Recess Report- September 2008

Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the summer Parliamentary recess 2008. Click here to read previous reports.

If you'd like to know more about any of the work I've been doing, or if you think there is another issue you think I should be acting on, you can always contact my office.

This report is in a slightly different format this month due to Parliament not being in session.  Please let me know what you think of the revised layout.

 

Listening Work

During Parliamentary recess, I have tried most nights, where I have not had previous engagements, to meet as many constituents as possible either on the doorstep or in public meetings.

listening panelsMP’s Listening Panels

My office has organised three public meetings in different areas of Southampton Test over recess, to give constituents an opportunity to discuss a particular area of policy in a bit more detail with both myself and local officials.  I have so far held two Listening Panels, with a third scheduled for October 2nd in Bevois.  Two more were held earlier in the year- one in Lordshill, and one in Freemantle.

Education Panel

In early September I held a Panel on city schools, particularly focusing on the planned changes to schools in the west of the city.  Over 1000 parents from the local area were invited, in addition to officers from the Council and teachers from all Southampton Test schools.

The Panel was particularly instructive in highlighting the Council’s continued failures to deliver the rebuild of Redbridge Primary School on time and on budget.  Council Officers were forced to admit that the cost of the rebuild is likely to be 10% above their initial expectations, and that the rebuild could be delayed until 2010.  The problems associated with the rebuild do highlight how it is not necessarily correct that contracting out this work to a private operator (Capita is managing the project) will always result in a more efficient end result.  I have suggested ways in which the Council could improve their tendering service for future contracts, and I will continue to push them to ensure the Redbridge rebuild does not slip further behind.

A full write-up of the issues discussed at this panel is available on my website

Housing Panel

I ran another Listening Panel in mid-September on housing, particularly focusing on proposed changes to regulations governing houses in multiple occupancy in Portswood.  A full write up of the issues discussed will be available on my website by the end of the month.

Energy Panel

I will be holding a third and final Listening Panel before Parliament goes back into session, this time on energy prices and the environment.  This Panel will take place in the Quakers Meeting House on Ordnance Road, Bevois on the 2nd October at 7.30pm.  A representative from the government’s Warm Front scheme will also be available to take questions.  All members of the public are very welcome to attend.

Residents Association Meetings

In addition to meetings organised by my office, I was also invited to attend meetings of the Sedbergh Tenants and Residents Association, and the Federation of Chairs of Residents Associations in Southampton.  All tenants and residents’ associations in Southampton Test have now been provided with copies of my Anti-Social Behaviour Booklet, detailing residents’ rights under the law when dealing with ASB.  The booklets are generally proving to be popular.  If you know of a group that would like copies, please let my office know.

On the doorstep

Over recess I have gone out with Labour Action Teams to talk to voters in every ward.  Over recess I estimate we have talked to just over 1000 residents.  I also continue to run Red Rose surgeries twice a month for residents to personally meet with residents in their home.

Policy Work

whitehavenCare homes

On the day after the City Council announced it was planning to close Whitehaven and Birch Lawn Care Homes, I met with residents at the Whitehaven home to listen to their concerns about the closure.

I believe the Council’s handling of this process has been shockingly insensitive.  The initial consultation period put forward by the Council was just under 1 month long, which, rightly or wrongly, suggests that the decision has already been made.  This impression was not helped by a leading member of the Conservative-run Cabinet (which will ultimately make the decision) publicly stating that Labour’s proposals to keep the care homes open or build a proper replacement were ‘unrealistic, uncosted and unworkable.’

I am now working with Unison, Unite and Redbridge ward councillors to collect petitions opposing the closure.  The Council has now been shamed into extending the consultation period until October 27th.

The Council’s own figures show Whitehaven Lodge to be the most efficient council-run care homes in the city (a ‘unit cost’ of £453 compared to £501 for Birch Lawn, £583 for Glen Lee and £718 for Brownhill), however the Council’s argument is this is still more expensive than if the residents were in a privately run care home.

However, my understanding is that when Labour Councillors looked at this issue earlier in the year, they concluded that the care homes should not be closed unless a replacement home, of better quality, was built.  This does not appear to be on the agenda of the current Conservative Council.  That is why we are collecting signatures calling for a truly independent consultation about the future of the homes where the well-being of current residents is made paramount.

More information about the care home closures

Sign the online petition opposing the closures


101Law & Order

A major focus over recess has been for me to spend time with seeing how different agencies in Southampton deal with anti-social behaviour in practice.  Over recess I have:

Help with energy bills

The government has now announced a help package worth £1 billion to help low-income families and pensioners pay their energy bills.  In summary, the measures mean:

These measures are in addition to the already announced increase in Winter Fuel Payments to £250 for over 60s and £400 for over 80s.

To find out more and get insulated, you just need to call this number: 0800 512 012, and ask what help is available to you.

There has been much debate about whether the government should have put less focus on energy efficiency measures, or instead increased cash payments even more through levying a windfall tax on energy company profits.

In the last reading of the Climate Change Bill, I tabled an amendment would effectively do both.  It called for an annual £500 million levy on utility companies- but- crucially- the money raised would be earmarked specifically for energy efficiency measures.  The Local Government Association estimates that this would fund the insulation of half of all the homes in England and knock £200 a year off the bills of 10 million households.

The argument for spending the money on insulation and other energy efficiency measures now is that if we continued to simply increase direct payments every time energy companies raised their prices, we would effectively be writing a blank cheque for energy companies to charge whatever they liked in the future.  Energy efficiency measures will bring down bills in the long term- but it is of course important that there is additional help to those who are worried about paying their bills now, which is why cold weather payments and the Winter Fuel Allowance are still very important.

More information

debtonourdoorstepLoan-sharks

Last year the government funded a specialist anti-loanshark team to work in the south-east.  A year on, the team has already secured two prosecutions and is currently investigating 12 other loansharks in the area.  I first raised the issue of ‘debt on the doorstep’ in Parliament 2 years ago, and in the light of the credit crunch it is now even more important that we protect vulnerable families from falling victim to loansharks and other unscrupulous doorstep lenders. More information