There are two significant local issues that are occupying most of my time. Two issues that have been well reported, but are important to our district and our community: redundancies at both Brinton Carpets and Victoria Carpets; the issue of local health provision.

With cheap imports undercutting UK carpet prices, the UK carpet industry has been under pressure for years. We now see just a few hundred people employed locally that once saw tens of thousands. It would be futile to try to push back the tide against our local industry, but with my job in the Department of International Trade, where I lead on creative industries (amongst others), I am in a position to help the whole of the UK’s carpet industry by promoting our high quality carpets across the globe. But for us in Kidderminster, the important issue is helping those who have been affected.

In the past I have put on Jobs Fairs in Wyre Forest. The last one brought over 500 opportunities but far fewer people than that came along. However, I have been talking with Gavin Miller of the Community Union and, on his suggestion, we are going to work together to put on a joint Jobs Fair as soon as possible – hopefully early August. Both of us have the same interest in helping Community members and my constituents. It makes sense to work together to help as many as we can. We will keep people in touch with progress and dates.

The second issue is the ongoing issues at the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust. This has been dragging on, one way or another, for years. In the last ten days I have met with Hospitals Minister Philip Dunne, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the Care Quality Commission. All of us are aligned in our objective of bringing better outcomes for patients in Worcestershire and of resolving the issues facing our acute hospitals trust. What is fully agreed that the trust needed better leadership and it seems to be the case that the new senior management team – focussing on culture and systems – is making progress.

Change takes time and with the cash we have secured for investment into the hospitals, we should start to see improvement. But it will not change overnight into an exemplary trust. At the early stage, we are looking for a change in direction, that the path has been turned towards recovery.