It has been a busy few weeks in both Parliament and back home in the constituency. This week has marked the beginning of Advent with this weekend marking the first Sunday of Advent. It is a particularly important season for Christians locally and across the world. My warmest wishes for a joyful and reflective period. 

As many of you will know, the Budget was announced by the Chancellor at the end of last month. I responded in Parliament that day and welcomed the series of measures aiming to support residents with the cost-of-living, including a commitment to the Triple Lock on pensions for the duration of this Parliament and the £150 off energy bills. I raised concerns regarding some of the measures regarding electric vehicles (EVs) and the impact this could have on both EV makers and consumers. I will continue to have these conversations with Government. 

Moving to news from this week. Earlier this week was International Aids Day and a chance to reflect on the huge progress that has been made in this area. 

Medical developments have meant that those living with HIV can now enjoy full and healthy lives, which is brilliant progress, but we can and must go further. The Government rightly is aiming to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. 

It is an ambitious target, but we must do all we can to achieve it. This week, the Government announced a new action plan to support those who are not accessing lifesaving HIV treatment and bring them back into care. 

The plan is also continuing funding for testing in A&E, with routine blood tests automatically tested for HIV, unless you choose not to. It is already happening at several hospitals as part of a trial and is reaching thousands of people with undiagnosed infections who might never otherwise visit a sexual health clinic.  

It is important work and an area we have seen huge progress in and is something we must continue to build on. 

Finally, I want to celebrate one of our local heroes, Jess Carter. As so many of us know and are so incredibly proud of, Jess won the Euros with the Lionesses this summer and brought such pride to our community. Last month, she won the NWSL (the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States) with her club, Gotham FC. As a result, she is the first ever place to win both in the same year. It is a huge achievement, and I know so many of us are immensely proud of Jess and all she has achieved. A massive congratulations to Jess and all her continued success. I know I am not alone in cheering her on from our towns!

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As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise with me. I can be reached at [email protected] or on 01926 882006.