Residents will be aware that I have submitted my response to the London Mayor’s consultation on extending the Ultra-Low Emission Zone. I was inundated by concerns about the plan to charge drivers within Greater London £12.50 a day. Put simply, this is an additional tax on Londoners, and I share residents’ scepticism that its true purpose is to tackle air pollution rather than plug the hole in Transport for London’s (TfL) finances. While I would welcome policies genuinely seeking to tackle air pollution without causing financial hardship, this scheme is simply applying an inner-London solution to outer-London boroughs without appreciating the differences in infrastructure and the greater reliance on cars.

I have also written to Mayor Khan to ask for an update on his plans for Hornchurch Police Station and whether he will be reviewing his decision to dispose of the site. A very proactive and successful community policing team currently operates from the station, and we need to make sure they can continue to carry out their important work. I will continue to raise this issue with local leaders.

Separately, I have been pursuing residents’ concerns about long A&E waits at Queen’s Hospital. I am pleased that a substantial redesign of the Emergency Department will be implemented. This includes the establishment of a Same Day Emergency Care facility which will provide direct access to specialty services without the requirement of a referral or attendance within the Emergency Department. There will also be a greater integration of primary care services at the Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre, allowing attending patients that do not require immediate assistance to be given a same day appointment with a GP at a specified time, allowing them to leave the premises and return at their appointment time.

I also visited Hornchurch Care Home in August to meet with the manager, Pervine, and the team who care for their residents. It was brilliant to discuss the amazing work they do and how we can best work together. I am hopeful that Pervine will also be attending my Jobs and Skills Fair which, by the time of publishing, will have taken place at Queen’s Theatre. This event was hosted in partnership with the Romford Jobcentre and linked residents with local employers and training providers. I will be hosting more of these events in the future and encourage any resident who may be interested in checking my website for all up to date information.