Helen calls on the Secretary of State to fix dental services

Twelve years of Tory mismanagement have seen NHS dental services eroded across the country, and increasing numbers of dental practices are taking the decision to stop providing NHS services altogether.

Yesterday I raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Health.

I have been contacted by many of my constituents who are struggling to access dental services on the NHS and simply cannot afford the costs of private treatment.

I will be meeting with NHS England later this month to raise my constituents concerns.

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Update on the Parliamentary Boundary Review

Thank you to everyone across Dulwich and West Norwood who responded to the Boundary Commission for England’s consultation on draft proposals for new Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries earlier this year.  

As you may know, the initial proposal was to split the current Dulwich and West Norwood constituency between four new constituencies, with all of our cross-borough communities being represented by multiple Members of Parliament.  There was a wide consensus that this proposal would have been bad for our area, and I’m grateful to the hundreds of local people and community organisations who made a very strong case to the Boundary Commission that they needed to think again. There were over 400 submissions from Dulwich and West Norwood focused on the impact on communities including West Norwood, Herne Hill, Gipsy Hill and West Dulwich.

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Helen challenges the Minister on reform of the SEND system

It has now been more than three years since the government commissioned the SEND review to improve support for children with special educational needs. In the meantime, we have had endless reshuffles to Ministerial teams pushing any reform further into the future. Every delay leaves children, families and schools fighting to access the support they need.

The Government has previous committed to responding to the SEND review by the end of the year. However, the new Minister has now announced that this response has again been delayed. Children and families need certainty.

Today I called on the Minister to set a firm date for responding to the consultation and setting out how the Government will reform the SEND system>>

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Helen questions the Chancellor on the costs of childcare

For the first time in decades, the number of women leaving the workforce is increasing. The cost of childcare is forcing women to cut their hours or give up work altogether to care for their children. The government’s failure to invest in accessible, affordable childcare is holding back women, and it is holding back our economy.
So it is astonishing that the Chancellor made no mention of childcare in his Autumn Statement today. Childcare is vital social and economic infrastructure. A good childcare system benefits children, families and the economy. You can watch my question to the Chancellor here >>
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Helen speaks in debate on the conflict in Ethiopia

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Helen visits the Nest in Southwark

I was delighted to visit The Nest, Southwark Council’s mental health drop in centre for children and young people, earlier this week. Young people across the country are facing an epidemic of mental ill health, and many are forced to wait far too long for the mental health support they need, leading to worsening mental ill health when early support could have helped.
The Nest provides open access drop-in support for children and young people in Southwark as soon as they need it. It was great to meet with Cllr Jasmine Ali, Hannah and The Nest’s team to see their vital work.
Labour is committed to providing an open access mental health hub for children and young people in every community. It is fantastic to see Southwark leading the way.
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Remembrance Day 2022

It was a privilege to take part in Remembrance Day commemorations at Lambeth Town Hall, where it was a privilege to see RAF veteran Neil Flanigan, at the African & Caribbean War Memorial on Windrush Square, and at the Vincennes Memorial to Lambeth resident Violette Szabo & the heroes of the French Resistance.
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Helen challenges the Minister on the protection of child asylum seekers

Children are children, wherever they are from and whatever their background. It is shocking to hear reports of children going missing from and being sexually assaulted in Home Office-procured hotels and hostels for asylum seekers. The Home Office is failing in its duty of care to vulnerable children.
We need action now before any more children are put at risk but it is clear that the Government has no plans to ensure child asylum seekers are properly protected. You can see my question to the Minister for Immigration here>>
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BBC London Live - November 2022

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Kinship Care debate - October 2022

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