Dear resident,

Welcome to the latest and final edition of my Notes from Westminster for 2012. I hope it helps keep you informed of some of the work I have been doing on your behalf both locally and here in Westminster in recent months. Can I also advise you that I now have a Twitter account which you can follow at www.twitter.com/markhuntermp if you wish. Please be patient though as I am still getting to grips with it!

•     The campaign to get the much-needed Relief Road has continued to progress. I recently met with Chancellor George Osborne to push the case for the roads completion as soon as possible. I am also encouraging local residents to respond to the most recent official survey on the need for the road:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/623200/mps-meet-chancellor-in-bid-to-get-relief-road-project-started-sooner

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/630496/mark-urges-residents-to-have-their-say-on-relief-road

•       Along with local residents I’ve been fighting developer proposals to effectively triple the size of Woodford village – I’ve met with the developers and SMBC on a number of occasions to reiterate my concerns:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/620533/still-time-for-woodford-residents-to-have-their-say

•        Despite the continuing difficult economic climate, I was pleased to go and meet some of 53 new recruits at Sainsbury’s, Cheadle Royal, with many new jobs created over Christmas at John Lewis next door as well:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/611347/mp-meets-new-recruits-at-sainsbury-s-relaunched-cheadle-store

•       In a similar vein, new figures have showed 3,110 apprentices started across the Stockport Borough last year – up 60% since the Coalition Government came to power. Stockport Council was also named alongside the likes of Rolls Royce as one of the best apprenticeship employers in the country:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/621440/3-110-apprentices-started-last-year-across-stockport

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/631523/local-council-in-top-100-employers-for-apprenticeships

•       We need a free press but a press that isn’t free to bully innocent people who cannot defend themselves – my take on Leveson:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/636030/leveson-recommendations-should-be-implemented-to-protect-victims-of-press-intrusion

•       The Coalition Government’s £2.4 billion Regional Growth Fund is helping to rebalance our economy and take our country away from the London-centric model of politics which so many of us Northerners get fed up with. A cash boost for locally based NXP semiconductors in Hazel Grove was welcome news for local jobs:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/626490/government-investment-boost-for-our-area-hunter

•       I’ve been campaigning in Parliament to help promote better eye health and also visited local (4^th generation!) Cheadle business Ashworth’s Opticians to help raise awareness about the importance of regular eye tests – I know from personal experience!

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/611458/cheadle-mp-shows-support-for-national-eye-health-week

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/636430/local-mp-visits-ashworth-s-opticians-to-promote-regular-eye-tests

•       Good news for local consumers as big supermarkets will be held to account by a new watchdog. I’ve been campaigning on this for years and am delighted that the Coalition Government are creating the new “Grocery Code Adjudicator”:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/638828/grocery-code-adjudicator-will-get-power-to-fine-supermarkets-hunter

•       I’ve joined up with local residents, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation to support calls for “plain packaging” for cigarettes:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/635856/mark-joins-with-residents-and-health-charities-to-say-yes-to-plain-cigarette-packaging

•       Neighbouring Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell and I joined forces to “wear it pink” as part of the high profile Breast Cancer Awareness campaign:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/611456/mps-backing-the-fight-against-breast-cancer

•       Many of us are well aware of the longstanding “dogs are not just for Christmas” campaign, but still we see many people giving dogs – and indeed other pets – as gifts for Christmas, only later to be abandoned or not given the care and attention they need. I met with the Dogs Trust to help raise awareness of the campaign, creatively named “the twelve strays of Christmas”:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/638797/mps-support-charity-s-call-to-give-dogs-a-paw-fect-christmas

•       I “put a shift in” at the Sue Ryder Care charity shop in Gatley to pay tribute to the many hundreds of volunteers across our area who selflessly devote their own time and energy to important causes. This was part of UK volunteering charity CSV’s make a difference Day, the UK’s biggest single day of volunteering, which I teamed up with Esther Rantzen to promote:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/626005/mark-takes-the-pledge-to-make-a-difference

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/630253/hunter-helps-make-a-difference

•       Parkinson’s UK is an excellent charity and I have been privileged to work closely with them over the years. As the Honorary President of the Stockport Parkinsons UK Branch, I was pleased to help out at their annual Autumn Fair and coffee morning in Bramhall, which was well attended as always and helped to raise much need funds:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/627924/parkinson-s-disease-society-coffee-morning-in-bramhall-a-success

•       Free flu jabs are available to thousands of people. Still though, in our area, one in five people over 65 and one in three people in the “at risk” category do not get the potentially life-saving vaccination that they are entitled to:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/627294/mark-hunter-mp-reminds-all-those-at-risk-of-seasonal-flu-in-cheadle-to-get-their-flu-jabs-this-winter-1

•        My latest visit to Bolshaw Primary School in Heald Green was to talk to the children about how important free school milk can be for their development:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/625791/hunter-helps-children-celebrate-world-school-milk-day

•        After further increases in the price of energy, along with the Citizens Advice Bureau I went to highlight the many ways people can save money on their bills, including signing up to the Coalition Government’s Green Deal:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/624050/help-with-saving-energy-hunter

•        I paid tribute to the hard work of all the staff at Stepping Hill Hospital following the Care Quality’s Commission’s glowing report on their services:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/624657/hunter-praises-stepping-hill-staff-after-glowing-report

•        On International Disabled Day I joined comedienne Sally Phillips to back Scope’s campaign for better services for disabled children:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/636830/hunter-joins-comedienne-sally-phillips-to-call-for-better-services-for-disabled-children

As always, if there is ever anything I can be of assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact me directly atmark.hunter.mp@parliament.uk or by writing to me at my constituency office at Hillson House, 3 Gillbent Road, Cheadle Hulme SK8 7LE; I am always happy to try and help.

Finally, a very happy Christmas and new year to all local residents and special congratulations to Jeremy Yang of Greenbank Prep School, Cheadle Hulme, on winning my annual Christmas Card design competition. His card – paid for and delivered by the local Lib Dems – will go to over 40,000 homes across our area:

http://markhunter.org.uk/en/article/2012/641015/jeremy-s-card-to-go-to-over-40-000-homes

Best wishes,

Mark Hunter MP

p.s.  Apart from the bank holidays, normal service continues at my constituency office throughout the Christmas period. Please just call us on 0161 486 1359 if we can be of assistance. If you are ever interested in visiting Parliament yourself please contact John Brooks in my Westminster office on 0207 219 3889 or brooksj@parliament.uk.

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