Still fighting for rights of autistic children

I was delighted to host an intern in my constituency office for a week. A smart young man who is still at university, enjoyed seeing how busy an MP’s office can be and the range of issues we come across from day to day.

I was happy to do a promotional film for Burnley College for their awards ceremony in a few weeks. It is a very exciting event for the students following a really successful year and I look forward to this.

I had an important meeting with the legal department at Burnley Council and a constituent who has had a long-standing dispute with the council and I was relieved that, thanks to both the goodwill of the council and the constituent, it was finally resolved.

I then had some important constituent appointments and have continued to look at the problems many families are still having with education provision with their children with autism. I am alarmed I still receive correspondence from many families who tell of their inability to secure education and I am continuing to do all I can on this issue and am looking forward to the next Parliamentary session to see what I can do.

I went to Padiham Community Group who are strongly fighting proposals to change the boundary of Shuttleworth Mead Business Park. Presently there is a barrier of green belt which separates houses in Blackburn Road and the industrial estate. The new proposals will extend the industrial estate to the rear of the properties and eradicate the green belt. Consequently, all the residents are extremely against this and opposing it.

I visited Senior Aerospace Weston, Earby, to meet the apprentices. An advanced aerospace supply chain facility, it is an incredible place that produces components for Rolls-Royce Aero engines and a full range of Airbus Aeroplanes. The apprentices are flourishing in this environment and their apprenticeship scheme is model like and advanced in nature – a huge credit to the company and apprentices themselves.

I was then delighted to welcome young Army officers to my constituency office. We had tea and cream cakes - which most people think would be unusual but, after hearing their stories, it was far from unusual. They were told they were going to France on exercise but at the last minute were dropped off in a random place with no money, no geographical knowledge, but instead a series of tasks which included having tea with the local MP.

I was delighted to be invited as a guest of honour at a dinner in Manchester to celebrate Pakistan’s independence day and relating to trade between the UK and Pakistan and how we can improve it. With Pakistan’s growing economy, they are very interested in buying from our markets and it is important we continue to allow this relationship to grow.