Letter from Parliament

Date published: 30 August 2007

The big news this last week has been the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson MP’s decision on the Healthy Futures and Making it Better consultations.

I was bitterly disappointed with his decision, a decision that will cost lives. I had hoped that with a new Prime Minister we would see a shift of emphasis and a clean break with the Blair years. It was an opportunity missed and one that we will see repeated many times across the country as more vital health services are axed or merged.

I have elsewhere thanked the many scores of people who have assisted our campaign - which does not end here. To my opponents, particularly those now trying to heap the blame on me, I say where were you? It is a fact that for the last two and a half years not one Labour Councillor has joined the Friends of Our Hospital.  This is despite numerous requests to do so. As for the claims that it would all be different if there was a Labour MP look at Salford where Cabinet Minister Hazel Blears is MP or Bury with both Health Minister Ivan Lewis and David Chaytor as MPs. Both towns have suffered the same fate. When will this government listen!

Despite this setback I will continue to work to develop health services in Rochdale. I did last week meet the new Chief Executive of Pennine Acute, John Saxby for example to discuss the problems with the Stonehill block. I have put forward several suggestions that could keep the beds at the Infirmary at least until the reconfiguration is complete.

I’ve continued to use the Parliamentary recess to go out and meet people both through various organisations and by knocking on doors.

I met Craig McAteer, the Chief Executive of the Learning for Life Trust. They now manage the Council’s Leisure facilities and I’m keen to see investment in this area. 

I also met Alastair Graham of the Rochdale/Oldham Housing Market Renewal. One of the biggest issues I deal with on a daily basis is the lack of socially rented housing or Council housing. The council’s waiting list is now huge with even very deserving cases unable to be re-housed. 

I am pleased to see our Liberal Democrat Council building the first new council houses for a generation on Trafalgar Street.  I hope that we can continue this alongside Gordon Brown’s commitment to build more houses.

Good news came with a meeting I had with the Learning Skills Council in Manchester about our new Six Form College. A proposal will go to the national board before Christmas with a view to having the new college up and running by September 2010. It means those students in year 9 in our schools will be the first to go to the college. 

Good news came also with the announcement that work on Metrolink for Rochdale will start next year. It is good news for all those people who have fought to make things happen. While this work is going on, as with the development of the town centre, we need to ensure that short-term investment continues.

I met a group of local traders also last week together with Councillors Metcalfe, Coric and Sharif. We will be following this up with a further meeting.

Schools return next week and with it the end of the summer holidays. To all those people who have worked in play-schemes or in events for our young people, like Councillor Barbara Todd on Greave, I say a big thank you. Without your efforts our young people would miss a lot of opportunities.