Summer Round-Up
I hope you had a great summer and have returned well-rested.
This week in Parliament there has been a fresh Shadow Cabinet reshuffle. I was delighted to have been re-appointed to the Shadow Health Team to continue my work.
A Labour-run government will build an NHS fit for the future & I look forward to continuing to work with Wes Streeting and the rest of the Shadow Health Team to deliver this.
Here's what I have been up to.
RAAC in Schools
As the school term was due to start, the Government suddenly announced the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in schools.
I have serious concerns over this. The safety of children, young people and staff is of paramount importance to me.
I have found several issues with the Government’s handling of the crisis.
Firstly, a lack of communication with schools and local representatives. The government has been aware of this issue for years, yet they only choose to communicate the issue at the very last moment. This has made the crisis more stressful for parents, for children, for teachers and for headteachers. Some schools have had to delay the re-opening for the start of the term because of concerns about crumbling concrete.
Secondly, the government only revealed the full list yesterday and still hasn’t published the suspected schools list.
I also have serious concerns about whether other public buildings, like prisons, hospitals, leisure centres, libraries and council offices have RAAC concrete in them. The government needs to come clean about the extent of this crisis throughout the country, so mitigation plans can be put into place as soon as possible.
This entire situation exemplifies a concerning pattern of reducing services to the bare minimum.
I have spoken to schools in Enfield North and offered my help to whatever is needed.
I have written to the Secretary of State and demanded answers on this issue, as soon as possible. I will update residents when I know more.
Rail ticket office closures
I am fighting to stop our ticket office closures at Enfield Lock, Gordon Hill and Brimsdown. I’ve written an article in the Enfield Dispatch and ran a petition on my website for residents to air their frustrations, which has now closed.
This whole process has been a mess from start to finish. First, they tried to railroad the plan through with a 21-day consultation (with no consideration for passengers), and then the train company’s own equality impact assessments showed the detrimental impact of these closures.
Key concerns that passengers have raised with me have not been considered by the Government. Basic questions remain on the impact these closures will have on vulnerable passengers.
Also, has the Government considered the risk to passenger safety and security on platforms given the reduction in ticket offices? I wrote to the Rail Minister Huw Merriman MP, twice, on behalf of residents to find answers.
Government mismanagement of our rail network is already failing passengers in my constituency and is in desperate need of reform. But the people of this country have lost confidence in the Government to deliver a rail network that works for passengers.
I will keep you all updated on the progress of this campaign. I want the Government to come clean on the damage these closures will do.
Group Strep B win
July was Group B Strep (GBS) (Awareness Month).
GBS is a common bacterium carried by up to 25% of healthy adults. However, in newborns, GBS can cause serious illnesses, including sepsis, meningitis, and pneumonia.
The UK’s GBS rate is nearly double that of other high-income countries.
Following this, I wrote to the North Central London Integrated Care Board and asked what actions they are taking to address this.
I am pleased to announce that in response to our letter on Group B Strep, the ICB will be incorporating GBS as a topic of discussion in the forthcoming Local Maternity and Neonatal System board meeting. They will also be updating the maternity section of their website to provide links and information on GBS in pregnancy.
In addition, they will use the existing Enfield inequalities delivery group and Voluntary and Community Stakeholder Reference Group to raise awareness and develop a great understanding of the issues around GBS.
ULEZ
In welcome news for many Enfield residents and businesses, my calls to the Mayor of London to extended support for the scrappage of Londoners’ most polluting vehicles was heard.
This is a huge step forward towards easing the impact of ULEZ on people’s pockets while promising clean air for all.
I am delighted that this extension has now been announced.
Keeping Enfield North Safe
It is so important that residents of Enfield North are safe on our streets. However, crime is on the rise in Enfield. In January 2023 gun crime offences - lethal barrel discharge were up 62.5% on the previous year, drug offences were up 34.9% and robbery of a business property was up 28.2%. And we are blighted by car meet-ups and connected anti-social behaviour.
Yet there is a chronic shortage of neighbourhood policing in Enfield. Two wards in Enfield North do not have a PCSO currently. Some local teams are based more than 15/20 minutes’ drive away. This is meant to be within a 20-minute walk.
I have been writing to the Deputy Mayor for policing, the Borough Commander, and the commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and asking for more neighbourhood police to be stationed in Enfield North.
When I met with the news Neighbourhood policing superintendent, I was pleased to get brilliant news.
After years of fighting for more neighbourhood policing, we are finally getting the officers we need across Enfield North wards, and I can't wait to meet them all.
If you have any concerns about crime in your area, PLEASE fill in my crime survey, it is on my website and it allows us to work together to create a safer and more secure future for Enfield North.
You can find it here.
GCSE / A Level Results
Congratulations to everyone who received their GCSE and A-Level results in August in Enfield North.
I hope your hard work and dedication over the last year has paid off, and I wish you the very best in whatever you decide to do next.
Bank closures & meeting with LINK
It was great to meet with LINK this week to speak about my application for a banking hub in Enfield North.
Our banking services have been decimated locally by the closure of Santander, Barclays and now Virgin Money.
Access to cash and banking services is essential for the most vulnerable in our community.
That is why I have been campaigning for the last 18 months to improve services in our area.
I am looking forward to LINK’s visit to Hertford Road to discuss the campaign further.
75 years of the NHS
The National Health Service celebrated its 75th Birthday in July this year, marking an extraordinary milestone in the history of British healthcare.
This incredible institution has proven to be nothing short of amazing to me and my family. I have had both of my children delivered safely, thanks to the amazing staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.
The NHS saved my father’s life last year when he had a stroke, it gave my mother a new hip just twelve months prior. There is no way my family could afford the cost of healthcare if it was not free at the point of use.
These personal encounters merely scratch the surface of what this amazing institution has been through over the last 75 years.
The next Labour Government stands ready to foster the foundations for the next 75 years of healthcare.
75 years of the NHS
The National Health Service celebrated its 75th Birthday in July this year, marking an extraordinary milestone in the history of British healthcare.
This incredible institution has proven to be nothing short of amazing to me and my family. I have had both of my children delivered safely, thanks to the amazing staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.
The NHS saved my father’s life last year when he had a stroke, it gave my mother a new hip just twelve months prior. There is no way my family could afford the cost of healthcare if it was not free at the point of use.
These personal encounters merely scratch the surface of what this amazing institution has been through over the last 75 years.
The next Labour Government stands ready to foster the foundations for the next 75 years of healthcare.
Lionesses
During the FIFA Women’s World Cup, I think I speak for all of us when I say they were a massive inspiration to so many people around the country.
This was our best-ever finish at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, and I can’t wait to watch the Lionesses again throughout the Euros.
Community Centre Visit to Enact
It was great to visit Enact Community Centre in August on a lovely sunny day and see the amazing work they do with young people.
From building bug hotels to harvesting food at their allotment, they have all kinds of fun activities available for families.
I look forward to visiting again soon.
Section 21 Evictions
It is frustrating to see even more delays with the Government’s Renters Reform Bill, which it set to abolish Section 21 evictions once and for all.
I have been raising the issues with this disastrous policy with the government since I was elected to parliament. I’ve demanded the Prime Minister abolish this unfair, inhumane procedure in parliament. I’ve also personally written to ministers and demanded action.
Yet, here we are, four years later, with another broken promise from the government, and families in Enfield are made to pay the price.
In government, Labour will abolish ‘no fault’ evictions as part of our renters’ charter, making renting fairer, more secure and affordable. We will build more homes, including social homes, and support families on to the housing ladder with a comprehensive mortgage insurance scheme.
Enfield’s youngest author
Enfield could soon be home to the 'world’s youngest author'.
Esse Loewenthal, who just turned four, began authoring stories when he was three and a half, and published his first book "baby fox" before he turned four which was in April.
He also decided to make his own publishing house, which he named British Isles Publishing and selected and painted the logo himself. He has dozens of further stories to publish, including quite a few in the baby fox series, such as Baby Fox in Space, Baby Fox and the King in the Forest and Baby Fox and the DNA.
You can find Esse's website at www.britishislespublishing.com
Weekly advice surgery
I continue to hold weekly advice surgeries on Fridays in my office.
If you have any issues, you can contact my office at feryal.clark.mp@parliament.uk or 020 8804 4543.