Letter from Parliament

Last week began in Belfast with the British Irish Parliamentary Body in session to discuss progress on the Northern Ireland Peace process.  This was an important meeting following the St Andrew’s Agreement and was an indication that the Northern Ireland Assembly is back on course.  Representations were made from the House of Commons, Republic of Ireland, The Channel Islands, Wales, Scotland, The Isle of Man and Northern Ireland.  The Body meets twice a year and is a vehicle to promote mutual understanding and support between its members. All political parties take part. 

I spent much of last week lobbying and negotiating with Education Secretary Alan Johnson over quotas for Faith School admissions.  This policy was triggered by Lord Kenneth Baker of ‘Baker Days’ fame in an amendment he proposed in the House of Lords.  I argued that there was no need for compulsion on quotas as they were already being achieved voluntarily.  I was in contact with Archbishop Vincent Nichols from Birmingham whose clarity and commitment on this issue were invaluable.  Alan Johnson withdrew the proposal on Thursday insisting only on improved community cohesion efforts from all schools. 

I reported in my first article that I had been a member of a panel examining disabled children’s services.  I have a special interest in this subject as I have two disabled grandsons, both wheelchair bound.  The panel launched its report on Thursday and was presented to Treasury Minister, Ed Balls who promised to seek ways of implementing its findings.  Those contributing to the report included politicians, children’s support groups, parents, Government Ministers and the Children’s Commissioner for England.  I hope this report will make support and finance more accessible to children with disabilities.

Let me now turn to the hospice movement.  I was fortunate to be invited to an awards event on Friday hosted by Springhill Hospice for the many volunteers who contribute to their invaluable work.  I have known Margaret Geoghegan, the founder and Chairman of the hospice, since our days together as members of Rochdale Health Authority around twenty years ago.  Springhill Hospice is a success because of the dynamic drive and selfless determination of Margaret and Chief Executive Christine Webb, who have a national reputation for their contribution to the hospice movement and deserve the recognition they receive.  Ken Davis and Ian Jenkins both deserve praise for their commitment to fundraising for the hospice and for the time they have dedicated to this task.

Hospice provision and funding across the country is uneven particularly in rural areas.  Children’s hospices also have serious funding deficits.  The Government intends to address these issues but they need make this area a priority.  I have a ten minute rule bill to promote palliative care for terminally ill people and hope to re-introduce it after the Queen’s Speech in November.

On Friday afternoon Phil Woolas MP, Paul Rowen MP and I met Council Leader Alan Taylor and Chief Executive Roger Ellis for our by-monthly briefing session.  These are worthwhile meetings and all three MPs do whatever we can to support the Council in its aims.

Friday evening was the entertainment highlight of my week, when my wife Pat and I were guests at St Gabriel’s Castleton performance of “Annie Get Your Gun”.  Their Pantomime is always great fun and it’s good to see real community involvement with this enterprise.  We drove down to Cardiff on Saturday to visit my two grandsons, Adam and Jimmy.  The remainder of the weekend was then spent with the dinosaurs at Cardiff’s excellent National Museum.  The condition which the boys have is a severe muscle weakness known as Myasthenia Gravis.  I am joining medical experts to meet with Health Minister Ivan Lewis this Tuesday to help raise awareness of this little known condition.
 
Today (Monday) I met Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander to lobby him for stronger regulation of the bus companies in Manchester which is under serious consideration.  I was surprised that the Council’s planning committee agreed to the building of a number of flats in gardens off North Road.  In my view this decision makes no sense at all as this application differs very little from the previous one, which had been turned down.

The remainder of my week at Westminster is packed with committee meetings, receptions and briefings punctuated with the regular votes in between.  I return to the constituency on Thursday evening looking forward to, among other things, the Heart of Heywood conference at Hopwood Hall College.