Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I send my best wishes to the Councillors elected yesterday in the Wokingham Borough Council elections. There were a range of important matters raised by people on the doorsteps when I was out with candidates. I look forward to working with the new Council on dealing with the outstanding issues which include  A329M traffic management, the handling of construction and development in Emmbrook  and the future use of Elms Field in Wokingham.

The combined vote share of candidates in Wokingham constituency Borough seats saw the Conservatives take 45% of the vote and the Liberal Democrats 33%. The Liberal Democrats won Hawkedon and Winnersh, the Conservatives won the other seats.

I have no problem with a school wanting to have more control over its own affairs and budgets. It can apply for Academy status and enjoy some extra freedoms. Some of the new Academies have been most successful. The main aim of education policy must be to promote excellence and expand opportunity for all students.

Mrs Morgan, the Education Secretary, now wishes to require all schools to seek these extra freedoms and powers. Some teachers and Heads do not like this idea. Some Councils feel they are doing a good job as the Local Education Authority and are not happy to lose control of their schools.

I am taking up these issues for constituents with the government. I joined a meeting with Mrs Morgan earlier this week, when a few Conservative MPs argued against compulsory conversion to Academies.I put constituents’ objections to current plans to her. I pointed out the contradiction of favouring policies of greater independence and local choice, but then making local schools and Councils all do what the centre tells them.Belief in freedom and choice, and to greater local decision making power is a good thing. Requiring people in local schools and Councils to choose one version of freedom is not necessarily popular with those who disagree with the choice on offer. I am expecting more meetings and discussions before this legislation is finalised.

Update

I am pleased to hear that Mrs Morgan has decided to cancel the policy of making it compulsory for good schools to become academies. I have just received a letter from her explaining changes to get proposals, which also include more freedom of choice and protection for small rural primaries.

On Friday last week I visited the offices of Safran at Winnersh triangle. They wished to tell me about their work and the contribution they think their services and products can make to improving border security and security for transactions.  They have expertise in a variety of biometric techniques and can assist with crime fighting, identity checking and other topical matters.

On Friday I turned my attention again to the GP service. I have been working on this issue most of this Parliament, as there has been an increase in the number of complaints from people unable to obtain a  timely appointment to see the doctor. There have also been requests from doctors themselves for assistance with  more money and support to enable them to expand their practices and meet the extra demand. I went to see a local surgery and heard of problems again in my own MP surgery.

I have been sympathetic and have taken these matters up with the government, as have other MPs. I was pleased this week to hear from the Health Secretary that considerably more money will be made available to the GP service over the next five years. Spending on GPs will now rise from £9.6bn this year to more than £12bn by 2020-21. This is  estimated to be a 14% rise above inflation, and will take the GP service to a 10% share of the NHS budget. This year funding increases by £322 m or 4.4%.

On top of this money will come a £500m national sustainability and transformation package  to support GPs. There are three smaller specialist funds totalling £112 m to help struggling practices and doctors under pressure. There will be measures and money to increase the numbers of GPs , adding more pharmacists to the service, helping train and encouraging back to work more practice nurses, and training new physician assistants. There will also be a substantial £900 million capital investment programme.

It is quite clear there is a substantial increase in demand and workload. Some comes from a rising population.  I n Wokingham substantial new housing development brings with it an obvious need for more surgery capacity. Nationally controlling migrant numbers better will make a contribution to managing increases in demand, which will be much easier to achieve if we leave the EU. Some of the increase in demand comes from people living longer, as the frail very elderly need more treatment. This is a  good development which just needs more medical care to be available. Some of the demand  increase comes from rising expectations of what doctors can achieve and help with. Locally I was told the average patient on a GP list has six consultations a year, with some users asking for as many as 50. Some need the appointments, but some are the worried well or could be treated by the practice nurse or pharmacist. GP practices are encouraged to experiment with  new ways of assessing patient need and booking the right appointment with the right person promptly.

I have taken up the question of planning for more GP service with the Borough Council and Health and Wellbeing Board, stressing the need to keep up with expanding demand by allowing and encouraging the expansion of our GP services. GP practices are of course private sector businesses with capital and buildings provided by the doctor partners. They act for the NHS and receive most of their revenue form the government so they can provide most of their services free at the point of use. It is important that the contract and payments system is seen by doctors to be fair, so they do expand their practices to meet the demand.

I have been out and about in Winnersh in the run up to the local elections. There is an understandable impatience to see the end of the roadworks for the new link to the Loddon roundabout to take pressure off the current main Reading to Wokingham road. There were also some concerns about the new cycle way with possible conflict between bikes and pedestrians at narrow points on the route which I will take up with the Council.

I have been out and about in Emmbrook prior to the local elections. I am well aware of the unease about construction traffic, the route of the new road and the issue of drainage and flood control. Yesterday I was in the Toutley Road area with a Councillor , to talk to him and residents about these issues and what the Council can do to ensure developers and contractors are sensitive to residents concerns. I was told that the Council is seeking to direct lorries to minimise impact on the local road system and neighbouring homes, and that the current drainage works are designed to ensure the new build does not make the flooding risk worse.

I have been lobbying the government not to proceed with mandatory introduction of Academy status for all remaining Local Authority schools. A number of local people have written to me with objections. I do not think compulsion for all is the right approach. I will be having further meetings and conversations about this next week in the expectation that the government will amend its proposals.

Last night at the Farley  Equestrian Centre we had a St George’s Day and Shakespeare evening.

I spoke about ideas of England, and how Shakespeare wrote about our country, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. I will be running the text as blogs tomorrow and Sunday. The first is about England and the second about Shakespeare.

I am grateful to the organisers for laying on an excellent evening meal and  decorating the Centre with English flags for the occasion.

With unprecedented pressures such as cyber-bullying, cyber addiction and bombardment by the media to conform to impossible standards of beauty, young people are increasingly experiencing mental health problems.

With this is mind, Wokingham Borough Libraries is joining a national scheme offering books to help young people with mental health issues.

Reading Well for young people is part of the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme, which provides 13 to 18-year-olds with high quality information, support and advice on a wide range of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm and difficult life pressures such as bullying and exams.

The books can be recommended by GPs, school nurses, counsellors and other professionals as well as available to borrow free from any Wokingham Borough Library.

I am currently chasing the government and NATs for answers to my latest representations on the configuration of the A 329 and continuing aircraft noise. I gave also had further words with the Minister about additional money for social care for Wokingham and West Berkshire.