Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

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Jim Dobbin MP

Despite Government claims that the NHS will be ring fenced and have its budget protected, the reality is the opposite. The NHS has been ordered to come up with a £20billion savings plan. This puts the NHS right at the frontline for savage cuts the length and breadth of the country. The scale of these cuts will undo all the major investment plans of the past few years. The Royal College of Nursing Chief Officer has predicted 27,000 job losses in nursing alone. I shall vote against any proposals to reduce or cut the numbers of staff across the NHS. However as I have said in the past, plans to re-organise and improve the quality of services to my constituents will have my support.

The quality of the service will be improved through the creation of specialist expert teams, as long as adequate transport systems are available. The advancement of medical procedures, specialist equipment and treatments make this change absolutely essential. Much more involvement at community level, supported by routine hospital support for non- emergency cases and access to specialist units is the preferred option. This is the system supported by most medical experts and the one I wish to see developed between the four hospitals that serve my constituents – improve the quality, do not cut the service.

This has been a momentous week in Parliament. The Benefits shake up is without a doubt the most ruthless since the introduction of the Welfare State by the Atlee government. While I agree aspects of the benefit system needs reviewing, there is no way you can get people off benefits and into work without jobs especially if at the same time unemployment is about to rise almost immediately. The rise in poverty that will follow these decisions will be compounded by the loss of housing benefits at the same time as rents are being forced up by “Boy George” to around 6-8%. The proposed increase in gas and electricity prices will only compound the problem and create unnecessary hardship for pensioners and poorer families.

The government policy on University Fees is preposterous. They have cut public money for universities by 80% and have transferred all of this to students, saddling them with huge debts. I am happy to support a fair graduate tax system for students but will vote against the top up fees as I did when they were first introduced. The behaviour by a very few of the students taking part was regrettable but let us not ignore the part played by both Tory and LibDems in generating anger on this scale.

On Friday 12 November I had a joint meeting with Simon Danczuk MP and the new college principal Julian Appleyard. It was an introductory meeting and I hope that youngsters from across the Borough will take the opportunity to study A level courses at this splendid new educational establishment. In the evening I attended the Further Education Awards for students of Hopwood Hall College. It is always a pleasure to see the happy smiles of achievement on the faces of mature students after all their hard work and effort. On Saturday I had my usual Middleton surgery then on to St John’s C of E Christmas Fair in Hopwood. Fr Matthew was in good form and the fair was most enjoyable. This was followed by a Proms Evening at St Aidan’s, Castleton compered by Ken Davies and ably supported by Rochdale Music Service.

Of course Sunday 14 November was Remembrance Sunday and this year I attended the Heywood Service. It was exceptionally well attended and the local community paid their deepest respects to those Heywood people who gave their lives for their country.