Tatton residents want to see a change in how the annual pitch fee for a park home is calculated – a simple change that would help hundreds of my constituents and many more up and down the country.

Every time I meet with residents at various park homes across the constituency, the issue of charges is raised.

Residents pay a pitch fee to the site owner to keep their property on site.

That annual calculation is adjusted based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) but campaigners and residents want it linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is something I wholeheartedly support.

Using CPI as a calculation would result in lower costs for park home owners and given the inflationary pressures everyone is currently experiencing; I want to see Government move quickly to put a change from RPI to CPI into law.

Government said it will look at changing the pitch fees index when Parliamentary time allows but this issue needs tackling now – there are more than 85,000 park homes across England affected by this.

I raised specific concerns of residents from Ashwood Park in Wincham last week when I presented a petition on their behalf in Parliament.

It was signed by 165 residents and started by the Park Home Owners Justice Campaign.

It clearly sets out that RPI is no longer fit for purpose as the measure by which to uprate pitch fees and calls for immediate action.

Following this I also put my concerns again in writing to ministers and will keep pushing this issue.

Last week I also raised the issue of care home visiting. Many will share my concern that seven months after Covid restrictions were lifted, visiting bans are still in place in some care settings.

Thankfully, across Tatton we have many excellent care homes and our residents are back seeing their loved ones.

Research has shown isolation and the loss of social contact has a devastating impact on physical and psychological health and it cannot be allowed to continue.

I was shocked to discover guidance, published by the Care Quality Commission, states care home providers should allow a resident to see family or friends but there is no specific legal requirement for care homes to do so.

Raising this issue in the debate with the new Care Minister Helen Whately, I was delighted she agreed no-one should be deprived of social contact and has commissioned work around the subject of access.