Monthly Report for January 2010
Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the month of January 2010. 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.
Work in Parliament
Constitutional Reform Bill
I have tabled an amendment to the government’s Constitutional Reform Bill which would bind the government to holding a referendum on electoral reform by October 2010. The Bill is due to be debated in the Commons this coming Tuesday. There is currently discussion going on as to whether the government puts forward their own amendment for such a referendum to be held by October 2011.
Energy Bill
Much of my time in the last month has been spent working on the committee reviewing the Energy Bill. I have tabled a number of amendments to the Bill, regarding additional support for people in fuel poverty; regarding support for energy efficiency technology like voltage optimisation; and regarding Warm Front contributions ‘in kind’ from energy companies. I also spoke on the debate on the Energy Bill on Monday.
HMO Review
I have spoken to government ministers regarding their current review on private rented housing and Houses in Multiple Occupancy. In short, I believe rumours of the review's death have been greatly exaggerated, and I now believe its findings will report very soon.
One-to-one tuition
As readers may know, performance figures for Southampton’s schools show that while our results have improved over the last decade, we are improving at a much slower rate than other comparable authorities. Both John Denham and I have been working for a number of years to raise education up the Council’s political agenda, particularly in light of the massive Building Schools for the Future funding now coming to the city.
It was in this context that I was particularly pleased to support this week a Bill which would give school-children guaranteed catch-up support and one-to-one tuition if they are falling behind in core subject areas. The Children, Schools and Families Bill clearly will not solve the local element of the education challenges faced by Southampton, but it is in my view a very important step in making schools work for all children their children- even the most challenging ones.
The new guarantees contained in the Children, Schools and Families Bill include:
- catch-up support for pupils falling behind in English and maths, including one-to-one tuition;
- online information for parents on their child’s behaviour, progress and attainment;
- the right to learn triple sciences at GCSE
- and the opportunity for every primary pupil to learn a musical instrument .
Southampton has already received just under £1 million this year to fund extra one-to-one tuition in literacy and numeracy. This Bill would take such funding further, with one-to-one tuition for children in primary school and in the first year of secondary school who are falling behind in English and maths.
Haiti
I wanted to give you a quick update on what the UK government’s response has been to the Haiti earthquake. The UK government has now trebled aid to Haiti, from $10 million to more than $32 million – equivalent to £20 million - for immediate priorities:
- A 64-strong search and rescue team with heavy rescue equipment and a humanitarian team to assess priorities
- £1 million for the International Federation of the Red Cross towards food, shelter, water and other immediate needs to 20,000 families
- £2 million for the World Food Programme for transport and logistics
- £1m to assist with aid co-ordination
- £300,000 for the World Health Organisation for disease surveillance to help prevent epidemics
- The new $20 million will go towards further essential work, including food, shelter, health and sanitatio
The UK has already cancelled all debts owed to it by Haiti, and we are calling on all remaining creditors to provide Haiti with the debt relief it can expect under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.
The UK public has so far contributed £23 million to the appeal. You can donate by calling 0370 60 60 900 or going to www.dec.org.uk
In my view no aid for a humanitarian disaster on this scale should ever come with political or economic strings attached, and I am pleased that the British government has placed no such conditionality on aid to Haiti.
Work in Southampton
Isle of Wight Wind Farm Zones
I have welcomed news that the government has announced plans for a new offshore windfarm zone near the Isle of Wight. This is particularly good news for Southampton’s port, which is ideally placed to benefit from the construction and servicing of the zone when it goes online. It is also good news for all of us living in Southampton, as the stable supply of renewable energy is likely to have a dampening effect on other energy price rises. Once completed, the zone is expected to generate 0.9 gigawatts- broadly comparable to the energy currently generated by the Marchwood power station. As readers will know, I regularly lobby for greater support for renewable energy in Parliament, and I am delighted that Southampton is now set to be the primary beneficiary of one of these new zones.
It is also pointing out that the approval of these new zones comes shortly after the Isle of Wight’s Conservative Council rejected planning applications for onshore wind turbines. A contrast between the two parties’ credibility on green issues, one might suggest.
Council House Building Programme Extended
Southampton is also set to receive an extra £1 million for the building of new Council homes in the city. The funding for these homes will be another boost to the local construction industry, in addition to the £1.7 million already announced for new Council homes last year. I am particularly pleased with this allocation, because the government has also responded to lobbying from myself and other Labour MPs to ensure many of the homes built with this new money are built to high sustainability standards and- crucially- are proper, family homes.
The additional council home projects to be built in Southampton are:
- Cumbrian Way- £719,332 will be spent on a project to build 13 new homes.
- Leaside Way- £251,472 will be spent on a project to build 4 new homes.
Help with fuel bills
Both John Denham and I are working to raise awareness about the extra help going to people on low and fixed incomes this winter, to ensure pensioners in particular are not afraid to turn up their heating. For information:
- all households over 60 will receive a Winter Fuel Payment worth £250, or £400 for over 80s. Approximately 18,000 households in Southampton Test benefit from this payment
- in addition, for two of the coldest weeks this winter, 63,000 of the poorest residents in Hampshire received an additional top-up of £25 per week.
My Stay Warm Save Money handbook is still available for all constituents in Southampton Test to get more information on what help is available with their fuel bills- and is soon to be updated to include information on the new boiler scrappage scheme. You can also still call the Southampton Environment Centre on 0800 804 8601 or the government’s Home Heat Helpline on 0800 336699 if you know someone who is worried about their energy bill.
Other meetings
Also this month I ran a Q&A with students from Tautons College on Parliamentary procedure; attended a Southampton Malayalee Association event; met with representatives of Business Southampton and the Chamber of Shipping; and attended Labour Friends of Palestine and Electoral Reform events. Tomorrow I will be visiting Paediatric Services at the General Hospital, and meeting with the Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Hardship Charity.