Dear Resident,

Thank you as always for your continued interest in what I have been up to in our local area and down in Westminster.  Parliament was prorogued in May (the end of a Parliamentary session), which meant that attention focused on the Local and European elections for a couple of weeks.

There were disappointing results for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections as the highly effective Chris Davies MEP lost his seat.  Chris was a dedicated advocate of the North West and an excellent representative, and he has taken his defeat with characteristic humility and good grace and I sincerely hope he will stand for election again. 

There was better news locally as the Liberal Democrats once more received the largest number of votes across Cheadle constituency, and have retained minority control of Stockport Council.  I believe that this is recognition of the good work that the Lib Dem team do for our local area, protecting vital services as well as freezing council tax for three out of the last four years for hard-pressed local residents. 

More good news for the both the national and local economy; the rate of inflation fell to 1.5%,  its lowest level in four and a half years, while unemployment continued to fall.  The number of unemployed claimants in Cheadle constituency is now 783 which represents a rate of 1.8% of the economically active populations aged 16 to 64.  This total is 223 lower than in May 2013, and is 33 lower than in April 2014.  Every new job is a huge boost to the individual themselves, as well as their families and our community more generally.  There is plenty of work still to do, but I am delighted that there are signs that our economy is moving in the right direction.

The pub industry plays a crucial role in our communities, bringing people together as well as making an important contribution to the economy; it is also clear from the Annual Stockport Beer Festival that I visited last month that we are well catered for locally in the variety and quality of beer and ale that is available!  I trust that local publicans and fellow members of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) will be as delighted as I am that the Liberal Democrats have unveiled new rules to help pub tenants that are struggling to pay rent or beer costs.  Many landlords that are tied to large pub companies have said that they are struggling to make a decent living, with more than half claiming that they work for less than the minimum wage.  The new regulations will give landlords the right to request a rent review after five years, and there will be a new independent adjudicator with the power to resolve disputes. 

The Political Studies Association has appealed to local A-level students in Cheadle to take part in their annual Student Short Video Competition.  I see encouraging people of all ages to become more engaged in politics as a really important aspect of my role as a MP, and so I am keen for schools and colleges to make use of such campaigns.  This year’s theme is typically on one of the major issues, the UK’s membership of the European Union, and winners receive their award at a ceremony in London televised on BBC Parliament.    

This September every child in infant school in England will receive free school lunches, in Stockport this will mean 10,000 children will benefit.  Last month I visited Cheadle Catholic Infant School to discuss the implementation of the policy with Headteacher Mrs Lofthouse and some of the staff.  It was a very helpful meeting to talk over some of the challenges and action that needs to be taken to ensure that the lunches can be delivered on time.  I am pleased that school leaders and Stockport Council are all working hard to deliver these meals for the infants this autumn.

Dog lovers are sure to welcome a new campaign launched by the Kennel Club which is encouraging dog owners to ensure that their pets are micro-chipped.  Sadly over 8,000 dogs a year are put down in the UK because their owner cannot be found; new regulations that will be introduced shortly will make micro-chipping compulsory.  I am pleased to support the Kennel Club in reminding local residents to get their dogs chipped or if already chipped to check their contact details are up to date on the microchip database.

Anthony Nolan, the UK’s blood cancer charity and bone marrow register, is searching for more local heroes in Cheadle constituency to join their fight against blood cancer.  For the first time, the Anthony Nolan register has been mapped across the UK by communities revealing that 772 local residents are willing to donate their stem cells, or bone marrow, to save the life of a stranger.  It is great that we have so many selfless people living locally but the search is on for even more so that we can fight blood cancer together.

This month saw the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the amphibious assault on Nazi-occupied Normandy by over 150,000 Allied servicemen, mostly British, American and Canadian.  I wrote my regular monthly column for the Stockport Express on the bravery shown by those young men who answered the call to serve, and how their sacrifice should never be forgotten.

The Queen’s Speech outlined the Coalition Government’s plans for the legislative year ahead, including plans for a new law on MP recall, and additional help with childcare costs.  The major new tax-free childcare package will help 8,640 families in the Stockport area alone, providing a huge boost to hardworking families in Cheadle constituency. 

Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, the MS Society and Parkinson’s UK have all joined together for Carers Week Quest; they are looking for the thousands of carers that are missing out on support as they do not identify themselves as carers.  Those that are there for a loved one facing ill health or disability are making a hugely valuable contribution to society and support exists to help them in the work that they do. 

Local residents Joanne and Dan Thompson, parents of Millie, visited Parliament to take their campaign for “Millie’s Trust” to the very heart of government. Millie’s Trust has been established following the tragic death of Dan and Joanne’s daughter, Millie, who died after a choking incident at a local nursery school. The campaign was set up as a legacy in Millie’s memory to ensure all nursery staff are adequately trained in paediatric first aid.

I was pleased to be able to arrange for them to meet with Minister Edward Timpson MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Education. While universal paediatric first aid training for all those that work in nursery schools is still a way off, I think everyone found the meeting helpful in moving the discussion forward. I of course remain fully behind the Thompson’s campaign.

That’s it for another month, as ever please do not hesitate to contact the office if there is anything that I can help you with.  Otherwise, I hope you’re enjoying the weather and the football as much as I am!

Yours sincerely,

Mark Hunter MP

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