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Local people are as generous as ever in the run up to Christmas

Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 14:28, Thu 19 December 2013:

Parliament wraps up for the Christmas break tonight and my office will be closed until the 6th of January. My staff really deserve a break. The amount of casework has been piling up this year, and the cases are becoming more distressing and challenging as more and more of my constituents face growing pressures as a result of the government's austerity policies.

Yet local people are as generous as ever when it comes to helping others who are less fortunate. Last Saturday, I was very pleased to attend a fundraising event organised by women in Old Trafford to raise money to send to victims of the appalling conflict in Syria. And on Sunday, I was delighted to attend an event at Faizen-e-Islam mosque in Old Trafford. As last year, the mosque will offer a hot lunch to visitors on Christmas Day and Boxing Day - this hospitality will be a real lifeline to those who can't afford a meal at home or are alone and isolated.

The community cafe in Victoria Park is also opening its doors first thing in the morning over Christmas and New Year, so do pop in for a coffee, activities for the children, or just a chat.

In the meantime, a number of important debates have taken place in Parliament this week. On Monday, I was in the chamber for the start of the debate on the Care Bill. The government claims that this will protect people from having to fund excessive costs if they need care in old age or perhaps face having to sell their homes. But the Bill is a con, most people will find their savings aren't protected, and they could still face having to pay bills running into tens of thousands of pounds. And at the same time, the criteria for accessing local authority funding are being raised for elderly and disabled people, which means fewer qualify for support.

So although Labour supports efforts to help meet the costs of long term care, there will be many elements of the Bill that we will be challenging in detail.

On Wednesday, a debate took place on the crisis that A&E departments face this winter, something that is of great concern to residents in Trafford. I was glad to have the chance to raise the pressures constituents have reported experiencing at Wythenshawe and MRI, but I got a very complacent response from the Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt. He told me the pressures at these hospitals have not been caused by the downgrade of the A&E at Trafford General. Yet although the urgent care centre is open between 8am and midnight every day, an article in the MEN last week highlighted that public confusion about what is and is not now available at Trafford is leading more patients to play safe and go elsewhere in an emergency. What's more, I have had repeated reports that the ambulance service is diverting cases away from Trafford. I have written to the chief executive to ask what criteria ambulance staff are applying to decide where they take patients.

I am very grateful to constituents who have kept me informed about their experiences at our local hospitals. We know how hard our NHS staff are working, especially as demand rises over the winter, and it's important I have the information about what's going on to ensure that I fight for the resources they need to do their job properly.

Later on Wednesday, I attended a debate on the shocking rise in the number of people relying on food banks. Half a million people went to a food bank in the past year, a tenfold rise compared with three years ago. Low pay, delays in getting benefits sorted out and rising prices are proving a devastating cocktail for families to manage. The Tories talked about the need for people to budget better, or learn to cook cheap and nourishing food. That's unbelievably patronising. Better budgeting doesn't sort the problem that people simply don't have enough money, even if they're working.

The final event I attended in parliament was a short debate on the HS2 rail programme. Although it will be many years till this reaches Manchester, I am keen to ensure the plans stay on track. We desperately need to increase capacity on the rail network in the North West, for both goods and passenger traffic. Right now, the vast bulk of investment in the rail network is spent in London and the south east, so it's no wonder our economy is so unbalanced. But there are concerns that a high speed railway will draw even more business activity from the North West to London rather than the other way round. So it's vital that the HS2 programme is totally integrated with wider economic strategies for our region.

Just before winding up for Christmas, I had some very sad news about the death of my neighbour and very good friend Alf Bates, a former Trafford councillor, and MP and government whip in the 1970s. Alf was a tremendous source of support and advice to me as a new MP, and I will miss him terribly. I know his many friends will share my sadness. I will always remember him with great fondness.

I'm now off to pack up my desk and head for the train back to Manchester, to join my fabulous office staff for our Christmas outing. I'm really looking forward to it, and to the holiday break. I very much hope you will all enjoy a very happy festive season. My blog will resume in 2014!

Best wishes, Kate