News from Westminster
Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 15:42, Fri 19 October 2007:
Now that the summer recess is over, I'm relaunching my fortnightly News from Westminster.
ACTION ON OBESITY
Earlier this week, I worked closely alongside government chief scientist Sir David King as he published the report Tackling Obesities: Future Choices. This challenging document predicts that, on current trends, by 2050 60% of men, 50% of women and 26% of children and young people will be obese. As a consequence, incidents of Type 2 diabetes are set to rise by 70%; attacks of stroke by 30%; and cases of coronary heart disease by 20%. Obesity-related diseases will cost the nation an extra £45.5bn a year.
As Public Health Minister, I am determined to do all that I can to stop this happening. In the past, tackling obesity has always been regarded as a matter of personal willpower but, as this report starkly demonstrates, individual action alone will not be sufficient. So, we are developing a comprehensive cross-government strategy that includes:
Providing nutritional grants for pregnant mothers.
Improving school food and continuing to increase the number of children eating '5 a day'.
Ensuring every child has the chance of five hours of sport every week, backed by a further £100m of additional investment.
Looking at further restricting the advertising of unhealthy foods during children's TV programmes, if the evidence supports the need to do so.
Working with employers to look after their employees' health - they might, for example, provide loans for bikes, not just season tickets; or subsidise gym membership, not just canteens.
Helping local authorities ensure that healthy living is built into the infrastructure of our towns and cities so that planning systems improve our health and wellbeing.
More effectively informing consumers through better food labelling.
Conducting an immediate investigation into the use of trans-fats.
Tackling the regional disparities in the prevalence of obesity by close working with Primary Care Trusts.
As a result of these interventions, and others, we hope to reverse the growth in obesity so that, by 2020, we reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to the levels of the year 2000.
BLACKOUT BRISTOL
I have thrown my weight behind Friends of the Earth's Blackout Bristol campaign on 31 October, which encourages businesses to turn off unnecessary lights and electrical equipment.
Our Labour Government is taking an important lead on climate change, and we're working with retailers to ensure those light bulbs that guzzle the most energy are phased out. Most people are aware of how important it is to reduce unnecessary energy use - lights and electrical equipment in my office are always switched off at the end of the day - but we need to make sure that all businesses are aware of the issues too. I find it so frustrating when I see office blocks with all the lights on after everyone has gone home, so congratulate Friends of the Earth for highlighting this vital issue.
To find out more - and nominate Bristol's worst offending building - visit www.blackoutbristol.com
NEW FIGURES SHOW RISE IN EMPLOYMENT
New figures were released this week showing employment is at a level of 29.1m - the highest figure on record. The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance is down, while vacancies remain high. I'm proud that our strong and stable economy has helped deliver record numbers in work, and with unemployment continuing to fall we have in our sights the ambition of reaching full employment within a generation.
COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW BOOSTS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The hundreds of local people who also campaigned to Make Poverty History in 2005 will be delighted that last week's Comprehensive Spending Review confirmed that Labour will increase spending on overseas development from £5bn in 2007 to £9bn by 2010. This settlement means that by 2010 by UK's aid budget will have increased more than three times in real terms since 1997. Recent figures have shown that the UK is now the second largest international aid donor, and we are on track to meet the UN gold standard spend of 0.7% of GNI by 2013 - two years ahead of the EU commitment.
MORE MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
I know that many Bristol South residents will be delighted to hear that a £10.2bn cash boost for affordable homes has been announced by Labour's Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper. The funding means that 50% more new social homes - 45,000 in total - will be built in the year 2010-11 than are being built this year.
Overall, 110,000 more social homes will be built in the next three years after the funding was included in last week's Comprehensive Spending Review. The money will improve existing social housing and regeneration projects as well as boosting the supply of low-cost housing - and all regions will receive an increase of at least 15% by 2010-11 compared to this year.
LABOUR BACKS SURE START COMMITMENT
Our Labour Government has backed up its pledge to have a Children's Centre in every community by 2010 with a further funding boost of £351m. The latest funding will pay for developing, extending and modifying existing centres and bring the total number to 3,500 by 2010. I know, from the Children's Centres already in place in Bristol South how fantastic a resource they are for local children and parents, and look forward to more being rolled out in the next few years.
ANNUAL HEALTH CHECK: BEST EVER RESULTS FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS
I very much welcome this week's announcement that city centre hospitals run by United Bristol Healthcare Trust have achieved their highest-ever score in the Healthcare Commission's annual health check. Overall, UBHT achieved a score of 'excellent' for quality of services, which included meeting the following targets:
Year-on-year reductions in MRSA levels.
Satisfactory patient experience.
On track to ensure that by 2008 nobody waits more than 18 weeks from GP referral to hospital treatment.
Maintaining a maximum waiting time of one month from diagnosis to treatment for all cancers.
While there are, of course, improvements that can still be made, it is right that we should acknowledge the progress that is being made - thanks, in no small part, to the heroic efforts of the many local people who work in our hospitals.
RECESS ROUND-UP
I always enjoy the summer recess because it allows me to spend time catching up with local organisations and groups - and this year has been no exception. Here is a taster of my activities:
A day at Bristol Zoo and the magnificent Tyntesfield Estate in support of Destination Bristol.
Meeting a group of young people from across South Bristol who are involved in the Entry 2 Employment programme.
Attending the opening of the new police portakabin outside ASDA Bedminster.
Roundtable discussion with local stakeholders about improvements to local transport.
Discussions with the owners of Broad Walk Shopping Centre about their development plans.
Two meetings with key stakeholders involved with transforming Hengrove Park to ensure the plans for the hospital, healthplex and skills academy are kept on track.
Ribbon-cutting at Bart Spices' new warehouse on Mead Street.
Joining staff and shoppers at ASDA Whitchurch as part of the Tickled Pink events to raise money for people with breast cancer.
Topping-out ceremony at Knowle West Media Centre - a regional centre of media excellence.
Officially opening the £4.5m Withywood Centre on Queen's Road.
Visiting St Peter's Hospice in Knowle.
Participating in the Get Online Day at the Windmill Hill City Farm Computer Centre.
An update visit to the Lifeskills safety education and training centre, of which I am a patron.
Looking round the new South Bristol Sports Centre in West Town Lane.
For more information visit www.bristolsouthlabourparty.org.uk
ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any queries about these issues, or have a question you would like to ask about anything else, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Just respond to this email, phone 0117 909 0063 or write to me at PO Box 1002, Bristol, BS99 1WH.
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