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| My March Newsletter |
| An update for all of the constituents of Norwich North on my work recently as your voice in Parliament and in the constituency. |
| In the constituency… In the last few weeks, I have been busy in the constituency, working on issues important to you, including: Working to Save the NHS Walk-In Centre: I was incredibly disappointed to learn that, despite our successful campaign to save it in 2023, the local NHS Board has proposed closing the Rouen Rd Walk-In Centre. We’ll go again and show them how vital the Walk-In Centre is to patients in Norwich. You can sign the petition HERE. International Women’s Day: On IWD, I celebrated the amazing work that organisations like Dawn’s New Horizon do to support survivors of domestic abuse, and underlined this government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Supporting Young People: I visited the fantastic St. Eds charity in Norwich and met Joe from the team to learn a bit more about the brilliant work they do to support and train young people with learning opportunities outside traditional education. The Right to Play: I supported the Norwich Youth Advisory Board as they launched their Right to Play campaign to ensure that playgrounds and play spaces are accessible for children with additional needs and disabilities. English Tourism Week: I had the privilege of taking part in a Taste of Norwich Tour that celebrated our restaurants, cathedral, castle and unique stories. Norwich has such an amazing offer for tourists and visitors. Local Schools: I visited Open Academy and Drayton CofE Junior Schools this month. Answering questions and hearing from fantastic student leaders about their experiences at school. Local Government Reorganisation: I was pleased to welcome the Minister for Local Government, Jim McMahon, to Norwich and show him some of our amazing sights. I also got the chance to talk about devolution and the upcoming reorganisation of our councils and why Norwich needs to be a key part of that. You can read more about my thoughts on that HERE. |
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| Casework Breakdown |
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| In March, my office received 690 pieces of new casework and engaged in helping everyone who has been in touch – closing 778 cases from previous months. The highest portions of casework this month were social security and pensions, health services and the NHS, as well as agriculture and food. I know many constituents will have questions regarding the proposed reforms to the welfare system, and I will be raising concerns on your behalf. If you have specific questions please get in touch. |
| In Parliament… |
| I have been representing Norwich North in the House of Commons on a range of issues important to my constituents, including: Planning and Infrastructure Bill – I backed the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill which will deliver a building boom to tackle the housing crisis, reduce energy bills and improve our transport links. Anti-Social Behaviour – This month, I led a Westminster Hall Debate on the issue of anti-social behaviour in the East of England. Norwich is a great place to live, but some ASB makes life miserable for residents. I laid out the problems some of my constituents were having to the Minister and welcomed the measures set out by government to tackle ASB, like Respect Orders and more police powers to seize illegal e-bikes. You can watch that HERE. International Aid and Defence Spending – Although I welcomed the government’s uplift to defence spending, the decision to cut international aid is a painful one. I spoke in the chamber about why our aid matters and what we can do now to maximise its impact like cutting aid spent on UK-based refugee costs, protecting aid for women and girls, and acting to unlock other forms of financing from debt relief to remittances. You can watch that HERE. Gaza – I was horrified by the scenes in Gaza after the breakdown of the ceasefire and have been contacted by many constituents concerned by what is happening. I underlined in Parliament that international humanitarian law must be upheld and asked the Foreign Secretary what more the government can do to protect aid workers. You can watch that HERE. |
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| Upcoming Surgeries |
| I hold regular surgeries in order to provide specific assistance for constituents requiring support on a range of issues. If you’d like to book an appointment at one of my upcoming surgeries, please email alice.macdonald.mp@parliament.uk or call 01603 733182. |
My March Newsletter
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