This month I have met with Ministers in Westminster to discuss two important local issues: Health care and rail links.
I met with Andrew Jones the Rail Minister, alongside his officials and Network Rail and Great Western. The Minister and I led discussions focussing on improvements along the Great Western Railway line, the potential for reopening Grove Station as part of a strategic project to develop commuter stations between Oxford and Bristol, and improved connectivity between Heathrow Airport and stations to the west, so one might travel direct to Heathrow from Reading for example rather than having to into London and then back out to Heathrow. I will be looking at the East West Rail scheme and the Cotswold Line Promotion Group for inspiration in how to build a business case for improvements to commuter services between Oxford & Bristol and hope that colleagues in Parliament with stations along that route might join me.
I also met with Health Minister Caroline Dinenage. Alongside colleagues from Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissing Group, Oxford Health and Vale of White Horse District Council the Minister and I led discussions on how we could improve Primary Care provision in the constituency. We discussed the ongoing situation in Wantage as well as our plans to develop new health hubs, both at an improved Health Centre in Wantage and plans for a new health hub in Didcot
In the constituency I have met with a number of residents and local businesses this month, including meeting with GPs in Wantage, The Thames Valley Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, Residents of Alfredston Place in Wantage who are receiving poor service from their managing agent, and a visit to the Environmental Education Centre in Sutton Courtenay hosted by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust. I was also delighted to join local charity Mission Motorsport at Royal Hospital Chelsea to celebrate the launch of their new initiative Mission Automotive.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any pressing issues that you would like help with. You can contact me on any matter at the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, dicksonce@parliament.uk or 01235 768 888. Email is the quickest and most reliable way to get in touch, as I keep a very close eye on my emails and can reply very quickly. Details of my activities in Parliament can be read on my website, https://www.vaizey.com. I also send out occasional general interest emails about developments in the Wantage and Didcot Constituency. You can sign up here: http://bit.ly/EdVaizeyMP.