NHS England moves to protect services at East Tilbury and Corringham Medical Centres

I welcome the news that NHS England has paused its process to close the medical centres at East Tilbury and Corringham and will instead review the decision.

NHS England had previously informed patients as to its decision to close the practices in East Tilbury and Corringham from 30 November, however it has now decided to pause and review the process and has apologised to patients for any distressed caused.

NHS England has secured an agreement with GP provider College Health Ltd so there will be no disruption to patients and their access to these primary care services.

I intervened last week and requested that further time be given to review the decision after listening to the concerns of many patients who rely upon these importance services.

I am glad that NHS England has listened and has also committed to further discussions with patients. I now look forward to a better solution being proposed for all involved parties.

Asking about the political situation in Iraq

I asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Iraqi and other international counterparts on the political situation in Iraq.

In particular I highlighted the important role of the Kurdistan regional government and how it has been short-changed by the national Government in Baghdad. My argument was that Iraqi federalism needs to be genuine, with reliable revenue sharing.

I was pleased to hear that the UK Government recognises the work of the Kurdish peshmerga in fighting Daesh and also that the Government sees how crucial it is for Iraq to be properly united.

You can watch our exchange below via Parliamentlive.tv:

Asking for an update on the Pension Protection Fund cap

I asked the Pensions Minister from the Department for Work and Pensions what the Government is doing to protect the pensions of long-serving employees.

Specifically, I asked for an update on when the Government plans to raise the Pension Protection Fund cap after the policy was announced in the Pensions Act 2014.

I was pleased to hear that the long service cap will come into force in April 2017 and look forward to seeing it benefit pensioners in South Basildon and East Thurrock and also the country as a whole.

You can watch our exchange via Parliamentlive.tv in the clip below:

Celebrating 12 years of Parkrun

I was recently pleased to visit Basildon Parkrun as part of the global Parkrun movement's 12th anniversary.

Speaking to Parkrunners in Basildon

During the last 12 years the Parkrun movement has grown from strength to strength and Basildon Parkrun is one of more than 900 Parkruns that take place every weekend around the world.

Every Parkrun is coordinated entirely by volunteers from the local community and open to anyone who wants to take part. They are free, weekly, timed events, consisting of a 5km course for adults and 2km for juniors, and they are accessible to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities.


Parkrun's mission is to encourage more people to take part in regular physical activity and volunteering, and to make the world a happier and healthier place.


Basildon Parkrun started nearly three years ago and is now attracting over 100 runners per week.


Its attraction is clear for all to see, which is why Basildon has registered runners starting from age four going up to 80 years young - encouraging all abilities, from walking to running.


It is a great way to get healthy and make new friends and it is also fantastic to see our public spaces used in such a positive way.


Everyone involved in making Basildon Parkrun happen deserves a big thank you, from the volunteers to the participants and of course the team at the Parkrun movement HQ who help to support our local groups.

Visit to record-breaking Woodlands School

With Woodlands School pupils

It was great to visit Woodlands School in Basildon and see first-hand how the school is developing.

I was pleased to find that Woodlands is going from strength-to-strength under the leadership of its Headteacher, Mr Simon Cox, and that it has seen a fantastic turn-around.

The school achieved record exam results in 2016, with 5 A*- C GCSE including English and Maths at 58%, representing a 10% increase on results from the year before.

The teachers and students that I met on my visit were all very impressive and I look forward to hearing more about the school's progress in the future.

A great community day for Basildon

It was great to go to the Love Your Borough event that took place in Basildon at the weekend. The event, organised by Basildon Council, celebrated the local community and brought together people from across our area, with activities that ranged from Brazilian capoeira to a spin bike challenge.


There was such a positive atmosphere throughout the day and it showed how much we have to be proud of in our local area.

In Basildon with Cllr Kevin Blake, Deputy Leader of Basildon Council
local resident Jeff Henry and Chairman of Basildon Rotary Club Danny Lovey

Catching up with Basildon Street Pastors at the Love Your Borough event

Later in the day I attended a civic reception for double Olympic champion Max Whitlock and the South Essex Gymnastics Club where he trains. It was fantastic to welcome Max back to Basildon after his amazing Olympic Games in Rio this summer.


We knew that we had an extraordinary gymnast in Max and it was brilliant to see him show that to a global audience through his historic double gymnastics gold for Team GB.


The whole team at South Essex Gymnastics Club deserve the highest praise, including Max's coach Scott Hann and the gym's leader Roy Short.

Max Whitlock speaking at the civic reception in Basildon

Visiting Basildon Hospital Radio's BHR1287 studio

I enjoyed my latest visit to Basildon Hospital Radio's BHR1287 studio for its Sunday request programme.

With volunteers and other guests at BHR1287

The radio station has a fantastic team of volunteers, who provide entertainment, news, and information to patients 24/7. This great community service is driven by the energy and commitment of those who help to run it, and I am always impressed by the level of enthusiasm I see on my visits to the station.

A big thank you to all the volunteers at BHR1287 for producing quality content for patients at the hospital.

In the BHR1287 studio for the request programme