This week, I will be busy in Westminster continuing my work on the EU Withdrawal Bill as it comes back from the House of Lords. We have some important votes on issues such as future customs arrangements and laws on the environment, which I have been working on. We have already made real progress with the EU; we reached agreement on the first phase of negotiations on citizens' rights, Northern Ireland and the financial settlement just before Christmas and in March, agreement was reached on the implementation period which will last from March next year until the end of 2020. We are now negotiating the details of UK and the EU's future relationship.
The EU Withdrawal Bill is the way in which Brexit will take effect in our own national law. We need to make the law certain and predictable for all of us which means a download of EU law that exists up to the time of Brexit so that we can manage them as part of our own legal system. The Bill has been amended a number of times in the Lords. Whilst we will accept some of their changes, many of them are designed to frustrate the process. It is time for the elected chamber, the Commons, to assert itself.
There are 12 clear objectives guiding the Government through the negotiations which will help us achieve the right deal abroad and for the British people here at home. Among these are greater control on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe and the greatest possible frictionless trade through a new free trade agreement. We will enshrine our commitment to pass laws on environmental protections and will also make it clear that the Commons will have its say on any agreement reached with the EU. I hope that the Prime Minister will then have the strongest possible platform as she goes to negotiate with other EU nations later this month.
I am pleased that the Government has further committed itself to a third runway at Heathrow and a new Western Rail Link. This means that we will no longer have to travel into London and back out to get to Heathrow by train from Swindon. The new link will mean that those travelling to Heathrow will be able to reach Terminal 5 in under an hour. This is vital news for Swindon businesses.
On Saturday, Justin Tomlinson MP and I were delighted to once again join the ‘Walk a Mile in a Carer’s Shoes’ event to mark Carers Week 2018. The event was organised by the Swindon Carers Centre, an organisation I have been proud to work closely alongside in recent years. There are around 21,000 unpaid carers in Swindon who make a huge contribution to our society, providing vital and often hidden support to friends and family members and it is right that we value them and ensure they have the right support at the right time.
The Government has launched a 2-year action plan to support unpaid carers. The programme of work will include a new scheme to improve employment support for carers, promoting best practice for flexible working, to enable carers to continue to work alongside their caring role. A new £500,000 Carer Innovations Fund has also been announced to promote creative and innovative ways to support carers, as well as funding for a review of best practice in identification of young carers and access to support.
Together these measures are a real step forward in the way we support carers so they can gain employment, learn the skills they need to succeed and feel supported by the communities they live in.
Finally, it was good to meet with campaigners from Cancer Research UK in Westminster last week at the launch of the charity’s new campaign ‘Shoulder to Shoulder Against Cancer’.More people are surviving cancer than ever before, thanks to the great work of the NHS staff who turn breakthroughs in research into vital tests and treatments. Early diagnosis is vital, and I know that NHS England has launched a major early diagnosis programme, "Accelerate, Co-ordinate, Evaluate", working with cancer charities to test new innovative approaches to identifying cancer more quickly. I fully support the Government's commitment to the £1 billion Cancer Drugs Fund which has helped 72,000 people to access the life-extending drugs they need.