Letter from Westminster

We are now two weeks into an historic coalition Government, which I believe has a lot to offer Waveney.

I have spent the last three weeks 'hot desking'; setting up a new office in the House of Commons and trying to keep on top of your letters and emails. I will be moving to a new local office in the centre of Lowestoft and will be aiming to spend Thursday/Friday through to Monday in the constituency to deal more directly with local concerns. Please bear with me, your correspondence is very important to me and I will respond as soon as possible.

There are a large number of issues I will be seeking to address in Westminster and in the constituency in the coming weeks. The coalition with the Liberal Democrats gives us a unique opportunity to address shared policy objectives such as the need for investment in renewable energy resources. This is a major opportunity in Lowestoft with the huge potential we have for off-shore energy creation.

Last week I gave my maiden speech in the House of Commons focusing on offshore renewables. It was a daunting and humbling task to stand and speak for the first time, but I was pleased to put on record early my commitment to this issue. I hope to meet with Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, in the coming weeks to discuss the great potential that the Lowestoft area has for generating energy and creating jobs.

People are extremely concerned about the transition from a three tier schooling system to a two tier system. I have met with officials from the County Council to discuss the review and will be having further meetings in the coming weeks. I would be grateful if you could send me your concerns so that I can pass them on.

I am very honoured to have been elected to represent you and I look forward to meeting as many constituents as I can over the coming months. "