Weekly Update
🥳 Happy New Year Enfield North
As we step into a new year, I wanted to wish you and your loved ones a very happy, healthy and hopeful New Year.
I’m always struck by the strength, kindness and community spirit that runs through Enfield North - whether it’s neighbours looking out for one another, volunteers giving their time, or constituents coming together to stand up for what matters locally. It’s a real privilege to represent such a caring and determined community.
The year ahead will bring challenges, but also opportunities - to improve our high streets, protect vital services, strengthen our communities and make life a fairer for everyone. I’ll continue working hard to be a strong voice for Enfield North, listening to constituents and taking your concerns and priorities into Parliament.
Thank you, as always, for your support, your Christmas messages, and your engagement. I look forward to working with you throughout the year ahead.
Wishing you a peaceful, prosperous and positive New Year.
🚦 A Safer Future on Our Roads in Enfield North
The Government has published the first Road Safety Strategy for Great Britain in over a decade, setting out the most ambitious reforms in a generation to make our roads safer for everyone.
After years in which deaths and serious injuries have stalled - and the UK slipped from third to fourth in Europe’s road safety rankings - this strategy marks a decisive shift. The measures announced are expected to save thousands of lives over the coming decade.
Our ambition
65% reduction in deaths and serious injuries by 2035
70% reduction for children under 16
Safer travel for everyone - whether walking, cycling, riding or driving
By raising road safety standards, we’ll also support healthier communities, reduce pressure on the NHS, and deliver the high standards the public rightly expects.
👥 Supporting Road Users at Every Stage of Life
Learner drivers
We will consult on a minimum learning period between passing the theory test and taking the practical test - helping learners gain experience in night driving, poor weather and heavy traffic.
Older drivers
In 2024, nearly one in four drivers killed were aged 70 or over. We will consult on mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70 and develop options for cognitive testing during this Parliament.
Motorcyclists
Riders are around 40 times more likely than car users to be killed or seriously injured. We will reform training and licensing and expand targeted safety measures for motorcyclists.
Work-related road safety
Groundbreaking national action will encourage employers to take road safety seriously where driving or riding is part of the job.
Lifelong learning
New national guidance will support a Lifelong Learning approach to road safety education for all ages.
🚘 Harnessing Technology, Data and Innovation
Safer vehicles
We will mandate 18 new safety technologies in new vehicles - including autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance - potentially preventing over 14,000 deaths and serious injuries over 15 years.
Learning from collisions
A new, data-led Road Safety Investigation Branch will analyse collisions to prevent future harm.
Protecting women and all occupants
International vehicle safety rules will be updated so crash testing better reflects sex, age and body type, ensuring equal protection for everyone.
🛣️ Making Our Streets and Roads Safer
Investment
£24 billion between 2026 and 2030 to improve motorways and local roads
£616 million for walking and cycling infrastructure
People-first design
An updated Manual for Streets will prioritise people and low-speed, safer street design.
Speed management
New guidance will support local authorities on speed limits and enforcement.
🚓 Stronger, Smarter Enforcement
Drink & drug driving
We will consult on lowering the drink-drive limit (unchanged since 1967) and introduce alcohol interlocks for those convicted.
Seat belts
Feedback will be gathered on penalty points for failing to wear seat belts or ensure children are properly restrained.
Ghost plates
Tougher MOT checks to ensure number plates are readable by ANPR, alongside stronger powers for the DVLA to crack down on non-compliant suppliers.
Uninsured driving
Harsher penalties and new powers to tackle non-compliance.
No matter how you choose to travel, you should be able to move safely on our roads. This strategy from the Labour Government sets us firmly on that path.
Standing Up for Enfield North on Gambling Harm
Yesterday, I spoke in Parliament to stand up for Enfield North in a debate on the growing harm caused by high-street gambling - and to call for urgent change to laws that stop councils from protecting their communities.
I backed proposals to scrap the so-called “aim to permit” rule, which currently forces local authorities to approve new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine venues - even where there is clear local opposition, obvious harm, or an area is already saturated.
In the House of Commons, I set out the human reality behind gambling harm: an addiction that means birthdays missed, bills unpaid, relationships broken, families torn apart - and lives quietly falling apart behind closed doors, while communities are left to pick up the pieces.
What this means for Enfield North
Residents across Enfield North have watched their high streets change - not because communities asked for it, but because the law makes it almost impossible for councils to say no.
There are now 30 gambling premises across Enfield North. Thirty venues designed to drain the same, often more deprived, communities - while the law still tells councils to approve them. That is indefensible.
These premises cluster in areas with the greatest need, not the least - often close to bus hubs and shopping parades, targeting people already under financial pressure. Many operate long hours. Some operate around the clock - 24/7 - relentless, feeding addiction.
A law that favours profit over people
The “aim to permit” rule is outdated and stacks the deck in favour of gambling companies. Councils that try to stand up for their communities face legal challenge, costly appeals, and the threat of court costs - money that should be spent on local services, not defending the indefensible.
The change I am calling for
This is not about banning gambling, closing existing premises, or stopping people placing a bet. It is about restoring balance and local control.
We need to:
Trust local democracy
Empower councils like Enfield to act before harm escalates
Make decisions based on evidence, community impact and local need - not a law that loads the dice against communities
The money leaves the community. The harm does not. It shows up as debt, mental ill-health, pressure on our NHS - and tragically, in lives lost.
Our high streets should serve the people who live around them - not exploit them. The law is broken, the balance is wrong, the time for change is now and I will continue to push for change in Enfield North.
🐾 Protecting Animals at Home, on the Farm and in the Wild
I’m pleased to share an important update on animal welfare - an issue I know matters deeply to so many people in Enfield North. My inbox is always full of emails from passionate animal lovers, and I see that care and compassion reflected right across our community.
That’s why I’m so pleased that the Government has now published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England - the most ambitious package of reforms in a generation - designed to improve the lives of millions of animals across our country.
After years in which outdated laws allowed poor welfare practices to continue, this strategy sets a new direction: stronger protections for pets, farm animals and wildlife, backed by action - not just words. This Government is clear: animal welfare matters, and we will not row back from it.
🐶 Pets: supporting responsible owners and ending cruelty
Pets play a huge role in our lives - over half of UK adults (51%) own a pet - and they deserve strong protection.
Ending puppy farming
I strongly support plans to crack down on low-welfare breeding. We will consult on reforms to dog breeding and end puppy farming, including:
A single registration system for all breeders, linked to licensing
Stronger traceability and enforcement to shut down rogue operators
Stopping puppy smuggling
New laws are already in place to stop deceitful pet traders, including:
A limit of five pets per vehicle for non-commercial movements
Pets travelling separately must arrive within five days of their owner
A ban on importing dogs and cats under six months old or heavily pregnant
Electric shock collars
We will tackle the use of e-collars, which can cause pain and distress. They are already banned in Wales, and I support action to protect pets from harm.
Renters’ rights for pet owners
Too many renters are forced to give up their pets. The Renters’ Rights Bill will:
Stop landlords from unfairly refusing pets
Give tenants the right to challenge unreasonable decisions
Help responsible pet owners keep their animals
(Currently, only around 7% of private rentals advertise as pet friendly.)
🐄 Farm animals: raising standards and supporting farmers
Britain must not fall behind on farm animal welfare. High standards are good for animals, farmers, food security and consumer confidence.
Laying hens
We will phase out colony cages for laying hens. Around 10 million hens - about 20% of egg-laying birds in England - are still confined in cages that severely restrict movement and natural behaviour.
Pigs
We will work with industry to phase out farrowing crates, which severely restrict sows’ movement
We will address welfare concerns around CO₂ stunning of pigs, following expert advice that it causes pain and distress
Fish welfare
Fish are legally recognised as sentient yet lack clear slaughter protections. We will consult on humane killing standards to ensure avoidable suffering is prevented.
🦊 Wild animals: stronger protections for nature
Banning trail hunting
I welcome the commitment to ban trail hunting, which too often acts as a cover for illegal hunting. More than 20 years after the Hunting Act, this loophole must be closed.
Ending snare traps
We will ban snares - cruel and indiscriminate devices that leave animals suffering for long periods and frequently trap pets and non-target wildlife.
Protecting hares
A new close season for hares will help protect them during the breeding season. With brown hare numbers down 80% over the last century, this is a vital step.
Tougher penalties for wildlife cruelty
Penalties for cruelty against wildlife will be reviewed and strengthened to bring them in line with sentencing for offences against pets and farm animals.
A strategy that delivers
This Animal Welfare Strategy builds on real progress already made, including world-leading zoo standards and landmark legislation to end puppy smuggling and protect livestock. It reflects a simple principle I strongly believe in:
Animals deserve dignity, care and protection - and our laws should reflect that so I will continue to support these important reforms and work to ensure they are delivered in full on behalf of constituents right across Enfield North.
🚌 Standing Up for Better Bus Services in Enfield North
I want to update you on a disappointing local transport issue affecting communities across Enfield North.
Transport for London (TfL) is currently consulting on proposals that would see Route 349 - the bus that connects Ponders End with Stamford Hill via Edmonton and Tottenham - withdrawn from service as part of a wider shake-up of services in North London. The 349 carries around 4.2 million journeys a year and is relied on by many residents for everyday travel.
TfL argues that the 349 overlaps with other services and plans to extend Route 259 from Edmonton Green to Ponders End and adjust Route 279 in an effort to replace some of the lost connections.
However, the proposed changes would still mean fewer buses along key sections of its current route, possibly leaving passengers with longer waits and less frequent services in parts of our community.
🗣 Have your say: I know how vital reliable bus links are for residents - whether it’s to get to work, shop locally, see friends and family, or travel into central London. That’s why I’m urging everyone who uses these services or cares about public transport in our area to take part in the TfL consultation before it closes on Friday 23 January.
Your feedback can help shape the final outcome and ensure the needs of Enfield North are heard.
I have long championed better bus services for Enfield North, and recently I launched a campaign calling for a new express bus route to better connect eastern Enfield -from Enfield Lock through Ponders End - to Tottenham Hale and the Tube network.
This would make journeys faster, more reliable and more convenient for local residents. If you support this campaign, please add your voice by signing the petition here: www.feryalclark.org.uk/expressbus
Together, we can work towards a bus network that works for everyone in Enfield North.
🔐 Protecting Britain in the Digital Age
One of the first duties of any government is to protect its citizens. As a Minister, I played a pivotal role in shaping the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons this week.
This new legislation is designed to strengthen the UK’s defences against cyber criminals and hostile states.
For too long, our laws failed to keep pace with growing cyber threats. This Bill gives regulators new powers to protect the critical suppliers and digital services we all rely on, strengthening supply chains that underpin our NHS, energy, water and online services.
Cyber-attacks don’t just hit big businesses. They disrupt hospitals, threaten energy supplies and affect everyday life. Last year alone, over 11,000 NHS appointments and procedures were lost due to cyber-attacks.
Strong cyber security is also essential for economic growth. Attacks cost UK businesses around £15 billion a year, while secure digital systems create the stable environment needed for investment and innovation.
Alongside the Bill, the Government has published a £210 million Cyber Action Plan to rapidly improve cyber defences across public services.
I’m proud to have shaped this work - and to support action that keeps our country safe in the digital age.
Have a great week.
Best wishes
Feryal