Letter from Parliament: Tony Lloyd MP

Date published: 22 September 2023

Tory Britain in RAAC and ruin

In 2010, the then Education Secretary, Michael Gove, and Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, cancelled Labour's Building Schools for the Future Programme. After 13 years of Conservative inaction, many schools constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) are left at risk of collapse whilst the Department for Education's headquarters is undergoing a £34m refit.

I have written to Rochdale Council who have assured me that building surveyors from the Council's Property Services Team completed surveys and confirmed in January 2022 that no RAAC construction was identified in our local schools.

In the national picture, this crisis is the inevitable result of 13 years of cutting corners. It's the sort of thing you expect from cowboy builders, saying that everyone else is to blame while protesting they’ve done "an effing good job", even as the ceiling falls in.

The difference is that in this case, the cowboys are running the country.

 

Lucy Letby: NHS managers must be held to account

All of us have seen in the news the shocking crimes carried out by Lucy Letby and will be aware that senior NHS managers were accused in court of failing to act when doctors raised serious concerns about Letby.

One of those senior managers went on to become a Director of Nursing in Rochdale, and whilst they have now been suspended it is obvious from the witness statements from the senior doctors involved that there now has to be a very rapid review into the actions of senior management who were involved at the time, most certainly to learn the lessons, but also to make sure that those who may have made disastrous decisions are properly held to account.
 

Read more: Rochdale Care Organisation’s director of nursing suspended after accusations of ‘failing to act’ when doctors raised concerns after baby deaths at Countess of Chester HospitalPublished: 21 August 2023

I have raised with government Ministers how it was possible for somebody to be appointed as Director of Nursing in Rochdale, given their background at the Countess of Chester hospital.

 

Credible Rumours of Scrapping HS2

I never trusted this Tory government to complete HS2 to Manchester, to do what is right and needed for the North of England but this would be a betrayal of our interests and entrench the North/South divide. It’s time for the party for the South to go.
 

Read more: Andy Burnham says Labour would bring HS2 to Manchester after fears it could be droppedPublished: 19 September 2023

 

 

Cost of living support: funding to support charity and community organisations

Charities and community organisations carrying out vital work to help people in need are invited to apply for a government support package.

The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund will focus on those organisations delivering core subsistence-level provision around food, warmth, shelter, safety and associated advice.

This is a tough time for households across Rochdale, and community and charity organisations are facing increased demand on the services they provide. I welcome this support and I would encourage organisations to apply to ensure that support gets to those who need it most.

Applications are now open, until midday on 16 October 2023. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis, with successful applicants receiving funding around 12 weeks after they submit an application.

Further details on the eligibility criteria and how to apply can be found here.

 

Act now on toxic air pollution

I'm calling on the government to act now to reduce levels of toxic air pollution.

Many children returned to school after the summer holidays yet thousands of schools across the country are in areas that exceed safe levels of air pollution. Children are particularly vulnerable to its effects because their organs are still developing. Filthy air has been found to limit lung growth, cause asthma and even worsen mental health.

Nine-year old Ella Roberta Kissi Debrah tragically died in 2013 and was the first person to have air pollution exposure formally listed on their death certificate, whilst 40,000 people a year in our country lose their lives early as a result with many others suffering from chronic conditions and reduced life expectancy.

The government could prevent more deaths by supporting the Clean Air Bill. This would ensure the human right to breathe clean air is put in place, and in turn, prevent deaths and health complications whilst protecting the environment and mitigating climate change. We are running out of time on this. The government must act now. Read more.

 

G20 missing in action on climate change

The G20 is a club of the richest countries that meets to discuss global economic and political issues.

Between them, they account for 85% of the world's economic output and more than 75% of world trade. The G20 summit recently met in India's capital Delhi but failed to highlight and prioritise climate change.

International conferences must underline its global priority and the critical need for the richest countries (the G20) to transfer resources and technology to the developing world. We're in this together not apart.

 

International Development Assistance

The government is currently accepting submissions to inform its approach to international development to 2030.

With the UK's international aid budget having suffered severe cuts in recent years, the opportunity to feed into a reassessment of our role in international development is an important one.

A meaningful contribution to international development acts to support several decades of progress in the alleviation of global poverty at a time when that progress has been put at risk. This is why it is so important that we return to the UN-backed commitment to spending 0.7% of national income on international aid.

It also helps in our fight to limit the effects of climate change and reach global net zero goals, as we can use international aid to support the adaptation of infrastructure and development of new technologies and techniques.

Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen the impact of climate change in recent times and helping to build resilience for the future has got to be a priority.

Contributing to international development has direct benefits for us. If we want to prevent conflict and reduce the flow of people around the world, then stabilising local economies makes sense. In helping to tackle global instability, it also increases our own security.

 

Moroccan Earthquake and Libyan Floods

As the death count continues to rise after both these human tragedies, our thoughts are with those who died but even more with those who may lay trapped in collapsed buildings. Our respect goes to those from around the world who take part in the vital rescue missions.

Constituents concerned about relatives and friends in Morocco following the earthquake should call 02070 085 000.

 

Independence Day of Ukraine

The 24th of August marked 32 years since Ukraine declared independence. We continue to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and their brave fight for freedom. Slava Ukraini.

 

Northern Ireland Troubles Bill

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill returned to the Commons in the first week of Parliament's return from summer recess.

Between 1968-1998, 3,260 people were killed by Republican and loyalist paramilitaries, as well as by the Northern Irish police service and British Army. In 2015 the Stormont House Agreement, negotiated with the five main political parties in Northern Ireland, and the UK and Irish Governments, provided a way forward in dealing with the past.

Its centrepiece was the establishment of an independent Historical Investigations Unit, with full policing powers to work through outstanding Troubles-related cases and a separate independent commission on information retrieval.

In 2020, the government signalled a new direction with a Command Paper containing a blanket amnesty proposal that was universally condemned. The legislation offering conditional immunity to those guilty of murder was a result of a campaign by backbench Conservative MPs to see that no member of the British Army could be charged however aggravated the crime. Worse, the legislation prevents grieving families from ever knowing the truth.

The test for a way forward on Legacy issues is that they must provide greater benefit for victims than those who committed acts of terror. Labour voted against this Bill as it fails that test.

Reconciliation won’t be achieved by imposing proposals on Northern Ireland which are opposed by all local parties and victims’ groups. Innocent people were murdered on the streets, society owes it to them and their loved ones to demand their killers are not offered immunity.

 

50th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean military coup

 

I co-sponsored a Parliamentary motion marking the fiftieth anniversary of the overthrow of the democratic Chilean government and murder of President Allende by the Pinochet military dictatorship.

His aim was to eradicate democracy and his dictatorship saw 3,000 people murdered or missing, tens of thousands were tortured, and some 200,000 Chileans driven into exile.

Pinochet’s coup was actively supported by the American government, but we must also remember and recognise by contrast the solidarity demonstrated by the British trade union movement and those civic society groups which assisted thousands of Chilean exiles in seeking asylum in the UK in the aftermath of the coup.

The overthrow of President Allende's democratically elected government offers vital lessons for the modern-day when democracy around the globe is again threatened by authoritarianism, racism, and the self-interest of global capital.

 

Pulmonary fibrosis awareness month

September marks Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month and I co-sponsored a Parliamentary motion in raising awareness of this debilitating and often life-threatening lung condition.

I have known those who have suffered from this and across the UK there are approximately 70,000 people with this disease. With 1% of all deaths being due to pulmonary fibrosis, there is a need for fast and accurate diagnosis as well as access to treatments and pulmonary rehabilitation.

There is also the need for improved funding for research and support services and the motion calls on the government to support initiatives that raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, encourage early diagnosis, and promote research into the disease.