With the new Parliament underway I am receiving a large number of enquiries from constituents with concerns about the policies of the new Tory Government. By far the most popular issue during July was fox hunting, and I received over 400 emails urging me to oppose the Government’s plans to water down the Hunting Act. You can see a full breakdown of the issues constituents have written about in the chart below.
I also continue to receive letters and emails from constituents asking for help and advice. Some recent cases are below:
- A constituent wrote to me to say they had received a council tax bill in error, despite being enrolled as a student in the merchant navy. They had been informed that they would be exempted from council tax until they had completed their course, but this exemption was not applied. They explained that they would struggle to pay the £75 bill, as their studying commitments meant they were unable to seek employment. I contacted the council explaining the urgency of the situation, and within 24 hours the mistake had been rectified and the proper exemption applied.
- A constituent contacted me explaining that they had been issued with a parking ticket while waiting for treatment in the local A&E department. She had driven herself to A&E because she did not have any other means of transport, but had been unable to buy a pay and display ticket because she was in serious pain. I made enquiries on my constituent’s behalf and got the parking fine overturned, because of my constituent’s exceptional circumstances.
- A constituent wrote to say that a council tax premium had been unfairly applied to her deceased mother’s home. My constituent had been attempting to sell the property, but it had been falsely categorised as unfurnished and so the council tax bill had been increased. I asked the council to reassess the property, and following a further inspection they overturned the decision, meaning my constituent no longer had to pay an excessive rate of council tax.
If you are having a similar issue that you think I may be able to help with, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. I can be contacted on 0191 427 1240 or at emma.lewell-buck.mp@parliament.uk. Alternatively you can come to one of my constituency advice surgeries at my office. Details of future surgeries can be found on my website.