Strong Local Voice, Strong Local Champion

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, yesterday visited Cobham in Wimborne to meet a group of their apprentices who have made it into the Brathay Apprentice Challenge finals.

Annette was accompanied by prospective parliamentary party candidate Vikki Slade.

The Brathay Challenge is a nationwide competition run by the National Apprenticeship Service and is used to demonstrate the huge contribution apprentices make to their employers' success. In qualifying from the regional heats, the Cobham team were tasked with raising the profile of apprenticeships in their industry and region, and conducting a community project in which the team used its skills to help their local area.

The Queen's Speech will help 1310 businesses in Mid Dorset and North Poole by cutting National Insurance Contributions (NICs).

The National Insurance Contributions Bill announced by the Queen will introduce a National Insurance employment allowance of £2,000, reducing the cost of employment and supporting small businesses aspiring to grow and want to hire their first employee or expand their workforce.

Annette Brooke MP attended a meeting of the Wimborne Women in Business group on 18th April to discuss the local economy and the demographics of the area. They shared a lively discussion and the members of the group had many innovative, excellent ideas.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, yesterday joined with 25 Coalition MPs to vote against the Government. The Government is proposing a relaxation of permitted development rights, allowing householders to build large extensions and conservatories without planning permission. Although, the Government won the vote yesterday by 286 votes to 259, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles promised a compromise approach by the time the issue was reconsidered in the House of Lords next week.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole and Vice-Chair of the APPG on Global Tuberculosis today raised the issue of drug-resistant tuberculosis with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health Anna Soubry MP during Oral Health Questions in the House of Commons. Annette highlighted the APPG's new report on rising rates of drug-resistant TB and asked the Minister to comment on the recommendation to have a national strategy for TB in the UK. She also requested that a meeting be held between the Minister and officers of the APPG to discuss the findings of the report further.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, has pledged to support the swift implementation of a Prostate Cancer UK initiative in Dorset and Poole to help men with prostate cancer receive the best possible care and support, regardless of where they live.

This comes as new analysis uncovered vast variations in the care that men with prostate cancer receive across the whole of England. The evidence further highlights that, despite recent improvements, the disease lags behind the treatment of other common cancers in key areas such as availability of Specialist Nurses, provision of information and support.¹

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole is supporting a national 'HeadSmart Campaign' organised by The Brain Tumour Charity, to raise awareness amongst parents and healthcare professionals of the symptoms of brain tumours in young people and children.

Annette attended an event on Tuesday 19th March in the House of Commons hosted by The Brain Tumour Charity and The Danny Green Fund to learn first-hand how to recognise the symptoms. The Charity showed Annette the resources they have developed, including symptoms cards and an innovative smartphone app to help people recognise the symptoms of a brain tumour.

Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke showed her support in Parliament for energy powered by nature, as part of WWF's Earth Hour 2013. Members of Parliament were asked to put wind, wave, and solar power symbols on a UK weather map to symbolise the need for more renewable energy - to help protect our planet.

Today's Budget announced that the Income Tax Personal Allowance will be raised to £10,000 in April 2014 - one year sooner than had been expected. This means 163,100 ordinary working people in Dorset will get a further Income Tax cut, bringing the total tax cut to £700 a year since Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition Government.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has closed the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Brighton by calling on members to spread the message of the Party's commitment in Government to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society.

In his keynote Leader's speech, Nick paid tribute to the work of the Party in winning the Eastleigh by-election, beating the Conservatives into third place and squeezing Labour while campaigning on the Lib Dem record of delivering in Government.