A Cleaner River Cherwell | SEND Support | Christmas Card Competition | Banbury Job Centre | Banbury Business Breakfast Club | Thames Valley Police
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Welcome to my October Newsletter!
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It is an enormous privilege to have been appointed as Attorney General for England and Wales – a role that has existed since at least the year 1243.
Before I was first elected to Parliament in 2015, I worked in the Government Legal Department for seventeen years. I provided advice on military, prisons and national security matters and represented the government in court. I am delighted to be returning to the law in my new role. It is a real honour to be able to work with the many excellent professionals across the Law Officers’ Departments once again.
The country is facing some very real challenges. I am confident that the new Prime Minister is the right person to address them. He is a decent, capable and serious man. I remain committed to my constituents in North Oxfordshire, who I represent first and foremost, and look forward to serving alongside colleagues in Cabinet.
I hope you enjoy reading about what I have been up to in the constituency recently.
Victoria
Christmas Card Competition
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I was delighted to welcome Isabelle, last year’s winner of my Christmas card competition, and her family to Westminster on Monday.
This year’s competition is still open for all primary school-aged children – if you are looking for half term activities this weekend, why not think about entering?
This year’s theme is ‘Angels’ and the winning design will be printed on the front of my Christmas card. Entries should be sent to my constituency office at Orchard House, Hopcraft Lane, Deddington, OX15 0TD by the end of next week. The winner and their family will also get to have tea with me at Westminster next year.
A Cleaner River Cherwell
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I know my constituents share my concerns about the discharge of sewage into rivers, including our own local River Cherwell. Earlier this month, I wrote to the Chief Executive of Thames Water, Sarah Bentley, to find out about what is being done to safeguard our River Cherwell and limit sewage discharge into it.
I have asked for a meeting to discuss the issue in more detail and understand what work Thames Water is doing to deliver on the new duties placed on water companies.
Banbury Job Centre
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I visited the Banbury Job Centre on Southam Road to hear about the support they are giving to help people into work. I met some of the work coaches who do some really important work guiding and advising those looking for a job.
Banbury Business Breakfast Club
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I was pleased to attend a meeting of the Banbury Business Breakfast Club this month. Over 30 local business individuals were present from across the town. It was good to discuss a range of topics with them including the economy and support for businesses this winter.
SEND Support
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Last month, I held a meeting with Oxfordshire County Council to discuss our local SEND service following an increase in casework over recent months. I was able to raise some of my constituents’ concerns about communication, the allocation of funding, staffing and the process for applications directly with Council representatives.
I was reassured to hear that significant funding has been allocated to the service recently by the Council, and that senior leadership are working to address current shortcomings in the service. It is vital that we see improvements made in Oxfordshire. I will be monitoring progress very closely.
You can read more on this here ([link removed]) .
Glory Farm Primary School
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It was good to catch-up with Headteacher Jane MacLachlan and the senior leadership team at Glory Farm in Bicester. My tour of the school included visiting every year group. A particular highlight was hearing the Year 5 pupils practising their Fields of Poppies song for Remembrance Sunday.
It is great to see the building work well underway for their brand-new classrooms. I look forward to visiting again once they’re finished!
Smiths Bletchington's Dewars Farm Quarry
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It was fascinating to visit the limestone quarry in Ardley and see restored areas returning to agricultural use.
The company employs over 100 people across 5 sites, producing a combined total of up to 2 million tonnes of aggregate a year. With such a professional operation, it is no surprise that the quarry was named BAA Quarry of the Year 2022.
Thames Valley Police
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It was good to meet Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, and Chief Superintendent for Oxfordshire, Katy Barrow-Grint, at Parliament this month. It was useful to discuss operational matters concerning North Oxfordshire. We agreed on the need for strong local policing and improving the criminal justice system.
I was also glad to catch up with Superintendent Emma Garside, Commander of the Cherwell and West Oxon Local Police Area at Bicester Police Station. Emma told me that tackling drugs lines, reducing violence and addressing anti-social behaviour remain her top priorities, as these are the most frequent reported areas of crime locally. I was pleased to hear that real progress has been made across all of these issues in Banbury and Bicester recently.
Thames Valley Police also launched a dedicated Rural Crime Taskforce earlier this year which is welcome news for constituents across North Oxfordshire. Officers have taken a proactive approach in tackling persistent issues such as theft and hare coursing. I am grateful to Emma for meeting me and will continue our regular conversations to ensure that constituents’ concerns on local policing matters are always heard.
St John's Catholic Primary School
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I was pleased to speak to a whole school assembly at St John's in Banbury. I love visiting schools and hearing from local children. I am always so struck by how engaged they are!
The pupils were particularly interested in how laws are made so I was able to spend time explaining how Parliament works. They enjoyed having a go at voting on whether children should be allowed unlimited access to tablets and mobile devices, which prompted much debate. They even had a Speaker and tellers to count all the votes like in the House of Commons.
Canal & River Trust
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It was great to visit the Canal & River Trust exhibition stand in Parliament earlier this month, which showcased the importance of the nation’s inland waterways to society. We are very fortunate to benefit from our canal network in North Oxfordshire which runs through the heart of Banbury.
UK Parliament Week 2022
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This year’s UK Parliament Week will run from 14 – 20 November with young people across the country participating in activities designed to support learning about Parliament.
In the past few years, North Oxfordshire has topped the board for most engaged constituency in the country which is a real achievement. More schools, groups and young people sign up to take part in the activities locally than from anywhere else. I am really pleased to see that so many have already signed up to activities this year and have claimed their free kit.
Find out more information and sign up here ([link removed]) .
For more information about anything you have read in this newsletter or to find out more about my work, please visit: www.victoriaprentis.com ([link removed])
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