Ian Sollom MP Newsletter - 5th May

With local elections just around the corner, I've been knocking on more doors than usual across the constituency. It's one of the parts of the job I genuinely enjoy – listening to people's stories, hearing what matters to them. Even when we disagree, I find real value in that.

The most common thing I hear isn't enthusiasm or hostility. It's a kind of weary frustration: everything feels broken, nobody listens, what's the point?

I understand that. But disengagement has a cost. It's part of what brought me into politics.

Whatever your views, I'd encourage everyone to vote on 7th May – and to bring something to it beyond just a preference: a considered view of what you want your community to look like, and who you think will do the serious, unglamourous work of getting there. That's what local elections are for.

In the meantime, here's what I've been up to across the constituency over the past few weeks.

Infrastructure around new housing developments: Northstowe & Tempsford

With new data showing that 1,300 GP surgeries across the country have closed in the last decade, we Liberal Democrats recently launched a campaign to guarantee GP investment for every new housing development, as soon as the first new homes are sold. It is shocking that across South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, the number of homes per GP surgery has risen by over 73% in the last two years, and the number of surgeries in the area has fallen by seven. 

Residents in Northstowe have been particularly let down by inadequate GP provision, and this is impacting surrounding areas too – existing residents also suffer when their village surgeries struggle to keep up with rising demand. While progress on the Town Hub’s planning application is welcome, I have been disappointed that the Integrated Care Board (ICB) has yet to provide clarity on what health services it will deliver. South Cambridgeshire District Council have told me that the planning application for the Hub is expected to be submitted by the end of summer, and I will be keeping an eye firmly on progress to ensure that this timeline is not allowed to slip. 

We are seeing a similar situation on the other side of the constituency, where progress on a new surgery for Wintringham in St Neots has been frustratingly slow, despite thousands of homes being built and thousands more planned. I am continuing to press the ICB and housing developers to produce clear plans for the surgery and to provide a timeline for delivery as soon as possible. 

I have written before about the Government’s new town proposal at Tempsford, about which I know residents have many questions. Though Tempsford is just outside my constituency, such a huge development will have a noticeable impact on the infrastructure of surrounding areas.

I recently held a meeting alongside Richard Fuller (MP for North Bedfordshire, in whose constituency Tempsford sits) with surrounding Parish and Ward councillors to discuss their views, which Richard and I then raised directly with Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook (pictured). The main ask we have now is for clarity: Where will the development boundaries be? Under which local authorities will the town sit? What provision will there be for water management? Public consultation on the project is still open for now, but the Minister has committed to engaging with me regularly on progress. 

Huntingdonshire Volunteer Centre: Enabling independence for local residents

Access to health and social care of course means securing GP appointments and surgeries when you need them, but it also means actually being able to get there for the treatment too. The HVC Community Car Scheme provides affordable, reliable transport for residents who would otherwise struggle to access medical appointments, social activities and other essential services. In the last 9 months alone, they have delivered over 1,350 journeys in St Neots. 

But as they told me when I visited their offices in St Neots recently: they're “friends, not taxis”. It was genuinely moving to hear about the role that the volunteers are playing in reducing isolation and enabling independence for local residents – some of whom would otherwise go weeks without social contact. Clients using the service told me that the drivers go above and beyond just giving lifts, providing daily support through hospital stays, waiting hours following appointments, and being a friendly voice over the phone. The drivers themselves said it was a real honour to provide this service. 

It's great that demand for their work is growing, but with rising running costs (particularly fuel), the service needs strong backing to ensure its ongoing stability. I will certainly be looking for every opportunity to raise awareness of the excellent service and support its future in our community. 

You can find out more about using or volunteering for the service here: https://huntsvc.org.uk/, or ring 07724 939613 / 01480 476047 for the St Neots office.

Women’s Health Strategy

On another healthcare matter, you may have seen that the Government recently published its Women’s Health Strategy. Far too many women have been, and are still being, failed by our healthcare system, so this was a welcome step towards improving the situation.

Half a million women are currently waiting for gynaecology treatment across the country, and I have heard many distressing stories from local residents about how helpless they have felt in getting proper healthcare when their symptoms are dismissed.

One condition I hear about frequently from constituents is endometriosis. Earlier this month, I met with representatives from Women's Action Network Portsmouth (pictured), who have produced research that exposes the dire state of endometriosis care across the UK. It is shocking that with 1.5 million people suffering with the condition, it still takes an average of nearly 9 years to get a diagnosis, and only 0.017% of UK Research & Innovation's (UKRI) portfolio is dedicated to looking into the condition.

The Government’s strategy is welcome, but its plans must be met with real investment in the services that will achieve these goals and deliver meaningful change - and we Liberal Democrats stand strong in our calls for improved funding for research into chronic conditions, better access to GPs, and renewed investment in training, recruiting and retaining the NHS staff that we so badly need. 

Visit to Over Day Centre

Social care plays a huge role in making sure our NHS is not overloaded, and I recently saw an excellent example of this at Over Day Centre – where fully qualified carers provide a door-to-door service for elderly clients ranging from 70 years old to a very impressive 105!

Alongside supporting clients with medication and personal care during the day, and providing a two-course hot meal at lunchtime, the centre goes above and beyond to make sure clients feel both independent, and also part of a community. They host trips out to local villages and churches, teach cookery classes and regularly host entertainers during the day.

As with so many local businesses, the centre has struggled with the Government’s increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions and the rising cost of energy. It’s fantastic that they are able to mitigate these issues with the installation of solar panels and with a plan to switch to electric minibuses in future, and I am looking forward to supporting their already successful fundraising efforts as much as I can so that their work can continue long into the future.

Education visits: Eynesbury Primary School, Fen Drayton Primary School & lunch at Overloaded St Neots

It’s always a pleasure to get out and see the breadth of education being delivered across the constituency. Over the last few weeks, I had the pleasure of visiting two primary schools – Eynesbury and Fen Drayton – to speak with pupils about my role as an MP and the work of Parliament, and to discuss the challenges that teachers are facing. As is so often the case when I speak to teachers, SEND provision is the top of their agenda; particularly the impact that tight financial constraints are having on schools trying to deliver the right support for every child. We Liberal Democrats have long advocated for a credible plan to recruit and retain the staff needed to ensure every child gets the education they deserve, and with the Government’s schools' white paper now published, we continue to push for this. 

In St Neots, I was lucky enough to be invited to Overloaded, an alternative education provider for young people with SEND and mental health needs, for a lunch cooked by Evie, a student there. We had a three-course meal surrounded by decorations made by students and a showcase of their other work. Overloaded are clearly doing a fantastic job of giving young people skills and confidence for life – the food was delicious!

Social media ban for under 16s

As this parliamentary session comes to an end before local elections, consideration of Government bills must wrap up. In some cases, this has resulted in long ‘ping pong’ sessions where disagreement between the Commons and Lords means amendments to bills bounce back and forth and voting sessions extend long into the night.  

One such bill, which I know has been of great interest to many residents, is the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – and particularly its bearing on social media regulations. Following our success in banning mobile phones in schools by putting the guidance on a statutory footing, including “not seen and not heard” policies, we Liberal Democrats have continued to direct our efforts towards a ban on harmful social media for children. 

It was deeply disappointing that, at the eleventh hour this week, the Conservatives folded under pressure and did not vote as the Government pressed on to delay social media regulations by a further 21 months. This means that children will now have to wait years before legislation is made that would protect them from harmful social media content and addictive algorithms. 

We Liberal Democrats have always been clear that children’s wellbeing comes first and stayed late into the night to vote against the Government’s proposals. We continue to urge the Government to come forward with a quicker timeline by which legislation will be taken. Letting our children be subject to the harms of big tech giants for a further 21 months is simply not good enough.

St Neots Station: Parking charge increases 

Parking charges at St Neots Station have nearly tripled for off-peak daytime parking after 10am.  

When the change was made, I wrote to Govia Thameslink (GTR), who set the tariffs at the station, asking them to reconsider the loss of the cheaper rate for those parking after 10am. Their response was that the demand for off-peak parking was not enough to make up for the discount offered.  

This is not what I have heard from the many residents who benefitted from the off-peak charges, and who have told me they are now considering not travelling by train at all due to the rise in costs. I will be following up on this response to ask what data was used to show that the off-peak rate was not influencing demand at the station, and raising the concerns about illegal parking near the station as a knock on effect.  

If you are impacted by the rise in costs, or have seen an increase in illegal parking locally, I encourage you to get in touch with me. I will continue to raise any issues with GTR and press them to reconsider.

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, sharing campaigns, and inviting me to attend various meetings in Parliament and in the constituency.

Here is a taste of some more of the work I have been doing recently: 

• Supported Cambourne Village College student, Dylan, at the Springboard FutureChef Final in London, where he had reached a group of 12 finalists out of 16,000 hopefuls taking part in the biggest culinary school competition in the UK.
   

• Spoke to specialist Admiral Nurses and representatives from Dementia UK at the launch of their new report on fixing palliative and end of life care for dementia.
   
• Continued to push the Government for fair and full compensation for everyone impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal, raising the case of my constituent whose infection fell outside the original eligibility criteria and who has not received compensation nor interim payments.
   
• Attended the Parliamentary Repair Cafe event to speak with members of the Cambridgeshire Repair Cafe Network and to sign the Repair & Reuse Declaration.
   
• Joined Arthur Rank at the Hospice UK event in Parliament, calling on the Government to deliver fair and consistent funding for hospices from the next financial year onwards. 

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.

Best wishes,

Ian Sollom MP

St Neots & Mid Cambridgeshire