AS ever it’s been a busy time, both in parliament and in the constituency.
It’s good news for Scotland as the Spending Review has provided an extra investment of £9.1 billion for Scottish public services.
Overall, the settlement for the Scottish Government is the largest in real terms since devolution began. That’s more money than ever before which must be invested in our NHS, police, housing and schools.
In parliament, I recently spoke in a debate on NHS dentistry. In Scotland, children and adults from the most deprived areas were less likely to have seen their dentist within the last two years.
As a former manager in the NHS, I know how dentists can lose the chance to pick up on early signs of decay and cancers, which can lead to worse outcomes for the patients. It’s vital that NHS dental services are available to all.
I also had opportunities to speak about some great local groups in our community.
I spoke about how the North Ayrshire Table Tennis Club holds classes for those with Parkinson’s, and that one of our constituents played at the World Masters in Rome.
I also highlighted the important role of carers and how, in my previous NHS work, I met with carers who told me how crucial it was for carers to get a break, whether that be a day out or a trip away, as well as opportunities for peer support.
The UK E-Petitions system provides people with an opportunity to get issues debated in Parliament. Once a petition reaches 100,000 signatures, it will be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate.
As a member of the Petitions Committee, I have presented petitions in debates. For example, I will be the MP opening and closing a debate on cages and crates for farmed animals, which was a petition started and created by Dame Joanna Lumley.
I also hosted an event by UK Future Lidos, to promote the important contribution that lidos make to public health and cultural heritage.
In Saltcoats, the SPLASH group continues to work to refurbish and reopen the outdoor tidal pool, and hopefully we will have news sometime soon.
I have attended many events in Westminster, on a range of topics like smartphone safety for children and teenagers, skin cancer awareness, Carers Week, National Epilepsy Week, and the future of kidney health and dialysis.
In the constituency, my office continues to be busy with staff dealing with many enquiries and providing assistance to local people on a range of matters.
I also continue to host surgeries, as well as phoning and meeting with constituents one-to-one. Surgeries are great opportunities for people to book an appointment to speak with me and talk about any issues they may have.
As ever, I encourage constituents to get in touch with my office and my team and I can try to help.
I visited St Peter’s Primary School, which was a great opportunity to meet with some of the pupils and tell them a bit more about what I do in Westminster. The pupils had lots of excellent questions and it was great to visit the school.
Recently in parliament, I met with Modern Studies pupils from St Matthew’s Academy. It was great to see them in parliament and hear about their interesting tour of the buildings.
My office contact details are Irene Campbell MP, 16 Green Street, Saltcoats, KA21 5HQ, phone number 01294 493839, email: irene.campbell.mp@parliament.uk
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