Letter from Parliament - Paul Rowen MP

Paul Rowen MP

Week ending 25 July 2009.

Parliament finished this Tuesday and does not return until the 10 October – at 96 days one of the longest recesses ever.

Most MPs however are not on holiday during all that time but spend the time usefully in their constituency meeting people and doing their job representing constituents. That is what I intend doing, having a holiday and spending time out and about Rochdale.

As well as catching up on local work, I will continue to work alongside our unsung heroes - the volunteers of our town. My website - www.paulrowen.co.uk will chronicle this.

Before the recess however the Commons had its second reading of the Child Poverty Bill; when law it will set mandatory targets for reducing Child Poverty. Back in 1998 Tony Blair promised to half child poverty by 2010 and eliminate it by 2020.

Twelve months before the government's first target it is clear that child poverty is increasing not decreasing. The Milburn Report on inequalities, also published this week shows just how much more difficult it has become for bright young people without connections to get into jobs in medicine or the law.

As a Liberal Democrat I believe in equality and did therefore support the government in its aims if not it means of going about it.

I was also pleased to welcome Councillor Peter Clegg and his wife Hilary to the Commons. They were attending the Royal Garden Party on the Tuesday. Peter and Hilary do a great job working behind the scenes for our town and I am pleased to acknowledge that.

As well as this, Peter is an excellent councillor in Spotland and Falinge and a valuable member of Greater Manchester's Fire Authority and Hilary does an excellent job in the arts, teaching at a very succesfull dancing school.

Last week I held a series of meetings with local businesses and traders. The first organised together with the Council was about our town centre and last week during the Feel Good Festival I visited many of the shops in the Town Centre.

The meeting raised several issues which I am now discussing with Council officers, Council Leader Alan Taylor and Greg Couzens. This included extending our Council's 'free after three' parking scheme.

I am delighted that our Council have listened to our traders and are rolling out this scheme all day Saturday. It's vital that we look after our traders and this will make a real difference.

On Friday morning I attended a business breakfast organised by Carol Hopkins of the Chamber of Commerce. We had a lively discussion and again I am raising many of the issues with Government Departments.

I followed this with the official opening of the Remploy e-cycle works by the Greater Manchester Police's Chief Constable Peter Fahey at Heywood Distribution Park followed by a discussion with Year 9 students at Springhill High on Darfur organised by their teacher Andy Kennedy.

I was impressed by the thoughtful and perceptive comments on how we should tackle this problem. The Rushbearing in Littleborough is always a fantastic event and Rochdale Morris did not disappoint again though the weather could have been kinder.

On Wednesday this week I attended a meeting organised by Jim Dobbin MP on funding for Hopwood Hall College with Minister Kevin Brennan. Earlier this year I organised a meeting with then Minister Sion Simon MP that secured the funding for our Six Form College. Then we made it clear that both schemes were linked and needed to be approved. We shall continue to press the government on this issue.

I am pleased this week to welcome Thomas Barlow, a student from Littleborough to my team. Tom is enjoying valuable work experience and is doing an excellent job assisting my staff at Drake Street. He is one of several students who is gathering valuable experience in my office this summer.