From the Office of Julie Marson MP – Bishop’s Stortford Flyer

From the Office of Julie Marson MP – Bishop’s Stortford Flyer

This month’s update from the Office of Julie Marson MP.

Bishops Stortford Restored Train Services

I am really pleased to announce that Greater Anglia has listened to commuters and restored train services along the Stortford-Sawbridgeworth line to pre-Christmas levels.

I wrote to the managing director to express my concerns that there were not enough trains following the ending of the work from home guidance. He responded by announcing the return to the pre-Christmas levels. I am very grateful to him for his co-operation in securing this and for acting so quickly. It has been difficult for train operators to accurately gauge demand during the pandemic. I know commuters from these stations are very pleased. They need to get into London quickly and easily as we continue our return back to normal following the brilliant booster rollout.

Julie Marson MP addresses Children’s Mental Health

Another serious Covid issue is children’s mental health. It has certainly deteriorated since the pandemic started as one in six children now have a diagnosable mental health issue. Children and young people have been hit hard by the virus in terms of their education, issues of loneliness and job prospects.

This is why I marked Children’s Mental Health Week earlier last month. I met up with the charity Place2Be in Parliament to support the amazing work they do across the country.

I also met with the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) to discuss the pandemic’s impact on children’s mental health, as well as its provision across our area. There are constituents’ concerns surrounding delays in obtaining CAMHS/psychiatrist appointments for young people. The HPFT meeting was productive and I look forward to progress in this area.

My work to support the Government’s up and coming SEND Review is progressing well. I want to see fairer funding for pupils with SEND following conversations I have had with local head teachers and schools. The latest news is I have written to ministers asking them to reassess how funding is allocated to and distributed across areas like Hertfordshire. I know parents with SEND children often face real hurdles around funding. I hope to see an improvement soon.

Julie Marson MP spoke on the British Sign Language Bill

In Parliament, I spoke on the British Sign Language Bill to legally recognise it as an official British language and bring it into the mainstream to help the more than 12 million people across the UK who are affected by some kind of hearing loss. I also supported the Taxis and Private Vehicles Bill through Committee Stage to improve travel for disabled constituents.

Tree Planting in Hertford and Stortford

Finally, the 30 cherry blossom trees I secured for Hertford and Stortford continue to be distributed across our local communities. Part of a special project to celebrate the friendship between Britain and Japan, it has also become a way to thank local people for their hard work during the pandemic. I had the pleasure of planting the first tree alongside local councillors at Grange Paddocks Leisure Centre in Bishop’s Stortford recently.

Everyone can stay up to date on local news like this by signing up to my monthly email newsletter, via the homepage of my website. For all other enquiries, please email me at julie.marson.mp@parliament.uk.