Swindon Welcomes Biggest Ever Government Investment in Great Western Hospital
There was great news for us all here in Swindon to start the month, with the Government announcing that they have awarded more than £26 million of funding to Great Western Hospital to expand urgent and emergency care.
This government investment comes on top of £5.4 million in internal funding available to the Trust, and represents the biggest ever investment to the hospital site and one of the biggest that the NHS in the South West has seen.
Greater bed capacity and better flow through the hospital will better equip it to manage increasing demand from the area’s growing population.
I am delighted that we have secured this important investment in the GWH. Both Justin Tomlinson and I lobbied to deliver this funding and the Government has rightly seen how it will transform both emergency care and transitional care in Swindon.
This new £26 million investment will ensure that patients can get access to the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time, and is also an example of the long-term investment that our NHS needs.
Campaigning in Parliament for cheaper rail fares for Swindon
In 2021, the government announced plans to reform the railways in Great Britain, with many of the proposed changes set out in the ‘Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail’. The commitment in the plan to reform the structure of rail fares has particular relevance for commuters here in Swindon, who historically have had to endure disproportionately high rail fares compared to Didcot, Bath and Bristol.
Last week in Parliament, I asked the Secretary of State for Transport to assure me that in any forthcoming legislation, these plans would be brought to fruition and if the Treasury was supportive of the plans. I am reassured that the Transport Secretary has confirmed that he will be setting out those plans in more detail shortly and that the government wants to simplify the current complicated ticket strategy while protecting the more affordable tickets.
Visit to Go Train Swindon
I was delighted to visit the team at Go Train here in Swindon. Go Train is a fantastic training centre, dedicated to supporting people as they enter employment and progress on that journey.
I am always very impressed by the drive, expertise, and level of care that the team at Go Train show to those they work with. It was also great to meet some of the people who are being supported by the team, and as ever, when I visit, I feel reassured that we have such a caring and professional group of people here in Swindon, striving to get people in rewarding work here in the town.
Successful Campaign For New Laws To Help Prevent Fraud, False Accounting, And Money Laundering By Organisations In The UK
I was very encouraged by developments after UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat MP agreed to new provisions, which will help to target law firms, accountants, and other organisations that do not do enough to prevent fraud, false accounting, and money laundering, and form part of the government’s upcoming Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.
I have long pushed for the legislation, and before the Government announcement, there had been cross-party support in Parliament to bring an amendment to the bill creating the offence. It was also recommended by a House of Lords committee in November.
As I moved to bring the amendment, the Security Minister informed me that the government would “address the need” for such legislation and asked for my further advice as to the most effective to conduct this.
If you have a national or local issue you would like to raise with me, please get in touch by emailing me on robert.buckland.mp@parliament,uk or by ringing 01793 533393.
Copyright ©The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC MP 2022 All rights reserved.
