For a new piece of law to pass through Parliament it needs to be debated and scrutinised at a number of different stages, including debates and votes in both the House of Commons and Lords which all members can take part in. It also goes through a “Committee” stage when the bill is scrutinised by a small number of members in great detail. I have offered to be on the Committee Scrutinising the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. There are 20 Members of Parliament on the Committee.
This Bill is intended to make sure that there is fair competition in online markets, which will stimulate innovation and give consumers greater choice and lower prices. The Bill Committee will be meeting every Tuesday and Thursday between now and the summer break. This week we heard evidence from the Competition and Markets Authority, consumer organisations and digital companies. We heard from many smaller innovative companies how high costs and clunky bureaucracy forced on them by App Stores make it hard for them to offer new products to consumers.
Being on a Committee like this is a huge time commitment, so it means that I will need to re-prioritise some other issues. However, in the longer term it will be very beneficial for residents of Chelmsford and elsewhere if it does result in lower prices and more choice when making online purchases.
This week I met children from Widford Lodge School in Chelmsford who were very pleased to hear about this work.
I have also been selected as one of the members for the new Select Committee for Energy Security and Net Zero. High energy prices have affected all of us in the past year and the work of this committee will be vital for our future. I have been following innovation in energy for many years and it is a honour to join the Select Committee. We will be meeting every Wednesday. Energy costs is also a big issue for small businesses.
I had a very helpful roundtable in Chelmsford with members of the Federation of Small Businesses. It was helpful to hear about the issues they face and to discuss initiatives that the Government is doing to support them, including with improving skills and training.
On Friday, I visited Broomfield Hospital which had just received the news that the hospital has been rated “inadequate” following an inspection of the medical wards by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which took place in January. The staff in our hospitals care deeply about their patients and were obviously saddened by the inspection’s findings. Last winter, and especially the very cold snap in January, were very difficult for our NHS. Staff at all levels told me how keen they are to make sure that improvements are put in place to ensure that the struggles they faced last winter are not repeated.
During my visit to Broomfield, I met many members of staff. I was pleased to hear that staff recruitment and retention has improved and that a number of different changes have been put in place to address each of the issues raised in the CQC inspection. I was impressed by how quickly positive changes have been put in place.
I will be writing to the CQC about my visit and meeting the Health Secretary next week. I want to make sure that residents of Chelmsford can access first class NHS services and to make sure that Broomfield gets the support it needs on its journey of improvement.
I know that many people enjoy spending a night out in Chelmsford’s pubs, bars and clubs. Our night-time economy has been awarded a Purple Flag for safety. But from time to time there have been stories about people experiencing spiking in local bars. Their experiences have sounded very distressing. Spiking is a crime, but the law in this area hasn’t been looked at for over a century. I have been supporting my colleague Richard Graham MP’s work to tighten up the law against spiking. I was with him when he presented his Bill to Parliament this week.
In Chelmsford, I also visited Rutland Road. Local residents have waited a long time for their road to be resurfaced, but unfortunately when contractors came to do the work it was an extremely hot day. This means that the new surface was not well laid. Whilst many residents told me that it was better than it had been, the work has not been done well. I am in touch with the County Council who are sending officers to inspect the work. If any more work needs to be done as a result the contractors will need to pay for this themselves so there will be no extra cost to the taxpayer.
Finally, as a cricket lover, it is obviously very exciting that the Ashes tour has started. I have been a long supporter of women’s cricket and it was great to meet former England Captain Clare Connor and other players who came to Parliament this week to discuss the exciting growth that is being seen in women’s cricket. There has been a men’s cricket team representing the Lords and Commons for over 150 years. I hope that establishing a new women’s team will help to show support for all those wanting to increase access to the game for all.
