Jeremy Browne MP's Monthly Update - November
Posted by Jeremy Browne, MP for Taunton, at 15:12, Tue 4 December 2007:
This month Jeremy chose Blackbrook School’s Hattie Beck, aged 10, as the lucky winner of his annual Christmas card competition. He commented;
“There were dozens of excellent entries and it was very difficult to pick a winner. Hattie’s design is of a snowman. It is a brilliant picture which also captures the childhood excitement and innocence that is part of Christmas.”
COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNS
Speaking during a visit to Rockwell Green Post Office, Jeremy said;
"The Government will announce the post office closures planned for Somerset on 26 February 2008. The fear is that as many as one-in-five of the existing post offices will be closed.
“The post office provides a lifeline for so many residents. These plans will damage communities across Somerset and I will continue to campaign strongly against the cuts."
This month Jeremy campaigned to save Somerset skittles. He said;
“Every year in Somerset skittles alleys are being knocked-down or converted into use for other purposes.
“Planning authorities should do more to protect skittles alleys, landlords could make extra efforts to promote the game, and we should all enjoy a regular game of skittles in a local Somerset pub!"
See Jeremy’s EDM at; http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34369&SESSION=891
IN THE COMMUNITY
Jeremy’s activities in Taunton this month included;
- Supporting the British Legion’s ‘Honour the Covenant’ campaign.
- Attending the Remembrance Services in Wellington & Taunton, Amici at King’s College, the Court Leet Law Day, Chelston Park open day, the Taunton roundtable dinner, the Christmas lights switch on, and West Monkton Christmas Country Market.
- Spending a day shadowing pupils at Court Fields School,
- Celebrating National Occupational Therapy Week at Musgrove Park, the launch of the charity Alternatives, Taunton Scout’s Centenary, and Orchard FM’s 18th birthday.
- Opening the new Open Wildlife Trust area at Netherclay Park, and the Braemar House day care centre.
TAUNTON DEANE NHS INQUIRY
In November Jeremy published the results of his Taunton Deane NHS Inquiry. He received thousands of responses and will use the results to campaign for improvements to our local health services.
CONCLUSIONS
- 94% of residents surveyed felt the waiting time to see a GP was reasonable, and 73% believed that local health services have got better or stayed the same in recent times.
- 67% of patients using Musgrove Park’s A&E department in the last 3 years had their problem diagnosed within an hour. 68% were very happy with the nursing care that they received. 76% were satisfied with the hospital food.
- Residents are worried about local out-of-hours care services. 40% of people rated the out-of-hours care they received from their GP as poor, 43% thought it was average and only 18% of people rated it as good.
- Residents said the main priorities should be cleanliness of hospital wards, adequate funding and resources, shortening waiting times, the need for more staff in critical areas and preventing the spread of hospital-related infections.
SPEAKING OUT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Jeremy is the Liberal Democrat’s Home Affairs Spokesperson and sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee.
HOLDING THE HOME SECRETARY TO ACCOUNT
In November the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, revealed that up to 5,000 illegal immigrants had wrongly been cleared to work in the security industry.
During her statement in the House of Commons, Jeremy challenged her on the Home Office’s role. He said;
“The previous Home Secretary, John Reid, famously said that the Department was “not fit for purpose”. Following his review, we should remember that the structures and staff in the Home Office are the sole responsibility of this Government. After 10 years in power, and with a slimmed-down Home Office stripped of many of its functions, how can the Secretary of State explain the continued incompetence in her Department? Is it not the case that the Government talk tough on crime and immigration, whereas the reality is weakness and failure?
“The Government need to spend less time legislating to create party political divides and more time concentrating on running their core functions effectively.”
Read Jeremy’s speech at; http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071113/debtext/71113-0004.htm#07111328000005
PUSHING FOR LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Speaking to the Association of Police Authorities annual conference in Stratford-upon-Avon this month, Jeremy called for real action to cut bureaucracy in policing. He said;
“Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s Independent Review of Policing is due in the New Year and will provide the basis for further reform of policing services.
“Time and again we are told by police officers that bureaucracy is stopping the police doing their job, and the government promise changes to improve the situation, but we have heard this all before.
“Instead of taking the independent review ‘into account’ the Home Secretary must commit to implementing the recommendations. Only then will we see real progress.”
LIBERAL IMMIGRATION
In the first ever Topical Debate in the House of Commons, Jeremy spoke out on the positive aspects of workers from the EU. He commented;
“Overall we have a reasonably dynamic economy in Britain. It has shown continuous growth for the past 15 years, and successful economies attract labour. People want to come here, work here, provide for themselves and their families. That creates a better, more open, more dynamic economy and society for us in this country.
“We should celebrate the contribution that has been made by people from outside the United Kingdom while recognising the pressures on some public services. We must have an enlightened and liberal approach to immigration in this country. “
Read Jeremy’s speech at; http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071115/debtext/71115-0008.htm
PROTECTING IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
During a debate on the issue of children in immigration detention, Jeremy attacked the government for failing to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. He argued;
“The government seem to be concerned that anything that smacks of a UN-led, consensual, international approach would be seen as a sign of weakness. In a debate in the House of Lords three years ago, the relevant Minister said that the Government believe that “a duty to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children could severely compromise our ability to maintain an effective asylum system and strong immigration control.”
“The Government talk about their “Every Child Matters” campaign, but if that is to be anything other than a slightly trite slogan, it must encompass children who are not British children within the mainstream education system. It must mean that literally every child has a set of rights and that we have a duty and obligation to them. It is on that basis that my party supports
Read Jeremy’s speech at; http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm071120/halltext/71120h0003.htm#07112055000527
Contact Jeremy at office@tauntonlibdems.org.uk , or write to him at: Masons House, Magdalene Street, Taunton, TA1 1SG
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