Representing communities is a privilege and your views matter

Listening to my constituents is always my top priority, since my last column I've seen a huge increase in contacts thanks to the four different consultations and campaigns my office are currently running at the same time-as always it's incredibly busy, both in Parliament and here at home, and as your MP I would not have it any other way!

- Kate Osborne

Representing our communities is a privilege and your views matter, on all things from the discussions on SEND, social media for under-16s, tuition fees to our preparations for major local events that celebrate our area's proud history and shape its future.

In Parliament, there is a national conversation under way about children's use of social media and smartphones. The Government launched a consultation looking at how we can better protect young people online, including proposals such as restricting social media access for under-16s and limiting phone use in schools. These are big questions, and they must be answered with the voices of parents, teachers and young people themselves at the centre.

I visited schools, including Dunn Street Primary School and Hebburn Comprehensive School over the past week, to hear directly from pupils and staff about how social media affects their daily lives and have consultation events planned for pupils and parents-these conversations are invaluable - but I want to ensure as many people as possible are able to have their say, so I have launched a constituency survey to gather local views here https://tinyurl.com/ko-consultation