August 2025 Newsletter

With Parliament in recess throughout August, it’s been a jam-packed summer in Pembrokeshire, between visits, surgeries, roundtables and local events. (I've captured a selection of those activities in this month’s newsletter!)

I want to especially thank all the incredible local organisations, sports clubs, libraries, volunteer groups and community activists who have made this summer so special   with a range of wonderful events, carnivals and community activities that have been happening throughout the school holidays.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who received their A Level and GCSE results. I hope students and teachers across Pembrokeshire have had the opportunity to rest and recuperate over the holiday and would like to wish everyone the very best of luck for the new term.

Keeping Our Streets Safe

Thanks to our Labour Government’s Safer Streets Initiative, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Tenby have all seen increased police patrols and enhanced policing support throughout the summer.

Residents deserve to feel safe and secure in our town centres, and local businesses on our high streets should be able to thrive, without the fear of shoplifting or anti-social behaviour. I had the opportunity to catch up Vince, the fantastic shop owner of Tenby Stores. It was really encouraging to hear first-hand how important these enhanced measures are for our business community.

Through the Safer Streets Initiative, bespoke local action plans have been developed with local police, businesses and local councils to crackdown on crime.  The plans ensure named, contactable police officers are on the beat, where you can see them in our town centres. This collaborative approach from organisations has also supported the development of local activities for young people throughout the school holidays, ensuring that our high streets are thriving for everyone.

Backing Small Businesses

On top of the Safer Streets Initiative, this summer Government has rolled out a bold new SME Strategy to boost small businesses and local high streets. New laws will crack down on late payments, which currently force 38 businesses to close each day. New legislation will cap payment terms at 60 days. This is backed by a £4 billion finance package, including 69,000 Start Up Loans.

If you’re a local business owner, I’ll be writing to you soon with all the details of how these new measures will benefit you and your business.

I will continue to work hard to make sure our local businesses here in Pembrokeshire can grow and thrive, bringing jobs and prosperity to the county.

Big Boost for Pembrokeshire’s Energy Sector

This month, I was delighted to share that our Labour Government is backing two exciting local projects that will create secure, skilled jobs, right here in the County, further bolstering our thriving energy sector.

As your local MP, I’ll keep fighting to secure investment in our community, and to protect and create jobs in our community.

IN THE CONSTITUENCY

Withybush General Hospital Urgent Care

I know how incredibly hard our local health care professionals are working, under immense pressure across both primary and social care. Since being elected I have been pressing for transformative improvements to our health services, for our key workers providing care, and for patients across Pembrokeshire receiving it. 

I would like to extend my thanks to the Same Day Emergency Care team (SDEC) at Withybush hospital for inviting me to join them for the morning, to see first-hand how they are operating.  

The SDEC team is leading the way with their hospital@home programme, which uses cutting-edge technology to provide expert medical care to patients in the comfort of their own homes. This approach not only frees up vital hospital beds but also protects vulnerable patients who may face greater risks in a hospital setting. I also met with the Social Services team and the Ambulance Service, who work in close partnership with SDEC, to learn more about the programme’s impact on bed availability and the continuity of care for those most in need.

While we all recognise that broader challenges remain within our health service, I am absolutely committed to pushing for the improvements we need. My visit to SDEC was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through cross-organisational collaboration, smart use of technology, and strategic recruitment. These are principles I want to see embedded across the entire healthcare system.

I am continuing to engage constructively with Professor Phil Kloer, the Chief Executive of Hywel Dda University Health Board, and his officials, as we discuss the pressing challenges facing our local health services. There is a clear recognition of the scale of the issues, but we must all focus on ensuring that these conversations lead to tangible improvements. I’ll keep you updated as these discussions progress.

Community Action Roundtable

When I was first elected, I convened a group of representatives from across the public, charity and third sector organisations, focused upon community delivery in Pembrokeshire, for our most vulnerable residents.

In August we hosted our summer roundtable and discussed our joint plans to support residents across Pembrokeshire as we enter the Autumn and Winter months. This was another valuable opportunity to share insights and explore solutions to the challenges facing our communities.

As we continue our work together, I will soon be writing to constituents with details of my winter support surgeries, so please do look out for that!

Staying Fit with SAW

I had the pleasure of joining the team at SAW Cymru and joined in with the Parkinsons Training Group. We all know how important access to exercise is, for mental and physical wellbeing. It’s inspiring to see the community that the team at SAW Cymru has created, and how much they are doing to increase the accessibility of sport, for everyone.SAW offers specialist sessions for over-60s, for people with arthritis or Parkinson’s, and they are inspiring the next generation of powerlifters and weightlifters.

A big thank you to Head Coach Simon, Community Lead Sally, and Coach Jodie for having me, and for all the brilliant work they do in their community. I look forward to coming back soon (with my trainers on!).

Harnessing Community Power

The community of East Williamston have taken energy into their own hands. The wind turbine at Prouts Park is the product of years of hard work by a determined group of local volunteers and is having real social impact. Backed by the Welsh Government Energy Service and the Development Bank of Wales, this project is bringing down energy bills and tackling fuel poverty in the community. It is also having a positive environmental impact as a source of clean, renewable energy. It was inspiring to see first-hand what is possible when a community comes together.

Learning in Nature

It was brilliant to visit Tir Coed at Scolton South Woods and see how they’re changing lives through woodland-based training and wellbeing programmes. Since 2017, they’ve helped people build skills, confidence, and better mental health - all by reconnecting with nature.

A huge thank you to the dedicated team for the warm welcome and for the amazing work you do.

Surgeries

This month I ran surgeries in Milford Haven Tesco, Pembroke Dock Asda, Haverfordwest, and a street surgery in Merlins Bridge. Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak to me, and a big shout out to the brilliant staff at both Tesco and Asda, who welcomed us into store. I host surgeries regularly, if you want to book an appointment to speak with me about an issue, please do get in touch!

Pembrokeshire County Show

There’s nothing quite like the Pembrokeshire County Show – a brilliant celebration of our farming heritage, rural life, and local talent.

It was great to see so many people there, spending time with friends and family, supporting local producers, and enjoying everything that makes Pembrokeshire special.

Thank you for reading my August newsletter. September is set to be another super busy month as I return to parliament for the start of the new parliamentary session. If you want to keep up with what I’ve been up to throughout the month, please do follow my social media channels.

As always, if there’s anything you would like to discuss, or any support I can provide, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

Henry