March issue - Magazine - Page 21
Glenside
News
GlensideNews@mail.com
COMMUNITY
Alicia Kearns MP
Our local representative in Parliament writes exclusively for the Glenside News
It's a pleasure to write an update to you all for the first
time today. Even more so, I am overjoyed to kick-off with
the most wonderful news: the Benedict Blythe Foundation
and I have been successful in convincing the Government
to introduce Benedict's Law, in honour of five-year-old
Benedict Blythe from Stamford, who tragically died from
an allergic reaction in school in 2021. Benedict's Law will
strengthen protections for children with allergies in
schools, requiring all schools to have an allergy policy
(the majority, shockingly do not), medication for children
in anaphylactic shock,
and mandated training
for all staff. Helen and
Peter Blythe deserve
immense credit for their tireless
campaigning, and for
creating this legacy for
Benedict.
Rural communities
like ours face many
challenges, but few are
as damaging and
distressing as flooding.
That's why I've been
trying to secure a
debate in Parliament
on flooding, and
thankfully in March I
got the chance. I used
the debate to ask the
Government to take
action by introducing
fiduciary duties for
developers, to extend the Flood RE insurance scheme we
introduced, to do more on riparian duties, and to challenge
the existing orthodoxy on dredging. I was also able to
raise the experiences of villages such as Greatford,
Braceborough, Creeton, Careby and Tallington, and
celebrate some of the people locally who have done so
much to better protect our communities from flooding.
On issues with water and sewage, local Councillor
Charlotte Vernon and many residents have been in touch
about the failing of Anglian Water's sewage system in
Little Bytham and Baston. I have written to the Chief
Executive of Anglian Water urging him to find a long
term-solution to ensure this issue does not keep
reoccurring and I will keep you updated. I'm relieved
that last year I was able to convince Anglian Water to restart the building of their pipeline through our
communities 18 months earlier than planned. This ended
the situation that had been in place for far too long,
where our countryside was ripped up, and pipes scarred
our horizons.
Our independent shops are the beating hearts of our
communities, so thank you to everyone who showed
such fantastic support for them throughout Rutland and
Stamford's Favourite Independent Shop Awards. This
year there were over 41,000 votes, and I'm delighted to
announce the overall winner was Walkers Bookshop in
Stamford. Congratulations to all the very well-deserving
winners and runners up!
Following pressure from Lincolnshire MPs working
together cross-party, I am relieved the Government
finally listened and delivered a funding package to
Lincolnshire Police to
save them from the
brink of bankruptcy.
This was the first time
the force had ever
threatened bankruptcy,
largely owing to the
Government's National
Insurance rises, so it is
welcome news they
now have the funding
needed to continue
protecting us.
In other news, my
petition calling on the
Government to protect
the Veterans and
Armed Forces
Railcards in
legislation has now
received over 1,600
signatures. The
Government has
insisted that other rail discounts, such as those for young
people, the elderly, and disabled passengers, need to be
explicitly protected in the law, so it is very disappointing
to see them vote against including Veterans and the
Armed Forces when we laid an amendment to include
them as well. Please do add your name to the petition on
my website (www.aliciakearns.com) if you agree our
Veterans and Armed Forces personnel deserve the same
certainty.
My campaign also continues to right the injustice
done to the 5,700 women dismissed and discharged from
the Armed Forces for falling pregnant while in service
between 1978 and 1990. I am asking the Government to
return their cap badges and berets so they can be
recognised for their service - if you know someone
affected, do ask them to reach out. Despite raising this in
Parliament over a year ago, the Government has made no
progress. I will continue to try to right this wrong.
Out and about in our communities, I had the pleasure
of visiting Charles Read Academy in Corby Glen, and
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