Monday, December 18, 2006
On Monday I attended my Advice Surgery at Earlsfield Library.
On Tuesday I visited Ravenstone School to hand out a Runners Up certificate and Prize to Elisabeth Kisserwany of Year 2 for her excellent contribution to my Christmas Card Competition.
I then attended a meeting with Minister of State for Schools, Jim Knight MP, with Martin Linton MP for Battersea to lobby him for Wandsworth Secondary Schools to get some more Government Investment from the Building Schools for the Future Programme. The programme guarantees that all secondary schools in England will be refurbished or remodelled within the next 15 years. It promises that schools will be attractive, flexible learning environments with high-quality facilities to help to meet the needs, interests and aptitudes of every child. (You can see a photo of Martin and me meeting Jim Knight HERE).
The highlight of the afternoon was a meeting with Howard Dean, Head of the Democratic National Convention, who masterminded the highly successful Democratic campaign in the Mid Term elections in the USA last month and was previously a contender for the Democratic nomination in the last Presidential election. He shared some of the techniques, themes, policies and messages that were used by the Democrats in the USA recently.
On Wednesday I visited Smallwood Primary School. I was able to use the opportunity to give Andreia Moura, one of the Runners Up to my Christmas Card Competition, her prize as well as giving all the children who entered a certificate. The visit also gave me a chance to congratulate the Head and the School on the excellent announcement that Smallwood Primary School would receive massive Government funding to provide a Children’s Centre to serve local families and children. Building works to adapt some of the facilities should start soon. (More details of this in future entries!).
The Public Accounts Committee examined the use of Temporary nursing staff in NHS Acute and Foundation Trusts. This is an issue of major concern to me, in the context of our own major Acute Hospital St George's. Temporary nurses are employed across the NHS to meet fluctuations in activity levels and cover vacancies or short term staff absences. Excessive levels of use can be costly. This may also demonstrate poor management and can have a negative impact on patient care and satisfaction. You can find a transcript of the hearing by clicking HERE.
On Thursday I visited Swaffield Primary School. The school has been made famous locally as the former school of ex-Boxing World Champion Frank Bruno. I was able to give to Joshua Oakley a Runners Up certificate and Prize as well to all the children who entered the competition. In the afternoon I tried to take part in the debate on Affordable Housing on the floor of the House. Despite my best efforts I was not called to make a speech in the debate although I did manage to make a number of interventions. You can find my interventions by clicking HERE. I was very pleased that the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper MP, agreed to meet with local Councillors in the Labour Group and Martin Linton MP to discuss particular concerns we have about the Tory Council's Housing Policy.
In the evening I attended a dinner in Wembley organised by Keith Vaz MP where Gordon Brown MP, the Chancellor, was the main speaker and presented a life time achievement award to Dionne Warwick.
On Friday I attended my regular meeting with senior management at St Georges NHS Trust.
For personal reasons the previous Chief Executive Peter Homa left the organisation this summer. This meeting provided me with the first chance to meet the new Chief Executive David Astley. We had a full and frank meeting and discussed many of the achievements of the hospital over the last few months and years as well as some of the challenges ahead. The Trust is confident they will continue to make savings to reduce the deficit whilst maintaining clinical excellence.
In the afternoon I attended two separate primary schools. The choir at Eardley Primary School performed superbly. I was able to award a runners-up certificate to Megan Tullis in Year Four for my Christmas Card Completion as well as giving certificates to all who entered. I then rushed over to Franciscan Primary School where the reception and nursery classes were holding a nativity play. I was able to award a certificate to Heena Shariff in Year Four as well as all those who entered my competition.
On Sunday I spoke at a Labour Students Council meeting in Victoria. There were more than 100 Labour students present. Their commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm for Labour Party politics was both impressive and inspiring.
In the afternoon I joined local members canvassing in Nightingale Ward.
Sadiq
On Tuesday I visited Ravenstone School to hand out a Runners Up certificate and Prize to Elisabeth Kisserwany of Year 2 for her excellent contribution to my Christmas Card Competition.
I then attended a meeting with Minister of State for Schools, Jim Knight MP, with Martin Linton MP for Battersea to lobby him for Wandsworth Secondary Schools to get some more Government Investment from the Building Schools for the Future Programme. The programme guarantees that all secondary schools in England will be refurbished or remodelled within the next 15 years. It promises that schools will be attractive, flexible learning environments with high-quality facilities to help to meet the needs, interests and aptitudes of every child. (You can see a photo of Martin and me meeting Jim Knight HERE).
The highlight of the afternoon was a meeting with Howard Dean, Head of the Democratic National Convention, who masterminded the highly successful Democratic campaign in the Mid Term elections in the USA last month and was previously a contender for the Democratic nomination in the last Presidential election. He shared some of the techniques, themes, policies and messages that were used by the Democrats in the USA recently.
On Wednesday I visited Smallwood Primary School. I was able to use the opportunity to give Andreia Moura, one of the Runners Up to my Christmas Card Competition, her prize as well as giving all the children who entered a certificate. The visit also gave me a chance to congratulate the Head and the School on the excellent announcement that Smallwood Primary School would receive massive Government funding to provide a Children’s Centre to serve local families and children. Building works to adapt some of the facilities should start soon. (More details of this in future entries!).
The Public Accounts Committee examined the use of Temporary nursing staff in NHS Acute and Foundation Trusts. This is an issue of major concern to me, in the context of our own major Acute Hospital St George's. Temporary nurses are employed across the NHS to meet fluctuations in activity levels and cover vacancies or short term staff absences. Excessive levels of use can be costly. This may also demonstrate poor management and can have a negative impact on patient care and satisfaction. You can find a transcript of the hearing by clicking HERE.
On Thursday I visited Swaffield Primary School. The school has been made famous locally as the former school of ex-Boxing World Champion Frank Bruno. I was able to give to Joshua Oakley a Runners Up certificate and Prize as well to all the children who entered the competition. In the afternoon I tried to take part in the debate on Affordable Housing on the floor of the House. Despite my best efforts I was not called to make a speech in the debate although I did manage to make a number of interventions. You can find my interventions by clicking HERE. I was very pleased that the Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper MP, agreed to meet with local Councillors in the Labour Group and Martin Linton MP to discuss particular concerns we have about the Tory Council's Housing Policy.
In the evening I attended a dinner in Wembley organised by Keith Vaz MP where Gordon Brown MP, the Chancellor, was the main speaker and presented a life time achievement award to Dionne Warwick.
On Friday I attended my regular meeting with senior management at St Georges NHS Trust.
For personal reasons the previous Chief Executive Peter Homa left the organisation this summer. This meeting provided me with the first chance to meet the new Chief Executive David Astley. We had a full and frank meeting and discussed many of the achievements of the hospital over the last few months and years as well as some of the challenges ahead. The Trust is confident they will continue to make savings to reduce the deficit whilst maintaining clinical excellence.
In the afternoon I attended two separate primary schools. The choir at Eardley Primary School performed superbly. I was able to award a runners-up certificate to Megan Tullis in Year Four for my Christmas Card Completion as well as giving certificates to all who entered. I then rushed over to Franciscan Primary School where the reception and nursery classes were holding a nativity play. I was able to award a certificate to Heena Shariff in Year Four as well as all those who entered my competition.
On Sunday I spoke at a Labour Students Council meeting in Victoria. There were more than 100 Labour students present. Their commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm for Labour Party politics was both impressive and inspiring.
In the afternoon I joined local members canvassing in Nightingale Ward.
Sadiq
