.
At the opening of Barkham Post Office I met representatives of Post Office Ltd who came to see the launch of the new service. I used them to remind them that Wokingham Crown Post office does not have enough counters, is subject to long queues and needs modernising. I have held meetings with Post Office management before to get action to improve this.
They promised me that work is planned and we should have a better Post Office later this year.
On Friday I had the pleasure of opening the new Barkham Post Office in the general stores on Bearwood Road. The new postal service is available for extended opening hours, in line with the full opening hours of the shop.
It was a pleasure to meet Mr and Mrs Dole, the sub postmasters, and their family who came to support their new venture. I cut a ribbon and wished them well in building up custom for their convenience store. They sell a range of prepared meals, food and drink items, bread and newspapers.
The opening hours are now 7 am to 6.30pm on weekdays (7pm Friday), 8 am til 5.30pm on Saturday and 8 am to 1pm on Sunday
The Post Office sites are still showing the old limited opening hours if you google them for Barkham Post Office.
The figures for recorded crime in the Thames Valley have fallen again. Crimes are now 28% lower than in June 2010 when the Coalition government took over.
I thank all those who have played a role in bringing about this improvement. One crime is one crime too many, but it is good that overall the numbers are falling, including falls in crimes like violent assaults and burglary which are most worrying to victims.