I have been out and about in the constituency this month. I met with Drayton Parish Council to discuss their neighbourhood plan, and attended the grand opening of Millbrook Primary School’s new library, with Winnie the Witch (aka the head teacher!) and the book’s illustrator Korky Paul. I was also able to meet with John Marston and Rachel Warwick, heads of St. Birinus School and Didcot Girls School to catch up on local education issues.
I also visited Harwell Campus, which is always an interesting and informative trip. I met with Element Six, the world’s largest supplier of synthetic industrial diamonds, who have invested £20million in a new headquarters and created almost 200 jobs. I also discussed infrastructure and digital services with Jisc, who provide digital services for education and research establishments. My breath was taken away by the Campus’s newest addition, the UK’s largest Thermal Vacuum Chamber (used for testing satellites).
Oxfordshire’s place at the forefront of scientific innovation could result in the ‘Holy Grail’ of energy production – nuclear fusion- being developed in the County. Fusion is the opposite of nuclear fission, and, with no CO2 emissions, no risk of meltdown, and no radioactive waste, fusion could one day solve our energy needs. Atoms are joined together rather than split, in a process that usually only happens in the Sun and Stars. An impact study into benefits that this research brings to our county has been published, and can be read here: https://bit.ly/1TuFSPd.
Towards the end of the month, I also had the wonderful opportunity to meet year 10 students from Wallingford School who were visiting Parliament for the day. The Parliament Education Service runs fantastic tours of the House of Commons and House of Lords for visiting schools, and I was able to meet with them to discuss my role as their MP. If you think your local school would benefit, let me know.
I would also like to pass on my congratulations to local sculptor David Harber, whose company have been awarded the Queen’s Award for International Trade. In March I visited David at his studio in Aston Upthorpe and saw some of his very impressive work.
This month I have received 625 items of correspondence (emails and letters) from constituents. Many of these were relating to national campaign and policy issues such as the Academies Program, the ban on bee pesticides, and the UK Steel industry.
I will be taking part in a number of debates on the EU referendum across the constituency between now and polling day on 23rd June. The first will be held at Didcot Civic Hall on Friday 27th May at 7pm. The second will be held in Faringdon on Friday 3rd June at 6pm, with the location to be confirmed. The third debate will be in Wantage at The Beacon on Friday 17th June at 7pm. These events are being organised by the respective Chambers of Commerce, so for any further information please contact them.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any pressing issues that you would like help with. Either myself or one of my team will get back to you as soon as possible and do what we can to assist. You can contact me on any matter at the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, 020 7219 6350 or dicksonce@parliament.uk. 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. I also send out occasional general interest emails about developments in the Wantage and Didcot Constituency. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please complete the online form at https://bit.ly/EdVaizeyMP.