I HAVE always argued that house building in our part of north Hampshire has to be preceded by investment in local services. If this investment does not happen then, all too quickly, cracks in local services start to appear.

The borough is currently building more than 800 new houses a year, yet there is no money in the coffers to build any new GP surgeries.

Since the General Election, I have been receiving a steady stream of letters from worried constituents who know that their own GP is operating out of cramped facilities in need of modernisation.

Last week, the borough council opted to support the building of 700 houses a year into the future. This is the lowest building option available to them from the South East Regional Assembly.

But still, no one will say where the money will come from to build new doctors surgeries, new schools or to ensure improvements in our roads keep pace with the increase in local population.

Surely we should approach this issue differently and let local communities determine the number of houses they need and have the capacity to support.

CHRISTMAS is coming and I have asked local schools to help me out with the design for my first Parliamentary Christmas card.

The response has been tremendous and the quality of design outstanding.

The judging of the entries took place last week and we will be announcing the winners this Friday. Given the level of response we received, I hope that this competition will become an annual event.

I WAS delighted to meet staff and students at Brighton Hill Community College last Friday.

I very much value these visits because they give me a chance to hear schools' visions for their futures.

I also had the opportunity to meet members of the student council who grilled me on what it's like to be the Member of Parliament for Basingstoke!

IF YOU need to contact Maria, you can call her office at the House of Commons 0207 219 5749, e-mail millerm@parliament.uk or write to her at The House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA, or Basingstoke Constituency Office, 149d Pack Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5HN.

Call if you need to book an appointment to see Maria at her regular advice bureau.

First published: Wednesday, October 19, 2005