I was delighted with the number of entries I received for my Coronation Card Competition. I’m always really impressed by how creative local school children are. I look forward to announcing the winner shortly.

I really enjoyed my recent visit to DHL in Banbury. I met Managing Director for Life Sciences and Healthcare Dan Peacock and Vice President of Corporate Affairs James Stephens who gave me a tour of the centre.
 
It was fantastic to learn more about their operation as well as meet the workforce behind it all. It is great that so many local people are employed here. I was particularly pleased to give ‘Employee of the Year 2022’ Peter Herbert his award.

Earlier this month I visited Banbury-based family business TWE Haulage. Trevor Edden first started out in North Oxfordshire in the 1980s with a single flatbed van. TWE has gone from strength to strength since, now employing nearly 50 people and operating a fleet of vehicles from small vans to HGVs which offer nationwide haulage and logistics.
 
I really enjoyed sitting down with Trevor, his son and Managing Director Ross and Tom Cornwell from the RHA. It was good to hear more about TWE’s story and discuss some of the current challenges facing the logistics industry. It is great to see a true family business doing so well in Banbury.

I spoke to pupils from St Edburg's CoE School in Bicester in Westminster Hall following their tour of Parliament last week. I was really impressed by the range of questions that I was asked!

Groups of school children are able to enjoy visits to Parliament by booking through the Education Centre. I'm always happy to meet groups following their tour. For more information visit here.

 
It was great to meet the new Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council, Martin Reeves, in Parliament earlier this week. I look forward to working with him on local issues.

This month I called into The Nightingale Bicester on the latest stop on my Pub Tour.
 
It was brilliant to speak to local residents on a broad range of issues. We discussed everything from local SEN provision and bus services, to potholes and work on a solution for the London Road level crossing.

Last week, I welcomed representatives from Banbury’s DCS Group and Bicester Bidfood to the Federation of Wholesale Distributors’ Parliamentary Reception. The Wholesale Stars awards rightly recognise the many heroes of this important sector.

With less than a week to go until the local elections, remember, you will need photo ID if you are planning to vote at a polling station. You can find out what IDs are accepted here.

Recent global events continue to leave families facing increasing costs. Inflationary pressures are affecting everybody, but hitting low-income families particularly hard.

That is why I welcome that this week more than 10,000 households on means-tested benefits locally will receive the first of three Cost of Living Payments totalling £900 – with some families receiving £1,350 of support.

These will be accompanied by a £150 payment for people on disability benefits, and a £300 payment on top of Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners at the end of 2023.

It is important that we continue to ensure that government support reaches those who need it most.

I’m pleased that there are now a record number of police officers out on the beat in the UK. We have fulfilled our manifesto commitment of recruiting 20,000 new police officers countrywide which means safer streets and safer communities.

The £2 billion for schools announced at the Autumn Statement will increase schools spending to the highest real terms levels in history. I’m really pleased that £3.2 million of this extra investment will be coming to schools in Banbury, helping them to provide a world class education and deliver opportunity for all.

Read more on this announcement here.