Ely and East Cambridgeshire MP Charlotte Cane warned that her constituency is a “dental desert” with many residents forced to spend their life savings to get treatment. The newly elected MP raised her concerns during her maiden speech in the House of Commons.
Her comments on healthcare included a stark admission about the severe shortage of NHS dental services in her constituency.
“Ely and East Cambridgeshire is a dental desert,” she declared. “I am horrified to say that people cannot get on an NHS dental list in my constituency.”
She spoke of residents forced to spend their life savings on dental treatment or resort to self-treatment, calling the situation “horrendous” and pledging to address the issue head-on.
Ms Cane used her maiden speech in the House of Commons to emphasis local issues that included much needed upgrades to Ely rail junction.
A key point of the maiden speech was the urgent need for investment in local infrastructure and particularly the much-needed upgrade to Ely rail junction, which she said was vital for the region’s economic growth.
“We all want economic growth for this country,” she said. “The Government needs to help us fix Ely junction if we are to get freight to and from the ports and allow us to have that growth.”
A chartered accountant, Ms Cane called on the Chancellor to include funding for the project in the spring spending review.
The MP highlighted the diverse economic landscape of her constituency, which spans agriculture, horseracing, and cutting-edge technology.
She was particularly proud of Almath Crucibles, a local business recently awarded the King’s Award for Innovation.
“People have been making crucibles for 8,000 years, yet they have come up with an innovation, which, as an archaeologist, I found utterly amazing,” she said.
The MP praised the company’s ability to combine traditional manufacturing techniques with modern innovation, calling it “stunning.”
Cambridgeshire MPs vote for action on sewage dumping, cost of living and NHS in King’s Speech
She also took the opportunity to draw attention to the natural beauty of Ely and East Cambridgeshire, which boasts chalk grasslands, wetland peat, and the River Great Ouse.
“We are also a beautiful constituency, with an amazing natural environment,” she said.
Ms Cane praised the work of the National Trust at Wicken Fen, where efforts to enlarge the wetland peat area are helping protect biodiversity and capture carbon.
On housing, the MP raised concerns about the affordability of homes in her constituency, where the median house price is 11 times the average salary.
“It is very expensive to buy or rent a home, which is pricing out young people and families,” she warned.
She called for a shift towards building energy-efficient homes that are not only affordable to purchase but also cost-effective to run.
“We need to ensure that homes are built that are affordable for people to live in—not just homes that have an affordable price or rent but that are energy-efficient so that they are cheap to run,” she explained.
She also stressed the importance of proper infrastructure around new housing, including access to doctors, dentists, schools, and green spaces.
Cambridgeshire Lib Dem MPs unite in call for Labour to tackle health crisis
In conclusion, Charlotte Cane MP reiterated her commitment to representing her constituents with diligence and passion.
“I will do my utmost to make sure that their voices are heard in this House,” she said, pledging to be “the very best local MP possible” and ensuring the concerns of Ely and East Cambridgeshire are never overlooked in Westminster.
The full speech transcript can be found here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-11-06/debates/DBE9C141-29E1-4666-B0D1-CF616C409D66/details#contribution-4B8F9F79-0333-4743-844A-4E36750A7201
The video can be found here: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/83a99d2d-db36-4bec-9fc7-bc9a4e660415?in=15:15:35
