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Newsletter February 2011

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 14:24, Wed 2 February 2011:

Dear Subscriber,

Yesterday the Health and Social Care bill passed it’s second reading and will start the committee stage next week. There is some confusion about this bill, is it a revolution in healthcare and do we need a revolution? Was it even in the Conservative Party manifesto? And worst of all, the usual jibe at any reform of the NHS, will it create a two tier service?

First of all the bill is absolutely true to the founding principles of the NHS. That care be provided to all on the basis of need and not on the ability to pay. Secondly there is no revolution. The bill builds on the previous government’s reforms of the NHS, which themselves were built (after a few deviations when Frank Dobson was Secretary of State) on Ken Clarke’s reforms in the early nineties.

The direction over the last twenty years has been quite clear. Greater empowerment of patients, more choice, competition to drive up standards and the commissioning of care as close as possible to the patient. The shifting of commissioning to GPs signals a government that is at last prepared to grasp the nettle. The economic crisis has played its part. Although the NHS is protected and will enjoy a small cash increase in it’s budget each year through this Parliament, that is not enough to keep pace with the needs of an ageing population and the cost of new technologies.

By abolishing Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities, transferring the budgets to GPs with a cash limit on what they can spend on the commissioning role we aim to generate savings of £20 billion over the course of this Parliament. This money will be added to the cash increase mentioned earlier and re-invested in patient care. I support this bill; and yes it was in our manifesto.

In Westminster

I have questioned and/or written to Ministers about the following issues during January:

• Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: letter about Forestry Commission proposals urging government to ensure ongoing public access and biodiversity standards.

• Work & Pensions: letter requesting more information about mobility part of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people in receipt of DLA in care homes.

• Home Office (Immigration): wrote to advance the case of Ruskin College who take on students with learning disabilities from abroad and are likely to be prevented from doing so.

• Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS): questioned Minister about the Regional Growth Fund and promoted the Black Country Reinvestment Society bid, wrote to minister about the Post Office additional services pilot. http://www.margotjames.com/13012011_regional_growth_fund

• Health: questioned minister about the Care Quality Commission’s regulation of care homes, and wrote about funding for Cancer awareness. http://www.margotjames.com/25012011_care_quality_commission

• I took part in the debate on the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)and attended the health debate.

I have attended briefings on various subjects as follows:

• New Student Visa restrictions coming in to force to cut immigration. The student visa system was one of the main areas of abuse under the last government. Young people from outside the EU would get a place at a College in the UK, apply for a visa successfully, enrol at said College and then never be seen again! It is interesting when you have campaigned to reduce immigration and then you find yourself arguing for exemptions as I am now doing for Ruskin College (and similar colleges for students with learning disabilities) and business generally.

• The Health Bill.

• The Cancer Drugs Fund (The government has announced a very good National Cancer Strategy).

• New proposals for child maintenance and responsible parenting. Three million children are brought up in separated families and only half have any proper financial maintenance. I have met with various ministers, All Party Groups (APGs) and other organisations as follows:

• I arranged and attended meetings for Dudley Council and other interested parties with Bob Neil (Local Government Minister) and Chris Grayling (Employment Minister) I was pleased that in addition to Council officers representatives of Disability Groups in Dudley attended and were able to question the minister directly about the operation of the new Work Capability Assessment for people receiving disability benefits.

• Jeremy Browne, Foreign Office Minister about my appointment to the board of the UK – Japan 21st Century Group.

• Damian Green (Immigration Minister) about the EU Directive on Human Trafficking.

• Dudley Citizen’s Advice Bureau about their organisation and the calls upon it by disadvantaged people in Stourbridge.

• The Work Foundation about skills and changing work patterns.

• The Black Country Chamber of Commerce with other Black Country MPs to discuss business regulation, health and safety, skills and other areas of concern.

• The APG on Equitable Life for a discussion about implementing the compensation payments passed by Parliament at the end of the last session.

• I met representatives of Dudley College who were lobbying Parliament about the EMA.

• As usual I attended my weekly BIS select committee hearings; we are conducting a review in to Trade & Investment, very interesting so far. The UKTI are doing a good job it seems, as are the UK trade ambassadors, the Prime Minister is an excellent commercial ambassador in his own right but our Export Credit Guarantee Department are not doing half as good a job as those of competitor nations.

• In addition to my membership of the BIS Select Committee I also serve on the Arms Exports Control Committee and I attended a meeting of this group. Our defence and aerospace industries are major exporters and together do much to keep alive Britain’s leading edge position in scientific R&D and advanced technology manufacturing.

• I attended a reception given by the British Banker’s Association.

In Stourbridge

I organised a meeting to discuss the replacement of the Stourbridge Farmer’s Market with a new market which I hope will start in the spring. I also organised a meeting with the Police, the council and young people to discuss skateboarding and a location in Stourbridge. It was a good month for working with young people, in addition I visited:

• Pedmore Technology College and attended a Citizenship class, heard and responded to a presentation on votes at sixteen and debated the new baccalaureate proposals with the Head Teacher. http://www.margotjames.com/25012010_pedmore_technology_college

• KIDS at the Orchard Centre in Lye, a wonderful resource for children with special needs, I was impressed with the work of the National Independent Supermarkets Association whose Midlands members had raised £28,000 for KIDS over the last twelve months. http://www.margotjames.com/24012011_margot_presents_cheque_to_KIDS_charity

• ‘Contact Care’ and met the principal, they do excellent work supervising contact between separated parents and children where there are particular problems. I must say it is completely terrible what happens to some little children in our country and being an MP has been quite an eye opener in this respect. I feel it all the more keenly with the birth of two little girls who I see quite a lot of in my own family in recent years.

• I was interviewed on the Bridge Radio station for an hour and also took part in the discussion about our Town Centre and the impending arrival of Tesco hosted by Joanne Malin on Radio WM. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00d5r56/Mornings_with_Joanne_Malin_Stourbridge_Margot_James_and_Les_Jones (1:38:00)

• I stopped by at the fundraiser for Pilgrim Bandits at the Heaven Club on Lower High Street , organised by Alastair Rose, and met two very brave servicemen injured badly in Afghanistan. http://www.margotjames.com/27012011_pilgrim_bandits

• Representatives of the Stourbridge Line Users Group visited me; we discussed local railway issues and the hoped for opening up of the freight line between Stourbridge and Walsall. http://www.margotjames.com/25012011_slug

• As a patron of this year’s Birmingham Gay Pride Festival, I attended an event held by the organisers for patrons to meet each other. Claire Short is a fellow patron and I enjoyed meeting her, she is a very warm individual with a considerable passion for a number of causes in the developing world to which she still devotes her time.

• I held two Advice Surgeries in Lye and Stourbridge Town Centre.

• I spoke after dinner to the Stourbridge Rotary Club at Hagley Golf Club. http://www.margotjames.com/17012011_stourbridge_rotary_club

It wasn’t all work

One correspondent wrote a nice email to say she enjoyed receiving my newsletter – but had noticed there was a lot of eating that went on! I reflected on this and felt, having put on half a stone since my election, that something needed to be done.

On holiday in Mexico over new year I took up Yoga and starting working out a bit. I have been on something of a diet too and one month in to the new year so far so good... There have been many enjoyable events this year so far:

• The APG on Italy held a wine tasting, lots of MPs including myself, never having been that interested in this particular APG before, attended and it was very good.

• The Speaker is hosting a series of lectures on 20th Century Parliamentarians; the first one on Lloyd George was fantastic.

• I attended a lovely drinks reception with Jay at Number Ten. David Cameron was on fine form, spoke extremely well and was suitably impressed with Jay’s outfit. • My old school friend Hillary Box brought her cute little nine year old, Purnima, with two school friends for a tour of Parliament and tea.

• Cllr. Nic Barlow’s Mum celebrated her 80th birthday at the Stourbridge Institute, it was a lovely party, and its not every 80 Year old’s party you arrive to find the birthday girl out on the steps in the freezing cold having a smoke – congratulations Mrs Barlow. Best wishes

Margot

http://www.margotjames.com