Letter from Parliament - Tony Lloyd MP

Tony Lloyd MP

I raised several important topics in parliament this week, including the debate about the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds seizing assets from private small businesses. One of my constituents was affected by this abuse of power, so I raised his case in parliament.

I again raised the situation surrounding the Rohingya in Myanmar, which I have seen with my very own eyes. I highlighted how the Rochdale Council of Mosques has significantly helped in aiding them, but there is a need for immediate crisis management, as different kinds of assistance are required.

I raised the need to invest in Northern trains. We need a line to suit the borough that is fit for modern purpose. The Secretary of State has promised to do away with Pacer trains by 2033, but we need to put pressure on for quicker action.

There has also been the ongoing debate around the health service and Brexit, plus Carillion, that has become the poster child for dodgy market capitalism.

I had a good exchange with James Frith, the MP for Bury Noth, about the need for flood defences in our areas and to lobby central government for better support.

I attended a presentation about encouraging women into engineering and the opportunity for great careers in that field.

Committee on Climate Change is the national body for government use of carbon. It has recently published a report and held a session talking with and listening to MPs. We need to put pressure on the government to ensure we are doing all we can to take carbon out so that global warming does not get even worse than it currently is.

I learned of the importance of having equipment detecting carbon monoxide levels. People have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after the gas has leaked from appliances like faulty gas fires, which is why it is known as a silent killer. The advice is to install carbon monoxide detectors wherever there is a room with either a gas or solid fuel appliance, fire or boiler.

I met with Action for Hearing Loss, which says it takes around 10 years before people with hearing loss get measured, which is shocking. If you experience any level of hearing loss, you can undergo a free hearing check with your GP.

On Wednesday (17 January), it was World Encephalitis Day. Encephalitis is a serious condition where the brain becomes inflamed and can result on fluid on the brain. It can take years to recover from it. A lot of people do not know this is a major issue, and this was about the need for medical and support services to be in place.

I met with the President of the Royal Institute of British Architecture about the need to keep quality in not just our homes, but public and private buildings also.

I attended a presentation on chemical weapons in Syria - in the news a few years ago after gassing its own people.

Recently, I met with WASPI campaign women who are lobbying parliament for a fair transition to the state pension they paid into. This week I attended a rally of theirs in Manchester.

This weekend I will be supporting the NHS by attending the Labour Party demonstration in Rochdale.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/129/letters-to-the-editor/115430/letter-nhs-demonstration

Everyone, from whatever party, voluntary, church or community group who values our NHS, is invited to the demonstration outside the Exchange Shopping Centre on Yorkshire Street, Rochdale between 11.00am and 1.00pm this Saturday, 20 January.