News from Westminster
Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 15:08, Fri 13 June 2008:
COUNTER TERRORISM BILL
As you will probably be aware, there has been lots of discussion around the Government’s proposals to increase pre-charge detention through the Counter-Terrorism Bill on which MPs voted this week. I fully acknowledge the importance of this issue and difficulties in finding a balance between the Government’s duty to keep citizens safe and the need to protect civil liberties.
The sad but unavoidable fact of our increasingly globalised world is that cases of significant risk to public safety require complex investigations which simply take longer than they would have even five years ago. The provisions in the Counter-Terrorism Bill are not for a permanent, automatic or immediate extension to pre-charge detention beyond 28 days. Rather, a reserve power has been introduced that could only be used in very exceptional circumstances, only with the support of the Director of Public Prosecutions, only with the backing of parliament in a vote in both Houses, only subject to high judicial safeguards, and only for a temporary period before automatically lapsing. This means in exceptional circumstances these powers could be triggered, removing the need for emergency legislation. Following much debate on this very sensitive issue both inside and outside parliament, I was satisfied with the safeguards put in place to protect civil liberties, and voted in favour of the new legislation.
MEETING WITH FIRST BUS MANAGER
Last week I met with the new Managing Director of First Bus in Bristol, Justin Davies. We had a productive discussion about how best to improve bus services in Bristol. One or two residents have been in touch recently with specific concerns about local services, so I was pleased that Justin agreed to investigate these issues personally. I am committed to working with local people, First and the City Council to improve bus travel in our city and I know that people want buses which are punctual, clean and staffed by friendly and informative drivers. Justin assured me that he shares this desire to improve services and he explained how new technology to monitor where – exactly – our buses are will help with punctuality.
CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRESS
This week the Climate Change Bill came before MPs for consideration in the House of Commons. The Bill, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides as framework for action on this important issue by setting emission reduction targets and introducing a new system of Carbon Budgets across the economy. Amongst other things, the proposed new legislation will introduce a target of at least a 26% reduction in emissions by 2020, and at least a 60% reduction by 2050. From the letters and emails I receive, I know lots of people are keen to see this second target increased to 80%, and I am pleased that the Bill now requires the Committee on Climate Change to advise on whether the 2050 target should be amended and whether it should be strengthened up to 80%. There are some outstanding issues being considered as the Bill is debated in Parliament and I will continue to pass on local residents’ concerns to Ministers during this time. I’m proud that the UK is providing global leadership on this issue and I know many other countries are now looking at whether they should follow our lead and adopt similar legislation.
PARENTING CONFERENCE
This morning, I spoke at a conference organized by Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures to celebrate parenting. It was a real privilege to hear the stories of parents whose lives have been transformed by community projects like Parents in Partnership Advancing Inclusion (PiPA). PiPA works with parents of children with special needs, helping them – for example – with filling in forms for benefits or tax credits, providing representation at schools and meetings and – above all – providing friendly advice and support. We know that the vast majority of parents do an absolutely fantastic job, but surveys have shown that 75 per cent of parents feel they would have benefited from some extra support at some stage. The key is that this support should be readily available and provided to the parent at no or a minimal cost. The Government’s role in this is not to tell parents how to bring up their children, but rather to ensure that support is available for those who need it.
FREE SWIMMING FOR OVER 60S!
Last week I welcomed the introduction of a £140m fund from the Government to boost sport and fitness through free swimming for over 60s as part of a massive reform of sport and physical activity in England. The fund, announced alongside a new strategy for sport in England, will encourage local authorities to open up nearly 1,600 publicly owned swimming pools free to over 60s and more than 10 million older people in England stand to benefit from the move. Locally, the new fund will enable Bristol City Council to build on the concessionary scheme it already offers for older people. As Public Health Minister, I know how important it is for people to lead healthy, active lives and swimming is one of the best ways for people of all ages to do this. The money will also be used to encourage local authorities to offer free swimming to under 16s and to rejuvenate and maintain pools, as well as supporting initiatives such as the provision of free lessons for adults who cannot swim, and the introduction of swimming coordinators to maximise and sustain uptake. Details of how the scheme will be delivered will be agreed over the summer with the fund being available from 2009.
NEW CARERS STRATEGY
Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health, marked Carers Week (June 9 – 15) by launching a new multi-million pound cross-cutting strategy to support, help and improve the lives of Britain’s carers. Carers play an invaluable role in society and, with an ageing population and other demographic changes, the demand for care is set to rise. The Strategy is underpinned by £255 million to implement some immediate steps together with a long-term plan to address some of the more complex issues, and has been signed up to by 7 government departments. The strategy builds on progress we have made around supporting carers in the last ten years and will deliver:
- more breaks for adult carers;
- training for key professionals to support carers;
- more flexible and accessible skills training for carers;
- better support and protection for children and young people
- pilots to see how we might provide annual health checks for carers with additional training for GPs on how to better recognise the health pressures caring can bring;
I was pleased to see that Bristol City Council also introduced a new programme this week to support the health and well-being of Bristol’s 35,000 carers through the provision of free, six-weekly programmes including relaxation techniques, healthy eating and dealing with tiredness and depression.
Comments
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Posted by Chris Simmons, 15:24, Fri 13 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
You lie so easily. When labour return to their roots I shall vote for you again - now you are such a bunch of right-wing lackeys; you have lost all credibility and decisiveness.
Posted by Matt Kane, 15:47, Fri 13 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
There's little point in going over the arguments against this shockingly illiberal measure again here, but I do find it very sad that the Labour Party has been taking so many steps towards authoritarianism so I'll do it anyway. This is supposed to be a party that believes in freedom. I know that this is a policy that has popular support, but I'm sure most people just hear "do you want to lock up terrorists" to which the answer is obviously yes.
When we're dealing with such important maters of national security, it's easy to dismiss abstract arguments about things like habeus corpus as outdated, but the fact remains that these are things that have been at the very foundation of our nation for hundreds of years. One would think that the experience of internment would have taught us that locking people up without charge only drives more people towards terrorism.
Quite apart from the arguments against this in principle, I still don't understand the practical reasons for it. We already have the Civil Contingencies Act which allows virtually any law to be suspended in the case of a state of emergency, and gives sweeping powers to detain people without charge. If this measure is to be only used in exceptional circumstances, what are the circumstances that the CCA would be used?
I'm not a prosecutor or any kind of expert in this, but I do find it very surprising that there would be a situation where someone could be held for four weeks without being able to find any evidence to charge them with anything (even a minor offence), yet two more weeks will change that. The sensible provision in the bill to allow post-charge questioning means that a major reason to charge later has been removed.
Overall, I find this, along with things like the national identity register and ID cards, to be deeply disappointing. I never felt, as someone whose family has worked for the Labour Party and who was born within weeks of Thatcher coming to power and turned 18 within weeks of the 97 election, that I would be sympathising with the Tories and being in such opposition to the Labour Party. If someone had told me ten years ago that I'd feel like this I would have called them mad. The fact that I find myself admiring David Davis of all people for his principled stand, says it all. I am deeply disillusioned, disappointed and saddened by it all.
Posted by Sarah Fairbairns, 16:24, Fri 13 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I totally agree with the two comments posted above: deep disillusion sums up my general feeling. Are you really just a career politician who has no principles? Why does it have to be a Tory who resigns over the 42 day issue? How can you possibly swallow the hollow argument being foisted on us?
I would add that it's interesting that you only reply to letters that are part of a massive campaign (eg 42 day detention, for which I have had 2 replies). The letter I sent you on 14 April about Government regulation of Psychotherapists is clearly not important enough for you even to acknowledge, let alone respond to, even though you are apparently the Health Minister.
Even writing this seems pointless: do you live in some sort of bunker that protects you from criticism? You obviously think you know better than your constituents. Watch out Dawn: grass roots in Bristol South says you will lose your seat to the Lib Dems because of your arrogance and determination not to represent our views. I never thought I'd see the day!
Posted by Steve Knowlson, 19:21, Wed 18 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
I wholeheartedly agree with the comments above.
There is no justification for holding ANYBODY for six weeks without charge. This is a measure redolent of a dictatorship, not a parliamentary democracy.
Add to this pseudo-fascist piece of legislation, the increasingly invidious surveillance of ordinary people with CCTV and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, the back-door imposition of ID Card and all the other privacy infringements that your Government is proposing, it seems that your faux-concern about civil liberties are simply weasel words.
On another note, when you spoke to Justin Davies, the new head of First Bus, did you raise the point that most users of this City's shambolic bus service really want made - why are we forced to pay the highest fares in the UK for the worst service?
Your Government wants to get us out of our cars and onto public transport and impose a Congestion Tax on those that don't, but Labour's record on public transport in Bristol is absolutely appalling.
You've been in power for 11 years and during that time both the train and bus services have disintegrated under the stewardship of First and Bristol City Council.
Only now, three years after its submission, has the DfT awarded Bristol a very modest £42 million to bring its bus service vaguely into the 21st Century. Most other comparable cities in the UK have integrated mass-transit systems with trams, metros etc etc, all but Bristol.
Your Government has short-changed this city in terms of public transport - and now you want to impose a Congestion Tax - how are supposed to get to work? Pogo sticks?
All in all, Bristol and Bristol South has been let down by this Labour Government. After voting for you in 1997, 2001 and even 2005 I'm very, very disappointed and won't be making the same mistake again.
Posted by Pete Ferguson, 21:32, Wed 18 June 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
COUNTER TERRORISM BILL.
Quote: "I was satisfied with the safeguards put in place to protect civil liberties, and voted in favour of the new legislation".
No Dawn, you voted for this simply because if you had not you would have been fired as health minister by your dictatorial unelected leader.
MEETING WITH FIRST BUS MANAGER.
Quote: "Justin assured me".
I'm sure Justin was just trying to be polite and not laugh. He knows (as we all do) that in a max of 2 years you'll be gone!
CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRESS.
For anyone interested in this I suggest a read of A Cool Look At Global Warming by Nigel Lawson. It certainly puts all this climate/global warming rubbish into perspective. For climate/global warming read TAX! Here's one tiny paragraph.
"It is striking that during the 21st century, carbon dioxide emissions have been growing faster than ever - thanks in particular to the rapid growth of the Chinese economy - yet there has been no further global warming at all".