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News from Your Local MP

Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 12:56, Fri 21 December 2012:

WELCOME!

Here’s the latest edition of my regular newsletter. It will be the last one of 2012, so I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

HELP FOR WARMER HOMES

At this time of year I am often contacted by local residents seeking advice about how to reduce their energy bills. Regrettably the big energy firms have hiked up their prices this winter so it certainly makes financial sense to take action to keep our fuel bills as low as possible, with the dual benefit of helping the environment by using less energy.

Unfortunately some people are not able to adequately heat their homes due to the rising cost of fuel bills and in some cases a cold home can lead to health issues and reduced wellbeing so it’s important that these households get the support they need. I recently met staff from Bedminster based charity, Centre for Sustainable Energy, who do great work in the community, offering energy saving advice to local residents. You can contact the CSE Home Energy Team free on 0800 082 2234 to find out more about how to save energy and keep your bills down, including useful information about the grants available for heating improvements and insulation, and advice to help ensure you’re receiving the right benefits. There’s also lots of information available on the CSE website (www.cse.org.uk).

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SETTLEMENT

I was extremely disappointed to see that the Government has made further cuts to local government funding. Under a calculation which purports to assess the ‘spending power’ of Councils, Bristol is set to lose 6.5 per cent over the next two years. These type of cuts cannot be delivered without significantly impacting on services, costing jobs and taking money out of our local economy. It is now the Mayor’s responsibility to ensure that the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our city are protected from the worst of the cuts.

POLICE & CRIME CONSULTATION

Avon & Somerset’s new Police & Crime Commissioner, Sue Mountstevens, is carrying out a consultation on the introduction of a Police & Crime Plan for each of the policing districts in the region, including Bristol. The consultation seeks the views of residents, community groups, businesses and victims of crime and I would encourage everybody to take this opportunity to have their say to ensure all views are heard. Further details of the consultation are available on the following website http://www.consultation.avonandsomerset.police.uk/ and the deadline for responses is 22 February 2013.

CUTS TO CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME

A number of local residents have been in touch to raise concerns about the cuts made by the Government to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICS). This important scheme has been in place to provide compensation to people who have been unfortunate enough to be an innocent victim of violent crime. People’s lives can be turned upside down by a violent attack – through no fault of their own – and it’s only right that support is available during what can be a very difficult time. That’s why it was deeply disappointing last month when the Government slashed compensation paid out by CICS by £50 million a year with 90 per cent of those receiving compensation seeing their payment either dramatically reduced or cut totally. Labour MPs vigorously opposed this heartless cut but unfortunately the changes were forced through by the Government. It’s very worrying that the Government is taking this support away from victims who really do deserve better.

AUTUMN STATEMENT

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement was a depressing one, with the Government still wedded to cuts despite growing evidence that their plans are simply not working. Most worrying was the plan for a real terms decrease in tax credits and benefits. The Government is trying to play divide and rule, frequently criticising those out of work despite there being many more people unemployed than vacancies. But it’s also important to recognise that many people receiving some support from the Government are in work. So, while the Government might want you to believe that people in receipt of support are ‘feckless’ or ‘lazy’, the reality is very different. They include single mums working part-time struggling to make ends meet, factory workers on the minimum wage who will lose out on tax credits, and young couples on low incomes who will see their housing benefit reduce while Bristol’s rents remain high.

VISITS ROUND-UP

As ever, the run-up to Christmas has been busy with plenty of visits out and about in Bristol South. There have been too many to mention them all here, but in the last few weeks I have: welcomed the Queen to Bristol, where she had a tour of the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe; met with children from Christ the King School in Knowle West – they have been doing some excellent work on democracy and will be visiting Parliament in the New Year; congratulated staff at Sainsbury’s on Winterstoke Road who have been raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust; and spoken with staff about mental health services at Callington Road Hospital.

REGIONAL PAY IN THE NHS

Hundreds of people living in Bristol South have been in touch with me to express their concerns about regional pay in the NHS. Fundamentally, I see no reason whatsoever why a nurse or hospital porter in Bristol should be paid less than people doing the same job in, say, Birmingham. I have raised concerns about plans for regional pay with our local NHS Trusts and Government Ministers, and am determined that our hard-working NHS staff should be protected from pay cuts. Along with other south-west MPs from across the main political parties, I recently met with the Health Minister so that we could voice our concerns. The Minister was responsive to our arguments, and seems to support the continuation of nationally negotiated agreements, which is good news. Along with my colleagues from the south-west, we have written to all Trusts that are considering regional pay, asking them to think again.

ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just email me at dawn.primarolo.mp@parliament.uk, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH.