In the news items below, you can read about some of the things Chloe has been up as your MP and since she was first chosen to be the candidate for the Norwich North constituency in January 2008.
If you want to read about her very latest campaigns, click here.
Today. Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North joined the Norfolk Camera Safety Partnership to discuss the issue of road safety in the city. She met with staff at the Partnership before going out into Norwich with a hand-held speed gun.
Chloe recently held a consultation on speeding in the Norwich North constituency and will soon be reporting its results. Chloe launched the campaign as part of her ‘Contract' published during last year's Norwich North by-election. According to a recent report by the Department for Transport, almost 3000 people were injured in road traffic accidents in Norfolk in 2008. And according to a Parliamentary Question recently asked by Chloe, the number of motor vehicles registered in the Norwich North constituency has risen by a quarter in the last ten years - up by nearly 12,000.
Commenting on the campaign, Chloe said:
"I get many letters about speeding issues across Norwich North. I am already pressing for action on the top spots in north Norwich following my recent consultation. People do want to be safe in the streets, and with a steep rise in vehicles over ten years, without yet a major road around the north of the city to help relieve congestion, this is a serious issue."
Chloe will be hosting meetings in the coming weeks with local police, councillors and council officials to discuss how the findings of her consultation can be addressed in order to improve safety on local roads.
Today, Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North hosted a special surgery for local residents who are concerned about housing issues in the Catton Grove area of the city.
The surgery was held at St Catherine's Church Hall on Aylsham Road from 4pm-5pm.
Chloe comments: "As a local MP, I receive a high number of letters and calls from residents who are concerned about their housing. I am therefore piloting a special surgery in Catton Grove to bring together local people, councillors, council officials, members of the residents' association and the local police to discuss how housing standards can be improved. If people in the Catton Grove area have particular concerns or cases with which I and the council could help, please come along or just get in touch."
As reported in the Evening News, Chloe has previously taken action on behalf of Mile Cross residents experiencing problems with the state of windows in their homes. Every week Chloe is asked to help in a range of family housing problems as part of her role as a local MP, and endeavours to act with local councils and other agencies to solve cases.
In her ‘Contract' published during the Norwich North by-election, Chloe pledged to hold such surgeries as a forum to promote joined-up working on local issues.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North today visited the Mancroft Advice Project (MAP) to talk about problems facing young people in the city.
MAP is a young person's advice and counselling service in the heart of the city near the entrance to Chapelfield. MAP has been active for 18 years and sees 40-50 young people every day. It supports vulnerable and marginalised young people, representing them and advocating their rights in the community.
Chloe used the visit to highlight the major role played by MAP's counselling service in Norwich for the young people who use it.
Following her work on the Work and Pensions Select Committee, where she has joined other MPs in recently reviewing the operation of Local Housing Allowance, Chloe also used the visit to discuss the Norwich area rates for housing benefit. Concerns have been raised that the Norwich area rates severely distort recipients' rental opportunities.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North today met with local representatives of the National Family Mediation Service (NFM) to discuss the important issue of family breakdown.
National Family Mediation (NFM) is a network of local Family Mediation Services in England and Wales which offer help to couples who are in the process of separation and divorce.
Mediation is a confidential, voluntary, "without prejudice" process in which a neutral and impartial third party, the mediator, helps to discuss and negotiate all issues surrounding divorce or separation. Research shows that mediation improves communication and helps the family build for the future in new circumstances. In particular it can help children maintain their family relationships. NFM advocates the view that mediation is the more cost effective option and follows a much shorter timescale than other routes to legal separation / divorce.
During the visit, Chloe discussed how a regional network can be built for the purpose of raising awareness about mediation and the opportunity it provides to families in breakdown, especially in this time of recession and financial instability.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, today met with Tom Molloy of the Norfolk Guidance Service at County Hall.
Norfolk Guidance Service (NGS) is part of Norfolk County Council, and provides a range of information, advice and guidance services for adults in Norfolk, relating to learning and work. Many services are free to the general public, being funded by contracts with local and national funding organisations, but some are provided on payment of an agreed fee.
Norfolk Guidance Service also delivers the Government's Nextstep contract in Norfolk. Nextstep is a service providing free information and advice about learning and work to adults particularly those with few or no formal qualifications.
Chloe used the meeting to discuss current provision as well as Conservative proposals for transforming the Adult Advancement and Careers Service into an all-age careers service, covering schools and colleges and offering face-to-face guidance, as well as a new web-based skills matching service, revolutionising people's ability to access information on jobs, training and apprenticeships.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North this afternoon visited the new NHS Walk-in Centre in the Castle Mall Norwich.
The new Walk-in Centre opened after the closure of the old Walk-in Centre in Thorpe St Andrew in July. Prior to her election as MP for Norwich North, Chloe campaigned for the old Walk-in Centre to remain open and took a 5,600 strong petition to the Department for Health in London. For a time, the future of the old centre was in doubt but there is now fresh hope for the vacated centre after the Conservative County Council proposed locating a children's Sure Start centre there, which could sit alongside NHS family health services.
Chloe was given a tour of the £2 million centre, which opened in August last year, by the Trustees of its operator, Norwich Practices Ltd.
Data released today by the Office for National Statistics has shown that the total number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance during January has increased by 23,500 nationally to reach 1.64 million. This follows two consecutive monthly falls in the claimant count and is the highest figure since April 1997.
There have also been increases in the number of claimants in part of the Eastern Region. In Norfolk the claimant count has risen by 1,350 from 18,381 to 19,731 people- the highest figure for 13 years. In Norwich the claimant count has also risen by 6% from 4,360 claimants in December to 4,639 last month. This is a 30% increase in claimants since January 2009.
Commenting on today's Labour Market Statistics Chloe Smith, Member of the Department of Work and Pensions Select Committee and MP for Norwich North said:
"It is very disappointing that claimant counts nationally, and in Norfolk, have reached their highest points since 1997.
"I recently raised concerns with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Future Jobs Fund. I commended the Conservative-run Norfolk County Council for creating 300 extra jobs, but it still remains that this scheme is not attracting local businesses or companies outside of the public sector.
"In my own constituency, Norwich North, the claimant count has increased in one month from 2,265 to 2,457. Government schemes are simply not working."
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, today visited the Inspire Discovery Centre on Oak Street.
The Inspire Centre, as widely reported in the Norwich Evening News, has had a number of problems with its heating and bell tower and had to close for almost a month in December. The Centre has since reopened and continues to be a popular attraction for local youngsters.
Chloe, who is a patron of the Centre, used the visit to discuss its recent troubles with staff as well as joining in the Centre's varied programme of half term activities for city children. She also highlighted the much-loved facilities and services provided by the centre to many schools in the region.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, will today (Tuesday) be meeting with Sue Coleman, chairman of the Norfolk and Norwich Licensed Victuallers Association, to discuss the recent hikes in rates for local publicans.
Chloe will use the meeting to offer her support to Ms Coleman who also owns The Stanley pub on Magdalen Road and to highlight her support for the EDP/Evening News ‘Love your Local' campaign.
Chloe has previously raised the issue of business rates in Parliament, asking questions of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Chloe has now approached the local Valuation Office - based in Thorpe St Andrew, and one of 85 offices around the UK - to seek clarification of the procedure and principles for carrying out valuation in the Norwich area.
And on Wednesday she will meet with Colin Bland, Chief Executive of Broadland District Council, John Reeve, the Council's Head of Revenue, and Simon Quilter, its Local Tax Manager, to discuss how valuation for business rates could be localised for the good of local traders.
Commenting on the rise in rates and the role of the local pub in the community, Chloe said:
"It's vital to help local pubs stay open. One important part of that is making sure that business rates are set with as much local understanding as possible. This government should have tried to understand the impact on businesses, but instead have carried on regardless."
Chloe has also been working with Mike Lorenz, owner of the popular Whalebone pub at the foot of Constitution Hill and Managing Director of Broadland Taverns Ltd, a Norwich-based independent company providing a consultancy and advisory service for local publicans, on this important issue for local businesses.
Commenting on Chloe's work locally, Mr Lorenz said:
"I think any initiative to highlight at Parliamentary level the difficulties being experienced by Licensees can only be beneficial and hopefully get over the message that it's time to leave us alone"
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, joined representatives from Norfolk Constabulary in Norwich on Saturday to promote safer cycling practices on the city's streets.
From midday, Chloe joined Sgt Lee Wagstaff of the city's Safer Neighbourhood Team to issue leaflets on cycling safety and how to ensure pedestrians are safe on the streets.
Officers also offered advice for cyclists about the law and which streets in the city centre may not be used by cyclists
To find out if Chloe is your MP, click here.
In the by-election on 23rd July 2009, local people elected Chloe Smith to be the new Conservative MP for Norwich North.
Chloe has been a longstanding campaigner for our community. For instance, even before she was our MP she was active against the closure of the NHS walk-in centre at Thorpe St. Andrew, fighting for justice following the Greyhound Opening homes scandal, working to improve the quality of council housing, and pushing the councils to address road problems.
Now, Chloe is proud to have been your hardworking local MP since last July's by-election. She has spoken out in Westminster for Norwich North, and worked tirelessly for local people here at home. As your MP she has pushed for better roads and rail, decent local services, help for our troops and much more.
A Norfolk girl, Chloe lives in Norwich and enjoys cycling and playing badminton at a city club in her spare time. Chloe passionately enjoys the arts.
She is an active charity volunteer, having set out to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in 2006 for the British Heart Foundation and Leukaemia Research and having completed fundraising challenges for local charities such as John Grooms Court. She is Patron of YMCA Norfolk and the Inspire Hands-On Science Centre in Norwich, as well as Honorary Vice President of the Norfolk and Norwich Novi Sad Association. She is a school governor of a primary school in the city.
Chloe formerly worked for a leading international firm which advises private businesses, government departments and public bodies.
