MP’s UPDATE NOVEMBER 2020

 

I provide regular updates on my work.

 

You can find previous reports of my work on my web site; www.ruthcadbury.co.uk  I also report regularly on my Facebook page and via Twitter and Instagram @RuthCadbury. You can see full details of my questions and speeches in Parliament, and get Regular updates about my Parliamentary activities on TheyWorkForYou in Hansard and on YouTube

See my special Coronavirus Web-page for information on

local and national services, help-lines and volunteering;

 and to sign up for Hounslow Council’s daily updates.

The Equality & Human Rights Commission report into Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party was damning. It found the Party was guilty of unlawful acts of discrimination and harassment.  In his statement on the day of its release, Keir Starmer sent a clear and decisive message -  that Anti-Semitism is a form of racism and there is no place for racism of any kind in the Labour Party.  He accepted all of the EHRC’s conclusions, and apologised to the Jewish community for the hurt they have experienced.  Labour MPs are committed to working with the leadership and members at every level of the party to ensure that all the issues highlighted in the EHRC report are addressed.

 

Free School Meals: In one of the richest countries in the world, no child should be hungry.  Yet as more and more families are now finding, the benefit system is inadequate to the task of providing an adequate income for the basics of life.  It is shameful the Government refused to back down in the face of Marcus Rashford, and Labour’s motion to fund food for children on free school meals over the half term and Christmas holidays. I am glad that Hounslow Council agreed to pick up the tab for this. However the emergency funding that Hounslow has received so far for all Covid support is £17million, while the additional costs are £23m to date (and lost income is £13m).  

KEEPING IN TOUCH

 

My team and I continue to work hard to support constituents during this difficult time.  We are mainly working from home, although I am in Parliament to speak in Debates and question Ministers.  Whilst we are not able to hold “in-person” meetings now, we can talk by phone or via Zoom/Teams.

 

If you need my help, or support, on an issue that impacts on you directly or that you are concerned about, please do get in touch. Email [email protected] or phone 020 8581 3646 (between 10 & 2, Mon-Thurs or leave a message).  We may be able to assist quickly, but I am always happy to “meet” via a virtual meeting or a phone call. 

Always give your home address so I know you are a constituent as I am unable to assist constituents of other MPs.

 

Diary:  I welcome the opportunity to attend (virtual) community events to catch up with residents to discuss local issues.  Please email my office [email protected] to set this up.

Opposition day debate on the Test Track and Trace system, PPE and other Covid responses. The Government has blown £12bn. They by-passed the public sector professionals who are experienced in testing (GPs and NHS labs), and tracking and tracing (Council-employed Directors of Public Health).  I said that in Wales, using the public health system, over 90% of contacts have been traced, whereas in England, using private consultancy firms, just over 60% have been traced.  The Government have consistently broken the rules on outsourcing to the private sector that they impose on Councils and other public bodies; no minimum quality or quantity targets such as turn-around timing for test results, and specified standards for safe PPE.

 

Black History Month. I called for compulsory teaching of black and colonial history up to GSCE level and I mentioned the work of Sam Jones, a history teacher at Bolder Academy who also chairs Be Bold History – a network and resource for history teachers.

 

TfL Travel Changes. Having led an Adjournment Debate in July on the risk to free travel for the Under 18s and Over 60s, it was good to hear that Sadiq Khan struck an 11th hour deal with the Government. The deal struck on 31st October will protect free travel for under the 18s and over 60s, keep the current Congestion Charge zone, and ensure fares don’t rise by more than already agreed. However, unlike the free handouts to rail companies, it involves a loan to be repaid, which will have to be funded by London passengers and council taxpayers.

I joined the Cats Protection campaign briefing about the need to make chipping of cats compulsory, an issue many constituents have written to me about

 

I wrote to the Policing Minister to call for urgent action over the theft of Catalytic converters.

 

I wrote to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab about the shooting and killing by police of the END SARS protestors in Nigeria

WE ARE BACK IN A NEW LOCKDOWN – if you can, please do support your local community.

 

For volunteering contact Hounslow Volunteering Centre to help a Hounslow community organisation. 

If you can spare money to hard-pressed charities here are are some local ones:  Hounslow Community Foodbox  Ivybridge Foodbank (run by All Souls Church, St Margaret’s),  Ague Hounslow, and Hounslow Open Kitchen

 

Regular Updates about national and local information and services from Hounslow Council here.

COMMUNITY UPDATE

On behalf of the thousands of constituents who work at Heathrow, I challenged Heathrow Airport’s CEO John Holland Kaye at a meeting he held for West London MPs, about the treatment meted out to over 4000 staff.  We demanded that, instead of permanent wage cuts of up to £8000 and the loss of terms and conditions, HAL should negotiate a temporary cut, just as long at the crisis last.  He refused, yet will be taking his £3m salary and pension bonus this year. 

 

I’ve held “virtual” surgeries with constituents who have raised issues which included; the impact of Tideway tunnelling under their homes in Chiswick, failures in HMRC systems, the legislation on Assisted Dying, Police response after thefts, and workplace harassment.  I’ve also met several local businesses who have fallen through the gaps in the various Government support schemes and who fear for their survival and for the jobs of the people they employ.

 

At my regular meeting with Peter Gardner, the Police Commander for our borough, I was pleased to hear that his teams have successfully taken out a violent gang operating partly in Chiswick.  On the other hand, I am concerned about community safety in Hounslow Town Centre, and I asked him to increase visible policing in and around the High Street.

 

I asked Peter how they are responding to the Independent Office for Police Conduct Report that was critical of the way Stop & Search is being handled by the Met.  I have had constituents, particularly teenagers and their parents, raise serious concerns with me about this issue. He assured me that they are reviewing and improving their processes as a result of the report, including seeking to cut the use of force and handcuffs, to better consider the reasons to stop and search someone, and to also always switch on their body worn cameras.

 

EDUCATION MEETINGS

On World Teacher Day I dropped into Chiswick School’s (Zoom) staff meeting to thank them for all they’ve done to support students and their families.

 

I’ve also met with local secondary head teachers to listen to their concerns about the impact of Covid & the year ahead.  They are angry about the lack of respect the Government shows them and the teaching profession as a whole.  They are seeking more clarity and stronger leadership from the Government over funding, measures to keep schools safe, plans for next year’s key exams, and Covid testing.

At West Thames College, Mayor Tony Louki and I met students to hear of their experience of studying (and working) under lock-down and of their fears and hopes for the future.  Their key concern is around the cost of studying once they reach 19 as, unlike university students, there is little in the way of financial support.

But these cannot be the only blocks built in the last 20 years so badly they present an imminent danger to life. I am demanding the Government take responsibility for this. They have consistently refused to update building regulations and to fully fund the costs of recladding following Grenfell. I am still awaiting a reply from Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick on these issues.

CHISWICK TRAFFIC CONGESTION and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods:  Chiswick is beset with traffic congestion at present, caused by a combination of traffic returning to pre-Covid levels (despite half of Londoners with jobs still working from home), Covid measures to stop through traffic on some roads, the temporary lights caused by the works to install the permanent segregated cycle path (CS9) and finally the Thames Water emergency works on Acton Lane.  

 

As people will want to avoid public transport, we have to make safer and easier alternatives to the car for short journeys such as the school run, mid-week shopping and to/from the station. The main reason more people don’t cycle and walk more is fear of traffic.  Creating a safe space for cycling and walking is shown to significantly increase the rate of both, which also helps to reduce pollution and climate emissions, improve our health and make our streets nicer places to live and visit. Personally I’ve long found that cycling is quicker and more reliable than driving for my local journeys (and I don’t cycle particularly fast!)

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my marathon run on 4th October. 

I’ve raised over £1500 for Hounslow Age UK and our Barn Youth project for the work they both do to link up their vulnerable members who are isolated at this time. I presented my “cheque” to our Barn at the Museum of Steam & Water while their members were running the museum’s café over half-term, so it was a good opportunity to catch up with Karen of Our Barn, and Museum Director Liz  (who also ran the marathon, raising funds for the Museum).

 

Please do consider donating if you can.

-  To support AgeUK Hounslow go via their donation page Do say in the message box it's in support of my Marathon run. 

- And for Our Barn; go to my JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ruth-cadbury4

Printed from an email sent by Ruth Cadbury MP