Former Labour MP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden
The Minister makes a proper point. The public expect their councils to use antisocial behaviour orders. East Dunbartonshire council—it happens to be Liberal controlled, but that is neither here nor there—refuses to issue antisocial behaviour orders. The public feel let down by the council to some extent. There are lots of issues across the council, but there is a failure to use the orders.
I join my hon. Friend the Member for East Lothian (Anne Picking) in congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for West Renfrewshire (Jim Sheridan) on securing the debate. He reinforced something that all Members know: he is always to the fore when it comes to defending workers' rights. Today is a good example. We are talking about people who are public servants in the health service, who...
I welcome that point. I am not arguing that we need to protect public service workers and do nothing else, but, if we seriously want to make a practical start, that start needs to be in defending public service workers. They are out there in a way that bears no comparison with many private sector jobs. If we can get the legislation to work in the public sector, I am happy to extend it to the...
This week, the management of the national health service proposed changing the staff pension scheme from a final salary scheme to one based on average pay. Will the Leader of the House find time for a debate on that important issue? Many of us believe that if something is good enough for MPs it is good enough for the hard-working staff of the NHS.
May I draw my right hon. Friend's attention to early-day motion 99? [That this House congratulates Macmillan Cancer Relief on the successful launch of its exciting new Better Deal campaign to get a better deal for people dealing with cancer, especially from the benefits system; notes that three quarters of people surveyed by Macmillan who have had a cancer diagnosis say they suffered...
May I draw attention to early-day motion 1898? [That this House notes that the new formula for Child Support Agency (CSA) maintenance calculations has now been in place since April 2003, which is more than enough time to stabilise the system; considers that existing cases have experienced a long and avoidable delay under the old rules; and calls upon the Minister to instruct the CSA to take...
May I first say how grateful I am that MRSA has been chosen as the subject for discussion today? I welcome the opportunity to open the debate and thank colleagues for participating in it. It is important for me to put on record our sympathy and condolences to people who have been affected by MRSA. The National Audit Office has reported that about 5,000 people a year are killed in hospitals, a...
I am not an expert, so I do not know whether there is a correlation. All I am saying is that, even in those hospitals where there have been improvements, nursing staff are deeply unhappy about the fact that they cannot be involved in the issue of cleaning. We will never overcome the problem in the longer term if we do not deal with cleaning because it is central and everything else depends on...
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions HRH Prince Andrew has used the Department's vehicles, vessels and planes for private use in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and at what cost.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is taken following a verdict by a coroner in England and Wales of unlawful killing in respect of a death of a UK national overseas.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to mark St. Andrew's Day in 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include the introduction of new rolling stock as part of the negotiations for the new East Coast Mainline contract.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to bring together representatives of countries prepared to help a new Palestinian state to discuss a co-ordinated aid programme.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for (a) amendments to and (b) elimination of the development rate of the minimum wage.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid Malawi will be given by his Department in 2005; and how much was given in 2004.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to have an appeals system in place to review the removal of pilots' security clearance.
