Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I have received this news release from Wokingham Borough Council about the Bookstart scheme, run by Booktrust, an independent national charity which encourages people of all ages and cultures to engage with books.

BOOKSTART IN WOKINGHAM BOROUGH

In the past year around 4,500 children aged under five across the Wokingham Borough have received their Bookstart packs via libraries, children’s centres and health visitors.

Bookstart is run by Booktrust, an independent national charity that encourages people of all ages and cultures to engage with books.

Bookstart packs are distributed by Wokingham Borough Council library service and children’s services in partnership with Berkshire Healthcare NHS and Homestart. Packs have also been gifted via the Family Nurse Partnership, Berkshire Women’s Aid and Wokingham NCT Group.

Throughout the year the library service, with the support of all of our partners run events to promote Bookstart and encourage sharing books.  More than 5,000 children have attended some of these amazing events in libraries, children’s centres, nurseries and parks, including the Bookstart Rhymetime in the park, Little Explorers story times and much more.

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for resident services, said “Young children and babies get so much pleasure from stories and books and the donation of these packs by the Book Trust Charity is wonderful.  I am really excited about seeing so many of the children coming into the library to attend events and borrow a variety of books as a result of receiving there packs.  Families can collect their Bookstart packs for babies aged up to 12 months from their local library or children’s centre, if they have not received one already.”

Under 5s library officer Claire Groves said: “We would like to thank all of our partners and our team of volunteers who meet when required for the Bookstart ‘packing party’. The volunteer team works hard to pack letters and information leaflets into every Bookstart pack. Their help is invaluable – we could not do it all without them and thank them for their time and dedication.”

The library service also runs regular events for parents and carers with children under 5 including: rhymetimes, storytimes and dad’s rhymetime.   For more information please visit: www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-groups-and-clubs/baby-and-toddler-activities or telephone your local library.

All children are entitled to their own library card and there are special library cards available for registered child-minders, nurseries and other groups.

For more information please visit: www.bookstart.org.uk or telephone Claire Groves, Under 5s Library Officer, on (0118) 974 3711.

A number of constituents have written to me urging me to support the Amendment tabled to the Queen’s speech to ensure that the government protects the NHS in any EU negotiations over the health sector within the planned EU Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
I can assure constituents I do support this amendment, as I am a co-author and sponsor of it. The government is likely to accept it, as I doubt they have the votes to vote it down.

I have received more noise complaints following some bad experiences for many constituents during the period of easterly operations recently. I am now organising a further meeting with NATs and Heathrow to urge them to do more to ensure flights are higher and less noisy, and more flights go direct into and out of the airport instead of stacking over the constituency.

I now have thoughts from local GPs about the current and proposed funding settlement for our local GP services. I will be taking this up with Ministers, and stressing to them the fast growth in patient numbers we are currently experiencing as a result of new housing provision and new families coming to settle in our area. We need to make sure there is enough cash available to expand our local GP service, and that local GPs feel the settlement is a fair one for what they do.

As constituents will know, I had with others been pressing both sides to resume talks and find an agreement. I am pleased they have now done so.

The government says that the new contract will reduce the maximum hours a doctor can be asked to work in any week from 91 to 72, provide new protections for doctors taking maternity leave, offers a reduction in the number of nights a doctor can be asked to work consecutively and provides sufficient pay incentives to ensure proper staffing levels at week-ends.

I support the idea that we need properly staffed emergency care at week-ends, and that the hours and pay have to be fair to doctors. Let us hope this new agreement has found the happy balance between these objectives.

The government is minded to alter the law after a recent court judgement to make it more difficult for a child to miss school to go on a family holiday. I would welcome constituents’ opinions on this before I talk to Ministers about their response.

I have received the enclosed letter from Dr Cathy Winfield, the Chief Executive of the West Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs): 160511 Shinfield Medical Practice.

Dr Winfield confirms that South Reading Surgery will continue to provide services at Shinfield Medical Practice.

The Minister sent me this letter to answer rumours that the government is giving up support for fast broadband for the 5% most difficult parts of the network:

You may have read stories in the press last week suggesting the Government has abandoned its commitment to giving all households in the UK access to fast broadband.

This is not correct.

When we came to office in 2010, only 45 per cent of the country had access to superfast broadband. Today, we have provided superfast broadband access to 90 per cent of the UK – some additional 4 million homes and businesses. By the end of next year, we will have reached 95 per cent. This is a result of £1.7 billion of investment from the Government, local councils, the devolved administrations and BT.
And we have always been clear that we would not stop there, and would continue working to connect rural areas. That is why we plan to bring in legislation that will bring broadband to the remaining 5% hardest-to-reach areas. People and businesses in those areas will have a legal entitlement to request fast broadband, and up to a reasonable cost threshold, they must be provided with it. We have already consulted on this, and the consultation document can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/broadband-universal-service-obligation.

The UK now leads Europe on broadband speed, coverage, price and competition. And our Broadband Universal Service Obligation for the final 5% will set an ambition for speeds of 10mbps – the speed needed to meet the demands of today’s typical family and many small businesses. This is higher than anywhere else in Europe. For example, Spain and Finland set their USO speed at just 1mbps. And – crucially – as average speeds increase, so the speed of the USO can be increased, so that it keeps pace with what people need.

As we made clear in our consultation document in March, this new Broadband Service Obligation means that fast broadband will be available on request, putting broadband connections on a par with the obligation to provide a telephone line. Just as there is for telephone lines, there will need to be a cap on the cost that the universal service provider or providers can be reasonably expected to pay.

We will consult on the exact detail of this aspect of the Obligation once the legislation is in place, and I will make sure that consultation is flagged up to you. So be in no doubt, the PM’s commitment is firmly in place. And it is a commitment that forms a key part of the Government’s intention to move the whole country forward with our broadband rollout.

I hope this letter helps to allay any concerns about this Government’s commitment to introducing a USO.

(If constituents have difficulties with broadband service please let me know so I can take it up with the government or provider.)

I have many complaints again this week-end about the high levels of aircraft noise starting at 5 am. I have made two further complaints myself on behalf of constituents this week-end, and am pressing for another round of meetings with NATs and Heathrow. I am in regular contact with them and the Minister, stressing the need to reverse changes they have made since 2014.