As your local MP, I work closely with my two colleagues in the Assembly, Cllr Edwin Poots MLA and Cllr Norah Beare MLA and with our other local Councillors to address a wide variety of matters that are of importance to the local community. Here is a sample of some of the issues that we have been involved with on your behalf:

HEALTH

Through vigorous lobbying and numerous meetings with the Health authorities, considerable investment has been made in the provision of new facilities at the Lagan Valley Hospital including the new Day Procedure Unit and revamped Accident and Emergency Department. My priority now is to attract further funding so that hospital waiting lists can be reduced and local people can have access to the best healthcare when they need it.

EDUCATION

Working in partnership with other elected representatives, we have secured substantial improvements in local education provision with several new schools built or in the pipeline and the provision of new nursery units in the Lisburn area and a new nursery school in Dromore. I will continue to strive for further investment including the extension of nursery education for all pre-school children in Lagan Valley and the enhancement of provision for Further and Higher education.

JOB CREATION

One of my early achievements as Lagan Valley MP was to persuade the IDB to open up the industrial development site at Knockmore Hill and I am delighted that the first of the new units have now been constructed at this location. Lagan Valley now has the lowest levels of unemployment in Northern Ireland at 2.4% and I am committed to working in partnership with local industry to create even more quality jobs for local people.

PUBLIC SERVICES

One of my priorities in the constituency has been to seek improvements to local housing and to the infrastructure that supports our way of life. I have continuously raised such issues with the Housing Executive and various Government Departments and have secured funding for housing improvement schemes, new heating systems, water main replacement, new sewage treatment works as well as improvements to the local roads network and an upgrade of the public transport system. Clearly much more needs to be done and I will endeavour to ensure that Lagan Valley gets its fair share of public expenditure in these vital services.

 
COMMUNITY REGENERATION

During the past four years I have worked closely with Community Groups to address issues of concern in local communities. Much progress has been made in revitalising some areas whilst more needs to be done in other parts of the constituency. I have recently been appointed to chair the newly formed Dromore Partnership which is a good example of how local partnerships can provide the impetus for regeneration. I believe that politicians should spend as much time on the ground addressing local issues with local people as they do addressing the constitutional issues that tend to grab the headlines.

RURAL ISSUES

The recent foot and mouth crisis caused much damage to our agricultural industry in addition to that already caused by BSE. Having met recently with the President of the Ulster Farmers Union and local farmers representatives I am working closely with the Department of Agriculture at Stormont and the Ministry in London to ensure that our farmers receive the support that they need to recover from this terrible situation. In addition I have campaigned for adequate protection for our countryside and for the local environment and was successful in achieving further safeguards to preserve the Lagan Valley Regional Park for future generations.

POLICING

I meet regularly with the local Police Commanders to discuss policing issues throughout Lagan Valley. With rising levels of crime and a constant threat from terrorism, it is vital that adequate levels of policing are maintained and that more Police Officers are made available to patrol our local communities. Whilst other politicians equivocate about their support for the Police, I recognise the need to protect the most vulnerable in our society from the criminals and the terrorists.

I am also working closely with local Community Groups to support the retention of our local Police Stations in places like Dromara, Dunmurry, Hillsborough and Moira.