Week 16 - We have an office
I am happy to announce that I now have an office up and running in Newton Abbot. We have been able to move into a space next to Tucker Maltings and will now start doing surgeries by appointment in person, as well as the virtual ones we have done so far.
If you would like to book an appointment, please email me on martin.wrigley.mp@parliament.uk.
Elsewhere in the constituency, I was delighted to join the Mayor of Dawlish, Cllr Lin Goodman-Bradbury, to formally open the new care home in Dawlish – Claremont Manor. It is a significant new home with 71 places and some great facilities. It is great to see a housing development that promised to provide a new care home at planning stages, actually deliver one.
Also, in Dawlish I attended the annual repair café, or Fix Fest, organised by Cllr Alison Foden which was a great success, and the event raised much needed funds for the Friends of Dawlish Hospital.
In Stokeinteignhead I saw the huge improvements made in the village hall with some fabulous acoustic panels, all made from natural fibres, that transformed the space into a great venue for music, and enabled conversations to be heard.
In Parliament last week, I presented a Bill to change a critical element of Company Law. Today a company director is legally obliged to put the interests of the directors above all other concerns. I would like to see that law changed so that directors must balance the interests of the shareholders, employees and the environment.
Unless it gains Government support, it isn’t likely to become law any time soon. Time is set aside on Fridays for these Private Members bills, and MPs are selected by ballot as to who gets to present a bill first. This is how the Assisted Dying bill is coming forward at the end of November, and possibly the Climate and Nature bill later.
Whether my bill gets time for debate or not will depend on how the timetable works out, and how the debates go on the other bills. Private Member Bills that are further along in the process get priority, and anything else that was timetable can be bumped.
Mine is timetabled for a second reading on July 4th next year. We won’t know until closer to the day if there will be time to debate it…
Also, last week the nominations for select committees were due. I was successful in getting a place on the Science, Innovation, and Technology Select Committee
This committee is responsible for examining the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and associated public bodies. It also exists to ensure that Government policies and decision-making across departments are based on solid scientific evidence and advice.
The Select Committees work as scrutiny of the Government department, taking evidence from experts and suggesting improvements to the Government. I am looking forward to getting to work on the committee.