Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

The Rt Hon John Redwood MP meeting with (left to right, top photo) Councillors Barrie Patman, Anthony Pollock, Stuart Munro and Charlotte Haitham Taylor in The Swan, Three Mile Cross last weekend.

 

             On Sunday The Don Bradman XI touring side narrowly beat the Lords and Commons in a good game at Wokingham Cricket Club. With 35 overs each to bat, the Aussies hit a lively 234. In reply Parliament managed 217, including an excellent century by James Morris MP. On a good batting track neither side looked like taking 10 wickets, as we bowled away in the summer sunshine.

             I would like to thank all the staff at the Ground for making our stay so pleasant and for providing a good traditional English cricket tea. Our guests from down under were most impressed by the quality of the facilities and the friendliness of all involved. It made up for the agony of watching their national  team just lose one of the most exciting and close fought Test matches.

On Saturday morning I was in Shinfield with local Councillors to talk to people about local issues and any individual cases they wished to bring to my attention.

 

 I visited the All saints flower festival on Saturday. The floral displays were of great quality, filling the church with armfuls of colour and symbolism.

 Each of the main floral displays echoed the designs of new vestments commissioned for the Church from Julie Quinn of Croft Design.  All Saints purchased twelve new fine robes for the clergy to wear at the appropriate seasons, from a bequest the Church has recently received.

The Advent display features the root of Jesse on the vestment, the Pentecost one a stunning tongues of fire design and  Creation Time the fish, birds and animals of the earth. Each chasuble and stole  is of pure silk and cloth of gold. The Church are grateful to the late Eric Rands for leaving them the money for this impressive purchase.

I congratulate all the flower arrangers involved, and thank the Church for inviting me to see the beauty of their new vestments and displays.

This week I held another review meeting with the Environment Agency to find out what further progress they are making on tackling flood threats in the area.

They have cleaned the Emm brook, and have committed to doing this regularly to try to prevent debris blocking or slowing the passage of the water.

I asked for a progress report on measures to alleviate flood threats along the Emm  in Wokingham – with possible beneficial effects on Winnersh, and for a report on future schemes for the Loddon floodplain.

The new Director told me she would get back to me with considered answers and was grateful for the background briefing on the outstanding issues.

 

       A large number of constituents are sending me copies of the new email asking each MP if they support a referendum on the EU. I can assure you I still do support such a referendum. I voted for a referendum in 2011 when we tabled a suitable amendment to a Bill, and support the latest private member’s bill. There is no need to send me more copies of the standard email setting out the case for a referendum.

 

 Last weak at the request of Wokingham Borough Council I talked to the Schools Minister, Lord Nash, to encourage faster progress with approving and supplying the new primary schools Wokingham needs. The Minister said he was working on it as a priority, and had just had a successful meeting with Borough officials which he thinks will expedite approval.

 

     As the Reading Road/Wokingham station link road takes shape, we learn today that the government plans to improve the M4 between junctions 3 and 12.

    The transport programme for the South east includes improvements on parts of the M3, M20 and M23 as well. It also comprises the rebuilding of Reading Station (almost complete), Crossrail from Maidenhead across London, and the new Wokingham station.

The Rt Hon John Redwood MP and other members of the Lords & Commons Cricket Club verses the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords Cricket Ground on 16th June 2013. Nigel Adams holds the bat in the middle.

Link to a brief video of the match courtesy of Chris Guyver: John Redwood cover drive Lord’s 16th June 2013.

This was a privilege for the Lords and Commons to be able to play at Lords on the Nursery Ground against the MCC. Their team contained many good cricketers, so we were delighted to hold on at the end for a draw despite the return of the very fast opening bowlers trying to wrap up our innings. Nigel Adams was the Lords and Commons hero, managing an unbeaten century.

 

 

       On Monday Mr Tait and Dr Payne came to see me to discuss the local NHS. They are the  CEO and Medical Director of NHS England for the Thames Valley. Their role is to oversee the work of the 10 Clinical Commissioning Groups in their area. Oxfordshire has one, Buckinghamshire 2, and Berkshire 7. We in the Wokingham constituency are in the West Berks one.

          They told me they oversee the Clinical Commissioning Groups, the buyers of health care in the area.  They also do some direct purchasing themselves to ensure a comprehensive free service for us. They cover issues like emergency planning and tertiary care.

           I asked them if there were any plans afoot to make major changes in local hospital provision. They said they expected Heatherwood and Frimley to become larger hospitals but anticipate the Royal Berks on its current site will continue to be our main District General Hospital. Some more specialist areas will be run from Oxford, as at present.

            I asked them what action was being taken to ensure

1. high standards of hotel service for patients in hospital

2.  good control of patient records, with easy access for all nurses and care assistants to the information they need to look after each patient as required

3. proper control of stocks,equipment and drugs to avoid waste, loss and misuse

4. to ensure high standards of staff training and leadership, so that patients receive high quality care at all times

5. to handle changes of shift and to provide safe services at week-ends

         They pro0msied to get back to me and keep me in touch with developments as they get the new system to settle down.