Hello and welcome to my weekly View from the House for Tamworth Informed.  

You will not be surprised to learn that I have received a vast amount of correspondence from residents in Tamworth over the last few weeks about the B word - the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.   

When constituents write to me about their PIP benefit, some of the most frequent queries which cross my desk come from residents who have long-term, complex conditions. These residents are being asked to complete regular review forms and attend face to face assessments for their PIP benefit.

This week I welcomed George from the Tamworth Brewing Co down to UK Parliament and get his 'Hoppy Poppy' served in the Strangers' Pub on the Estate.

He was also awarded with a certificate from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Beer for hosting his beer in Parliament.

Foster carers and those providing 'Staying Put' arrangements play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children and young people.

In recent weeks a number of constituents have been writing to me about EDM1761.  I do not by convention, sign any Early Day Motions, as doing so is likely to breach the Ministerial Code's rules on collective responsibility. 

Today the Government announced that for people claiming ESA benefit, an intensive personalised employment support programme will be made available.

They were formed in 2004 and are the world's only Parliamentary rock band!

MP4 is a band made up of Kevin Brennan MP (Labour - guitar + vox), Rt Hon Sir Greg Knight MP (Conservative - drums) Pete Wishart MP (SNP - keyboards + vox) and former MP Ian Cawsey (Labour - bass guitar)

While most people write to me about national issues, a number of residents have been contacting my office about their recycling bins lately.

Tamworth and Lichfield have a joint waste collection service and are doing what they can to ensure as much waste is recycled as possible.

Many residents write to me looking for funding for their projects, charities or community buildings and events.

Here's some of the grant funding available in December which may be helpful to you.