Ed Vaizey Parish News November 2015
Earlier this month we stopped to remember those who gave their lives in service to their country, I was struck once again by the hundreds of people who turned up to parades and memorials. I had the honour of laying wreaths at both Wantage and Didcot along with veterans and serving men and women. Supporting our armed forces is as important as ever and I thank everyone that has donated to the Royal British Legion or any of the other Forces charities this year.
There are a few issues which have crossed my desk which may be of interest.
Last month I took part in a very interesting debate in Parliament around the issue of nuisance calls. These are an ongoing problem, especially for elderly and vulnerable people. I am pleased to say that the government and phone companies have taken steps to combat them, for instance lowering the legal threshold of what constitutes a nuisance call (and so making it easier to prosecute) and ensuring Ofcom and the Information Commissioners Office share information to tackle those who make these calls.
If you run a small business, a campaign and roadshow by “Exporting is GREAT” has been launched to encourage and advertise opportunities to businesses to export their products and services around the world. The initiative also provides guidance, training and expert advice to help first-time exporters. Do to visit the “Exporting is GREAT” roadshow, which will be in the south-east in May 2016 or visit their website exportingisgreat.gov.uk.
A new road safety dashboard has recently been brought to my attention. Created by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), the dashboard provides statistics for traffic accidents. Unfortunately it shows that there was an increase in the numbers of accidents in the constituency in 2014. While we all work to make our roads safer, you can find out more information at www.pacts.org.uk/dashboard.
This month, my mailbag has been dominated by letters of concern about Fracking and its potential effects on drinking water and risk of damage to the UK’s National Parks. I can assure readers that Government legislation provides clear and strong regulatory protections for the environment, ensuring that fracking cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled at the surface of National Parks. Other issues that have been brought up include the dog-meat trade in Southeast Asia and the teaching of First-Aid in schools.
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 do email me at badyaljb@parliament.uk or sign up at www.vaizey.com.
Ed Vaizey MP