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Newsletter Christmas 2013

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 15:43, Mon 23 December 2013:

Dear Subscriber,

A year of good progress on the economy is coming to a close and we find ourselves back on the front foot; but with much more to be done over the next few years. But that is a very much better place to be than the one we were in this time twelve months ago, when commentators were talking about a ‘double dip recession’.

Health and social care are always very important issues for me as they are for many people. I was struck last week by an interview given by the new chairman of the Care Quality Commission, David Prior, who was forthright on a number of points. Mr Prior said that the NHS is getting more honest about its failings which bodes well. But he also said that emergency care was out of control, and blamed this on the fact that too many patients struggle to get an appointment with their GP. Priority should be given to reforming emergency services and opening up general practice far more out of normal office hours, he said.

The solution Mr Prior proposed was to let GP and community services be run by hospitals. I would be concerned by radical reform to the NHS, surely a period of consolidation and continuous improvement is needed. However, I have heard CEOs of some of our top hospitals argue the same point, and it would be good to pilot the idea in a couple of areas where the difficulty in accessing GP services is particularly acute. As David Prior says, if one organization offered all the services, it would have a stronger incentive to prevent patients from becoming acutely ill.

Although there are many problems, I still receive as much praise for our health service as I do criticism. At this time of year I would like to thank the vast majority of doctors, nurses, other health care professionals and yes, NHS managers too, for the efforts they make to improve patient care. And it is worth remembering, and appreciating, the many staff in our hospitals and in all the emergency services, who are working shifts over the festive season.

---Activity in Parliament:

This month, I was delighted to have secured a Westminster Hall debate on children’s centres in the Dudley Borough. Although it is welcome news that Dudley Council have withdrawn their consultation containing proposals to close seven centres in our area, it is important to consider how best to safeguard the their future as they play a vital role in supporting families and improving life chances for young children. I was pleased that the Education Minister answering, Elizabeth Truss MP, agreed that children’s centres play a vital role. She also confirmed that the Government has funded the Early Intervention Foundation, which is looking at research into best practice so that we can ensure that all children’s centres understand the best way of working with parents and improving outcomes for children. I will certainly continue to follow developments in this area next year.

I wrote to Ministers about the following issues:

• Lord Taylor, Home Office Minister, on behalf of a constituent about overseas criminal record checks and delays in this area.

• Dan Poulter, Health Minister, to ask whether parents who do not qualify for free Healthy Start vitamins might be able to buy them commercially.

• Jeremy Wright, Home Office Minister, regarding the polygraph testing of sex offenders and to ask whether this service will be contracted out to private companies who specialise in this area.

I attended various events and had meetings in and around Parliament:

• The Dogs Trust Christmas reception, and launch of their manifesto.

• A meeting with UK Export Finance to discuss European trade.

• The Parliamentary Carol Service in Westminster Abbey.

• Hosting an All Party Parliamentary Group for Trade and Investment meeting to discuss supporting Britain’s exporters. We had an excellent panel made up of the new Trade Minister Lord Livingston and the Chief Executives of UK Trade and Investment and UK Export Finance.

• A roundtable meeting with MPs interested in energy policy, as part of my role on the Number 10 Policy Board.

This month, I joined a UK Trade and Investment and Confederation of British Industries (CBI) trade mission to Brazil. With Brazil being such a growing market, it is important that British companies are able to capitalise on the many opportunities there. The trip took us to Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janerio, meeting local businesses and Government officials. I also hosted a webinar with businesses from the Black Country whilst I was there, to help provide information about how to start to trade with Brazil.

---Out and about in Stourbridge:

I took part in several visits:

• Speaking at the Stourbridge Ladies Lunch at the Old Edwardian Club. It was lovely to catch up with good friends before Christmas and the afternoon was very enjoyable.

• I was delighted to attend a memory tree service hosted by Age Concern Stourbridge & Halesowen in remembrance of lost loved ones. Congratulations to Ron Dalton and Geoff Hill on their well-earned retirement after many years of devoting their time to Age Concern.

Christmas Card competition:

Each year I run a local Christmas card competition, usually with pupils from nearby schools, and this year I was very pleased to work with the Art & Design Centre in Brierley Hill and invite some of their young artists to contribute ideas. I am always impressed by the imagination and skill which goes into the submissions I receive, and this year was no exception! All of the designs were so thoughtful and professionally put together, but in the end I had to go for Grace and Luke's card. I'm delighted they were able to come up with such a unique concept, which also looked so striking.

http://www.margotjames.com/content/mp-announces-christmas-card-competition-winners-0

---And it wasn’t all work:

Although my five days in Brazil were almost all work, I did insist on an hour and a half out to go to the top of the mountains above Rio de Janeiro. We looked at one of the most spectacular views in the world in the shadow of the great Christ the Redeemer statue. It was an unforgettable experience.

On my return I enjoyed two festive weekends, first with my great friends Jenny and Geoff who live in Deal. Jenny is an amazing cook and so is another mutual friend Peter Field, together they served the most fantastic dinner centred on a roast goose.

Somehow I managed to finish my two Christmas cakes. I don’t want to be disloyal to Delia, whose recipe I follow faithfully every year, but this year I made Mary Berry cakes and they were the best I’ve ever made.

I attended the annual Westminster Carol Service, in St Margaret’s Church by Westminster Abbey. It was a wonderful service. I was quite surprised that in amongst the senior politicians from all sides who provided readings, up popped the international director of branding at GSK (Glaxo SmithKline) to do a reading. I thought that was odd until I read in the order of service that all costs associated with the service were met by GSK. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a sponsored carol service before! I am a passionate advocate of business and commerce but I am not sure quite what I thought about that particular development.

We had a lovely family Christmas weekend last week in the Cotswolds. All six of my nephews and nieces came, together with my older nephew’s wife Laura. It was a very special time, each one of us loved our presents, the cooking went down well and we all had a lot of fun together. It was a long trek for my younger nephew and his family, who live near Penzance, and I was so pleased he was able to make it despite it still being term time.

Jay and I are away for Christmas this year. We have wanted to see Burma for quite a long time and now there is no longer a boycott of tourism there we decided to make the trip. Weather wise you can only travel comfortably between November and March, so to fit in with my work that means leaving before Christmas and getting back in early January. I will report back on this fascinating country next month.

Meanwhile thank you for your interest in my newsletters this year and I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2014. I will be in touch again next year.

Margot James

Margot

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