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Newsletter August 2011 (22nd July)

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 11:41, Mon 25 July 2011:

Dear Subscriber,

This month has been dominated by the scandal at the News International and the corrupt links between journalists and the Metropolitan Police. I hope the my note below communicates that there has been plenty of work going on regarding the ongoing issues that are not in the spotlight, but are important none the less.

We clearly need the independent and rigorous inquiries into the press and the police established by the Prime Minister. I was also pleased with the decision to abolish the Press Complaints Council, which has failed to represent adequately the victims of press intrusion over the years.

The events have been truly terrible. Despite the appearance of the Murdochs before the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee, the extent of the cover up is not clear. More will come out during the course of the inquiry.

I only had two minutes at the end of the debate in Parliament to speak, but I did get to make the point that we must not go from one extreme to the other. Regulation of the press in a free society is a very difficult thing to get right. At present we are enraged by newspaper excesses. But we must not forget the vital role played by investigative journalism in exposing corrupt and illegal practices in public and corporate life. The appalling abuse exposed at the Winterbourne View Care Home, covered up despite many complaints to official bodies that did not do their job, would not have come out without the painstaking work of an undercover journalist, deploying clever subterfuge and secret filming to get at the truth.

_Representing Stourbridge in Parliament_

___Questions, debates and letters to ministers;___

* Phone hacking: I urged the Government to launch a full, judge-led inquiry into the phone hacking scandal the day after it was confirmed that Milly Dowler’s phone had been hacked, and I also spoke in the last debate on the matter. http://www.margotjames.com/06072011_phone_hacking

* Education: I asked the Schools Minister to improve advice for pupils choosing their GCSE subjects. http://www.margotjames.com/11072011_gcse_choices

* Social Care: I welcomed the report by the Dilnot Commission into social care funding and urged the Government to seize the opportunity for much needed reform. http://www.margotjames.com/04072011_dilnot_report

* Energy: I asked Chris Huhne, Energy Secretary, what he can do to support energy intensive manufacturing in the face of rising energy costs. http://www.margotjames.com/07072011_energy

* Prime Minister: I asked the Prime Minister to give more information about the inquiry into phone hacking and the need to protect investigative journalism. http://www.margotjames.com/20072011_pm_statement

* I wrote the following letters to ministers;

- Nick Herbert, Minister for Policing, raising my concerns that police officers cannot respond to abusive behaviour.

- Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport to pass on one of my constituent’s supportive comments about the High Speed 2 rail project.

- Iain Duncan Smith, Work and Pensions Secretary, on behalf of many constituents concerned about proposals to change the State Pension.

- Business Secretary, Vince Cable, requesting that he investigate the former directors of Southern Cross, following the company’s recent closure.

- Chris Grayling, who is overseeing the Government’s new welfare to work scheme, to ask what opportunities exist for local charities and businesses.

- Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to request support for women in the ‘Arab Spring’ particularly in the run up to the Egyptian Elections.

___All Party Groups, Committees and Briefings___

* The All Party Group on Housing and Older People’s Care reported following our inquiry in to Living Well at Home, measures we can take to help older people continue living at home if they wish to do so. http://www.margotjames.com/19072011_live_well_at_home

* The Health and Social Care Bill passed its committee stage so I was able to return to my work on the Business select committee where we:

- Interviewed David Willetts, Minister for Higher Education, about the Government’s new higher education white paper.

- Concluded our pre-legislative scrutiny (there should be more of this) on the bill to establish a Grocery Trade Adjudicator. It was interesting to observe how Waitrose, alone among all the Supermarket Chains we interviewed, accepted the need for this legislation which will afford farmers and other suppliers some protection against the power of the retailers.

* I hosted the Age UK Summer reception and responded to an excellent speech by Andrew Dilnot on the funding of long term care.

* I met Nick Hurd, Cabinet Office Minister responsible for the Big Society Bank to obtain advice for a Stourbridge business that is establishing a Social Enterprise.

* I attended briefings on:

- Reforms to our system of legal aid

- Progress towards democracy in North Africa and the Middle East

- Support for business from the British Bankers Association

- Improving Exports from Royal Bank of Scotland

- Latest survey of business confidence from the Federation of Small Business

- Bovine TB, the proposals to limit cattle movements and to allow a limited cull of badgers in two of most affected areas. _Out and About in Stourbridge_

The two highlights of my month were the Flower Festival at St Thomas’s Church (http://www.margotjames.com/05072011_flower_festival ), which turned out to be so much more, beautiful flower displays themed around local anniversaries which provided a fascinating historical perspective; and the tea party fundraiser for Marie Curie organised by Martin Whelan, owner of Rimski’s Coffee shop. Martin raised over £500.00 (http://www.margotjames.com/14072011_mp_waitresses_for_charity ) and I got trained up in how to use one of those fabulous looking coffee machines. July is a good month in the constituency and I took part in or visited:

* Gigmill School, and was most impressed by everything I saw. http://www.margotjames.com/21072011_gig_mill_primary_school

* Bethel Chapel Fayre, this bi-annual event in Lye raises some £12,000 for local causes

* The Stourbridge Motorcycle Club’s annual open day

* Ashgrove Care Home, the one home we have owned by Southern Cross

* Conservation areas for the protection of wild life

* Hillfield Resident’s Association Litter Pick in Amblecote http://www.margotjames.com/09072011_hillfields_litterpick

* Dudley Council for a briefing on Adult and Social Care

* An area in Pedmore/Wollescote suffering from repeated anti-social behaviour

I held two surgeries, one in Lye and the other at the Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge.

I was sorry not to get to the public meeting in Wollaston held to campaign against the siting of a new telephone mast there in just the wrong location. But I have objected formally to this mast with Dudley Council. I will continue to work with colleagues, Cllrs Nic Barlow and Malcolm Knowles on this campaign.

I bade farewell to the excellent vicar of the Parish of Oldswinford, Canon Greville Cross, at a lunch with his wife Pauline and friend Meriel Harris, I was pleased to hear that 500 people turned out for the service of thanks and well wishing at St Mary’s.

_It wasn’t all work_

I attended the unveiling of the statue of Ronald Reagan opposite the US Embassy. It was a great shame that Lady Thatcher was not able to attend but I did see her long time assistant and friend Cynthia Crawford there to represent her. I took an American friend from my school days, Nicole Sochor, and it was great to catch up with her.

Rupert and I went to our cousin’s 70th birthday celebrations at the Henley Music Festival; it was a great evening of music and fireworks despite the weather.

I went to the launch of the UK version of the successful US Blog ‘Huffington Post’ which I have started blogging for ([15]see link) – if you haven’t had enough of me by now do log on! http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/margot-james/bank-lending-a-problem-of_b_901307.html

I hosted a dinner for Stonewall, the lobby group for gay equality, and was pleased to meet Stephen Whitehead, a client of mine at Glaxo twenty years ago, who has just been appointed Chief Executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. Such an appointment would have been inconceivable when we worked together all those years ago.

I went to a lovely party hosted by Cllr Colin Wilson and his wife, Helen, who is an amazing hostess and cook.

On the evening of the last day in Parliament it was a pleasure to go to the theatre and see Simon Callow’s one man show ‘Being Shakespeare’

I sent this newsletter out early this month (22nd July) as tomorrow Jay and I are off on holiday to Greece; meanwhile I wish you all a very good summer, whether at home or abroad.

Best wishes

Margot James