Welcome to my March newsletter!

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Victoria Prentis MP
March Roundup

Welcome to my March newsletter!

March seems to have flown by. As ever, this month has been busy with work both down at Westminster and in the constituency. Virtual meetings remain the norm although I hope to get back out and about more as restrictions are relaxed further in the weeks to come. A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to be reached via the online booking system and received my first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. It was a very efficient and fair system, with an extraordinary group of volunteers.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

Victoria
Constituency Corner

Visit to Grimsbury Vaccination Centre

A couple of weeks ago I visited Grimsbury Community Centre to hear about how the vaccine rollout is going in Banbury. It was great to see such a well organised and efficient set up, with over 125 patients an hour being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine over the course of the day.

My visit to Grimsbury highlighted how the rollout of the vaccine really is the light at the end of the tunnel after a difficult year. It was brilliant to see that, in the space of two months since my visit to Bicester Heritage’s vaccination site in January, rollout can now focus on younger age groups. I was really pleased to hear from Practice Manager Diane Stringer that uptake stands at around 95 per cent for the over 70s.

It is all thanks to the hard work of our GP surgeries as well as the incredible volunteers, including retired GPs and nurses, that we have been able to get the first dose to people in the priority groups so quickly. If you are aged 50 or older, you are now able to receive your first dose.

Watch Health Secretary, Matt Hancock MP, thank all those involved with the rollout in North Oxfordshire here ([link removed]) .

Local Visits

On Friday 26 March, I was invited by Lloyd's Banking Group to a virtual branch visit (above). This was a great opportunity to learn more about the bank's work to support local residents and businesses over the past year.

I was pleased to meet the local Senior Bank Manager and Area Director for Personal Banking, as well as the Area Director for Small and Medium Enterprises. The Group has over 50,000 customers in the constituency and it was really interesting to hear about how they have adapted their working practices as a result of the pandemic. The bank has also worked with a number of its 3,000 local businesses to access schemes such as the Bounce Back Loan and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.

You can read more about this virtual branch visit here ([link removed]) .

I am sure many of you will have welcomed the news that Deliveroo is set to arrive in Bicester soon. Earlier this month, I met representatives of the food delivery company to hear more about their plans for establishing their services in the town.

I also caught up with Cedar Therapy who have a salon in Deddington. It was good to hear more about their preparations for reopening under Stage Two of the roadmap out of lockdown.

Banbury Road Roundabout Consultation

Oxfordshire County Council is holding a public consultation on proposals to improve the A4095/ B4100 Banbury Road Roundabout, north of Bicester town centre.

The Council is consulting on three possible design options for the junction. These are:
* A higher-capacity roundabout
* A signalised four-way junction
* A CYCLOPS junction

To find out more about these proposals and have your say, visit: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/banburyroadroundabout. The consultation closes on Friday 9 April.

East West Rail Consultation

Yesterday, East West Rail launched a public consultation on their plans for the Oxford-Cambridge line. Passenger and train numbers using both Bicester Village Station and the London Road Crossing are expected to increase significantly as a result of this project.

East West Rail have published their plans to expand the station and redesign the crossing, with 6 different concepts put forward for the latter. You can read more about the proposals and share your views by visiting: www.eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation. The consultation closes on 9 June.

Virtual Surgery

I continue to hold regular virtual surgeries. This month I had a number of calls with constituents, discussing everything from personal problems and business concerns to Government policy.

My next virtual surgery will be on 23 April between 10:00 and 11:00. Please get in touch with my office by emailing victoria.prentis.mp@parliament. (mailto:[email protected]) uk (mailto:[email protected]) if you would like to make an appointment.
National News

Census 2021

On 21 March 2021, we got to take part in a once-in-a-decade event: the Census. Dating back to 1801, the Census gives the most detailed information we have about our society. It collects information on people’s education, religion, ethnicity, working life and health. This helps to inform a range of local decisions including planning, school places and health services that would otherwise be more difficult to access. It also provides vital information for future decisions made by Parliament. Hopefully everyone remembered to complete theirs, but if you haven't you can find out more here ([link removed]) .

Farming, Fish and Food

Debates and Committees

This month I was very pleased to oversee the third reading of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill. This will increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences and completes Finn's Law Part 2. I have also travelled down to Parliament for Oral Questions, Statutory Instrument Debates and a Westminster Hall Debate. We continue to work from home where possible and I attended a virtual session of the International Trade Committee last week.
March Mail
For more information about anything you have read in this newsletter or to find out more about my work, please visit: www.victoriaprentis.com

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