Monday was a very exciting day, because it was the first day for the majority of my new staff. I have one member of staff assisting me in London, and the rest are staffing my shop / office in Newcastle.
The Newcastle shop is at 3 Queens Parade, directly opposite Castle House. Unfortunately we are still waiting for the Parliamentary authorities to provide telecoms, broadband and IT equipment, but my team have been getting to know each other and going through previous casework.
When we are properly up and running, the intention is to have the shop open as a "drop-in" from 10am - 2pm each weekday, and also open on the first Saturday of the month. Many issues can be resolved - or at the very least logged - in the course of a chat, and of course I will write on residents' behalf to the council, NHS, police and other agencies if they need help sorting cases out.
Please be aware that I can only help constituents of Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency with casework: the constituency covers the central portion of the borough. If you are not sure which constituency you are in you can check your postcode at https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons
During the week in Westminster itself the most important business in the Chamber was passing the NHS Funding Bill, which enshrines in law our manifesto commitment to providing an extra £33.9bn a year to the NHS by 2023/24.
The NHS is this Government's priority and this Bill provides it with both the biggest cash boost in history and also the certainty it needs to deliver the transformational changes set out in the NHS Long Term Plan so that it can continue to deliver world-class care.
Importantly, the Bill does not limit the amount of funding we can put into the NHS, but instead sets that the budget must be "at least" what we have committed to.
I also asked a question at Foreign Office Questions, about the measures the Government is taking to maintain relationships amongst our NATO allies. There have been obvious political tensions both within and between some NATO members, so it is more important than ever that we use our diplomatic network to keep NATO - which has kept the peace in the West since 1949 - in good shape.
Back in the constituency on Thursday evening and Friday, I caught up with my new staff, and I also met with council leaders and MPs from across the wider area (Newcastle, Stoke and Moorlands). It is important that representatives from the whole area work together to bid for new projects.
I think we have made a good start: we have delivered Brexit, and we have passed the NHS Funding Bill. But I know from my many doorstep conversations that people here want to see change on a local level as well - to put a bit of investment, energy and pride back into the town centre. This will be my priority over the next few years.
Best, Aaron