Firstly, am I your MP?

MPs can only provide help and advice to their own constituents. If you're unsure, you can easily check by entering your postcode on Parliament's Find My MP website. 

If you live in the North East Hampshire constituency, or are a business based there, you can ask me to help you with any issue that is a matter for which Parliament or a Government department has responsibility. 

For example, I can contact Government Agencies like the UK Visas and Immigration or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on your behalf. I can put Parliamentary Questions to Government Ministers, which they are obliged to reply to, and I can refer complaints about your experience with Government departments to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for independent and impartial arbitration.

I am a member of the Commons Select Committee on Women and Equalities, so I am well-placed to address issues on topics related to gender equality and equality in general. I can also speak to my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs who sit on on other Commons committees to make them aware of issues that you might raise with me, but I cannot ask them to intervene on your behalf.

What I can't help with

For matters that are the responsibility of Hampshire County Council, or our local authorities, you need to have contacted the responsible body already and tried to resolve your issue with them before I can get involved. This includes issues related to social care, housing, roads, schools, public transport, refuse collection, and planning.

I may be able to write to them to highlight your case, but Borough, District, or County councillors are normally your best port of call, and you can find their contact details via the relevant websites (see below).

I also can't advise or help in any way with legal problems, or disputes with your neighbours. 

How to contact me

When contacting me, you should always include your own address, with postcode, so I can know you are a constituent.

In most cases, and for most requests, the best way to contact me is by email to alex.brewer.mp@parliament.uk

You can also write to me by addressing correspondence to: Alex Brewer MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA, or you can leave me a voicemail by calling 020-7219-7560.

You can ask for a face-to-face meeting with me at one of the surgery sessions I run at various locations around the constituency, or book an online private meeting. Send email to request this, explaining what you want to talk about so that I and my team can prepare for the meeting. Please note that meetings are prioritised for those whose issues are most urgent.

A safe contact policy applies to all forms of contact, including email, social media, phone calls and in-person events and meetings. If I, or a member of my team, experience threats, abuse, harassment, swearing, intimidation, aggression or shouting, we will cease communication with you and we may report you to the appropriate authorities.

In general, social media is not a good way to approach me for help.

How long will I take to reply to you?

I receive hundreds of requests every week for help, assistance and information. I try, along with my team, to ensure that all work is dealt with as quickly as possible. All requests for help are looked at on receipt and urgent personal cases are prioritised as quickly as possible. Coordinated campaign emails, of which I receive many, tend to be given a lower priority. I’m sorry that this sometimes means you have to wait for a reply.

Other sources of help

• Parliament has a helpful guide to contacting your MP
• Citizens Advice can assist you with issues of a more general nature, or direct you to specialist support for more particular problems.

Hampshire County Council handles services including:

• education
• transport
• planning
• fire and public safety
• social care
• libraries
• waste management
• trading standards

You can view the County Council website here, and find your County Councillor here.

Hart District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council handle services including:

• rubbish collection
• recycling
• Council Tax collections
• housing
• planning applications

Hart District: you can find the District Council website here, and find your District Councillors here.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough: you can find the Borough Council website here, and find your Borough Councillors here.

Town and Parish Councils handle services including:

• allotments
• public clocks
• bus shelters
• community centres
• play areas and play equipment
• grants to help local organisations
• consultation on neighbourhood planning

They also have the power to issue fixed penalty fines for things like:

• litter
• graffiti
• fly posting
• dog offences