Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin MP

The news that must have had a worrying effect on all of us this week is the story of two young boys being abused and tortured by two equally young boys. How can this happen and who is to blame? What are the solutions?

These two young children, because that is what they are aged 10 and 12, who carried out these attacks are the products of a dysfunctional family. Unsupported and uncared for, they have missed out on the love that most young children receive in the average family.

Strong supportive families are the bedrock of our society and it is essential that we all play our part in strengthening family life, ensuring that children grow up happy and well in safe communities, free of poverty. Children prosper best in stable environments, surrounded by people who love them.

The Government’s published ambition is to eradicate child poverty by 2020 and we have gone some way to achieving this target by lifting 500,000 children out of poverty since 1998.

It is important to prevent the creation of an underclass in Britain.

Raising minimum income levels, child benefits, tax credits and investing in Health and Education are all part of that anti-poverty strategy.

Pre 1997 there had been years of neglect where the rise in poverty levels saw the evolution of two generations at least of struggling families. One dysfunctional family leads to another and the process continues.

It is important to influence children at the earliest stage of their development. That is why the Government’s Sure Start programme is so important. That is why nursery education and play schools are so important. The holistic approach encouraged by Sure Start provision is critical.

I have seen the very positive input that goes towards supporting struggling families in the Sure Start facilities across my constituency. They are either in place or are on the way as a supportive network in Heywood, Middleton, Castleton, Norden and Bamford. I congratulate the efforts of the well trained staff to support and encourage training and skills for parenting.

The thrust of these programmes is to develop confidence, a sense of pride and self esteem and to nurture abilities in individual parents that will lead to strong family values and a sense of belonging to a community that shares and supports these values.

Mrs Thatcher once proclaimed “there is no such thing as society”. I believe the opposite is true and that although there will always be exceptions to the rule, support for family life and a move away from individualism is the hallmark of a civilised society.

Last Monday I visited the New Phoenix Centre in Heywood with the Friends of Peine. The occasion marked a visit by a delegation from Heywood’s twin town. The event was organised by my old friend John Pierce who was Chief Executive in Rochdale when I was Council Leader. John is now Chairman of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust.

The Phoenix Centre is a joint service centre providing Health Services and Council Services in partnership. As a former NHS employee I am pleased that Heywood will now have a range of services in Health to support its network of GP practices and Dental practices.

Services to be provided are Dental District Nurses, Specialist Children’s Services, Minor Operations, Sexual Health, Orthopaedics, ENT, Dermatology, Ophthalmics, Mental Health, Rheumatology, Urology, Podiatry and I am sure others will be developed. The Council will deliver conventional Community Services from the new centre. The facility has been a long time coming and it is not before time that Heywood will become an integral part of the government’s aim to deliver as many services as possible in the NHS at local level.

The Centre will open in October and the official opening will take place in November. I know the New Phoenix Centre will be of great benefit to all the people of Heywood.

I was invited by Ken Gibson, Sales Director of Inflite Engineering Services to discuss the future of the aerospace industry in the North West. I had a tour of the complex and promised to make contact with the Minister to move some progress in support of future development plans.

I later attended the funeral service of Cyril Fletcher who had touched so many lives in the sports scene in the area and was a long-time supporter of the Labour Party. His advice was always worth listening to and the very large attendance at the funeral was an indication of the respect Cyril had. He will be missed by all who knew him.

In the evening I had a meeting with the Middleton Councillors and Inspector Gary Hall where we discussed security and crime related issues around Middleton.

The Heywood Pensioners’ meeting was packed to hear the proposed service plans to be delivered from the Phoenix Centre. As always the pensioners present spoke their minds and made lots of constructive suggestions for the future.

Continuing my visits across the care homes in the constituency, I visited Threlkeld Court and Chisholm Court on Langley and Norman Weall Court and Clough Court in Middleton. The residents are always full of stories about the past but also interested in future policies and asked lots of probing questions.

The opening of Heywood Cemetery and Woodland Gardens in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress and led by the Rev’d Matthew Carlisle, St John’s, Rev’d Dianne Hicks, Trinity Methodist and Father Paul Daly, St Joseph’s was a lovely event. Councillor Susan Emmott did the honours. The Garden runs down into a beautiful scenic area at the rear of the cemetery. 

I then went on to attend the christening celebrations at the baptism of Lucy Sutherland at St Vincent’s RC Church in Norden. Lucy’s mum Katherine is the daughter of my good friends and neighbours Chris and Margaret Raynor.

On Tuesday 1 September I was accepted as a new member of the Catenians, a Catholic men’s group that was set up in 1908 to provide comradeship and sharing.

I had to go down to London on Thursday 10 September for a European Scrutiny Select Committee session to deal with a backlog of directives from Brussels.

I had to return for surgeries in Middleton on Friday 11 and Saturday 12. It has been a busy few weeks.