Parliamentary Report - September 2004
Local Activity
- Hosted visit by Justin Russell from the Prime Minister’s office to see Operation Brava and meet the Leeds CJIP team
- Met Mike Prollins about the Leeds Sea Cadets
- Met Neil Hodgkinson, Editor of the YEP
- Opened the New Hope Project (which works with drug addicts) in Beeston
- Walkabout with Robin Lawler and local residents on the Clydes to look at security and housing
- Launched prolific offenders scheme at Halifax Police Station
- Spoke at the AMICUS manufacturing march and rally (from VAW Motorcast to Victoria Gardens)
- Attended the Sudanese Ladies Group’s Multicultural Library official opening in Little London
- Spoke at the opening of the new Education Action Zone at the Hamara Healthy Living Centre
- Attended the Leeds MPs/Shadow Cabinet meeting at the Civic Hall
- Attended an MPs update meeting at ASDA House
- Regular advice surgeries
Local Issues
A report produced by the Regional Development Agencies ‘Moving Forward the Northern Way’ was launched in Leeds this week. John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister, announced £50m of Government investment to match funding from the three northern RDAs to close the gap with the wealthier South. Representatives of Yorkshire Forward, One Northeast and the Northwest Development Agency will help new businesses attract skilled graduates and employees. Industries like chemicals, food and drink, engineering, energy, environmental technologies will also received help to find international markets. Transport improvements will focus on the A1(M) and the M62, public transport and better access to air and sea ports.
The prospects for a new children’s and maternity hospital for West Yorkshire moved a step closer recently with news that outline plans have been given the go-ahead by the Department of Health. This is great news and is the result of a lot of lobbying by Leeds MPs and others.
Leeds’ widespread use of ASBOs is helping to reduce crime. Robberies have been almost halved in Leeds and burglaries and car crime have also dropped. There are now 179 ASBOS in operation. On the Clydes Estate in Armley, since ASBOs were granted in June, there has been a decrease in crime in the area of 43% compared with the previous 6 months. Additional support has also been given by increased policing and neighbourhood wardens. Overall, crime in West Yorkshire is down; burglary is down 30%, robbery down 40% and vehicle crime down 50%.
Labour’s new firework law has come into force. The powers make it an offence: for anyone under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in a public place; for anyone other than a fireworks professional to possess the very noisy ‘category 4’ professional display fireworks; to use fireworks between 11pm and 7am apart from at traditional and multi-cultural celebrations; and to sell category 3 fireworks (that exceed 120 decibels) to the public. Let’s hope these tough new restrictions help improve things.
Labour’s investment in the NHS is beginning to have an effect on private medicine.
“ The reduction in waiting times for NHS patients is reducing incentives for both corporate and individual subscribers to take out medical insurance...”
Speech by Derek Machin, Chairman of the BMA Private Practice Committee
Political Developments
Labour made a manifesto promise to enable Parliament to resolve the hunting issue. Last week , we did just that - on a free vote. I voted, once again, to ban hunting, and there was a large Commons majority. Recent opinion polls reflect the popularity of a ban amongst the general public and especially amongst Labour supporters, including in Leeds. The Bill will come into force on 31st July 2006. This will allow time for people to make appropriate preparations such as taking up drag hunting and re-homing hounds, with which the RSPCA has offered to help. Hare-coursing, however, will be banned from February 2005,
Last Sunday saw another Labour manifesto promise honoured, when the new Right to Roam legislation came into effect. The Peak District National Park is the first to benefit from the new access to open country.
The television pictures from Iraq this week have been harrowing, and our thoughts are with Ken Bigley and his family. His barbaric treatment, and the brutal murder of hostages from the USA, Nepal, Turkey, and Italy shows that there are those who will stop at nothing to try and prevent the planned elections. It is vital that they do not succeed in stopping the Iraqi people from electing their own government.
The latest Labour market figures show that employment continues to grow; the number of people in work is 180,000 higher than a year ago. Vacancies are also high and unemployment is continuing to fall. The wider benefit statistics show that, in addition to lower unemployment, the number of lone parents on benefit continues to decline.
Ministerial Activity
At the beginning of September I visited Iraq. I met Prime Minister Allawi in Baghdad, and also visited Basra. The following week I was in Nigeria – home to one in five Africans and with huge poverty. I made a Statement to the House on Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean for many years. DFID will continue to do all that we can to help the people affected as they seek to rebuild their homes and their lives.
Other activities have included:
- Visited Belfast and Edinburgh where I spoke to MSPs and aid agencies in the chamber of the new Scottish Parliament.
- Visited Geneva to meet the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- Attended the TUC General Council dinner in Brighton
- Met President Muthairaka of Malawi
Political Activity
The Boundary Commission has recommended that the new Leeds Central constituency should be made up of five wards: Hyde Park and Woodhouse, City and Hunslet, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, and Middleton Park. The new constituency would have an electorate of 78,941.
Next week I will be speaking at a number of fringe meetings at Labour Party Conference, and I will open the Britain in the World debate on Thursday morning.
