Sandra Osborne

Labour Party | Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock

Window on Westminster February 2007

Robert Burns
What a pleasure it was to attend the Carrick Burns Club Burns Supper last week. It was great fun and, as ever, the catering at the Malin Court was first class. And it was one of the best Burns Day in many a long year when we heard the good news that the new Burns Museum is set to go ahead after being awarded £5.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Robert Burns is indeed a very important part of our national heritage and as a Trustee of Burns Cottage and Monument I am delighted we are making progress at last. It has been a great deal of hard work and I am glad that the lobbying done by myself and Cathy Jamieson to the Scottish Executive is paying off.

Justice on Pensions
More good news came in the form of a European Court of Justice ruling. The trade unions Amicus and Community won their case and the judges ruled that the UK Government had not implemented the Insolvency Directive properly leaving 125.000 people who have lost their pensions when their company went bust with grossly inadequate compensation. I was delighted last year when the Chilton workers were the first to receive compensation from the Pension Protection Fund but I am still fighting on behalf of those who lost out before it was introduced.

Veteran’s Badge
It is very important that recognition is given to those who served in our Armed Forces. A call was made at the end of last year to those eligible to apply for a badge originally intended for veterans of the First and Second World Wars. It proved to be so popular that eligibility was extended last year to those who served until 1959 and was then extended once more to include all men and women who served at any time up to 31 December 1969. Application for a Veteran’s Badge can be made through my Parliamentary Office on 01292 262906 and I would urge any of my constituents who qualify for the scheme to apply and get the recognition they deserve for their invaluable contribution to the nation’s defence.

Child Poverty
I attended a meeting   last week on child poverty in the UK to look at what more the Government could do to tackle this problem. Progress has been made but there are still far too many families living below the poverty line which is regarded as 60% of median incomes. We looked at the benefit system and the help available to allow parents to work and I expect the Government to come up with further proposals shortly.  But I have always found it a bit strange that I get hundreds of letters about child poverty abroad but practically none about child poverty on our own doorstep. It is all relative of course but still unacceptable in a developed country like the UK that we have yet to meet our target of ending child poverty.

Equal Treatment for Agency Workers
My Colleague Paul Farrelly MP was successful in the ballot for Private Members Bills and has put down the Temporary Agency Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Bill which seeks to give agency workers equal treatment with permanent workers in basic terms and conditions. This is not only a national issue but also a local issue. Thousands of agency workers are treated appallingly, frequently finding themselves on very low wages, poor terms and conditions and working for ferociously anti union employers.
Private Members Bills seldom become law because they are debated on Fridays when MPs are usually n their constituencies. However I hope to stay in London at some point during the passage of the Bill. It will be well worth the effort.

Veterans’ Badge
I have been very pleased with the response to my earlier plea for those who served in the Armed Services to come forward and claim their Veterans’ Badge. It was just because it was proving so popular that the Government extended eligibility last year to all who served at any time up to the end of 1969. Applications can still be made through my Parliamentary Office on 01292 262906 and I would urge any of my constituents who qualify for the scheme to apply and get the recognition they deserve for their invaluable contribution to the nation’s defence. I am arranging for the Rt Hon Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence, to present the badges to those who qualify.

Play it again Santa!
It was Christmas again in Maybole Town Hall last Saturday. The hard work of Pearl and her team at the Maybole OAP Association meant another great Annual ‘Christmas’ Dinner and Concert for the old folks. The local councillors, Cathy Jamieson and myself were all hoarse from singing along by the time we were finished. My colleagues in the House of Commons were intrigued at me buying a House of Commons Easter Egg for a prize at the Maybole OAP ‘Christmas’ Dinner raffle in February.

Justice on Pensions

I am delighted that the High Court has recognised that inaccurate information, particularly in the 1995 Pensions Act, did indeed mislead people into thinking their company pension was guaranteed. However, it is a mixed ruling and does not oblige the Government to provide a specific level of compensation. I am pleased, however, that the Government has indicated they will look at this again as I have been repeatedly calling for this. Of course, I welcome the £2.3 billion which has already been provided in financial assistance but it is not adequate and leaves many people out. It is long overdue that the suffering should stop and this gross injustice should be put right once and for all.  I have tabled an amendment to the Pensions Bill as it is important that the Government understands the strength of support for our campaign and that we expect justice to be done.

Son of Star Wars
According to an article in the Economist Magazine, the PM has been sounding out the US to consider siting the so called ‘Son of Star Wars’ missile defence system on British soil. Poland and the Czech Republic are more likely to be the favourites with the US but that is beside the point. I am instinctively opposed to such a proposal and very disappointed that any negotiation should have taken place behind the scenes without any cabinet or parliamentary debate.
A Great Champion for Carrick
Cllr Paul Torrance has been a great champion for Carrick throughout his time as a councillor. At a time when the papers are full of earnest letters from would be councillors standing at the next election, Paul Torrance’s comments in last week’s edition are in a different league. As he is retiring from the Council, he has nothing to gain personally from raising the issue of the Tories’ proposal to cut the Rural Communities Budget and put at risk the future of local projects and the Rural Communities Committee. Everyone with the good of Carrick in mind will be right behind him on this.
Fairtrade Fortnight
Fairtrade Fortnight runs from 26 February to 11 March. Fairtrade products provide us with practical ways to use our purchasing power to tilt the balance in favour of the poor. The Oxfam website is celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight with a ‘Switch your Workplace to Fairtrade’ campaign. You can nominate your employer for a place on the Roll of Honour if they already use Fairtrade tea and coffee. If not you are urged to make your boss do the Fairtrade Blindfold Test. This involves tasting what they use already and then a Fairtrade tea or coffee to see if they can tell the difference. The chances are they will pick Fairtrade as much nicer. You can even download the blindfold from the website. I am glad to say I won’t need to make Tony Blair take the test as our Government brought in Fairtrade products in the House of Commons years ago.