December enews Valerie Vaz MP

December 2012
VALERIE QUESTIONS MANOR HOSPITAL DEATH RATES
A report from the Dr Foster Organisation has found that death rates at the Manor Hospital on two
of four key measures were significantly higher than expected. Valerie has written to the Hospital’s
Chief Executive asking for an explanation and raised the matter in the House of Commons.

A number of constituents have contacted Valerie with concerns about the treatment they, or their
relatives, have received at the Manor Hospital. Valerie has made representations to the Hospi-
tal’s Chief Executive on behalf of each constituent who has raised concerns.

Valerie said: “These are very worrying findings and the Hospital must immediately investigate
what has gone wrong and set out the steps it will take to cut death rates as soon as possible.”
NHS QUESTION
Valerie asked the Leader of the House for an urgent debate on why £3 billion has been taken out
of the NHS and not used for front-line services.

Valerie said: “In the light of recent findings regarding patient care at
the Manor Hospital, it is clear that the NHS is being given insufficient
resources to guarantee the highest standards of patient care. The
Government must explain why this £3 billion has been taken out of the
NHS.”

SECOND CHANCES SCHOOL
Students from the Second Chances School in Walsall South
visited Parliament and were taken on a tour by Valerie.

Valerie said: “I was pleased to see the students. I took them
on a tour of the Palace, including the chambers of the House
of Commons and the House of Lords.”

“The School’s Head Teacher, Jan Concannon, told me that
many of the students present had never been to Parliament
before. The students learned about how Parliament works”
WestminsterVisit

Bentley West Primary School invited Valerie to visit the School to speak with pupils as part of
Parliament Week.

Valerie said: “I began by telling the pupils a little about my work and what happens in Parlia-
ment. I showed them copies of Hansard and Early Day Motions. The pupils then took part in a
mock Parliamentary debate on a motion relating to the provision of school milk. They sat on
opposite sides with some pupils representing the Government and some representing the Op-
position. At the end, I asked the pupils to vote on the motion by walking through ‘Aye’ and ‘No’
lobbies as we do in Parliament. The motion to provide school milk was passed by 27 to 23
votes. I was very impressed by the pupils’ knowledge and interest.”


HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY AUTHORITY
Valerie co-hosted an event with Gareth Johnson MP to introduce the work of the Human
Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and their recent consultation on mitochondria
replacement.
Valerie said: “It was important to highlight the work of the HFEA in Parliament. As the body
responsible for the regulation of fertility treatment, the HFEA plays a crucial role in informing
the public and providing support for families with children conceived through IVF.”

PAT FINUCANE
Valerie has put questions to the Northern Ireland Secretary and the
Prime Minister about the Govern-ment’s response to the murder of
Pat Finucane, in which the security services colluded.

Valerie said: “The Government must ensure that Pat Finucane’s
family receive the justice they de-serve. The latest review into the
case—the Da Silva Report—has not achieved this. The Government
must do more to bring justice.”

EU BUDGET
PARKING CHARGES
PETROL TAX
NEW ART GALLERY
The Government was defeated on the EU budget at the
end of October 2012. Valerie voted against the budget.

Valerie said: “At a time when the cost of living is rising
quickly for tax payers in the UK and significant cuts are
being made to vital public services, it cannot be right to
increase the EU budget. This was a perverse move when
governments across Europe are making big cuts in public
spending.”

“It is important that Britain is an active member of the EU,
which is crucial for much of our trade and many of our
jobs. But when EU plans are wrong for Britain, we must
say so. The EU must look at savings which can be made
through measures such as the reform of agricultural sub-
sidies including the Common Agricultural Policy.”
Following an 18 month long campaign by Valerie and
local traders, Valerie has welcomed news that the on-street parking charges on
Ablewell Street and five other town centre streets
have been removed.

Valerie said: “Shortly after the charges were intro-
duced without consultation,
I was contacted by traders from Ablewell Street who were concerned about the drop
in passing trade. Over the past 18 months I have made
several representations to Walsall MBC, presented an
800 name petition to Parliament and raised the matter
during a debate in the House of Commons. Local busi-
nesses should not have had to endure an unnecessary
drop in trade over the past 18 months. The charges must
now be removed from every street. I will continue to
push for the charges to be dropped in every town centre
street and for a proper review.”
Despite voting against an Opposition motion calling for
it to be scrapped, the Government has announced that
the 3p per litre rise in petrol tax that was scheduled for
January 2013 has been cancelled.

Valerie said: “At a time when the cost of living has been
increasing rapidly and families across the country are
struggling to make ends meet, I was surprised that the
Government told its MPs to vote against an Opposition
motion to scrap the 3p per litre rise in petrol tax as re-
cently as 12 November 2012.”

“We continued our campaign and I am pleased that the
Government has been forced to reverse its position and
cancelled the 3p per litre rise that was due to come into
effect in January.”
2012 has been a successful year for the New
Art Gallery and Valerie is a supporter and a fan
of the NAG.

Valerie said: “After making a number of repre-
sentations to WMBC, and collecting a petition
of over 100 signatures, I was pleased when the
Gallery brought back Sunday openings. This
has boosted visitor numbers by 1,400 a month
and is expected to reach 20,000 a year.”

“The Gallery is one of four to be shortlisted to
host the Turner Prize in 2015 and recently
opened a year long exhibition of Damien Hirst’s
work.”

LEVESON REPORT
The Leveson Inquiry into the Culture, Practice and Ethics of the Press
published its findings and recommendations in November. Valerie has
welcomed the report and called on the Government to introduce legisla-
tion for the statutory underpinning of the regulation of the press.

Valerie said: “We were all shocked when details of the phone hacking
scandal emerged. It is simply not acceptable that the Press Complaints
Commission could be allowed to continue as the regulator of the press
when run by the press.”

“I welcome Lord Leveson’s measured proposals to give the self regula-
tion of the press a statutory basis. I call on the Government to imple-
ment Lord Leveson’s recommendations in full.”
 
VALERIE’S WORK IN PARLIAMENT
Since being elected to Parliament in May 2010, Valerie has:
. Spoken in Parliament 147 times;
. Tabled 264 written questions;
. Primary Sponsor of 85 Early Day Motions;
. Worked on 5,406 constituency cases;
. Been called 7 times at Prime Minister’s Questions;
. Presented 5 petitions to Parliament;
. Published 20 reports of the Health Select Committee;
. Held 70 constituency surgeries;
. Visited or welcomed to Parliament 20 of 42 schools in

Walsall South.
. Introduced 2 Ten Minute Rule Bills on equal rights for adop-
tive parents and a bill to improve health and education provi-
sion for children and adults with epilepsy.

November enews from Valerie Vaz MP Walsall South

November 2012 VALERIE PRESSES GOVERNMENT ON ADOPTION INEQUALITY AT PMQs

At Prime Minister’s Questions Valerie raised the issue of equal rights between adoptive parents and parents whose children are born to them. The Deputy Prime Minister responded on behalf of the Prime Minister, who was abroad. Valerie said: “My Ten-Minute Rule Bill in the previous Session called for equalising statutory rights for leave, pay and allowances between adoptive parents and parents whose children are born to them. That can be done by regulations, so will the Deputy Prime Minister ask a Minister or two to meet me to eliminate that unfairness?” The Deputy Prime Minister responded by paying tribute to Valerie on her campaign for equal rights for adoptive parents and indicating his support for Valerie’s proposals. He suggested that the Government would make an announcement on the issue shortly.

WOMEN ON THE BREADLINE Valerie said: “The Women on the Breadline event was organised jointly by the TUC and the Walsall Women’s Forum. I was pleased to speak with a group of women about politics. The women present also had the opportunity to take part in workshops on a variety of issues, seek legal and welfare advice and take part in training opportunities.”

QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT This month Valerie questioned Ministers on a range of topics. At Questions to the Leader of the House, Valerie asked why the West Midlands Ambulance Service has had to rely on assistance from St John’s Ambulance and what can be done to have a Pelican Crossing installed on Darlaston Road. The Leader of the House said he would ask his Ministerial colleagues to look at these matters. During a Statement on Health, Valerie asked whether NHS underspends would be retained or returned to the Treasury. The Secretary of State responded that the Government aims to avoid NHS underspends. LIFESAVING SKILLS As part of a Backbench Business Debate, Valerie spoke on the importance of educating children on life-saving skills in schools. Valerie said: “It is crucial that life saving skills are taught in schools. Knowledge of just a few crucial tech- niques can be the difference be- tween life and death for someone suffering cardiac arrest or seriously injured in an accident. I want the Government to make lifesaving skills part of the school curriculum.”

BRAINNAV LAUNCH The West Midlands Launch of the BrainNav online tool for people with brain injuries and their families was attended by Valerie. To visit BrainNav, Valerie said: “BrainNav shows that organisations with a range of expertise can come together and develop services that can improve people’s lives significantly.”

NEW ART GALLERY SUNDAY SUCCESS Valerie said: “I am delighted that the return of Sunday openings has boosted the New Art Gallery’s visitor numbers by 1,400 in a month and that the Gallery expects this figure to reach 20,000 in a year.” “This is exactly what I and the people of Walsall wanted. I made several representations to Walsall MBC, collected an online e-petition and raised the matter with Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey MP. I am pleased that so many families are visiting the Gallery.”

NOOR INAYAT KHAN This month Valerie attended the unveiling by the Princess Royal of a memorial to Noor Inayat Khan. Valerie said: “I became involved in this project when I was elected in 2010. I tabled Early Day Motion 109 which received cross party support. I then wrote to the Vice-Chancellor at the University of London, of which I am an alumna, to request permission for a commemorative memorial to be placed in Gordon Square near to Noor’s London home. Vice-Chancellor Graeme Davies agreed and after his retirement Vice-Chancellor Geoffrey Crossick honoured that commitment.” “The beautiful sculpture by Karen Newman was well received by the guests. It is right that Noor has now been honoured for her extraordinary bravery during the Second World War. She worked as a radio operator in occupied France and was eventually captured and tortured by the Nazis. Despite this she remained silent until her execution at the age of 30.”

September /October News from your MP

　



 
WALSALL MYPLACE CENTRE
Valerie visited the Walsall MyPlace youth centre in Palfrey and was given a tour of the Centre by Director Ian Cruise – Taylor.

Valerie said: "The Walsall MyPlace youth centre in Palfrey is a fantastic resource. MyPlace offers young people a variety of activities to take part in during their spare time as well as a wide range of advice services delivered by a number of different public and private sector providers. I saw students taking advantage of this who felt they had a real stake in it. They were involved in the design too."

September/ October 2012

WE ARE WALSALL
In September Valerie spoke at the We Are Walsall event at Gallery Square in the Town Centre. The event was organised to oppose an organisation that had come to Walsall with the aim of promoting division in society.

Valerie said: "There is no place in Walsall for people who promote racist views. Our diverse commu-nities have been living together harmoniously for many decades and will not allow themselves to be driven apart by the actions of an extremist minority."

　
ABLEWELL STREET PARKING CHARGES
Following an 18 month campaign against the charges, Valerie welcomed news that Walsall MBC is to abolish charges for on-street parking on Ablewell Street and five other town cen-tre streets.

Valerie said: "Shortly after the charges were introduced, I was contacted by traders from Ablewell Street who were concerned about the drop in passing trade. Over the past 18 months I have made several representations to Walsall MBC, presented an 800 name peti-tion to Parliament and raised the matter during a debate in the House of Commons. It is a pity that local businesses have had to endure an unnecessary drop in trade over the past 18 months and that the charges are not being removed from every street. I will continue to push for the charges to be dropped in every town centre street and for a proper review."

　
BADGER CULL

Valerie voted for the Motion to stop the planned Badger Cull. It was carried by 147 to 28.

Valerie said: "The motion called on the Government to stop the planned cull. The Government has only announced a postpone-ment of the cull until next year."

　
Valerie raised the proposed changes to the planning rules, which were announced by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in a Pre-Conference Adjournment Debate.
Valerie said: "The Secretary of State’s statement should have given us clarity, not ambiguity. Planning inspectors will decide on applica-tions, instead of the local authority. The problem is not the speed with which planning officers have to deal with applications, but the lack of properly qualified staff. Cuts are affecting the number of staff who can make considered decisions on planning issues. The proposals to in-crease the limit on the size of extensions that can be built without Planning Permission are wrong and have been rightly rejected by a number of councils. The Government’s plans serve only to take power out of the hands of local people."

　
 
EU BUDGET

On Wednesday 31 October, Valerie voted for an amendment calling for a real terms cut in the EU budget between 2014 and 2020. The Government was defeated by 13 Votes.

Valerie said: "At a time when the cost of living is rising quickly for tax payers in the UK and sig-nificant cuts are being made to vital public services, it cannot be right to protect the EU budget.

This would be a perverse move when governments across Europe are making big cuts in public spending."

"It is important that Britain is an active member of the EU, which is crucial for much of our trade and many of our jobs. But when EU plans are wrong for Britain, we must say so. The EU must-look at savings which can be made through measures such as the reform of the CAP."

　
SUNDAY TRADING

　

Valerie asked the Leader of the House of Com-mons for clarification of the Government’s posi-tion on Sunday trading.

Valerie said: "Sunday trading regulations help support small businesses by allowing them to open for longer than the larger stores over the weekend. The Gov-ernment has been sending confusing messages about their plans to extend the relaxation of Sunday trading restrictions beyond the end of the Olympic and Paralympic games."

"The Leader of the House said the Government was constantly looking at the issue, but had not changed its plans."

　

In September, the House of Commons Health Select Com-mittee, of which Valerie is a member, heard evidence from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is responsible for regulating all health and adult social care providers in England.

Valerie said: "Inspections are crucial to maintaining public confidence in healthcare practi-tioners and ensuring that abuse, such as that found at Winterbourne View cannot go undetected. I asked about the staffing levels as this was one of the Health Select Commit-tee’s concerns. The CQC told me that there were 194 in-spector vacancies in April of this year. It takes 8 weeks to train an inspector and so it will take some time for all the vacancies to be filled. The CQC must urgently address this problem to ensure inspections are undertaken."

　
RETROSPECTIVE PRE-PAYMENT

ELECTRICITY CHARGES
Valerie said: "I was contacted by a constituent who had re-ceived a retrospective electricity bill from Npower despite having a pre-payment electricity meter. I am aware that this is not an isolated incident. I wrote to Npower and Ofgem to ask why retrospective bills are sent to pre-payment custom-ers. Npower’s response does not give a clear explanation.

If you receive such a Bill, I would advise you to contact Npower to challenge it

VALERIE BACKS ACTION ON HEARING LOSS’ "LOCATE & RATE" SERVICE

　

." Valerie is backing Action on Hearing Loss’s ‘locate and rate’ web-site which helps her constituents to find local hearing services best suited to their individual needs.

‘Locate and rate’ enables people with hearing loss to comment on and rate their local NHS and private hearing services in terms of service accessibility, the clarity of explanations about hearing test results, and the usefulness of advice about communication sup-port services. To access "Locate & Rate", please click here.

　

VALERIE VISITS ACORNS CHILDREN’S HOSPICE
　

Valerie said: "The Acorns Children’s Hospice offers a network of care for life limited and life threatened children and young people, and their families. It is the only organisation that provides this level of care to vulnerable youngsters whilst offering a range of support services to the whole family to help them cope at every stage of their child’s life and beyond into bereavement. The hospice is well adapted to suit the needs of these children including a special sensory stimulation room and state of the art hoist in every bedroom. The respite care it offers for families is also a vital service."

Valerie visited the Acorns Children’s Hospice and met with the Chief Executive David Strudley and Head of Care, Anne Small.

"To donate to Acorns, please telephone 01564 82 5000 or visit http:www.acorns.org.uk."

　

EPILEPSEY12 NATIONAL AUDIT REPORT

Valerie spoke at the launch of the Epilepsy12 National Audit Report at the Royal College of Pae-diatrics and Child Health.

Valerie said: "This report is an excellent audit of the needs and services for children with epilepsy. The report sets out 12 specific steps that would be required to improve the quality of care. I sup-port the 12 recommendations proposed including that chil-dren must see a paediatrician with expertise in epilepsy and that an early initial, and timely ongoing assessments should be required. This is a helpful report and monitoring of the recommendations should now prompt further action for healthcare professionals."
 
　


RISING FOOD PRICES

　

At DEFRA Questions Valerie asked the Minister what discussions he had had with his colleagues in the Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about rising food prices.

Valerie said: "Families on incomes in the lowest one-fifth of the population have cut their consumption of fruit and vegetables by nearly a third in recent years, as the cost of food has increased by 12% in real terms according to Defra’s own statistics. This has led to one in five mums going without food to feed their children ac-cording to Netmums. The Minister said he would speak with col-leagues in the DWP to ensure all possible support is provided."

　

HEALTH QUESTIONS

　

At Health Questions Valerie asked the Secretary of State for Health if he would use the £4 billion surplus and the savings made in the NHS to lift pay restraints for lower-paid workers to increase morale and boost productivity.

Valerie said: "At a time when the cost of living is rising quickly many front line health staff on the lowest incomes are struggling to get by. These staff are vital to our NHS and it is crucial that they are paid enough to live on."

Let us all stand against hate and division in Walsall!

S tand together against hate and division


Racist EDL

Not Welcome in Walsall

On Saturday 29th September a gang of racists plan to descend on

Walsall.

Their aim is to ferment hatred and division in our community.

Whatever they claim, the English Defence League’s anti-Muslim and

racist slogans and their Hitler salutes tell us who they really are.

At their heart are fascists who have been active in the British National

Party (BNP) and NF (National Front). Given the opportunity, the EDL

threaten, abuse and intimidate anyone whose skin colour or ideas they

don’t like. Their poisonous message of hate must not be allowed to go

unchallenged.

The various parts of our diverse community in multicultural Walsall live

together in harmony. We must stand up against this attempt to divide

us and to scapegoat a section of our population.

Join the peaceful and inclusive celebration of unity in our community.

Gallery Square at New Art Gallery, Walsall, WS2 8LG,

11am Saturday 29th September

Organised by We Are Walsall  

Let us say no to racism in Walsall!

Please forward this email to others who will want to take a stand against the poison of the EDL

The EDL are now clearly set to come to Walsall on Sat 29th September

The We are Walsall event is coming together and support is growing.

Stand together against hate and division

Racist EDL Not Welcome in Walsall

Come to the Forum on

Countering Racism, Fascism and Islamophobia

11am, Saturday 22nd September,

Upstairs in the East Room of 'The Crossing'

Walsall WS1 1DA - Darwall Street entrance

Contributions from anti-fascist and anti-racist campaigners, community and faith leaders and local councillors. Come and join the discussion

and

Help build the We are Walsall event the following week:

Gallery Square at New Art Gallery,

Walsall, WS2 8LG,

11am Saturday 29^th September

With this event we are both celebrating a united Walsall and protesting against the EDL's attempt to promote hatred and division. By gathering on the day we will be ensuring that the EDL are tightly contained away from the Saturday crowds and cannot roam around town abusing and intimidating people, spreading their message of hate. We will be making sure that the EDL's message is not the dominant story of the day. Please continue to encourage people to attend this peaceful but determined event - the racists need to know they cannot win.

Attached is the most recent flyer, a pledge sheet developed from the earlier statement that has been circulating and an email to Walsall Councillors which has received a considerable number of positive responses.

We have been allocated an assembly point of Gallery Square and that is now included on the flyer. We will need to make a final decision as to whether to make an application to march at the meeting on Thursday.

We are Walsall meets again this Thursday 20th September, 7:15pm at Palfrey Community Centre, Milton Street, Walsall.

Please bring new people to the meeting if you can so that we can develop the momentum over the last 10 days.

   Please spread the word!!
Thanks
Ian Robertson
Secretary Walsall South CLP

The threat from introduction of Universal Credit in 2013

17th September


You may know that this Tory Government plans to introduce Univeral Credit in October 2013.

While I think everyone would accept that the benefit system needs a continuous reform process, this step will seriously affect many of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Walsall and especially in some wards where many disadvantaged residents live. I post the concerns of many organisations that deal on a day to day basis with those at risk.
The evidence shows there is widespread concern about managing Universal Credit online, the implications of it being paid monthly and being paid to one member of a household, and the gap when the current system is phased out and the new one starts.

Ministers are very keen to ensure that the new system should be "digital by default" - in other words, managed and run online.

The new universal credit system risks causing difficulties to the 8.5 million people who have never used the internet and a further 14.5 million who have virtually no ICT skills," says Citizens Advice.

Only one in ten of claimants think it would make their lives easier”

Women's Budget Group

The public sector workers union Unison makes a similar point, as does the National Housing Federation, the umbrella group for homeless organisations, Homeless Link and Community Links, a charity based in east London, amongst others.

Concerns are raised too about paying Universal Credit monthly.

The Women's Budget Group, which describes itself as an "independent organisation bringing together individuals from academia, non-governmental organisations and trades unions to promote gender equality," also makes some observations.

It tells the MPs: "The government says monthly payment of Universal Credit mimics life in work.


"But many on low incomes in work have wages and/or benefits and tax credits paid more frequently, which matches common budgeting patterns for those on low incomes.

"Only one in ten of claimants think it would make their lives easier. Women are likely to be hit harder, as in low income families they tend to make more frequent purchases that will be squeezed as money is stretched."


There are concerns too that the payment of Universal Credit to one person in a household could, in some instances, upset the family dynamic: potentially putting that individual in a position of considerable power and influence.

Many of those who have submitted evidence are worried about how some people will cope when the changeover from the current benefits system to the Universal Credit takes place.

Work and Pensions Secretary Ian Duncan Smith wants to overcome problems in the benefits system "What consideration has been given to providing grants to cover a shortfall when transitioning from fortnightly to monthly payments, rather than claimants having to rely on budgeting advances or 'pay-day loans' which need to be re-paid?" asks Gingerbread, the charity for single parents.

Manchester City Council raise a broader concern: the effects not just on people, but communities.


We have concerns about the impacts on people but also on 'place' - either from large scale churn de-stabilising people and communities or reductions in income within areas with high concentrations of people currently on benefit."

Let's now turn to look at some of practical problems around making this change happen on time.


A wide range of organisations involved in meeting the government's deadline are clearly very worried about achieving it.

At the heart of the Universal Credit is what is known as the Real Time Information system. The aim is it will be much more responsive to people's changing circumstances.

It will require employers to report their employees' pay each time they are paid. In addition the self-employed will have to report their income every month instead of every year.

This will be a "significant and difficult burden, reliant on information from others", the Chartered Institute of Taxation tells the MPs.

The success of the Universal Credit depends on the new computer system being completed "under extremely tight timelines," the employers' organisation, the CBI says.


The new system's tight delivery timetable, coupled with low awareness among companies, is a risk to business and to the implementation of the Universal Credit."

"There is a real risk that the central government Universal Credit IT systems will not be ready on time," adds the Local Government Association, which represents councils.


So how does the government respond? Radio 4's The World This Weekend invited a minister to appear on the programme, but the invitation was declined.

In its evidence to the committee of MPs, the Department for Work and Pensions claims that "digital skills are a factor in around 72% of jobs", and so encouraging people to manage their Universal Credit online is sensible. It also saves a significant amount of money.

Advice will also be available, the department says, for those recipients who need help with managing their family budget.

"Rigorous, integrated IT testing has also commenced," it adds, pointing out it has "some of the best contingency arrangements in place across government" if things go wrong.

Do you think that this Tory run Council cares a jot about the potential   effects to residents in Walsall?

Please commit yourself to supporting Labour here in Walsall who cannot stop these changes but at least are compassionate on their effects and will ( if they are in charge) try to mitigate the disastrous effects on the most vulnerable in our society.
Please post support or otherwise!

Regards

Ian Robertson
secretary Walsall South CLP

April enews from Valerie Vaz MP Walsall South

April 2012


Walsall South

For further information, please visit: http://www.valerievazmp.co.uk

VALERIE WELCOMES ZAK THE ZEBRA TO WALSALL SOUTH

Valerie has welcomed Zak the Zebra to Walsall to call for a safer crossing on Darlaston Road in Pleck. Zak made an appearance with Valerie and local campaigners at the exist-ing Zebra Crossing, near the junction with Hough Road, on Friday 20 April 2012. Valerie also presented a petition of over 300 names to Parliament on Monday 23 April 2012.

Valerie said: “On 16 April 2012 I wrote to Walsall MBC to request that a signal controlled crossing is installed in place of the existing Zebra Crossing on Darlaston Road in Pleck. Residents have provided me with details of five incidents that took place on the crossing in five months between September 2011 and February 2012.”

“Drivers tend to travel fairly quickly along this busy road and the large number of parked cars means that visibility can be limited both for drivers and pedestrians, particularly chil-dren. In one incident, on 8 September 2011 a four year old boy was hit by a car on the crossing and sustained serious head inju-ries. The driver of the car was recently sentenced to 10 months in prison for dangerous driving. A woman was also hit by a car on 25 November 2011. There are several schools nearby and the potential consequences of similar incidents are far too great for immediate action not to be taken.”

Sunday Trading

On Monday 30 April 2012, Valerie voted against plans to suspend Sunday Trading Laws for a period covering the Olympic Games.

Speaking during the Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Com-mons, Valerie said: “The workers are against the Bill, small busi-nesses are against it, and it is against family values. No one wants it, and the majority of the British people will gain no benefit from it. I urge Members to vote against the Bill.”

The Bill was passed at Third Reading by 272 votes to 125. Valerie acted as a Teller for the Noes.

Valerie Acts as Teller for Food Labelling Bill

On Tuesday 24 April 2012, Valerie acted as a Teller for the Noes for the vote on Philip Davies MP’s Food Labelling (Halal and Kosher Meat) Bill 2012. The Bill con-tained provisions to com-pel retailers to label all meat slaughtered using halal or kosher methods. It was defeated by 73 votes to 70.

New Art Gallery Petition

Valerie has launched a petition calling on Walsall MBC to immediately reopen the New Art Gallery on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. This follows news that the New Art Gallery is due a substantial rebate on the Business Rates it paid from 2005 to 2010. Please click here to sign the petition.

Valerie said: “I have launched this online petition, calling on Walsall MBC to reverse the decision to close the Gallery on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays immediately. This move would cost just £30,000 per year and would enable the people of Walsall to enjoy the full benefit the Gallery can bring.”

Valerie Publishes Report into Obesity and Diabetes

This month Valerie published her report on ‘Obesity and Diabetes Programmes in England’. The re-port gives an overview of the status of obesity and diabetes and related programmes in England, us-ing data collected through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to Primary Care Trusts Clusters in July 2011.

Valerie said: “Diabetes and obesity are growing public health concerns in our society. The aim of the Survey was to analyse PCT initiatives in controlling the levels of obesity and diabetes in England and to highlight possibilities for further improvement. This report draws together the information in a way that is useful to a wide audience including healthcare providers, patients, policy-makers and organiza-tions seeking to reduce diabetes and obesity in England, and interested members of the public. It is clear that stronger action is needed from the Government.”


Surgeries

Valerie holds regular surgeries. To arrange an appointment, please call the Constituency Office on 01922 635835

 To Contact Valerie:

Constituency Office: 114a Lichfield Street, Walsall, WS1 1SZ

Telephone: 01922 635835

Westminster Office: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Telephone: 020 7219 7176

Email: valerie.vaz.mp@parliament.uk