I thought I’d use this column to look back on a snapshot of my work since the General Election in May.
One of the Government’s first bills after the Queen’s Speech was the EU Referendum Bill. I was pleased to support an in/out vote by the end of 2017 on the UK’s EU membership in the House of Commons.
Before the election, I was delighted to become a Patron of the Fair Votes for All campaign on English votes for English laws.
This issue recently came before Parliament – it can’t be right for Scottish MPs to potentially have deciding votes on legislation relevant to English schools and hospitals, while these matters north of the border are in fact the responsibility of the separate Scottish Government.
As a commuter myself, I’m well aware of the all-too-often unsatisfactory rail network. While this is a result of improvement upgrades, this is no consolation when waiting for, or stuck on, a train.
I’ve continually raised this with the Rail Minister. Local rail investment in recent years includes a £26 million upgrade of Three Bridges Station, and more than £50 million on Gatwick Station. Coming later this year will be greater capacity, new Thameslink trains with the regional signalling and maintenance now at the Three Bridges rail yard.
In June I was honoured to be named the new Co-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare.
This is a subject very close to my heart, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with organisations such as Animal Aid, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, as well as Queen guitarist Dr Brian May and the Save Me Trust.
I’ve also been discussing the issue of funding for West Sussex schools with Crawley headteachers, and I’m working on this issue with other local Members of Parliament ahead of a meeting with the Secretary of State for Education.
After the General Election, I was appointed by the Prime Minister as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government.
This has involved working alongside the Department and other MPs who want to contribute to this Government’s work in devolving power to local people across the country and extending home ownership and housing supply.
As a former councillor in Crawley, I’m pleased to be playing my part in ensuring responsibilities are devolved away from Whitehall.
I also welcomed the Chancellor’s Summer Budget earlier this month, which included increasing the tax-free Personal Allowance to £11,000 next year (from under £6,500 in 2010).
The Chancellor also announced changes to companies’ National Insurance bills, which equate to being able to hire four full-time members of staff on the new National Living Wage, and pay no National Insurance at all.
While MPs are not now currently sitting in Parliament until September, I’m still on hand to assist. If you have any issues or concerns you would like to raise, please either write to me at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, call my office on 01293 934554, or email me directly at: henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk