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Newsletter April 2012

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 18:47, Sun 1 April 2012:

Dear Subscriber,

It has been a turbulent few weeks for the government. Some of the media interest has been justified. For party funding to rear its head again is damaging to the whole the political process. There was enough controversy over this matter under the last government.

The media coverage of the budget has been far more controversial in my view. It was very misleading to claim the government were introducing a new tax on people of pensionable age. The freezing of tax allowances on those people paying tax (five million people in receipt of state pensions do not pay tax and are entirely unaffected by the proposal) is not a new tax. For a fuller account of what this government has done for older people, quite apart from a record increase in the value of the state pension. http://www.margotjames.com/30032012_granny_tax_nothing_of_the_sort.

The budget was about growth above all else. Taxes were reduced on business, the tax threshold was raised taking hundreds of thousands of low paid people out of the tax system altogether, and the highest rate of tax was reduced. Considering how little room for manoeuvre the Chancellor had this was a good outcome and sent a message to the world that Britain is determined to encourage and reward wealth creation.

The reaction to the imposition of VAT on hot takeaway food surely has been disproportionate. I understand that it does mean a significant price rise for some meals. It is a great mistake to regard such price increases as insignificant. But set against the exemptions for people on a low income, from paying tax, from the public sector wage freeze, from public sector pension reform and from the repayment of student loans, I think the government are doing all they can to protect people who do not have much to live on from the bulk of the deficit reduction measures that the vast majority of people are agreed we need to implement.

--Parliamentary Activity--

I raised the following questions in the chamber and wrote to ministers as follows:

• Housing: I raised my concerns about ending direct payments of Housing Benefit to landlords. http://www.margotjames.com/12032012_housing_benefit

• Party Funding: I asked the Government to confirm that political negotiations would have no effect on Government policy. http://www.margotjames.com/26032012_party_funding

• Welfare: I asked the Government about support available to people with disabilities who are looking for employment. http://www.margotjames.com/07032012_employment_for_people_with_disabilities

• Budget: I spoke in the House of Commons debate on the Budget. http://www.margotjames.com/26032012_budget_debate

• Older People: I spoke about the problem where many older people must sell their homes to afford residential care. http://www.margotjames.com/08032012_adult_social_care

• NHS: I praised Russell’s Hall Hospital, which has a new policy designed to improve the care of older people. http://www.margotjames.com/27032012_health_care_recruiting

• Economy: I highlighted the number of job vacancies (400,000) http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120306/debtext/120306-0001.htm#12030632000279

• Women: I spoke in a House of Commons debate to mark International Women’s Day. http://www.margotjames.com/08032012_international_womens_day

• I wrote to the following ministers;

◦ Earl Howe, Health minister, regarding shortages of medicines in some pharmacies.

◦ Jim Paice, Environment minister, on the impact of badgers in parts of Stourbridge.

◦ Bob Neill, Local Government minister, on reform of business rates.

◦ Norman Lamb, Postal Affairs minister, regarding a post office service in Quarry Bank.

◦ Mark Prisk, Business Minister, on behalf of a local business concerned about regulation.

◦ Crispin Blunt, Prisons minister, to secure a meeting to discuss drug rehabilitation in prisons.

◦ Damian Green, Minister for Immigration, regarding charges for passport renewal.

◦ Lord Green, Trade minister, regarding support for a business seeking to export its products.

◦ Alistair Burt, Foreign Office minister to raise a constituent’s concerns about the death penalty in India.

◦ Baroness Hanham, Local Government minister, about European funding for town centre regeneration.

In addition I attended other meetings and briefings, mostly on business and education matters as follows:

• My Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) select committee are investigating the effectiveness of the government’s policies to increase apprenticeships. In March we conducted a session in Northampton and visited three local manufacturing companies as well as holding another session in Parliament.

• I hosted two breakfast meetings for Lord Green to brief colleagues on UK Trade & Investment services and discuss how MPs can help spread the UKTI message.

• I attended a meeting of the Conservative China Group at which Lord Patten gave a truly excellent speech on the progress of China and implications for the rest of the world.

• I attended a briefing from Lord Hill, education minister to hear about the Academies and capital building programmes for schools.

• I met with Baroness Hanham to discuss European funding for local regeneration.

• Carers UK are planning Carers Week in June and came to meet me and other MPs who are to act as Carers Week ambassadors.

• I attended a meeting to discuss implementing the Health and Social Care Bill with the NHS Confederation.

--Media--

• I reviewed the newspapers on the Andrew Marr Show

• I gave an interview to Radio 4 Today in Parliament on social care

• I joined a panel on Radio 4 World Tonight to discuss the violent disturbances last Summer

--Out and about in Stourbridge--

I enjoyed lots of contact with schools and colleges last month:

• Visiting Wolverhampton University.

• Visiting Oldswinford Hospital School twice, once to discuss politics with Politics A level students which my partner, Jay, videoed (Watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NVWxQbhiHg&feature=youtu.be) and the second time to deliver the annual Foley Lecture which was a great honour http://www.margotjames.com/29032012_politics_and_aspiration_lecture

• Opening the fabulous new Stourbridge College of Art & Design in Brierley Hill with my neighbour Chris Kelly MP. http://www.margotjames.com/08032012_art_and_design_centre • Inviting the head girl of Redhill School to shadow me in the House of Commons on International Women’s Day. http://www.margotjames.com/13032012_international_womens_day

• Welcoming Stourbridge primary school pupils and students from Stourbridge College to the Commons where we had several Q&A sessions together. I was delighted to speak at the Lye Community International Women’s Day event. http://www.margotjames.com/08032012_lye_community_workshop

We have a wonderful mayor of Dudley, Cllr Michael Evans, and I was pleased to attend his Charity Ball at the Copthorne Hotel and the Mayor’s Civic Awards where I was especially pleased to see Jean Swift who I nominated receiving a special commendation in the education category.

I opened the newly refurbished Barclays on Stourbridge High Street, I am most grateful for Barclays West Midlands SME team for sponsoring the lunch at the Trade Seminar I am organising next month with the Black Country Chamber of Commerce. http://www.margotjames.com/26032012_barclays_refurbishment

I attended a UK Export Finance meeting for local businesses at Stourbridge Rugby Club.

I visited Russell’s Hall Hospital twice: first I was honoured to be invited to open the new Vascular Surgery Operating Suite and to celebrate the hospital’s success in being selected as the Vascular Surgery centre of excellence for the Black Country, and the next week I met the Chief Executive for an update and toured a few of the wards. http://www.margotjames.com/13032012_vascular_surgery_russells_hall

I was invited to speak at a patient panel meeting at Wythymoor General Practice and found the views of patients and doctors there extremely interesting.

I met the new Police chief in Stourbridge, Inspector Palmer and his excellent Number 2 Sgt Steve Gordon to discuss plans and some of the recent successes our police force have had.

I joined the Kingswinford Lions to plant a hedgerow opposite Stevens Park in Wollescote and enjoyed learning a new skill. It made me yearn for the days when we were all a bit closer to the land. My father grew up on a smallholding in Coventry, they had quite a few animals and a horse and cart, and my Aunt had a market garden in Evesham, but no one in our family now works in these sectors. http://www.margotjames.com/30032012_tree_planting

I conducted two advice surgeries, in Lye and Quarry Bank.

--It’s not all work...--

Started the month at my great niece Poppy’s fourth birthday party which was lovely.

It was great to see some of my colleagues from business days at a lunch to celebrate Lois Hall’s 20th anniversary with the company.

I spoke at a wonderful day centre for older people in my old borough of Kensington & Chelsea about life in Parliament over a glass of wine.

I went with the Arts and Culture group in Parliament to a rehearsal of the opera, Rigoletto, at Covent Garden.

And the highlight of my month? Undoubtedly meeting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time. Hearing the Queen speak to mark her diamond jubilee in Westminster Hall was a moment I will always treasure.

Finally a very big congratulations to the Old Swinford Hospital Rugby first team who have reached the final of the Daily Mail/RBS schools rugby cup and the very best of luck to the team who travel to Twickenham for the final against Dulwich College on Wednesday 4th April. You can watch the game live online at http://www.rfu.com/, kick off 3.30pm.

Best wishes

Margot