January News
Posted by David Burrowes, MP for Enfield, Southgate, at 16:50, Tue 22 January 2008:
Christmas card competition
I was overwhelmed with brilliant entries from local schools for my annual Christmas card competition this year. Designs ranged from the nativity to Father Christmas and Suhara Jayasena from Grange Park Primary School was the winner, creating a beautiful design of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.
Chase Farm Hospital
This year has seen my continued campaign to ‘Save Chase Farm Hospital’ I have pressed the government on this issue on many occasions and I will continue to do my best to keep our hospital in the political spotlight.
Criminal Justice
This parliamentary session has been no less hectic with my position as Shadow Minister for Justice allowing me to sit on the committee for the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill which is currently progressing through parliament. The Bill addresses many important issues including tobacco sales to young people, incitement to homophobic hatred and prostitution, to name but a few. I took to the despatch box in the debate in the chamber to address some of these matters.
Prisons Review
This Month we will be concluding the work David Cameron has requested on the Conservative Party prison reform review. Within the team, responsibility has been assigned to me for assessing prison regimes. I have been examining the reality of what actually happens in our prisons and what needs changing.
Private Members Bill
I recently presented my first Private Members Bill in Parliament, on the issue of Umbilical Cord Blood. This is a continuation of the work I have done as a member of the Joint Committee for the Human Tissues and Embryos Bill, which some of you may remember from last year’s newsletter. Every year in Britain, thousands of babies are born and the umbilical cord is simply discarded. However, what many people are unaware of is that the stem cells found in umbilical cord blood can be used to provide a number of treatments for various diseases, not least leukaemia. Through the Bill, I am hoping to raise awareness of cord blood as an ethically sound, proven to work alternative to the use of embryonic stem cells.
As always, please feel free to contact me whenever the need arises at david@davidburrowes.com.
Best wishes, David
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