From: Aidan Burley MP news@aidanburleymp.

org Subject: News Bulletin from Aidan Burley MP #77 Date: 19 December 2013 14:22 To: news@aidanburleymp.org

In this edition:
Aidan Burley MPs Diary Aidan in the papers: Santas suit up for festive fun run Photo news: Justice Minister meets local sixth formers Safety first for disabled children Statement on TSA final report on Mid Staffordshire NHS Photo news: Hednesford Christmas Lights Burley welcomes boost in the pupil premium for schools in Cannock Chase Aidan welcomes Help to Buy support for households in Cannock Chase 4,000 homes in Cannock Chase eligible for home heating assistance Photo news: Aidan buys his Christmas tree from Marquis Drive Statement on JCB MP calls on residents to share experiences of dementia care with watchdog Aidan in the papers: Romanians and Bulgarians taught how to claim UK benefits in return for joining union Unemployment rate falls again in Cannock Chase How to contact Aidan Burley MP

Issue 77 Thursday 19th December 2013

Since the last edition, Aidan has:

Taken part in the Newlife Foundation 2013 Santa Dash. Aidan finished in the top ten and raised over 200 for the charity. Speaking to all competitors before the event, Aidan praised the work of Sheila Brown OBE and Newlife for transforming the lives of local children, and thanked everybody for coming out on a chilly Saturday morning and putting on their running shoes for such a good cause. Met with Transport Secretary Rt. Hon Patrick Mcloughlin MP and representatives from the Newlife Foundation to discuss the provision of specialist car seats for disabled and terminally ill children. Hosted a visit from the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Justice, to meet with a group of sixth form Law students from Cannock Chase High School, at Cannock Police Station. Spoken with Trust Special Administrators, Professor Hugo Mascie-Taylor and Alan Bloom about their final recommendations for the future of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Questioned the Minister for the Cabinet Office on projections regarding the proportion of the local population who are over 85. You can view the Ministers response here. Welcomed news that over 330 16-17 year olds in Staffordshire participated in the National Citizen Service programme in 2013. Young people can sign up for 2014 at www.ncsyes.co.uk. Questioned the Minister for the Cabinet Office about the net change in the number of private sector jobs in Cannock Chase and Staffordshire in the last 2 years. You can view the Ministers response here. Met with Staffordshire County Council Leader Philip Atkins and Chief Executive Nick Bell to get an update on the work of the County Council. Attended an event in Westminster organised by the Dogs Trust, the UKs largest dog welfare charity, to raise awareness of its A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas annual Christmas campaign. Attended the Hednesford Christmas Lights switch on, where he visited a renewed Lightworks shopping centre to meet many of the new traders and heard some excellent school choirs sing, including from St Peters Primary. Visited Marquis Drive on Cannock Chase to purchase his Christmas tree, in the rain! Aidan had chance to catch up with Sheila and Nigel, who also sold him his Christmas tree last year, and who very kindly helped him pick out a lovely tree and load it into the car. Been quoted in the Daily Mail condemning the Unite trade union offering Romanian and Bulgarian immigrants training in return for them joining the union.

Aidan in the papers:

Express & Star Monday 16th December 2013

Santas suit up for festive fun run

Click on the image above to watch the Express & Stars short video about the Newlife Foundation Santa Dash, including Aidan thanking fellow runners. Shoppers did a double-take as a flurry of Father Christmases and a dog in a Santa hat sped past. The scene was Cannock town centre on Saturday when more than 60 competitors dressed in Santa costumes pulled on their running shoes for the fourth annual Newlife Foundation Santa Dash. Among the runners were Cannock MP Aidan Burley, members of Cannock Police, and staff from the Co-op and health centre Fitness First. And Tracey and Renato Caizzo brought their dog Ollie along. The one-mile dash from Chase Leisure Centre and around Cannock Park to the bandstand in the town centre was started by Stafford town crier Peter Taunton. Mr Burley, who finished ninth, said: I havent sprinted that fast for a long time. Also taking part was six-year-old Max Phillips, from Nuneaton, who had received a new wheelchair from Cannock-based Newlife the day before. His father Steve Phillips, 34, said: He was concerned about getting the wheels dirty at first but he loved it. We are so grateful. The race was won by Alastair Payne, owner of the Bank Bar and Lounge, who has raised thousands for charity through marathon runs. He said: I like to take part in the event and support it each year. Newlife Foundation does a wonderful job. It is hoped the event will raise around 3,000 for Newlife which provides disabled children with equipment and services.

Aidan with fellow runners at the end of the 2013 Newlife Foundation Santa Dash.

Photo news:

Justice Minister meets local sixth formers

Aidan and the Secretary of State for Justice The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP with a group of sixth form Law students from Cannock Chase High School, at Cannock Police Station. Issues discussed at the specially organised question and answer session included fair sentencing, new prisons, victim support and the role of jurors. The Minister also reaffirmed his commitment to putting the victim at the heart of the justice system, restoring public confidence in sentencing, and making sure prison isnt an easy ride for criminals.

Safety first for disabled children

From the Newlife Foundation website

Aidan Burley MP with Clare Dangerfield from Newlife Foundation and Transport Minister the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP. Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children took its car seats campaign to Parliament this week, for a meeting with Secretary of State for Transport the Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP. Leading UK childrens disability charity Newlife Foundation is lobbying for specialist car seats to be included on statutory services lists of essential equipment for disabled children. Currently there is a loophole in legislation governing the use of car seats so if families cannot afford the high cost of specialist seating which can be anything up to 3,000 they can apply for a medical exemption certificate for their child. Desperate to see their children offered the same safety standards as their peers, many families are forced to turn to charities for practical help. Since 2004, Newlife Foundation has funded more than 1,600 car seats at a cost in excess of 1,300,000 (178,754 between January and November 2013 alone). Newlife Policy Development Manager Clare Dangerfield said: The law as it stands makes it possible for disabled children to be less secure than their peers. We want to see parents supported so they are not forced to use the medical exemption option and are not penalised by any additional financial pressures. Therefore, we are lobbying for statutory services to undertake provision of specialist car seats. The meeting with Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin arranged by Cannock Chase MP Aidan Burley follows a visit by the Minister to Newlife Foundations Staffordshire headquarters earlier this year, when he asked for a briefing on the car seats issue. Aidan Burley said: I am proud to have such a brilliant campaigning organisation as Newlife in my constituency and to be able to help them to help disabled children and their families across the country. As a former Cannock Chase resident, Patrick McLoughlin continues to take a keen interest in the area and I am delighted that he has spared the time to meet the Newlife team again, this time to discuss the need for disabled children to have specialist car seats so that they can travel in safety." Newlife has been campaigning to raise awareness of the issue of specialist car seats for the past two years. The meeting with the Secretary of State follows a recent change of regulations in Australia, to ensure that disabled children and those with complex and challenging behaviour receive equitable protection while travelling. As a result of the meeting, Newlife will be pursuing the issue through the national Disability Action Alliance, of which it is a member. According to research in Australia, 25 per cent of families of children with disabilities and additional needs were not using specialised child restraints tailored to the specific needs or disabilities of the child. Australia has now strengthened the regulations to protect all children up to the age of 16, with The Australian Standard for Protection of Children With Disabilities and Medical Conditions in Vehicles. Clare Dangerfield added: We are hopeful that the change in regulations in Australia will encourage moves in the same direction in the UK.

Statement on TSA final report on Mid Staffordshire NHS

Aidan Burley MP has released the following statement following the publication of the Trust Special Administrators (TSA) final report looking into future hospital services in Mid Staffordshire. Commenting Aidan said: Although it still has to be approved by Monitor and the Secretary of State, I now feel confident that this report represents the successful conclusion of my 18-month long campaign to save Cannock Hospital. Better than that, it will be more fully used by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust rather than lying half empty as it does now. It will be refurbished and improved. Never again will Cannock Chase Hospital be neglected to the point of closure, as it was so shamefully under the management of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (MSFT). Furthermore, the Administrators have listened to my concerns over the disproportionate effect that their original proposals would have had on the people of Rugeley. That is why it is so important that low-risk births will continue at a Midwife Led Unit at Stafford Hospital and that ante- and post-natal care will also remain at both there and at Cannock. This will be a great relief to people of the town. I have commented before that the decision to grant Foundation Trust to MSFT in 2009, when the Trust was clearly failing, was politically motivated and incomprehensible. That disastrous decision directly led to the situation we have today, but todays announcement marks the start of a journey to put our local NHS services back on a sustainable footing. For the sake of the patients and the loyal staff that must now come without delay and I look forward to working with the new team to ensure a smooth transfer.

Photo news:

Hednesford Christmas Lights

Aidan with Cindy Faulkner at Lightworks shopping centre, where she was telling stories to local children as part of the Christmas Lights switch on celebrations.

Burley welcomes boost in the pupil premium for schools in Cannock Chase
Chase MP Aidan Burley has welcomed the news that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in Cannock Chase have been allocated 3,658,000 for 2014/15 to help them achieve their full potential. This is good news for pupils and good news for their families. The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools so that they can support their disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap between them and their peers. The Government has increased Pupil Premium funding to 1.875 billion in 2013-14, with schools attracting 900 per disadvantaged child, with an additional payment of 53 for primary-aged pupils. In 2014-15, the funding will rise to 2.5 billion, with 1,300 for primary-aged pupils, 935 for secondary-aged pupils and 1,900 for all looked-after children, adopted children and children with guardians. In total, pupils in Cannock Chase will have received 9,554,000 between 2011 and 2015. Commenting Aidan said: This is excellent news for children in Cannock Chase. The gap between the academic performance of children from deprived backgrounds and their peers is far too big and has been ignored for too long. The pupil premium, introduced by this Conservative-led Government, is tackling this disparity head on, providing targeted funding for those who need it most.

Aidan welcomes Help to Buy support for households in Cannock Chase

Aidan has welcomed news that 56 households across Cannock Chase have received support under the Government's Help to Buy Equity Loans Scheme in the period up to September 2013. So far, 21 new homes have been sold to families in Cannock Chase with another 35 reservations currently being processed. Since the scheme was introduced in April 2013, 5,375 new homes have been bought in England. Of these, 92% were sold to first-time buyers. Under the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, the Government loans people up to 20% of the cost of a new-build home, so they only need a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage to make up the rest. Help to Buy equity loans are open to both first-time buyers and home movers on new-build homes worth up to 600,000. Commenting on the figures Aidan said: "Since Labour's financial crisis, hardworking people in Cannock Chase have been priced off the property ladder because of the large deposits that you need. "The Equity Loan scheme helps people overcome this deposit barrier and as a result the scheme will help lead to an increase in house building which in turn will create jobs and deliver an economic boost. "Here in Cannock Chase the scheme has already supported 56 hardworking families to get on the property ladder by allowing them to get an affordable mortgage, and I am confident that this number will rise even further over the coming year."

4,000 homes in Cannock Chase eligible for home heating assistance

As British households prepare to face the cold winter, new research reveals 4,000 households in Cannock Chase are eligible for assistance from their energy supplier with heating their homes. The findings from Home Heat Helpline show that a total of 3.6 million households across Great Britain qualify for help. 11% of homes in Cannock Chase are entitled to relief from energy companies this year. Households that qualify include low income pensioners, disadvantaged families with children or those with a disability, or any household that lives in one of the most deprived areas in the country. Commenting Chase MP Aidan Burley said: "Forecasters are predicting a cold winter ahead, and many people who are elderly or on low incomes may not know where to turn for help and advice on keeping their homes warm. "The best way for people in Cannock Chase to prepare is to act now, and call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to see if they're eligible for assistance." Angela Knight, Chief Executive, Energy UK said: "The research speaks for itself - some local authorities have close to half of all households eligible for help from their energy supplier. "We need to look at ways to improve efficiency to keep homes warmer and energy bills lower. A free, confidential call to the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 can be made in minutes and can save up to 300 per home." Support includes insulation and boilers, with many elderly and low income families qualifying for the 135 Warm Home Discount on energy bills. The British Energy Aid Report, carried out by the New Policy Institute on behalf of Home Heat Helpline, has also analysed the number of households eligible for assistance across each country, major city and local authority in Great Britain. Vulnerable households are urged to call the confidential, free Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to find out if they qualify, and to ascertain the type of support they may be able to receive to keep their homes warm. The helpline offers impartial advice to vulnerable people who are worried about their energy bills and staying warm during the winter. Last winter the Home Heat Helpline assisted over 42,000 people across Britain with approximately 250 energy savings per household.

Photo news:

Aidan buys his Christmas tree from Marquis Drive

Aidan at Marquis Drive on Cannock Chase, purchasing his Christmas tree from Sheila and Nigel, in the rain!

Statement on JCB
Responding to JCB's announcement on Friday 6th December 2013 of plans to double production and create 2,500 new jobs in Staffordshire, Aidan Burley MP said: "Firstly I would like to congratulate JCB on their continuing success. That this world-leading Staffordshirebased company should be seeking to significantly increase sales and increase its investment in Staffordshire in the coming years is something of which we should all be proud and support. "The company has a long relationship with Rugeley and I know that they wanted to lead that expansion from the town. Unfortunately, the type and size of premises that they needed locally was simply not available and so they had to look elsewhere in Staffordshire. "JCB will want to retain the skills of their Rugeley workforce as they grow their business in the long-term. That is very good news. Following a meeting I held with the senior management, I have argued for support measures to be put in place for employees who may have to travel further to reach the new site, such as a fixed-term shuttle bus service. "This investment is yet another vote of confidence in the engineering talent available in Staffordshire, following hot on the heels of the new Jaguar Land Rover plant just outside Codsall. I wish the company continuing success in showing to the world that Staffordshire really is the Creative County."

MP calls on residents to share experiences of dementia care with watchdog

Following this week's G8 Summit on dementia, Aidan is calling on his constituents to share their personal experience of care for people living with the condition, to help inform a ground-breaking national programme of inspections which is being led by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is undertaking 150 inspections of care homes and acute hospitals across England until the spring of 2014. The findings will help paint a picture of how people with dementia are cared for with a view to improving the quality of care for people with the condition. Aidan is urging people with dementia, their relatives, friends and carers, to share their experiences with the CQC in the following ways: ! by email at dementiafeedback@cqc.org.uk; ! by telephone on 03000 61 61 61; or ! online via a webform, available here. The CQC is also working with local groups to gather people's experiences including: Age UK, Dementia Action Alliance, Regional Voices, Dementia Advocacy Network and the Race Equality Foundation. Commenting Aidan said: "I see within my constituency the suffering caused by dementia not just for those with the condition but also for their friends, families and carers who love and support them. Dementia is estimated to affect 670,000 people in England but this is set to rise considerably in the future. We want people to able be able to live independently at home for as long as possible but, when their needs are such that they need to go into a care home or hospital, it is so important that they are well looked after. This is an opportunity for people touched by dementia to share their experiences of care homes and hospitals so we can see what works well and what needs to improve." The review will examine how people living with dementia are supported to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, how care homes and hospitals can work together when there is a need for people with dementia to move between services and how effective care can reduce admissions to hospital from care homes and avoid unnecessarily lengthy stays. The announcement coincides with a meeting of world leaders in London as part of the G8 Summit, which aims to develop a global response to prevent and treat dementia as well as improve the quality of care for people living with the condition.

Aidan in the papers:

Romanians and Bulgarians taught how to claim UK benefits in return for joining union
Jason Groves, Daily Mail Saturday 14th December 2014 The Unite union is offering to teach unemployed Romanians and Bulgarians how to claim benefits in Britain. The organisation, Labours biggest donor, is courting foreigners from the two countries as part of a membership drive. It offers the advice as a reward for signing up to the union. It has even issued membership forms in Romanian and Bulgarian, despite the Government and Labour saying immigrants should learn English. The unemployed are offered the chance to join the union for just 50p a week. In return, Unite says it will offer new arrivals with advice on how to maximise benefit claims. The decision to target Romanians and Bulgarians is sure to be controversial, given public concern about the lifting of immigration controls on the two new EU countries at the end of this month. Ministers have refused to estimate how many immigrants will arrive from the two impoverished countries but some experts believe it could run to hundreds of thousands in the coming years. Tory MP Priti Patel called Unites behaviour shameless, adding: It is incredibly irresponsible and Im afraid it just sums up the attitude of Labour and the trade unions towards EU immigration. Labour is the party that opened the floodgates to EU immigration with its open borders policy. Now their allies in the union movement are basically encouraging people to come here, and offering them advice on how to exploit our benefits system when they arrive. It gives the lie to the idea that Labour is finally getting serious about immigration. In recent years Unite, led by Len McCluskey, has directly targeted immigrant workers in a bid to swell its membership and coffers. In 2011 its political officer Clare Moody met with Alexandru Petrescu and Ciprian Bolos, the UK representatives of Romanias Social Democratic Party, in a bid to urge migrant workers to join the British union. The union now issues its membership forms in a range of foreign languages, including those of countries whose workers do not have an automatic right to work in this country, such as Ukraine, Turkey and China. The forms include details of its controversial community branch, which is aimed at the unemployed. The organisation was launched last year to provide a way people can find and use their political voice. Membership costs 50p a week, and includes a free welfare benefits check-up... which makes sure youre claiming the right benefits. Members are also offered free compensation claims. personal injury advice to pursue

Tory MP Aidan Burley said: [Unite] would rather swell their membership coffers by encouraging new immigrants to claim the maximum amount of benefits, than represent their members many of whom will be concerned about their own jobs being taken by these migrant workers. Rather than helping Romanians and Bulgarians claim more benefits, Unite should concentrate on reforming its own working practices to ensure British firms can stay competitive and jobs remain with the best British workers. A Unite spokesman stressed that migrant workers are all too often exploited by unscrupulous bosses, sometimes with tragic consequences, citing the Morecambe Bay tragedy in which 23 Chinese cockle-pickers drowned. Unite members, no matter what their nationality, can access and be signposted to advice on a whole host of issues, they added. Are the Tories seriously accusing Unite and the likes of Citizens Advice of encouraging an influx of migrant workers because we signpost them to advice to stop them being exploited?

Unemployment rate falls again in Cannock Chase

Chase MP Aidan Burley has welcomed news that in Cannock Chase, the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) fell to 1,413 last month. This is 739 lower than the same time last year and 97 lower than October 2013. Back in May 2010 the unemployment rate in Cannock Chase stood at 5.1%, it now stands at 2.8%. Youth unemployment in Cannock Chase has also fallen from over 10% in May 2010 to 4.8% in November 2013. Aidan has made attracting jobs and growth to Cannock Chase his top priority since being elected in 2010. In just three years he has held four Jobs Fayres across Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley to help local people find work. He has also welcomed new statistics released today showing the number of people in work in the West Midlands has increased by 60,000 since the election: The news that unemployment in Cannock Chase is continuing to fall is especially encouraging, he said.. Creating jobs and improving training opportunities has been my number one priority since being elected. As a local MP, I have been determined to all I can to bring together employers, workers and training providers to make Cannock Chase a place where businesses want to come and do business. The four Jobs Fayres I have organised have played an important part in this, enabling people to meet local employers with real job vacancies and opportunities. Nationally we are seeing record numbers of people in work and 72% of new jobs since the election are full time. Despite this, I am not complacent. I will continue to do all I can locally to bring more businesses and jobs to Cannock Chase and to offer better training opportunities. However, these figures clearly show that the Conservatives long-term plan to fix the economy is working in Cannock Chase, getting people off benefits and into work, and delivering a more secure future for people who want to work hard and get on in life.

5 ways to contact Aidan Burley MP:

By Phone: 01543 502 447 By email: aidan.burley.mp@parliament.uk By post: Aidan Burley MP 6 High Green Court, Newhall Street Cannock, WS11 1GR In person: Click here for details of how to book an appointment at Aidan Burley MPs regular help and advice surgeries.

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