‘Thank you for your kind messages following my recent health scare’
I'd like to begin my Melton Times article this week by saying thank you for the very kind messages from people following my recent health scare, and my choosing to step down from the Shadow Cabinet while, over the coming months, I focus on fully recovering my health, alongside continuing to focus on my work as Melton and Syston's local constituency MP.
The kind words from many people, across the political spectrum, have been very much appreciated.
Turning to local matters that Melton Times readers will be concerned about, I continue to take a very close interest in the temporary closure by the NHS of the St Mary's Birth Centre and, following up on my meeting with the University Hospitals of Leicester Trust Chief Executive about this, as reported by the Melton Times, last week I raised the issue in the House of Commons with the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.
I set out to the Secretary of State my concerns, and those of many local people, that the temporary closure due to staff shortages, could risk morphing into something permanent.
I called on the Health Secretary to meet me in the autumn if no progress had been made on restoring staffing levels so that the centre could reopen, and am grateful to him for swiftly agreeing to do so.
I will continue to engage with the local NHS in the coming weeks to press for a positive way forward for what is a much valued local service, but we do need to see from them a clear plan to deliver that reopening.
On another issue I know is increasingly concerning local residents east of Melton, and to the north of Melton towards Wartnaby, last week I met with National Grid to discuss their 'Weston Marsh to East Leicestershire' proposals to strengthen the East Midlands high voltage transmission network, and their outline plans to construct a new 400,000 volt overhead line and pylons, across land to the east and north of Melton, to a new sub-station they propose to build near Wartnaby to connect it to existing north-south power lines there.
While their consultation is still at a very early stage, and any decision is some years away, I wanted to hear more about the outline plans, and, while recognising the importance of strengthening our energy infrastructure, to set out to National Grid the concerns that I know local communities, including Wartnaby, along the possible route will have about its potential impact on our countryside, and to emphasise the importance of continued open engagement with those communities as their proposals develop.
Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank Melton Mowbray Belvoir Rotary Club for kindly inviting me to speak to them, and to take questions, at their recent meeting and supper in Melton.
Rotary do so much good work across our local communities, and to build community, so it was a real pleasure to attend, and I am grateful to members for the warm and friendly welcome they gave me.