Ian Sollom MP Newsletter - 5 September 2025

Welcome to the latest of my newsletters, updating you on my work in Westminster and across St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire.

After a busy summer recess meeting with residents, visiting local businesses and projects, I got back to Parliament this week with renewed energy to fight for the issues that matter to constituents.

While today's ministerial resignations and government reshuffle create considerable upheaval in Westminster and will inevitably generate many column inches, my focus remains on making sure St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire's voice is heard loud and clear.

UK Government Emergency Alerts System Test – Sunday 7th September, 3pm

As you may already be aware, on Sunday at 3pm the UK Government will be testing its Emergency Alerts system. This means that compatible mobile phones and tablets will receive an alert on screen and make a loud, siren-like sound and vibration. You do not need to take action, and the test will only last a few seconds.

The Emergency Alerts system is a really important tool for reaching the public and warning about a nearby danger to life such as extreme weather or a terror attack. However, if you do need to turn off the alerts for reasons such as vulnerability or situations of domestic abuse, it is possible to opt out. You can find more information on how to do this here.

Liberal Democrat Win as Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund is Extended for 2026-27

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) has long been a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable children in our society, enabling them and their families to build brighter, more secure futures. Earlier this year, I met with adoptive and special guardianship parents in Parliament to hear firsthand how the fund support has supported them, and why it must continue to do so.

Despite the clear benefit that the fund brings, this year the Government left families without certainty in the weeks and months before the fund expired on 31 March 2025, leading to widespread confusion and worry. It was my colleague Munira Wilson MP’s Urgent Question in the House of Commons that finally brought confirmation from the Government that the fund would continue for 2025-26 – albeit with disappointing cuts to therapy services and specialist assessments.

This week, news came in that the fund will be extended to at least 2026/27, giving families the vital support they need for at least another year.

While this is welcome news, clarity is needed as to whether cuts will continue into the next year. We need to see a permanent ring-fenced fund restored to the previous full amount in terms of grants per child, and I will continue to stand up for the needs of families and children until we achieve this.

Green Housing – Dovehouse Court Almshouses in Girton

Everyone has the right to a safe, secure and adequate home. Sadly, however, this is not the reality for many people. Each week, I receive messages from constituents who are struggling to access social housing, whose houses are in a terrible state of disrepair, or who are simply unable to buy a home due to massively inflated costs. We Liberal Democrats welcomed the news that the government would make housing a priority, but we do not think they have gone far enough yet – homes do not just need to be built, but they need to be built with community, sustainability, and accessibility in mind.

Last week, I saw a brilliant example of community-led sustainable development when I visited Dovehouse Court, an award-winning almshouse development in Girton. It is the first almshouse development in the country to fully conform to Passivhaus standards and has already been recognised with a number of prestigious national awards for its energy efficiency combined with adherence to design principles with a central courtyard to encourage social interaction. 

Speaking with residents at Dovehouse Court, I was struck by how much they are genuinely thriving in new homes that are not just energy-efficient and accessible but afford them dignity and community. Over the coming months, I hope to share this success story in Parliament, and I hope valuable lessons can be learned about how real change in housing can be achieved.

National Highways Meeting

Over the summer, I met with representatives from National Highways to raise the most frequent issues that residents raise with me. While significant roadworks may have become the norm for our area – with both the A14 improvement scheme and the A428 dualling taking place in quick succession – it is important that these works cause as little disruption as possible to residents, that lessons are learned from one scheme to the next, and that residents' concerns about the state of local roads are heard.

I asked National Highways how various issues that have arisen since the A14 redevelopment, such as congestion, the death of thousands of roadside trees, and the state of new bridges, are being dealt with, and what lessons it is taking forward for its ongoing work. News on the A14 trees seems at last to be moving in the right direction, with a full report coming next year which I will be carefully reviewing, and a current expected survival rate of 90%; and I received confirmation that our new bridges have been monitored for movement and structural issues over the past three years, with high-end monitoring for the past 9 months – minor interventions have been made but overall there have been no major structural issues.

I was pleased that National Highways was receptive to the idea of attending an open meeting for residents and parish councils in areas such as Eltisley that have been affected by diversions caused by works on the A428. The details of this are a work in progress, but I will provide an update in due course.

Many residents have also expressed concern about the disused service station on the A14 near Bar Hill. I totally agree that it is an eyesore for the village and could be put to much better use. National Highways is putting me in touch with a contact to discuss this, and I should have an update on strategy soon.

Raising Trans Rights and Supreme Court Guidance in Parliament

Since the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in April, I have received many messages from constituents who are concerned about the rights of trans people. I too am concerned by reports of rising discrimination as well as confusion over the ruling’s practical implications and how it interacts with the Gender Recognition Act, which has allowed people to legally change their gender for over 20 years.

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are committed to standing up for the rights of trans people, so I recently asked the Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, what she is doing to support trans people more generally, as well as how she plans to resolve contradictions between the Gender Recognition Act and the new ruling.

Her response was disappointing. While she expressed general support for the rights of trans people, she did not acknowledge the legal contradiction I raised, nor did she provide any indication that she will be providing advice on it. I will continue to follow up on this – we must get past hostile debates and work towards a genuine solution that affords trans people the dignity and safety they deserve.

You can see my full question here.

Demanding a Rail Fare Freeze Amid Soaring Costs

St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire has long been lauded as great place for commuters, as well as those wanting easy and fast access to the capital and many other areas across the country. However, train cancellations, delays, and rising costs are putting many residents off travelling by rail and causing huge disruption to those commuting to work.

People are already struggling with the cost of living, and under current government policy, regulated rail fares are set to rise by 5.8% in 2026-27. This would mean a £345 a year increase for an annual season ticket from Cambridge to London, and a £385 increase from St Neots.

Owing to this, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have called for a freeze on fares and a real plan to get more people onto trains. People deserve a reliable service at a fair price, and government complacency on this issue is not good enough – I will be raising this as soon as possible with the Secretary of State for Transport.

Water Contamination in Hospitals

Following news that the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge paid a six-figure settlement in the case of nine patients who contracted a bacterial infection linked to its water supply, with three patients dying as a result, the Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent investigation into water contamination in NHS hospitals, backing a letter from Hospitals and Primary Care Spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller.

On my regular slot on Black Cat Radio, I spoke to presenter Ste Greenall about the tragedy, and the importance of regulations that made all NHS estates safe places for patients. You can listen to a clip of my interview here.

Parliamentary Business

I always endeavour to represent residents of St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire in Westminster on issues you care about. Thank you to everyone who writes to me each week, expressing your views and inviting me to attend various meetings in Parliament. Here is a taste of some of the work I have been doing in Westminster recently:

• Spoke in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, welcoming the Government’s decision to introduce community right-to-buy provisions, but criticising the bill’s lack of clarity on how the new skills responsibilities given to strategic authorities will interact with Skills England nationally, and existing employer-led local skills improvement plans.
• Signed my name to Ed Davey’s humble address asking that legal advice held or provided by the Attorney General relating to whether there have been breaches of international law in the Israel-Gaza war be laid before the House of Commons no later than 1 November.
• Met with rail experts to discuss the issues most frequently raised with me by residents, such as extortionate fares and frequent delays, and to explore how best we can scrutinise upcoming Government legislation.
• On behalf of a constituent with muscular dystrophy who has not had a wheelchair delivered for 18 weeks, I challenged the Women and Equalities Minister on how she plans to address the poor performance of equipment provider AJM Healthcare.
• Questioned the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the progress of the Government’s National Youth Strategy, and urged her to ensure young people’s voices are involved at all stages of its development and implementation.

Surgeries and Further Information

Each week I have been holding both in-person and online surgeries to speak directly to constituents about their issues. If you feel you have a problem I could help with, or you have a campaign matter you would like to discuss with me, please don’t hesitate to contact me at ian.sollom.mp@parliament.uk to request a surgery appointment.

I will continue to keep you updated about my work to represent the constituents of St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, volunteer, or get involved with our campaigns.

If you are writing as a constituent, I will need to verify that you reside in the St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency to reply and deal with your case. Therefore, please ensure that you have included your full name and home address in your email.

I receive a significant volume of campaign and casework emails each day. Therefore, I ask for your patience as my team respond to new emails. Please know your messages are being received and we are working as fast as we can to respond to every inquiry.