Letter from Parliament

Paul Rowen MP in Parliament

Last weekend I had two very busy surgeries at Wardle Library and BACP. It was the first time I had used the Bangladesh Community Project as a venue so I was delighted with the turnout. I was especially pleased to meet Dr Musharraf Hussain, the Chair of the organisation who came to meet me. I hope to be able to use BACP as a regular venue in future and I know there is a lot of good work carried out at the centre led by Habibul Ahad and his staff.

I spent part of the weekend taking to Friends of Our Hospital about the Secretary of State’s decision to refer the decision on the A&E at the Infirmary to the Independent Configuration Panel for review. It is only that but I'm convinced that we would not have got this far without the wholehearted support of the people of Rochdale. Thanks for your support - it is appreciated.

I travelled down early on Monday to London to meet some old friends from University who were visiting Westminster for the day. I also attended Defence questions and then the Transport Secretary’s statement on the rail crash in Cumbria. The accident was a tragedy due to faulty points though I've no doubt that had it not been the ultra modern Pendelinos the death toll would have been much higher.

Tuesday was “Mesethelioma Action day” and there was a meeting about the subject with a new film about Mesethelioma which Jason Addy had a part in producing. It is an excellent educational video. It explains what the disease is and what causes it - asbestos. I know that many people worked at Turners and tragically many families in Rochdale will have lost or know someone suffering from the disease. I will continue to press for the government to make Alimta, the only drug that can relieve the symptoms of the drug freely available on the NHS. Thankfully Rochdale PCT does allow the drug for its patients though in this day and age we should not have a post code lottery. I also met Gillian Merron MP, a Transport Minister about the new bill to make concessionary bus fares available nationwide. It is a good idea which I support. However I am concerned that local authorities are fully funded for the cost of the scheme. Otherwise they will be forced to make cuts elsewhere. I will be leading on the bill for my party.

On Thursday, the four Lib Dem MPs in Greater Manchester handed in a petition about Police cuts in Greater Manchester to Number 10 Downing Street. Councillor Wera Hobhouse brought the petitions from Rochdale down. We are concerned about the cuts in our number of Police - 216 less than this time last year.  Our Police do a great job as a letter I had from Inspector Holdershaw from Littleborough demonstrated. Since Christmas the Police have increased patrols in the area and arrested a number of people causing problems.  I am concerned at the recent incidents in both Central Rochdale and Littleborough – where a large number of car windows were smashed. Councillor Peter Evans informed me that there have been a number of arrests and I welcome that.  I will also be talking in the next few weeks with Peter with his Littleborough colleagues - Councillors Rosemary Jones and Pauline Maguire about strengthening the campaign for CCTV at Littleborough Railway Station and elsewhere where required in the area.

On Friday I am due to have a tour of the Kingsway Industrial Park to see how work is progressing. I know that over the weekend Councillor Irene Davidson had a number of complaints about work going on at the site mainly from residents on Ashfield Lane.

This weekend I'm attending our Spring Conference in Harrogate where I'm due to speak in a debate about the Government’s cuts to British Waterways. This is particularly important for the Rochdale Canal which continues to need investment. I don't know if any of you saw the excellent TV programme on the Rochdale Canal on the BBC? Anyone seeing that cannot but be impressed about the beauty of the canal and the variety of wildlife it supports. Both the Littleborough stretches and those through the centre of Rochdale are superb adverts for our town. As a born and bred Rochdalian, I am very proud of our Canal, a Canal that is the envy of numerous places across the country!