THE EYES of the world were on London last month, as we joined together to celebrate the historic coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. I was extremely privileged to attend Westminster Abbey on behalf of my Mid Worcestershire constituents to witness the mix of tradition, modernity, beauty and splendour. Yet again, we have shown that no other country on earth can rival the UK for our pageantry.
As the year continues to gather pace, the Government remains focused on delivering on the people’s priorities. For instance, under new plans to help cut waiting lists we are expanding the way the NHS App is used in order to improve how patients choose to receive their care. Under these new plans, after speaking with their GP patients will be able to view information for up to five healthcare providers – filtered by distance, waiting times and quality of care. From October, those who have waited more than 40 weeks and not had a date confirmed for their appointment will be asked whether they want to switch hospitals to be seen more quickly, if clinically appropriate.
More locally, I was also delighted to hear that six schools from across my constituency have been successful in the Condition Improvement Fund for 2023-24. It is vital that our schools have high-quality facilities to allow both teachers and student alike to reach their full potential, and I look forward to visiting these schools to see the refurbishments in the near future.
My duties as Minister for International Trade also continue to keep me busy, and I am pleased to confirm that the Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand have entered into force. Businesses from right across the UK will now be able to benefit from the removal tariffs on 100% of UK goods exports. There are robust protections for British farmers in both deals, including staging tariff liberalisation for sensitive goods over time, and the NHS, the price it pays for medicines, and its services have remained off the table throughout negotiations.
With the summer months now upon us, I hope constituents will join me in taking part in upcoming events. From the Broadway Arts Festival to the Drotiwich Food Festival, the Evesham Festival of Words and the Wick Confetti fields, there is a wide variety of events to enjoy in the coming weeks.
Evesham’s MP Nigel Huddleston writes for the Observer…
