Letter from Parliament

I had to be in the House of Commons on Monday 27 November to chair a press conference about my presentation Bill on Palliative Care.  Representatives from the National Council for Palliative Care, disability groups, medical ethics experts and journalists from The Times, The Telegraph and The Independent took part.  The Bill will continue progressing through the Parliamentary route with the aim of influencing government policy in due course.

As people live longer, social care and palliative care will require more government support to get rid of the present post code lottery, provide more home care and ease the financial burden shouldered by the charitable hospice movement.  Cancer patients are well represented in hospice provision of care but there are other groups such as Motor Neurone Disease patients, who need to be given more targeted support.

I was shocked to receive a phone call from my constituency office informing me that the Liberal Democratic Council in Rochdale Metropolitan Borough had taken the decision to cut up to 25 agency staff that provide much needed support and care for adults with learning difficulties.  This is a massive reduction in service at any time but to do so just before Christmas is insensitive.  Adult care does not appear to be a priority for this council. I hope they review this decision and look for less punitive deductions.  Strangely they do this at a time when the government announces a 3.8% increase in the budget- a total 38% increase since 1997.

Tuesday 28 November was packed with meetings including a lunch at Canada House to meet the new High Commissioner for Canada and discuss the forth coming Canadian election.  I was then asked to attend a European Standing Committee to debate environmental issues. Later I had a meeting with Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham who is a challenger for the Deputy Leadership in the Labour Party.  I intend to support Jon.

Wednesday morning started with a meeting of the All Party Group on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction and we tabled an early day motion asking for more government support for people who have become addicted to tranquillisers that have been prescribed by their doctors.  In the afternoon I hosted a reception on Public Health attended by doctors and medics and executives from primary care trusts around the country and chaired a question and answer session on encouraging people to take responsibility for their health.         

Thursday it was back up the motorway to the constituency.  Friday morning I met with Craig McAteer the new chief executive of the RMBC Leisure Trust to discuss his new role and how he can help New Heart for Heywood’s bid to create a Sports Village in the town, something I have already discussed with Richard Caborn the Sports Minister.  This would help encourage young people to focus on the 2012 Olympics.  We have many talented young sportsmen and women in the constituency and wouldn’t it be brilliant if some of them made it to the Games?

I then visited Castleton for a meeting with the police, the council and representatives from the Passenger Transport Executive and local people about problems with the siting of a bus stop in Slattocks.

My Heywood advice surgery on Saturday morning was very busy with constituents extremely upset about the sudden cuts in adult care support.  I went to three Christmas Fairs at Alkrington Primary School, St Mary’s C of E and Bamford Chapel and stocked up with some homemade cakes and jams.  I attended the Inskip League Children’s Christmas Party and enjoyed renewing acquaintances with all the guests and organisers.  They do a wonderful job and we had a delicious meal followed by a disco.

Before returning to London on Sunday, I attended the Christmas Cracker musical extravaganza in Gracie Fields theatre where we were entertained by the Rochdale Schools Music Service.  This Borough is unique in the way musical talent is fostered in schools by the music service under Fred Bowker.  The pupils learn to perform individually and in groups from an early age and they have won countless prizes over the years.  There are always new groups coming through and the future of music is assured in the borough thanks to the many dedicated parents who support the service and especially to the teachers who give of their time and talents to train the young musicians.

Janet Anderson MP, Paul Rowen MP and I met with Greencorns, a provider of private homes for children with behaviour difficulties to discuss some local problems.  We will be meeting them in Rochdale Town Hall sometime in the New Year.  You will all be familiar now with the chancellor’s pre-budget spending review and I must say he gave his usual polished performance. We now await his last budget before he becomes Prime Minister.  Wednesday ended with an hour’s talk to a group of 30 interns followed by a question and answer session. They are young people who after university get a year’s work experience in the Westminster office of an MP. 

As I end this article I have just heard the results of the Children’s Hospitals’ Review and although 60% of my constituents are happy with the result, those in the North of the M62, Heywood, Rochdale, Bury and Rossendale have lost out.  There is a powerful argument for paediatrics/maternity provision in this area to serve around half a million people. A joint campaign now needs to take place to get this reviewed and in my view this should have been set up much earlier.

Fairfield, Rochdale and Rossendale Health staff, politicians, councils and local communities need now to get together to influence the final result.  I am sure there is still something that can be retrieved from all of this.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.