Letter from parliament - Tony Lloyd

Tony Lloyd MP

I started the week by attending all three railway stations in my constituency for National Rail Protest Day. People were very keen to let me know what they thought about the rail service, and most comments were not favourable.

There was a huge debate about the expansion of Heathrow airport. I voted against this because it will be bad for the north of England. We shouldn’t be asked to go to London to fly when we have Manchester airport. What is good for London is only good for London and the south east, which already gets 40% of the transport fund. This is three times more per head than Greater Manchester and it’s not right to ask the public for £10-15 billion for access to Heathrow! It is completely ludicrous.

I went to a campaign about female genital mutilation, and how we can train people to recognise those at risk and ensure they receive proper medical advice and treatment. There should be clear guidelines for this. It is a grim reality that even though this is illegal in Britain, it does take place and I will do all I can to help stop this barbaric practice.

I also attended a meeting about a project between China and the Pakistani economy and how British companies can become involved and receive investment, plus a meeting about the post-Brexit need for international trade to ensure this is good for Rochdale.

The government has committed to replacing funds we receive from Europe and we need to ensure the north west doesn’t lost out. We need clarity that the British government has no favourites when offering like for like funding.

I enquired about the possibility of bringing the Manchester United Foundation to Rochdale, which gives people a purpose in life, rather than falling by the wayside. I will be talking to schools, who partner with the charity, to see what we can do locally.

I paid my respects at the memorial of the storming of the Sikh Golden Temple and signed a book of condolences, and attended the local Armed Forces flag raising in recognition of their sacrifices.

We have higher instances of lung problems such as asthma and cancer here in Rochdale, so I met the British Lung Foundation about how we can better treat these disorders. Of course, detection and early intervention are vital.

I also met with Steve Rumbelow, the Chief Executive of Rochdale Council, about a number of issues, including the Rakewood turbine, held my advice bureau and saw the success of the Youth Sport Trust, which really helps boost people's confidence.

I would also like to congratulate Springhill Hospice on the amazing work it does. The Hospice is a fantastic organisation and the care and comfort they give is phenomenal. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about it, which is testament to the hard work of Springhill. Well done.

This weekend I will be attending Eid Milan in Broadfield Park, visiting a mosque and watching Milnrow Cricket Club play.