Teresa Backs Bill to Save our NHS

Teresa has voted for the new Bill to repeal the Tories’ new competition rules that drive NHS privatisation at the expense of patient care. She was contacted by hundreds of local residents urging her to vote for the Bill.

The National Health Service (NHS) (Amended Duties and Powers) Bill, introduced by Clive Efford MP, passed its Second Reading in the House of Commons today with a vote of 239 to 20.

This Bill aims to eliminate competition in the NHS, and would scrap the rules that force market tendering of services and that are seeing millions of pounds wasted on competition lawyers. Instead, it aims to ensure that patient care is once more prioritised.

The Bill will now move to Committee Stage where it will be scrutinised line-by-line by a group of MPs.

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Posted in House of Commons, News, Press Notices

Teresa questions Cabinet Office Minister on cuts to Youth Services

Teresa this week pressed the Minister to look at the impact of cuts to youth services during Cabinet Office Oral Questions (PQs) in the House of Commons.

During Cabinet Office Orals, Teresa asked:

“The National Audit Office has said today in a report on local government funding cuts that the Government fail to monitor the impact of funding reductions on local services. The report into the exploitation of girls in Rotherham cited youth workers as repeatedly having raised serious concerns—they were often the only people to do so—which shows that youth workers are often the only dependable adult in vulnerable children’s lives. Will the Minister assure me that he will monitor carefully the impact of local government cuts to youth services and the effects on child safety, and report his findings back to the House?”

Rob Wilson MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Civil Society), responded:

“Obviously the Rotherham child sex abuse case is complex, and most of the responsibility for the matter lies within the Department for Education, but the hon. Lady makes a good point. It is important that we all learn lessons across Government, and the Cabinet Office is as keen as any other Department to do so.”

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Posted in House of Commons, News

Teresa backs campaign to end ‘revenge evictions’

Teresa is joining Shelter’s campaign to stop landlords from evicting renters unfairly, after the charity revealed the true scale of revenge evictions taking place throughout Erith and Thamesmead.

The housing and homelessness charity is calling on other politicians to follow suit and vote in Parliament on Friday 28th November 2014 to change the law to protect renters.

Research commissioned by Shelter and British Gas found that in the last year alone, 1 in 9 (11%) of renters in London were too scared to ask their landlord to fix a problem in their home for fear of being evicted.

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Posted in Local events, News

Teresa hears Holocaust survivor testimony at Woolwich Polytechnic School

Teresa recently visited Woolwich Polytechnic School to hear testimony from Holocaust survivor, Mala Tribich, as part of a visit organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust.

The testimony was followed by a question and answer session to enable pupils to better understand the nature of the Holocaust, and to explore its lessons in more depth.

Teresa said:

 “It was a privilege to hear Mala Tribich speak, and her words will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced.

 

The innovative approach to teaching and learning at Woolwich Polytechnic School has enabled students to hear and reflect on the powerful personal testimony from one who survived the events of the Holocaust. The lessons the students have learned from this will undoubtedly enable them to be better citizens both now and in the future.

 

I would like to thank Woolwich Polytechnic School for hosting this event and for being so welcoming, and I would also like to thank the Holocaust Education Trust for co-ordinating the visit.”

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Posted in Local events, News

Teresa calls for musicians and film-makers to enter Rock the House and Film the House

Teresa showing off her guitar skills.

Teresa is supporting musicians and film-makers from Erith and Thamesmead by calling for local artists to enter Parliament’s two largest creative competitions, Rock the House and Film the House.

Founded by Mike Weatherley MP, the annual competitions offer the opportunity to put local musicians and film-makers in direct contact with the movers and shakers of the two industries, and to have the best of Erith and Thamesmead’s talent take front and centre stage.

Judged by the leading lights of the industries, with prizes ranging from festival slots, studio time, top-notch equipment, and your work premiered in London’s West End, the Rock the House and Film the House competitions are a pioneering opportunity to showcase what Erith and Thamesmead has to offer, raising awareness about the importance of Intellectual property (IP) to our creative industries and country.

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Posted in News, Press Notices

Teresa questions Prime Minister on safety standards of school expeditions abroad

Teresa raised with David Cameron during the weekly Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMQs) the case of Sam Boon from Abbey Wood, who died in 2012 during a school trip to Morocco. He was taking part in a five-day trek.

The South London coroner’s report said that the trek leaders were “inexperienced” and “lacking in local knowledge.”

Teresa said:

“In 2012 my constituent, Sam Boon, died while on a World Challenge trip to Morocco. He was 17. The coroner was so concerned at the multiple failings that she issued a section 28 report to the Minister for Schools to prevent future deaths. There are British safety standards, but they are entirely voluntary. Why is adherence to those standards not compulsory, so
that no other parent has to suffer like Mr and Mrs Boon?”

The Prime Minister replied:

“I would like to look carefully at the case the hon. Lady has mentioned and write to her about it. It is important to ensure that safety standards are upheld, and to try to prevent tragedies such as the one she refers to.”

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Posted in House of Commons, News

Thameslink Frequently Asked Questions


What is happening?
Network Rail is rebuilding London Bridge mainline station to provide more space, improved connections to more destinations and more reliable services. It is part of the Thameslink Programme to transform north‐south travel through London.

Who is involved in the Thameslink Programme?
The Thameslink Programme is sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT). Station, track and signalling works is being carried out by Network Rail working closely with the train operating companies Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and Transport for London to try to minimise disruption.

What is happening at London Bridge station?
London Bridge will have new platforms for more trains and a new concourse. The track outside the station will be re-configured, which will reduce delays previously caused by trains having to cross in front of one another and having to wait outside the station for platforms to clear.

How long will it last?
The station redevelopment will be complete in 2018. The work is being carried out in phases in order to keep the station working during construction. This means a rolling programme of service and station changes up to early 2018.

How will my services be affected?

  • Between 22-24 December:
    Some morning peak trains to Charing Cross will not be stopping at London Bridge.
  • From 12 January 2015 until August 2016:
    Services to and from Charing Cross will not call at London Bridge.
    Charing Cross services to and from New Cross, St Johns, Deptford, Greenwich, Maze Hill and Westcombe Park will be permanently diverted to and from Cannon Street.
    Charing Cross services to Plumstead, Woolwich Dockyard, Belvedere and Erith will also be diverted to run to/from Cannon Street.
  • From August 2016 until January 2018:
    Charing Cross services will resume calling at London Bridge.
    Cannon Street services will not call at London Bridge.

Is there anything happening at London Bridge Underground station and will Underground services be affected?
No works are taking place at London Bridge Underground station, however some tube lines and stations will be busier than usual during the service changes, as National Rail customers are diverted and use alternative routes to get to their destinations. The Jubilee line at London Bridge, Southwark and Waterloo may be exceptionally busy.

I work in the area ‐ will my employer know what is happening? What support is available to employers?
The Thameslink Programme has said they are working closely with local councils and business improvement districts to provide comprehensive and timely information about major planned periods of disruption to affected businesses and their staff, as well as holding a number of briefing sessions. They will also have a specific business advice webpage with resources and information for businesses.

Will the wider area around the station be closed?
The London Bridge area will be ‘open for business’ throughout the rebuild of the rail station.

How will passengers with disabilities / mobility issues be able to reach London Bridge for Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals?
Throughout service changes, passengers will still be able to get to the London Bridge area and Guy’s Hospital, although passengers may need to take alternative routes. Thameslink say they are working with Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals to advise patients on how to get to them during service disruption. Anyone needing mobility assistance should speak to their station staff or contact their train operator in advance.

Where can I find more information?
Go to http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/ and click on the Thameslink tab.
Visit http://www.thameslinkprogramme.co.uk/ to sign up for email alerts.
You can also follow on twitter @TLProgramme sign up for a reminder on planned disruption by texting TLP and your home station to 60777.
For specific questions about the work email contact@thameslinkprogramme.co.uk or call the Network Rail National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41.

Travel advice and information about tickets
If you regularly use a service to Charing Cross or change at London Bridge, the alternatives you can consider include:

Changing the train you catch from your home station so that you don’t need to change onto a different service – catch a Cannon Street service which will still call at London Bridge. This may involve travelling a few minutes earlier or later.

Look at the options available at the London end of your journey – for example walking from your final station, cycling or catching a bus.

Passengers who are travelling to Charing Cross or Waterloo East are required to change at London Bridge for bus or Underground services or continue on to Cannon Street and complete their journeys by bus or Underground.

Tickets will be accepted on London Underground and eligible bus services on the section of routes between London Bridge and Waterloo/Southwark, between London Bridge and Charing Cross and between Cannon Street and Charing Cross/Embankment. Greenwich passengers may use the DLR for travel between Greenwich and Lewisham services outside of London, TfL has agreed to accept tickets at specific London Underground stations and on specific bus routes without you being charged.

However if you do use a different route or enter/exit the TfL network at a different location from those outlined below you will be charged a fare for the journey. The routes are:

  • Between London Bridge and Waterloo/Southwark on the Jubilee line and on bus services (services 381 and RV1) on the section of route between London Bridge and Waterloo.
  • Between London Bridge and Charing Cross on Jubilee/Bakerloo/Northern Lines and on bus services (services RV1 and 15) on the section of route between London Bridge and Charing Cross.
  • Between Cannon Street and Charing Cross/Embankment on District/Circle lines and on bus services (service 15) on the section of route between Cannon Street and Charing Cross.
  • Between Elephant and Castle and London Bridge on Northern Line and on bus services (service 35, 40, 133 & 343) on the section of route between Elephant and Castle and London Bridge.
  • Between Blackfriars and London Bridge and on bus services (service 17 (Blackfriars North), 381 & RV1 (Blackfriars South)) on the section of route
    between Blackfriars and London Bridge.
  • Greenwich passengers may use the DLR for travel between Greenwich and Lewisham

The ticketing arrangement applies to all ticket types including National Rail season tickets and day tickets, Oyster Pay As you Go, Contactless and Southern Smartcards. If you have a Travelcard (daily or season) you can use any route; however if you have a ‘London Terminals’ tickets will need to follow the specified routes to complete journeys. If you travel with an Oyster or Contactless will need to following specified routes to avoid being charged.

If you have a National Rail only season ticket that is valid after 12 January 2015, your ticket will need to be reissued with the correct coding so that London Underground ticket gates can recognise them. The train operators have promised that they will communicate to passengers about this process.

Posted in News

Children at West Street Nursery make Teresa feel at home

Teresa at West Street Nursery.

The children at West Street Nursery made their own cardboard Big Ben so that Teresa would feel right at home when she visited them recently as part of Listening Week.

Listening Week was launched by the Pre-School Learning Alliance in order to promote listening culture, and to help improve listening and communication skills. As part of Listening Week, West Street Nursery invited Teresa to speak about her likes and dislikes with the children.

The aim of the week was to highlight the importance of engaging and sharing with other people. West Street Nursery invited a number of professionals to speak throughout the week to the children who are aged between two and four.

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Posted in Local events, News

Teresa welcomes Wonga’s changes to affordability criteria

Teresa has today welcomed the news that short-term lender Wonga is to make major changes to its affordability criteria following discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Wonga has entered into an agreement, known as a voluntary requirement (VREQ), with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that requires it to make significant changes to its business immediately.

When it took over regulation of consumer credit in April of this year, the FCA requested information about the volume of Wonga’s relending rates. The information received suggested Wonga was not taking adequate steps to assess customers’ ability to meet repayments in a sustainable manner.

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Posted in News, Press Notices

Why I could not support military action in Iraq

I believe we all share revulsion at the brutality of ISIL, its love of gore, beheadings recorded for video distribution across the internet and the brutal persecution of religious minorities. People across the world agree they must be stopped but how that can be done is not so easy to agree on.

I spent the whole day on Friday listening to the debate in the chamber. I heard many powerful arguments and many heartfelt contributions yet I could not in all conscience support the motion.

I have to be honest, a part of me hoped that I would be convinced by listening to all the speeches, but in truth by the time the vote came at 5.00pm I was less convinced that military action was right than I was at 10.30am.

There were a number of reasons:

  1. It was clear that air attacks could not be targeted to only kill ISIL fighters. Civilians would die. I was told there is always collateral damage. No one could tell me what costs are we prepared to accept in terms of innocent casualties. I was just told that more people would die if we did not bomb than if we did. That’s just a guessing game and is not a proper strategy.
  2. I was totally unconvinced that a credible long-term strategy was in place to ensure the Iraqi army would be able to bring stability and security in their country.
  3. During the debate there were many many voices already saying they wanted to extend the proposed action to Syria. There were a large number of senior voices already talking about mission creep.
  4. It was admitted that this was not a one off response to a request by the Iraqi government but the start of a strategy that could last three or even 10 years.
  5. Amnesty International has publicly criticized the Iraqi army for gross violations of international law, including indiscriminate artillery shelling and air strikes by government forces against IS-controlled areas that have killed and injured civilians. This is the action we are being asked to assist with.
  6. There is no UN resolution.

Adam Holloway, MP for Gravesham, who served in the Gulf War said:

“There is no simple solution to any of this but the answer will not come from something military that is led by the west. It will come from something political that is led by people within the region”.

I could not agree more and I believe that there is no easy simple solution to the complex, long running, deep rooted problems of Iraq and the wider region.

But I do know that for military action to have any chance of working there needs to be a plan for what comes next. Yet despite listening to six and a half hours of debate I did not hear any word of what that plan might be.

Posted in House of Commons