Friday 28, October 2011
Welcome ...
Welcome to this my 100th electronic news bulletin.
It is timely that the centenary of my ebulletin comes at the end of a momentus week for me and for the Crewe and Nantwich constituency in Parliament.
During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions I asked David Cameron to join me "in praising all the adopters and foster carers in Crewe and Nantwich and elsewhere for the fantastic work they do and encourage others to come forward to foster and adopt and to recognise during national care leavers week that we can do much more to provide care leavers with the sustained and enduring support that they often need and always deserve?”
The Prime Minister responded “I completely agree with my hon. Friend. He speaks from great experience, as his parents have helped to foster around 90 children over the past few decades, which I think is a magnificent example. As I said in my party conference speech, we really need to attack every aspect of this issue. It is a national scandal that there are 3,660 children under the age of one in the care system, but last year only 60 were adopted. We have got to do a lot better. Part of it is about bureaucracy and part of it is about culture, but a lot of it is about encouraging good foster parents and adoptive parents to come forward and giving them security in the knowledge that the process will not be as bad as it is now. Thorough-going reform is required. My hon. Friend the Minister with responsibility for children is leading this work and I am confident that we can make some real breakthroughs in this area.”
This came on the day of the 2011 launch of National Care Leavers' Week 'A Day in My Shoes' which invites all professionals and services who come into contact with care leavers to take time to reflect on the lives that care leavers live and the barriers they have to overcome. Events are taking place throughout the UK between 26th October and 1st November 2011 and young care leavers will be giving unique insights into their experiences through different media. The first event in the series, a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Looked-After Children and Care Leavers, was hosted and chaired by myself in Parliament where a panel of expert practioners and beneficiaries of care answered questions from over one hundred and fifty guests.
The second APPG which I Chair, that for Adoption and Fostering, is equally relevant to my question to the Prime Minister as next week is National Adoption Week which runs from 31st October to 6th November. It is with great pleasure that I can combine two issues that are so close to my heart and help them by bringing them to the attention of so many more people.
This week, aside from questioning the Prime Minister, I also put questions to the Minister of State for Pensions, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where I raised the bravery of our local 1st Battalion the Merican Regiment, and participated in a debate on the effect of the BBC's service review on local radio in Cheshire. More on these can be read here.
The number of subscribers to my ebulletin has grown exponentially since it began and I look forward to bringing you more news of my involvements in Westminster as well as Crewe and Nantwich over the ebulletins to come.
Please remember, you can always contact me directly if you have any questions for me.
You can forward the bulletin on to your friends and family, who can sign up themselves by clicking here for my website.
Best wishes
Edward Timpson
Member of Parliament for Crewe & Nantwich
I have recently ...
- Asked the Prime Minister to join me in praising all the adopters and foster carers in Crewe and Nantwich and elsewhere for the fantastic work they do and encourage others to come forward to foster and adopt and to recognise during national care leavers week that we can do much more to provide care leavers with the sustained and enduring support that they often need and always deserve. More here
- Asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP, what provisions are being made for foster carers under the new housing benefit rules. More here
- Asked the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alistair Burt MP, about increasing co-operation and building peace in the Middle East and raised the bravery of our local 1st Battalion the Merican Regiment. More here
- Participated in the debate on BBC Local Radio raising my concerns about the impact of the recent BBC service review on radio in Cheshire. More here
- Hosted the group on Looked-After Children and Care Leavers in Parliament at the beginning of National Care Leavers Week
This weekend I will be...
- Attending a perfomance by the Nantwich Players of 'Don't Dress for Dinner' at the Nantwich Players Theatre
- Attending a local ABF Soldiers Charity Dinner in Nantwich
Photos & Video ...
Edward supporting the Seahorse Swimming Club sponsored swim raising funds for a wheelchair for Nathan Hill
You can view all my photos and video at edwardtimpsonmp.com
Petitions
To sign Edward's Welfare Petition click here
To Sign Edward's Immigration Petition click here
Community News
Support the Looking After the Homeless Group
With a really harsh winter being predicted The LATH Group (Looking After The Homeless) are in dire need of donations, to help ease the lives of those that are homeless & many of whom sleeping rough this Christmas.
Many of us are going to be spending a wonderful Christmas with our loved ones with plenty to eat and drink near a cosy fireplace or in the warmth of the sunshine. In the spirit of goodwill and kindness I urge you to spare a thought for the many people that won't have this luxury and many who will be alone on Christmas Day.
To make a donation please click here - Please forward this link to your friends, your families & your colleagues, add the link to your Facebook & Twitter pages to help our cause and spread the word.
Your money will be used to feed, create warmth, clothe, and help shelter those who need it this winter.
Do you have community news to share? Email me and it could be here too!
Edward Timpson MP fights for Crewe rail jobs
Crewe & Nantwich Guardian
LOCAL MP Edward Timpson met with representatives of Bombardier in Crewe in Parliament last week to discuss the current situation facing the company.
Mr Timpson accepted and then delivered almost 900 signed postcards to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for the decision toward the Thameslink contract to Siemens be reversed.
In supporting the work of Bombardier in Crewe Mr Timpson said: "I have made my views very clear both in the House of Commons and elsewhere that this is the wrong decision for the UK rail manufacturing sector and have questioned the Secretary of State personally on the possibility of revisiting the matter.
"I have also called for a change in the way the UK interprets EU procurement rules so that in this country, as happens in France, Italy, Germany and many other parts of Europe, UK based businesses such as Bombardier can bid on a genuinely even playing field.
“It is no coincidence that the Italian police drive around in Fiats.
"I will continue to work closely with Bombardier at all levels to help raise awareness of their well established and much needed engineering experience and expertise in the UK and to help bring other opportunities to their Crewe site."
Mick Roberts, the Crewe site's union representative, said: "We highlighted the government's decision to export the Thameslink order was wrong and that as a result the future of UK train building industry is now under threat.
"Mr Timpson advised us he has been critical of the decision not to build the Thameslink trains in the UK and has worked with Bombardier to this end.
"We urged Mr Timpson to step up his protest for Thameslink trains to be built in the UK.
"We also discussed the failings in the procurement process for rail and the need to ensure that changes are made that ensure the fullest support for the domestic based bid is provided."
Edward Timpson MP helps Crewe charity
Crewe & Nantwich Guardian
CREWE and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson met with representatives of the Crewe Parkinson’s charity last week to deliver a cheque for the money he raised by running the London Marathon.
Mr Timpson raised £1,111 for the charity through sponsorship for running the marathon in April.
The Crewe branch of Parkinson’s UK offers information, friendship and support to local people with Parkinson's, their families and carers.
They also organise regular events and social activities from St Michael's Church Hall on Ford Lane in Crewe, as well as holding a support group in Winsford.
Mr Timpson said: “Running marathons is a great way of raising money for local charities, not only are they a good way of getting fit but they also help people and draw people’s attention to a cause.
"The challenge of running 26.2 miles seems slightly easier knowing that every step goes towards a good cause.
“It was a pleasure to pound the streets of London for Crewe Parkinson’s knowing that the money I raised is going towards helping those suffering from Parkinson’s in Crewe and Nantwich.”
Michael Kinsey, chairman of the charity’s local branch, said: “Our work is totally dependent on donations, and we have been thrilled that Edward Timpson chose our branch to benefit from his amazing efforts in the London Marathon.
“Vital funds raised for research by Parkinson’s UK means we can continue work to find a cure and improve the quality of life for people affected by Parkinson’s.
“Being involved with the branch has really helped a number of people in the area, not least by providing the opportunity to speak to people in a similar situation.”
For more details on the charity visit www.crewe-parkinsons.org or call 01270 560680.
Mr Timpson will be running next year’s marathon for local charity CLIMB (Children Living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases), of which his wife Julia is a patron.
MP Edward Timpson challenges Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg over residents rights regarding planned Gypsy site in Crewe
Crewe Chronicle
CREWE and Nantwich MP Edward Timpson has quizzed Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg over the rights of residents as the fight against the proposed Coppenhall Gypsy site moved to Westminster.
The Conservative MP demanded to know how the Government will ensure “the views of residents are heard loud and clear when local authorities seek planning permission for Gypsy and Traveller sites”.
Mr Clegg said the Localism Bill gives ‘a raft of new rights’ for communities to make their views known on planning matters.
Mr Timpson challenged the Deputy PM just days before attending Saturday’s public meeting organised by the action group Crewe Against Traveller sites.
Cllrs Derek Bebbington and Peggy Martin also addressed the meeting in a field at the White Lion near Warmingham and attended by more than 250 people.
They heard from group chairman Glen Perris that more than £2,000 has been raised to start a fighting fund to stop the proposals for a 12-pitch permanent site.
Cheshire East Council is seeking planning consent for the site to house 24 trailers and vehicles together with an amenity block with washrooms and kitchen.
Mr Perris said he’d been in touch with a solicitor in Kent who had persuaded a council to abandon proposals to build a permanent site near people’s homes.
Mr Timpson has already met Cheshire East leader Wesley Fitzgerald to express the strong concerns of residents.
Mr Timpson said: “The sheer numbers of people who gave up their Saturday afternoon to attend demonstrates the strength of feeling on this issue.
“I felt it was important that I attend to explain how I can support them and to answer any questions they had at a time of great uncertainty and concern.”
See pages 8 & 9 for more on the controversy and pages 16 & 17 for views.
Foster film makes Crewe debut
Crewe & Nantwich Guardian
A FILM designed to inspire future foster carers and adoptive parents to step forward is making its debut in Crewe this week.
The 20 minute film, commissioned by Cheshire East Council, recounts the moving experiences of individuals and couples who have opened up their homes to young people in need.
MP for Crewe and Nantwich Edward Timpson will be a special guest at the event next month, when he will talk candidly about how his own parents became foster carers when he was just a child.
Other VIP guests will include chief executive of Cheshire East Council Erika Wenzel, Mayor of Cheshire East Councillor Roger West, Councillor Hilda Gaddum, regional director of British Association for Adoption and Fostering Erika Amende and regional director of Fostering Network Helen Clarke.
Councillor Gaddum said: “Many young people in local authority care are in desperate need of a good home.
“Adults who can provide either a foster carer home or a permanent adoptive home are in short supply.
“If you think you can offer stability, love and fun to a young person, I would urge you to get in touch with us.
“Fostering is often a temporary arrangement and many children and young people return to their own families.
“It can be done on a full or part-time basis and ranges from short-break care to a few months or even a long-term basis.
“Adoption is a permanent arrangement, whereby a court transfers all powers of parental responsibility to the individual or couple.
“Becoming an adoptive parent or a foster carer is not a decision to be taken lightly - but the rewards can be immense.”
Latest figures for Cheshire East show there are 456 foster children. Of those, 231 are with foster carers and the remainder are under local authority care in a range of settings.
The film will be screened at the Reel Cinema, Phoenix Leisure Park, Crewe on Wednesday October 5 at 11am.
Cash pledged to block plans for gypsy camp
The Sentinel
THOUSANDS of pounds have been pledged in only a week for a community to pay for professional help to block plans to open a gypsy camp.
More than £2,000 has been collected to start off a fighting fund to stop the proposals for a 12-pitch permanent site in picturesque countryside on the outskirts of Crewe.
And a protest meeting attended by nearly 400 people at the weekend heard how a legal expert with a track record of defeating similar schemes in the south of England had already been approached.
Cash will also be raised by collecting old clothing for recycling and through personal donations.
The row is over a Cheshire East Council planning application for the plot off Parkers Road and Kent Lane in Coppenhall to house 24 trailers, 24 vehicles and an amenity block with washrooms, a kitchen, dayroom and laundry.
But the protesters, who met in a field at the White Lion pub yards from the site on Saturday, were warned by campaign leaders to dig in for a long struggle.
Describing how any approval could be contested by a judicial review even before the council went out to public consultation, Crewe MP Edward Timpson said: "You need to be in this for the long game.
"This is the biggest public meeting I have seen in my constituency and the strength of feeling is such that we must get as much support at every level.
"Travellers have rights, but so do residents and we have to keep pressure up to make sure we have the best chance of succeeding."
He revealed a formal planning application was likely to be submitted next month with objections allowed until February when a decision is expected.
An approval could be then reviewed by a high court judge under a procedure which would be costly for the fighting fund.
Glen Paris, chairman of the week-old Campaign Against Traveller Sites, said he had been in contact with a solicitor in Kent who had already persuaded a council to scrap proposals to build a permanent site near people's homes.
He said: "It is vital we stick together as we fight this on a number of grounds such as location, lack of infrastructure, the creation of an accident blackspot on the main road and not enough capacity in local schools."
Hearing that 11 alternative sites in East Cheshire had been turned down by the council as a possible location in favour of Coppenhall, audience member Kenneth Powell said to applause: "Every reason they have given for not taking it to those places applies here too – right down to the newts we have in the field."
5 ways to contact Edward Timpson
- By email: timpsone@parliament.uk
- On the web: edwardtimpsonmp.com
- By phone: 01270 501 725
- By post: 30 Victoria Street, Crewe CW1 2JE
- In person: Click here to see surgery times
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