HearFromYourMP

Previous message | Messages for this constituency | Next message

News and Comment from Chris Leslie MP

Posted by Christopher Leslie, MP for Nottingham East, at 14:41, Thu 29 September 2011:

Dear all,

Thank you for requesting information from theyworkforyou - this is based on my MP Update which I send out every week. Why don't you sign up at http://chrisleslie.org/SignUp.html?

You can find out more about my work through my facebook page, or by following me on twitter at @chrislesliemp

---------

The economic clouds are darkening across the world and all eyes will be on the eurozone and Greece. Officials from the IMF and EU are due to visit Athens again this week and consider progress against the conditions they set when they forwarded the last tranche of money to carry forward loans they would have struggled to refinance. With Greece in need of further borrowing in October it is not surprising that commentators are beginning to talk about Greek ‘default’. While clearly the main world economies need to work closely together to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the governmental bond market, this is a classic situation where bond traders can move far more rapidly with a flick of a computer button than politicians who struggle to keep up and have to get agreement from their national parliaments.

Ultimately the continuing cycle of providing larger and larger cash bailouts cannot go on and more fundamental attention is needed to solve to underlying problem – the lack of growth which can’t keep pace with the revenue needs of nations in trouble. An approach which seeks to resolve the problem solely and entirely by insisting resources are pulling out from the foundations of already fragile economies will undermine their ability to cope. A more sophisticated approach is needed, but this is something that the ideologically stubborn Cameron and Osborne refuse to countenance. The notion that Britain is a “safe haven”, as the Chancellor said recently, betrays dangerous complacency – even if only because of the massive commitment from the UK taxpayer in propping up the IMF. The British Government has failed to attend and speak up at the right EU meetings to insist that they sort out a permanent and viable bailout mechanism that doesn’t put the UK taxpayer’s neck on the line. This is a crucial week for the world economy when Britain should be helping to broker a solution, not recoiling into a reactionary and dogmatic backwater.

NOTTINGHAM

The new Nottingham Academy building in Greenwood Dale opened officially last week – an enormous new investment in the latest school facilities representing the largest school in Europe with nearly 2000 pupils in that site. Chief Executive Barry Day welcomed Secretary of State Michael Gove in a ceremony attended by guests and children on a sunny Thursday morning. Visitors had a tour around the school including the new nursery and reception class facilities. I wish all involved in the new school the very best for the future and hope that this new institution will work closely with the local community given the important role they can play.

Right next door to the new Academy building is the Wildcats Basketball Arena which I also visited last Thursday, to support their bid for funding to expand their dance studio facilities. They have a fantastic space enjoyed by many local residents and are branching out into other activities, also hosting teacher training and other physio services in the building. It would be great if they can get larger studio space and I was happy to back the case they’ve put together.

I also attended a public meeting with residents of the Forest Fields area took place at the community centre on Thursday evening, hosted by Berridge Labour Party. We had a strong attendance and strong feelings were voiced about the need for the police to respond to anti-social and threatening behaviour where it occurs. Some good progress has been made in the past year with the dispersal order, though this is due to expire in October now that it has had the impact it was designed to achieve. Several points arose including the need to work with Djanogly Academy to find additional youth activities after school hours for over 14 year olds; the need to keep the dispersal order powers under review; raising the issue of youth services cutbacks at the national level; emphasising the need for parenting improvements in any judicial proceedings against those convicted below the age of 18; and the importance for the police to ensure that neighbourhood officers have the time and space during the day shifts to build relationships in the community – something that will come under pressure when the police cuts start to bite.

On Friday I met with the new team at the NHS Nottingham City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) including their new chair Dr Hugh Porter (who has worked at the University Health services for many years) and Chief Operating Officer Dawn Smith. The CCG is operating in shadow form because the Health Bill is currently still going through Parliament – and there has obviously been some controversy around those reforms which replace the existing Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) with these new CCGs. Over £500million is spent by Nottingham City NHS yet there is rarely sufficient attention in the public domain to the strategic choices they make. We have excellent health facilities and first rate hospitals in Nottingham – but also a high level of heart disease, cancer and respiratory problems.

The next few years will be tough for the local NHS as the inflation and cost of care exceeds the flat budget allocated nationally. We have already seen the proposed closure of Walk-In centres in the county and I stressed the need to retain facilities such as this in the city. We shouldn’t settle for a ‘stand still’ NHS and I want to see more ambition in proactive and preventative healthcare locally, including more targeted invitations to residents who might not normally turn up to see their GP to come along for a check-up. I was pleased that the new team are taking forward many of the best elements of the existing local NHS approach and will continue to work closely with them over the years to come.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The Royal College of Nurses have today called for visiting times in hospitals to be extended so that relatives can spend more time helping and caring for patients. The BBC have an interesting report on this here, with alternative views expressing concerns that extended visiting hours might be the thin end of the wedge in transferring tasks from nurses and doctors onto family members instead. As long as this isn’t used in this way, I can’t see why it shouldn’t be tried out. After all, some people are frightened and worried about staying in hospital and to have the opportunity to see family and friends for longer periods, especially if they can help with the care process, would seem a reasonable step – and certainly worth studying further. But would this get in the way of patient care by professionals? Or is it time that we moved away from the old-fashioned and regimented times and hours which may no longer be appropriate today? I am open-minded on this and would welcome any comments or observations you might have especially if you’ve recent experience of hospital treatment.

Best wishes,

Chris Leslie

Labour MP for Nottingham East

chris.leslie@parliament.uk