That all happened rather suddenly didn’t it! With the Election on July 4th, I remain the MP for the existing Ashford seat until Parliament is dissolved…
The Environment Agency has received a government mandate to remove thousands of tonnes of illegally dumped waste from Hoad’s Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Ashford, Kent. Campaigners have long advocated for the site’s…
The terrible desecration of Hoad’s Wood near Bethersden by repeated fly-tipping has gone well beyond being a local story and is now featuring in national newspapers as well as national news bulletins.
Last week saw the first Freedom of the Borough Ceremony I have ever attended, and it was a suitably moving occasion. The two people honoured were the former Council Leader Gerry Clarkson and the former head of the Kent Invicta Chamber of…
The last month has had a distinctly rural feel, as I have visited farms, a vineyard, and spent a happy morning at the Ashford Market surrounded by cattle and sheep. There has also been a sporting element, as I have been at games at Ashford…
Last Saturday saw one of the most moving ceremonies in the area, when the Hamstreet branch of the Royal British Legion held a service to honour the memory of the Lieutenant Bill Johnson, an American airman in World War Two.
I always like to support English Tourism Week, because tourists are increasingly important to our local economy, and Visit Kent does good work in trying to attract more visitors our way.
I am pleased that the Minister of State for Social Care, Helen Whately MP, has responded to my open letter on making social care better. You can see the open letter and my other work on reforming social care here.
Today the CMS Committee held an evidence session for our inquiry into Grassroots Music Venues. We heard from three panels today. In the first panel we heard from Jon Collins (CEO, Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment), Mark Davyd …
Today the CMS Committee held a regular scrutiny session with the BBC, partly linked to the publication of the Government’s Mid Term Review in January. We heard from Tim Davie CBE (Director General, BBC), David Jordan (Director of Editorial…
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Adult Social Care has launched its latest report ‘Future of Care 5’ in Parliament. This is the latest report from the group which I co-chair, summarising policy recommendations from the Social…
Today the CMS Committee held its third evidence session of the British Film and High-End TV inquiry. We heard from two panels. In the first panel we heard from Jane Tranter (Co-Founder and CEO, Bad Wolf). In the second panel we heard from…
As we approach Easter and (hopefully) Spring, I have been busy following up a number of concerns people expressed in my recent survey. I have fixed to talk to Primark about any prospects of them coming to Ashford, I have asked the Rail…
I have been visiting a number of primary schools in recent weeks, and apart from my admiration for the teachers (my mother was a primary school teacher so I am unashamedly biased in their favour) there is one overwhelming thought that has…
Good news! The Government will introduce a £15 million fund to help farmers redistribute surplus food, preventing millions of meals worth of edible food from going to waste.
Following my Town Centre Survey, which showed some of the reasons people may not be using the town centre as much as before, there is now some interesting information which shows that there is more spending power than there has been in…
Today the CMS Committee held its second evidence session of the British Film and High-End TV inquiry. We heard from three panels. In the first panel we heard from James Hawes (Director and Vice-Chair of Directors UK). In the second panel…
Today the CMS Committee held an evidence session to follow-up on the Committee’s previous work on racism in cricket. We heard from three panels today. In the first panel we heard from Cindy Butts (Chair, Independent Commission for Equity…
I was delighted that nearly twelve hundred people filled in my survey on Ashford Town Centre and how they would like to see it change. The large number shows how important an issue it is for many people. Of those who responded, about a…
Today at the CMS Committee we held a joint ministerial session an opportunity to question Ministers from across Government on the findings of the Committee’s ‘Promoting Britain Abroad’ inquiry and on the latest evidence it heard from…
This week see one of my regular Jobs Fairs, which I hope will have been another successful way of helping people find a fulfilling future. Because of the joys of printing deadlines, I am having to write this before the Fair, but you will…
Today at the CMS Committee we held our first evidence session of the British Film and High-End TV inquiry. We heard from two panels today. In the first panel we heard from Gurinder Chadha OBE. In the second panel we heard from John McVay …
Today the CMS Committee held a one-off evidence session following reports in December of an ongoing stalemate between the Premier League and the rest of the football pyramid on agreement of a financial settlement. It also follows the…
Yesterday, Damian Green held a debate in Parliament on new dementia treatments. This debate follows Alzheimer’s Month in September 2023 and the recent developments of two new treatments that slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.
With Parliament returning this week I am taking the opportunity to hold a debate on the increasingly important and always difficult subject of dementia. I have been working closely with Alzheimer’s Research UK in preparing for the debate,…
Today the CMS Committee held its fifth and final evidence session on its inquiry into Women’s Sport. We heard from two panels today. In the first panel, we heard from Stephanie Hilborne (Chief Executive, Women in Sport) and Jeanette Bain…
Following World Alzheimer’s Month in September 2023 and the recent developments of two new treatments that slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease, Damian Green is holding a debate in Parliament on new dementia treatments.
As this is my last column before Christmas I will talk about the seasonal topic of Christmas cards. Sadly I won’t be doing this with any festive good cheer, as I am soon to be having a meeting with the management of the Royal Mail about…
Today the CMS Committee held a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing of Dr Samir Shah CBE, following the Government’s announcement that he is the preferred candidate for the post of Chair of the BBC Board. We focused questions on the role of…
Today the CMS Committee held its second non-inquiry session into “Creator remuneration”. We heard from three panels todays. In the first panel we heard from Sophie Jones (Chief Strategy Officer, British Phonographic Industry) and Beth…