Local probation services under threat from being swallowed up by private-sector conglomerates

One of the best run not-for-profit probation services in the Tees Valley risks being swallowed up by a large private contractor as part of the Government’s reforms to the rehabilitation sector.

Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, asked in Parliament what Ministers were going to do to protect the Tees service, probably the most successful in the country, from being taken over but got little comfort from the answer having been given no guarantee it would have a future.

In the answer to Parliamentary questions he was told that despite carrying out consultations in the summer of 2018, the government confirmed there had been no comparative assessment reports of for-profit and not-for-profit Community Rehabilitation Companies has been undertaken by the Ministry of Justice.

Alex said:  “If the government hasn’t even bothered to look at the effectiveness of different models how on earth can they get the contract right.  The Durham Tees Valley service was according to independent assessment not just the best in the country but certainly the best one to work for.  Yet the Minister seemed content to see it swallowed up by one of the profit taking massive companies that think they can do better.”

Alex has also expressed deep concern that the new contractual arrangements will not being ready by the time current contractors with community rehabilitations terminate in 2020.  He wrote to the Ministry of Justice about this matter and Lucy Frazer, and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responded saying that the government does have appropriate contingency plans in place to ensure that probation services can continue to be delivered.

Alex said: “The Minister made this broad sweeping claim but didn’t shed any light on what these plans are.  It’s time they published them – if they exist.”

Denton and Reddish MP, Andrew Gwynne, has given his support to those affected by cancer and the NHS staff who care for them at a special Westminster event for World Cancer Day, earlier this month. 

Gwynne met with campaigners from Cancer Research UK to learn about the charity’s latest research and show [his/her] support for all those working to ensure more people survive cancer. Every year roughly 1,500 people the the local area are diagnosed with cancer and in the UK 1 in 2 people  will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lifetime.

Early diagnosis is a vital part of ensuring more people survive cancer. The Government has made a commitment to diagnose 75% of cancer cases in England at stage one or stage two by 2028.

However, to reach this target the NHS needs a long-term plan for the cancer workforce. Without this, there will not be enough specialist staff to meet the present pressures or cope with the growing and ageing population.

Andrew Gwynne said:

“World Cancer Day helps to raise awareness of the scale of the challenge and the role we can all play in the fight against the disease. Cancer affects us all – here in the UK and all around the world. We can all work together to beat it, not just the hard-working researchers and NHS staff who help to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

 

“Small actions really can make a big difference to the lives of people with cancer. That’s why I’m urging people in Denton and Reddish to show their  support all year round.”

Shaun Walsh, Head of Public Affairs and Campaigning at Cancer Research UK, said:

“A big thank you to Andrew Gwynne for joining us to raise awareness on World Cancer Day. Parliament has a big part to play in ensuring we work together to beat cancer sooner, and the shared ambition to diagnose more cancers earlier in the years ahead is a welcome one.

 

“Now to achieve a truly world-leading service and reach our goal of 3 in 4 people surviving cancer by 2034, we need to fill current vacancies in the cancer workforce and invest for the long term to produce NHS cancer professionals for today and generations to come.”

The introduction of a dry dock in Portsmouth for the nation’s new carriers could create and protect hundreds of jobs in my constituency and be worth £1 billion to the local economy. I am keen to see the facility based in Portsmouth, which is home to the Royal Navy, so will the Secretary of State […]

The post Topical Questions | Oral Answers to Questions – Defence | Commons debates appeared first on Stephen Morgan.

Who should we hold responsible for the current Brexit debacle?

It’s not a secret that I believe Brexit presents serious risks to the jobs and livelihoods of people across Nottingham and the rest of the country. I hold this Prime Minister culpable for a catastrophic approach to negotiations – agreeing to defer the most important part regarding our ‘future relationship’ with the EU until after we leave; a recipe for a bad deal. If we want closure on this whole saga, we need to let the public have the opportunity to think again and stay in the EU if they wish. Otherwise we will be spending the next five years arguing over what sort of deal we want with Europe.

On Thursday the Commons debated this issue again – in which I spoke about the consequences for trade, public services, jobs and of time-limiting the Good Friday Agreement and open borders between Northern Ireland and the Republic. If you have time, you can watch my full speech at the link here.

I voted for the SNP amendment to extend the Article 50 exit date for three months, as did 40 other Labour MPs, but the Labour frontbench – frustratingly – decided to officially abstain. The Government motion was then defeated because 60 ERG Tory right-wing MPs wanted to send a message to Theresa May. But we are no nearer sorting this mess out.

Ideally, we should have had action this week to snap out of the delusion that the Prime Minister can get the Irish Government to stand back on the Good Friday Agreement. I am worried we simply don’t have adequate time left to legislate to instruct the PM to request an extension of Article 50. But because the Labour numbers against this outrageous situation are too weak, our fate now rests in the hopes of getting Tory Government Ministers to resign and stop us crashing out. This illustrates perfectly the problem with Labour’s lack of leadership against a Brexit disaster. There should be no equivocation. But the leadership have turned a blind-eye to frontbench shadow Ministers abstaining and allowing the Government to win the day. That is not what the Labour Party should be about – and I find it heart-breaking we are in this situation.

I have received much criticism for raising the alarm about Labour’s fence-sitting stance on Brexit. But at this eleventh-hour I feel a duty to put what I believe are the country’s interests and Nottingham’s interests ahead of party political calculations. It’s just too important – and I hope that very soon Labour will back the conference policy for a People’s Vote before it is too late.

Fuel Poverty Awareness Day today is an urgent reminder that too many people struggle to keep themselves warm without falling in to debt.

Fuel poverty affects over 3.5 million people across the country, almost 400,000 in the North West. Numbers are increasing.

Fuel poverty is caused by low incomes, high energy prices and energy inefficient housing. Each demands government action to get to the root causes.

However, National Energy Action has produced a useful Warm and Safe Homes Action guide, with tips on reducing energy costs, paying bills and seeking help when it is needed, that make a real difference to individuals.

It’s ‘The Nation’s Biggest Housewarming’ day today aims to raise awareness of the issues and encourage people and government to act.

When people can’t keep warm at home, it can have a serious impact on physical and mental health. Cold homes increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Low temperatures also reduce resistance to infection. Cold homes have also been linked to poor mental health such as anxiety and stress.

With news of energy providers due to impose further price increases, we need action now.

Key report findings on flaring at Fife Ethylene Plant are due out in April, Mossmorran Working Group has learned today (Friday).
The well-attended meeting, held in Kirkcaldy, was co-chaired by Lesley Laird MP and Prof. Wilson Sibbett, chairman of the Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay Independent Air Quality Review Group.
The group heard that the Best Available Technology (BAT) report, commissioned by HSE and SEPA, was due out in April.
David Green HSE Head of Operations said: “We’ve carried out a number of inspections investigating the root cause that led to flaring.
“We’ve raised a number of actions, all of which have been complied with.”
Three particular factors were identified: third party verification of work on site, a pressure spike and interconnectivity between pipes; the relationship between pipes and flaring mechanisms.
Mr Green stressed that HSE’s priority was to protect health and safety at the plant and flaring was an essential safety mechanism.
Lesley said: “It was pleasing that so many of the attendees acknowledged and recognised that progress had been made.
“I am particularly delighted that there is genuine and open dialogue now happening with the community and that this provides the foundation for constructive working relationships going forward.
“There are some areas still to complete but everyone is committed to doing so.”
Jacob McAllister, who recently replaced Sonia Bingham as plant manager of Exxon Mobil, pledged the company had “no bigger priority” than the protection of staff, communities and the environment and its ultimate goal was to “eliminate flaring”.
“It’s better for business, it’s better for the environment and its better for communities. We don’t want it to happen,” he said.
“We strive every day as a company for perfection. We have to strive for that.”
He did acknowledge that Exxon Mobil had “to do a better job of keeping the community informed” and had hired a new community liaison manager, Stuart Neal, as a commitment to that pledge.
The meeting also learned that SEPA, in conjunction with the National Physical Laboratory, began an air quality monitoring exercise in January.
The exercise, expected to run until April, was described by Prof. Wilson Sibbett as a “substantial piece of work”. The results are expected to be published later this year.
It was agreed that Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay Community and Safety Committee Group needed to be more transparent and include wider community membership.
It was also recognised that communication from groups had still to reach a wider audience
The Mossmorran Working Group is expected to meet again in June.

The post Mossmorran: “Progress is being made” appeared first on Lesley Laird.

Bristol South MP Karin Smyth says:

“Brexit remains a cause of much frustration, uncertainty and concern. 

“This is being felt here in Bristol South and throughout the UK. 

“I was in Dublin earlier this week, in my role as Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland alongside colleagues Keir Starmer and Tony Lloyd. We met with government and opposition, business leaders and trade unions who are, understandably, anxious about a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

“The UK government remains in chaos. The important vote on 14 February, once again showed that the Prime Minister does not have the full support of her own party, let alone Parliament. Parliament does not support the Government’s approach to Brexit negotiations – their deal, or no deal.

“With just weeks to go until we’re due to leave the EU, Parliament will continue to do its job in holding the government to account, clarifying and working through options on our future relationship with the EU.

“‘No deal’ Brexit is not an option.”

High Peak MP Ruth George is pressing for custody cells at Buxton to be retained.

Ruth said: “Local police have contacted me with their concerns about the possibility of the custody cells at Buxton Police Station being closed.

“Recent regulations to ensure the safety of often vulnerable offenders mean that it’s very expensive to fit out custody cells, which need two staff 24/7, even if no cells are in use.

“The huge cuts to Derbyshire police of over a quarter of their funding since 2010 mean that difficult decisions have to be made.  But the alternatives in High Peak of taking offenders to either Chesterfield or Manchester are just too far.

“For arrests in Glossop, Manchester’s police cells are already very busy as some of their custody suites have closed.

“I don’t want to see our officers who are in charge of difficult, sometimes dangerous or vulnerable offenders, having to wait for a cell or travel around Greater Manchester to find one on a busy Saturday night.

“It would mean two police officers having to transport each person arrested for at least an hour each way, taking them away from High Peak, and making arrests much more time consuming.

“Having custody cells in High Peak means our police can deal with most offenders quickly, using their local knowledge.  Many of the people arrested in High Peak are repeat offenders so officers get to know them and their networks and can help to keep crime low.

“In spite of cuts to their numbers, our excellent local police help us to keep High Peak as one of the safest places in the country and I want to support them with that.

“But we are seeing more criminals coming across our borders so I want to see more police in High Peak helping to make more arrests so our custody cells are more effective.

“That’s why I’ve asked our Police & Crime Commissioner to look at how we can keep police cells in High Peak and I’ve asked local people to join the campaign with a petition on my website.

“Please sign the petition to support our officers and help keep High Peak safe.”

You can sign the petition here.

The post Ruth George MP call to keep Buxton’s Police Cells appeared first on Ruth George MP for High Peak.

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Letter to Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright MP, signed by the three MPs

The BBC is currently consulting over changes to free TV licenses, and in a letter to Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright, the three city MPs have called on him to intervene and keep the free benefit.

Speaking about the letter, Emma said:

“The three MPs represent over 17,000 households in Wolverhampton with a resident aged 75 or older, who could be affected by any changes to free TV licenses. Older people are disproportionately affected by loneliness and isolation, and any change will just make this worse.

“Free TV Licenses is a Government policy and as such the Government has always funded them. But the Government decided to hand over the responsibility for funding this to the BBC, and now they will not provide any compensation to the BBC for this. This was a Government choice and could reduce the money available for the programmes and services we all use every day.

“The Government made a promise to the over 75s that they would not lose their TV Licenses. They must step in and make sure they do not break it.”

After signing the letter, Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden said:

“Free TV licences for older people were introduced by the Labour Government because we understood that when people retire and are earning less, a TV is often an essential. The policy saves pensioners £150 a year. The Tories placed the axe over this when they shunted responsibility for it to the BBC. They said they would maintain free TV licences until the end of this Parliament but now the BBC is threatening to cut back entitlement, either by raising the age limit or means testing the benefit.

“If they did either of these things, over 2,000 households in my constituency could lose out. This is a benefit and should never have been devolved to the BBC. Doing so is no excuse for the Tories to break their manifesto commitment or make people poorer. The Government should stand by their word and ensure old people can keep their free TV licenses”.

Eleanor Smith, Member of Parliament of Wolverhampton South West said:

“Television is very important to the over 75s as a source of information, entertainment and company. At the stage of life when these households are likely to have less income, the saving of £150 a year on a TV licence could be very important.

“This is a benefit and it is so typical of this Conservative Government to take things away, and then try and put the blame for this on another organisation. They are putting the BBC in a predicament, but it is the Government who are responsible.”

The post Wolverhampton MPs join forces to protect free TV Licenses appeared first on Emma Reynolds MP.

The Times has reported that Shamima Begum who fled the UK to join IS in 2015 was recently found in a camp in Syria.

Debbie launches inquiry into the effects of the 2016 Welfare Reform & Work Act

The inquiry focuses on the impact of the Act on children and disabled people

As chair of the the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Health in All Policies, I and fellow MPs have launched an inquiry into the actual impacts of the Welfare Reform and Work Act (WR&WA) 2016. The inquiry is focusing on how children and disabled people have been affected since the WR&WA was introduced nearly 3 years ago. It follows on from an earlier assessment in 2015 which tried to predict the range of potential impacts the act would have when it was implemented.

The first stage of the inquiry is a ‘call for evidence’.

Although key organisations will be contacted, individuals who may have been affected by the act are also invited to send in their evidence.

We’re currently inviting submissions of evidence to the Inquiry. Our focus is on how disabled people and children across the UK may have been affected by the different measures in the act. The call for evidence is open to anyone who has experienced the impact of the act on the their own or their family’s lives and health or who works in disability or welfare rights or anti-poverty and inequality organisations.

We particularly want to understand the impacts the act has had on child and disabled people’s health from different parts of the UK, so we would also like to hear from organisations involved in public health, child health or other disability charities.

After analysing this evidence the APPG will then hold an oral evidence session to question some of those who submitted evidence. The questions we would like answering and the measures in the act we wish to explore are available below.

Examples of the measures we will be exploring are the reduction of the benefit cap to £23,000 in London and £20,000 the rest of the UK, the ‘freeze’ in the value of certain benefits for 4 years and limiting support from child tax credit or the child element of Universal Credit to two children.

The 2015 inquiry raised considerable concerns about the potential impacts of the Welfare Reform and Work Bill. It will be interesting to see how accurate our predictions were. Read the inquiry’s 2015 report here.

Submissions should respond to the following:

In the 3 years since the implementation of the Welfare Reform & Work Act (2016), what impact has it had on levels of the poverty, inequality and health experienced by children and disabled people in the UK?

We welcome submissions which supply evidence in response to the question, and in relation to:

1. The specific measures in the Act, including (but not exclusively):

• The reduction of the benefit cap (to £23,000 in London, £20,000 the rest of the UK),
• The ‘freeze’ in the value of certain benefits for 4 years
• Limiting support (from child tax credit or the child element of Universal Credit) to 2 children
• Removing the work-related activity support component in Employment and Support Allowance
• Changes in conditionality for responsible carers under Universal Credit
• Replacing current mortgage interest support to loans for mortgage interest payments
• Reducing social rents by 1% pa over next 4 years

2. The impact of the Act directly and indirectly on other legislation, services or access to these services, and vice versa, e.g., earlier welfare reforms (Universal Credit, sanctions, Personal Independence Payments, Work Capability and other assessments), taxation, housing, education, courts and probation services, NHS

3. Regional variations in impacts

4. Short and longer term impacts

5. Measurement and reporting methods, e.g social mobility, unemployment

The APPG for Health in All Policies is interested in your experience, as well as other qualitative and quantitative evidence, from the grey literature as well as peer-reviewed publications.

Please provide: name; job title; the organisation you represent (if applicable); email address; contact telephone number.

Please limit your response to no more than six pages of A4.

Please respond by Monday 4 March 2019.

Send submissions to appg@publicmatters.org.uk.

The post Debbie launches inquiry into the effects of the 2016 Welfare Reform & Work Act appeared first on Debbie Abrahams MP.

On Wednesday 6^th February, I was delighted to welcome Kaitlin and her teacher Niamh from Beaumont Leys School to Parliament.

I first met Kaitlin when I visited her school to hear about pupil’s experiences with social media as part of an inquiry by the Science and Technology Select Committee. You can read more about the report here.

I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to speak to Kaitlin more when she visited Parliament and wish her all the best for a successful future.

The post Liz invites Beaumont Leys pupil to Parliament appeared first on Liz Kendall.

When did a neighbour give you a helping hand?

The post Winter of Compassion appeared first on Liam Byrne MP.

It is integral to get our children reading from a young age. Not only are children receiving books from the Dolly’s Imagination Library initiative 28% more likely to start school ready to learn, but they are more likely to enjoy reading. The initiative seeks to close the attainment gap by intervening at an early stage.

The Imagination Library is a brilliant scheme which delivers a free book to children aged 0 to 5 years on a monthly basis. The scheme has reached a milestone with 5,000 children receiving books and more than 150,000 books have been delivered.

In 2018, the Imagination Library initiative was active in 7 wards across the city. Cllr David Mellen smashed his 2018 target of reading to 2,018 children as well as raising £4,456 – over £1,200 more than its original £3,018 target. The 2019 Big Reading Challenge has made similarly excellent progress with an aim of reading to at least 5,000 children between 28th January and 19th March 2019. As of 12th February 2019, £1,651 of a £5,000 target has been raised with 5 weeks to go. Now almost 5,000 children receive a book each month and the DPIL is delivered in 10 of the city’s 20 wards. If you would like more information about the campaign or would like to donate to this worthy cause, please follow this link: https://www.gofundme.com/bigreadingchallenge

Nottingham City Council has introduced other initiatives aiming to promote reading across the city. In November 2018, plans were put through to develop a new Central Library as apart of the Broadmarsh car park development that is equipped for the 21st century, with an ambition of being the best children’s library in the country. A contractor for the project was appointed earlier this month. We hope that the new library and the success of Cllr Mellen’s Big Reading Challenge will consolidate our early years success, with Nottingham placed in the top 10 cities in the country for improvement in learning to read and write through phonics. The Reading Challenge also complements our status as a UNESCO City of Literature, allowing us to transform lives through reading and the arts. There are lots of culture-based events run by the organisation which are taking place over the next few months, ranging from the UK Young Artists’ Takeover (8th-11th February) to talks and book launches. For more information, please follow this link: https://nottinghamcityofliterature.com/

The post Nottingham Children Should Read Early and Read Often appeared first on Nottingham Labour.

Fantastic to join children from Ysgol Pum Heol last Friday to plant a tree by Five Roads Community Centre.

This push by the Women’s Institute and other local groups to get more trees planted is a great initiative, which will enhance our environment and help to slow down global warming. We need more action like this, not just talking.

Working with Five Roads Heritage Society and Llanelli Rural Council, the WI organised the planting of trees around the recreation field as well as a birch by the Community Centre to commemorate World War One, and an oak to replace the original tree planted for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. 

This Monday, 4^th February, marks the 25^th anniversary of the closure of Goldthorpe Main – the last pit in Barnsley. Although it would take a further 8 months to run down the supplies, February 1994 marked the end of an era.

Barnsley is a town built on coal. The pits are an inextricable part of our history – it is the coalminer and the glassblower stood together on our town’s coat of arms – and the winding wheels that remain in place, are a poignant reminder of our industrial heritage. Also testament to that heritage are the generations of men who spent their entire working lives underground, many of them paying the price of serious illness, ruined lungs and even their lives. It was the hard graft of Barnsley miners that powered our communities and industries – but in the quarter of a century since the last pit closed, miners and their families have received a raw deal from successive governments.