Letter from Parliament

Date published: 25 September 2007

Ask any group of people what are the three main issues that concern them and it will probably be Health, Crime and Immigration. All these issues figured strongly at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton last week and Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken about both Health and Crime.  My postbag since the Secretary of State for Health’s decision to downgrade Rochdale Infirmary has been full of people angry about the decision. Each of them with an individual story about how the decision is likely to affect them. 

It is a fact that the NHS is bigger than the economy of Cuba and more centrally managed. All public appointments to Primary Care Trusts and Acute Trusts are made by the Secretary of State for Health (in this case it is Labour MP Alan Johnson) and all decisions like the downgrading of Rochdale are decided by him.  Our local health service is not local but centrally controlled by Ministerial dictat. 

One of the proposals agreed at the Liberal Democrat Conference was for democratically elected Health Boards elected by the local community. I doubt for example if the same decision about Rochdale Infirmary would have been made if the members of the PCT had to face the people of Rochdale rather than the Secretary of State! 

The announcement by the Prime Minister to have a deep clean of our hospitals is just another example. Why cannot the local Hospital Trust make the decision themselves? Hospitals should serve and be accountable to local people not Whitehall.  This is especially topical in the light of the recent revelations that our maternity unit had to closed because of an infestation of cockroaches!

Giving Police Officers more powers to stop and search will not of itself reduce crime if there are not enough officers on the beat. In Greater Manchester because of cutbacks by this Labour Government, the number of officers has been reduced by 218.   Next year the force faces an even greater deficit which if not dealt with will result in the loss of even more police officers. Additional PSCO’s are not the answer. They do a great job but as the tragic drowning in Wigan recently demonstrated they do not have enough training.  There is no substitute for more police with FULL powers of arrest.  I have long argued for this locally and nationally.

I’ve just set out some of my ideas for cutting crime in Rochdale.  If you would like to help set priorities for cutting crime in please fill in the questionnaire which is on my website at www.paulrowen.org.uk or return the slip from our newspaper that you will soon will be receiving.  I will be using the results to discuss priorities with GMP.

Immigration was discussed at our conference and I spoke on the issue. Many of the current problems are a direct result of the Labour Governments’ decision to dismantle border controls and their failure to run the Immigration Service properly.   This results in people getting into the country who should not be here and genuine people visiting relatives for example being refused.  I gave several examples from my casework during my speech. We need fair but firm policies consistently applied not a new law and/or immigration minister every twelve months.

Last week I was pleased to be able to show Ann Bradley and her friend from America around the Houses of Parliament before travelling back to Rochdale for the Peace Parade on Friday, very well organized by John Farrington. The weather was appalling but children from several primary schools in the borough took part including St Mary’s with Nick Wigmore, leading the staff and one of my old pupils Christian Horner leading pupils from my old school of St. Johns.  Rochdale is unique in the country in celebrating United Nations Peace Day and it is a credit to John and his team. 

We are now in the month of Ramadam  and Muslims are fasting. On Sunday night I was able to break the fast with Ch. Muhammad Yousaff, MP and Minister from Kashmir at the home of Ali Asghar. I met Ch Muhammad Yousaff in his constituency of Chitral in February so it was great to be able to see him again in Rochdale.