All Party Parliamentary Groups form a large part of my work as a backbencher and I am chair of several groups relating to disability and learning difficulty, as well as the Western Gateway, which is a major economic partnership for Wales in the West of England, covering Swindon. I am also Co-Chair of the All Party Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse, which was set up as a forum to facilitate engagement between organisations including Women’s Aid, academics, commissioners, and leaders in the violence against women (VAWG) space and key decision makers. The APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse also provides an important platform for survivors of domestic abuse to discuss their experiences with parliamentarians and to inform policy changes to better support survivors of domestic abuse.
Last week, I chaired a meeting of the APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse at Portcullis House, to discuss the implementation of the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, that I led upon when I was Secretary of State for Justice, which we got into law here in Parliament two years ago. That act was ground-breaking, in that it made it easier in law for victims of domestic abuse to be deemed homeless and to get priority accommodation. But what is happening on the ground is a bit of a mixed bag and we are seeing some areas where this isn’t happening in the way that it should, by law.
Following a discussion with representatives of the Local Government Association, the charity, Shelter, and Women’s Aid, more work will now be done to ensure that victims and survivors of domestic abuse are given that priority when they have to leave the home of an abuser, no matter where they are in the country.
I am glad that by becoming Co-Chair of the APPG on Domestic Abuse and Violence, I can follow up on this important work and ensure that the law changes that I helped to introduce are implemented widely and for all.
It is essential that voting is accessible to people with disabilities, and here in Swindon, I work closely with Justin Tomlinson MP and the Open Door Centre, to ensure that their service users understand their rights and choices, so I was glad to support the #MyVoteMatters campaign in Parliament last week. I would like to thank United Response for raising awareness of this important issue.
You may have read in my previous columns that I have joined forces with Alzheimer's Society to work to increase the dementia diagnosis rate locally. There are estimated to be 2,700 people living with dementia in Swindon, yet too many are facing it alone, so it is important that we help more people access the vital support that they need. As part of my work, I recently wrote to our local Integrated Care Board (Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire ICB) and I am delighted that following my letter, they have agreed to a series of planned interventions to increase the dementia diagnosis rate locally. It is great that BSW Integrated Care Board are leading the way and taking a number of necessary steps to increase diagnosis rates within Swindon, and we hope that this will encourage more Integrated Care Systems to follow suit. You can read more about the planned interventions, as well as my work in this area on my website here: https://www.robertbuckland.co.uk/campaigns/sir-robert-buckland-mps-campaign-raise-awareness-dementia-swindon
Finally, my local charity of the week is National Literacy Trust Swindon Stories, which is run in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, to get local people involved in a range of exciting activities to make reading, writing, and talking a priority for everyone in the town. There are lots of free activities and events taking place across Swindon during the school summer holidays, including an outdoor story trail, competitions, and maths ninja sessions. For further information on how you can become involved please visit Swindon Stories | National Literacy Trust or contact [email protected]
