2016 February

The 4th report from the Science & Technology Committee is now available to read here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmsctech/468/46802.htm

I visited the Inmarsat HQ in Old Street, London on the 22 February 2016 as part of the Industry and Parliament Trust Fellowship. Inmarsat was established in 1979 and has become an industry leader and pioneer of mobile and satellite communications. Inmarsat is working to examine the business model of affordability, providing connectivity to remote locations through their emerging markets programme.

A planning application was made by the University of Wolverhampton for a car park on their campus near to Broadway. This is welcome to ease the parking issue on surrounding roads. However the Council insisted that planning permission for the car park would be conditional on having an entrance that would open onto Broadway, one of the busiest roads.  

On Thursday 11 February 2016 I asked the Leader of the House about the £300m transition funding for local authorities. It is a scandal that the Prime Minister’s own local authority in Oxfordshire will receive £9m from the new £300m transition fund and 83% of this fund will go to Tory-run councils, mostly in the affluent shires. The £9m given to Oxfordshire comes just a week after the Prime Minister’s mother and aunt signed a petition against cuts to Children’s Services in the County.