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2018 Archive

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Guide Dogs Access All Areas Campaign
20 December 2018
I recently attended an event in Parliament, hosted by the charity Guide Dogs, to raise awareness of discrimination against guide dog owners.
It is against the law to refuse access to a disabled person accompanied by an assistance dog, except in the most exceptional circumstances. However, a Guide Dogs survey found that three quarters of assistance dog owners reported that they had been refused entry by businesses.
Businesses that closed their doors to assistance dog owners included shops, supermarkets, gyms, campsites, places of worship, public transport, taxis and minicabs, pubs and hotels.
To find out more about Guide Dogs Access All Areas campaign, please click here.

Universal Credit
10 December 2018
Please click here for a response from Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, regarding Universal Credit.

Homeless Home for Good Campaign
10 December 2018
I recently attended an event in parliament, hosted by St Mungo’s, promoting their Home for Good campaign.
The campaign calls on the Government to commit to long-term funding for local authorities to deliver homelessness services. The campaign also calls for more social housing and improvements to make the private rented sector better suited to people who have slept rough.
Rough sleeping has increased by 169% across England since 2010, and recent figures revealed that 7,484 people were seen sleeping rough in London during 2017-18. Each night St Mungo’s provide housing and support to 2,800 people across London and the South and helps thousands of others with advice, health, skills and work services.
For more information about the campaign, please click here.

Tax credits and the two-child limit
6 December 2018
The government has no electoral mandate for the two-child limit as it was not a policy included in the 2015 Conservative General Election manifesto. Alongside UNISON, I believe that it will lead to a significant increase in child poverty. The financial support provided to families to recognise the additional costs of children should be based on need, not on when the child happens to be born.
I have signed a petition which calls for a repeal of the two child limit to Tax Credits and Universal Credit. You can sign this petition here.

Christian Aid - Internally Displaced People
5 December 2018
I recently attended an event in parliament, hosted by Christian Aid and highlighting the plight of internally displaced people across the world.
Globally, there are now around 65 million people displaced due to conflict and violence. The majority of these, around 40 million people, are displaced within their own countries. They often receive little or no support from the international community, and more attention is needed to ensure that they receive the support they are entitled to.
For more information, please click here.

Universal Credit and Terminal Illness
5 December 2018
Please click here for a response from Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, regarding Universal Credit claims for people with a terminal illness.

Safer Over 65 Campaign
29 November 2018
Electrical Safety First have recently launched their ‘Safer Over 65’ campaign, which encourages neighbours, friends and relatives to check on older people over the Christmas period.
The over 65’s are disproportionately affected by fires in their homes, particularly at this time of year when worries about heating costs mean older people often rely on electric blankets and portable heaters, rather than heating an entire home. In addition to the risk of tripping over trailing cables and wires, these items have caused a significant number of fires and injuries when not used correctly.
Simple steps like making sure electric heaters and blankets are switched off at night; keeping clothing, furniture and papers away from electric fires and not overloading sockets can ensure people stay safe this winter.
For more information please click here.

Environmental Protections Post Brexit
27 November 2018
Please click here for a response from Dr Therese Coffey, Under Secretary of State for the Environment, regarding the Environment Bill.

Planning Reforms for Shale Gas Development
23 November 2018
Please click here for a response from Kit Malthouse, Minister of State for Housing, regarding concerns about proposed planning reforms for exploratory shale gas development.

Fixed Odds Betting Terminals
23 November 2018
Please click here for a response from Mims Davies, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, regarding the future of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.

UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
22 November 2018
I recently signed a pledge welcoming the adoption of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The pledge commits parliamentarians around the world to promote the signature and ratification of the Treaty by their respective countries.
For more information, please click here.

Access to Orkambi for Cystic Fibrosis
21 November 2018
I recently attended a cross-party parliamentary event, hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, urging the NHS and Vertex pharmaceuticals to allow access to the drug, Orkambi.
People living with Cystic Fibrosis have been waiting three years for access to Orkambi. The medicines are the first to treat the root cause of Cystic Fibrosis and have been shown to slow health deterioration and reduce the need for frequent hospitalisation.
Deals recently struck between Vertex and the Danish, Dutch, Swedish, German, Austrian and Irish governments demonstrate the UK has fallen behind in supporting people with Cystic Fibrosis to access the most advanced therapies.
For more information about the campign, please click here.

Global Financing Facility
16 November 2018
Please click here for a response from Alistair Burt, Minister of State for International Development, regarding the Global Financing Facility.

'Scrap6months' Campaign
15 November 2018
I recently attended an event in parliament, promoting the ‘scrap6months’ campaign.
The campaign, run by the MND Association and Marie Curie, is calling for a change in the law so more terminally ill people can get access to benefits quickly and easily, regardless of the condition they have.
Currently, someone is only considered terminally ill if there is a reasonable expectation of having six or less months left to live. This outdated definition excludes people with complex and unpredictable terminal conditions from accessing the financial support they need in a timely manner. The current bureaucratic process for accessing crucial benefits can be lengthy, complex and instructive.
The change in the law will allow clinicians to determine whether a person is terminally ill, instead of an arbitrary time-limit decided in years gone-by. This would mean that people with complex and unpredictable terminal illnesses, such as motor neurone disease, can apply for benefits in a way far better suited to their needs and circumstances.
If you're living with a terminal illness or caring for someone, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 for support. For more information about the campaign, please click here.

Brexit and a Further Referendum
7 November 2018
A number of constituents have contacted me regarding Brexit and the possibility of a further referendum.
If, as looks increasingly likely, the deal the Government reaches (or if there is no deal) is damaging to our national interests in terms of the economy, workplace rights, environmental co-operation, shared security in Europe, consumer rights and the Irish Border issue, I will not support such a package.
That could, in consequence, lead to a general election (depending on a vote of no confidence in line with the Fixed Term Parliament Act), a further referendum, or possibly, both. If there is a referendum, the option of remaining should, in my opinion, be on the ballot paper.
At this point in time, however, it would be premature to take a fixed position without knowing what deal, if any, the Government reaches with the EU.
My own hope is that we will arrive at a position whereby there is a significant shift of opinion in favour of remaining in the EU, but I do not think we have arrived at that destination yet.
My genuine fear is that if we rush headlong towards a further referendum, without first having a clear indication that there is a genuine appetite for holding one on the part of the electorate, we will run the risk of hardening people’s views and, thereby, exacerbating the divisions in our country that where so tragically exposed in the original plebiscite. I do not think such an enterprise would serve anybody’s purpose and, therefore, it is better to await developments.

Brave Campaign
5 November 2018
Please click here for a response from Lord Ahmed, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and UN, regarding Amnesty International's BRAVE campaign.

Demand Faster Treatment – Pancreatic Cancer
5 November 2018
I recently pledged my support to Pancreatic Cancer UK’s campaign, demanding faster treatment for people with pancreatic cancer.
One in four patients with the disease die within a month of diagnosis, making it the quickest killing cancer. The charity is calling for the Government and devolved administrations to set a new ambition to begin treatment for all pancreatic cancer patients across the UK within 20 days of diagnosis by 2024.
For more information about the Demand Faster Treatment Campaign, please click here.

Raise the Rate Campaign
1 November 2018
I recently met with representatives from the Sixth Form Colleges Association, who are co-ordinating the Raise the Rate campaign. The campaign is backed by 12 associations that represent school and college leaders, governors, students, teachers and support staff in England, and is aimed at increasing the funding rate for sixth form students that has been frozen at £4,000 per student, per year since 2013. The campaign uses recent research from London Economics to press for a £760 per student increase to sixth form funding that is raised in line with inflation each year
For more information about the campaign please click here.

Clean Air for Children
30 October 2018
I recently attended an event in parliament, hosted by the Clean Air Parent’s Network, to find out more about their new campaign, which aims to protect children from harmful and illegal levels of air pollution where they learn and play.
For more information, please click here.

Macmillan Cancer Support - World's Biggest Coffee Morning 2018
30 October 2018
I recently attended the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning event in Parliament, organised by Macmillan Cancer Support. This year’s event focused on the challenges that people can face at different stages of their cancer experience.
During the event, I had the opportunity to meet and hear from people living with cancer, and learnt about Macmillan Cancer Support’s new strategy to help meet the needs of the increasing number of people living with cancer. Having raised over £27 million in 2017, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event of the year and there is still time to get involved.
For more information, please click here.

Local Government Funding
19 October 2019
I recently met with the organisers of the Breaking Point campaign to call for a real end to austerity for local councils.
Tory cuts to local government, of over £16 billion since 2010, mean councils have lost 60p out of every £1 that the last Labour Government was spending on local government in 2010. After almost a decade of Tory cuts to local government, many councils are now facing a crisis in funding.
The ‘Breaking Point’ petition is the most-signed petition of Labour councillors ever, with over 5,000 Labour councillors calling on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to cancel the further planned £1.3bn cut to councils, and to provide an immediate cash injection to stop children's services and adult social care from collapsing.
For more information, please click here.

People's Postcode Lottery
19 October 2019
I was very pleased to learn that a good cause in my constituency has received a welcome funding boost, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Comics Youth CIC was recently awarded £2000 from Postcode Community Trust, a grant giving charity funding entirely by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. The funding will enable the organisation to continue its work in Knowsley.
Since the beginning of the year, over £3.3million has been distributed to over 350 grassroots projects operating across Great Britain through People’s Postcode Lottery’s three community programmes trusts which are; Postcode Local Trust, Postcode Community Trust and People’s Postcode Trust.
The next opportunity for groups to apply for funding will be early in 2019. For more information, please visit the trusts’ websites:
www.postcodetrust.org.uk
www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk
www.postcodecommunitytrust.org.uk

Shale Gas Planning Reforms
17 October 2018
Please click here for a response from Kit Malthouse, Minister of State for Housing, regarding proposed planning reforms for shale gas development.

Tax rise for the NHS
11 October 2018
A number of constituents have been in touch with my office, asking me if I will support a “small, fair tax rise in the Budget to make sure the NHS gets the money it needs”. There is no doubt that the NHS needs a funding increase. After eight years of cuts, privatisation and a social care sector in crisis, the NHS is struggling to meet A&E targets, has nearly 100,000 vacancies and NHS Trusts are £1bn in deficit. The Prime Minister has announced the NHS will receive an additional £20 billion a year by 2023 – equivalent to a 3.4% increase. The announcement includes no new money for social care. Labour would match the government commitment and go further. We pledged £9bn in the first year of a Labour government for health and social care, while asking the top 5% and corporations to contribute a bit more tax. The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget speech will take place on Monday 29 October. At this stage, it is impossible to guess what the Chancellor’s proposals will be. But, please be assured, that I will continue to fight to protect the NHS, alongside Labour colleagues.

British Heart Foundation Artificial Intelligence
8 October 2018
I recently met the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to find out about the impact of artificial intelligence on heart and circulatory conditions.
The charity is funding innovative research to find better ways to diagnose and treat heart failure, which is a leading cause of hospital admissions for over-65s.
As the largest independent funder of cardiovascular research in the UK, the BHF is committed to accelerating progress in data science to find new ways of diagnosing and treating the more than 7 million people living with heart and circulatory disease in the UK.
For more information, click here.

Leasehold Home Ownership Consultation Paper
8 October 2018
The Law Commission has published a Consultation Paper on leasehold enfranchisement reform, “Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease”. The paper, together with a Summary, can be found here.
This Consultation Paper concerns the enfranchisement rights of leaseholders of both houses and flats. The paper makes provisional proposals for reform, designed to enhance and improve enfranchisement rights, and provide a new unified procedure for all claims. The purpose is to make the enfranchisement process easier, cheaper and quicker.
Furthermore, as requested by Government, the paper sets out options for reducing the price payable by leaseholders in order to exercise their enfranchisement rights, whilst ensuring sufficient compensation is paid to landlords to reflect their legitimate property interests.
The consultation paper asks questions about the provisional proposals and the impact they might have. The consultation period runs until 20 November 2018, and details on how to submit a response can be found here.

Amazon Tax Liabilities
5 October 2018
For those who contacted me about Amazon's tax liabilities, please click here for a response from Mel Stride, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

Pensions Dashboard
28 August 2018
Please click here for a response from Esther McVey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, regarding the pensions dashboard.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
27 September 2018
Please click here for a response from Alistair Burt, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, regarding Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2019
17 September 2018
I recently attended a Memorial Day Parliamentary Resources Launch for Holocaust Memorial Day 2019.
Holocaust Memorial Day will take place on 27 January 2019, to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
I want to encourage people in Knowsley to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2019, when we remember the millions of people who were affected by the Holocaust and the subsequent genocides.
For more information please click here.

Organ Donation Week
7 September 2018
I recently attended an event in parliament celebrating Organ Donation Week.
Around three people die every day due to the urgent shortage of organs, and only one in every hundred people die in circumstances where they could donate. A reluctance to talk about the issue is contributing to a deadly shortage of organs and leaving families to make a difficult decision when someone they love dies.
For more information about the campaign, please click here.

Beer Duty
17 August 2018
Please click here for a response from Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, regarding beer duty.

Royal British Legion 'Thank You' Campaign
14 August 2018
I am supporting the Royal British Legion ‘Thank You’ campaign.
It is 100 years since the end of World War One, and the Royal British Legion are saying thank you to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed the world.
For more information, please click here.

Royal British Legion 'Count Them In' Campaign
14 August 2018
I am supporting the Royal British Legion ‘Count Them In’ campaign.
After the 2011 census we knew more about the Jedi population of the UK than about those who have served in our Armed Forces. Despite an estimated 1 in 10 of the UK population being members of the Armed Forces community, there's very limited information about where they are or what their needs might be. By adding new questions to the 2021 census, we can improve our understanding of this unique community and ensure that politicians, charities and service providers fully meet the needs of our serving personnel, veterans and their families.
For more information, please click here.

Extraordinary Rendition
9 August 2018
Please click here for a response from Alan Duncan, Minister of State of Europe and the Americas, regarding extraordinary rendition.

First World War Centenary Events
8 August 2018
The centenary of the end of the First World War is approaching, and there are many events taking place to mark the occasion.
National commemorations will include the lighting of over 1000 beacons of light, symbolising an end to the darkness of war and return to the light of peace. Cathedrals and Churches across the country will ring their bells in celebration of peace.
For details of events planned, please click here.

Develop your Internet Skills with Barclays
8 August 2018
Please click here for details of an interactive event, held by Barclays, to help people develop their internet skills. The event will take place at Barclays Bank Bootle on 6 September between 10am and 2pm.

Vehicle Emissions
20 July 2018
Please click here for a response from Chris Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, regarding alternative ways to lower vehicle emissions.

UK Parliament Week
19 July 2018
UK Parliament Week has been confirmed for 12-18 November 2018.
UK Parliament Week is an annual festival that engages people from across the UK with Parliament, explores what it means to them and empowers them to get involved. There is something for everyone, whether you attend or organise an event. You can also take part in the online conversation using the hashtag #UKPW18.
Organisations across the UK run events and activities throughout UK Parliament Week, which explore what the UK Parliament means to them and their community.
For more information, please click here.

Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary
16 July 2018
Please click here for a response from Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, regarding the creation of an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary.

Immigration Enforcement
12 July 2018
Please click here for a response from Caroline Nokes, Minister of State for Immigration, regarding immigration enforcement.

Abortion Law in Northern Ireland
12 July 2018
Please click here for a response from Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, regarding abortion law in Northern Ireland.

Group B Strep Support
9 July 2018
As part of July’s Group B Strep Awareness Month, I am backing calls from UK charity, Group B Strep Support, for every pregnant woman to be informed about Group B Strep, after research found that one in five women have not heard of the disease.
Group B Strep (also known as Strep B or GBS) is a normal bacterium carried by around one in five adults, usually with no symptoms or side-effects. It is also the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies. These infections happen when the bacteria are transmitted to the baby around labour. These infections can be very serious and can cause conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. If left untreated, a GBS infection can kill a newborn baby within hours. On average, two babies each day in the UK develop a GBS infection and, each week, one baby dies from a GBS infection and another is left with a life limiting disability.
Group B Strep Support believe all pregnant women should also be informed that they can take a simple, safe test between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy to see if they’re carrying GBS. Currently the RCOG says that this test (the Enriched Culture Medium or ECM test) should only be offered to women who carried GBS in their previous pregnancy.
For more information, please click here.

ORR Inquiry
3 July 2018
In May 2018 a new timetable was introduced for large parts of Britain’s railway network, causing major disruption to service for passengers, especially in the North of England and in the South East.
At the request of the Government, ORR has established an inquiry into the factors that contributed to the failure to produce and implement a satisfactory operational timetable in May 2018. An interim report will be published in September, and final recommendations by the end of the year.
The Inquiry welcomes evidence from those affected by the disruption. To contribute please click here or e-mail timetable.inquiry@orr.gov.uk

ACM Cladding
27 June2018
Please click here for a response from Dominic Rabb, Minister of State for Housing, regarding funding for the replacement of ACM cladding.

OLIO
25 June 2018
OLIO is a food sharing app, helping to fight food waste and hunger.
Households with extra food can take a photo and add it to the app. Neighbours receive alerts, can browse through the listings and request what they want. The pickup takes place neighbour-to-neighbour, often the same day. In addition, local businesses can join OLIO’s ‘Food Waste Heroes’ programme, where OLIO volunteers will collect unsold food at the end of the day and redistribute it to the local community via the app.
Over half a million people have joined OLIO, and 600,000 portions of food have been shared between neighbours. UK households throw away £15bn worth of food every year, and food bank usage is rising each year.
For more information click here.

38 Degrees survey on NHS funding
22 June 2018
A number of constituents have been in touch with my office, asking me to complete an online survey, produced by 38 Degrees, on NHS funding.
I agree that the NHS needs a funding increase. After eight years of cuts, privatisation and a social care sector in crisis, the NHS is struggling to meet A&E targets, has nearly 100,000 vacancies and NHS Trusts are £1bn in deficit. The Prime Minister has announced the NHS will receive an additional £20 billion a year by 2023 – equivalent to a 3.4% increase. The announcement includes no new money for social care. Labour would match the government commitment and go further. We pledged £9bn in the first year of a Labour government for health and social care, while asking the top 5% and corporations to contribute a bit more tax. I I have raised both mine and my constituents' concerns about the NHS funding crisis with the Secretary of State for Health and you can read his response here.

Treat Me Well
20 June 2018
I recently attended Mencap’s Learning Disability Week reception in Parliament, and spoke to people with learning disabilities about the challenges they face when visiting their doctor or a hospital.
Mencap report that three people with a learning disability die avoidably every day. That is to say their deaths would be avoided by improving the quality of healthcare for people with a learning disability. Mencap’s new campaign, ‘Treat Me Well’, aims to change this by making sure all health professionals receive learning disability awareness training. An important part of this is understanding how to make ‘reasonable adjustments’. These are simple things such as having a quiet space to wait for an appointment, jargon free easy to understand information and longer appointment times, as it can sometimes take longer for people with a learning disability to express themselves or they may well need support to do so.
For more information please click here.

Death Notification Service
14 June 2018
A new service has recently been launched to help people report the death of an individual to participating organisations at the same time.
The gateway service aims to make the process easier for those who have suffered a bereavement by relieving the stress around repeated notifications and enabling them to manage these at a time that is convenient. Once the online form is completed, the selected financial institutions will then contact the notifier to inform them of the next steps.
For more information, please click here.

Free Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation
14 June 2018
As part of the wider national scheme to deliver the benefits of energy efficiency to households, E.ON has decided to offer free cavity wall and loft insulation to households that are currently without these, regardless of whether the household uses E.ON as their energy supplier.
The insulation, which would usually cost around £775, is being offered for free for a limited time to all homeowners, landlords and private tenants who have their landlord’s permission. Households who take up the offer could save up to £285 a year on their energy bills.
For more information visit www.eonenergy.com/insulate or call 0330 400 1083

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill Amendments
14 June 2018
You can find out how I voted on the Lords amendements to the EU Withdrawal Bill by clicking here.

Carers Week 2018
13 June 2018
I recently attended a Carers Week event with carers and charities in Westminster, pledging my support to unpaid carers locally.
The event celebrated and recognised the vital contribution made by the 6.5 million people across the UK who currently provide care and support to a family member or friend with a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older.
Without the unpaid care provided every year by family and friends, our health and care services would collapse. Yet, caring for a loved one too often means carers neglect their own mental and physical health. By working together during Carers Week we have a huge opportunity to make communities more carer friendly and make a difference to those who contribute so much.
For further information visit www.carersweek.org

Gaza
7 June 2018
Please click here for a response from Alistair Burt, Minister with responsibility for UK relations with the Middle East, regarding the recent violence in Gaza.

Paper Cup Recycling
4 June 2018
I welcome a new innovative recycling scheme for paper cups in Kirkby.
Created in partnership between the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) and Knowsley Council, the scheme means that, for the first time, local residents can recycle their used cups alongside food and drink cartons at specialist bring banks.
Since April 2018 bring banks located in Kirkby, as well as in nearby Huyton, have accepted plastic lined paper cups, such as those used by high street coffee shops, fast food outlets and supermarkets, for recycling. The new service is the result of a ground-breaking agreement between ACE UK, which operates the dedicated food and drink carton recycling service, high street retailers and cup manufacturers from the Paper Cup Alliance. Cups are made from similar materials to food and drink cartons and will be recycled using the same process, at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax.
For more information on recycling, please contact Knowsley Council on 0151 443 2400.

Fix Dementia Care
25 May 2018
I recently joined over 90 other Members of Parliament at an Alzheimer’s Society event to launch their new report, Dementia – the true cost, as part of their Fix Dementia Care campaign.
Their report, based on testimony and evidence from people affected by dementia, social care professionals and dementia lead nurses, highlights the far-reaching impact of the broken social care system on people with dementia, and outlines urgent areas for the Government to address in its upcoming Green Paper on social care reform.
People affected by dementia highlighted the small actions that would have a big impact on their lives and enable them to live the lives they choose, such as continuing to invite people with dementia out and making sure you listen and include them in conversations. The Alzheimer’s Society are encouraging the general public to consider these actions as part of Dementia Action Week (21-27 May).
You can find out more about the Alzhemier’s Society by clicking here.

Scrap Prescription Charges for Long-term Conditions
21 May 2018
I am supporting Parkinson’s UK and Crohn’s and Colitis UK’s campaign to scrap prescription charges for everyone in England with a long-term condition.
An independent report by the York Health Economics Consortium showed savings of more than £20 million per year if the NHS scrapped prescription charges for people with Parkinson’s and Inflammatory Bowel Disease alone. Savings would be made from a reduction in health complications due to people being able to afford their medication. Previous research has shown around a third of people with long term conditions who pay for prescriptions do not pick up or take their medication properly due to the cost.
For more information please click here.

Breast Cancer Care – ‘Afternoon Tea’
17 May 2018
I am supporting ‘Afternoon Tea’, Breast Cancer Care’s annual summer fundraising campaign.
The campaign encourages friends, family and colleagues to get together for afternoon tea in July and raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Care, which will enable the charity to continue to provide free care, support and information to those affected by breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK today, with 62,000 women and men diagnosed each year and one in eight women being diagnosed in their lifetime.
For more information about the campaign please click here.

Great Places
10 May 2018
I recently attended a parliamentary event promoting the National Housing Federation’s Great Places Programme.
The Great Places Programme explores what makes a place great to live in, and how housing associations can contribute. Through Great Places, the National Housing Federation will look at how housing associations can work with residents, the Government, local authorities, private companies and not-for-profit organisations to create or rebuild great places to live across the country.
For more information please click here.

Search for Halewood women who helped change the course of history
2 May 2018
7th June 2018 will mark 50 years since women sewing machinists at Ford’s plant in Dagenham walked out in a row over equal pay. The strike is now regarded as a watershed moment in the fight for equality and the role played by the women in Dagenham has been told on stage and on screen. However, the role of ladies working at Ford’s plant in Halewood, who downed tools in solidarity with their southern colleagues, is a part of the story that has largely been forgotten. The strike, which started because of the pay grading system used by Ford at the time, eventually resulted in production grinding to a halt as the supply of covers for car seats ran out. It was only due to the intervention of Barbara Castle, Secretary of State for Employment, that a resolution to the dispute was found, but by that point, momentum was on the side of the women workers, and it was just two years later that the Equal Pay Act (1970) was passed by Parliament.
As we approach 50 years since this historic event took place, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram is trying to track down some of the women who were involved in the walk out at Halewood, and invite them to a commemoration event that is being organised in conjunction with Dagenham Council.
If people wish to get in touch with information, please contact: 0151 330 1467 or info@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk

'Food Upfront' Campaign
26 April 2018
I am supporting Diabetes UK's 'Food Upfront' campaign, calling for the public to be given clear nutritional information in restaurants, cafes and takeaways, as well as on the front of all pre-packaged food and drinks.
Diabetes UK are seeking mandatory front-of-pack traffic light labelling on all pre-packed foods and drinks sold in the UK; mandatory calorie labelling on menus in key high street restaurants, cafes and takeaways, with carb content available online or when you ask for it in store; and for carbohydrates to be labelled on the back of products, per portion and as prepared.
Putting these simple measures in place could make a huge difference to the nation as a whole. Obesity and weight related chronic health conditions – including Type 2 diabetes – continue to rise, and it is important that MP's and the Government do everything they can to halt this growing health crisis.
Together with my parliamentary colleagues, I have recently signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister calling on the Government to strengthen the UK’s food labelling system.
For more information, please visit www.diabetes.org.uk/food-upfront.

Merseyside Police Surgeries
23 April 2018
Merseyside Police are holding regular surgeries across Knowsley, where residents can discuss any policing concerns they may have.
The next surgery will be held at Prescot Community Station on 26 April 2018 from 7pm.
Further details can be found here.

2018 Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund
23 February 2018
Applications are now open for the 2018 Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund.
The purpose of the funding is to improve commuity life within Kirkby neighbourhoods, and is available for projects which contribute towards community improvement, health and wellbeing or environmental improvement.
Further details can be found here.

Yorkshire Bank Spirit in the Community Awards 2018
23 February 2018
Yorkshire Bank have announced that applications are now welcome for their Spirit in the Community Awards 2018.
Community projects across the North West are invited to enter the awards programme, which could see them share a funding boost of £75,000.
For further details, please click here.

British Red Cross Refugee Awareness Workshops
21 February 2018
British Red Cross are offering workshops designed to help 10-19 year olds explore the impact of stigmatising behaviour towards refugees and asylum seekers.
To find out more, please click here.

SHARe – Support & Help for Asylum Seekers and Refugees
21 February 2018
I recently visited a SHARe drop in event at Prescot Methodist Church Hall.
SHARe aim to create a support network for asylum seekers and refugees in Knowsley, and have established close links with the British Red Cross and MRANG, who both have outreach workers that are often at the drop-in to give casework advice and support.
SHARe currently have a weekly drop-in every Monday AT Prescot Methodist Church Hall, starting at 11:30pm with and English class between 1-3pm. You can find out more by clicking here.

Erasmus+ Funding
21 February 2018
A record amount of Erasmus+ funding is available for organisations in Knowsley this year.
Erasmus+ funding enables participants from the UK to go abroad and study, work, volunteer, teach or train. Every year, Erasmus+ funds around 16,000 UK higher education students to benefit from a study or work placement abroad, 6,000 UK vocational education and training students to benefit from a work placement abroad, and 5000 young people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, to benefit from a volunteering experience abroad.
The next deadline for applications is 21 March for exchanging best practice in education and training, and 26 April for all youth sector activities. You can find further information by clicking here.

Detention of Palestinian Children
16 February 2018
Please click here for a response from Alistair Burt, Minister with responsibility for UK relations with the Middle East, regarding the detention of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention.

Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
15 February 2018
Please click here for a response from Alistair Burt, Minister with responsibility for UK relations with the Middle East, regarding violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 

End Outsourcing of Public Sector Contracts Petition
6 February 2018
Anyone wishing to sign a petition calling for an end to the outsourcing of public sector contracts can do so by clicking here.
At 10,000 signatures, the government will respond to the petition. At 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

'Held Back' Campaign
5 February 2018
I am backing the National Autistic Society and Ambitious About Autism campaign, Held Back, to ensure the Government introduces a national autism and educational strategy.
I have signed an open letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds MP, urging him to take action to make sure the 120,000 school-aged children on the autism spectrum in England are no longer held back.
The letter was handed to the Secretary of State at a reception in Parliament on 31 January, which I was proud to attend.
The letter is in response to an autism and education report which was launched in November 2017 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA) alongside the National Autistic Society. The APPGA report was published following an inquiry, which included a survey of over 3,000 parents, carers, young people and teachers, as well as expert witness evidence sessions in Parliament. The findings, which came three years after the Government introduced a new special educational needs and disability (SEND) system in England, showed that the education system was still failing to meet the needs of autistic children and young people.
You can find out more about the campaign by clicking here.

First Aid Skills
5 February 2018
The Red Cross are promoting first aid skills on their website, making it easy to learn the skills you will need to help in an emergency.
You can find out more by clicking here.

Free Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation
2 February 2018
Energy provider, E.ON, are offer free cavity wall and loft insulation to households that are currently without these, regardless of whether the household uses E.ON as their energy supplier.
The insulation is being offered for free for a limited time to all homeowners, landlords and private tenants who have their landlord’s permission.
If you would like further information, please click here.

Warm Home Discount
1 February 2018
British Gas customers who may be eligible for the Warm Home Discount this winter can still apply.
The Warm Home Discount is a scheme which allows some British Gas a rebate of £140 off their electricity bill. Customers may be eligible if they receive the Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit or if they are on a low income and meet British Gas's criteria for the scheme. Customers can still qualify if they use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.
For more information, please click here.

The future of Knowsley parks & green spaces
12 January 2018
Please find below a joint statement from Maria Eagle MP, Marie Rimmer MP and I regarding the Council’s decision on the future of Knowsley parks and green spaces

Since 2010, when the Conservative Lib Dem Coalition came to power, Knowsley has been the hardest hit Local Authority in the country by government grant cuts. We fully accept for that reason, the Council has reluctantly had to look at options for the future of services such as parks and greenspaces.
Since the announcement of the proposed sale of 17 parks in Knowsley to developers, we have been contacted by constituents who have expressed concerns. We share their concerns. We believe that there are still a number of key questions which need to be addressed.
First, what consultation has taken place over the proposed new service model? And with whom? Our Trade Union colleagues will argue that any consultation should also take into account the impact on jobs, and we agree.
Second, the new model proposes that the proceeds of any such sales (estimated at £40m) would be used to establish a trust. The annual revenues from investing the £40m endowment will be used to administer the running of the parks.
It is clear that there now needs to be extensive due diligence to confirm how such a sum could be generated and whether it would be sufficient.
In addition, we understand, that a private limited company has been registered with Companies House – Knowsley Parks Service – the only named Director of which is an officer of Knowsley Council. The Certificate of Incorporation for the Company gives no information as to its purposes.
A further private company limited by guarantee, has been registered with Companies House – The Knowsley Parks Trust Ltd.
It may well be that these companies have been established for precautionary purposes. There is, however, a legitimate concern on the part of our constituents that they signal a fait accompli.
Third, we have been informed that seven of the parks listed for proposed sale, are actually leased to Parish or Town Councils. There is, as far as we are able to ascertain, no certainty that those Councils have either been consulted or signified any agreement to surrendering their leases.
At this stage in the process, the concerns of our constituents have not been addressed. Before any final decision is taken by the Council, we believe that the issues we have identified need to be carefully examined and, also, the possibility of other options needs to be examined.
We call on the Council to keep an open mind on other options and in moving forward on this issue, to take into account all of the concerns raised by constituents before any irrevocable decision is taken.


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