Visits to Strand School and the Flower Market

Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick

Andy Slaughter MP meets Strand School pupils

July 12, 2025

Last week I was delighted to visit Strand on the Green Junior School. I had a great time speaking to the children in their assembly about my role as an MP and how our democracy works. I was also grateful for the time spent with the staff and getting to know the school better.

Last Sunday I thoroughly enjoyed a visit to Chiswick Flower Market. The markets always draw a great crowd to Chiswick High Road, and it is always a pleasure to meet with constituents who have come out for some Sunday shopping.

This week, the Justice Committee heard evidence form Lord Timpson. The evidence session will form part of the Committee’s two current inquiries on Tackling drugs in prisons and Rehabilitation and resettlement: ending the cycle of reoffending. At the evidence session the aim was to assess the Ministry of Justice’s progress in addressing the drugs crisis in prisons and look at outcomes relating to rehabilitation during Lord Timpson’s first year in office. This session was very useful for both enquiries.

On the topic of Justice, I raised the Crown Court Backlog in Justice Questions. Specifically, that 839 magistrates court trials and 186 Crown court trials had to be cancelled because the defendant was not brought to court on time by prisoner escort contractors. I asked whether the Lord Chancellor agrees that however effective the reforms recommended by Sir Brian Leveson, prove to be, they will be undermined from the start unless the performance of contractors such as Serco improves.

On Wednesday morning I met with constituents who had come to Parliament to lobby MPs about climate change policy. These events in Parliament are usually very well attended and I was grateful that people took time out of their day to come and speak with me.

At the Chiswick Flower Market

On Friday I met with residents of Pocklington Lodge, a housing scheme for those who are blind or partially sighted, who are concerned about the future their accommodation. It was useful to hear the perspective and concerns of the residents, and I will again be raising this with Thomas Pocklington Trust to seek assurances for residents that their wellbeing and housing security is prioritised.

Finally, I spoke in the debate for the remaining stages of the Rare Cancer’s Bill on Friday. I’ve had lots of constituents who have written asking me to attend, and rightly so. In my speech I highlighted cases brought to me by constituents who have suffered greatly due to rare cancers. The Bill is an important step forward in tackling rare cancers and I hope to see its enactment later this year.

Best wishes,

Andy

andy@andyslaughter.com

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