IN THIS column, just before Christmas, I commented that I had already started to put appointments in my diary for summer 2009.
Since then, people have asked me why I need to plan so far ahead? Well, the answer is simple – when the House of Commons is sitting, I generally need to be in Westminster so that I can vote.
Although my travel plans are a lot easier than those o
f my colleagues with constituencies much further away from London, it does still mean that my time in Horsham is more restricted than I'd like and that most constituency-based visits take place on a Friday or at weekends.
So, what's in my diary so far? Well, I have a full programme of advice surgeries planned – these take place late on Friday afternoons and although they are often in my office in Horsham town centre, I also circulate around the area – enabling people in Billingshurst, Balcombe, Crawley Down and elsewhere to make a convenient appointment. I'm happy also to visit people at home if they find it hard to get to a surgery.
A long-standing meeting is taking place today – the Campaign for Pease Pottage Hospital committee are getting together to plan our next steps.
Last year was a successful one, with the revamp of the campaign website, rallies in Horsham and Crawley and the presentation of almost 12,000 campaign forms to West Sussex PCT, but it's absolutely vital that we keep the momentum going in 2009.
I'll also soon be visiting Horsham Fire Station. Apart from catching-up on issues affecting the fire and rescue service locally, it'll also be an opportunity to speak to firefighters about ways to improve their safety at work.
Although towards the end of last year a local contingent travelled to Westminster for a mass lobby of Parliament, I felt I didn't have enough time then to discuss this issue properly – a local meeting will be much more beneficial.
Among many other things, I'm also due to meet the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, attend the opening of the Roffey Children's Centre, meet the managing director of Gatwick Airport for an update on BAA's plans to sell, pay a long-overdue visit to Royal Sun Alliance HQ, have a look at Billingshurst station signal box and pay a visit to the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead – although not in my patch, lots of local people use it and I'm keen to discover why it's so valued by patients and so consistently highly rated by health authorities.
So, watch this space for more information about what took place during these visits and why they are so crucial for MPs to really understand local issues and the needs of people.
