It’s been a busy and productive start to 2017.
I will kick off with the fantastic news that we have managed to secure further education funding, in addition to the fairer funding formula proposal. The latest expansion of the Opportunity Areas programme is now to include Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. This means £6m more funding for their region. I am truly delighted that, having lobbied on behalf of East Cambridgeshire, raising the issue in the House of Commons and facilitating a meeting between head teachers of local secondary schools and the Education Secretary, Justine Greening to press the matter further, that our voice has been heard.
We are one of only twelve Opportunity Areas in the country. The Opportunity Areas programme helps ensure, amongst other things, that children get the best start in the early years, that they continue to access high quality education at every stage of their schooling, that access to university is increased and that schools work in conjunction with local employers to improve young people’s access to advice and experiences. The programme also focuses on creating opportunities outside school to “raise sights and broaden horizons”. The Department of Education will work with each Opportunity Area to respond to local priorities and needs and I couldn’t be happier that East Cambridgeshire is now on this pathway.
Staff at Addenbrooke’s hospital should be commended that due to their “dedication and skill”, the hospital is now out of special measures having had its rating changed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) from "inadequate" to "good".
And finally the Cambridge and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has announced a pilot to increase urgent care services at the Princess of Wales in Ely. I am pleased that the CCG are listening to the views of local people and although we are not yet at the stage where the solution is fixed, I am extremely encouraged by the positive progress that is being made.
As always if you have any queries or any matters you would like to raise with me, please do email me. To keep up with everything I'm doing, you can also follow me on facebook.https://www.facebook.com/FrazerLucy/
Best wishes,
Lucy
Lucy Frazer MP