MPs Question Time at the Town Hall

Jim Dobbin, MP for Heywood and Middleton

Local Members of Parliament Jim Dobbin and Paul Rowen were fielding questions at the annual Rochdale MPs question time at the Town Hall on Friday 16 December. The audience/inquisitors were eager to voice their opinions and ask important questions on some of the issues that currently face the town.

Paul Rowen arrived late due to his car breaking down en route, but he soon got into his stride in response to the first question which raised the problem of funding for local youth schemes in the Rochdale borough. Paul indicated that the problems lie higher up in government than at the local level and Jim Dobbin agreed, suggesting that the use of a long term budget for local governments, rather than the short term funding of the current system, would be the way forward. Paul Rowen was keen to emphasise the importance of localising the system, he said, “Local councillors and people need more say in how the money they get is spent. At present the government do not put enough into long term planning. Fundamentally, the government should give the town the money and we should decide how to spend to spend it.”

Paul Rowen again emphasised the importance of localisation over the next issue; that of the policing of anti-social behaviour. He stated the importance of local policemen who know the area and the children who are involved in anti-social behaviour as a factor in reducing the types of behaviour that has older people in the borough living in fear. Paul went on to say that the regionalisation of police offices has contributed to the problem because centralisation has caused a loss of local identity and the sense of community that thrived in older generations.

Rowen and Dobbin agreed that the problem can lie with the parents of youth offenders and that more must be done to make parents more responsible for their children’s actions. Jim Dobbin said, “You can’t have policemen on every street corner and a lot of the problems are caused by family issues. We need to make sure we are making best use of our resources and try and tackle the problem through the education system and by putting pressure on parents.” Paul Rowen agreed saying:  “it is important that young people in the town are given more of an opportunity to participate in society and that money should be spent on providing positive activities for young people. However, Rochdale, for all its problems, is going in the right direction.”

The most emotive concern to arise was the fate of Rochdale’s hospital following recent reports that it is to lose its Accident & Emergency. Paul Rowen made it very clear that, “after the changes no emergency cases will be admitted to Rochdale and that is disgraceful. I am determined that this town will fight for what it believes in and it will win this battle on the basis of logic.”

Jim Dobbin responded by saying that all four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals were important to his Heywood and Middleton constituents and he chose to emphasise some of the more general problems in a health service which he served for thirty years. He focussed his argument on the phrase, “No change is not an option.”

In response Paul Rowen said, “There has to be changes and improvements, such as the more regular use of local consultants rather than using the infirmary, but on some things we must draw the line.”

Both MPs agreed that money was being spent, but it was not being spent in the right areas although the ideas put forward recently for a new hospital at Birch were a progressive step and would be of great benefit to the people of Rochdale.

Another emotive topic was that of the noise pollution created by fireworks. Many members of the audience were troubled by this. Paul Rowen and Jim Dobbin were quick to assure people that the situation was getting better every year, but made clear that they understood the impact of the issue. The two politicians said that things are being done about this but more could still be achieved, for example, a ban on displays unless a license is obtained for both purchasing and setting off fireworks.

Organiser of the event, Sheila Acton, Chairwoman of CVS Rochdale, spoke of the event’s success: “a lot of people have said it was excellent. They have told me they will get their queries ready for next year after another successful morning of questions.”