You can register now for one of my autumn coffee mornings!
It's an opportunity to discuss the issues that matter to you over a hot cup of tea or coffee. Whether you want to discuss local concerns or national policy issues, my team and I will be available to answer your questions. You can find a full list of the dates below, but if you need anything else, please contact me at office@saraholney.com.
23rd September: Ham
26th September: Kew
30th September: Mortlake
3rd October: Coombe Hill
WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE
On Tuesday, I spoke in the Conservative's Opposition Day debate on the Winter Fuel Allowance. This motion called for greater due diligence ahead of the Government's planned cuts to Winter Fuel Payments and urged Labour to reconsider the heavy limitations they have placed on the scheme.
During my remarks, I focused on the likely consequences of restricting Winter Fuel Payments including the increased burden these cuts would place on the National Health Service. I also pointed to the Liberal Democrat's motion which calls for the Government to stop their plans to reduce Winter Fuel Support Payments and encourages ministers to commit to ensuring all eligible pensioners take up pension credit.
I also reinforced the broader Liberal Democrat calls for additional support for pensioners and families during the cost of living crisis. This includes an emergency Home Energy Upgrade program with free insulation and heat pumps for low-income households and introducing a social tariff for the most vulnerable to provide targeted energy discounts for households in the highest needs.
COURT TRANSCRIPTS CAMPAIGN
Regular readers of my newsletter will know that I have spent much of the last two years fighting to make court transcripts free for victims of crime. I launched this campaign after discovering that my constituent, Juliana Terlizzi, had been quoted more than £7000 for a transcript of her rapist's trial.
This week, I am very pleased to say that the campaign took a huge step forward as the Speaker of the House directly called on the Solicitor General to make it possible for MPs to access transcripts of court proceedings without being forced to pay outrageous sums of money.
This could set a precedent for transcripts to be provided either at a discounted rate or free of charge for those who need them. Once I heard the Speaker's comments, I immediately wrote to the Solicitor General urging her to meet with me to discuss this issue as soon as possible.
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION
On Wednesday, I met with members of Public Accounts Committees from more than half a dozen Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, and Commonwealth Realms to discuss my former role on the Public Accounts Committee and share our different understandings of how these bodies operate.
It was particularly interesting to hear from the delegates from St Helena and Tristan de Cuhna who, despite their territory's tiny size, have made huge strides towards implementing a full, independent review process of all Government spending. One of the key themes that they highlighted, and that I fully endorse, was the need for ongoing transparency around Accounts Committees' operations. Decisions should not be made behind closed doors and it was fascinating to see how even very small governments are able to ensure their populations can scrutinize the representatives' work.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association are a fantastic organisation that bring MPs from around the world together to share ideas. If you'd like to learn more about their work, click the link here.
HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE
Following my letter to the Secretary of State for Transport in August, I am very pleased to say that the Government has agreed to reconvene the Hammersmith Bridge Task Force once Parliament returns from Conference Recess. While I am not a member of the taskforce, I will be attending in an observer capacity and will use this opportunity to highlight the outrage that so many of my constituents feel after seeing the glacial pace of the repair works.
The taskforce is a forum for representatives from all affected agencies and communities to come together and get a clear insight into the project. Clarity and transparency has been sorely lacking from the last Government, and so I am hopeful that this meeting might indicate the start of a more constructive dialogue between the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, the DfT, TfL, and impacted communities from both sides of the river.
MEETING WITH LIME
On Tuesday evening, I met with a representative from Lime, the largest e-bike rental company in the country, to discuss the issue of badly parked e-bikes in Richmond Park. I know how frustrating this phenomenon has been for local people, and while I recognize the incredible addition Lime has made to local transport infrastructure, better systems need to be put in place to ensure these bikes do not continue to affect the community.
While parking regulation is a matter for the local authority, I urged Lime to make a small change to their service which I believe would help reduce instances of bad parking. Lime currently has a reporting system through which misparked e-bikes can be logged, the last user fined, and bike removed. You can access this system here, or by emailing Lime directly here. However, I am afraid to say that this system is not well known and can be somewhat complex to use. Thus, I have urged Lime to not only streamline this process, but also to place clear, written signs on their bikes that would allow any smartphone user to report a badly parked e-bike as soon as they saw it.
While this is a small change, it is my hope that it will help make our streets more accessible while ensuring the service can continue to operate.
CONSTITUENCY VISITS
On Saturday, I was very pleased to visit Ham Parade Market where I spoke with a number of shopkeepers and community organisations including Voices of Hope, the organisation behind the BriteBox Meal kits that help teach healthy cooking on a budget.
Later that day, I had the opportunity to drop by the East and South East Asian Culture Festival in Kingston Market Square alongside my colleague Gareth Roberts AM. Kingston has long been home to a Korean community but recently our borough has been lucky enough to be joined by new arrivals from Hong Kong and the Philippines. The festival was a wonderful celebration of diversity and of many of the cultures that make Kingston such a special place to live. I very much look forward to next years festivities.
Finally, I was delighted to have the opportunity to spend some time at the Barnfield Riding School in North Kingston earlier this week. During the visit, I met one of my younger constituents Samuel Sherrard who, despite being diagnosed as autistic and non-verbal when he was two, now speaks completely normally. His parents ascribe this change to the positive experiences he has had at the riding school and after seeing how kind and positive the staff and students at the school are, I can see how powerful an experience learning at the stables would be.
COMMUNITY NEWS
RICHMOND U13S COMPETING IN CRICKET JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Tomorrow, Richmond Cricket Club Under 13s will be competing at Lords for the Junior National Championship Title. 1,400 teams entered this competition and so to reach the final two is an incredible achievement in itself. I know everyone in Richmond Park will join me in wishing them the very best of luck and we'll all have our fingers crossed that they will take home the cup.
KINGSTON FAMILY FRIEND BIKE RIDE: 6TH OCTOBER AT CLAREMONT GARDENS
Join Kingston Cycling Campaign on Sunday 6 October 2024 for the final family-friendly ride of the year! Designed with all ages and cycling abilities in mind, this gentle 6.5-mile ride will take you from Surbiton to North Kingston, and back via the river, making the most of quiet roads and traffic-free routes.
Organised by Kingston Cycling Campaign, with the support of Full Cycle Community Bike Project, this is a great chance to discover new cycle-friendly routes, explore different parts of the borough and build your bike confidence, with the ride led by experienced ride marshals for extra safety. The event will start from Claremont Gardens, close to Surbiton station, at 10.45am just inside the gardens at the junction of The Crescent and Grove Road for the ride briefing.
Register for your free place on tiny.cc/FunRideOct24
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