Parliament has returned this week with an important statement from the Foreign Secretary on Venezuela and an emergency out of hours statement on Ukraine. The world feels a far more uncertain place than for a generation.
There have been important debates on rural communities and the Government’s plans to do away with jury trials, both of which I have received an enormous amount of commentary from constituents on.
At the end of the week I am visiting St Edward’s School in Sherfield English, which works with pupils with a wide range of special educational needs. It specialises in teaching boys who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties. We had an announcement about SEND changes from the Secretary of State for Education which unfortunately has caused concern both in the sector and also from parents and carers for young people with additional needs.
I know how hard St Edwards staff work to give their pupils the very best chance to thrive in a supportive environment. That is not always easy and many will have been through several other schools before they find a place at St Edwards. These children need certainty and stability in order to have any chance of succeeding in overcoming their challenges, and therefore the Government needs to come forward with details of their plans as soon as possible.
I am very much looking forward to visiting Chalkstream on Friday afternoon, to hear about their award winning business. They are a huge supplier to the cruise industry, such an important employer in Southampton, and they have really put Test Valley trout on the map.
Next week the Finance Bill returns to the Commons and I anticipate the issue of Business Rates will be high on the agenda. Members are rightly exercised about the impact they are going to have on small businesses in their constituencies. We heard from the PM this week that he is aware of the problem, so hopefully Treasury Ministers will enlighten us next week as to what they are going to do to help the SMEs who provide the bulk of the nation’s employment.
