Mark Hunter - Safety in Train Stations, NHS Dentists, Amnesty International, Cheadle Mosque
| Published: 5th October 2008 23:26 |
Since I last wrote to you Parliament has been on recess, so I've been enjoying spending my time at home, in our local area, meeting local residents and taking local meetings.
One particular meeting which I know will interest many of you was with the Chief Inspector of the British Transport police. Several constituents had contacted me recently with some very real concerns about the safety standards at train stations in our neighbourhood - in particular Cheadle Hulme, Gatley and Heald Green. Many passengers noticed graffiti and nearby residents were disturbed by anti-social behaviour. In response to these concerns I requested this meeting and spent some considerable time discussing with the Chief Inspector what actions his force were going to take to improve both the personal safety of passengers and the security of local residents. After bringing these problems to the attention of the Chief Inspector he assured me that any incidents would be dealt with swiftly. If you do witness any anti-social behaviour in or around a local station please call the British Transport police on 0800 405040.
Over the summer I also met with the Chief Executive of the Stockport NHS trust. This was one of the regular update meetings I have with heads of services to discuss the current problems facing local residents. I mentioned many of the concerns which constituents bring up with me on a regular basis - in particular access to NHS dentists and local waiting list times. I also had the opportunity to visit the University Hospital of South Manchester which I know serves many local residents. During my visit I was able to talk to staff and patients about the hospital as well as touring its facilities.
I've been able to attend both some extremely interesting and fun local community meetings over the summer. For example I was invited to speak at the Cheadle Hulme branch of Amnesty International where I discussed both the introduction of the 42 day detention as well as human rights violations around the globe. I also joined the Cheadle Hulme Gardens and Allotment Association in celebrating the National Allotments weeks, as well as opening the 49th Annual Cheadle Hulme Flower Show where with my wife Lesley, I viewed a huge variety of entries in vegetable, fruit, handicraft, photography and flower competitions. On a slightly lighter note, at the annual open day at the Cheadle Mosque I not only met with local members of the mosque but I also took part in their sack race and their egg and spoon race. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these local events as they not only gave me the chance to meet many local families, but they also allowed me to see our thriving community coming together.
I've also been trying to meet and talk to as many local residents as possible, and so have knocked on over two thousands doors in the last few months. This allowed me to ask local residents what they think are the big issues facing our community and country today, and what they think we can do to address these issues. I really do relish the opportunity to get the views and opinions of residents and gives me valuable insight into what I can do to best represent their views. As always if you have any ideas or problems I can help you with please don't hesitate to contact me
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