May Highlights

This is where we are at with our current casework:

📥Cases opened for residents: 475

📤Cases closed for residents: 447

⏳Total number of cases we are currently working on: 224

Please contact us and we will always try to help:

📧mark.sewards.mp@parliament.uk

Time to Regulate the Funeral Industry

As many of you know, Cody, Liam and Zoe had to endure a terrible experience at the hands of a rogue funeral director who did not take proper care of their babies’ bodies. I promised them I’d campaign to regulate the funeral sector so that what happened to their babies never happens to anyone again.

In May, I brought together leading operators, representatives and professionals from right across the sector to discuss what regulation should look like, what principles should govern its creation and how new rules should be enforced.

I’m hosting another roundtable in Parliament in June with the same objectives and other organisations. This will enable us to present our findings to Government before they make a decision on whether or not regulation of the industry is required. I have continued to lobby ministers repeatedly on this point.

𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆

I’m very grateful to the organisation, Leeds Dads, for inviting me to address their paternity demo in Leeds. They have argued for a long time that 2 weeks paternity leave is not enough and I think they are absolutely right.

I’ve continued to call for better paternity leave and pay in Parliament. It’s worth saying that the case is so strong, and the benefits so obvious, that many employers already offer improved paternity packages. Now it’s time to make the offer universal.

The Government’s consultation ends this year and it’s important that MPs act on the findings quickly. Until then, we’ll continue to make the case that 2 weeks is not enough.

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

It’s the National Year of Reading! In Parliament, I’ve been working with the Education Select Committee on our inquiry into ‘Reading for Pleasure’ and how we can embed this in an age of smartphones. The benefits of reading are pretty obvious, but the battle now is to encourage more people, especially children, to read as often as time allows.

As part of this work, I was pleased to speak at this year’s ‘Vision for Literacy’ event at KPMG in Canary Wharf. The event recognised the growing number of businesses that have signed a business pledge to improve reading and literacy in the National Year of Reading.

There is an impressive range of organisations stepping up to support literacy across the country and many were represented at the event in London. I look forward to continuing to work with some of you over the year ahead, including on school libraries and taking advantage of the new opportunities unlocked by the Government’s commitment to them!

𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀

Thank you to every resident who’s been in contact about this issue and to those who attended my constituency roundtable discussion. The Government’s consultation has now closed. I have taken all of your feedback to Ministers.

In May, I was grateful to hear from constituents directly at the social media roundtable in Morley. Before that, as Chair of the Parents All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), I hosted More in Common, Parentkind and Mumsnet in Parliament to discuss what polling tells us about current attitudes to social media.

I remain concerned that profit-driven algorithms are capturing and keeping children’s attention in ways we’ve never seen before, but I do appreciate the other views that have been put to me over the course of this consultation.

Next steps will be announced before Summer, watch this space.

𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀

The King’s Speech confirmed that the Government will bring forward a Tackling State Threats Bill in this session of Parliament.

It has been a huge effort to get this legislation confirmed. I’m on record in the House of Commons asking the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, the Foreign Sectary, and the Security Minister, to bring this legislation forward as soon as possible. I’m very pleased that Government has now committed to do so.

As well as equip the UK to deal with malign state threats, it will specifically enable the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (the IRGC) which now controls Iran and threatens the UK, instigating violence against the British Jewish Community.

It’s essential that the Government bring forward the legislation quickly, which is something I called for during the King’s Speech debate in May. It must be a priority.

𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

Many of my constituents who had initial problems with Royal Mail now report an improved service, but this does not apply to everyone. If you are still having problems with late or grouped delivery of post, please contact my office; Royal Mail have assured me that they will look into any individual issues for me.

I won’t repeat everything I’ve done on this case here but the work involved included chasing Royal Mail for answers, meeting with the Minister responsible, raising the issue in Parliament and, now, working on outstanding issues that have not been resolved.

Please contact me if this includes you: mark.sewards.mp@parliament.uk‍ ‍

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗶

During Parliament’s May recess, I joined our Armed Forces in the jungle in Brunei to learn about their essential work in the region. This work forms part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, which is designed to help MPs understand the current status of the UK army and support subsequent policy work.

We spent time with army personnel and their families, and camped out with Ghurkhas in the jungle. I always find this work enlightening as it helps MPs from all backgrounds to actually see and experience what our service men and women stationed around the world do to keep us all safe, and the sacrifices they make for us in the process.

I’m so grateful to the Armed Forces Parliamentary Trust for the invite and for the work they put into this scheme. As always, it will inform any work I do with the Department of Defence, especially on the Defence Investment Plan.

𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴!

I’m very pleased to see all the Neighbourhood Board members in place and ready to make decisions about the future of ‘Farnley East.’

This includes extending the borders to include the Tong Estate, the top of the Whincovers, the Stonebridges, the Stonecliffes and Farnley Community Centre. I have been arguing for this extension since the start.

This Board will determine how £20 million ‘Pride in Place’ fund is spent on the area over the next 10 years, and it’s made up of local residents and people with a vested interest in the area. They held their first meeting in May.

If you want to know anything about Pride in Place, please contact PrideinPlace.Farnley@Leeds.gov.uk.

A full list of Board members can be seen here:

Supporting our communities

One of the best parts of almost any week is hosting my in-person surgeries, where residents can ask me for support with anything.

In May, I held them in St John’s Church in Wortley, Churwell Community Centre, St Michael’s Church in East Ardsley and Morley Labour Rooms.

I rotate them between 13 different locations in the constituency and I’m very grateful to everyone who hosts me.

I’ve kept up regular door knocking with my volunteer team, including after the local elections. Now the elections are over, I want to congratulate everyone again who had the courage to put themselves forward.

I continue to carry out as many constituency engagements as possible alongside my Parliamentary work. One highlight from this month was a long Q&A with students at Rodillian School. They were very inquisitive and asked outstanding questions.

I also very much enjoyed Morley Elderly Action’s VE Day celebrations at East Ardsley Community Centre. I picked up key casework that I have actioned.

And finally, congratulations to Ardsley & Robin Hood Councillor Stephen Holroyd on his appointment as Lord Mayor of Leeds and to Noel Bullock on his appointment as Mayor of Morley!

Please contact me if I can help:

📧 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸.𝘀𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.𝗺𝗽@𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.𝘂𝗸

May Update