Parliamentary Report - February 2005
Local Activity
• Visited Copperfields Transitional Learning Centre
• Chaired meeting on regeneration in Halton Moor at Whitebridge Primary School
• Attended Holbeck Regeneration meeting at the One Stop Centre
• Visited premises and staff at ACHE
• Visited Sure Start Beeston at the Sure Start Pavilion
• Attended Beeston, Holbeck, City and Hunslet members’ and supporters’ meeting
• Interview with BBC Leeds about the lessons of the tsunami
• Received cheque from the Asian Business Community for tsunami victims at the Hilton Hotel in Bradford
• Meeting with Leeds MPs and Leader of the Council to discuss the Supertram, and alcohol licensing
• Met Leeds TIDAL group about debt and trade
• Spoke on international development at a meeting with Cllr Judith Blake at Lawnswood School
• Regular advice surgeries
Local Issues
The new laws governing licensing hours will be coming into effect shortly. The decisions about extended opening will be taken by local licensing panels – rightly in my view. I think locally-elected representatives should have the final say, and they will have an opportunity to take into account the cumulative effect of lots of clubs and pubs in the city centre.
Political Developments
Remember the days of mass unemployment under the Tories? With Labour the number of people in work has reached a new record; 28.5 million. Since 1997 employment has increased by 2 million, the claimant count has halved, long-term claimant unemployment has fallen by three-quarters - its lowest for almost 30 years – and youth claimant unemployment has fallen by over two-fifths (close to its lowest level for over 25 years). In addition, lone parent employment rate is up 10% to 55.8% with over 200,000 fewer (21%) on benefit. There are now nearly one million lone parents in work.
Israeli PM Ariel Sharon and Mahmood Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, have agreed a way forward to achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. The two leaders agreed a crucial mutual ceasefire declaration. Israel announced plans to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a withdrawal from Gaza as well as from four settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinian leader would also take steps to tackle the real political and security challenges necessary to build a viable and democratic Palestinian state. The US, EU, Russia and UN will meet in London on 1st March to discuss how they can best support peace efforts. I will be chairing one of the sessions at the conference on economic reform.
The House of Commons gave a second reading to the new anti-terrorism Bill on 23 February. Charles Clarke has accepted the Law Lords’ ruling about the existing powers to detain, and the Bill provides for Control Orders to tackle suspected terrorists who cannot be prosecuted or removed from the country. Control Orders address a number of concerns by ensuring that they are applicable to both British citizens and foreign nationals and regardless of the type of terrorism involved, and that any conditions imposed are proportionate to the particular case. The proposed powers provide for a range of conditions to be tailored to the risk posed by the individual (it is not detention or nothing).
Most important of all, any decision made by the Home Secretary will be subject to judicial scrutiny in the High Court. There will also be regular reporting to Parliament on the use of the powers.
The government has announced a major shift towards vocational education in the White Paper 14-19 Education and Skills. The proposals will end the snobbery that has condemned vocational education as “second best” for too long whilst protecting and enhancing the gold standard of GCSE and A levels. The proposals aim to substantially increase participation in education beyond 16. It is key to our goals of increased social mobility and better economic performance.
The four main proposals are:
• vocational opportunities from 14 which give clear routes to higher education and/or employment;
• a renewed focus at secondary level on the basics of Maths and English for all;
• stretching the most able students; and
• ending the disengagement that leads to far too many pupils leaving education early.
The Tories’ plan for pensions are unfair and would do nothing for the poorest:
• they would let Pension Credit (which is getting an average of over £40 to 3.2m pensioners) wither on the vine letting the poorest pensioners fall further behind.
• our increase in Pension Credit is £4 a week (in line with earnings), their increase (which they ultimately want to make in line with prices) would be just £1.05. That means the poorest pensioners would lose £2.95 a week and slip back into poverty.
• this slide would continue year on year. Under Conservative plans, the poorest pensioners will see their income will fall from 21 per cent to 16 per cent of average earnings.
• and they would scrap the state second pension which gives 20 million people (15m lower-earners, 2.5m disabled people and 2.5m carers) the chance to build up a decent second pension for the first time.
Ministerial Activity
I met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on his recent visit to London. We discussed Darfur, Iraq and reform of the UN humanitarian system. This week, I took part – as Vice-Chair – in the final meeting of the Commission for Africa. The report is due out next month. Next week, I will be publishing an important new policy paper on aid and conditionality.
I travelled to Niger and Zambia – to look at education and health – and to Luxembourg for the EU Development Ministers Informal Meeting. I also visited New York to give a speech on prospects for 2005 and for longer-term reform of the international development system.
