As Christmas approaches and we near the end of another year, I wanted to reflect on the last 12 months which seem to have flown by once again. There are still a few more weeks to go and extremely important decisions to be made, including, of course a critical vote next week on Brexit. But I wanted to set out what I have been doing locally in what has been a busy and fulfilling year representing South East Cambridgeshire.
Working with partners across the constituency, from local campaign groups to councillors and the Mayor and Government, I am delighted that projects which I have championed are now reaching fruition. The Ely Bypass, which I helped obtain Government funding for, is now open! After regular meetings with BT and Connecting Cambridgeshire, open meetings with residents and regular phone exchanges, 95% of premises in our constituency now have access to superfast broadband (although I continue to press for full rollout in some of the outstanding ‘not-spots’). Also, a free to use, Government backed teacher recruitment website, which I’ve actively pursued for 3 years, is now being rolled out nationally, having been piloted in Cambridgeshire.
I am proud to have supported a number of successful local campaigns; ensuring the continuation of the pilot at the Local Urgent Care Centre at Ely’s Princess of Wales, following regular meetings with local health authorities and the great local campaign by Emma Watson, Helen Wright and others; reinstating a pre 9am off-peak train service to Cambridge after numerous meetings with Chief Operating Officer of Govia Thameslink Rail, Nick Brown, and a well led local campaign by Lauren Thomas and another very well run local campaign opposing plans for a waste disposal incinerator site at Waterbeach.
Longer term projects such as upgrading the A10, building a station in Soham, improving junction 37 on the A142/A14 and the A14/A11 junction are ongoing.
Also ongoing is my commitment to local schools. £6m extra funding over 3 years, owing to the ‘Opportunity Areas’ status I helped secure for schools in East Cambridgeshire, is now being made available in the form of grants. My parliamentary inter-school debating competition, which encourages students to develop their debating skills, is now in its fifth year. In the last 3 months I have met with all the pupils taking part and this year’s final is being judged by Sir Brian Leveson.
I have brought a number of Cabinet Ministers to our constituency this year to press our local causes including Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove and Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling.
Understanding, supporting and effectively representing the needs of our business and farming communities is critical and I have welcomed all the opportunities I have had to meet with businesses in our community and local farmers over the last year. In addition, time I have spent meeting with those working in the charitable sector has been both informative and enriching.
I always enjoy meeting constituents, whether welcoming you to Westminster or seeing you at an event, group gathering or surgery. If you would like to arrange a tour of the House of Commons for yourself or a group you belong to, please do send me an email. I am always happy to arrange this and wherever possible I will try to be around to say hello and answer any questions you have.
I am extremely grateful for your ongoing support and will continue to work hard on your behalf in the coming year.
If you have anything you wish to raise with me personally, please do email me at [email protected]
To keep up with everything I'm doing on a more frequent basis, you can also follow me on facebook.https://www.facebook.com/FrazerLucy/ or visit my web page www.lucyfrazer.org.uk
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Lucy Frazer MP
Copyright © 2018 Lucy Frazer MP, All rights reserved.
