The opening of Parliament allows eleven weeks for new members of Parliament to emphasise the views of their constituents. Last Monday two important debates took place with considerable contributions from Sussex MP’s. The first involved, two MPs, and was named, “Vulnerable People: Support into Work”.

Meg Hillier, the Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch in London, began with

“What steps is she taking to support vulnerable people into work?”

Stephen Timms the Labour MP for East Ham and the Minister of State Department for Work and Pensions, answered.

“We are committed to supporting vulnerable customers into work. At jobcentres, for example, we can identify the support needed and signpost people to courses or organisations to help them overcome barriers. We will be saying more about our proposals in the forthcoming employment White Paper.”

Josh Babarinde the Liberal Democrat for Eastbourne commented

“Conservative-run East Sussex County council is threatening to close the Steps to Work programme, as well as Linden Court in Eastbourne, which supports people with learning disabilities to work towards employment. Will the Minister urge the county council to halt its plans and to consider alternatives such as selling off council buildings to raise the funds needed to provide these essential services for people with learning disabilities?”

Stephen responded with

“The hon. Gentleman draws my attention to a concerning development. My view is that we need more support for people with learning disabilities to get into work, not less. If he sends me the details of the concerns he has raised, I will be happy to look into them further.”

Mims Davies the Conservative for East Grinstead and Uckfield followed these comments and stated

“The well-received and groundbreaking Buckland review of autism employment focused on the action needed to help to tackle the lack of opportunities and outdated recruitment practices that do not meet the employment needs of autistic people. How is the Minister—I welcome him to his place—going to use this review, which I seem to remember him welcoming, to tackle the lack of understanding and ongoing stereotypes to help to make real change via Access to Work and other DWP interventions?”

Stephen said

“I thank the hon. Lady for her welcome. I am looking forward to a meeting with Sir Robert later on this month, and we will be talking exactly about that matter.”

Mims further responded with

“I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that answer. The disability action plan mid-year update is now somewhat overdue. Can the Minister confirm to the House when there will be a much-needed update? In helping vulnerable people to thrive in all walks of life, whether in employment or in respect of equality of opportunity, will the Minister’s Government commit, like the previous Conservative Government did, to working towards hosting the 2031 Special Olympics?”

Stephen commented to close the discussion.

“We will be saying more and we will provide an update in the forthcoming “Getting Britain Working” White Paper. If the hon. Lady would like to drop me a line about the Special Olympics, I would be happy to look into that as well.”

Later a session “NHS Performance: Darzi Investigation” involving many MPs across the UK. Wes Streeting, the Labour for Secretary of State for Health and Social Care who the MP for Ilford North. He began with

“I beg to move, that this House has considered Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into NHS performance.”

The first Sussex MP who participated was Alison Griffiths, the Conservative for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. She stated

“Saturday was World Meningitis Day, but in the last year we have seen an almost doubling of meningitis cases in the UK. Does the Secretary of State think that the meningitis vaccination take-up rate is where it should be?”

Wes answered

“I am grateful to the hon. Member for her question. No, I do not think that the take-up rate is where it should be. That is why in the short time we have been in office we have put more effort and energy into vaccine take-up, but there is more to do. I welcome her to the House, and will not have a go at her for the record of the people who sat on the Government Benches just before the general election.”  

Jessica Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chichester contributed

“At the end of September, a large GP federation serving patients across Sussex suddenly went bust, causing 130 redundancies; patient care was severely affected. The federation reported that the cause was a failure to obtain long-term contracts from any of its major clients, and the erosion of the real-terms value of contracts with both primary care networks and NHS Sussex. Does the Secretary of State agree that protecting continuity of service is key to public confidence in primary care, and will he meet me to discuss this case?”

Wes responded to Jessica

“I am grateful to the hon. Member for her intervention. I wish that this was a challenge only in her constituency; it is a challenge right across the country. As I said to the Royal College of GPs last week, it will take time to rebuild general practice, so that it is back where we want it to be. We would be delighted to hear more from her; I will ensure that my department makes contact, and that a Minister is in touch about the challenge in her constituency.”