A view from Wrexham’s Member of Parliament

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Assembly Members to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home – you can find them all here.

In her column for October, Wrexham’s MP Sarah Atherton writes.

Last month, I was honoured to be appointed as the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families.

As a veteran myself, defence has always been close to my heart and delivering for those who are serving, have served and their families will always be at the top of my agenda.

Wrexham has a proud military history and veterans community and now the Defence Secretary has committed to returning a reserve company (3rd Battalion Royal Welsh) to Hightown Barracks in June 2023, I am proud to now be championing Wrexham as both the Minister for Defence People and the MP for Wrexham.

I can assure you that alongside my duties in the MOD, I am focused on being a constituency MP and continuing to raise Wrexham and making sure Wrexham is firmly on the map.

Following on from the letter sent by my North Wales MP colleagues regarding the shortcomings of Avanti services, on the 3rd of October I wrote to Avanti West Coast to obtain assurances about the reliability and frequency of train services to and from Wrexham.

Now that Wrexham is a city, we need our transport systems to reflect that of the capital of North Wales.

I will continue to push for better connectivity. Follow this link to read the full letter to Avanti and to fill in my transport survey:  https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/transport-survey.

Last month in Parliamentary Recess, I did a street surgery every day, starting from Pandy, then onto Marford and Rossett, and finishing in Holt. Whilst chatting to residents, one issue that frequently came up was the shocking state of NHS dentistry.

Since my election in 2019, I have been inundated with complaints from residents over access to healthcare, including dentist appointments.

This is precisely why I launched my health campaign, as healthcare in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Labour Government.

For two years I have been asking the Welsh Government for a plan on how they will address the backlogs and lengthy waiting times and I have not received a plan or a vision to address these shortcomings.

I will continue to call on the Welsh Government to reform Wales’s failing NHS dentist practices so that Wrexham residents receive the healthcare they deserve. To sign my health campaign, follow this link: https://www.sarahatherton.org.uk/healthcare-wrexham.

Earlier this month the Chancellor set out his mini-budget which included cuts to National Insurance contributions, basic rate of Income Tax, and freezing Alcohol Duty – all helping families to keep more of their hard-earned money. The Government has taken strong and decisive action to help families across the UK get through these difficult times.

Whilst first-time buyers will be reaping the rewards from cuts to stamp duty in England, due to devolution, the Welsh Government have the choice of whether to adopt this policy.

The UK Government will provide the Welsh Government with approximately £70 million to do this, but ultimately, it is up to the Welsh Government what they do with this money.

I will be working hard to lobby the Welsh Government to make sure that this money is spent to ensure that Welsh first-time buyers have the opportunity to get their foot on the property ladder just like those across the border.

Following on from the Chancellor’s mini-budget, many businesses in Wrexham have contacted me to outline their concerns that the introduction of new ‘Investment Zones’ does not cover Wales. Under the Conservative Government’s Growth Plan, businesses are set to benefit from streamlined planning rules and time limited tax cuts to boost growth in areas that need it most.

However, due to devolution, the Welsh Government has the choice to either adopt or neglect this growth-driving measure at the expense of businesses in Wales.

I met with the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to air my concerns about pushing the Welsh Government to adopt Investment Zones in Wales so that businesses in Wrexham can have the same benefits as those in England.

As always, if you are a resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issues, please contact me by emailing [email protected].