JILL MORTIMER MP: In talks over the support that Alice House Hospice needs

“It was useful to be able to discuss what support Alice House needs from our Integrated Care Board.”

Firstly, I was pleased to be able to catch up with Nicky, one of the CEOs of Alice House Hospice about the progress being made to ensure the hospice is still able to support the needs of our community despite the closure of the Long-Term Care Unit.

Additionally, it was useful to be able to discuss what support Alice House needs from our Integrated Care Board (ICB) ahead of my upcoming meeting with them about the commissioning of many forms of healthcare in our area.

I look forward to providing you with updates with regard to the ICB’s provisioning of both palliative care and dentistry in due course.

There has been much speculation regarding why I abstained from Monday’s vote on whether or not to accept the outcome of the Privileges Committee investigation into if Boris Johnson purposefully misled parliament.

As I have said on a number of occasions, while the debate ran on, I was hosting a Parliamentary reception for new nuclear and then attended a private dinner for X Energy executives and representatives from EDF and Cavendish Nuclear.

The future of our power station and securing jobs for Hartlepudlians in new nuclear remains one of my top priorities.

Significant work went into the events on Monday, and I am pleased that I was able to facilitate meaningful discussions between potential stakeholders who travelled from the USA specifically for the event, and those who work on the ground in Hartlepool.

Meanwhile, there has been a number of good news stories come out of Westminster recently.

I was very pleased that we are keeping the free prescription age frozen at 60 to support our older vulnerable people with the cost of living.

It was also announced last week that the Home Office’s anti-drug project ADDER has helped police make over 25,000 arrests and seize £10 million in cash from organised crime.

This progress is particularly important in areas where addiction is plaguing our vulnerable people, and I know that the extra police officers recruited since 2019 will help to continue this work.