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News from Westminster

Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 14:19, Fri 16 May 2008:

WHITCHURCH HEALTH CENTRE OPENING

I officially opened the magnificent new Whitchurch Health Centre in Armada Road this afternoon. The centre, which opened to patients in November, has 20 consulting rooms and is able to offer a wide range of services on the doorstep for local people. The centre hosts clinics for diabetes, heart disease, asthma, continence and for sexual health. From next week UBHT is beginning a six month pilot for local cancer patients so that they can have their regular chemotherapy sessions at Whitchurch instead of having to go into Bristol.

INCREASING TAX FREE ALLOWANCES

As you may have heard, this week the Chancellor announced proposals to help those whose income was reduced as a result of the withdrawal of the 10p starting rate of income tax. He has increased the personal tax allowance by £600 to £6,035 for this financial year, benefiting all basic rate taxpayers aged under 65. This means that 22 million people on low and middle incomes will gain an additional £120 this year to offset their average loss. I welcome these changes which will ensure that 80 per cent of households are fully compensated with the remaining 20 per cent compensated by at least half. In addition, 600,000 people on low incomes will be taken out of tax altogether. The increased allowance will apply to all income for this tax year and so will be backdated to 6 April. From September basic rate taxpayers will see a one-off increase in their monthly income of £60 and then an increase of £10 per month or the rest of the financial year.

LAUNCH OF ETHICAL EXPO

I was delighted to be able to launch Bristol’s Ethical Expo in Castle Park last Friday. The Expo was an ethical produce fayre, showcasing the best of Fairtrade and ethical products. The Fairtrade market has grown significantly in the last few years, with more and more consumers thinking before they buy. The Government has just pledged over £1m to the Fairtrade Federation – who are working towards a Fairtrade market of £1bn a year by 2010, rising to £2bn by 2020.

WISH UPON A STAR

At the Ethical Expo, I took a minute to sign up to Oxfam’s new Wish Upon a Star campaign. The campaign calls on world leaders to take urgent action on aid, climate change and health provision for developing countries ahead of July’s summit of the G8. The Government is a world leader in terms of development, and we have trebled our aid budget since 1997. But, of course, there is still more to be done and we cannot rest until we have eliminated world poverty. The United Kingdom can’t go it alone, so it is vital that meetings such as the G8 come up with practical, multi-lateral solutions. To find out more about Oxfam’s campaign, you can visit my website at www.bristolsouthlabourparty.org.uk.

'LEARNING TO DRIVE' CONSULTATION

Last week the Government published proposals to reform the way people learn to drive and how they are tested. Over the past decade Britain's roads have become much safer; the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents has fallen by a third, making road travel in this country safer than almost anywhere else in the world. Despite this, the casualty rate for young drivers has not changed in this time and newly-qualified drivers and their passengers account for one in five of all car deaths in Britain. That is why the Government wants a more focused and thorough learning process before the driving test, which focuses not just on vehicle control but also the wider skills needed to be a safe driver, from driving in difficult conditions (for example at night or in poor weather) to learning to predict and respond to other road users' intentions. In addition it is proposed to improve the driving test which will require the driver to demonstrate independent driving skills and clear understanding of different situations on the road. The consultation runs until 8 September and information about how to get involved is available from the Driving Standards Agency website: http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=545

CAFOD LOBBY

I recently met with some of my constituents when they visited Westminster as part of the Religious Lobby of Parliament on Climate Justice. This campaign focuses on the issue that while the world’s richest countries consume far more of the earth’s resources; it is poor countries that are least able to protect themselves from the brunt of extreme weather brought about by climate change. The residents I spoke with welcomed the Government’s Climate Change Bill which is the first of its kind in the world, but they sought clarification around the emissions targets and the UK’s share of emissions from aviation and shipping. As some of you will know, I have been in regular touch with Environment Ministers about the content of the Climate Change Bill and I continue to make representations on behalf of my constituents as the Bill goes through Parliament.

NEW ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR POWERS

Last week, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, saying we should all be able to go about our business without suffering the abuse and hassle of problem behaviour. I know from speaking with residents across my constituency that anti-social behaviour can be very disturbing and distressing, and that the unacceptable behaviour of a minority can disrupt the lives of other people who are living peacefully in the community. Successful action has already been taken to address anti-social behaviour, for example through ASBOs and neighbourhood policing, but there is more to do if we are to ensure our communities are better and safer places to live. The Home Secretary confirmed that a new Anti-Social Behaviour Action Squad, backed by £250,000 of new funding this year, will be introduced to help police and local agencies make full use of all the tools and powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour in every community. The Action Squad will also make sure that underperforming areas receive targeted help and advice to reclaim our public spaces, target persistent offenders and focus on the role of parents.

BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL

I was pleased to see that, following this week’s annual council meeting, Labour will continue to run Bristol this year. Despite having only 25 of Bristol’s 70 Councillors, Labour have delivered ambitious plans for our city. Amongst other things, Labour’s Budget recruited 42 new PCSOs, invested £2.4 million to help older people stay in their own homes for longer, and will be taking tough action on litter and fly-tipping. The Council has also been praised by inspectors for ‘improving well’ although there is, of course, much more work to do. I am confident that, with our Labour Council and Government, we can continue to build on a successful year.

BURMA CYCLONE AND CHINESE EARTHQUAKE

Nobody can have been failed to have been moved by the appalling scenes from China and Burma in the last fortnight. Both natural disasters have caused tens of thousands of deaths, and have left many more people homeless. The Government has been quick to step in with offers of help. The nature of the repressive Burmese regime has made the situation particularly difficult, with the Government putting its own secrecy before the well-being of its people. It was, however, encouraging to see that the first aid flight – containing tents, mosquito nets, tools and water purification tablets – has left the UK. Britain will continue to do what it can to help people in both countries.