Parliamentary Report - March 2005
Local Activity
• Attended the opening of the Khatwa Exhibition at the Dewsbury Road Library, Beeston
• Gave lecture at Leeds University on Development After the Tsunami
• Spoke at development meeting at the University of Huddersfield for MPs Barry Sheerman and Kali Mountford
• Attended photocall to mark start of work on the new South Leeds High School
• Spoke at an International Development meeting with Judith Blake at Lawnswood High School
• Opposed plans to close Mount St Mary’s RC Primary School
• Regular advice surgeries
Local Issues
I have written to the Catholic Diocese of Leeds to express my strong opposition to the proposal to close Mount St Mary's Primary School. It is an extraordinary idea, given that this is a Beacon school, has several school Achievement Awards and has been assessed by OFSTED as “outstanding”. To make matters worse, the Diocese has had £1.6 million from the DFES to rebuild the school – which has been in huts for some years – and has instead decided to try and shut it. There has been strong protest from local parents and I will give the campaign every support.
I have also offered support to a funding application by GASPED, a local organisation that works with families affected by drugs. They do a good job locally and they deserve our backing.
I have had a huge number of postcards about the Gambling Bill. There seems to be concern that Bingo needs to be protected so that Bingo clubs do not rush to convert their community-based facilities into casinos. Tessa Jowell has now promised that there will be a limited first phase for new casinos which will allow their social impact to be tested and this will prevent the conversion of Bingo halls into casinos with their very different atmosphere and clientele. It is to protect Bingo that the Government has promised to take a more cautious approach.
The Budget
Gordon Brown’s Budget announcements included: a long-term programme of investment in schools, and improved financial support for 16 to 19 year olds in learning; the extension of existing higher Individual Savings Accounts annual investment limits to April 2010; extra support for families, by increasing the child element of the Child Tax Credit at least in line with earnings up to 2007-08; free local bus travel for over 60s and disabled people from April 2006; an additional payment guaranteeing council tax paying households with someone over 65 will receive £200 towards the cost of council tax this year, alongside the 2005 Winter Fuel Payment; and a doubling of the starting threshold of Stamp Duty on residential property transactions to £120,000 (this will provide real help to first-time buyers).
Compared with last year, a single earner couple with two children, with earnings up to the median for full-time workers - £23,400 per year – will be at least £150 a year better off in real terms.
As a result of personal tax and benefit measures introduced since 1997, by October 2005, families with children are, on average, £1,400 a year better off in real terms, while those in the poorest fifth of the population are, on average £3200 a year better off. A single earner family with two children, on average male earnings of £31,000, is £205 a year better off in real terms. This shows the real effects on the least well-off of Labour’s Budgets.
Political Developments
The Terrorism Bill has dominated the House of Commons in the last 2 weeks. The Bill was put forward in response to the Law Lords judgment in the case of the Belmarsh detainees. After a long period of debate – and ping-pong between the Commons and the Lords – agreement was reached. The Act provides for the use of control orders to prevent a threat from those about whom the police and security services have reasonable suspicions. The issuing of the orders will be overseen by a judge who will have the power to overturn them having looked at the evidence. There is also now provision for the Act to be reviewed when the Government brings forward new legislation in the next session. The dilemma for the Home Secretary – and all the major parties in the House agree that there is a serious terrorist threat – is this: what do you do about people about whom there is information that they are trying to do something to threaten us all when there is not enough evidence to charge and convict?
The coming election represents a big choice: does Britain move forward or back? It will be a choice about whether our economy and public services work in the interests of all hard working families or only a privileged few.
The Tories’ record on crime was bad. Police numbers were being cut, recorded crime was double what it had been in the 1970s, fines were often not paid, and anti-social behaviour was a menace. With Labour over 5,000 police Community Support Officers are now in place, and CSOs spend at least 70 percent of their time on patrol. Police numbers are also at record levels – up almost 13,000 since 1997. In Leeds, we have seen a reduction in street crime and burglaries. Nationally, crime is down by 30 percent on 1997.
The Tories’ record on health is similarly one of failure. In 1997, there was a shortage of doctors and nurses and the Tories had cut training places for the future. Similarly, thanks to Labour’s investment and reform and the enormous efforts of NHS staff, we have made significant progress since 1997. With Labour, maximum waiting times have fallen and continue to fall. No-one waits longer than nine months for their operation; three months for heart operations and cataracts. With Labour, spending has doubled since 1997 and will treble by 2008. There are over 19,000 more doctors and 77,500 more nurses employed in the NHS. since 1997.
The minimum wage is to rise to £ 5.05 in October 2005 and £5.35 in October 2006. It will continue to ensure fair minimum standards of pay and protect all workers from exploitative rates of pay.
Ministerial Activity
• Visited South Africa for a meeting with the G8 Africa Personal Representatives
• Chaired a session on the economy at the London meeting on Palestine
• Guest speaker at the Guardian Editorial Lunch
• Attended a meeting of G8 Environment and Development ministers in Derbyshire
• Co-hosted an international meeting in London on the fight against HIV and AIDS
