PARLIAMENTARY PRIVATE SECRETARY - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
I am honoured that I have (once again) been re-appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) in the Ministry of Defence. I am proud to continue to serve Secretary of State Ben Wallace and to play a part during these challenging international times. A PPS is appointed by a minister to be his or her assistant and is selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the Secretary of State in the House of Commons. We also help with Government business in the House. I regularly take soundings on Defence related issues from my Parliamentary colleagues in the Tea Room of the House of Commons and in the corridors. This feedback and any ideas are then fed back to the Ministers.
Parliamentary roles within the Ministry of Defence are often sensitive and are necessarily subject to the highest standards of secrecy so I can only give the broadest description of what I do and what the priority areas are for the Secretary of State and his Ministers. Naturally, Putin’s illegal war in the Ukraine is top of the agenda much of time and other areas that figure heavily are defence procurement and recruitment to our Armed Services. Blyth Valley and the wider North-East has a proud tradition of high numbers of people joining the Armed Forces and serving our country.
It is an unpaid role and whilst it allows me to contribute at a national level it is not so onerous as to stop me from being properly focused on delivering long term projects for Blyth Valley.
REMEMBRANCE DAY - BLYTH VALLEY
With so many people from our area serving in our Armed Forces Remembrance is important to Blyth Valley and the services and marches are always well organised and well attended. I attended the Remembrance Day Parade in Blyth, the Submariners Service – Blyth and Wansbeck Branch, the service at County Hall and the Bede Academy dawn service on the beach. Cllr. Barry Flux laid a wreath on my behalf in Cramlington, my wife Maureen laid a wreath at the service in Cowpen and I laid wreaths in Seaton Delaval, New Hartley and Seaton Sluice. I must make a special mention of Cramlington WI who have been very busy knitting poppies, large and small for Remembrance commemorations. They have decorated 71 bollards with 2,368 poppies – a phenomenal achievement.
Last week I attended the Army Cadets base in Cowpen, Blyth to see the fantastic work that they do. Joining the Cadets gives young people an opportunity to make friends, learn new skills and get a taste for what a career in the Armed Services might offer. The staff who train and look after them do an important job well. I'm currently making arrangements to get along to the Army Reserves and Cadets centre in Cramlington.
