Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Commons to represent the interests and concerns of all people who live in their constituency. They are only able to deal with issues raised by their own constituents. To find out if I represent you, enter your postcode here.
I receive a lot of correspondence from my constituents, on a variety of different topics, and in some cases the issues people write to me about, unfortunately do not fall within my remit as the local Member of Parliament; so I am unable to help in those situations. That’s why I have created a handy guide below to point you in the right direction for support.
What can I do as your MP?
· Consider and vote on legislation;
· Attend, scrutinise, speak and vote on debates in Parliament;
· Visit local organisations, businesses and community events in the constituency;
· Ask ministers questions in the House of Commons, and submit written questions to government departments, which are published in Hansard here.
· Take part in Adjournment and Westminster Hall debates where I may raise constituents’ issues or concerns;
· Present petitions to Parliament on your behalf. The wording and format need to be done in a certain way. For more information click here.
MPs can also write to government departments, officials or ministers on behalf of their constituents. Many problems are solved in this way.
You can also get in touch to ask me to support a particular campaign you feel strongly about; but general campaign emails will receive less of a priority, from my office, than specific local casework matters.
You can also tell me about a problem affecting people in the local area, and I may be able to help.
You can also get in touch to ask me to support a particular campaign you feel strongly about; but general campaign emails will receive less of a priority, from my office, than specific local casework matters.
You can also tell me about a problem affecting people in the local area, and I may be able to help.
What an MP cannot do, however, is have any jurisdiction over local Council decisions (outlined below). However, I can write to the council and ask them to look into a problem or to reconsider an issue. In the first instance though, constituents should contact their local council or councillor directly.
What Hampshire County Council is responsible for:
- Highways and road maintenance, including fixing potholes
- Street lighting
- Social services
- Adult social care
- Fire and public safety
- Education, including school placements (including SEND)
- Trading standards
- Public transport in Hampshire
Useful links:
To report a pothole, pavement issue, bin issue, parking issues or any other general road issues, click here: Report a problem to Hampshire County Council Highways | Transport and roads | Hampshire County Council
To find out who the County Councillor is that represents your area, click here: Councillors, meetings and decisions | About the Council | Hampshire County Council
As a member of the Hamble Valley constituency, you will also be represented by a smaller District or Borough council which provide more localised services. You will fall within either: Fareham Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council or Winchester City Council.
The primary difference between a Borough and District Council is honorary as opposed to a significant difference in power or function.
To find out what district or borough council you fall under, enter your postcode here.
What District/ Borough councils are responsible for:
- Bin collections
- Council tax
- Benefits
- Planning decisions
- Housing
- Environmental health
- Community safety
- Recycling
Useful links:
Fareham Borough Council website: Fareham Borough Council
Eastleigh Borough Council website: Eastleigh Borough Council
Winchester City Council website: Home - Winchester City Council
Parish Councils are the lowest level of Government in the UK and are below District/ Borough Councils. They are elected to focus on smaller, more ‘localised’ issues such as:
- Allotments
- Public clocks
- Bus shelters
- Community centres
- Play area and play equipment
- Parish owned parks, open spaces, sports grounds and recreational grounds
- Cemeteries
- Grants to help local organisations
- Consultations on neighbourhood planning
They also have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like:
- Litter
- Graffiti
- Fly posting
- Dog offences
To find out what parish council you fall under, enter your postcode here.