Westminster Report

BY Southend West MP Anna Firth.

I WAS absolutely thrilled that my Pet Abduction Bill passed through its final stage in the Commons and I want to thank everyone who contacted me personally to say how much it means to them as pet owners.

If it makes it onto the statute books to become law, it will create the specific offence of dog and cat abduction and recognise that pets are sentient beings capable of experiencing distress and other emotional trauma if they are stolen from their owners or keepers.

Following a promise made to me during Transport Questions in the House of Commons, I was pleased to welcome Huw Merriman MP, Minister for Rail and HS2, to Chalkwell station

On March 21, I’d called out Network Rail in the House of Commons chamber for their repeated delays to beginning construction work on a new accessible lift and footbridge at Chalkwell Station.

It’s unacceptable that some of my constituents who are frail or disabled, cannot currently access the rail network due to the steep steps.

Responding to my question, Huw Merriman promised to visit with Network Rail to take me through the project and the challenges faced to see what can be done to speed up the delivery.

We were joined by local disability campaigner Jill Allen-King OBE, representatives from c2c and Network Rail, as well as Chalkwell Councillors Nigel Folkard and James Courtenay. This visit represented the first visit from a Transport Minister to a c2c train station since 2018.

Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins, joined me at Southend Hospital for a tour of the new Dowsett emergency care ward, and the soon-to-be-built Radiotherapy Unit.

The Minister was particularly impressed with the new Fracture Liaison Service – FLS – which will see those who have suffered an unexpected fracture find out why the fracture was caused, and intervene to prevent further fractures. Patients are assessed for osteoporosis and, where appropriate, are given lifestyle advice and started on bone protection.

On Saturday May 18, I will once again take part in a charity abseil challenge, this time to raise money for the Spotlight Radiotherapy Appeal at Southend Hospital.

Alongside the current Mayor Coun Stephen Habermel, I’m going to harness up and walk backwards over the edge of the 154ft tower block, which forms part of the hospital site. No mean feat when you’re absolutely terrified of heights!

I first tackled the abseil challenge in 2022, dressed in a Wonder Woman outfit, and I was delighted to raise over £2,100 through the generosity of 50 fabulous sponsors.

I absolutely loved the experience and can’t wait to do it again! Please do sponsor me if you can – here’s the link to my Just Giving page: justgiving.com/page/anna-firth-charity-abseil-2024

If you’d like to get involved you can contact Southend Hospital’s Department of Fundraising on 01702 385337 or email [email protected].

I was delighted to pay a visit to North Weald Airfield for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT), the helicopter of which is a familiar sight in the skies over Southend. I was very impressed, and I pledged to continue to support their incredibly important, life-saving work.

A vibrant and successful city like Southend needs efficient buses.

My recent Local Transport Summit invited all the major bus operators to meet with Southend City Councillors, the Southend Bus Forum and the Southend Bus User Group. I was delighted that Guy Opperman, Under Secretary of State for Transport, was able to join us.

I was reassured to hear that the £958,500 of Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) money that I helped the council secure, is being spent wisely to improve services for all bus users in Southend.

And finally, a clam update! The Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (KEIFCA) have approved plans to establish a trial fishery for our high-value Manila clans in the estuary. This is good news for our fishing industry and for Southend and Leigh in general.

This new clam fishery will be the first new fishery established in the Thames Estuary for centuries and offers huge potential to the local fishing community, helping to safeguard an industry that has existed in Southend and Leigh since the Doomsday book.

This has the potential to be game changing for our local fishing community. Ever since I found out about the potential for a new clam fishery in the estuary I have engaged extensively with Ministers and stakeholders.

I will continue to work closely with our local fishermen and with Kent and Essex IFCA to ensure we deliver a successful and sustainable clam fishery.

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