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Newsletter November 2014

Posted by Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, at 12:28, Tue 2 December 2014:

Dear All,

Everywhere you turn in and around Stourbridge Town Centre there are improvements, or plans for improvements. It really is very encouraging. During the last few weeks I toured the wonderful new building at King Edward’s College, opened the new facilities at the Hagley Road site of Stourbridge College, and attended the opening of the Unit 360 BMX and skate park on Mill Race Lane. This summer saw the opening of the community health centre of the future, Lion Health down by the River Stour, there is nothing like it anywhere in the country. We still need to keep a foot on the accelerator to ensure that the desperately needed regeneration of the Colley Gate area in Cradley, and the return of a Post Office service to Quarry Bank go ahead as discussed with local residents.

Following the Scottish Referendum and the further devolution of powers to the Scottish Assembly, there has been debate about how much more powers and budgets could be devolved away from Whitehall in England and Wales. The Chancellor has agreed in principle to allow the combined local authorities in Manchester and the North West to have more say over transport, housing investment, skills, infrastructure and science. The polling organisation ComRes surveyed public opinion across the West Midlands earlier this month and found that 85% were in favour of similar devolution to our area. It makes sense to bring decisions and funding in these areas closer to local areas, where understanding of what will make a positive difference is greater than it is in Whitehall.

I have had one or two suggestions about my monthly e wire which I have been writing ever since I was elected in 2010. If there is anything more you would like to know, hear about or even hear less about please do get in touch and I will try to take your views in to account as I prepare the first newsletter of 2015.

Parliamentary work ------------------------------------------------------------

I asked questions and spoke in debates about:

I wrote to Ministers about the following issues:

  • Lord Ahmad, Communities Minister, regarding the European Regional Development Fund grant for the British Glass Foundation.

  • The Home Secretary about Islamic divorce and concerns about the practice of Sharia Law.

  • The International Development Secretary, on behalf of several constituents who contacted me about sanitation and Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Mike Penning, Police Minister, on behalf of a local company looking to market their mobile technology to the emergency services.

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

  • I organised a meeting between representatives from Old Swinford Hospital School and the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, to discuss the admissions code and how the proposed changes will affect the state boarding sector.

  • A meeting to discuss the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, and a forthcoming UK-Canada mission to Iraq on the issue.

  • A service in Westminster Abbey to commemorate the centenary of the start of World War One.

  • Taking part in a panel discussion hosted by Cosmopolitan Magazine for Parliament Week on issues affecting young women in the UK and how to increase political engagement among young people.

  • Speaking at a business investment meeting about economic growth and the future of trade and investment in the UK.

  • A session with the charity Action Aid to hear an update about the situation in Afghanistan for women, and a drop in session to mark World Aids Day and hear about the work of STOPAIDS.

  • An event to mark the twentieth anniversary of Scope, the charity for people with disabilities.

Out and about in Stourbridge ------------------------------------------------------------

  • I visited the Comberton Nursing Home and spoke with staff and residents. I had a very informative discussion with the home’s manager about a number of important issues relating to the NHS and nursing.

  • I held a surgery for constituents in Pedmore, and another drop-in advice surgery in the Crown Centre in Stourbridge.

  • I attended Remembrance Day services in churches in Lye and Cradley, along with ceremonies in Mary Stevens Park and Stourbridge Crematorium.

  • I presented a prize to the winner of my annual Christmas card design competition at Birmingham Metropolitan College's Art and Design Centre in Brierley Hill. Congratulations to winner Aaron-Ryan Samra, and runners up Esmie Rowe and Oliver Warner.

  • I took part in a discussion forum at Oldswinford Hospital School to raise awareness of the importance of tackling homophobic bullying.

  • I met John Parry, designer of the Parry People Mover system that takes passengers from Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction station.

  • It was an honour to judge a design competition at Ridgewood High School in which students drew up plans for potential technology projects. I was really impressed with the high standard of work submitted by the students.

  • Hosting a public meeting to update local residents on development plans for the former Longlands school site in Old Quarter. Architects acting for site owners Birmingham Metropolitan College presented their proposals during the session.

  • Joined in with the grand opening of Unit3Sixty, Stourbridge's brand new skate park. I am delighted that the park is now ready after years of hard work to secure grant and loan funding.

As ever thanks very much for your interest in my newsletter, and if you would like to contact me or raise an issue then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call the office on 01384 370574, email me at margot.james.mp@parliament.uk, or write to me at The Old Library, Hagley Road, Stourbridge, DY8 1QH.

Margot James MP

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https://twitter.com/#!/margotjamesmp

www.margotjames.com

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