Email from Celia Barlow MP
Posted by Celia Barlow, MP for Hove, at 11:55, Tue 13 December 2005:
Thankyou for signing up to receive my newsletter. I wish you a Merry Christmas and look forward to reading your comments on the site.
New Website Launched
Celia Barlow today launched her new website, which can be found at www.celiabarlow.org.uk. Please feel free to give us feedback on the site, and bear with us while we continue to add new content over the Christmas period and beyond.
Pre Budget Report
Chancellor Gordon Brown delivered his pre-Budget report to the House of Commons on Monday 5 December. In it, he set out his priorities for the year ahead. He said: "Labour's objective is to build a strong economy and a fair society, where there is opportunity and security for all."
- An additional £53 million to expand Youth Opportunity Funds, enabling young people to secure the amenities and activities they want in each local authority with an average local authority receiving £500,000 over the next two years;
- An additional £300 million over three years to enable pensioners on Pension Credit who do not have central heating to have it installed free of charge and to provide a £300 discount on central heating for all other pensioners;
- A continuation of Winter Fuel Payments of £200 for households with someone aged 60 or over, and £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over, for the rest of this Parliament;
- An updated economic forecast, which shows that the UK economy is continuing to grow and that the Labour Government is meeting its strict fiscal rules for sound public finances over the economic cycle;
- A package of reforms to raise the level of new home building to improve the long-term affordability of housing;
- A series of steps to increase certainty of awards for tax credits claimants while maintaining flexibility, including increasing the income disregard from £2,500 to £25,000 a year;
- An increase in the taxation of North Sea oil companies, striking a balance between promoting investment and ensuring fairness for taxpayers;
- Measures to tackle tax fraud, avoidance, and tax motivated incorporation;
- The continuation of the freeze on main road fuel duties, in response to the continued volatility in oil prices.
VAT on Condoms
Celia Barlow today launched an Early Day Motion aimed at reducing VAT on condoms. It states: 'That this House Welcomes the Sex, Lives and Politics Campaign being run by Labour Students and the Terrence Higgins Trust; calls on the Government to deliver on its pledge to cut waiting times for an initial Genito-Urinary Medicine (sexual health) appointment to 48 hours; welcomes the £73 million of investment allocated to deal with the rise in STI's and calls on the Government to cut VAT on condoms from 17.5% to 5%'
After signing the motion she said:
"I am pleased to be able to support the campaign by the Terrence Higgins Trust and and Labour Students. It is important that we do everything we can to make access to contraceptives easily available in order to help prevent the spread of STD's.
Family friendly working
I was pleased to hear in the Queen's Speech that the Government plan to introduce measures to help parents juggle the demands of work and family life by: ·Extending statutory maternity pay from 26 to 39 weeks from April 2007 ·Allowing mothers to transfer a proportion of statutory maternity leave and pay to fathers.
The measures, which will be included in the Government's Work and Families Bill will also build on one of the welcome measures introduced during the last Parliament. From 2003 parents of children under 6 years old were given the right to request family friendly work patterns from their employers. This has resulted in many parents working more flexible working hours so as to be able to drop and pick up children at school and nursery and also to take leave during school holidays.
Educational Maintenance Allowance
As British tax payers we should be proud of the extra investment that the government have put into improving schools and widening opportunities to learn. The most recent of these is the Education Maintenance Allowance, which offers up to £30 a week to 16-19 year olds who stay on at school or college after 16. The allowance is available to all 16 year olds whose family income is less than £30,000, as long they attend classes and show progress. Below is a ready reckoner to see how much the allowance could be worth to your family:
If your household income is up to : £20,270 per year you get £30 per week £20, 271 - £24,850 per year you get £20 per week £24,851 - £30,000 per year you get £10 per week
If you would like an application pack please don't hesitate to contact my office on 01273 415 711 or call the Education Maintenance Allowance hotline on 080810 16 219.
Make Poverty History
I have used several opportunities to raise environmental and international development issues. During my maiden speech I pledged her support for greater action on conservation to help environmental good practice in Hove and Portslade. In the run-up to the G8 summit at Gleneagles and again this month, I was called to speak during debates in the Commons on Africa. I urged: "We must all prepare ourselves and our constituents for the fact that many more victories will need to be won before the people of Africa unlock the potential of that great continent". The Government's leadership on international development scored a major victory for Africa at this year's G8 summit with massive increases in aid and 100% debt cancellation for many of the world's poorest countries.
Phone Masts Rejected
Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, Celia Barlow, today expressed her delight after councillors rejected two 3G phone masts that she had been campaigning against. In the past few months she had met with local residents to discuss their concerns and invited T-mobile and Marconi to a public meeting where constituents had the opportunity to question them about their plans. The MP went door to door in the area - New Church Road and Portland Avenue in Hove - collecting signatures against the phone masts and these were presented to Councillor Les Hamilton, Chair of Brighton and Hove Council's Planning Committee before yesterday's meeting. Following a vote the committee decided to reject the plans for the phone masts.
Celia Barlow MP said "I have campaigned against these phone masts since before I was elected. I am pleased that the local opposition to them has been recognised by the councillors and that the phone masts will not now be built in a residential area. " Minutes of planning committee meeting
Civil Partnership Act in force
Celia Barlow today hosted a reception at the House of Commons to celebrate the enactment of the Civil Partnership Act. Present at the event were Meg Munn, the Equalities Minister, David Harvey, Chairman of Brighton Pride, and several of the couples due to first benefit from the new legislation. To find information about how to register for a civil partnership in Brighton and Hove please visit http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1149685 My first weeks working for you
Since being elected on 5 May I have been active on a range of national and local issues at the House of Commons. Highlights so far have been: ·Taking part in the Commons debate on the G8 summit and how we make poverty history by addressing the problems of aid and debt relief for the world's poorest people ·Being appointed to the Environmental Audit Committee, which will shortly begin investigating alternative energy sources in response to climate change ·Taking the campaign for a new stadium for Brighton & Hove Albion FC into Westminster debates, including in my maiden speech ·Taking part in the debate on the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill on behalf of concerned groups who I'd met with in Hove. ·Opened the Labour Party Conference in the City of Brighton & Hove at the end of September, welcoming all the delegates and guests from across Britain to the City.
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