The Passport Office Chaos

Lots of people have been in touch with me about the ongoing crisis in the passport office.

Many have had to wait until the very last moment before receiving their passports, even if they have submitted in good time and with all the appropriate documentation.

People who should be planning what to do on their well-earned holidays are having instead to hang on the phone to the Passport Office just hoping that their plans won’t be ruined by this backlog.

My office has been working on these cases since the crisis developed, and if you are affected by this problem and are in danger of not having your passport in time please do email me with all of the relevant details and we will try our very best to sort it out for you and make sure you can get away as planned.

Email: natascha.engel.mp@parliament.uk

Please include: Name, Passport Application Number, Home Address, Date of Birth, Date of Application, Date of Flight.

Public Meeting on GP Services

On Thursday evening I held a public meeting in response to major concerns about GP services in Staveley.

Since the Holywell Medical Group took over the surgery on Rectory Road a range of problems have emerged. I am working closely with Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, to get the situation sorted out as quickly as possible. We will continue to press NHS England and the local Care Commissioning Group to do this. Both agencies were present last night so that people could address their concerns to the them directly.The latest position is summarised in this statement from NHS England:

NHS England Statement

Read the Holywell Medical Group report by the Care Quality Commission here.

(The report is titled the Grange Family Health Centre as the practice will have registered one site with the CQC as its headquarters but the inspection covers all five of its sites.)

Image courtesy of BRYN Photography (www.brynphotography.co.uk)

 

Natascha visits Marx Court

On Thursday 27 February, Natascha visited Marx Court, at Clay Cross, and saw the great improvements that have taken place there recently.

Thanks to funding from the National Grid’s Affordable Warmth Solutions, which is working in partnership with Rykneld Homes and North East Derbyshire District Council, the heating system has been replaced to give tenants much higher efficiency at lower prices.

Natascha was invited along to the event by John Healey, the MP for Wentworth and Dearne, who is chairman of Affordable Warmth Solutions, which aims to tackle fuel poverty.

Natascha Welcomes New Licence for Eckington Colliery

Natascha Engel, Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire, and local Labour Councillors have welcomed the re-opening of Eckington Colliery.

Natascha pictured with staff employed at the mine,
Colin Stocks, Colliery Manager and Michael Hill,
European Coal Products Ltd

The colliery, the last working in pit in North East Derbyshire, has been closed for almost a year after fraud committed by the previous owners meant that it had to shut.

Since then, the drift mine was bought by European Coal Products Ltd, but they could not start work again till a new licence was granted.

After delays in granting of the licence, Natascha Engel MP made a visit to Eckington Colliery to talk to the new owners and remaining miners. She then wrote to the Coal Authority and North East Derbyshire District Council supporting the licence application.

On hearing that the new licence had been issued Natascha said,

“It has been a long process, but I am delighted that Eckington Colliery has been granted a new licence. This is great news for the company and for staff at the colliery. The mining industry in North East Derbyshire has suffered since the 80s. This is a fantastic outcome for Eckington Colliery, which still has huge coal reserves, and will ensure the future of the industry in the area for years to come.”

MPs Expenses

The Sunday Mirror ran a story this weekend about MPs who are reimbursed for their energy bills. Many of the local papers have picked this up and are running stories about who is reimbursed for what.

It is vitally important that we recognise how much energy bills are affecting people’s standard of living. It is why the Labour Party has been campaigning so hard on an energy price freeze. I know how high those prices are because I pay those same costs for my home in Dronfield where I pay full rent, full council tax, energy, water and all other bills.

As you are aware, a Member of Parliament works in Westminster from Monday to Thursday and in the constituency at the weekend and during recess. For those of us who cannot commute between the two places, we have to have a place to stay.

Different MPs do this differently. Some stay in hotels (where all the costs are rolled into a daily rate), some stay in serviced accommodation (where all the bills are included in the rent), and some (like me) rent a place and pay the bills on top. We are reimbursed for these costs.

All of these costs are published on the IPSA website every quarter. IPSA is the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and they decide what costs are legitimate to reimburse. You can find all the information broken down to each individual payment that any MP receives by visiting their website www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk and most MPs will have direct links to the claims they make on their own websites.

It is very important that the people we represent can see what claims we make and since 2009, we have had an independent and completely transparent system that allows everyone to do so.

At the same time, many of us would not be able to become Members of Parliament unless we were supported in our living costs while we were in London. Such a system would mean that only people with independent wealth would be able to afford to put their names forward to become MPs. That would really damage our democracy.

Natascha Engel

 

Park Home Residents Celebrate

Natascha hosted a social gathering of Park Home residents to celebrate the success of years of campaigning to change the law to give owners a better deal.  One of the key changes was to stop site owners from blocking the sale of homes.

If you would like more information about the changes please get in touch with Natascha’s constituency office on 01246 439018.

Park Home residents chat with Natascha

Natascha interviewed on community radio station Elastic FM

Natascha talks about her work as Member of Parliament for North East Derbyshire both in Parliament and in the Constituency including her work as Chair of the Backbench Business Committee and many local issues.

To hear the interview click the link below.

Elastic FM interview with Natascha Engel MP (Part One)

Elastic FM interview with Natascha Engel MP (Part Two)

 

County’s leaders brew-up support for charity

Two Derbyshire’s MPs and the leader of the county council gave their backing to the ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ on Friday 27^th September.

Rachel Rush, Margaret Speed, Toby Perkins MP, Natascha Engel MP, and Councillor Anne Western enjoying coffee and cakes at Chesterfield Labour Club’s Macmillan Coffee Morning

Natascha, Toby Perkins MP, and Councillor Anne Western joined local supporters of Macmillan for coffee and cakes as part of the annual national fundraising event which raises millions of pounds for the cancer support charity. Thousands of coffee mornings were held across the UK on Friday with profits going to help pay for Macmillan’s nurses, therapists and advisers for cancer patients and their families.Friday’s get-together, held at Chesterfield’s Labour Club, was attended by around a 100 coffee lovers who dug deep to raise £300 for the popular cause.Commenting on the event, Margaret Speed, Chair of the Labour Club Committee said: “One in three of us will get cancer at sometime in our lives. It’s a cruel, debilitating disease which strikes indiscriminately and until we find a cure we need to do all we can to support patients. Macmillan does a fantastic job not just supporting patients, but their friends and family too”.Mrs Speed added: “It was great to be supported by Toby Perkins, Natascha Engel and Anne Western as we did our bit at the Labour Club. We hope to raise even more next year!”

Natascha visits Clay Cross Hospital

Natascha talking to William Jones and Kim Ashall

In a visit to Clay Cross Community Hospital, Natascha met up with William Jones, Director of Operations, Kim Ashall, General Manager and other members of staff and patients to find out more about the work that the hospital were doing and the services they provide.

Natascha ‘wears it pink’

Natascha joined the fight against breast cancer by taking part in Breast Cancer Campaign’s biggest (and pinkest) fundraiser, wear it pink day.

Every year in the UK around 50,000 women and around 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly 12,000 women and 80 men die from this disease. That is why Natascha is pleased to support Breast Cancer Campaign’s fundraising efforts so they can continue to fund research which will one day lead to a cure.