Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin MP

I welcome the fact that the government is investing £3.7 billion to keep as many post offices viable as possible. Had opposition parties offered financial support to keep the entire Post Office network in place then they too would be in a creditable position. Both opposition parties, Tories and Lib Dems, have offered no financial support at all. As most people know I am prepared to vote against measures when I believe they are wrong, however I am not prepared to vote in support of opportunistic opposition motions that offer no solutions and no resources. The only sensible vote was for the Government’s investment package.

Despite adverse publicity from the opposition, local post offices received a boost in the past week when the Labour government awarded the contract for the card account to the Post Office. I recently met with Labour’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell, himself a North West M.P., to discuss this issue and I am delighted that the Government listened to what I and other Labour colleagues have been saying on behalf of local people. Can I thank all those who wrote to me about Post Office Accounts, it certainly helped us to reach the right result. The news will be welcomed by local Post Offices who rely on people picking up their pensions or benefits via the card account, and there may be more business opportunities coming the way of Post Offices following constructive positive comments from Business Minister Lord Peter Mandelson.

This week also saw a funding boost for local schools, although there has been considerable investment already across the borough with a number of new primary schools already built. The funding plan is worth £3.55 billion across England. I will always fight for more money for schools. I believe children deserve the best facilities we can build and teachers deserve better classrooms to work in. Ten years ago classrooms were in a terrible state. That has been transformed by the largest ever investment in new buildings, computers and other facilities like the new Woodlands Primary in Heywood and the refurbished Furrow Primary and Holborn and Newlands primary. There are other examples across the borough. At this challenging time for the economy it is vital that we sustain our public services and create jobs in the construction industries and local businesses. Sadly, both the Tories and the Lib Dems have pledged to take £20 billion out of public services.

Families across my constituency are understandably worried about bank failures and troubled stock markets across the world. It is important that interest rate reductions are passed on by the banks to the families and businesses across my constituency. I will support the Prime Minister in the clear leadership he is showing to provide real help in tough times to save jobs, support homeowners, help small businesses and keep prices down. So whether it is on food, fuel, on homes or jobs, on banks or businesses, the Government is taking action. As countries across Europe including the U.K move into recession, everything possible will be done by the Government to protect individuals. There will be some casualties but we will get through this worrying period. I am confident of that.

Following the tragic death of Baby P in Haringey the government has announced an urgent review on child protection in Haringey. I plead for a balanced outcome to this report. We want better child protection, better trained professional staff and more support for families to enable children to remain at home where possible. I also plead for less secrecy in family courts, so that those who are professionally involved are seen to be openly accountable for their decisions.

It was lovely to have Fiona and Rob Beattie from Middleton visit me in the House of Commons. They were spending a few days in London to celebrate Fiona’s 60th birthday, and last week Michael Connolly the former Head of St Joseph’s High School Heywood and his wife Christine came to the Commons on a visit. It was good to see them both again. Michael made a huge contribution to education in Heywood at St Joseph’s.

Pat and I enjoyed the Last Night of the Proms at St. Aidan’s Castleton, featuring the Rochdale School Orchestra, the folk group That’s All Folks, and Rochdale Youth Choir and the Director, Fred Bowker, and conductors Cliff Wordsworth and James Lewis. The musicians were wonderful and it was a treat to see such confident and talented young people providing so much enjoyment and helping a very worthy cause. Rochdale Borough has one of the best music services in the country. They are a credit to our local community.

I attended a first birthday celebration of the joint state schools, Hollin Primary and Newlands Primary. It was a delight to see how closely both schools are co-operating and providing inclusion in education that will form lasting attitudes as the pupils grow into adulthood Sadly I attended the Requiem Mass at St. Thomas More’s in Middleton for Vincent Mannion a former conservative councillor for South Middleton. When I worked at Royal Oldham Hospital , Vincent used to sell me antibiotics when he was a representative for Merck Sharpe and Dohme. I have just been told of the death of former Conservative leader Pamela Hawton who has been seriously ill. We were political opponents but had respect for each other as people and both worked hard on behalf of Middleton.