What an absolute pleasure it was to welcome Ukrainian mother Liliya Onopa and her six boys to Chepstow on Friday. Liliya’s story of the horrors she and her children encountered after fleeing their home north of Dnipro is incredibly moving. The family embarked on a dangerous journey, travelling to Bucharest in Romania before arriving in Monmouthshire. I played a very small part by helping to sort out visa issues – but huge praise must go to our fantastic Chepstow community for making this possible. Liliya was handed the keys to a former caretaker’s property, which has been refurbished by volunteers from St Mary’s RC Primary School and church using donations from across the area. It really shows what a community can do to help those in need, and I am incredibly proud of the unbelievable kindness, generosity and network of support we have in Chepstow. Project organisers and governors of the school, Phil Cotterell and Francis Tindall, deserve a special mention. Liliya and her children are settling in well and I wish them all the best for the future.
As of 17 May, 107,400 Ukrainian visas had been issued out of 128,100 applications. Where there are problems or delays, it is usually because paperwork has not been filled in properly or there are safeguarding concerns involving children under the age of 18. I have discussed individual cases with ministers, and changes the Home Office has made to streamline the visa system means we are now processing applications as quickly as they come in.
I am continuing to receive numerous complaints about The Grange University Hospital in Llanfrechfa. I wrote to Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan and she has effectively washed her hands of the matter, telling me it’s not her problem and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board need to sort it out. Ultimately, the buck stops with Welsh Government and Eluned Morgan is the minister responsible. Since the new hospital opened, people are not getting treatment as quickly as they should - and nobody seems able to give me a clear explanation as to why this is. I am extremely worried for the future, especially if plans to scrap the rapid response vehicle at Monmouth ambulance station go ahead.
With Covid seemingly behind us, I am looking forward to a summer of events, fetes and shows across the constituency. I hope to get to as many as possible, including Abergavenny Steam Rally (which is back after a two-year gap). Of course, we have Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend to kick things off in true British patriotic style!
*Published in the Monmouthshire Beacon on 25 May 2022 and the Abergavenny Chronicle on 26 May 2022*