News Releases
If you would like to be kept up to date with the latest news from Alan Whitehead's office, please email
news@alan-whitehead.org.uk
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2008
December 24: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for December is now online. It includes Alan's analysis of the pre-budget report, energy policy, as well as local work on the future of the Ford Plant and other local engagements.
Read Alan's previous monthly reports
December 19: Justice for pleural plaques victims
Alan has called on the government to reverse the Law Lord's decision that denies compensation to pleural plaques victims.
December 15: £2 million government grant for youth charities
Alan has welcomed the government awarding £2 million to Southampton youth charities to expand their work with at-risk young people. More information
December 9: Let's save Christmas!
Alan has appealed to Southampton City Council to switch on the city's christmas lights for the last week of Christmas. More information
December 3: Carers Rights Day
Tomorrow, Alan Whitehead will meet with meet with staff and carers from Mencap Southampton as part of a campaign to increase the takeup of the carers allowance & other benefits. More information
December 2: Warm Homes in practice
Last week Alan visited one of the over 2000 Southampton Test constituents who have had help improving their heating system through the government's Warm Front programme.
December 1: Community payback in Southampton
Not many people notice when offenders do work in the community as part of their sentence. From today, that will change. More information
November 28: *Update* limited guarantees on the future of Ford
After meeting with Alan Whitehead and other MPs from Southampton area, Ford has made a limited guarantee about future production at the plant.
November 28: Go Green Fair
Alan attended the Southampton Go Green Fair in St Andrews Church last week. More information
November 24: The Pre-budget report- what it means for Southampton
Alan has welcomed the moves announced today in the pre-budget report designed to boost spending and provide targeted help for businesses and families. More information
November 23: Monthly Activity Report
You can now read Alan's monthly activity for November 2008. It includes summaries of his work on domiciliary care, working with trades unions, and his work on the Political Parties and Funding Bill. Read the report
November 21: Sex worker outreach hero
Alan today congratulated a Southampton resident for her inspiring work in providing outreach support to street sex workers and their families.
November 14: Rapid Response Service to help local unemployed
In response to the global economic downturn, the government has announced Southampton will get fast, additional support for people facing redundancy. More information
November 13: Post office card accounts secured
11,000 Post Office Card Account customers in Southampton can keep using the post office to access their benefits and pensions thanks to the government awarding a new contract to the Post Office today.
November 12: £8.8 million for city primary schools
Southampton will get £8.8 million to rebuild or refurbish every primary school in the city, it was announced today.
October 31: Alan raises concerns about care in the home
Alan today writes to the City Council about plans which could see up to 1000 vulnerable people in Southampton forced to get a new carer. More information
October 24: 100 hospitals scheme completed
Yesterday saw the completion of the 100th NHS hospital to be rebuilt, improved or refurbished since 1997. The 100 hospitals improved include £53 million spent at Southampton General Hospital. More information
October 23: Alan urges Council to keep care homes open
Alan Whitehead has today formally written to Southampton City Council urging them to keep Whitehaven and Birch Lawn care homes open.
October 21: Why we need spending limits for political parties
Alan spoke in the Commons yesterday on why we need tougher limits on party spending- and reminded MPs of the cautionary tale of a previous Southampton candidate and his attempt to buy votes...
October 21: Monthly activity report
Alan's monthly activity report has now been published, including a report on his work on energy metering, private-rented housing, and the economy. Read it here
October 20: 100+ call for gating order to tackle ASB
Alan will today submit a 100+ name petition to Coxford Councillor Don Thomas calling for a gating order in a part of Southampton plagued by anti-social behaviour.
October 17: Energy metering in the UK 'not fit for purpose'
Alan slammed energy metering in the UK in a speech in Parliament yesterday and called for wide-reaching reforms in the energy sector
October 17: Why the new Climate Change Department matters
The creation of a new department for Energy and Climate Change has untied the Gordian knot of climate change and energy supply. More information
October 17: Alan talks manifestos with Mason Moor pupils
Alan met with pupils from Mason Moor primary school this week. The students had drawn up their own election manifesto!
October 17: The Great Carbon Crunch Summit
Alan spoke at a key summit on climate change for the building industry this week, debating both the Lib Dem and Tory shadow Shadow Climate Change Ministers.
October 16: Make it easier to get a wind turbine
Alan pressed the government today on measures to make it easier for ordinary households to get wind turbines installed on their properties.
October 15: Alan speaks to City Youth Parliament
Last month Alan did a Q&A with Southampton's City Youth Parliament on a number of issues, including knife crime, education, and whether or not he wants to be Prime Minister! You can now read a transcript of his Q&A online.
October 14: Fuel poverty- what can we do locally?
Alan has been asked by the City Council to help them develop a strategy to tackle fuel poverty locally.
Read Alan's submission to the fuel poverty inquiry panel
October 10: Early Day Motion on the future of Ford
Alan has sponsored EDM 2180 to increase support for the Ford Southampton Plant. More information
October 8: Alan calls for Marine Bill to be in Queen's Speech
Alan has urged the government to ensure a Marine Bill, vital to protecting the Solent in the future, is included in the Queen's Speech.
October 1: Major review backs Alan's housing campaign
A major government review on private rented housing has backed Alan's campaign for more to be done on the spread of Houses in Multiple Occupancy.
September 29: Recess Report
A report of Alan's major work over the summer recess is now online. Click here to read it.
September 17: Petition to stop care home closures
You can now sign a petition opposing the closure of care homes in Southampton.
Go to the petition home page (hosted by Southampton Labour Party)
September 15: Cracking down on loansharks
Alan has welcomed the progress made by a new specialist anti-loanshark team assigned to work in the south-east.
September 13: Care home consultation a sham?
Alan Whitehead and John Denham have received an extraordinary email from a Conservative Cabinet member in which he dismisses proposals to keep two care homes in the city open as 'unrealistic, uncosted and unworkable.'
September 12: Help with energy bills
Alan has been working hard in Parliament to get more long term help for people threatened by fuel poverty. Yesterday the government announced what new help will be available.
September 5: Autumn Report published
Alan's latest newsletter, covering his recent work in Parliament in Southampton, is now online. All constituents should get a copy delivered to them in the next few weeks.
Like all of Alan's reports, this report is printed on paper from Sustainable Forests (read the newsletter to fine out what this means).
Read the online copy (requires pdf viewer)
September 4: Alan goes on the beat
Alan will be out on patrol with Southampton police officers this weekend, to see first-hand how the police deal with trouble on a busy Saturday night.
September 3: Campaign to save Whitehaven Care Home
Last night Alan met with residents and neighbours of Whitehaven Lodge, one of the care homes threatened with closure by the Conservative-run Council in Southampton.
August 24: Youth MPs to grill Alan
Members of Southampton’s Youth Parliament will have the chance to grill city MP Alan Whitehead next week, at a special Q&A session at Connexions. More
August 14: Working to save 101
Alan is making anti-social behaviour a top-priority during Parliamentary recess- as part of that work he recently visited the main 101 control centre for Hampshire and discussed how to protect the service from cuts.
August 5: Stamp duty proposals
Alan spoke on the World at 1 today on government proposals to boost the housing market by deferring stamp duty for a limited period.
Read a transcript of the interview
July 29: Making Southampton's Case to be the home of the Marine Management Organisation
Alan is today leading a city delegation to make Southampton's case for being the home of the new Marine Management Organisation, which could govern much of how all marine areas in the UK are managed.
July 25: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for July is now online. This month it includes Alan's more information on Alan's campaign against local train station cuts; visits to the Southampton CCTV Control Centre, how he voted on the Human Fertilisation and Emryology Bill, and on MP's pay.
July 18: CCTV was crucial in over 1000 arrests last year
Today Alan visited the CCTV Control Centre in Southampton in support of using CCTV to cut crime in Southampton. 1324 arrests were made in Southampton last year thanks to CCTV footage.
July 16: Opposing cuts to local train stations
On Friday Alan will be campaigning to South West Trains' plans to close train ticket offices at the weekend.
July 11: Alan raises future of Ford's Southampton plant with the government
Alan spoke in Parliament yesterday on the future of Ford's Southampton plant.
July 11: More help to take freight off our roads
Alan has secured more government help to get freight off of Southampton's roads. After lobbying from Alan, the government has agreed to improve grants to help companies transport goods by rail and water. More information
July 7: The Anti-Social Behaviour Handbook- Your Guide to the Law
Alan has produced a booklet to help people know what their rights are under the law when dealing with anti-social behaviour. Copies are currently being sent out to residents groups and libraries- if you know of a group that would like a copy, please contact Alan.
Read the Anti-Social Behaviour Handbook
July 3: Alan to visit Learningland in Millbrook
Alan is due to visit the Learningland Day Nursery in Millbrook on Monday, July 14th to meet and thank the nursey staff for their hard work.
June 23: Southampton joins the Building Schools for the Future programme
Lobbying by Alan Whitehead and John Denham paid off today, as the government announced Southampton could would get access to £100 million to improve our city's school buildings ahead of schedule. The funding could also open the way to the Council finally purchasing back the Civil Service Sports Ground.
June 21: Record number of city young people getting training
Figures published today show that more young people in Southampton are accessing education and training courses than ever before.
20th June: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for June is now online. It includes a report on the recent Foyes Corner Festival, information on his work on the Energy Bill, and information on the £1 million for new play areas in Southampton.
June 19: Thanking local refugee workers
Alan has secured a 'Hero's Thank You' in Parliament for a local volunteer who works with refugees.
June 18: New programmes to target long term unemployed
Southampton will receive part of an £80 million grant from the European Social Fund to help the long term jobless back into work.
June 10: A New Deal for Southampton Carers
Alan has welcomed the new support for carers announced by the government today, which was shaped by policy submissions from carers in Southampton.
June 9: Renewables 'greatest form of insurance against rising fuel prices'
Alan spoke on the Climate Change Bill yesterday, arguing "renewables are one of the greatest forms of insurance against rising fuel prices, because they allow us to secure energy that is based on a free source not subject to the price rises that occur as a result of the increasing scarcity of the fossil fuel supplied to developed economies."
Read a summary of the speech and find out more about the Climate Change Bill
Read the full text of Alan's speech
June 5: Combined Heat and Power in Southampton
Last year Alan made a major presentation to the EU Renewable Energy Conference on how Combined Heat and Power (CHP) networks were live and working in Southampton. You can now read Alan's entire presentation and find out more about CHP in our city.
The DeVere Hotel uses Southampton's geothermal energy
June 4: Towards 'plug and earn' microgeneration
Alan today addressed Britain's Micropower Council with an upbeat assessment of the future of microgeneration devices (like solar panels and mini-wind turbines) in providing more and more of our households' energy in the future.
June 2: Bus passes finally arrive... now the Council must compensate for months of lost travel time
The Council has announced they will finally be sending out the new free bus pass to Southampton pensioners this week. But how will they make up for the 2 months of lost travel time?
May 30: The next steps for a greener Britain
Writing in Progress today, Alan outlines the next steps a future Labour government should take to substantially reduce our national energy bill. Alan writes:
"The underlying problem is that both our industrial and domestic economies are built on the assumption of cheap supply and high wastage. Holding down prices while throwing - literally - the majority of the fuel we are purchasing out of the window (or up the chimney) must eventually bankrupt the economy such a policy seeks to protect."
May 21: Equal rights for temporary and agency workers
A long campaign by Labour backbenchers, including Alan Whitehead, has finally resulted in an agreement that temporary and agency workers will get the same rights as full time staff. More information
Left: MPs who supported the Temporary and Agency Workers Private Members Bill
May 19: Alan to help write new Marine Bill
Alan has been appointed to the Joint Parliamentary Committee responsible for scrutinising the Draft Marine Bill, which will be of crucial importance to protecting the Solent and the waters around it.
May 1: May 1: Cheaper energy tariffs to reward microgeneration
Yesterday Alan spoke in a major debate over the need for energy companies to give cheaper tarrifs to households who generate some of their own energy.
Alan also spoke in the preceeding debate on the introduction of smart meters, and the role they could play in ending the practice of energy companies overcharging their poorest customers.
Go to the speeches section to read Alan's interventions
April 29: Chasing CCTV for Willow Court
After chasing from Alan Whitehead and Coxford Councillor Don Thomas, Southampton City Council has agreed to install CCTV in the Willow Court pensioner block in Coxford.
April 23: Metal offcuts- why a change in the law will aid recycling
Yesterday Alan gained Ministeral backing for a change in the law to reclassify metal offcuts as a resource rather than as waste, as is currently the case in EU law. The change will aid the market in clean recycled metals, of which Britain is a leading exporter.
April 22: 10,000 city children now benefiting from Surestart
12 Children’s Centres are now open in Southampton– up from just 4 two years ago. Over 10,000 Southampton children are now benefiting from Surestart services, while almost 5000 are benefiting from free nursery places.
April 21: Energy efficiency begins at home...
Read Alan's latest article on the recent Earth Hour 'switch off' and what can be done to make existing homes more energy efficient by clicking here.
Read previous articles by Alan
April 16: Rolling out school 20mph zones
Yesterday both of Southampton's Labour MPs were joined by Hazel Blears as they handed over 1000 forms to Council leaders calling for more legally enforceable 20mph zones around schools.
16 more schools will get legally enforceable 20mph zones this year.
April 14: Listening Panels around Southampton
From this month, you can read a summary of all the new Listening Panels run by Alan around Southampton Test. A summary of Alan's recent Panel in Lordshill on the effectiveness of the Section 30 Dispersal Order has just been uploaded.
Visit the new 'Listening Panels' section
April 11: Fuel poverty campaign update
Following on from Alan raising the issue of social energy tarriffs in Prime Ministers Questions, Alan has today welcomed the announcement that energy companies have agreed to treble the amount they spend on helping customers in fuel poverty.
More information on the agreement
April 1: Monthly Activity Report published
Alan's Monthly Activity Report for March 2008 is now online.
March 28: Letter to the Echo re Post Office Vote
It was revealed in a House of Commons debate last night that a Conservative Government would in all probability spend £1.7 billion LESS supporting the Post Office network than the government.
You can read about Alan's work on the Post Office review in Southampton in his latest letter to the Echo.
March 27: March 27: Bus improvements in Hampshire supported and opposed by Conservatives
*at the same time
The Conservatives are taking two different views on the Local Transport bill to improve regulation of bus services... depending on whether they are in Westminster or in Hampshire.
March 27: PMQ on energy companies and fuel poverty
At PMQs this week Alan asked the Prime Minister about the role of energy companies in providing additional help to people living in fuel poverty.
March 26: Alan calls for weekend voting
Alan Whitehead has called on the Justice Secretary Jack Straw to introduce plans to enable voting at weekends in his latest round of constitutional reforms.
March 19: Alan attends British Sign Language event
Alan today took part in a sign language training event to mark the 5th anniversary of the government recognising BSL as an official language of the United Kingdom.
March 17: 10,000 missing out on free bus pass
Approximately 1 out of every 4 people in Southampton eligible for free nationwide bus travel from APril 1st have yet to claim their bus pass.
March 12: Pre-pay meter campaign recognised in budget
Alan has been campaigning to end the unfair pricing practices of major energy companies, who customers on pre-pay meters more for the same amount of energy. Yesterday his campaign was recognised in the Chancellor's budget statement.
March 6: 10th Annual Report published
Alan's 10th Annual Report to constituents in Southampton Test has is now being distributed across the constituency. If you can't wait to get your copy, you can also download it directly from this website.
Read Alan's 10th Annual Report
February 28: Monthly Activity Report published
Alan's monthly activity report for February 2008 is now online. It includes Alan's work in Parliament on issues including housing and rights for temporary workers, as well as visits to local shools and regeneration projects in Southampton.
February 22: Congratulating Redbridge Community School
Last week Alan visited and congratulated staff at Redbridge Community School for being awarded the status of Investors in People Champions.
Read more about some of the fantastic achievements of Redbridge over the last few years
February 20: ASBOs- do they work?
‘The ASBO’ has entered the nation’s vocabulary. Antisocial behaviour orders were first introduced almost ten years ago, and over 10,000 have been issued since. Over seventy have been issued in Southampton. But do they work? Some say that they are too often ineffective, and that some young people treat an ASBO as a ‘badge of honour’.
Continue reading Alan's latest article on Anti-Social Behaviour Orders
February 18: Launching portswood.info community website
Alan spoke at the launch of the new portswood.info community news website on Friday.
February 8: Alan steps up for 'Active Kids' challenge
Alan has taken part in a Sainsbury's sponsored challenge to improve the fitness for young people in Southampton.
January 31: Government announces major review into private rented housing
Alan Whitehead has welcomed the government's announcement that it is to conduct a major review of the private rented housing sector. The review will cover many of the housing issues Alan has been raising with Ministers, including the unregulated spread of HMOs in Southampton. More information.
Also today:
- Bellemoor school granted specialist status
- Alan speaks on the benefits of a European Energy Supergrid
January 30: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's Activity Report for January 2008 is now online. It includes his work backing of the Southampton Save Our Soccer Campaign to stop the Council from closing playing fields.
January 25: 20mph zones- the right thing to do?
A Southampton Conservative Councillor has objected to a letter sent by Alan Whitehead and John Denham to parents regarding the implementation of legally enforceable 20mph zones around schools.
You can read the letter in full here
January 23: Alan explodes nuclear energy myths
Alan spoke yesterday in the Commons debate on the Energy Bill to explode the myth that nuclear power can fill Britain's energy gap by 2020. More information
January 23: Why should freight rail services stop at the weekends?
Alan spoke in Transport questions this week, highlighting a number of practical ways in which freight rail services in Southampton could be improved. More information.
January 18: Do we need nuclear?
Alan has written a new pamphlet for the Socialist Environment and Resources Association (SERA) entitled: "Do we need nuclear?"
January 11: "Take Control" of your epilepsy campaign launched
Alan is helping publicise new materials to help people with epilepsy to learn more about regulating their condition. More information.
January 9: Alan proposes improvements to fuel poverty strategy
Alan recently spoke in a debate on how best to tackle fuel poverty, especially in the face of the recent energy price hike by Npower. More information
January 4: Monthly Activity Report (and a Happy New Year!)
Alan's activity report for the last month of 2007 is now online. It includes an update on his work regarding the Civil Service sports ground, the Planning Bill and 20mph zones around schools.
Press releases, articles and reports written by Alan are all reproduced on this page.