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Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, had a further meeting with Highways England about the upgrade of the A1(M) at Stevenage to a Smart Motorway.

Stephen McPartland MP, said, "I have had a series of meetings with Highways England, about the widening of the A1(M) between Junctions 6 and 8 at Stevenage, since I secured the funds in the first Road Investment Strategy in autumn 2014.

"The scheme includes widening of the two lane section between Junctions 6 and 8, Welwyn to Stevenage, to three lanes with the hard shoulder converted to a permanent running lane. The upgrade will be for both north-and southbound, with a developing estimated cost of up to £170m, but it is important the scheme remains value for money.

"A huge amount of work has already been undertaken by Highways England, as they will be responsible for the full design and delivery of the scheme, and expect the preliminary design work to be completed in Spring 2019. I was delighted they confirmed the scheme is still on track to start construction work in March 2020, for completion before Spring 2022.

"Comprehensive planning at this stage is important to help reduce both construction time and any delays once construction is underway.

"I am grateful to Highways England for the work they have done to take into consideration a number of points I have raised on behalf of local people. The latest meeting was an exciting discussion and shows that by working closely together we can make excellent progress towards a highly beneficial upgrade that will release a chokehold on Hertfordshire's economy."

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Stevenage Arts Society is celebrating 50 years with its members' Art and Pottery Exhibition currently on at Springfield House in Stevenage. The Chairman of the society, Mary Green, and other members welcomed local MP Stephen McPartland, and showed him around.

Stephen said, "I was impressed with the high standard of the works and the range of artistic styles displayed. The pottery pieces were varied and the potters clearly had great fun making them, as I did when I had made my bowl with Vivienne. I am very proud of the artistic talents we have here in Stevenage."

The exhibition runs until Saturday 8th December, and is open on Saturdays from 10am to 5pm, and on weekdays from noon to 4pm, upstairs at Springfield House, in Stevenage old town.

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Member of Parliament for Stevenage, Stephen McPartland, gained a deeper insight into the challenges of delivering mail to every house and business, six days a week, when he joined a local postman on his delivery round.

Stephen McPartland MP said, “Postmen and postwomen play a really valuable role in our communities and should be able to go about their jobs safely.

“I was delighted to join Andrew on his round in Stevenage and he gave me a real insight into the life of a postman.”

Barry Aldridge, Royal Mail Delivery Manager at Stevenage, said, “We are delighted that Stephen is taking the time to experience the every day challenges faced by our delivery postmen and women.

“The visit gave us the opportunity to show Stephen how we are continuing to modernise and transform our organisation. We have invested in new sorting and delivery equipment as we respond to the changing nature of the modern postbag. We are delivering more parcels and fewer letters than ever before and the tools for the job need to reflect that.”

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Local MP Stephen McPartland visited one of the community pharmacies in Stevenage, Archer Pharmacy, to have his flu vaccination.

Stephen McPartland MP commented, "The NHS flu vaccination service is an excellent service and so accessible, with no appointments required. It only takes a few minutes and many patients are loyal to their pharmacy, so everyone knows each other quite well, making it an easy experience. The vaccination will help protect people through the winter months avoiding an illness that can have serious consequences. I encourage at-risk people in Stevenage to make sure they get their flu jab.

"I would also like to congratulate local employers, such as the NHS, Royal Mail and Stevenage Borough Council which are offering free flu-jabs to their staff."

Mr Mandora, local community pharmacist at Archer Pharmacy, Stevenage, added, “The NHS community pharmacy flu vaccination service, which is now available in Stevenage, is a great opportunity for more at-risk people to have their jab protecting them during the winter.

"Archer Pharmacy has been in heart of the community over the last 30 years providing an essential and important service to its patients.The support we have received from the local community has made it all worthwhile. The new owners Hyderali Datoo and Mohamed Irfan Moledina hope to build upon the great relationship and goodwill with local residents.

"Community pharmacies are the most accessible healthcare locations and this service makes it easier than ever for you to get vaccinated, in the main without the need for an appointment.”

As part of the NHS Flu Vaccination Service, all adults aged 65 years and over, and those aged 18 years or over and in clinical risk groups, can receive a free of charge NHS flu jab at community pharmacies. People in at-risk groups include pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions including asthma and diabetes. Pharmacists will be administering the same flu jab as those offered by GPs, and patients’ GP practices will be notified that they have been vaccinated.

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Local young people were able to learn more about a variety of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers at the Generation Stevenage event launched by Member of Parliament Stephen McPartland and the Mayor and Youth Mayor.

Stephen McPartland MP said, "Stevenage is a major centre of excellence in science, engineering and technology with several global firms based in the town. I am delighted to be part of this event to help to develop the next generation of STEM skills and show young people what local career opportunities are available."

The careers event was supported by SETPOINT Hertfordshire, an education charity which aims to inspire young people about STEM. It was designed to show the range of STEM opportunities that are on offer to young people in the local area and brought together some of the largest employers including Airbus, Catapult, GSK and MBDA.

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Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, attended the unveiling of a poppy display created by Reception children at Giles Nursery and Infants School as a Remembrance Memorial. There was a short ceremony with a one minute silence to remember the fallen.

Stephen McPartland MP said, "I have been to many remembrance events over the past week and this is the one I have been looking forward to the most. I love that the children have put so much effort into their work." Head teacher, Rouane Mendel, added, "It’s a very special commemoration, and the fantastic work the children have done is absolutely fabulous."

Stephen McPartland also presented badges to members of the new School Council at a special assembly which the whole school attended, and parents of the new council members were also invited along. Stephen said, "It is always a pleasure to meet each member of the School Council and present them with their School Council badges. It is really nice that so many parents turned up to support the children. I enjoy working with the children and being a member of their Eco-committee."

All the children are asked whether they are interested in being part of the school council, and two are chosen from each class, with those in Year 2 being elected by their peers. The councillors work with Mrs McPartland, who leads the School Council as head of Year 2, on different areas to help improve the school.

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Delighted that tens of thousands of people with #Type1Diabetes across the country will benefit from life-changing glucose monitors being made available on prescription. #NHS #WorldDiabetesDay2018 pic.twitter.com/4ZRiz5udBw

— Stephen McPartland (@SMcPartland) November 14, 2018

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Campaigns give voice to people and help show how our democracy empowers. I am supporting @UKParliament Week and the #Vote100 campaign celebrating 100 years of women voting #UKPW18 pic.twitter.com/2q972CnJ5y

— Stephen McPartland (@SMcPartland) November 13, 2018

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