Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in reducing under-age drinking.
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Arts Council England has paid the firm Robin and Gorringe in relation to the arts organisation, The Public in West Bromwich, in each of the last 10 years.
Lynda Waltho: In adult learners week, will my hon. Friend join me in congratulatingmy constituent, William McSorley, who through learndirect has gained qualifications in language, literacy and IT skills and become a confident and capable library user? Will my hon. Friend also undertake to protect funding for such initiatives, as provided at Stourbridge library?
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the recent Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project report, what steps she is taking (a) to address the gap identified between the provision of alcohol treatment and demand and (b) to increase access to and capacity of specialist alcohol treatment services.
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the recent Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Project report, what steps she is taking (a) to address the gap identified between the provision of alcohol treatment and demand and (b) to increase access to and capacity of specialist alcohol treatment services.
Lynda Waltho: There appears to be some discrepancy between estimates of the cost of HIPs. They range from £1,000 recently cited in an early-day motion to £700 cited by HIP providers. Will my hon. Friend assure the House, especially the sceptics, that the cost is more likely to be at the £700 end, and that the cost will not be duplicated further up the chain? Does she agree that encouragement of those...
Lynda Waltho: I support the main thrust of the motion, especially where it talks of the care and dedication of carers, but we need to be clear about the definition of carers. They can be relatives, friends or neighbours who look after someone who cannot manage without help because of sickness, age or disability. Carers look after people of all ages and can be of all ages themselves. They can be male or...
Lynda Waltho: If he will estimate how many women will be entitled to a full basic state pension by 2025.
Lynda Waltho: I thank the Minister for his answer. On Saturday, at the start of carers week, I visited a massive display of all the carers' associations and organisations within Dudley. Many of the carers that they represent are women, and I was lobbied quite specifically about pension entitlement. Those women will be happy to hear the answer that the Minister has just given me. Will he undertake to visit...
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure teenagers are made aware of the possible dangers associated with illegal drug use.
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase (a) access to and (b) capacity of specialist alcohol treatment services; and what plans she has (i) to respond to and (ii) to implement recommendations arising out of the departmental alcohol needs assessment research project.
Lynda Waltho: What assessment she has made of the impact on consumers, licensees and community groups of the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.
Lynda Waltho: Stourbridge police recommend the introduction of the cumulative impact policy in the centre of my constituency. That will enable local people to have a say in local licensing decisions. There is a committee meeting tonight to discuss the recommendation. If the decision is taken to introduce it, it will be the most wide-ranging in the United Kingdom. Will my hon. Friend join me in...
Lynda Waltho: I draw attention to subsection (3) because I am particularly worried about the proposal to omit miners welfare trusts from the special provisions category. I am sure that right hon. and hon. Members have experience of such trusts. I have a miners welfare association in my constituency. The Beech Tree Miners Welfare Association in Wollescote provides great assistance to miners, ex-miners,...
Lynda Waltho: Last year's intake of new Labour MPs was historic in that, for the first time, it included more women than men. Most of those women were selected from all-women shortlists. Unfortunately, our sisters in Opposition parties have not fared quite so well—[Hon. Members: "Sisters?] Yes, sisters. What policy does my hon. Friend think would be most helpful in encouraging more women to come forward...
Lynda Waltho: I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on his Bill, which is both timely and much needed. Its purpose is to deal with a genuine and urgent problem. During previous deliberations, we heard statistics relating to offences against emergency workers, including actual assaults. The situation is improving in some sectors, such as the NHS, since the...
Lynda Waltho: I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. I had hoped to get on to that point, although I was not going to be quite as obvious. Part of what I intended to do as an MP was to get out and about, particularly with public service workers. I am a former teacher, but teaching was probably not as dangerous—at least it did not feel as dangerous—as some of the situations I have been in since I...
Lynda Waltho: What steps he plans to take to increase the number of sexual offenders who are brought to court.
Lynda Waltho: I am sure we are all pleased about the positive steps that are being taken, but I am also sure my right hon. Friend agrees that for the victim the ordeal does not end at trial. It is vital for all rape survivors, male and female, to be supported after trials: they must be helped to deal with the after-effects. I was shocked by recent news that the number of rape crisis centres had halved...
Lynda Waltho: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to co-ordinate Government policy on equal pay across the public sector; and if he will make a statement.