Dear Residents,
I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you everyone who came along to my open meeting earlier this month. I was very grateful for the positive turnout and the willingness of so many to ask questions. Thanks also goes to St Peter’s churchwarden, Gill Barnes, who was very helpful to my office in the preparations for the event.
To recap, especially for those who were unable to attend, a number of issues were raised with me. Some residents shared their concern that the increase in the number of housing developments in Cambridgeshire may take the sense of ‘place’ away from the village and place strain on infrastructure without additional investment. I appreciate this point and have echoed these concerns to the Housing Secretary before – stressing that any further housing developments need to be strategically and carefully considered.
Others raised concerns about the cost of living. I appreciate that many are feeling the squeeze of high prices and bills this year. Inflation has been halved from its peak and now down to 4.6%. For those who are on benefits and tax credits, you may be interested to know that the third ‘Cost of Living Payment’ this year is currently being credited to accounts, taking total support this year to £900 per household. If you need any support, please do not hesitate to contact my office via lucy.frazer.mp@parliament.uk and I will be more than happy to help.
We also had a moving conversation about the tragedy of suicide and self-harm. Like the Government, I recognise the importance of addressing chronic mental illness and giving support to people who feel like there is no way out. As we continue with these efforts, I am pleased that we now have a government pledge of £57 million extra for suicide reduction programmes by March 2024.
As I reiterated at my public meeting, I am always interested in the views of my constituents, and welcome you to contact me if there is something you would like to raise with me. Similarly, if you need any practical assistance with anything, please feel free to write to my office.
I hope you have an enjoyable and restful Christmas.
With best wishes,
Lucy Frazer MP
Member of Parliament for South East Cambridgeshire
