Calling for greater support for carers
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I am calling for the contribution of the many thousands of carers in Birmingham to be recognised by the local community and society at large after learning that more than three-quarters (76%) of people looking after an ill, frail or disabled loved one do not have a life outside of their caring role. The statistics, part of new research issued to launch Carers Week (14-20 June), also highlights that 75% of carers say they have lost touch with family and friends, while 4 out of 5 are worse off financially because of their caring role. Many carers are sacrificing their...
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Selly Oak Constituency Nursery provision under threat
I am determined to work with parents to fight council cuts and incompetence which are putting nursery places in the area at risk.
Three nurseries in the constituency are currently fighting for their survival: Selly Oak Nursery School (one of the oldest in the city), Reameadow Children’s Day Nursery (Stirchley) and Millpool Gardens (Druids Heath). Between them they look after 140 local children.
Reameadow and Millpool Gardens are both local authority run community day nurseries. Staff at both these nurseries have been issued with redundancy notices and warned not to...
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 I have publicised my annual Veterans’ Day event by posting a personal invitation to local land girl Lilian Coomber. This year’s invite is unique however, as it has been posted using the first class stamp from the most recent commemorative set of stamps, Britain Alone, which features land girl Mona Mcleod.
My annual Veterans’ Day event, organised in conjunction with Swanshurst School , has gone from strength to strength. Last year there were well over 150 local veterans in attendance including those who served in the armed forces, land girls and Bevan Boys.
I set up a Veterans’ Day event in my...
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This week in Parliament I also hit out at the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government's plans to scrap ID cards. I called on the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to publish the detail of the alleged savings that scrapping the scheme will make. 15,000 people have already paid in good faith for ID cards: how is the government going to reimburse these people? I want to know exactly what the savings are for scrapping this scheme. Given the tough talking that David Cameron did during the election about clamping down on illegal immigration and introducing a cap on immigration: how exactly will...
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Standing up for health facilities in the Midlads
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This week I called on the Health Secretary to tell us how many members of the board at Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust were in post last year. I welcome the Secretary of State's promise of action to investigate the problems at the hospital and deal with the issues. This is what I said: I welcome the Secretary of State's promise of early action. Will he tell us how many members of the present board were in post on
18 March 2009 and when he will sack them as he has promised? If you'd like to follow when I speak in...
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standing up for victims in Parliament
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I spoke in the debate on the Queen's speech on Monday. Here is a copy of what I said about Victims' Rights, ID cards, police reform, the DNA database and CCTV. What plans does the coalition have to ensure that the needs of that group are put at the centre of our criminal justice system? It is the lack of consideration for victims that causes some people to think that the system is broken and many to believe that it is weighted entirely in favour of the offender. I have been working with victims for some time now, the...
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I have been contacted by a local Junior Squash Club who are after new members to join them on their Sunday morning lessons. The sessions take place at Kings Heath Cricket & Sports Club and are for 5 – 18 year olds in Birmingham. Junior Squash Coaching is a fantastic opportunity to develop confidence and hand-eye co-ordination skills and is also a great way of burning off excess energy. The club provides brand new equipment and offers a block of 10 lessons at the subsidised price of £25. I’m always keen to...
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I was delighted to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Selly Oak on May 6th. I am honoured to have been selected as your MP and will work hard to represent you in Parliament...
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I recently joined National Express this week to launch the first of 45 new buses entering the Birmingham fleet. The region's largest bus operator has invested over £5 million in state of the art buses for the city with easy access for buggies and wheelchairs, CCTV cameras and Euro five engines - the cleanest on the market. The new single deck buses will replace vehicles currently running on routes 6 and 37 to provide Birmingham bus users with the highest standard of public transport. Buses play a vital role in Birmingham by providing residents with affordable access to jobs,...
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Once again another of my constituents in Brandwood has contacted me after becoming exhausted with trying to get the council to take action. This time it was to ask them to clean up rubbish from the back of one of their blocks on Brandwood Park Road. The council has even been told who the perpetrator is, however they have just ignored the requests and allowed the family to chuck rubbish right out of their backdoor into a public area, spilling out blocking an access to both council and private properties. Even though rats have been seen the council have still...
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Welcoming credit card reforms
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Today I am welcoming the news about the Government's agreement with the credit and store card industry. The agreement means that, in the future, consumers' most expensive debt - like withdrawing cash on a credit card - will be able to be paid off more quickly, there will be better repayment plans available to customers, a ban on credit limit and rate increases for people at risk of financial difficulty and a right to 60 days to reject interest rate increases. Today's announcement is an important step forward for local people's rights in terms of managing their own finances, delivered...
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Breaking a sweat for sport relief
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 I recently teamed up with a bevy of MPs and Members of the House of Lords to complete a Westminster Mile for Sport Relief. With more than 30 of my fellow Parliamentarians, including Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe, swapped our suits for shorts, trainers and Sport Relief Socks to test our sporting prowess in St James's Park. We were joined by former England Rugby player Kyran Bracken who helped spur us on to the finishing line. Normally, I'm running between meetings and debates in Westminster so it was a nice change to run a mile for a great cause...
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Backing the hoard campaign
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 I am thrilled that the Stafforshire Hoard has been secured to stay in the Midlands following their fundraising campaign to save it. I was recently lucky enough to see the Hoard close up. I recently met with representatives from art charity, The Art Fund - the UK's leading independent art charity dedicated to saving important artworks for the public to enjoy - in Westminster where part of the Hoard was on display. It was incredible to see the Hoard, it really is a fantastic sight and one that I want all Brummies to be able to enjoy. It's really important...
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Call on council to spend money where it's needed
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I am welcoming the announcement by Communities Secretary John Denham that Birmingham will be receiving over half a million pounds (£693,685) from the government to help small businesses grow. But I am calling on the council's Chief Executive to ensure that the money goes directly to small businesses. The government's Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme helps to promote economic growth through grants to small and new businesses in hard hit areas who often need extra support to get through the tougher times so they can hit the ground running as economic growth picks up. Since 2005-06 over 350 councils...
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Calling on local charities to bid for money
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I am calling on charities in Birmingham to apply for funding from the Ladbrokes in the Community Charitable Trust (LICCT) after I was told by the company that no groups in my constituency have applied for a grant yet. Since it was established in 2003, LICCT has to date donated over £3.5 million for good causes across the UK. In 2007 LICCT donated over £938,000 to charitable and community causes. This year alone LICCT has already donated, 25,000 to four major charities: Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dreams Come True, The Samaritans and the Army Benevolent Fund. I know there...
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I have backed the introduction of a new law, dubbed 'Cadbury Law' which will protect successful companies from hostile, speculative share dealing. The law, which Tory leader David Cameron has already dismissed, would shake up UK takeover rules and restrict the power of hedge funds and other short term investors in determining the outcome when a UK company is under a hostile offer. One of the suggestions for the law is to freeze voting rights of anyone who bought shares in a company during an offer period. The Cadbury takeover left a sour taste and it's taught me that we...
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Angry Residents Tell Home Secretary Council is Failing them
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I invited Home Secretary Alan Johnson to visit Selly Oak to hear first hand the views of local residents on anti social behaviour, crime and immigration. He was presented with a petition by local residents who expressed their frustration at the poor performance of Birmingham City Council in tackling anti social behaviour and neighbour nuisance. Mr Johnson said it was a major priority for the Home Office and the Government and he was extremely disappointed to hear that Birmingham is letting people down. During the hour long session the Home Secretary explained that this is the first government in over...
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Myself and local pensioner Val Soames have welcomed the planned boost to pensions this year. The government will be putting an extra £2 billion into pensioners' pockets this year through an increase of 2.5% and those who deferred their pension for at least one year since 2005 will still get an extra State Pension that is 10.4% higher than if they had not deferred. This is despite negative inflation figures for the past year of -1.4%. Pension Credit will also go up by 2% to £132.60 for single people and £204.40 for couples. Pensioner households will now be on average...
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Better Support For Older Breast Cancer Patients
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I have joined forces with Breakthrough Breast Cancer recently as the charity launched the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Every Chance campaign to urgently tackle the barriers that limit equal access for older patients to breast cancer treatments and care. I am calling on local hospitals and GPs to ensure that older breast cancer patients don't miss out on the chance to access appropriate treatment. I made the call after recent research funded by Breakthrough showed that some older patients are not benefiting from the advances in radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery over the last ten years that have dramatically improved the survival...
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New Support for Asbestos Victims
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I have welcomed a multi-million pound package of help for individuals whose health has been put at risk due to exposure to asbestos. It includes action to help people with asbestos related diseases to claim compensation, increase their upfront payments, and work towards a fund of last resort for people diagnosed with a serious asbestos-related illness who cannot trace their insurance records. It also includes financial help to people with pleural plaques who were left in limbo by a House of Lords ruling in 2007. The full list of measures, which was announced as part of the Government's response to...
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