IN RECENT years many thousands of new homes have been built in Basingstoke and the new Local Plan could mean thousands more in the years to come. No matter how many houses are built, it is vital those houses are of the highest quality.

Over the years I have supported residents who have struggled to get build quality problems rectified and cases of structural defects addressed. It can be that even in new houses worrying structural defects can slip through the Building Regulations test regime.

Buying a home is the biggest investment most people make. People put their trust in the reputation of a building company, its lifestyle brochures and sales people. We need to ensure that the controls are in place to effectively protect purchasers from home builders who don’t live up to the glossy sales promises they make.

LAST week I was delighted to support Dove House’s Vocational Pathways programme, helping young people with a learning difficulty get the work experience they need to secure long-term employment.

I launched the Basingstoke Inclusion Zone earlier this year to promote employers who support disabled people into work because in Hampshire just one in 10 people with a learning disability has a job.

The work done by Dove House and employers like South West Trains will help challenge and change entrenched attitudes for the future.

THE Basingstoke Festival starts this week and the programme promises to showcase the incredible creative talent we have in Basingstoke.

I am particularly pleased to see that a celebration of Jane Austen, Basingstoke’s most famous daughter, is firmly on the schedule of events..

Jane was born in brought up in the borough and started her writing career in our bit of Hampshire. It is good to see the festival capturing some of that rich literary history.

YOU can contact Maria at The Mount, Bounty Road, Basingstoke, RG21 3DD; The House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA; on 0207 219 5749; or email maria.miller.mp@parliament.uk.

Appointments to see Maria at her regular advice bureau can be booked on the above number.