Richmond Park News: 4 February 2022

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

A very happy Year of the Tiger to all my constituents celebrating Lunar New Year! I trust everyone will find a joyful way to mark the beginning of what I sincerely hope will be a wonderful year for all.

EDUCATION CATCH UP AND MENTAL HEALTH

Yesterday in the House we had a backbench business debate on the effectiveness of the government’s education catch-up and mental health recovery programmes.

This is the number one issue for parents and schools in our constituency: young people's mental health and the impact lockdowns have had on our children.

I have heard from teachers about about four and five year olds who are suffering extreme separation anxiety from their parents, primary school children who don't know how to play with one another, and secondary school students living with the negative consequences of too much social media.

Our teachers are amazing, but they are not trained mental health professionals and shouldn't be expected to fill that role. We need to broaden the mental health resources available in the community, including access to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) and mental health nurses in schools. We also need to give parents more options and advice on where they can go in the community for support.

To see a clip of part of my speech, please click here. Or to read the text of the full speech click here.

RESPONDING TO THE ENERGY CRISIS

Yesterday’s announcement by Ofgem of a 54% increase in the energy price cap will have doubtless caused anxiety f