Responses to your Email Questions
Most of the emails I receive are not individual casework and therefore it is useful to share my thoughts on the issues that you raise. I will make general points and post my thoughts on areas not covered in the news, my blogs or local and national issues. Therefore, the topics are a little more specialised. I hope you find it useful.
World COPD Day November 2009
I have been happy over thelast few year to suppot anything that highlights the issues surrounding COPD.
COPD is an umbrella term for a group of conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is the second largest cause of emergency hospital admissions in the UK and is estimated to cost the NHS almost £500 million a year in England.
However, despite the burden of COPD, public understanding about the disease is very limited. As a result, many people are not aware of the symptoms and patients often do not get an all important early diagnosis.
The Department of Health will soon be producing a clinical strategy for COPD, which should raise the quality of care for people living with the disease, address the lack of awareness of the condition and help to identify the millions of people with undiagnosed COPD.
I have been to support campaigns in the Commons and of course visited the Breatheasy Group at Loughborough Hospital to support their cost effective work.
Fox Hunting
I supported the ban and fought for the Labour government to introduce it. I will not vote to repeal the ban unlike the Tories who are promising to re-open this issue.
November 2009
Immigration Debate
Recent headlines have suggested that Labour is responding to the rise of the BNP by addressing the issue of Immigration again.
This link highlights the thinking in No 10.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page21301
As you can see the further tightening of the points based work system is being used.
Personally from my experience of dealing with immigration and asylum cases over the last 15 years there has never been a soft approach to people coming into the country. In fact we too ofetn appear hostile to visitors who may simply want to come and visit family or even just attend a wedding. In a globalised world there will be increasing population movement and we need to have a proper grown up debate about what that means for us. It seesm fine to the Daily Mail that millions of Brits go aborad to live!
17th November 2009
Lisbon Treaty - will I support a referendum.
The Tories have now rejected the option of having a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty breaking their 'cast iron' guarantee.
There is now no option to have a referendum anyway.
I have written extensively elsewhere on this site why a referendum on a Treaty is both constitutionally wrong and unnecessary. The key point is that this is a TREATY and not a constitution.
I am a firm supporter of greater international cooperation in all areas - both European and global at the UN.
16t November 2009
Tuition Fees Review
I have posted more extensively on the rest of my site on the announcement of the new review. I oppsoed Top up Fees and won't support any additional fees above the rate of inflation. Worth searching my site for more details.
11th November 2009
Christian Persecution in Orissa State India.
I have been following this and as I am on the Council of Reference of Christian Solidarity Worldwide I do what I can to raise human righs issues across the globe in the Commons and in public.
15th November 2009
Herbal Medicines.
I have received numerous approaches about this mater and so have taken it up with the Minister. As soon as I have response I will post it here. Thanks
12th November 2009