May 2025 Update
I am pleased to bring you my May 2025 Update. As ever, if you would like to sign up to my mailing list, you can do so on this page or by emailing [email protected].
Dear constituent,
They say that a week is a long time in politics, never mind a month. In May, we saw the Government navigate a clumsy U-turn on its decision to cut winter fuel payments for thousands of pensioners.
Since July, many constituents have written to me and attended surgeries to discuss their concerns. I advocated on behalf of these residents, alongside Conservative colleagues, but instead of listening, the Government decided to press ahead.
While I welcome this change in direction, it has left more questions than answers. For one, why the Prime Minister, who doubled-down on this decision ahead of winter, has decided that now is the time for a rethink. After having suffered electoral defeat at the start of May, I'm afraid this announcement has been borne out of fear rather than genuine concern. Moreover, pensioners have also been left with uncertainty over what the change means for them and whether they will once again be impacted this winter.
Of course, I will continue to support the Leader of the Opposition in holding the Labour Government to account and to ensure that the elderly in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner get the certainty and support they need.
Elsewhere in Westminster, the Assisted Dying Bill returned to Parliament and my work on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill committee continued.
Locally, I know that residents will be anxious to hear further developments on the future of the Urgent Care Service at Mount Vernon Hospital following my conversation with Lesley Watts this month. I have reaffirmed the need to ensure transparency and engagement with staff and the local community throughout the review process. Further information can be found below.
If you would like to keep up to date in between newsletters, I would encourage you to visit my website or Facebook page.
In the Constituency
Surgeries
I continued to hold my regular surgeries this month. Thank you to Bucket List Coffee in Eastcote, Vito's Café in Ruislip and Caffe Pascucci in Hatch End for hosting me and to the residents for taking the time to meet with me.
If you would like to make an appointment to meet with me at a surgery, or are a business who would be interested in hosting, please get in touch via 0203 545 2462 or [email protected]
Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner Service at Mount Vernon: Update
I share local apprehension about the future of the Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner Service at Mount Vernon Hospital, and I want to ensure residents are kept abreast of the updates I receive.
This month, I had another call with Lesley Watts (Chief Executive) and Alan McGlennan (Managing Director) from the Hillingdon Hospitals Trust. We discussed the review of services across the trust that is currently underway, and I was very clear that engagement with staff and the local community should be an integral part of this process.
It is therefore concerning that there appears to be a lack of clarity and consistency between the information my office has received and what staff are being told. This is something I raised in the call, and I am encouraged that Lesley and Alan both recognise the need for transparency and greater engagement with residents, community groups and residents’ associations.
I understand that the objective of the current review is to improve the quality of services across the trust. While I am supportive of this ambition, particularly for Hillingdon Hospital's A&E Department, this should not be at the expense of access to those vital services that are valued across Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner. I will therefore continue the campaign to save the Urgent Care Service and ensure that residents' voices are heard. For updates on the campaign and a link to my petition, please visit the Save Mount Vernon’s Urgent Care Unit page on my website.
Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital
It was a pleasure to attend the ground breaking ceremony at the Northwood and Pinner Cottage Hospital site this month.
Following many years of campaigning - dating back to the tenures of both my predecessors - significant developments are now underway for the building of the new health centre, and I am delighted this milestone has at last been reached.
Given how long it has taken to reach an agreement for the use of the site, which I am pleased has the approval of Hillingdon Council and the community, I know that residents will welcome the considerable progress towards delivering this much-needed healthcare hub
I am grateful for the invitation, and I look forward to following developments closely.
Harefield Practice Coffee Morning
I was pleased to attend the Harefield Practice's coffee morning, where the team were working closely with the local community and services to raise money for Dementia UK.
I have visited the practice on a number of occasions since my election as MP, and know how brilliantly it serves the residents of Harefield. As an area of the constituency with wide-ranging and complex health needs, the team have been keen to expand these services to further meet these needs. I have supported the practice in this ongoing matter, and will continue to do so.
It was a useful opportunity to catch up with the team on this issue and others, as well as speak to members of the community. The morning was dedicated to a really worthwhile cause, and I hope the money raised will be helpful in supporting those living with dementia and their families.
Hatch End Tennis Club
It was a pleasure to switch on the new floodlights at the Hatch End Lawn Tennis Club.
The installation of these floodlights has been much-anticipated and now that work is complete, members will be able to play longer into the evening. I was also joined by Cllr Matthew Goodwin-Freeman, who I know has been supporting the club to facilitate these plans.
This exciting news comes within the club's 100th year and after winning Middlesex 'Club of the Year 2025', as well as being recognised by the LTA with an 'LTA Excellence Award 2025' in March. Testament to this is the hard work of the club's volunteers and popularity amongst members.
I am grateful for the invitation, and I hope the new lights bring many hours of joy playing tennis.
VE Day 80th Anniversary
Thursday 8 May marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, when the Allies of World War II accepted Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender in 1945.
It was an honour to join the Royal British Legion, local councillors and residents to commemorate this important and historic day at the Ruislip War Memorial.
On this occasion, not only is it important to celebrate victory and peace, but to also reflect upon the lives lost in the cause of that peace.
Let us remember the generations of those who have served and sacrificed for our country and the service of all those who have come since.
Condition Improvement Fund and Estates Safety Fund 2025-26
I welcome that pupils and patients across Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner will benefit from capital funding for urgent condition and maintenance works at schools and hospitals.
Of the £750 million allocated to the Estates Safety Fund for NHS sites, Mount Vernon Hospital will receive £8 million for improvements to energy, electrical and ventilation systems, as well as roof and fire safety works. Harefield Hospital will benefit from a portion of the £27.5 million to be provided to the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust to fund improvements to internal systems and external building works.
Hatch End High School is one of the 656 academies to receive a share of the £470 million Condition Improvement Fund 2025-26. This will fund urgent fire alarm and emergency light replacement.
I warmly welcome this funding, and I hope that it brings tangible benefits to patients, staff and pupils across the constituency.
In Parliament
The month of May was especially busy in Parliament. From raising the concerns of my constituents on the floor of the house to providing line-by-line scrutiny of the Government’s harmful Planning and Infrastructure Bill, it has been an important month.
Raising the concerns of constituents
Assisting with constituents in need of urgent support is 'the bread and butter' of being a Member of Parliament. My office is contacted daily by those seeking help with their personal circumstances or those who wish to raise their concerns about a policy issue.
When it is needed, I write to Government departments on behalf of my constituents to raise their concerns with officials and ministers. I am sincerely grateful to civil servants and others who work hard to provide help and useful responses to my constituents. Sadly, however, this is not always the case.
I have noticed over recent months that departments are failing to reach the target deadlines for responding to correspondence. In most cases a delay of a week is unwelcome but not damaging, however there are cases that require speedy actions to solve the issue.
One such case was raised by a constituent in July 2024 and despite repeated attempts to reach an outcome, I found the Department responsible to be unacceptably slow. This delay left the elderly constituent without an income. On the floor of the House, I pushed Ministers on this issue through a Point of Order. While Ministers were present, I regret to say that at the time of writing, no further steps have been taken by the Department to resolve this matter. My office, of course, will persist.
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
Many residents will be aware that Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. This is an extremely emotive debate, and I am deeply sympathetic to the concerns of constituents who are divided on this issue.
I have consistently voted against this Bill as it has progressed through Parliament. I have outlined my views on this issue before and it remains the case that I do not believe that the safeguards needed are in place and that this would risk the legislation’s misuse or lead to unintended consequences.
This month, the legislation came back to the whole House having completed its committee stage. Here it was subject to a great number of amendments along with detailed line-by-line scrutiny. Over 29 sittings and 90 hours of debate, 29 groups of amendments were brought forward. Despite this, I do not believe the Bill has been fundamentally improved and it still lacks the necessary safeguards desperately needed.
I was deeply disappointed that due to the Government’s lack of interest, the Bill did not receive enough time to debate this legislation properly. As a result of this disinterest, it was necessary to delay this process with a second day of debate needed at this stage next month before the Bill can progress to the third reading.
'Stop Teacher Redundancies' Campaign
This month, I joined Conservative colleagues in Westminster to raise concerns on behalf of schools hit by Labour’s Jobs Tax.
In response to the Government’s policy to impose VAT on independent school fees, I voiced my concern about the impact that thousands of students being pushed out of private education would have on the state sector, the consequences of which has been felt locally.
Now, the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions has created further challenges for schools. The Government committed to funding these rises, but in the same way that ministers made assurances that the money raised from the tax on school fees would support state education, it is yet another promise that has been broken.
Many local schools are now having to consult on making teachers and other teaching staff redundant, as a direct result of the Government failing to honour its commitment. I will continue to campaign alongside colleagues to make it clear to the Labour Government that it is not too late to change direction.
Shadow Ministerial Update
Business relating to my Shadow Ministerial portfolio has continued in Westminster this month, and I am pleased to share some of that work below.
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Those that read my update last month will be aware that I was due to sit on the important Planning and Infrastructure Bill Committee as an Opposition Whip. While this meant that my interventions were limited, it allowed me the opportunity to vote against the Government’s plans to bulldoze our greenbelt and pave their way over the concerns of locally-elected councillors.
This is a vital piece of legislation that the committee spent hours pouring through in detailed line-by-line scrutiny. The goal of ensuring more homes are built is certainly admirable, however, I was disappointed by the way in which the Government dismissed the concerns raised by MPs.
During the course of the public bill committee, we debated everything from protection for badgers through to the housing crisis we are seeing in our capital. What came out from our discussions was sadly not enough to ensure this piece of legislation is fit to deliver and leaves space for further debate when the Bill returns to Parliament.
Housebuilders Roundtable
As part of my work as a Shadow Minister, I have been deeply involved in our policy commission work as part of the Conservative’s renewal programme. At the heart of this commission is those relating to the housing challenges we face in the UK.
If we are to solve the housing pressures, it is important that we take this issue head on and engage with those who will deliver the homes we need. Having previously met with housing associations, this month we met with housebuilders.
We discussed a series of issues that are stopping them from building homes across the country. This ranged from planning delays and Section 106 reform to reviving smaller developers and ensuring that young people are getting the skills required to enter the construction industry.
It was a useful discussion, and I look forward to more in the future.
As ever, my office is open and the team are on hand to help. If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Kind regards,
David
