Support For Mums & Families

Mother’s day is the day we say thank you to our mums for everything they do. I know that now more than ever mums need a break. When the cost of everything from energy bills to childcare keeps going up and up while wages stay the same, suddenly mums are facing difficult decisions to make ends meet.

One of the biggest problems that face parents is the cost of childcare. Support for parents has also been cut with some parents getting £1500 less help with childcare support through working tax credits. This is having a real impact on the ability of mums to go out to work and for work to pay.”

Yet mums calling out for help with childcare now will have got little comfort from the budget. Whilst new support through tax free childcare is a good start, families struggling now won’t see any benefit until after the election.”

Labour’s plan to extend free childcare for working families with three and four year olds by an extra ten hours, to 25 hours a week, 38 weeks a year is a real step forward. This will mean that for the first time a second earner will be able to work part time without having to worry about paying for childcare. This increase in childcare support is worth £1500 per child and will help mums to get back to work or work the hours they want.

Northern MPs call for Osborne to ‘bring councils back from the brink’

On the eve of the Chancellor’s budget speech, MPs representing some of the UK’s most impoverished councils gathered in Parliament to call on George Osborne to use his Budget speech to spread any benefits from an upturn in the economy beyond those areas in the South East, whose local economies are already improving.

The group of SIGOMA MPs, all representing local authorities outside the prosperous South East, have joined together to demand an immediate stop to further cuts in their councils’ budgets, which have seen some services in many boroughs stripped to their bare essentials and the most vulnerable and poorest put under increased pressure to make ends meet.

During the Chancellor’s almost four years in office many SIGOMA councils have seen significant and annual cuts to their budgets, with some councils losing over 25% of funding. The burden of the cuts has been specifically targeted to those with the highest levels of spend without recognising that that spend relates directly to the areas with the greatest levels of need and poverty.

The divide between councils representing prosperous areas and those with less well-off economies has also widened further as the Government has allowed councils to keep more of their business rates. Meaning those prosperous authorities receive yet more funding as business rates increase on the back of the economic upturn, but those with more struggling economies are left further behind.

SIGOMA councils are calling for a full evaluation of the total impact of the funding cuts since 2010 and seek to re-establish the link between the costs of services and the funding Central Government provides to run them. They argue that revenue cuts since 2010, and a greater level of top slicing of the Revenue Support Grant has left many SIGOMA councils desolate in comparison to many South East authorities which have borne little of the brunt of the funding cuts.

If we are ‘all in it together’ then those struggling to get out of poverty and facing increasing financial hardship should be getting  an increase in funding based on the economic upturn. Now is the opportunity for the Chancellor to bring some of these hard hit councils, including Wigan back from the brink.

Let’s tax bank bonuses to fund jobs for young people in Wigan

This week, I called for a tax on bank bonuses to fund jobs for young people in Wigan.

Under Labour’s Compulsory Jobs Guarantee, every young person out of work in Wigan for more than 12 months will be given a paid starter job which they will have to take up or lose their benefits.

If Labour’s Compulsory Jobs Guarantee were introduced today over 350 young people would benefit in Wigan and 6,700 would benefit in the North West.

Too many young people in Wigan are struggling to find work and not seeing any economic recovery at all.

We risk losing the energy and talents of a generation and repeating the failed Tory mistakes of the 1980s. That’s why I support Labour’s Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to get young people in Wigan back to work learning new skills and helping to cut the cost of unemployment through the social security system.

Labour calls for Defence Cyber Security Charter

Yesterday, in a parliamentary debate I called on the Ministry of  Defence to introduce a cyber security charter for companies it works with.

Labour is calling on the government to ensure that every company working with the Ministry of Defence, regardless of its size or the scale of its work, signs up to a cyber security charter. This will ensure hackers can’t use small suppliers to get into the systems of the major defence companies or the MoD itself. The risks to Britain from cyber attacks are huge and growing. We need to do everything we can to protect against them.

The UK faces up to 1,000 cyber attacks every hour, which are estimated to cost £27 billion annually. Cyber attacks are now a constant reality, with government, the private sector and citizens all under sustained cyber attack from both hostile states and criminals. Maintaining effective cyber security and combating the growing threats must be a key objective for the government to ensure Britain’s defence and security.

Scheme connects with military life

The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS), set up in 1989, is an initiative developed to give Members of Parliament the opportunity of experiencing for themselves the ethos and culture of the Defence community, and in particular challenges facing our Armed Forces at home and on operations overseas.

I have enrolled in the 2014 AFPS and have opted to ‘join’ the RAF. I am joined in the 2014 cohort by MPs from across the political spectrum including Conservative Col Bob Stewart MP and Labour’s John Mann MP.

Founder and Chairman, Sir Neil Thorne, believes AFPS has a key part to play in providing parliamentarians with the background and knowledge for informed comment.

“In times when we are asking our young sailors, soldiers and airmen to undertake hazardous duties on our behalf, it is vital that members of parliament should ensure that they are fully aware of how the service system operates. The Shrivenham programme is especially helpful in that it introduces members of parliament to life in an officers mess, shows them how to put on the uniform that they are required to wear in order to fit into the service family, helps them to understand the ethos of service life, including the necessity for a military covenant, and introduces them to the small arms and heavy equipment currently in use.”

Throughout the two-day programme I attended a series of presentations on the role of the military in a democracy, the strategic context for defence, and how forces are generated to achieve military strategic objectives.  Discussions focusing on the realities of conflict and contemporary operations were mixed in with practical sessions on handling weapons and equipment.  A packed itinerary included the opportunity to observe a small-arms weapons demonstration before taking part in a practical firing session on the Academy’s Explosive Research & Demonstration Range.

The visit offered parliamentarians the chance to meet a number of Defence Academy personnel, both serving military and civilian, for informal discussions across a range of issues, as well as including briefings from representatives of Service charities including SSAFA and Help for Heroes.

Upon signing up for the scheme, parliamentarians are asked to choose which of the Services they wish to be assigned to.

You may ask yourself why someone who has spent their working life in civvy street ends up undertaking the Armed Forces ParliamentaryScheme? My father was in the army during WWII so I grew up with his stories of the war and marvelled at how service personnel coped. After my appointment to the shadow defence team, it felt like the right thing to do.

As shadow defence minister the programme for the two-day course looked good and the AFPS gives members of parliament the chance to learn, see for themselves and share some of the experiences first-hand with military personnel. It was invaluable! I learnt a lot and am looking forward to future events.

Wigan & Leigh Hospice celebrate £3,000 award from Lloyds Bank Community Fund

The Wigan and Leigh Hospice based in Hindley is celebrating today alongside Annette Barnes, Regional Ambassador for the North Region at Lloyds Banking Group, after having been awarded £3,000 from the Lloyds Bank Community Fund.

Staff from the hospice will be hosting a celebration to thank the public for voting for them to be awarded the vital funds.

In 2013, over 1,500 community groups in nearly 400 communities across the UK benefited from a Lloyds Banking Group Community Fund Award. The hospice made it onto a local shortlist and members of the public were then asked to vote, either online or in branches of Lloyds, to decide which deserving causes would receive a grant.

This was an inspiring visit.  I was pleased to learn how the award will be used to support the services provided by Wigan & Leigh Hospice. It provides a vital role in the Borough and in an era when access to funding can be difficult the support from Lloyds Bank Community Fund is welcomed.

Lloyds Bank has committed to continue the Community Fund in 2014 as a result of the overwhelming response and engagement from communities during 2013. Further details will be announced shortly.

Fair Funding for Wigan

The unfairness of the Tory-led Government’s funding cuts to our area is now clearer than ever. New figures from the latest local government finance settlement show that the council and local residents are getting a raw deal under David Cameron.

Between 2010/11 and 2015/16 Wigan will face a reduction of 17.4% in spending power per household, while councils in some of the wealthiest areas in the country will actually see an increase in their spending power per household over this period.

David Cameron and Eric Pickles are living in a world of their own and stand up for the wrong people.

It’s just not fair that Wigan will face a reduction of 17.4% in spending power per household, while councils in some of the very wealthiest areas in the country will actually see an increase.

But the unfairness is also mirrored in health and welfare cuts which together with the reduction in spending power present a dramatic cut in support for our area.

It tells you all you need to know about whose side the Tory-led Government is on. It’s immoral and we need a fair deal for the people of Wigan.

Visit to busy GP Practice

NHS general practice is never far from the headlines and the subject of intense debate, with changes and pressures affecting many aspects from out of hours care to workload and patient access.

The British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP Visit Scheme invites MPs to spend some time in a local practice to find out at first-hand what is the reality on the ground for both patients and GPs.

In a packed schedule, I spent the morning (Friday, 24th January) at the Dr Alistair Partnership at Kid Gove House, Golborne.

I met with practice staff and patients including the Patient Partnership Group and key staff members including Dr Al Thompson, Assistant Practice Manager - Kathryn Winston and Practice Manager, Helen Maung.

with practice patient Mr John Stokes

I wanted to get to the chalkface by visiting a busy local practice that really plays a key role in our community.
There are real challenges facing local practice, not least moving care away from hospitals to local practice and the upheaval of the NHS reorganisation.

However, I was very impressed by the real go-ahead approach from GPs and practice staff and a willingness to innovate and work to solve problems when they arise. Patients clearly value the services provided by the practice and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the staff.

The Dr Alistair Partnership now boasts 5,880 patients compared to 3,900 patients in 2008 with aspirations to top 6,000 patients by 2014

The practice covers Ashton-in-Makerfield, Abram, Leigh, Bryn, Orrell, Hindley, Hindley Green, Lowton, Platt Bridge and employs 26 staff members.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day, I signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the House of Commons this week, honouring those who died during the Holocaust as well as the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people about what they endured.

Monday 27th January will mark the 69th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the site of the largest mass murder in history and is an important opportunity to remember the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. I encourage all constituents to mark the day and to join people across Wigan in the fight against prejudice and intolerance.

In the weeks leading up to and after Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

Christmas Veterans' Luncheon

Pic used with the kind permission of the Wigan Observer.

I hosted my second annual Christmas Veterans’ Luncheon at St Matthews Parish Hall, Highfield on Sat, 7th December and was joined by 150 veterans and their guests from across the Makerfield Constituency.

I also welcomed special guests to the luncheon including the Mayor of Wigan, Cllr Billy Rotherham and Deputy leader of Wigan Council, Cllr David Molyneux.

Cllr Clive Morgan,  a former Welsh Guard and veteran of the 1982 Falklands War, was the MC for the day. The Vicar of St Paul's, Goose Green, Revd Neil Cook was on hand to open the event with prayers followed by the Exhortation led by Mr Mel Lee (Royal British Legion) and Mr Lawrence Powers (Burma Star Assoc).

2013 Review

Looking back over 2013 it must be said that this has been a year of mixed fortune for local people - ‘the best of times, the worst of times’, as Charles Dickens once wrote.

There have been many things to celebrate, not least our sporting prowess. In 2013 Wigan effectively became the sporting capital of the country, with three major trophy wins. First off, Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup for the first time in their history. Just three months later Wigan Warriors took the Challenge Cup for a record nineteenth time and then, in October, made it the double with the Super League trophy.

The fact is, though, that we punch above our weight in all sorts of ways. Take education, for example. With Winstanley College we have the 4th best Sixth Form College in the country. This year almost 40% of students achieved A* or A grades, well above the national average of 26.6%, and a record for the College.  I am proud of that, as I am sure you are.

I am also proud of improvements to our environment and to the quality of local services. The greenbelt at Junction 25 of the M6 has been successfully defended, after being removed from the Local Development Plan by the inspector, following local meetings which I attended with residents’ and campaign groups. It is also good to see that the redevelopment of Borsdane Precinct in Hindley has finally got underway.

These are positive gains for the community. I wish I could say the same about the new health centres in Ashton and Orrell, which have been held up because of the botched reorganisation of the NHS, but I will continue to fight for them.

But in many other ways 2013 has been a tough year, and one which none of us will miss. While we are constantly told that the economy is at last on the up, the fact remains that so many people continue to struggle in their daily lives. Debt levels are rising, wages stagnating and food banks have made a shocking reappearance in our community.

I went into Parliament to raise the kind of issues which face ordinary people - and which I also dealt with when I ran a Citizens Advice Bureau – and I continue to do so on a daily basis.

In this past year I have spoken out against some of the most iniquitous polices which this Coalition Government has introduced, such as the unfair and misguided bedroom tax. As chair of the All Party Group on Debt and Personal Finance, I have also been able to increase awareness of problems of high cost credit and of the unsavoury methods used by some payday lenders. Of course, the Government has undergone something of a u-turn on the issue of regulating this market, which at the moment resembles something out of the old ‘wild west’ and I think the Group, and its supporters, can claim real credit for helping ministers to see sense.  

As many of you know, I am now a shadow minister for defence.  At first I was shadow transport minister, but moved to defence in October. In some way I have traded buses and bikes for tanks and helicopters. It is a very different brief, of course, but one which still directly impacts on the lives of so many people, not least the many hundreds of veterans who live in the constituency. Service personnel and ex-service personnel face exactly the same issues and problems as everyone else and I will do all I can to serve their needs – and the needs of all constituents – as we move into 2014.

A merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

This article first appeared in the Wigan Observer 24th Dec issue.

A special school assembly for Christmas Card Competition Winner

Christmas Card Competition Design Winner
Luke Bollard, aged 15.

I have proudly presented prizes to the winners of my 2013 Christmas Card Design Competition today (Friday, 20th December) at St Edmund Arrowsmith RC High School, Ashton in Makerfield.

Joining Yvonne at the presentation was Headteacher, Mr Peter Phillips, as well as teacher representatives from Hawkley Hall High School and Hindley High School.

Now in its fourth year, the competition attracted entries from secondary schools across the constituency with all of the designs being carefully judged by myself.

The winning design has been sent to a number of distinguished people in the political world, including both the Prime-Minister, David Cameron and the Leader of the Opposition -  Ed Miliband. The card has also been sent to individuals across the public and private sector in the Wigan Borough including the Borough’s first citizen and Mayor of Wigan, Cllr Billy Rotherham.

Sophie Hill

The winning design by Luke Bollard, aged 15 incorporates the thumb print of a young cousin as Christmas Tree lights and reminds recipients that Christmas is a time for everyone, but especially children.

It was an absolute pleasure to present Luke Bollard with the winning prize.  It was a great design that has clearly hit the right note, so I’m sure people will enjoy receiving the card in the run up to Christmas.

Winona Gallagher

I know everybody at St Edmund Arrowsmith High School will be very proud of him.

We had a fantastic response from local schools. Pupils clearly put a lot of effort into their art-work so it made my job of picking the winner extremely difficult. But I’d like to thank all of the children and their teachers for taking part.

I also handed out prizes to two runners up whose designs feature on the back of the card.

Christmas Card Competition Runners Up

Sophie Hill aged 12
Hawkley High School

Winona Gallagher aged 15
Hindley High School

Boer War Memorial

I attended the unveiling of the Boer War Memorial in Mesnes Park on Saturday, 14th December.

The original statue was erected back in 1903; when the then Councillor Fyans said of its importance; `a memorial which should be for all time, a monument to the bravery of Wigan’s soldiers’.

It was paid for by public subscription, organised by Councillor Fyans but was removed in 1968 after becoming badly damaged by nature, industry and vandalism, leaving only the original stone plinth which is still in place.



The Friends of Wigan’s Boer War Memorial was set up many years ago and members including the late Fred Holcroft, who was Chairman for many years, always believed that one day they would raise enough money and gain the permissions to replace the old statue.

I joined Wigan MP, Lisa Nandy and Councillors to witness the unveiling of the new statue in the beautiful setting of Mesnes Park which itself has undergone a refurbishment over the recent past. More information on the Boer War can be found at the following link.

Pics courtesy of Howard Gallimore.

Thanks to our Posties!

I joined Lisa Nandy MP in a visit to Royal Mail’s Wigan delivery office to pass on Christmas wishes and encouragement to the postmen and women at their busiest time of year.

We were shown round the office by local Delivery Office Manager, Paul Atherton, and were introduced to the postmen and women who are working hard sorting and delivering all cards and parcels in the Wigan area in the run-up to Christmas.

Postmen and women do such an important job at this time of year. I like to thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best over the busy festive period.

Paul Atherton told me that Christmas is the busiest time of year for Royal Mail. Posties pull out all the stops throughout the year to ensure mail is delivered quickly, but even more so over the busy festive period.

This year the recommended last posting dates for mail are:

• Friday 20 December for 1st Class items
• Wednesday 18 December for 2nd Class items
• Monday 23 December for Special Delivery items

Saturday 14 December for airmail items to Western Europe (excluding France, Greece, Poland).

‘Paws for thought' this Christmas!

This week I attended an event in Westminster organised by Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, to raise awareness of its annual Christmas campaign.

The event celebrated the 35th anniversary of the iconic Dogs Trust slogan; “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas”. The phrase was coined in 1978 by the charity’s CEO, Clarissa Baldwin OBE, in a bid to highlight the issue of dogs being given as Christmas gifts, and indeed all year round, and later abandoned when the novelty wears off.

I was given the opportunity to take a festive Dogs Trust sleigh ride and meet a large number of furry friends. These pooches, however, were all stuffed toys – the only suitable kind of dog to give as a gift! Attendees also learned more about the charity’s annual campaign, which encourages people to pause and think carefully before taking on a dog, especially during the festive season.

A dog is a lifetime commitment and should never be bought on impulse as if it were a new television or a pair of shoes. This message is particularly poignant during the festive season, when people are buying all sorts of gifts on a whim without necessarily considering the consequences. I would urge anyone thinking of buying a dog or puppy as a Christmas present to ‘paws’ before doing so, and remember that A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas.

Every year since 1978, Dogs Trust has campaigned to highlight the problems surrounding dogs being given as gifts at Christmas and all year round. The charity aims to curb this problem by educating people about responsible dog ownership and about the potential risks of buying pets on an impulse, be it in pet shops, directly through breeders, or online.

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity and cares for over 16,000 abandoned and unwanted dogs a year through its nationwide network of 18 rehoming centres.

Carers Rights Day 2013

Carers UK have published new figures showing people caring unpaid for ill or disabled loved ones are missing out on the support they are entitled to, so on Carers Rights Day I am urging carers to find out about the support available.

There are 6.5 million people in the UK providing unpaid care and support to family, friends and neighbours saving the country over £119 billion every year.

The charity says that a total of £1billion in Carer’s Allowance is being unclaimed nationally as over 360,000 full-time carers miss out on the main carers’ benefit. In the Wigan Borough 2,127 carers are missing out on over £6.6million of unclaimed benefit per annum according to new figures from carers charity, Carers UK.

Carers make a huge contribution to society, but without the right support caring can be tough. It is vital that we all help to identify and support those caring for ill, frail or disabled loved ones and signpost them to the advice and support available.

Carers can order a free booklet called Looking after someone: a guide to carers’ rights and benefits from Carers UK or calling the Adviceline on 0808 808 7777.

Payday Loan rates to be capped

I am pleased that the Government are at last responding to this issue but the devil really is in the detail and we will have to wait to learn exactly what George Osborne is proposing.

It is not just the high rates of interest that punish borrowers but the unacceptable methods and charges of debt collection – particularly using Continuos Payment Authority (CPAs) to empty peoples bank accounts. The constant advertising and text messaging bombardment urging people to take out these loans targeted at the vulnerable should also be regulated.

Citizens Advice are right to raise the issue of choice in the market and that a cap on credit must be a cap on the total cost of credit. We must also encourage mainstream lenders like the high street banks offer short term loans and continue to encourage the growth of Credit Unions.

I'm backing calls to show respect for shopworkers

I joined staff at The Co-operative Food store in Winstanley this morning, to back a campaign calling on shoppers to show respect for retail workers.

My visit is in support of national shopworkers’ union Usdaw’s “Freedom from Fear Campaign”, and its Respect for Shopworkers Week, which runs from 11-15 November.

As a community retailer, The Co-operative is backing Usdaw’s campaign and has taken a leading role in tackling retail crime.

Verbal or physical abuse is not part of the job description for staff working in retail. Shopworkers should not have to put up with harassment or abuse from customers, when they are trying their best to serve the public.

They deserve our respect and that is why I applaud Co-operative stores across our area for backing Usdaw’s ‘Freedom from Fear' campaign.

Gwynneth Smedley, The Co-operative Food’s Regional Stores Director for the North West and North Midlands said, “The Co-operative’s food stores provide an essential service to local communities, that many people rely on in the run up to Christmas, and anti-social behaviour by a minority can have a devastating impact. However, it’s also a time of year shops are crowded and people are more stressed, so this is an important reminder that everyone, including retail workers, deserve respect.”

This week retail staff trade union leader John Hannett revealed survey results showing that 1 in 6 shopworkers had not reported a violent attack to their manager or the police.

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary said, “It is very worrying that 1 in 6 shopworkers who have
been physically assaulted did not report the incident to their employer or the police. We are shocked that
so many are suffering in silence and I would urge shopworkers to report all incidents, to give us and the
employers the chance to sort the problem."

"We are seeking a change in the law to provide for stiffer sentences for those who assault workers
serving the public. There is a real need to address the scourge of violence against workers. This
proposal would make it clear to potential assailants that attacking shopworkers is totally unacceptable
and reassure retail staff that reporting incidents will result in proper punishment for the offender."

Bedroom Tax

Pic with Shadow Secretary of State for
Work & Pensions Rachel Reeves MP

So here we are over six months on from the introduction of the bedroom tax, and we can properly appraise its impact.

Back in April, in a debate in Westminster Hall, I described the Government’s policy as cruel and wicked. As likely to bring misery and hardship as anything else and I have been proved right. Arrears have risen, families have cut back on essentials, and communities have been undermined.

But has it been successful on the Government’s own terms? As a policy it was always more about saving money, pure and simple, than anything else.

In the DWP impact assessments this was projected to amount to £930 million over two years (2013/14 and 2014/15). But this figure has been shown to be wildly optimistic, as the recent report by the Centre for Housing Policy at York University, based on real data from a number of housing organisations, including Wigan & Leigh Housing (WALH) has shown.

In Wigan, according to Government figures, £2.9 million could be saved annually. This would be achieved if nobody moved (and made up the rent shortfall themselves) or if everyone downsized within the social rented sector. It is not clear which of the options the Government prefers, but we are certainly seeing more of the former than the latter.

This is because in Wigan we have a shortage of one and two bedroom properties (and a surplus of three beds).  So there is nowhere to move to. This is the case in much of the North. Does the Government know this? I wonder sometimes if this Government understands anything about the North.

If tenants cannot move to council properties with fewer bedrooms then they must make up the rent difference themselves. In my constituency there are 4200 tenants affected, with reductions in housing benefits ranging from £517 to £1273. That money has to be found. And so often it will be found only by cutting down on essentials, such as heating and food. The York report quotes a number of people facing this dilemma, and reveals also the stress and anxiety that it also causes. In October 2,500 people contacted WALH about rent and debt – an increase of over 50%.

The other alternative is not to pay rent of course and one clear consequence of the bedroom tax is the building up of rent arrears. In Wigan the number of tenants in debt with their rent has risen from 33% to 53%. That’s over half.

This is a headache for tenants but it is also headache for councils. The Government talks of saving money, but it forgets the extra costs to councils and housing associations. The bedroom tax means a loss of rental income for Wigan Council and Wigan and Leigh Housing that has been estimated to be in the region of at least £1m a year. That’s money that could be used to build new homes. The staffing costs of dealing with increased arrears, rehousing and abandonments could perhaps be as much as £300,000 per annum. Has the Government thought of this in their calculations?

The only real option for tenants in Wigan facing a housing benefit shortfall, and unable to find a smaller property in the social housing sector, is to go into the private sector. Yes, really. We estimate that 100 tenants have moved into the private sector in Wigan since April. More will likely follow, as arrears and debt continue to build up.

For Wigan private rents are £700 - £1200 more per annum than Council rents, which could result in an additional housing benefit cost of £229,000 in 2014-15.

Two-bedroom properties in Wigan are readily available at the local housing allowance rate of £80.77 per couple. The Government have made much play about the bedroom tax being fairer, since – we are told – people in the private rented sector aren’t able to afford extra bedrooms. But this is certainly not the case in Wigan, where one-bedroom properties are much scarcer, so people in the private rented sector can have a spare bedroom without paying for the privilege. I suspect that this is the case in the constituencies of many of my colleagues, too. I informed the housing minister of this fact many months ago, but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Government have also made much of the need to address overcrowding, by freeing up larger properties for bigger families. But that doesn’t hold water either. In Wigan there is a real problem in finding tenants for three bedroom houses and two bedroom flats. There are 10,110 three-bedroom properties, of which 553 became vacant, but only 353 applications were made for those vacancies Demand has fallen, with the result that properties are remaining empty for longer in certain areas. The idea that families are packed like sardines in undersized houses waiting for people with spare rooms to move is simply not true.

This is a Government policy which simply doesn’t work. Certainly not in Wigan and most of the north of England. It doesn’t save money. It doesn’t reduce overcrowding. And it’s not a fairer system. All it does is push people into arrears and reduce the living standards of some of our poorest citizens. And it brings increased stress and misery to thousands. That’s why I described it as cruel.

It’s also vindictive. Because at its essence it is an attack on people in social housing. It’s an attack on a way of life, and an attack on communities. The Government is meant to believe in communities and want to support them.

Not here. Not if people need to move every time their circumstances change. Image the situation. A couple move into a one bedroom flat. They have a child, they move away to a two bedroom flat. They have another child and then move to a three bedroom property. The eldest child turns 18, and then move back to a two bed flat and then a one bed flat. What happens to a sense of community when people are constantly moving, back and forth.

We should be building strong communities and not undermining them. Letting people put down roots and build neighbourhoods. Not moving people around like pieces in a chess game. It’s time for a rethink.

My new role as a Milk Monitor at St Paul's Primary, Goose Green

I acted as milk monitor for the day at Saint Paul’s C of E Primary School in Goose Green on Friday (8th Nov) to celebrate free milk in schools.

Organised by the country’s leading school milk supplier Cool Milk, which also funds World School Milk Day in the UK, my visit was aimed at encouraging children to drink milk and teaching them about the nutritional benefits it provides.

As a child I enjoyed the benefits of school milk and I believe it is important that the children of today also enjoy the same privilege. It was great to see pupils at St Paul’s enjoying their milk and also the knowledge that they are receiving the nutritional benefits that milk provides.

My love of milk has stayed with me into adulthood and I still enjoy a glass of milk today or a hot cup of cocoa on a cold winter’s night!

In the UK, an estimated 1.5 million children under the age of five receive free milk every day, while pupils aged five to eleven receive subsidised milk.

Delivered fresh to the classroom, the milk is enjoyed as a group, promoting social development and independence. Milk is vital for building healthy bones and teeth and improves a child’s concentration, memory and creativity.

Makerfield Christmas Veterans' Luncheon

Pic with the Mayor, Cllr Clive Morgan and veteran
 representatives at the inaugural 2012 event.

The second Makerfield Christmas Veterans' Luncheon will be held on Saturday, 7th December at St Matthew's Parish Hall, Billinge Rd, Highfield WN3 6BL commencing at 12noon.

The inaugural luncheon held in December 2012 was a great success and was attended by over 140 veterans.

Winstanley Ward Councillor, Clive Morgan will act as MC. Clive is himself, a former veteran of the 1982 Falklands War and served in the Welsh Guards.

The Mayor of Wigan for 2013/14, Cllr Billy Rotherham and the Mayoress will also be in attendance.

Tickets will be issued on a first come, first serve basis and can be obtained by calling my constituency office on 01942 824029 or by email. The closing date for applications is Friday, 22nd November. Tickets will be dispatched after this date.

Freeze that Bill!

I'm delighted that Ed Miliband has confirmed that a future Labour Government will freeze energy bills until the start of 2017.

Under David Cameron gas and electricity bills have gone up £300 for the average household.

Britain’s families are facing a cost of living crisis. Prices have risen faster than wages in 39 of the 40 months that David Cameron has been in Downing Street and energy bills have gone up by almost £300. David Cameron’s failure to tackle rip-off bills has meant that many people are struggling to pay their bills.

I know how people in Wigan are struggling with the rising cost of living. Many of my constituents have written to me worried about their energy bills, and having to make a choice between heating their homes or buying food.

When the price of energy increases energy companies pass this on but when it drops consumers don’t see their bills fall.

David Cameron can’t deal with the cost of living crisis because he stands up for a privileged few, not for ordinary families. David Cameron has cut tax for people on over £150,000 a year while raising it for everyone else.

Ed Miliband says Labour will freeze prices until the start of 2017 if Labour wins the next election. And he says we will break up the big energy companies so that we can all get a fair deal.

But people round here need help now. So I’m calling on David Cameron to freeze our bills now. And I’m asking local people to sign our petition so that the voices of Wigan are heard loud and clear in Downing Street.

I've added my name to Charter to stop the Payday Loan Rip-off

I have backed the Charter to Stop the Payday Loan Rip-off. The Charter calls for tougher regulation of payday lenders and is supported by some of Britain’s biggest debt, consumer and anti-poverty organisations – including Which?, Citizens Advice, StepChange Debt Charity, Church Action on Poverty, and the Centre for Responsible Credit.

MPs from all parties and campaigners are urging the Financial Conduct Authority to back the Charter and introduce tougher regulation of payday lenders to stop millions of people being ripped-off. Over 40 MPs and peers backed the Charter at its launch in Parliament on Tuesday 15th October.

I’ve signed the Charter because payday lenders are ripping off millions of people, trapping them in spirals of debt. The Financial Conduct Authority’s proposals for regulation are a step in the right direction, but they don’t go far enough. This is a once in a generation opportunity to get the proper regulation and enforcement of payday lenders that we badly need. If the opportunity is missed then payday lenders will be able to carry on exploiting people.

I’d encourage people to add their voice to the growing calls for tougher regulation of payday lenders by signing the Charter here.   

The full text of the Charter to Stop the Payday Loan Rip-off reads:

We believe irresponsible payday lending and other high cost credit is damaging the health and wealth of our country. Payday lenders are exploiting millions of people across the UK, trapping them in spirals of debt, and the problem is getting worse.

Payday lenders are breaking promises they made in their own customer charter. Self-regulation has failed. We call for effective regulation of payday lenders and high cost credit, which is properly enforced, to:

• Stop them giving loans to people who can’t realistically afford to pay them back
• Stop them repeatedly rolling over loans and creating spiralling debt
• Stop hidden or excessive charges
• Stop them raiding borrowers’ bank accounts without their knowledge and leaving them in hardship
• Stop irresponsible advertising and instead provide clear and transparent information
• Require lenders to promote free and independent debt advice, and ensure they co-operate with other services to help people get out of debt.

We also want action to support the growth of credit unions and other forms of more responsible lending; we want banks to increase the availability of credit to people on low and middle incomes: and we want new research on capping the total cost of credit undertaken now.

The Charter has been developed by my parliamentary colleague, Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central.

Grilled yet again by Winstanley College Students!

A packed audience of students at Winstanley College met with Lisa Nandy MP and myself to discuss a wide  range of current issues.

The questions from students were diverse and we were very impressed with the level of engagement that Winstanley students showed in the discussion.

This now annual visit demonstrates that far from being apathetic, today's young people have a very good grasp of the issues facing the country and the global community.

Run4ALife 5K fun run

Pic with Rotary Club President Terry Hogan

Wigan certainly has the running bug following the inaugural Wigan 10K so I hope runners will participate in the Run4ALife 5k on 29th September at the DW Stadium.

I joined race organiser's The Rotary Club of Wigan today to help raise awareness of the event and to encourage everybody to take part over a smaller distance and one that the whole family can undertake.

Whether you run or walk the course it promises to be a great day so don't delay - sign up today!

Debt & Mental Health Seminar

I recently spoke at a debt and mental health seminar in Wigan. A disturbingly high number of professionals dealing with people facing overwhelming debt are failing to recognise that they are often 'at the end of their tether' and may even be suicidal.

Organised by the Campaign for Awareness of Mental Illness Among Debtors (CAMIAD), I outlined that money issues are a growing problem across the country with increasing numbers of people at all levels of society getting sucked into a spiral of debt.

Anyone, regardless of their social background, was at risk of running into debt and frequently the problems were compounded by the fact that victims refused to admit that they had a problem, not even to close members of their own family. The fact that these problems are so often hidden makes them much worse.

Conversely, where people in serious debt spoke to appropriate professionals trained in the recognition of mental health problems and who knew how to signpost them on for counselling or treatment, both money and lives can be saved.

CAMIAD was making a major contribution to reducing the levels of stress experienced by debtors – and the number of debt-related suicides. The one-day event at the Wigan Investment Centre was hosted by  Donna Cartmel, a director with insolvency practitioners, Lawson Fox of Bolton.

She said, “It is often difficult for us as professionals to recognise when one of our clients is suffering from a degree of mental illness or when one of our clients is displaying tell-tale signs of being suicidal, because of debt. It is no surprise in the current economic climate that suicide rates are so high.  The causes of mental illness are varied, as are the factors leading to debt, and we as professionals who face people in debt, need to be sympathetic of both.
             
Nigel Crompton, a senior mental health nurse and Head of Service Development at Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said, “Suicide is often the elephant in the room and professionals, who don’t have training in such matters, are often wary about raising the issue with debtors. Our experience has shown, however, that most people will experience a great sense of relief if they are feeling suicidal and are asked about it in the right way."

"With some specific mental conditions, notably bi-polar affective disorder, getting into debt was a recognised feature of the condition’s profile. Sufferers are known to go on extravagant spending sprees running up massive credit card bills,” he added.

The nationwide CAMIAD programme is aimed at any professional who might have contact with debtors and this includes insolvency practitioners, accountants, solicitors, debt management advisers, bankers, college and university lecturers, social and welfare workers and even doctors.

Wear It Pink Day

I joined the fight against breast cancer by raising awareness of Breast Cancer Campaign’s biggest (and pinkest) fundraiser, wear it pink day.

Over the last 10 years wear it pink has raised a staggering £23 million and on Friday 25 October 2013 people will come together in schools, colleges and businesses throughout the country to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Campaign’s lifesaving research.

Every year in the UK around 50,000 women and around 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly 12,000 women and 80 men die from this disease. This is why we need to support Breast Cancer Campaign’s fundraising efforts so they can continue to fund research which will one day lead to a cure. So join me, wear something pink and donate £2, it’s really as simple as that.

Breast Cancer Campaign vitally needs the money raised from wear it pink for its researchers to have the best possible chance to find the cure.

To register for wear it pink and receive your fundraising pack visit here or call 0800 107 3104.

Lottery Funding to mark WWI centenary

With a year to go until we mark the centenary of the UK entering the First World War, I am encouraging constituents to consider applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for community projects to learn more about the First World War.

HLF is making at least £1million a year available until 2019 as part of the First World War: then and now programme for small, community grants.  It will provide grants of £3,000 to £10,000 enabling groups right across the UK to explore, conserve and share their First World War heritage and deepen their understanding of the impact of the conflict.

Successful projects will include:

• researching, identifying and recording local heritage;
• creating a community archive or collection;
• developing new interpretation of heritage through exhibitions, trails, smartphone apps etc;
• researching, writing and performing creative material based on heritage sources;
• conserving and finding out more about war memorials

I’m delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is making this money available to local communities. Like many areas across the UK, the impact of the First World War on the people of Makerfield was extensive. For those who want to find out more about its legacy or who wish to mark the Centenary, I would urge them to get in touch with HLF.

HLF has already invested over £15million in projects – large and small – that will mark the Centenary of First World War. If a group have a project idea to mark the Centenary of the First World War, an online application pack is available here. If a group needs a grant of more than £10,000 for a First World War project, it can apply to HLF through its open programmes.

Congratulations to Wigan Sea Cadets

I visited my local Sainsbury's Store on Saturday to congratulate Wigan Sea Cadets on becoming Wigan Sainsbury’s new Local Charity partner

The Cadets will receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness support from the store’s colleagues and customers.

Well done to Wigan Sea Cadets - I know what a difference the initiative has made to local charities in my constituency in raising not just vital funds, but raising awareness of their cause too. I look forward to seeing how the partnership progresses over the coming months.

Wigan Sea Cadets were announced after customers had their say and voted in-store and online between 1st to 15th May. The Local Charity partner scheme began in 2009 and has raised more than £5 million to support local communities in the last four years.

Ian Almond from Wigan Sea Cadets said, “We know the success that the Local Charity partnership has bought to many charities in the local area so when we received the recent phone-call to tell us the news, we were thrilled. The exposure and support is going to be massively beneficial to our charity and I’d like to thank every Sainsbury’s Wigan customer who voted."

'Pack Your Policy' on holiday

I have today warned constituents about the dangers of travelling uninsured. In support of a campaign by ABTA – The Travel Association and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), I am urging holidaymakers across the Borough to “pack your policy” ahead of the great summer getaway.

According to new research by ABTA – the Travel Association, many UK holidaymakers are unaware of the costs of medical treatment abroad and may be putting themselves at risk of sky high medical bills if something goes wrong. 1 in 5 (20%) individuals now travel abroad without insurance, despite the need for medical assistance being relatively common. According to ABTA research, 16% of people have visited a doctor or hospital while abroad.

Most at risk are younger travellers as almost half (48%) will have a holiday abroad without taking out travel insurance. Recently released FCO research has found that 4 out of 5 (82%) young people admit to taking part in more adventurous behaviour on holiday – yet fewer than half (45%) check that their insurance covers risky pursuits.

We all look forward to our well-deserved summer holiday. However, it is very important that we make sure that when we do travel overseas, we are covered if something goes wrong. Many countries do not have national schemes to cover the cost of healthcare and treatment abroad can therefore be very costly. It is just not worth taking the risk. That is why I am very happy to support this campaign. I urge all of my constituents to make sure you “pack your policy” this summer.

ABTA has launched a new advice section on travel insurance for consumers.

Well done to Hindley J& I Primary School

Some of the children's artwork on display in
my constituency office

Send My Friend to School brings together thousands of children across the UK to speak up for the right to education, and remind world leaders of their promise that all children should get the chance to go to school.

In 2000, over 180 countries signed up to a set of commitments for a better world to tackle issues such as hunger and poverty. These Millennium Development Goals included a goal of education for all by 2015.

But time is running out. With only two years to go over 60 million children are still missing out on school. At the current rate of progress there will still be about 48 million children out of school in 2015.

Pupils at Hindley J&I Primary School have been learning about this important issue and they sent to me some very special artwork to tell me in their own words about the campaign.

They were not alone! Since the launch over 10,000 primary schools across the UK have taken part and by joining Send My Friend to School they are taking part in something even bigger - because right around the world people are also calling for education for all.

More than 18 million people in 100 countries have taken part in campaigning activities to date.