Letter from Parliament

Date published: 10 December 2007

I shall be writing to the Home Secretary in support of the pay settlement of 2.5% agreed through arbitration for police officers.  I firmly believe that when agreement is reached through consultation processes that it should be honoured. I appreciate the relationship I have with the local police across my constituency. 

I also hope that the government will compensate the 125,000 pensioners who have lost out when their occupational pensions crashed.  The government have said they will endeavour to find up to 90% compensation and I shall continue to lobby for that result.

As one of the borough MPs, I want to help families living in temporary accommodation move into a settled home, provide better opportunities for young people facing homelessness and make further reductions in rough sleeping.  Over the past 10 years this government has worked hard to reduce homelessness figures across the country to the lowest levels since the early 80s.

The recent funding announcement for homelessness services means more help for some of the most vulnerable people in my constituency.  So I am really pleased that the local authority will be given increased resources each year for the next three years to help prevent and tackle homelessness in the area.  This is the first time that the Department of Communities and Local Government has awarded a three year settlement.  It will help the council meet the targets to reduce households in temporary accommodation by 50% and end the use of bed and breakfast for 16 and 17 year olds by 2010.  It will help the council to invest funding in expanding successful prevention schemes such as rent deposit and mediation services and make further reductions in rough sleeping by funding outreach and day centre services.