It can never be said that an MP’s work isn’t varied! I began the week talking to Dawn Knight and other MPs about the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty, Aesthetics, and Wellbeing as part of our work to improve the safety of cosmetic surgery practitioners and their procedures. Dawn Knight is a fabulous campaigner who has fought for better regulation and more stringent laws after she had her life turned upside down when an eye procedure conducted by an improperly insured surgeon left her unable to close her eyes properly.
We marked Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, which was also notably the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. We must never forget the horrific crimes that were perpetrated. We must remain vigilant against attempts to divide and stand with those who need our support. I thank the brave survivors who have told their stories again and again to make sure that the memory of the Holocaust does not die with those who were murdered.
On Tuesday morning, I was delighted to host a breakfast event for BBC Wales in Parliament. Events like this are important to ensure that, as Welsh MPs, we work closely with Welsh broadcasters to help us get our message out to a wider audience. So much of what we do requires effective dialogue between different people to inform the public about what’s happening and to support important campaigns.
In the afternoon I spoke in a debate in Westminster Hall on the Incineration of Industrial and Commercial Waste. Air quality in Swansea is a serious issue thanks to the heavy industry near the city and the surrounding areas. Tiny particles present in the air are breathed in and affect people’s respiratory and circulatory systems causing dangerous and potentially fatal illnesses, particularly among the elderly and those already ill. The proposed new incinerator in Llansamlet will not help lessen the air pollution here; it will make it worse. We already have disproportionately high rates of asthma among residents in Swansea and we must start seriously looking at alternatives to waste incineration for the future of the city and those living in it. I’m pleased that Swansea City Council’s Planning Committee rejected this proposal and I firmly hope that this decision is upheld when the company’s appeal is heard.
It was a pleasure to meet with South Wales Police Chief Constable Matt Jukes on Wednesday as part of his discussions with South Wales MPs on current issues. We discussed a variety of issues and I gave him an update on the types of problems that still need tackling locally. Before the election I exposed the UK Government’s lack of action over ‘county lines’ operations, where the young and the vulnerable are often used to deliver drugs to smaller towns and villages from city centres. Last October, South Wales Police arrested more than 700 people and confiscated £400,000 worth of drugs.
I was delighted to welcome Keir Starmer to The Hyst in Swansea yesterday at one of his key campaign events where he met and spoke to local party members as part of his bid to be our next UK Labour Leader. It was wonderful to see so many people supporting Keir at the event and the growing support that’s amassing around his positive campaign to deliver a better future for all our communities.
As always, if you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing carolyn.harris.mp@parliament.uk or by calling 01792 462054.
I hope you all have a great weekend and good luck to Wales in their first match!
