Nick meeting local residents opposed to the Government's NHS plans

Nick met this week with local Newcastle residents who are concerned about the Lib Dem-Tory Government’s proposals for the NHS. Nick confirmed that he would continue to oppose the measures in Parliament. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced a “pause” in the process, but Nick is pushing for the plans to be abandoned altogether.

Nick has strong reservations about the proposed changes, which run contrary to the values and ethos of the NHS. Nick voted against the Health and Social Care Bill when it came to the floor of the House of Commons, and will continue to support the Labour Party’s efforts to make the Government think again.

As recently as the Coalition Agreement that was signed between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives last May, the Government promised “No further costly, top-down reorganisations of the NHS”. Despite this, they have announced plans for a high-cost, high-risk internal reorganisation.

The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have already voted overwhelmingly in favour of the package both times it has been put in front of the House of Commons, but parliamentary progress has been halted due to complaints from the Labour Party, doctors, nurses, care-workers, patients and voluntary groups, health experts and concerned members of the public.

Nick pledged to continue to oppose the Bill when it returns to the House of Commons, and to encourage the Government to think again.

The Factory is the only manufacturer of Battle Tanks and Heavy fighting vehicles in the United Kingdom. In the Government’s Strategic Defence Review, it was not made clear whether the SDR would impact on the future of the plant.

Nick said “The BAE plant is of enormous strategic importance to the country. It is the only factory that manufactures battle tanks and heavy fighting vehicles, and it would be a disaster if it were shut down.”

VAT is a tax which hits the poorest hardest. The more of your income you spend, the worse you’ll be affected by this rise. The Lib Dems know this – that’s why they campaigned against it in the General Election. But in their first Budget, the Lib Dem Tory Coalition have announced plans to raise VAT to 20%.

Ms Harman, who will be launching a new campaign against the VAT rise tonight, told the Evening Standard that Labour Party Chief Whip Nick Brown was “an immovable object” in negotiations over the vote.

Ms Harman said: “We were amazed that the Government wanted to keep this in committee and not on the floor of the House. Fortunately they ran into a brick wall in the shape of Nick Brown. I hope this vote is the High Noon for the VAT rise.”

Nick with students and staff from Benfield School

Students and staff from Benfield school visited Parliament today, and were able to question Nick on his work as their constituency MP. Following a tour the pupils were able to watch some of the debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, then took part in a question and answer session with Nick in one of the Parliament committee rooms.

This move has been widely welcomed. In calling for the Marine Bill, the WWF said: “Wildlife will benefit through a more comprehensive understanding of what activities are going on at sea and where protected areas can be established. Renewable energy will benefit through a clear process that provides certainty in the planning process and gives confidence to developers.”

Of particular interest locally is the provision in the Bill for the establishment of a Marine Management Organisation. Nick Brown strongly supported the case for the MMO to come to our region, and in February it was announced that the centre will be based in North Tyneside. The new organisation will bring with it an initial wave of more than 150 high skilled jobs. By bringing together many of the marine functions of the Government within a single body it will create a centre of marine expertise and will improve coordination of information and data.

The Marine Bill allows for the establishment of Marine Conservation Zones, which will safeguard rare species of plants and animals and protect the biodiversity of our seas. This Bill is the first time anywhere in the world that a country’s competing marine demands of wildlife, energy and resources have been brought together into one single strategy. And in the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the National Parks Act, the Bill will continue that legacy of opening our countryside to everyone by providing a long distance route along the coast of England which is open to everyone.

The Marine Bill will ensure that the extraordinary natural environment around the UK is protected for all users of the sea for generations to come.

Nick with Mr Naoto Kan MP (left) and Mr Motohisa Furukawa MP

Nick  today met with a delegation led by Mr Naoto Kan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Shadow Cabinet of Japan.

Mr Kan was at the House of Commons to discuss Parliament and UK democracy, to inform his Democratic Party of Japan’s proposals for the Japanese general election expected later this year.

In total £1.7bn was set aside to help people stay in work, including further investment in JobCentres and the New Deal. On top of this there were extensions to the Child Tax Credit and the Winter Fuel Payment, and measures for people who are struggling with their mortgages. In part this will be paid for through a new top rate of tax of 50% for those earning more than £150,000 a year. It’s fair that those who have benefited most in recent years now contribute to helping us through tough times. 

There are a range of measures to boost businesses across the UK, and in particular the emphasis on green technologies such as wind farms and clean coal will be good for the North East. The Government knows that we can only get the job market moving again by encouraging a return to growth in the private sector. That is especially true in our region.

The Budget saw a renewed focus on skills, with a guarantee of training for young people who get into long term unemployment. This builds on the investment in education we’ve seen over the past ten years. In my constituency of Newcastle East and Wallsend, 78% more young people are going into higher education than a decade ago. We can be proud of this achievement – that improvement is in the top 10% in the country – but it’s part of a wider picture as well. Across the country higher education entry rates are up almost 25%. 

We have to help people through these difficult times, but we also must make sure that when the recovery starts people are able to take advantage of the growing job market. The investments of the past decade in education and skills, together with the long term decisions in last week’s Budget, will ensure that that is the case.

The way criminals are caught and brought to justice in recent years has changed too. The value of CCTV was demonstrated in central Newcastle: in the area covered by CCTV, burglaries fell by 56 per cent, criminal damage by 34 per cent, and theft by 11 per cent after CCTV was installed. CCTV enjoys strong public support and year on year surveys show that people feel safer where there’s a CCTV presence.

The recording of DNA when people are arrested is seen as controversial by some. But the fact is that DNA matches were used in hundreds of convictions last year, for murder and manslaughter, rape and other violent crimes.

It’s not just violent crime that can be a threat at times like these. The Government is also taking action against those who seek to take advantage of people struggling with money at the moment. Measures have been introduced to stop businesses that make false claims about writing off people’s debts. New guidance has been produced which highlights misleading statements in adverts that breach consumer protection regulations. And a new hotline has been set up to help people who’ve got into trouble with loan sharks.

This Government has a decent record in this area – you are now less likely to be a victim of crime than at any time in the past 25 years, and burglary is down 55% in the past decade. We can all play our part in making sure that the economic downturn does not present a threat to that, and that people can feel safe going about their day to day lives in our cities.

When the Bill was initially drafted the emissions cuts target was set at 60%. However, in view of the ever-improving science in this area, and following extensive discussions with experts and members of the public, as well as the results of the independent Commission on Climate Change, the Government has moved to commit the UK to aiming even higher. The target now enshrined in legislation, for the first time anywhere in the world, is for an 80% cut by 2050.

Other measures in the Bill include a commitment to reaching international agreement on a framework for including aviation and shipping in these targets; mandatory emissions publishing by corporations from 2012; and the imposition of emissions reduction targets on electricity generators.

The credit crunch has meant that at the moment people are concerned about their jobs, their homes, and their standard of living. In preparing our national economy for financial change we can also shape it to meet environmental challenges. There is great potential for employment within the renewable energy technology sector, and I am working to make sure that is true on Tyneside as much as anywhere else in the country.

The Climate Change Bill is a good step in the right direction. Together with recent developments in energy market policy, further measures to be announced on feed-in tariffs, and the recent creation of the country’s first-ever Department for Energy and Climate Change, we are working towards a truly sustainable and world leading energy policy.