I would like to pretend that last week was a beautiful Bank Holiday weekend, but sadly it was a bit of a wash out. However that did not dampen spirits at either the Nursling and Rownhams May Fair or the Upper Clatford May Fayre, both of which I attended on Monday. The rain came down but that did not hamper the volunteers who make these community events happen, and I would like to thank all those who give that sort of effort, every year, to make sure others can have a good time and come together as communities.
In Parliament this week I hosted former Love Island contestant Georgia Harrison for a drop in session to meet MPs and talk about revenge porn. It coincided with the arrival of hundreds of emails from constituents raising concerns about smartphones and the impact they have on young people. There can be little doubt that the easy access to age inappropriate content has had a massive effect on children, and we know that the average age at which children are first exposed to pornography is about 13. It is undoubtedly ripping away the innocence of childhood, and whilst you cannot put the genie of the internet and technology back in the bottle, there are ways in which it can be controlled, at the very least for our children.
Of course part of the responsibility does lie with parents, they can put controls on phones, limit access to screen time, and have robust conversations with their children. But the online safety legislation needs to be rigorously enforced by Ofcom as the regulator. They are coming in to speak to the select committee I chair in a few weeks, and I do take the point that the legislation needs to bed down and be given a chance to work. But not too long, because we all know the tech giants will innovate and change, and legislation cannot be allowed to stagnate, it will need to keep pace with new technologies, new platforms and new dangers.
Aster and the sewage treatment plants in some of the Test Valley villages have been back on the agenda this week. I have been working with Cllr Nick Adams-King to try to find a solution to the excessive charges that have been levied on home owners. We have been doing an in depth look at Cowleas Cottages in Awbridge, which is one of the larger sites and therefore impacting a significant number of residents. There remain serious questions about value for money of contracts. This is not just a Test Valley issue and I have been working with colleagues across Dorset as well, where there are similar issues. We have a further meeting next week and will keep at it.
This coming week we celebrate locally and nationally the birthday of Florence Nightingale. I am very much looking forward to the event in St Paul’s Cathedral where nurses from across the world come together to celebrate the founder of modern nursing. People often forget that Florence was not just a nurse, but a mathematician and a politician. She really was a trailblazer of her time, when women were not expected to have any sort of career outside the home. Her grave at Wellow remains very simply marked, but there is the stunning stained glass window in Romsey Abbey which commemorates her calling and the remarkable contribution she made.
