It’s been a busy month both in Parliament and the constituency. Alongside meetings with ministerial colleagues, Julian has met with many schools, businesses and other local organisations over the past few weeks.
He welcomed students from Skipton Water Street Community Primary School to Parliament, to talk about his role as their local MP and answer their questions. This followed a busy afternoon during which the students were given a tour around the Houses of Parliament and took part in an interactive workshop in the Education Centre. Julian spoke about what it has been like to represent the people of Skipton and Ripon as their MP since 2010, with one student kindly volunteering that they and their family had previously been helped by him. Pupils also had an opportunity to ask Julian questions, ranging from had he met the King to what made him decide to become an MP.
The Education Service in Parliament enables over 40,000 students and teachers to explore the Palace of Westminster and the heart of our democracy first-hand every year, arranging tours and dynamic workshops for all age groups. These take place free of charge and a travel subsidy of up to 75% is offered to schools who take part. Julian would encourage any teachers or students who are interested to arrange a visit for their school or class. More information can be found at
http://www.parliament.uk/educationcentre
Later that week, Julian was given a tour of Skipton’s town centre by Historic England and North Yorkshire Council. Officials from the two authorities gave Julian a tour of the Skipton High Street Heritage Action Zone, where over £6 million has been invested to rejuvenate the town centre. The Skipton High Street Heritage Action Zone, a four-year programme scheduled for completion next year, is improving routes across the town and its attraction for younger people by developing and repairing the historic buildings and streets.
Julian took the opportunity to visit several landmark projects, including the Craven Arts House, home to artists’ studios, a recording studio and performance space, that was previously a Victorian school. The tour also encompassed the Town Hall, which has seen repairs to the façade and the landscaping of the forecourt, resulting in a beautiful outdoor seating area. On the inside, Historic England and North Yorkshire Council have helped restore the Victorian concert hall and Museum to safeguard its use for future generations. The restoration of both is drawing interest and visitors from across the country.
There was also some fantastic news for local farmers, with the welcome news that farmers and foresters across Skipton and Ripon have been awarded £1,190,078 as part of the Government’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. This was confirmed in a letter from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, the Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, as the budget is doubled to £31 million nationally in response to the huge uptake from farmers. The fund will help farmers and foresters boost productivity, reduce waste and cut costs, as well as increase environmental sustainability and improve slurry management. Farmers are able to apply for funds to invest in over 90 pieces of equipment that support food security at
This is the latest announcement as part of the Government’s pledge to invest £2.4 billion per year in farming, with grants worth over £168 million available this year through 16 different funds and competitions. Further details can be found at
https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/02/grants-available-in-2023/
It will also only be the first round, with further and larger grants available to encourage investment in water storage, irrigation slurry infrastructure, automation and robotics. This comes on top of the ongoing Environmental Land Management schemes, where funding for over 200 actions is available to farmers.
Ahead of the Yorkshire Show next week, constituents have the opportunity to hear from the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, the Rt Hon Mark Spencer MP, as he will be visiting Kettlewell Village Hall to take questions and talk about the future of farming. Please contact Skipton and Ripon Conservatives at [email protected] to book your ticket, and feel free to invite along any friends and family.
There was more great news from the NHS, as Julian heard that a new community diagnostic centre (CDC) will open at Ripon Community Hospital in December 2023. The permanent state-of-the-art diagnostic centre will be capable of delivering 27,107 checks, tests and scans every year. These include Ultrasound, X-ray, Audiology, Phlebotomy, Spirometry, ECG and blood pressure monitoring, as well as additional diagnostic services tailored to meet the needs of the community.
This latest announcement comes on the back of the recent news that the Government has committed to rebuilding Airedale Hospital by 2030 as part of the New Hospital Programme, backed up by over £20 billion in Government funding. Cutting waiting times is one of the Government’s top priorities. Since the September 2021 peak of almost 125,000 patients waiting more than 18 months, the latest official NHS England statistics show that this had been reduced by over 91 per cent by the end of March this year. The Ripon CDC will play a major role in cutting waiting lists further locally, with a particular emphasis on cutting elective and cancer backlogs, as well as pre and post op testing. The Government’s target is that, by March 2025, 95 per cent of patients needing a diagnostic test will receive it within 6 weeks.
Julian also welcomed students from Settle CE Primary School to Parliament as part of their trip to London. The students, who had been taken on a tour of the Palace of Westminster and completed an interactive workshop, run by the parliamentary Education Centre, had the opportunity to put Julian through his paces with some quickfire questions. There was also time for Julian to talk about what he does as the local MP, as well as a fierce debate on the merits of Pizza Express!
Julian further welcomed the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest labour market figures, which show that the number of people in employment increased to a record high in April. There are now four million more people in work across the UK than there were in 2010. The news comes despite the backdrop of a pandemic and large-scale warfare in Europe, provoked by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The ONS estimate that the UK’s employment rate has now hit 76 per cent, with increases in both the number of employees and self-employed workers. By contrast, the economic inactivity rate – covering those who are not working but who do not qualify as unemployed – decreased by 0.4 per cent over the first quarter of 2023. This news comes as the number of people claiming benefits in Skipton and Ripon is confirmed to be less than half the national average. The 945 claimants make up just 1.7 per cent of the population aged 16-64, compared with the UK claimant rate of 3.7 per cent. Similarly, the 150 claimants aged 18-24 make up 2.7 per cent of all 18–24-year-olds, compared to 4.7 per cent nationally.
There was also time for Julian to welcome Martha Featherstone, headteacher of Skipton Girls’ High School, to Parliament. Martha, who joined Skipton Girls’ as headteacher from the Co-op Academy Grange at the start of this academic year, was in London for a conference. Topics discussed ranged from the work that Skipton Girls’ does with other schools as part of the Northern Star Academies Trust, to mental health provision, the Sixth Form and the schools’ longer-term ambitions.
Martha also took the opportunity to raise former student Laura Nuttall, who tragically died of a brain tumour a month ago, aged just 23. Laura, who Julian had the privilege to meet on a previous visit to Skipton Girls’, was a fierce campaigner and Young Ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity, having been diagnosed aged 18. She famously went on to complete an inspirational bucket list, including meeting Michelle Obama, graduating from university, and commanding a Royal Navy ship.
In Ripon, Julian met with members of Ripon BID (Business Improvement District), an independent, business-led and funded group, to find out more about their initiatives for the city. The BID provides services alongside those of North Yorkshire Council, giving businesses the opportunity to help influence the long-term economic development of the local area. Topics ranging from how to improve engagement with local authorities, to banking services and antisocial behaviour, were discussed.
June was rounded off with another bit of good news, as it was announced that 1,000 public tennis courts have now been refurbished as part of a £30 million programme of investment, including 3 courts at Ripon Spa Park. This news on the joint venture between the Government and Lawn Tennis Association comes on the eve of the Wimbledon Championships and a surge in grassroots participation. The £30 million package, which has seen £21.6 million committed by the Government and £8.4 million by the Lawn Tennis Association, is the most significant investment in grassroots tennis for a generation. In total, it will deliver vital upgrades to over 3,000 tennis courts across the UK by 2025, with the aim of attracting half a million more players every year. Each refurbishment will also include access to the Lawn Tennis Association online booking system, as well as digital access gates.
The Lawn Tennis Association has already announced an increase by 43 per cent of adults playing tennis during 2022, to 4.7 million, and a rise to 3.6 million children playing annually. Notably, there has also been a significant growth in women’s participation, up 34 per cent, and that of 16–34-year-olds, up 48 per cent. This package comes on top of the £300 million investment in rolling-out or refurbishing multi-sport facilities across the UK between 2021-2025, and a £60 million fund for local swimming pools.
Julian continues to hold surgeries on a regular basis and has held surgeries across the constituency this month. To book a surgery appointment please email or call the office, including the details of the matters you wish to raise.
