Valerie Vaz MP

Valerie raises concerns to Government’s reform to Legal Aid

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:42:07 +0000

On Thursday 16 May 2013, Valerie raised concerns about the Government’s proposed reforms to legal aid.

Valerie asked the Leader of the House:

“May we have a debate in Government time on the reforms to legal aid and judicial review? Judges are now having to support litigants in person instead of hearing reasoned argument, which is seriously undermining the rule of law and weakening one of the checks and balances on the state. May we please have an urgent debate on that issue?”

The Leader of the House said:

“The hon. Lady will have noticed that the Ministry of Justice will be answering questions on Tuesday, and she might wish to raise this matter at that time. I cannot offer Government time for it, but such issues may also be raised on the Adjournment or, collectively with other Members, through the Backbench Business Committee. Many days in this Session have been provided for the Backbench Business Committee. I am happy to listen to applications for Government time for general debates, but the intention was for Back-Bench Members collectively to decide where their priorities lie.”

Valerie attends Friends of The Earth’s ‘Bee Tea’

admin — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:36:54 +0000

On Thursday 16 May 2013 Valerie attended the Friends of the Earth’s ‘Bee Tea’ in Parliament.

Valerie said:

“I attended the ‘Bee Tea’ that was held by Friends of the Earth in Parliament. This was a good opportunity for myself and other members of Parliament to understand the concerns surrounding UK Bees.”

“I support the call for a National Bee Action Plan. This Action Plan is important as the number of bees has fallen dramatically in recent years. Bees are vital for many aspects of our economy including farming and food security, but also for the nation’s wildlife, from parks, gardens and the countryside.”

For more information on Friends of the Earth’s Bee Campaign, ‘The Bee Cause’, click here: http://www.foe.co.uk/bees

Valerie speaks in Queen’s Speech Debate

admin — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:28:39 +0000

On Monday 13 May 2013, during the debate on the Queen’s Speech, Valerie called the Government policy of creating a Chief Inspector of Hospitals as a vanity policy.
Valerie said:

“I had hoped the Queen’s Speech, which took place on Wednesday 8 May 2013, would include plans to implement the 290 recommendations of the Francis Report into events at Stafford Hospital. Instead, the Secretary of State for Health has merely suggested the creation of a Chief Inspector of Hospitals. This was not a recommendation contained in the Francis Report and looks more like a vanity policy rather than a genuine measure to protect patients.”

“When he appeared before us at the Health Select Committee on 23 April 2013, the Secretary of State for Health was unable to tell me how much the Chief Inspector would earn, where the budget is coming from, whether this is committed spending or if the Treasury even knew about this. The Health Service Journal did a survey of senior people in the hospital sector and 73% said they did not believe that the introduction of a Chief Inspector would be effective. The Francis Report cost the taxpayer over £10m and was about a change in culture, yet the Government seems to have discarded its recommendations.”

“The Government wants people to build conservatories, but at the same time has introduced a ‘bedroom tax’ forcing people out of their family homes. It is giving the companies the benefit of doubt over lunch expenses to minimise their tax bills, yet at the same time does not give the benefit of doubt to those people who must attend ATOS assessments even if they are in a wheelchair or have other long term health conditions. Nurses and junior doctors say they need more staff, yet the Government has failed to commit to improving staffing ratios.”

“The Government’s new legislative agenda should be based on justice, tolerance and the rule of law, yet this is being undermined. The gracious people of this country on whose behalf the gracious speech was made deserve better.”

The Official Report of Valerie Vaz MP’s speech on Monday 13 May 2013 can be viewed here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130513/debtext/130513-0001.htm#13051315000488

Valerie supports Dementia awareness.

admin — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:02:34 +0000

Valerie said:

“At my surgery last week I met Deborah Pugh, a constituent who wanted to speak to me about her voluntary work with Dementia. Deborah is a ” Dementia care Champion and is raising awareness of this issue on behalf of people who have it.

“There are currently over half a million people living with dementia in the community and only a third of dementia sufferers live in a care home. I support the calls from Dementia Care to make our communities dementia friendly and for the Government to support people living independently for as long as possible.”

“The Government ended the ring fencing of the Disabled Facilities Grant in 2010. This Grant provided local authorities funding to help people make adaptations to their home so people with dementia could live there for longer.”

More information about Dementia Care can be found here: http://www.dementiacare.org.uk/

Valerie: Gala Baths Must Stay

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:30:49 +0000

Valerie is calling on Walsall MBC to listen to the views of residents on the future of Walsall Gala Baths.
Valerie said:
“At a time when we should be looking to secure the long term sporting legacy of London 2012, the Council’s decision to cast doubt on the future of Walsall Gala Baths is simply extraordinary. The Baths are home to the only brine pool in the West Midlands, which is valued by many of my constituents for its health benefits. Last year we celebrated the success of Paralympic Gold Medal winning swimmer Ellie Simmonds, herself a Walsall resident, and 6 months later Walsall MBC has cast doubt on the future of the Borough’s flagship swimming baths.”
“Having a flagship swimming pool in the town centre shows that sport and fitness are valued in Walsall and are important to the life of the Borough. This is especially important given that 27.8% of adults in Walsall are classed as obese and only 7.8% of adults are physically active. To close the Gala Baths sends the wrong message about the importance of health, sport and exercise in the Borough.”
“The Baths are located near to several car parks and there is parking for blue badge holders immediately outside the front door. They are also close to both Walsall Bus Station and the Bradford Place Bus Interchange which means that residents can travel using public transport from across the Borough without having to change buses. It is crucial that Walsall Town Centre offers a variety of attractions to bring people in and boost the local economy. Closing the Gala Baths would be wholly counterproductive.”
“The views of residents, particularly of those who use the Baths on a regular basis should be heard. It is therefore extraordinary that campaigners have to smuggle the petition into the changing rooms in their swimming costumes. I call on Cllr Bird to listen to the views of residents and let them have their say. Banning petitions does not belong in a democracy.”

Whitehall Junior Community School meet Valerie in Parliament

admin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:43:15 +0000

On Tuesday 30 April 2013, pupils from Whitehall Junior Community School visited the Houses of Parliament. As part of this educational visit, the students had a chance to ask Valerie some questions about Parliament and her role as their MP.

Valerie said:

“It was a pleasure to meet the students from Whitehall Junior Community School. The Parliament Educational Service provides a wonderful learning experience for school children of all ages. Whitehall Junior Community School spent the day touring Parliament and learning more about UK politics.”

More information on the Parliament Education Service can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/education/

Valerie attends Walsall Football Club 125th Anniversary Awards

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:35:15 +0000

On Sunday 28 April Valerie attended Walsall Football Club end of season awards. This marked the end of a successful season and the 125th in the Saddlers history.

Stefan Gamble, the Chief Executive of Walsall Football Club invited Valerie to attend the celebrations. Also present were Lord Mawhinney, Honorary President of The Football League, and Cllr Dennis Anson, the Mayor of Walsall.

Valerie said:

“The Saddlers end of season awards was a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Walsall FC this year and also remember the past 125 year history of the club. The coaches, directors, supporters and of course players past and present were all there to celebrate.”

“I would like to congratulate Will Grigg on becoming Walsall FC’s Player of the Season. Grigg managed to become the first player in 12 years to score more than 20 goals in a season for the Saddlers. This achievement also earned him the Players’ Player of the Season award.”

” A good sign for the future of the Saddlers is Jamie Paterson retaining his young player of the season award for the second year in a row. Im sure everyone is looking forward to next season. “

Valerie visits makespace in Cambridge

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:37:14 +0000

On Friday 26 April 2013 Valerie visited makespace on Mill Lane in Cambridge as part of the Indusrty and Parliament Trust Fellowship.

Valerie said:

“I had to opportunity to visit makespace in Cambridge. This is a community workspace that facilitates people making, learning and working on projects together. There is a monthly fee that provides unlimited access to all of the cutting edge equipment that the centre has to offer. makespace provides an environment for existing and new business to succeed without the high start up cost the latest equipment would cost. It is also an aim of makespace to raise awareness of the skills needed in engineering and manufacturing.”

“I was shown the range of the latest rapid prototyping equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters that makespace has. The provision of these various technologies allows the makespace members to go from a design on a computer to a full and working prototype in minutes. I was shown the design for a model spacecraft on a computer that was printed out in 3D in front of me. This means that companies can try out their ideas for commercial development and refine the design before a large scale production.”

Further information about makespace can be found here: http://makespace.org/

Secretary of State for Health gives evidence to the Health Select Committee

admin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:57:16 +0000

On Tuesday 23 April 2013, the Health Select Committee, of which Valerie is a member, heard evidence from the Secretary of State for Health on the Government’s response to the Francis Report.

Valerie said:

“It was important to ask about the cirumstances surrounding the suspension of children’s heart surgery at Leeds Hospital. I asked the Secretary of State to clarify the timeline of when the information about Childrens heart surgery mortality rates was received by Sir Bruce Keogh and when he himself had been told. It is extraordinary that he did not know the exact dates of when this information was provided. However I pressed him to provide the Committee with this information and to publish it on the Department of Health Website.”

“I referred Mr Hunt to the confusion surrounding the accuracy of the mortality data and asked whether Sir Bruce checked this with the hospital immediately. He confirmed that Sir Bruce made the decision to suspend heart surgeries temporarily on the facts he had at the time, before the data was fully verified.”

“Turning to the office of the Chief Inspector, he confirmed that this was not a recommendation from either the Francis Report or the Select Committee.”

“I asked him about how this would work and where the finance for the posts would come from. It seems the CQC would have to find this out of their Budget, but he did not know how much this would be. ”

“In their initial repsonse the Government referred to ‘pay linked to quality of care delivered rather than time served’. So I asked if this was performance related pay, how and who would assess it. There was no definitive answer.

The full recording of the Health Select Committee session with the Secretary of State for Health can be found here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=13027&player=silverlight

EU sanctions and Burma

admin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 11:56:49 +0000

On Tuesday 23 April 2013 at Foreign and Commonwealth Questions, Valerie asked the Secretary of State about the lifting of EU sanctions on Burma.

Valerie asked:

“Human rights organisations were alarmed when sanctions against Burma were lifted. Could the Foreign Secretary use this as a lever to ensure that the United Nations can establish its human rights office in Burma, and to ensure that Burma releases all political prisoners, including Aung Naing?”

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office replied:

“It is worth pointing out to the hon. Lady that, yes, we agree with what she says, but human rights will be at the heart of the lifting of sanctions in Burma. We did it with the advice of Aung San Suu Kyi, because we believe that engagement with the Burmese Government is the way forward. We are deeply concerned about human rights and we remain deeply concerned about ethnic conflict, but we believe that now is the appropriate time to lift sanctions.”

For the link to Hansard click here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130423/debtext/130423-0001.htm#13042358000420

The Human Rights Watch Report on Burma, All You Can Do is Pray, can be found here: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2013/04/22/all-you-can-do-pray-0