Update Week ending 19 March 2010
Posted by Linda Gilroy, MP for Plymouth, Sutton, at 10:20, Fri 19 March 2010:
Thought for the Week
I was back in Plymouth on Thursday for the announcement of £25 million of funding for Plymouth's marine sector which will see the creation of The Plymouth Science and Innovation Programme (PSIP), a partnership led by the South West Regional Development Agency, University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Council. The highlight of this is £18 million for a new state of the art marine building at Plymouth University, which will include new wave tank testing equipment that will be unique in the UK. This is such an exciting step forward for Plymouth. It also underlines the Government's commitment to developing new industries and creating hi-tech, high skilled "green collar" jobs that will spur the recovery and give us the competitive edge in the world economy - with Plymouth and the South West at the heart of it!
I have always been keen to do all that I can in Westminster to support Plymouth's marine science sector (see www.lindagilroy.org.uk/marine) and on Wednesday I raised this in Prime Ministers Questions. You can read it here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2010-03-17a.868.9&s=speaker%3A10229#g875.4 You can rest assured it will continue to be a key priority for me. in the months and years ahead.
My Week At A Glance
Defence in the World
On Monday the House of Commons debated Defence in the World. Topics covered by me included armoured vehicles and IEDs, the Green Paper on the future shape of our armed forces, the role of the Royal Navy, the implications of climate change on defence and security, public support for our service personnel and how we can ensure continuity of defence policy and scrutiny in the event of a hung Parliament - not necessarily now - but at some point in the future! You can follow my work on defence issues at www.lindagilroy.org.uk/defence
Parkinson's Disease
On Tuesday I attended a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Parkinson's Disease. We heard from representatives of the Parkinson's Disease Society and the Disability Benefits Consortium and also from the Disabilities Minister Jonathan Shaw about the operation of the Work Capability Assessment and the need to ensure staff dealing with this have a proper awareness of the disease. You can count on me to continue to take an interest in the important work of tackling this terrible disease.
Higher Education Funding
I participated in Tuesday's debate on higher education in which I highlighted the fact that in Plymouth Sutton there has been a 67% increase in the number of young people going to university since 1997. There also seems to be a particular surge at universities that are part of the University Alliance group, such as Plymouth, and in the number of students interested in the STEM subjects, such as maths and engineering. There is currently a debate about the future of student fees. In finding a solution we must not undermine the progress we have already made in helping more young people from underprivileged backgrounds reach university and gain the skills they - and the country - need. In the HEFCE funding announcement Plymouth's settlement was 0.4% - so just about one of the only universities not to receive a cut .
Supporting Plymouth's Employers
On Wednesday I met with representatives from Serco, a major UK business who, among other things, operate the tugs and support craft at Devonport Naval Base. I regularly meet or speak with key Plymouth companies or major city employers ranging from Princess Yachts and Brittany Ferries to Wrigley's Gum and Plymouth Gin. It also reminds me how many world class brands are associated with the City.
The Future of Local News
I attended a meeting of the National Union of Journalists on Wednesday to discuss the future of public service news. The meeting focused on the current decline in local and regional news service and the relationship between journalism and democracy. Interesting proposals were offered on alternative models of providing and funding news services. Good quality local journalism can be a key way of informing the public of what is going on in government and also in our communities more generally . As someone at the meeting said so many forms of information today relate to what people think they want to know - good journalism tells people what they never knew but which they may need to know to be a good citizen and engage in our democracy. I am very interested in the impact which media convergence is having on the quality of this. The internet opens up worlds of information previously unheard of. But making sense of such an information rich environment can be a big task. Journalism which people can trust has a pivotal role to play - it's a question of finding a framework that allows this to flourish. I think there are still more questions than answers on the fast changing environment of local news.
Defence Committee Reports
As we approach the General Election, on the Defence Committee we are finalising its remaining enquiries. In the past week we have published a report on The Comprehensive Approach, in which we looked at how well different military and civilian organisations work together in counter insurgency and reconstruction operations such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can read the report here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmdfence/224/224.pdf When troops are committed to operations in future there must be robust plans to coordinate military and reconstruction efforts from the earliest stages . As the tile of our report says "the point of war cannot just be to win but to make a better peace". Now who was it said that? Plato - a long time ago?
The Importance of Nurses
I called in to meet a group of nurses from the Royal College of Nursing earlier this week to hear about their work and some of their hopes for the future - and learned a lot about their experience of it becoming a "degree" profession. I am very proud of our health service and of the nurses who work within it. With 44,000 more doctors and 44,000 more nurses since Labour came into government we have a good track record on investing in front line services. Now that this investment and reform have brought down waiting lists, we are committed to create legally enforceable guarantees for all patients. The Tories on the other hand have said they will scrap our two week cancer guarantee; the 18 week treatment guarantee and the four-hour A & E waiting time guarantee. There is a clear choice at this election - and protecting our health services is in our DNA!
Cluster Munitions Bill
I was very pleased that this Bill, which could lead to a ban on cluster munitions, passed its second reading and committee stages in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Many people have contacted me to express support for outlawing these kind of weapons. This will pave the way for us being one of the countries to help get momentum into ratifying the treaty.
A Busy Weekend
Meeting with constituents is something I do all year round nearly every weekend but with the General Election now only weeks away, this weekend will mostly be non stop campaigning and canvassing for me - talking with people, knocking on doors, handing out leaflets, making telephone calls, visiting groups and organisations. This is the bread and butter stuff of democratic participation! Of course I am in joined in this by hard working local volunteers - new faces are always welcomed with open arms and you would be most welcome to join us if you would like! Our team is winning the awards for most voter contact in the region and it is great to have such loyal and enthusiastic support form long term and brand new members and supporters. There is such a range of jobs to be done that there really is something for everybody.
A Look Ahead
Next week will be dominated by the budget, which will set out how the Government intends to build upon the recent good news about falling unemployment and signs of growth so that we are on the front foot to make the most of the recovery. Getting it right on the economy is at the heart of this election - business as usual will not fit the bill. If it is 6th May, we are getting towards the point of less than a thousand hours till close of polling! As has been said on many an occasion "A lot done, a lot to do - and so very much to lose" .......I will be moving heaven and earth to try and make sure the latter does not happen.
During the election you can also interact with me through Twitter (http://twitter.com/lindagilroy), YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/LindaGilroyMP) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lindagilroy)
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