Nick Smith MP - Monthly Report - February 2026 - Nick Smith MP - Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney

It is fantastic to have helped deliver £40m funding for Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney through the UK Government’s Pride in Place scheme.
This funding was announced late last year and now our local authorities have selected the areas to be supported by this funding; £20m for the Sirhowy Valley in Blaenau Gwent and £20m for Bargoed, Aberbargoed and New Tredegar in Rhymney.

This funding will back projects that rejuvenate and revitalise our communities, delivering lasting improvements that people will feel for years to come.
There is also another, separate, pot of money in the “Pride in Place Impact Fund” that can be used by community organisations or groups across the whole constituency for projects which improve public spaces and community facilities, boost play areas or sports facilities, or enhance our town centres.
The next step now is to set up Neighbourhood Boards, made up of representatives from the local community, who will decide exactly what this money will be spent on. These will be established in the coming weeks with funding starting this April.
All of this is really great news for our area and a prime example of our Labour government delivering investment, empowerment, and real change for local people in our valleys.

Royal Mail
Before Christmas, I raised concerns in Parliament about the poor service being experienced by Royal Mail customers in parts of Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney.
I followed this up by writing to Minister Blair McDougall MP, who confirmed the government agrees Royal Mail’s service has not been good enough.
The Minister has also met with the CEOs of Royal Mail and its parent company to challenge their performance.

I raised the issue again this month, as Ofcom has still not responded to my letter about holding Royal Mail to account. However, in his reply the Minister noted that Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21m in October for failing to meet service standards in 2024/25—on top of fines in 2022/23 and 2023/24 – and has ordered Royal Mail to urgently publish and deliver a credible improvement plan.
Royal Mail is still not providing a good enough service for people in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney. I continue to hear about severe delays, long after seasonal pressures can reasonably be expected to factor, including missed hospital appointments due to late letters. This is unacceptable.

Police funding
Another welcome announcement made earlier this month is the record funding £18.4bn for policing.
Gwent Police will see a significant uplift of up to £205m next year, a 4.2% cash increase.
From April, the government will also replace the outdated Officer Maintenance Grant with a new Neighbourhood Policing Ringfence, ensuring a focus on frontline community policing and more police on the beat.
This is building on the good work you will have seen in recent months on tackling anti-social behaviour in our town centres and on our roads, and also the tough new laws we have in the pipeline to help officers crack down on off-road motorbikes and quads.

Fuel prices
Last month I asked a question in Parliament on behalf of constituents in the Upper Rhymney valley who had contacted me about unacceptably high petrol prices at ASDA Dowlais.
I wrote to both ASDA and the Competition and Markets Authority about this and also asked for an update on the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme to help compare prices.
I’m pleased to say that, after meeting with ASDA alongside Gerald Jones MP, ASDA acknowledged this anomaly and agreed to lower their prices.
I’m also pleased that, as of the start of this month, the Fuel Finder scheme is live with garages and fuel stations now obligated to report their prices within 30 minutes of any changes meaning drivers can find the cheapest forecourts near them much more easily.

Offshore cyber support
Another issue I raised in Parliament is the UK’s tendency to offshore much cyber support, when we are producing excellent talent in this area across the country, including at our Cyber course at Ebbw Vale college and across the Cyber College Cymru network. I asked the Minister about what’s being done to develop our homegrown workforce in this crucial sector.
I was pleased to hear his answer outlining how the government is investing £187m into the tech first programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities, aiming to reach a million students by 2026.

Youth Service
I was glad to be invited to Abertillery Youth Centre to meet with staff and young people from the 11 – 16 Schools Based Team, EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) provision at The River Centre, and the Positive Futures programme to hear more about the positive impact that our youth services are having on young people’s wellbeing and confidence.
The youth teams across Blaenau Gwent are helping ensure that more young people stay engaged in education, feel supported, and have opportunities for the future.

UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador
It was great to welcome Brynmawr Foundation School teacher Aimee Jones to Westminster to train as a UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador.
Aimee is a fantastic English teacher, very enthusiastic, proud of her students and passionate about her subject.
Engaging with the work of UK Parliament like this is crucial to developing students’ understanding of democracy.

Llanhilleth Miners Institute
I popped in to Llanhilleth Miners Institute to chat with Chairman Tom Whyatt about how things are going, to pick up any issues I can help with and to also say thank you for the help that the Institute gave at Christmas, distributing our “Everyone Deserves a Christmas” hampers to local people.

The Range / Tesco
Similarly I took the time to visit The Range, Brynmawr to say thanks to the Store Manager David Samuel and also Tesco, Ebbw Vale to thank store manager Jeremy Jordan for their help during our “Everyone Deserves a Christmas” campaign, providing us with bags for life.
It’s good to see big stores in our area chipping in to contribute to community causes like this.

School visits
As well as visiting local businesses and organisations it’s good to take time to visit local schools when I am home from Parliament on a Friday. This month I have been to All Saints Primary, Hilltop, St Illtyds Primary, Llanhilleth and Gilfach Fargoed Primary, Gilfach.
I’ve also taken some time during these visits to speak with staff and children about the issue of social media and screentime for children as it is something our government will be exploring in the near future.

Pension credit events
I am organising Pension Credit Support events for both parts of Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney at:
Abertillery Met, Mitre St, Abertillery, NP13 1AL – Friday, March 20 (11am – 1pm)
Cartref Community Hall, Cardiff Rd, Bargoed, CF81 8NN – Thursday, April 2 (11am – 1pm)

This is for constituents to receive face-to-face help with claiming Pension Credit.
I want to make sure that everyone eligible for financial support is claiming what they’re entitled to.
Advice and support will be available from Citizens Advice, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council / Caerphilly Borough Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Please come along for any support you may need with; checking your eligibility for Pension Credit; help with applying for Pension Credit; finding out more about the benefits of Pension Credit.

Nick Smith MP – Monthly Report – February 2026