AS Parliament return this week, the key legislation on the in-tray of MPs are the proposals to cut national insurance contributions by 1.25% this year.
Last year, I took the decision not to support the Government’s plans to increase national insurance as I felt it would be a clear breach of a manifesto commitment that residents in Solihull voted me on.
Under our new Prime Minister, I am pleased that there is now an acceptance that a low tax economy can stimulate growth in our communities.
In light of the situation we face with the cost of living, I am pleased that the tax cutting legislation to be agreed upon this week will allow residents in Solihull to keep more of the money they earn.
More locally, in a statement from University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust a few days ago, I was delighted with the news that their preferred option for Solihull Hospital is to re-provide a Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at the hospital, providing the same services as pre-Covid.
I know that thousands of residents across the borough signed the petition demanding that those services return, and I have actively lobbied for the NHS to re-provide them.
In addition, the NHS has submitted a planning application to build an elective hub compromising six new operations theatres as part of a £43million funding bid.
With this, and the news about the MIU and UTC, I am now confident that Solihull Hospital will continue to provide essential services for many generations to come.
