Returning to Westminster this month feels very much like the beginning of a new school term, full of new beginnings and exciting challenges.
This new term is an exciting one for Watford, with two of our schools gaining Academy status and the opening of the redeveloped West Herts Campus. Once again Watford is leading the way in education, and providing the best opportunities for our young people. I would like to wish all new pupils and staff the best of luck for this academic year.
I have spent much of the summer in Watford, meeting the people and the organisations that contribute so much to our town, from local GPs to charities working with young offenders. Watford has so much to offer and as your Member of Parliament I want to make sure that it receives the investment that it deserves. This is my top priority as I return to Westminster.
One such project is the Croxley Rail Link. This promises to be a once in a generation boost to the Watford economy; a rail line which will extend the Met line to Croxley Green. One of my first jobs was to meet with the Transport Minister Norman Baker to discuss the future of this venture, which I believe will have significant benefits for the people of Watford. I am working with my colleagues at the Council and in Government to ensure that funding is provided for this scheme.
It was also my pleasure to invite representatives from national and international green businesses to the BRE site in Watford. The BRE is a world leader on green business and we should all be very proud to have this innovative establishment in our town. There is great scope for investment in green business and I want to make sure that this investment is coming to Watford.
One of the biggest challenges that the Government faces this term is to make the necessary cuts that will get the country back on its feet, whilst ensuring that these cuts do not affect front line services. We must ensure that the money we do have is not being wasted by Government departments.
The existence of this Government waste in Watford became apparent to me after meeting with members of our police force over the summer. I was shocked to learn about the number of hours that they are expected to spend on paperwork after each arrest, keeping them from the frontline of policing. With this in mind, I wrote to the Home Secretary asking what the Government plans to do to make sure that police time is not wasted on bureaucracy. I have been pleased to learn that the Government is committed to cutting the layers of wasteful administration and to getting police back on the streets; tackling crime and keeping us safe.
Ensuring value for money is a crucial part of my job on the International Development Select Committee. This month, I visited Brussels with my committee colleagues to see firsthand how our tax payer’s money is being spent on foreign aid. We should be incredibly proud of the fact that we provide assistance to those countries that are most in need of it, but at a time when we are watching every penny at home we have a duty to make sure that money being spent abroad is being invested wisely and in the most effective way. I am committed to doing so through my work on the Select Committee.