Wednesday, November 15, 2006
On Wednesday 1st November I met with representatives from the Unison branch at St Georges Hospital, who formed part of the NHS Together lobby, to discuss the impact of the budget cuts and the morale of staff at the Hospital. It is essential that the Government listens to NHS staff about the most appropriate way forward, because they are in the best position to inform politicians about events on the ground. I will be shortly holding the first of what I hope will be several meetings of an NHS Listening Panel. This meeting is open to all of my constituents and if you would be interested in attending to discuss local health services and the reform agenda please contact my Westminster office on 020 7219 6967.
After PMQ's I took part in a project undertaken by The Hansard Society about Parliament. The Hansard Society is making a film to help teachers who teach citizenship at schools about Parliament. This is an exciting project, whereby the Hansard society will send citizenship packs to schools, that I hope teachers will find useful.
I also took part in a BBC TV interview with Tory MP, Ed Vaizey.
The Public Accounts Committee examined the Ministry of Defence project to deliver digital tactical communications through the Bowman CIP programme. You can read a transcript of the nearing by clicking HERE.
In the evening I attended the BEST Awards evening at the Professional Centre in Graveney. BEST is a charity which aims to build a working partnership between local businesses and schools and colleges in order to raise student achievement, help improve students' personal and technical skills, enhance the standing of business organisations within the community, to get mutual benefit from exchanging information between education and business and develop students understanding of the range of career options. I had the pleasure of handing out certificates to employers who had supported the work of BEST during the last academic year.
On Thursday I met with the CWU to discuss their concerns about a campaign they are organising to get justice for agency workers. There are now over 600,000 agency workers in the UK and they have far less rights than "normal" employees. Unfortunately, the UK offers amongst the lowest level of protection to agency workers in Europe (please find a link to the CWU website HERE).
In the afternoon I met with Gordon Brown and David Milliband to discuss the Stern Report and the Labour governments' response. Sir Nicholas Stern forecast in his recent report that taking action against global warming now will cost just 1% of GDP, as opposed to the up to 20% fall of global consumption per head. I am pleased that the Prime Minister has acknowledged that the Stern Review showed that the scientific evidence of global warming was “overwhelming” and its consequences “disastrous”. Sir Nicholas has said that for every £1 that we invest now we can save £5 or more in the future. Therefore the benefits of implementing the report’s proposals will benefit the world not only environmentally but also economically. I am optimistic that this important report provides the Government with the foundations to lead an international effort to tackle climate change. Meanwhile the Tories rely on photo opportunities without providing policies of real substance on green issues. The Stern report highlights that a holistic approach is required and new forms of taxation alone will not be sufficient.
In the evening I attended an Eid Milan party at the Kebabish restaurant on Tooting High Street.
On Friday I was interviewed by Radio 4 about the Queens speech. I attended Tooting Islamic Centre for Friday prayers.
On Saturday, I held my normal appointment advice session in Tooting Library. In the evening I spoke at an Eid party organised by the Pakistan club and a fireworks party in Furzedown Ward.
On Sunday, I joined Cllr Nick Bowes, Labour Councillor for Tooting ward, and other colleagues in a canvass in streets in Tooting ward. A number of residents complained about the poor street cleaning and fly tipping, matters I will be taking up with the Council.
On Monday, members of the Education and Skills Select Committee visited Gatton Primary School as part of their investigation into citizenship and faith schools. As Chair of governors I was present to meet and greet the parliamentarians before departing to take part in my normal Monday surgery at Earlsfield library. The oral feed back I received back from colleagues was that they were very impressed with one of our newer additions to the family of maintained schools in Tooting.
The Public Accounts Committee examined the office accommodation of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its sponsored bodies. If you want to see a transcript of the hearing, click HERE.
On Tuesday, I held my Pensioner Entitlement Event at Balham Baptist Church on Ramsden Road. This is the second time that I have held such an event, and like last time it was a huge success. The event was focused on giving pensioners in Tooting the opportunity to speak to representatives from 15 organisations about their benefit entitlement, tax issues, heating and insulation grants and much more. Eaga was one of 15 organizations who were at the event giving information and advice. Eaga sponsored the event and had representatives on hand to check people’s benefit entitlements. To advise on safety there was the local police, the firebrigade and the Community Safety Department from Wandsworth Council. To advise on saving energy and cutting energy bills the South West London Energy Advice Centre was available. To advise on services in the community there were Age Concern, the Pension Service, the Home Improvement Agency, TaxHelp for older People, the Citizens Advice Bureaux, The Furzedown Project and the Bengali Welfare Association. The NHS was also there to advice on many matters relating to health and healthy living and a representative from Sadiq Khan’s office was there with details of my Veteran’s Badge Campaign.
I am very pleased that I was able to bring all of these organisations under one roof. I will definitely be doing another event in the near future and hope more people will be able to join us for that.
In Parliament, I met with representatives of UNISON London to discuss progress in the NHS.
I also asked a question to the Secretary of State for Department for Communities and Local Government in the chamber about the recent White Paper, and you can read the transcript HERE. The White Paper contains a number of proposals that will help devolve power down to a local level. These include strengthening the power of council committees to scrutinise local public services; an increase in the number of directly elected mayors and a reduction in the number of targets set by central government.
In the late afternoon, I met with Gordon Brown to discuss the exciting announcement earlier in the day by Gordon about the International Finance Facility for Immunisation. The IFFI will raise $4 billion over the next decade to enable the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations established by the Bill Gates Foundation, DFID and other donors to deliver vaccines now for children across the world that urgently require them. 29000 children currently die each day from diseases that could be prevented through vaccines and the IFFI will make a huge difference to families across the developing world.
In the evening, I was the guest speaker at the Balham Rotary Club on Balham High Road. The president of the Balham Rotarians is the charming retired Reverend Graham Thomas. I had a great time talking to the Rotarians, guests and new inductee about my work as a Member of Parliament and some of the challenges we face with voter apathy.
On Wednesday I met with a representative of Save the Children to discuss concerns they have about children and young people in Palestine and Lebanon.
Sadiq
After PMQ's I took part in a project undertaken by The Hansard Society about Parliament. The Hansard Society is making a film to help teachers who teach citizenship at schools about Parliament. This is an exciting project, whereby the Hansard society will send citizenship packs to schools, that I hope teachers will find useful.
I also took part in a BBC TV interview with Tory MP, Ed Vaizey.
The Public Accounts Committee examined the Ministry of Defence project to deliver digital tactical communications through the Bowman CIP programme. You can read a transcript of the nearing by clicking HERE.
In the evening I attended the BEST Awards evening at the Professional Centre in Graveney. BEST is a charity which aims to build a working partnership between local businesses and schools and colleges in order to raise student achievement, help improve students' personal and technical skills, enhance the standing of business organisations within the community, to get mutual benefit from exchanging information between education and business and develop students understanding of the range of career options. I had the pleasure of handing out certificates to employers who had supported the work of BEST during the last academic year.
On Thursday I met with the CWU to discuss their concerns about a campaign they are organising to get justice for agency workers. There are now over 600,000 agency workers in the UK and they have far less rights than "normal" employees. Unfortunately, the UK offers amongst the lowest level of protection to agency workers in Europe (please find a link to the CWU website HERE).
In the afternoon I met with Gordon Brown and David Milliband to discuss the Stern Report and the Labour governments' response. Sir Nicholas Stern forecast in his recent report that taking action against global warming now will cost just 1% of GDP, as opposed to the up to 20% fall of global consumption per head. I am pleased that the Prime Minister has acknowledged that the Stern Review showed that the scientific evidence of global warming was “overwhelming” and its consequences “disastrous”. Sir Nicholas has said that for every £1 that we invest now we can save £5 or more in the future. Therefore the benefits of implementing the report’s proposals will benefit the world not only environmentally but also economically. I am optimistic that this important report provides the Government with the foundations to lead an international effort to tackle climate change. Meanwhile the Tories rely on photo opportunities without providing policies of real substance on green issues. The Stern report highlights that a holistic approach is required and new forms of taxation alone will not be sufficient.
In the evening I attended an Eid Milan party at the Kebabish restaurant on Tooting High Street.
On Friday I was interviewed by Radio 4 about the Queens speech. I attended Tooting Islamic Centre for Friday prayers.
On Saturday, I held my normal appointment advice session in Tooting Library. In the evening I spoke at an Eid party organised by the Pakistan club and a fireworks party in Furzedown Ward.
On Sunday, I joined Cllr Nick Bowes, Labour Councillor for Tooting ward, and other colleagues in a canvass in streets in Tooting ward. A number of residents complained about the poor street cleaning and fly tipping, matters I will be taking up with the Council.
On Monday, members of the Education and Skills Select Committee visited Gatton Primary School as part of their investigation into citizenship and faith schools. As Chair of governors I was present to meet and greet the parliamentarians before departing to take part in my normal Monday surgery at Earlsfield library. The oral feed back I received back from colleagues was that they were very impressed with one of our newer additions to the family of maintained schools in Tooting.
The Public Accounts Committee examined the office accommodation of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its sponsored bodies. If you want to see a transcript of the hearing, click HERE.
On Tuesday, I held my Pensioner Entitlement Event at Balham Baptist Church on Ramsden Road. This is the second time that I have held such an event, and like last time it was a huge success. The event was focused on giving pensioners in Tooting the opportunity to speak to representatives from 15 organisations about their benefit entitlement, tax issues, heating and insulation grants and much more. Eaga was one of 15 organizations who were at the event giving information and advice. Eaga sponsored the event and had representatives on hand to check people’s benefit entitlements. To advise on safety there was the local police, the firebrigade and the Community Safety Department from Wandsworth Council. To advise on saving energy and cutting energy bills the South West London Energy Advice Centre was available. To advise on services in the community there were Age Concern, the Pension Service, the Home Improvement Agency, TaxHelp for older People, the Citizens Advice Bureaux, The Furzedown Project and the Bengali Welfare Association. The NHS was also there to advice on many matters relating to health and healthy living and a representative from Sadiq Khan’s office was there with details of my Veteran’s Badge Campaign.
I am very pleased that I was able to bring all of these organisations under one roof. I will definitely be doing another event in the near future and hope more people will be able to join us for that.
In Parliament, I met with representatives of UNISON London to discuss progress in the NHS.
I also asked a question to the Secretary of State for Department for Communities and Local Government in the chamber about the recent White Paper, and you can read the transcript HERE. The White Paper contains a number of proposals that will help devolve power down to a local level. These include strengthening the power of council committees to scrutinise local public services; an increase in the number of directly elected mayors and a reduction in the number of targets set by central government.
In the late afternoon, I met with Gordon Brown to discuss the exciting announcement earlier in the day by Gordon about the International Finance Facility for Immunisation. The IFFI will raise $4 billion over the next decade to enable the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations established by the Bill Gates Foundation, DFID and other donors to deliver vaccines now for children across the world that urgently require them. 29000 children currently die each day from diseases that could be prevented through vaccines and the IFFI will make a huge difference to families across the developing world.
In the evening, I was the guest speaker at the Balham Rotary Club on Balham High Road. The president of the Balham Rotarians is the charming retired Reverend Graham Thomas. I had a great time talking to the Rotarians, guests and new inductee about my work as a Member of Parliament and some of the challenges we face with voter apathy.
On Wednesday I met with a representative of Save the Children to discuss concerns they have about children and young people in Palestine and Lebanon.
Sadiq
