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Celebrating a hundred years since women won the right to vote and stand for election for the first time. This momentous anniversary is an important milestone in our nation's history.

In September, I was honoured to be elected to the Foreign Affairs Committee by my colleagues. On the Foreign Affairs Committee, I held the Foreign Office and its ministers to account, examining its expenditure, administration and policy. 

Written questions allow Members of Parliament to ask government ministers for information on the work, policy and activities of government departments. They are a valuable tool which MPs can use to hold government to account, and I am keen to use them as best I can to seek out information which can be used to improve things for my constituents in Wealden.

Select Committees are cross-party groups of MPs which check and report on the work of government departments, as well as on more general issues of public concern and interest within a particular policy area.When I started out as your MP, I was honoured to be elected by my new colleagues as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, the committee which holds the Home Secretary and her department to account for its work and policies.

I’m honoured to have been a former Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Ageing and Older People.

I am proud to be a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, which promotes awareness of, and campaigns for, people with haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, as well as people infected with Hepatitis C and HIV due to contaminated blood products used in their NHS treatment.

When I was campaigning for your vote during the election, I promised that I would be accountable to you. When you did me the honour of electing me as Wealden's MP and it was time to give my maiden speech in the House of Commons, I pledged to follow the advice of Winnie the Pooh when he said that "You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."

It is a sad but inescapable truth that domestic violence is a horrific reality for thousands of people, both women and men, around the UK in 21st century Britain. Alongside rape, sexual exploitation and trafficking, domestic violence is an inexcusable crime. It is even present in Wealden, where domestic abuse crimes rose to 532 in 2014/15 and the number of domestic abuse incidents reached 742.

I am dedicated to maintaining high quality health care, and have visited Wealden’s local hospitals where the commitment and passion of our doctors and nurses deserves to be matched by the Trust.Charles Hendry MP has been such a strong voice in this area, especially for Crowborough Hospital. I intend to follow his lead, to maintain the highest quality local health care while supporting the Friends of Crowborough Hospital, and also the mums’ Campaigning Group for Crowborough Birthing Unit which is such a valuable local resource.