Dear Friend,
I hope this finds you well.
After returning to Westminster with a real feeling of optimism, Hull City’s amazing start to the season has fit my mood entirely, and I’m hoping it’s a good omen for the coming months. There have certainly been some very good announcements for the area, which I’ll go into below, but I know you also have to make your own luck, so that’s why I’ll working as hard as ever to get us the best results.
Electric trains on the way
I know, I just did a “transport special”, but it’s just been announced that Transpennine will be getting an all-electric fleet to replace their diesels, including electric overhead/battery hybrids. These can run on overhead electric cables but on lines where there are none, switch to battery power. They will have enough range for the services out of Hull and Scarborough which will see charging infrastructure installed at their stations.
They are state-of-the-art brand new designs and are being made in the UK – which does mean that they will take longer to arrive, but it is worth the wait I think for the jobs it will provide and to build back our train manufacturing capacity.
Northern has its proposals in for new rolling stock and the Hull MPs are supporting their bid for an electric fleet. The end of dirty diesels in Hull Paragon is in sight!
Not directly linked to Hull, but it’s just been announced that from next weekend thanks to our move towards one publicly owned company, Great British Railways, that if your train is cancelled you can continue your journey on another company’s train. AT LAST!!! The conditions are that it must be departing two hours before or after your original cancelled service, and the new journey must be a “direct or reasonable alternative route”. It also doesn’t include Hull Trains as they are an open access operator, so will not be part of GBR.
Better future for mental health in Hull
I was so pleased to hear this announcement – this is something that has desperately needed improvement for a long time in our area.
As part of £343 million of capital investment to support the development of 159 mental health facilities across England, Hull will get both a new Community Based Mental Health Centre and a Mental Health Emergency Department.
Community Based Mental Health Centres (CBMHC) will make it easier for people to receive help earlier and closer to home by bringing together in one place services including community mental health teams, crisis support, peer support and links with housing, employment, social care, primary care and voluntary and community organisation.
As well as telephone and internet access, you will be able to walk in, and whichever way someone asks for help, they will get it or be guided to the right place.
Mental Health Emergency Departments (MHED) are intended for people experiencing a mental health emergency who require rapid specialist assessment and support, but don’t have any injuries that would require a regular A&E department. People will be able to receive same-day specialist mental health assessment and short-term intervention in a calmer, therapeutic environment.
We already know Hull’s MHED will be based in Miranda House and will complement, rather than replace, existing A&E departments, liaison psychiatry and community crisis services. We’re waiting for an announcement on the CBMHC.
Ending rough sleeping
Another announcement that was especially important for places like Hull was Andy Burnham’s
pledge to end rough sleeping, with the aim of ensuring everyone has a route off the streets before Christmas this year.
It’s been backed by £442 million in new funding, taking total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to over £4 billion. This extra money isn’t just about a bed for the night, it’s also about providing the right support to get people back on their feet.
Regulation of the Funeral Sector
I had a very encouraging meeting with Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Health to discuss how her team are progressing with regulating the funeral industry.
I first want to speak to the families who were affected by what happened at Legacy with the details of the meeting, but the good news is that regulation is firmly on the agenda, progress is being made and the families will be involved in the process.
Community Champions
I always enjoy doing this. It gives people the chance to express their support for the organisations, groups or people that mean a lot to them in in Hull West and Haltemprice, I get to meet some more amazing folk who I might not know about, and they get to feel appreciation and their activities get extra publicity. It really is a perk of the job!
This year the winners are:
City Of Hull Street Angels – 1180873
Phil Densley-Seymour from Anlaby Board Games Society.
If you’d like to know more about any of them, click on their link.
Pride in Place in Boulevard and St Andrews Quay – beginning to make an impact
The Board are in place and have begun work. They want to hear from as many people as possible in the area as part of their consultations on how the £20m funding should be used over the next ten years.
They have funding available to support local groups to organise consultation events. It doesn’t need to be something special – the consultation could be included as a part of the group’s usual activities – so if you know of a group who could get involved contact the Board at: boulevardandstandrewspip@hullcc.gov.uk for more information.
Our High Streets – tackling a complex problem
Our local high streets have changed a lot over recent years. The way many people shop has changed dramatically with next-day online delivery and the expansion of retail parks like those in Anlaby or Kingswood. Demand for those goods and services locally has fallen away and I can’t see it coming back in the same way.
How to make the best of our local high streets is something that concerns us all, whether that’s government, local authority or residents. There’s been concern and unhappiness with some of the types and number of businesses that have moved into the vacancies left by these changes in Hull West and Haltemprice, and that is something I have passed on to ministers.
I’m glad to say they are listening, and we now have in place a series of measures aimed at tackling this growth of unwanted and potentially illicit businesses, backed by extra resources for enforcement.
- More funding for Trading Standards, including a £10 million boost to tackle illegal tobacco and vape sales and support the recruitment of around 80 additional apprentice enforcement officers. Further investment has also been allocated to support enforcement of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
- Simpler reporting of suspected tax fraud, with HMRC’s new online reporting system making it easier for residents to flag concerns about “dodgy” businesses – if any member of the public has suspicions, they can report them here.
- New planning controls for vape shops, which will require planning permission before opening, giving councils and local communities greater influence over their location and number.
- Introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco and vape products. Additionally, from 1 October, all vaping products manufactured or imported into the UK must have a duty stamp on packaging so illicit products are immediately identifiable.
- Stronger powers to refuse betting shops and gambling premises, through the proposed removal of the long-standing “aim to permit” rule that has previously limited councils’ ability to reject applications.
- Planning permission requirements for adult gaming centres, allowing local authorities greater control over the spread of 24-hour gambling venues.
- A new High Streets Organised Crime Unit bringing together government departments, police, HMRC, Trading Standards and local authorities to coordinate intelligence, enforcement and policy.
- A new multi-agency coordination cell within the National Crime Agency to provide national intelligence and operational leadership.
- These will be backed by £30 million of funding over three years and 75 extra police officers to support the crackdown on criminal businesses operating on the high street.
- Tougher closure powers for police and councils, enabling rogue businesses linked to illegal tobacco sales, organised crime and other unlawful activity to be closed for longer periods while investigations are carried out.
- Creating an Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Strategy to track the flow of cash through illicit businesses and recover proceeds of crime.
- Recruiting 50 additional insolvency service staff within a new Abusive Phoenixism Taskforce to disqualify more rogue directors and amending the Company Directors Disqualification Act to extend the circumstances in which directors who break the law can be disqualified.
That is quite a long list, and I think it shows that there is no one, simple answer. I hope it also shows that as a government we are prepared to tackle things that in the past have been left in the “too difficult” pile.
Together, these actions will give more power to communities and agencies to tackle illicit trade and reduce anti-social business practices. However, I want to know how this will effect change locally, so I am arranging a meeting with Hull and East Riding Councils and Humberside Police to understand how these changes will be applied in our region and what differences they expect to start to see.
Businesses of the month
Having said all that, there are still plenty of fantastic local businesses, and these are the latest I have visited. Remember, if you want to see them continue, then they need your custom.
Cafe two-o-one is a lovely Cafe on Wold Road, and I know it’s a firm favourite amongst local residents because it’s previously won my small business award.
As you’d expect from an award-winner, the team are very friendly and there’s a good choice of high-quality food and drink at reasonable prices.
If you’re in the area and need something to eat, pop in.
LH1 is a hair salon just off Willerby Square and this year they’re celebrating their 20th anniversary.
They are experienced on working with all hair types and styles and they have a client focused approach so will work with you to get exactly what you want and offer free consultations prior to cuts and colours.
They’re also in the process of expanding their team so if you’re a qualified hairdresser looking for a friendly team to join (or know someone who is) then please get in touch!
And finally,
As always, I’m here to support you.
You can email me at emma.hardy.mp@parliament.uk or call my office at 01482 219211. Leave a message if I’m unavailable, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
And, if there’s anyone you think would be interested in reading this newsletter, please feel free to share it. If you’re reading this for the first time you can subscribe at contact@emmahardy.org.uk
Best wishes,
Emma Hardy MP
Hull West and Haltemprice
P.S.
I remember being told that the number one reason people don’t join political parties whose policies they support is because no one has asked them. Hull West and Haltemprice has just had the highest percentage increase in members in Yorkshire so to keep the ball rolling, if you feel like you’re a fit with this Labour government’s policies – and it doesn’t have to be every single one because that’s not how we work as a party – I would like to invite you to join us, which you can do here. You would have a very warm welcome.