Happy New Year to all Hampshire Chronicle Readers. I hope everyone had the chance to take some time off and spend it with loved ones over the festive period.

I was very sad to hear of the death of former Mayor and councillor, Chris Pines. He was on the city council at the same time as me, was very kind to me and had a great sense of humour. Unfailingly loyal to his ward and the Labour Party, but always prepared to share ideas and time with others, he was a credit to Winchester in so many ways. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

I am very pleased that people are engaged with the consultation about plans for a new hospital and I urge people to continue to put forward their views. This is a government investment of £900m in our local NHS with a new hospital and refurbishment of Winchester Hospital. At present, heart attacks and heart issues are looked after in Basingstoke Hospital and it can take quite some time to get there. Trauma cases go to Southampton and strokes to Winchester. Most of these cases will go to the new hospital, although 60 per cent of emergency cases will still be looked after in a new refurbished urgent care doctor-led treatment centre in Winchester. The main other concern is about the maternity unit which will become midwife-led in Winchester but have consultants covering longer hours at the new hospital.

The preferred location is the easily accessible M3 Junction 7 site 14 miles from Winchester but the consultation has two sites so please put in for Junction 7 rather than the other existing Basingstoke site option. I do not support the new hospital at the existing Basingstoke hospital. It is way too far for both Winchester and Meon Valley residents.

Congratulations to Marwell Zoo on its recognition for the part it has played in preventing the Scimitar Horned oryx from extinction. My father went on an expedition to save the Arabian Oryx in 1961. They were initially shipped to Texas and then returned thriving, including at Marwell. We are lucky to have a zoo that spends a lot of time and money on the conservation of endangered species from across the globe.

Parliament has returned this week after the Christmas break with a packed agenda following last year’s King’s Speech. I will report back on my Westminster work in this column as usual but also in my weekly newsletters, if you would like to sign up for them.

I am looking forward to seeing the St John’s Fabric of Winchester quilt that I contributed a square to alongside many others. The quilt will be donated to the Winchester Hospice.

The cut in National Insurance from 12 per cent to 10 per cent took place on January 6. It means an extra £450 per year for the average salaried worker on £35,400. This is something that is most welcome as cost-of-living pressures remain, although inflation is thankfully easing.

I am a supporter of business investment and I was pleased to see a report this week saying top bosses think the UK is a more attractive place for manufacturing than the EU. Full expensing is allowing companies to invest in a tax-efficient way, according to the research by Make UK.

Flick Drummond,

MP for Meon Valley