This month a care provider in my constituency is closing, citing the workforce crisis. I listened to the Minister during the question session and remembered the current Chancellor spending the last year before his appointment telling anyone who would listen about the critical need for a workforce strategy. So, the Department should be pushing at an open Treasury door. I will continue to speak up for those working in the care sector to ensure they are not forced out by low pay, poor conditions or substandard training and development. For too long the Tory Government has taken a sticking plaster approach to social care. If they continue along this path the summer NHS crisis – yes, you read that right: summer – will spiral out of control into the worst winter crisis we have ever witnessed.
I was pleased to visit Bottle Yard Studios’ brand-new facility with City Mayor, Marvin Rees, and South West Regional Mayor, Dan Norris. The £12 million facility looks incredible and was supported by the West of England Combined Authority. For those who are unaware, The Bottle Yard Studios is the largest dedicated film and TV studio facility in the West of England. Eight stages are available across their main site, and they now have three additional premium stages at their new facility. With a giant green screen, furnished production offices and ancillary workspaces – plus a thriving hub of creative businesses – they really do have everything needed for a fully supported shoot. It’s really exciting to see this development and I look forward to seeing what is achieved in this brilliant space.
Continuing on the theme of visiting great businesses in and around Bristol, I popped over to Airbus. It was great to meet Sue Partridge as the new Head of Site and to have an update on Airbus including their plans to have a Zero Emissions Development Centre (ZEDC) on site. I was also given a short tour of their new Aerospace Integrated Research & Test Centre (AIRTeC) and the opportunity to meet apprentices working on some of these exciting projects. Apprenticeships come not just from Airbus but employers in their supply chain in Bristol and the region. It’s vital for our regional economy.
Following the interest rate hike from the Bank of England – the largest in over 30 years – I know that the cost-of-living crisis hitting everyone hard: people in Bristol are feeling the pinch. Bristol Council is making funds available to help people cut their bills. You may be eligible to funds and support to install a range of insulation and low-carbon technologies including external wall, cavity wall, loft, and underfloor insulation, double glazing and energy efficient doors, and solar PV. Other schemes are also available. To find out more, visit the website here.
If there are issues you want to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing Karin.smyth.mp@parliament.uk or by calling 0117 953 3575.