Discussing Leiths Cookery Classes for Local Schoolchildren
Report back from Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick
Andy Slaughter MP
April 17, 2026
The House of Commons returned from Easter recess on Monday, and I began the week attending a breakfast roundtable with the Society for Labour Lawyers. The meeting was held to discuss access to justice and the unmet need for legal services. It was a good discussion about how we move forward to ensure we are investing in the future of our justice system and how we support people to access legal help and advice when they need it.
On Tuesday afternoon there was a debate on knife crime. I asked the minister for her view on the proposals by the Safer Knives Group to restrict the sale of pointed knives and replace these with round-tipped knives to help prevent fatal and life changing injuries.
The Justice Committee held a public session on access to justice, and we were joined by experts Richard Orpin, Chief Executive Office of The Legal Services Board and Dr Monisha Shah, Incoming Chair of The Legal Services Board. These sessions allow members of the committee to hear directly from practitioners working within our justice system and help form our reports and recommendations for improvement for the Ministry of Justice.
On Friday I met with Leiths to discuss their new education programme, bringing cookery classes to state educated children between the ages of 4 and 19. The aim of the programme is to teach children how to prepare and cook healthy food and ensure that this skill is part of every child’s life. Leiths is based in the constituency and has over 50 years of expertise that they want to share.
We are fast approaching local election on the 7 th of May, and I would encourage constituents to make sure they are registered to vote. The deadline to register is Monday 20th of April, and you can do this through the Hounslow Council website.
There has been positive news for Hounslow Council over the last few weeks with the announcement of the Fair Funding Review from the Government. The extra £60m awarded to the council means that residents will begin to see improvements in the areas where they live and work. The council have announced plans to increase street cleaning, discount passes for young people to access leisure centres, improve SEND provision, and move forward with innovative green initiatives.
The council have also committed to £4m investment to build a brand-new leisure centre on the Brentford Fountain site, as well as £400,000 to repair the river wall at Strand on the Green.
This weekend I have a busy diary attending events in the constituency, so fingers crossed for a bit of sunshine.
Best wishes,
Andy
andy@andyslaughter.com
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