Letter from Parliament

Just three weeks ago the Farepak Christmas Hamper scheme collapsed.  This wrecked the Christmas of over 100,000 families.  If you are a victim or you know someone who has been, it is important that a claim is made with the Administrator on telephone number 0870 830 6010.  We must make sure this does not happen again.  The DTI is looking at the company’s records with Administrators.  The government is looking at stricter regulation through the Fair Trading Office to give more protection to people who form Christmas hamper schemes.

 

This week Gordon Brown launched the International Finance Facility for Immunisation with a £1.38 billion commitment. It will raise 4 billion dollars over the next 10 years to enable the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation to prevent the spread of disease.  29,000 children are dying everyday from diseases that could be eradicated by vaccination.

 

I met the developers of Heywood Distribution Park together with Cllr Colin Lambert, Chair of Heywood Township to discuss the heavy goods vehicle movements around and through Heywood.  We are determined to protect the local community from HGV congestion but need to strike a balance on also protecting the employment opportunities the distribution park provides.

 

I then spent some time at the Middleton campus of Hopwood Hall College at the launch of the New Heart for Heywood Community Cohesion and Regeneration Conference.  I was delighted to be able to present a gift to David Rothwell who recently retired as chairman of the New Deal Board in recognition of his impressive contribution.  I then attended the Festival of Remembrance in Rochdale Town Hall, always a colourful though poignant event.

 

I was pleased to present a bottle of House of Commons whisky to the Mayor Cllr Jean Hornby to help with the Mayoral charity. Next it was on to Ramsbottom for the Rochdale Indian Association Diwali Celebrations with traditional dancing, music, poetry and food in a real party atmosphere.

 

I spent Monday dealing with correspondence and phone calls in our Westminster office.  Tuesday in Westminster was hectic because I was hosting a reception for the launch of a new All Party Group on Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction which I chair.  Tranquilliser addiction causes untold misery for the addict and their families.  They need co-ordinated support from local services and the group aims to make their needs known and their voices heard in parliament. The meeting was well attended with victims of prescribed tranquilliser addiction present from all over the UK and Ireland.  I was pleased to meet up with one of my Middleton constituents who has just managed to come off tranquillisers after 28 years.  I was glad to see him looking so well. 

 

Wednesday morning began with a meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms.  I lead the Amicus Trade Union Voluntary Sector Group.  We were lobbying for greater security on conditions of service and pensions for voluntary staff.  We await the Chancellor’s spending review for signs of support.

 

Dr Brian Iddon the MP for Bolton South East joined me in the office of Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health to lobby for government support for more extensive palliative care.  She listened carefully to the case we put and agreed that the government was aware of the issue of extended social care because people were now living longer.

 

Parliament was pro-rogued at 11 30 on Wednesday morning (this means that Parliament stopped all business because the government had completed its legislative programme).

 

Labour’s Legislation over the last parliamentary session delivered the following Acts.

 

Animal Welfare Act: for the first time preventative action will be taken if suffering to an animal occurs and a duty will be placed on those responsible to ensure the welfare of their animals.

 

Education and Inspections Act: gives new powers to councillors and local authorities to tackle under-performing and failing schools and for the first time teachers will have the right to discipline pupils – putting an end to the “you can’t tell me what to do” culture.

 

Work and Families Act: extends paid maternity and adoption leave and delivers Labour’s Manifesto commitments to ensure all workers are entitled to 4 weeks statutory leave in addition to 8 days bank holidays.

 

Childcare Act: Places a new duty on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare to meet the needs of working parents and those preparing to work, especially those from lower income families.

 

London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act: established the Olympic delivery Authority providing powers to make sure the games are on time and on budget.

 

Identity Cards Act: introduces identity cards to help fight against illegal working and immigration abuse: prevent identity fraud and help in the detection of crime and terrorism.

 

Equality Act: sets up a new Commission on Equality and Human Rights so people facing discrimination on grounds of age, sexuality or religion have a body to champion their rights for the first time.

 

Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act: moves the NI peace process forward through reform of electoral registration to ensure maximum suffrage and the power to bring forward the Assembly elections which are currently due in May 2007.

 

I visited Oxford University to deliver a talk and do a question and answer session at the invitation of the University Union Pro-Life Society. We had dinner with the students in the refectory that reminded me of scenes from Harry Potter.  We arrived home in Rochdale at 2am.

 

Friday began with a visit to the newly opened Mind internet café in Middleton where I met local workers and had breakfast with them. I had lunch at the Springhill Hospice as a member of the Man of the Year committee.  We had to sift through the nominations and choose the winner from a number of very worthy nominees who have worked hard for the community or in charitable work.  It was as usual an extremely difficult choice.  The announcement will be made at the Man of the Year annual lunch on 24 November.

 

Back to the office in Heywood to deal with correspondence and then on to the Heywood Civic to enjoy the Annual Gang show with cubs scouts guides and leaders having a great time on stage. I know how much work goes into such a performance and the leaders deserve medals for their commitment all year round to the young people.  The audience joined in all the songs and actions with huge enthusiasm.

 

It’s Christmas Fair time again and my first visit was to Alkrington United Reform Church, followed by a visit to St John’s Hopwood. It gives me a chance to meet up with constituents and stock up on homemade marmalades and jams.  On Saturday evening we danced the night away to a fantastic live band in St Vincent’s RC Church Norden at a Churches Together celebration.

 

On Sunday morning I attended the Cenotaph service in Middleton, an impressive parade run with military precision. The Deputy Mayor and I attend alternate services each year so I will be in Heywood next year. In the afternoon, I was able to make a short address to veterans and other colleagues in the British Legion at the Heywood Ex-Servicemen’s club where I am president.  The encouraging thing about both services was the increasing number of young people present. Then it was back down the M6 to London.