Letter from Parliament - Liz McInnes MP

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Liz McInnes MP

As ever, it has been a busy week in Parliament and in the constituency of Heywood and Middleton.

On Thursday, in response to a request from a constituent I took part in the debate on Contaminated Blood Products. The damage caused by the administration of these products persists until this day and a report has now been released calling for full financial compensation to be paid to affected families. I hope that constituents will be reassured that donated blood is now very thoroughly screened and that the mistakes of the 70s and 80s should never be repeated.

I also took part in a debate on the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership, or TTIP, again in response to requests from constituents. TTIP is a subject about which I feel very strongly myself, and prior to me becoming your MP, I was actively involved in campaigning to get more clarity and public involvement in this issue. The negotiations on TTIP appear to be taking place behind closed doors and put our NHS at real risk of legal challenges should a future Government decide to try to reverse the ongoing privatisation of our Health Service. During the debate I called for greater openness and transparency and also for the NHS and other public services to be made exempt from TTIP.

On Friday I met with the Leader of Rochdale Council and his business team to talk about the measures being taken to encourage business growth and therefore job creation in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale. The team are working hard to attract businesses to our area which as well as providing much needed employment will also give the boost that our local economy so badly needs.

I am very much looking forward to attending the annual Skills Event in March which puts young people in contact with local employers and will perhaps put some of them on the road to careers which they had not previously considered or been aware of.

Amongst the many groups I met with this weekend were the Friends of Springfield Park, who are doing some great work to restore and maintain this beautiful recreational area. I have pledged to support this group, who are always on the lookout for more volunteers, so if you live near the park and want to help please get in touch with them.

It was my pleasure to attend the launch of the Young Motherhood project in Parliament last week. Photographer Jendella Benson, via interviews and photographs of women who had babies before the age of 20, presented a positive image of young mothers, a group who are so often stigmatised in our society. This event was sponsored by Teresa Pearce MP, who herself had her first child before the age of 20, and spoke very movingly about how having her daughter had made her think about the world her children would have to live in and led to her involvement in politics.

On Sunday I had a fantastic day organised by the Middleton GPs who held a Tea Dance for the over 65s registered with a GP surgery in the Middleton area. The dance was well attended and lots of fun. It was lovely to meet with everybody and I look forward to the next event. It was an excellent example of how much community spirit there is within the community.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to meet with Sue Scott of the Angel Project in Langley.
It gave me great pleasure to hear that Sue has been selected for an award and it's one that she richly deserves. I was first alerted to Sue's work in the community by the daughter of one of the Langley residents whose life has been turned around by the project. Sue's cafe helped this man come out from his isolated life and become part of the community again. He is one of Sue's many success stories.

Sue is a wonderful, giving person who works tirelessly to help others. Supported by a great team of volunteers she is doing so much to improve the lives of people around her with practical, social and emotional support. I know that she still has many things she wishes to do in the community but it's great that she has received this recognition. The Points of Light Award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

I spent a really good evening at St Cuthbert's RC School, which although it is not in the constituency, has an intake of children from the Norden and Bamford areas of the constituency. I just about made it through the snow to get there in time for curtain up on a performance of 'Annie'. It was an absolute pleasure to witness the talent of the performers and I amazed to learn that all the children taking part were aged 16 or under. The performance was so professional and it was a credit to all the staff, children and volunteers who took part. I think we can safely say that St Cuthbert's definitely has talent and I look forward to seeing some of the children progress in their performing careers and perhaps appearing on bigger stages in the future.

On to another busy week ahead and looking forward to getting back to Heywood and Middleton and to meeting with people in the constituency over the weekend.