Teresa Pearce MP backs Bill to help make rented homes safer in Erith and Thamesmead

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

 

Teresa Pearce MP is delighted to see Fitness for Human Habitation Bill get one step nearer to becoming law. Teresa was one of many MPs on hand to see the Bill safely through its Third Reading on Friday 26th October. It will now move to the House of Lords.

The Bill, which was brought forward by MP Karen Buck, will give renters in Erith and Thamesmead and across the country the right to take their landlord to court over unsafe and poor housing conditions.

More than 135,000 homes in the London region have a hazard in their rented home which poses a “serious and immediate risk to health and safety”, according to the recent official statistics. This is the equivalent of 1 in every 12 rented homes in London.

The ‘Fitness for Human Habitation’ Bill has cross-party support and was has been backed by the government. It has also been supported by organisations across the housing sector, including Shelter, the Residential Landlords Association, the National Landlord Association and the National Housing Federation.

Greg Beales, Campaigns Director at Shelter, said:

“Every day at Shelter we hear from private and social renters forced to live in poor and sometimes dangerous conditions, unable to tackle safety concerns or legally challenge their landlord.

 

“Thanks to Teresa Pearce MP and MPs from all the major parties, we are delighted to be one step closer to creating a minimum safety standard for rented homes. This Bill will help stamp out the actions of rogue landlords and protect renters across the country, and we’re looking forward to supporting it through its final stages before it becomes law”.

Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, said:

“This is a welcome success at long last. I was very disappointed in 2016, that my amendment to the Housing and Planning Bill was which would have ensured that all rented accommodation was safe for people to live in was voted down by the Government. But thanks to Karen Buck MP we are now very close to it becoming law. “

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Government loan of £350 million to Mayor to get Crossrail back on track

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

 

On 6 October the Rail Minister Joe Johnson issued a written Ministerial statement announcing a £350 million loan from Government to the Mayor of London to support efforts to complete the construction and testing of Crossrail as quickly as possible. The Minister’s statement says:

“On 31 August 2018, Crossrail Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL), announced a delay to the planned opening of the Elizabeth Line.

 

“Discussions between TfL and government are underway as to how any additional funding will be provided, with London – as the primary beneficiary of Crossrail – bearing any additional costs via a financing arrangement.

 

“TfL and the Department for Transport have commissioned an independent review of Crossrail’s governance and a separate review on Crossrail’s finance and commercial position.

 

“Today (26 October 2018), as an interim measure, we are announcing that £350 million of short term repayable financing will be made available to the Mayor for the year 2018/19. This will ensure that full momentum is maintained behind Crossrail.

 

“This project is already delivering benefits for the whole of the UK through its cross-country supply chain and its UK built train fleet. When open, Crossrail will be transformative and carry up to 200 million passengers a year, delivering £42 billion of investment into the UK economy.

 

“A further update will be provided once the discussions on the financing arrangements have concluded.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:


“This agreement is the result of positive discussions between my team, the Treasury and the Department for Transport and will allow Crossrail Ltd to continue their construction work and the testing process.

 

“An independent review into Crossrail Ltd’s commercial practices, cost projections and governance is already well underway, and that will help us understand the exact implications of the project overrunning for both project sponsors – Transport for London and the Department for Transport.

 

“Some very challenging work remains to be completed, but we will continue to work alongside the Government to deliver this important piece of infrastructure, and we will continue to keep the public informed of our progress towards its completion. When open, the Elizabeth Line will be a world-class railway that makes London proud.”

Teresa Pearce said:

“The last thing anyone wanted to see was a delay to the start of Elizabeth Line services from Abbey Wood. I think everyone who has had to put up with the disruption caused by the rebuild of Abbey Wood station, and associated work, deserved better than this. There is going to be some intense analysis of what has gone wrong to a project that was previously said to be on time and on budget.

 

This short term loan from Government will enable the construction work and testing to continue while the investigations run their course. I am not holding my breath for an announcement on a revised opening date for Crossrail, but for all of us I urge those involved to make it happen as soon as safely possible.”

 

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Teresa Pearce raises harassment with the Prime Minister at PMQs

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

 

Today I asked a question at Prime Minister Questiontime. After many months of trying to support my constituent through the proper channels, out of sheer frustration, I felt that I had to raise it on the floor of the House today, especially after the Dame Laura Cox report was published yesterday. I am not willing to divulge any details about my constituent, other than to say that she has my full support.

 

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Teresa Pearce MP wears it pink for charity fundraiser

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith and Thamesmead added a splash of pink to her usual attire to support Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink fundraiser, which will take place on Friday 19 October raising money for vital breast cancer research.

Teresa is calling for her constituents in Erith and Thamesmead to join her and take part in wear it pink on 19 October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the annual event has raised over £31million towards Breast Cancer Now’s important work.

Anyone can take part in wear it pink, whether at work, school or in your community. All you need to do is wear something pink, or hold a pink themed event, and donate to Breast Cancer Now. With every penny raised, fundraisers across the UK will be helping the charity achieve its aim that, if we all act now, by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live, and live well.

Teresa Pearce MP continues her support by joining over 290 MPs across the country as a Breast Cancer Now Ambassador, advocating breast cancer issues and support for the charity’s research both in Erith and Thamesmead and nationally.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

“Breast cancer is still the most common form of cancer in the UK. Each year around 11,500 women and 80 men lose their lives to the disease. Nearly every family has been touched by it , including mine, so I’m so passionate about encouraging everyone in Erith and Thamesmead to take part in wear it pink day on Friday 19 October.  

“Breast Cancer Now’s ambition is that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will survive it. In 2014-2016 an average of 593 women a year developed breast cancer in Bexley and 530 in  Greenwich. I really hope constituents will join me this October and support this very important cause.”

For more information on Breast Cancer Now’s work, visit breastcancernow.org or follow them on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Teresa Pearce MP drops in on Habinteg to call for more accessible housing

Posted on September 18, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(L-R Andrew Gibson – Habinteg Vice Chair, Sheron Carter- Habinteg Chief Executive, Sam Renke – Disability activist and campaigner, Teresa Pearce MP)

Teresa Pearce MP has met with leading housing provider Habinteg in Parliament to join the call #ForAccessibleHomes across the UK.

Teresa Pearce MP was taking part in an event in Parliament that was organised as part of Habinteg’s broader campaign to call for more suitable homes for those with mobility challenges. As part of the day, MPs met Habinteg residents from across the UK, including well-known actress and disability campaigner Sam Renke.

There are 13 million disabled people in the UK, and our society is ageing rapidly, yet only 7% of our homes provide even basic accessibility features. Without a local and national commitment to the housing needs of disabled and older people, there is a real danger that new homes are even less likely to be accessible, storing up problems for the people that live in them and placing more strain on public spending over time.

In 2018, Habinteg’s award-winning #ForAccessibleHomes campaign will focus on the contribution local councillors can make to securing the homes we need. As part of this, Habinteg will be asking councillors to sign up to a pledge to support the development of accessible in the local authority,

Teresa Pearce MP said:

“I really enjoyed meeting Habinteg staff and their inspirational tenants in Parliament. Accessible homes mean that people can live independently and it improves quality of life. I will be speaking to the council about Habinteg’s pledge and I will be making representations in Parliament and to the Government to help ensure that we build the homes we need”.

For more information of Habinteg’s work, please visit https://www.habinteg.org.uk/.

 

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Teresa Pearce MP backs joke competition for Primary Schools aimed at improving children’s communication skills

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

 

Teresa Pearce MP is writing to local schools in Erith and Thamesmead to highlight Voice Box, an annual joke-telling competition designed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) to build schoolchildren’s communication skills.

Over 10% of children start school with some form of language problem. If undetected speech, language and communication problems can lead to low levels of literacy, poor educational attainment, poorer mental health and wellbeing and, in turn, difficulties finding employment, and life chances.

Primary schools across the country are invited to bring laughter into their classrooms this autumn by taking part in the competition. Schools should hold their joke-telling contests between October and November with a chance to go through to a grand final in Westminster, in 2019.

The pupil with the ultimate winning joke will receive an iPad mini, while two runners-up will each receive national book tokens.

Teresa Pearce MP said:

“The aim of the Voice Box competition is to remind people that all children need support to build their communication skills and confidence. It’s a fun way to highlight a serious subject and laughter is good for us all”

For more information about the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and its Giving Voice campaign visit www.rcslt.org and www.givingvoiceuk.org

For more information about NAHT and NAHT Edge please visit https://www.naht.org.uk/ and https://www.naht.org.uk/naht-edge/

 

 

 

 

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Teresa Pearce MP backs CLIC Sargents’ #CancerCosts campaign

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

Teresa Pearce, MP for Erith and Thamesmead is backing a petition calling on the government to create a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund, so that families won’t have to worry about mounting travel costs during the treatment of their child.

Teresa said, “Cancer in children and young people can devastate families – emotionally, physically and financially. Not only do families have to deal with cancer, they also have to deal with mounting travel costs.

The charity CLIC Sargent are pushing for the government to help those families and I am supporting that call”.

Research carried out by CLIC Sargent shows that on average young cancer patients face 60-mile round trips, to get treatment which can cost up to £180 a month.

Teresa is asking constituents to support the campaign and sign the petition. You can find the petition here: https://campaign.clicsargent.org.uk/petition/ahdlfmVtYWlsLWNhbXBhaWduLXN5c3RlbXI1CxIMT3JnYW5pc2F0aW9uGICAgICAgIAKDAsSCFBldGl0aW9uIg5jYW5jZXJfY29tbXV0ZQyiASNjbGljc2FyZ2VudC5hY3Quc2l4YW5kdHdvdGhyZWVzLmNvbQ

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GOOD NEWS: Every Child A Lifesaver Campaign

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP


On Friday 20 November 2015 my Private Members Bill “Every Child a Lifesaver” which would have ensured that all children were taught first aid in schools was talked out by some backbench MPs.

Although I and the charities who had worked so hard on it were very disappointed we did not give up. We have spent the past two and half years gaining support for the initiative, lobbying ministers and campaigning across the country.

Today, we won.

Today as part of the Governments plans for Personal, Social, Health & Economic education (PSHE) to be mandatory in all schools they included, the teaching of First Aid.

From 2020 all Primary Schools will make sure that pupils know:

  • How to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary.
  • Basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.

And all Secondary Schools pupils will know:

  • Basic treatment for common injuries.
  • Life-saving skills, including how to administer CPR.
  • The purpose of defibrillators and when one might be needed.

I want to put on record my thanks to St John Ambulance, the Red Cross and BHF. As well as to Julie Hilling MP for Bolton West (2010 -2015) who did so much to pave the way before me.

Today was a good day at work.

 

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Teresa Pearce MP supports Summer reading campaign

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Teresa Pearce MP

Teresa Pearce is supporting The Mischief Makers: Summer Reading Challenge 2018 run by The Reading Agency charity, to encourage primary school children in Erith and Thamesmead to take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. The challenge will launch across England and Wales on Saturday 14th July.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Mischief Makers which celebrates the 80th anniversary of the much-loved comic, Beano. The initiative will build children’s confidence and independent reading, whilst helping to prevent the dip in children’s reading level during the long summer break from school.

Teresa Pearce MP said: “I hope parents, grandparents and carers in Erith and Thamesmead will take their children to the library over the summer to sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge.  It’s free, inclusive and, most importantly, makes reading fun. Last year 8,042 children in Bexley and Greenwich took part and I hope we can increase the number involved this year and remind local libraries what a valuable asset they are to us and our community.”

For more information on the Summer Reading Challenge including how to get involved and resources for schools, go to www.readingagency.org.uk/summerreadingchallenge

Follow the Summer Reading Challenge at www.facebook.com/SummerReadingChallengeUK  and on Twitter @readingagency #summerreadingchallenge

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