Getting on with the bread & butter of being an MP
Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 09:57, Fri 18 January 2013:
I've spent this week in parliament getting on with the bread and butter of being an MP - in the debating chamber, raising points and asking questions about matters affecting constituents.
On Monday, we debated the Crime and Courts bill. This is a total hotchpotch of a bill, covering everything from the formation of a new National Crime Agency, to be responsible for tackling serious and organised crime, to ending appeal rights for family visit visas (a big worry for constituents who have family overseas) to community sentences and appointments to the judiciary.
One way or another, all of those will have an impact on us in Stretford and Urmston.
I went in to the debate to ask some questions about community punishments. I'm a supporter of stronger community penalties as an alternative to prison: they produce lower reoffending rates than short-term prison sentences, and they're much better value for money. I was pleased the minister agreed to look at new and innovative forms of punishment like restorative justice, which involves offenders meeting victims of crime, but I am very concerned that other changes to community penalties may undermine rather than strengthen their effectiveness.
That's especially a worry because of the plans to pass responsibility for supervision of many community penalties to private companies and charities. Greater Manchester Probation do a very good job, and I think there are real risks to the public if we lose their expertise.
On Tuesday, we could ask questions of health ministers. I raised the report in last week's Manchester Evening News that 1000 patients at A&Es across Greater Manchester waited more than 4 hours in December to get treatment.
With the decision on Trafford General ever more imminent, I asked about the capacity of other hospitals to cope if Trafford's A&E is downgraded.
The minister said that the figures represented seasonal factors, and of course that will be true. But I have always said there needs to be enough capacity in the system, and contingency for busier times must be built in to that. I was especially interested to read on Friday that a national review of emergency services is being carried out across the NHS. It is of concern that plans are being made for Trafford while there's so much uncertainty about the future provision of services, both across Greater Manchester and nationally.
On Wednesday, my colleague and near neighbour Barbara Keeley had arranged a debate on personal, social and health education. This was a very wideranging debate about how schools can prepare young people for adult life, touching on subjects such as drugs and alcohol, sex and relationships, and financial education. I asked about teacher training - some teachers have told me they feel poorly equipped to discuss these subjects with young people.
Thursday saw the most high profile debate of the week, on the work capability assessment , which is carried out by Atos for the government to decide whether disabled people will be eligible for benefits. If you're disabled or have a friend or family member who has a disability or longterm health problem, you'll know there have been huge problems with this test. Last Friday, I met disabled constituents and organisations who work with disabled people here in Trafford, and they gave me lots of material for the debate. Other MPs reported some shocking and truly distressing stories of the experiences of their constituents (I've put a link to the debate below, if you want to read what was said).
I feel very strongly now that the government has to completely rethink its approach to this. We've had a series of independent reviews of the process, and some recommendations for change have been implemented, but things are more disastrous than ever. Ministers at first seemed to want to sort things out, but now I think they've given up, washed their hands, and gone totally on the defensive. It is a total abdication of responsibility, and terrible for sick and disabled people.
Back here in Trafford, I hope you have seen the coverage of my new road safety campaign, Safer Trafford Streets. I am very pleased to have teamed up with the Stretford and Urmston Advertiser on this campaign, and I hope lots of local residents will get involved. There's more information on my website www.kategreen.org, a survey to fill in, and I'll be posting information about future events and activities on the website and on twitter. Please let me have your ideas and reports.
The debate on Atos can be read at http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/431/
Kate Green
Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston
Shadow Spokesperson for Equality
Tel: 0161 749 9120 (constituency); 020 7219 7162 (Westminster) www.kategreen.org @kategreensu
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