Swindon Advertiser Column: This New Funding Is Fantastic News For Our Local Public Services

If you turn on the news, log on to your computer, or pick up a newspaper you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing happening in the world except for Brexit.It’s understandable. As I write my column this week, there are just 15 weeks to go until we leave the European Union on 29 March.The Prime Minister has been relentless in seeking to deliver Brexit, even with Parliamentary numbers stacked in favour of those who want to frustrate, delay and block Brexit. She has remained focused, det...

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North Swindon MP Delighted By Extra £9.1 Million For Local Policing

Police in Swindon & Wiltshire will be able to access a £9.1 million increase in funding next year, news which has been welcomed by North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson.The Government will increase funding available to Police & Crime Commissioners (PCC) by up to £813m, if PCCs use their precept flexibility fully – the biggest annual increase since 2010 - and of this investment our local police will receive £9.1 million.Both Justin and his South Swindon colleague Robert Buckland MP have ...

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Justin Welcomes New Data Showing More People In Work Than Ever

North Swindon MP and DWP Minister Justin Tomlinson has welcomed news that employment across the country is at a record high.Statistics released by the independent Office for National Statistics reveal that the employment rate is at 75.5% (the highest since records began), with 396,000 more people in employment in the last year and 79,000 more in the last three months. There are 428,000 more people in full-time work than last year, meaning the annual increase in jobs is “entirely due to more pe...

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GP Hub Update - 12 December

I have already contacted IMH re. the expected call times for December. I have also asked for the figures in terms of the number of call handlers throughout the day, as it seems that the response times in the morning are now often better than they are in the afternoon. We have pushed for more call handlers before and they delivered, so I am happy to do so again if the call lengths are beyond reasonable expectations.To be fair, the waiting times in December are always busy (and were so under the o...

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Local MPs Welcome £2.6 Million Investment In Swindon Court Complex

Local MPs Justin Tomlinson & Robert Buckland have welcomed the news that Swindon’s court facilities have been modernised thanks to Government investment.The refurbishment works, totalling £2.6 million, have been carried out at Swindon Magistrates Court and Swindon Combined Court. The renovations will provide a more comfortable environment for court users and additional space for staff to carry out their duties and is part of HM Courts & Tribunal Services’ commitment to improving th...

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Justin Visits Cafe Supporting Local Homeless People

North Swindon MP and Work & Pensions Minister Justin Tomlinson has visited social enterprise Health and Wellness Juices, a juice café run in conjunction with homelessness charity Threshold.Mark Mutlow, a former resident at Threshold’s Culvery Court, was inspired to start the business after discovering the health benefits of fruit and vegetable juices while staying at Culvery Court.The Canal Walk based café, which was gifted to the initiative by The Brunel Centre, serves fresh juices usin...

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Swindon MPs Secure £30 Million Investment Deliver To Expanded A&E Services At The Great Western Hospital

Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson & Robert Buckland have welcomed the news the Great Western Hospital is to benefit from almost £30 million of new investment to expand services.The town’s hospital will receive £29.573 million of new Government funding to deliver a modern Integrated Front Door and Transitional Care Facility, which will provide a reconfigured and rightsized Emergency Department as well as a transitional care facility.  The new facility will ensure that patients can access the ...

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Swindon Advertiser Column: MPs Of All Parties Need To Step Up & Put National Interest First

They say that a week can be a long time in politics. Currently, an hour feels like a lifetime! That’s because there is one topic dominating the proceedings in Westminster this week – with 5 days (40 Parliamentary hours) of protected debating time ahead of next Tuesday’s important vote.Backbench MPs are getting the opportunity to put their views abour the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal on the record, and it’s clear that MPs fall into 3 distinct (and determined) categories.Category 1 - Tho...

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