News from Westminster
Posted by Dawn Primarolo, MP for Bristol South, at 15:36, Fri 8 August 2008:
CONGRATULATIONS TO ILMINSTER AVENUE NURSERY!
A few weeks ago, I mentioned the number of good Ofsted reports from schools across Bristol South that have been landing on my desk recently. This is great news, and shows the progress we are making in education in Bristol although there is, as everyone knows, a lot more work to be done. I was especially delighted to read the report of Ilminster Avenue Specialist Nursery School in Knowle West last week. The nursery has been graded as Outstanding, achieving top marks in almost every category. Many congratulations to Headteacher Pat Rogers, and all the staff, teachers, governors, parents and – of course – pupils, who help make Ilminster Avenue such a fantastic place.
TEN YEARS OF THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
Last week marked ten years since the introduction of a national minimum wage. One of the Government’s first major reforms, this put an end to the scandal of people being paid less than £2 an hour. It is a mark of how successful the minimum wage has been that it is almost universally accepted and welcomed. That was most certainly not the case a decade ago. The minimum wage is now £5.52 an hour – up from £3.60 in 1999. Unfortunately, a very small minority of employers still try to avoid the national minimum wage. HM Revenue & Customs has increased resources for enforcement and has a dedicated minimum wage hotline. If you’re not receiving the minimum wage, or suspect an employer of not paying it, you can call the hotline on 0845 6000 678. All calls are treated in strictest confidence.
RECESS VISITS
In the last two weeks, I’ve been able to visit lots of organisations in Bristol South. When the House of Commons is in sitting, I can only be in Bristol from Thursday evening until Monday afternoon. Of course, I still visit as many groups as I can in that time, but recess allows me to see even more of the good things happening in our city. Last Wednesday, I met with representatives of the South Bristol GPs consortium. We were able to have a very productive chat about plans for the South Bristol Hospital. Sticking to the health theme, I also dropped in on the Knowle West Health Association. They are a fantastic organisation, offering a range of services – like checking blood pressure and encouraging healthy lifestyles – in a completely non-medical setting. Projects like this are so important, and we should continue to do more to encourage them. This week, as well as holding my surgery, I went to the Bristol Playday. This is a fantastic event on College Green, and was particularly well attended this year, with hundreds of children taking part in a range of fun activities. I have also met with Hartcliffe and Withywood Ventures, the Hartcliffe and Withywood Teenage Parents Project, and yesterday morning visited Crossroads – a fantastic charity helping carers.
MEETING BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL'S NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet yesterday with the City Council’s new Chief Executive, Jan Ormondroyd. Jan has been in post for a couple of months now, and her top priority is making sure that the services the Council provide are of the highest quality. Leader of the City Council Helen Holland also attended the meeting, where we discussed a range of important issues.
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. Alternatively, for more information on what’s happening in and around Bristol South, you can visit www.bristolsouthlabourparty.org.uk.
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Posted by Pete Ferguson, 19:35, Fri 15 August 2008: (Is this post abusive?) #
TEN YEARS OF THE NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
What section of the UK were affected most by Browns 10p tax debacle, yes of course it was exactly people like those on NMW. Since April they have seen prices rise and rise and their wages fall, thanks to Browns incompetence!
By the way Dawn, it was good to see you voted in favour of the continuing gravey train that is called "MPs expenses", I'm sure this fact will not be lost on the low paid electorate of Bristol South.