Events Round up and diary highlights...

For a flavour of some the work I do, I have detailed some of my diary below and examples of events I have attended and organised.

September 2009 - Unite ByCycling event

I am pictured below with my husband and youngest son taking part in the Unite ByCycling ride in London to support The Prostate Cancer Charity.   Click here for more information. Since then, I have myself been diagnosed with cancer, click here.

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September 2009 - BMAG at Downing Street

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I am pictured above with BBC West Midlands newsreader Kay Alexander and Councillor Ray Hassall at a celebration in Downing Street of a year of paintings from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. 

Sarah Brown said her favourite picture on display was "The Visit of the King and Queen to Bournville".  I particularly like "The Pink Dress" and "Llanthony", which I have walked to on Offa's Dyke pass.

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F.Gregory Brown: The Visit of the King and Queen to Bournville

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Sir William Nicholson: The Pink Dress

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John Piper: Ruined Cottage, Llanthony, Wales

The full list of pictures displayed in Downing Street is:
- Sir John Arnesby Brown RA: The Smug and Silver Trent
- Sir William Nicholson: The Pink Dress
- William Scott: Still Life: Flowers and Jug
- John Piper: Ruined Cottage, Llanthony, Wales
- Victor Pasmore: Girl in a Straw Hat
- F.Gregory Brown: The Visit of the King and Queen to Bournville
- Dame Laura Knight: Autumn Sunlight, Sennen Cove
- Sir Stanley Spencer: Old Tannery Mills
- Sir Edward Poynter: The Bells of St. Mark’s, Venice

April 2009 - 'NISP'

In April 2009, I met a with a Chinese delegation visiting the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) in my constituency - click here to read more.

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January 2009 - Gaza Protest

I took part in a protest against Israel's invasion of Gaza on Saturday 17 January in Birminham.  Around 5,000 people attended this peaceful and vibrant protest, including other Birmingham MPs Clare Short, Richard Burden and John Hemming, as well as London MP Jeremy Corbyn.

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I spoke at the rally in the city centre and made it clear that Israel's actions during the conflict were unacceptable.

To read more about my opinions and actions on the Gaza conflict click here.

June 2008 - Parliamentary Bike Ride

I took part in the 2008 Parliamentary bike ride with my new power assisted bike, pictured below (I was the first customer for Cytronex, see www.nohills.com).

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Though it wasn’t a race, I was well ahead of the rest of the group back to Westminster, thanks to some nifty moves through the traffic at Waterloo and the additional speed the small electric motor gave me over Westminster Bridge!  I will still keep my trusty folding Brompton bike for trips to work and local shopping but the powered bike will be great for holidays in hilly areas and for days when I have several meetings in different locations and don’t want to arrive too sweaty – especially getting up Hill Street for meetings at the Council House!

June 2008 - Campaign against ivory trade event

I am pictured below supporting the IFAW event against the ivory trade. Click here for more information.

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June 2008 - Carers' Week event

I took part in the campaign supporting  Carers' Week 2008 and am pictured below with Pam Ferris.  For more details, please click here for my press release.

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Sunday 18 May 2008 - Jubilee Debt Campaign Journey to Justice

On 18 May 2008 I joined campaigners in Birmingham to celebrate the 10 year story of how the Jubilee human chain of 1998 has led to a global movement and debt cancellation around the world.

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September 2007 - visit to 'NISP' - National Industrial Symbiosis Programme

NISP is part funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme.

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Industrial symbiosis brings together companies from all business sectors with the aim of improving cross industry resource efficiency through the commercial trading of materials, energy and water and sharing assets, logistics and expertise. It engages traditionally separate industries and other organisations in a collective approach to competitive advantage involving physical exchange of materials, energy, water and/or by-products together with the shared use of assets, logistics and expertise.'  In September I visited NISP, whose HQ is in Kings Norton in my constituency.  See below for their websites to find out more about the excellent innovative work that they are doing or click on the picture above to go to their news story about my visit:

www.nisp.org.uk

www.international-synergies.com

20 June - Growing the Railways Campaign

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I was delighted to show my support for the Growing the Railways Campaign. I attended the launch of the Growing the Railways manifesto in March of this year and support their key aims for the West Midlands which are:

  • Better regional connections between Worcester and London, the West Midlands and the East Midlands;

  • A rebuild of Birmingham New Street with longer platforms and more track;

  • New signalling on the Stratford - Birmingham line to enable more trains to run and alleviate road congestion in the busy tourist destination;

  • In-fill electrification to give more flexibility to the network and speed up services;

  • Opening unused terminal platforms at Moor Street Station.

To read more on my reactions to the manifesto click here.
To read the press release for the national campaign click here

25 April - British Heart Foundation 30 a-Day Campaign

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Keeping fit and feeling well is crucial to being effective in my job with its long hours and heavy workload.  No matter what the pressure on my time, I am almost religious in ensuring I go swimming at least twice a week when I am in Westminster.  It takes time but it is made up twice over in the feeling of wellbeing it gives me. I also enjoy cycling to and from my offices in Birmingham and Westminster and so long as I'm not carrying anything heavy, I always walk up the five flights of stairs to my office.

That is why I was only too happy to support the British Heart Foundations campaign to get everyone to do 30minutes of exercise five times a week. This doesn't have to be going to the gym or running marathons. All types of activity count, such as walking your dog, washing your car or dancing. Click here for more information on the campaign and click on the picture to enlarge.

14 March - Rethink Trident campaign

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On the morning of the House of Commons debate and vote on whether the UK should renew its nuclear weapons system, I attended a Rethink Trident campaign meeting. The singer and songwriter Annie Lennox (pictured) was also attending to support the campaign. 'Rethink Trident' believes that:

  • Britain should not be rushed into a premature decision to replace its “Trident” nuclear weapons system;
  • More time should be taken for Parliamentary and public scrutiny and debate;
  • The urgent need is both to halt the spread of nuclear weapons to new countries, and for all states which possess them to move more rapidly and substantially towards nuclear disarmament;
  • Therefore the priority for the UK government should be launching a renewed diplomatic initiative to seek a breakthrough in disarmament and non-proliferation negotiations, as it has taken a lead in relation to such global challenges as climate change and acute poverty.

The campaign is supported by over 100 prominent public figures from politics, science, religion and popular culture. I wholeheartedly support its objectives and will be using my vote to try and stop the decision being taken now to renew Trident. Click here for more on my views and click here to read my article on the subject.

9 March - Growing the Railways

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Click here for my full report

1 February - GOJO Campaign Photocall

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GOJO is a campaign run by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and aims to increase disabled people's confidence in using public transport. Disabled people are four times more likely to lack confidence in using public transport than non-disabled people. This often results in disabled people travelling less and, in many cases, actively avoiding public transport altogether. 

I am concerned that this barrier could lead to an increased sense of isolation amongst some disabled people and prevent them from playing a full role in their communities and society at large.  I was very pleased, therefore, to support the campaign at its parliamentary launch on 1 February.

The campaign will culminate in major events around June 21st, the longest day of the year, when GOJO will encourage disabled people to take full advantage of public transport. Click here for more information.

9 December - Sending letters to detainees at Guantanemo Bay

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On Saturday I went to St Martin’s Church in the Bullring to help write letters to Guantanemo Bay detainees and  Prisoners of Conscience held in prisons around the world.

This January will mark the fifth year that the US has arbitrarily detained people at Guantanemo Bay, Cuba, without charge or trail amidst accusations of torture and inhumane conditions. To date, 400 prisoners remain imprisoned from 35 countries.  This is a disgrace and must stop! Click here to find out more.

9 December - I sign petition to end human trafficking

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I was more than happy to sign Stop the Traffik's Global Declaration against people trafficking when lobbied by a constituent. I believe such a terrible crime needs to be tackled head on. That's why I have also been calling on the Government to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. This would give victims permission to stay in the UK for a period of time so they can receive proper care, understand their options for the future and decide if they want to help the police with their enquiries.

The Global Declaration petittion is going to be delivered to the United Nations and national governments after Freedom Day on 25th March 2007. By signing it I have called for all governments to prevent the sale of people, prosecute the traffickers and protect the victims. You can sign the petition online as well by clicking here. Or if you want to find out more on Stop the Traffik please click on the logo below:

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8 December - Opening Ceremony of EEG Digital Video Telemetry Equipment at Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital

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I was very pleased to attend the ceremony to unveil new equipment installed at the Peter Jeavons Neurophysiology Unit (PJNU) at the Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital.  The new equipment will allow the PJNU to provide a unique diagnostic and assessment service in the West Midlands  for people with conditions such as Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, Multiple sclerosis, Tourette syndrome, and Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME

I was told that clinicians in the team who provide care for people with Tourette syndrome were to receive a “Special recognition” award from the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA UK) for “invaluable service to the Association and to people with Tourette syndrome in the UK and around the World”.  I am pleased that this cutting edge equipment will allow such excellent work being done in the PJNU to continue.

5 December - Constituents visit Parliament with Tony Benn as guide!

I have had excellent feedback from the group of constituents who accepted my invitation to visit Parliament with non other than Tony Benn as guide. They were also able to see me in action in the chamber asking Margaret Beckett a question on Iraq.

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The Houses of Parliament are open to all members of the public for guided tours at specific times. If you are one of my constituents and would like to arrange a tour, please call my Westminster Office on 020 7219 4190. The UK Parliament website contains more information on visiting. Click here to go to the relevant page.

28 November - I deliver teacher cut-outs to Number 10 with Selly Oak School pupils

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With pupils from Selly Oak School, I delivered teacher cut-outs to Number 10 in aid of the 'My friend needs a teacher’ campaign. The campaign builds on the success of the 2005 campaign: 'Send my friend to school' which called on world leaders to enable every child in the world to receive a primary education. At the G8 summit last year, world leaders pledged to achieve this by 2015. 

The 'My friend needs a teacher' campaign maintains pressure on key decision makers, highlighting that 15 million extra teachers are needed in poorer countries so that universal primary education can become a reality. Education is vital to eliminate world poverty and I was proud to see our young people pushing for children across the world to receive the same lifechances that they enjoy. To find out more on the campaign please click here.

25 August - My First Civil Partnership Ceremony

In August, I attended the civil partnership ceremony of David Green and Brian Ruppert, about whose plight (Brian, as a US citizen, faced deportation) I held a parliamentary debate in May 1994. Click here to read the debate (you will need to scroll down the web page to find the start of my speech). 

It was lovely seeing two people that I knew from so long ago making use of the new civil partnership legislation to celebrate their relationship.  What made it all the more poignant was that the registrar was a dead ringer for a young Tony Blair!  See for yourself in the picture, below!  Gay people now face much less discrimination than in 1997 and this has been the result of several positive measures taken by the Blair Government.

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3 August - Green Flag Day at Cannon Hill Park

In August, I attended the Green Flag Day at Cannon Hill Park, in celebration of the award of Green Flag status for the third year running.  Kings Heath Park, also in Selly Oak constituency, got the award too.  The Green Flag Award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country.  It is now seen as a benchmark of excellence for other parks to aim for.

Green Flag Days are organised by the Park’s staff who take you on a tour of the Park and show off the huge range of plants and trees you can see.  Activities are also on offer at other times of the year and there are three scheduled for the rest of 2006. These are: an Autumn Stroll, Bulb Planting, and Make a Bird Feeder. Click on the links for more information.

Since winning its first award, Cannon Hill Park has been praised for its helpful and well-informed staff and was recognised as providing a welcoming site for diverse communities and people experiencing difficulties with mobility.  As this is one of my local parks, I couldn’t agree more with this praise - the day was lovely and the Park looked beautiful. Birmingham people are rightfully proud of having such a soothing and tranquil environment only two miles from the hussle and bussle of the City Centre.

To get more information on the Park, click here.

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11 July 2006 Launch of the new 1 in 100 Campaign

I am pictured below with artist Ian Morris and the Health Minister, Rosie Winterton MP, at the launch of the new 1 in 100 educational initiative, sponsored by Janssen-Cilag, which aims to promote choice through knowledge, by providing comprehensive information to people experiencing schizophrenia and their families and friends.

Approximately one in every one hundred people in the UK develops schizophrenia which is a chronic, long-term condition that, if not treated appropriately, can be devastating for both individuals with the condition and their friends and family.  It is important for patients to have access to all available information so they can make informed decisions about how to manage their condition.

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I hosted the event as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health.  The new campaign, entitled, ‘The Picture’s Looking Brighter’,  looks to promote a more positive view on this condition, which with the right treatment plan can be managed to enable people to lead fulfilling lives. 

The event took place at the House of Commons and attendees at the event included artists who experience schizophrenia, whose work features in the new 1 in 100 brochure and on the website, and also some of the people with schizophrenia and their carers who contributed to the development of the new brochure.

1 in 100 offers people the opportunity to receive an information pack containing:

o         Facts and information about schizophrenia: including possible causes and symptoms

o         A pocket-sized card that lists questions to help individuals have more informed discussions with their doctor regarding their treatment regimen

o         Comprehensive listing of mental health support groups and their contact details

o         Information on a range of treatment options (both NICE recommended medications and psychosocial treatments)

o         A guide for families and friends of people with schizophrenia

To request a free information pack, visit the 1 in 100 website at www.oneinonehundred.co.uk or freephone 0800 587 1153.

Established artist Ian Morris, who experiences schizophrenia (pictured above) said “Being diagnosed with a serious mental illness can be a real shock.  However, developments in understanding, rehabilitation and treatment can now enable people with schizophrenia to get on with enjoying their lives.  The campaign is important for providing information not only to people with schizophrenia, but also to the general public, who often have little understanding of the condition.”

More on mental health

20 May 2006 - Building Project Exhibition Day at Christ Church

The photo below was taken at a visit to the exhibition day at Christ Church on Pershore Road to see their plans for their new building. I am pictured with Revd Nigel Hand. 

There are more details about the proposed building on the church's website:

http://www.christ-church-selly-park.org.uk

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06 May 2006 - Third Farmers' Market for Constituency

Kings Heath Farmers' market was launched on 6 May.  I am pictured celebrating with Stan Hems Chair of Kings Heath Business Association.

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We now have three farmers' markets in the constituency:

1st Saturday of the month: Kings Heath

2nd Saturday of the month: King's Norton

Last Saturday of the month: Moseley

Thanks must go for the hard work of all those behind the setting up these markets.  I am sure the Kings Heath market will prove as popular as those in Moseley and King's Norton and will attract more people to the centre, to the benefit of all traders.  I have found the markets are a great place to meet up with friends and keep up with local gossip!"

For more pictures of the launch of Kings Heath Farmers' Market, please click here: http://www.kingsheathfarmersmarket.org/photos.htm

The picture below was taken at Moseley Village Farmers' market in February:

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At the end of February, I joined Brian Lucas, the local Orang-utan and Friends of the Earth supporters at Moseley Village Farmers' Market amidst temperatures of grim to freezing.  We raised awareness of Early Day Motion 697, which I have supported in Parliament:

EDM 697

MODERNISING COMPANY LAW 10.10.2005

That this House believes companies are critical in achieving the aims of sustainable development and to making poverty history, but that in order to be able to do so their freedom to operate must be balanced with clear responsibilities to society and the environment; and urges the Government to enshrine in new company law a duty for directors to identify, consider, act and report on any negative social and environmental impacts caused by a company's activities in the UK or overseas.

Rainforests are being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations and if the global industry continues in its current way, the habitat of the orang u tan will be lost leading to their possible extinction (Friends of the Earth predict within the next 12 years). 

16 Jan 2006 - Meeting year 10 pupils at the First Impressions Hair and Beauty Salon at Kings Norton High School

I was delighted to be invited to Kings Norton High, in my constituency, to open their beauty salon, First Impressions, part of the new vocational centre at the school.  The centre offers pupils the chance to gain industry recognised qualifications.  Hair and beauty courses are provided as well as construction courses, bricklaying, plumbing and carpentry.  Students demonsrated some of the treatments they had been taught and the salon will also beopening its doors to adults to study NVQs in hair, beauty and holistic therapies from February 2006.

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Cutting the Ribbon to celebrate the opening of First Impressions vocational salon

13 May 2004 - Baby Milk Marketing Event

On Thursday 13 May 2004, in conjunction with Baby Milk Action I launched a report of international monitoring evidence of breaches of the World Health Assembly International Code of Marketing.

For details, click here.

19 March 2004 - Pension Credit Event

I attended Cotteridge Church and Coffee Shop on Friday 19th March 2004 where the Local Pension Service held an event to promote the Pension Credit. The Local Service Team talked to around 200 people about Pension Credit throughout this particular event.

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At the Cotteridge Church Pension Credit Promotion Event

Some examples of meetings I attend in a typical week:

7 - 28 November 2003

7 November: Meet with Legal Aid lawyers concerned about funding arrangements through the Legal Services Commission.

Meet with Michael Sterling, Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University regarding education funding.  BirminghamUniversity supports the Government’s proposals but would wish the upper limit for tuition fees to be set at £5,000.  The University is also concerned about possibly being required to recycle any additional income into providing bursaries for poorer students.

Attend the second meeting of the Selly Oak Constituency Committee which has been set up as part of Birmingham City Council’s centralisation proposals.  I expressed concern that responsibility is being devolved to this Committee without adequate powers to influence service delivery.

The day finally ends with my surgery at CotteridgeChurch.

8 November: Advice surgery at All Saints Church in Kings Heath.

10 November: Meet with representatives of Postwatch about potential post office closures in the Constituency.

11 November: Chair a very well attended meeting to decide to set up a new All Party Parliamentary Group on pensioner incomes.  The aim of the Group is to get cross-Party support for the shape of future pensioners’ policy, including the amount of the basic state pension so that these vital issues can be removed from the battleground of Party politics.  The meeting was attended by several parliamentarians with an interest in pensioners’ policy as well as the Pensions Ombudsman and representatives from Help the Aged, Age Concern and the National Pensioners’ Convention.  The National Federation of Post Office and BT Pensioners will provide the secretariat for the Group which is also receiving support from the Independent Pensioners’ Policy Institute (IPPI).

14 November: Meeting at University Hospital Trust to discuss plans for the new hospital and the value for money of PFI funding for this scheme.

Advice Bureau at Selly Oak Centre.

17 November: Visit to Tall Trees Project funded by the Mental Health Trust which provides training and work experience and helps people recovering from mentally ill health to work.

Attend a meeting of Parliamentary and Scientific Committee about the regulation of nano-technology.

21 November: Meeting with Birmingham Crown Prosecution Service to discuss liaison between the local police and the Service.   Meet with, Managing Director, Alastair Nee and the Editors of the Birmingham Post and Mail.  Has resulted in halving of Westminster-based reporters and the poor quality of recent reporting of events at Westminster.  It was agreed that management should meet with MPs more regularly in the future and provide more opportunity for MPs to feed back views on the new arrangements.

24 November: Chair meeting of Birmingham Bond Scheme which provides bonds in lieu of deposits for non-priority homeless people to help them get tenancies in the private sector.

28 November: Visit to Cadbury to see their refurbishment plans and to hear about their volunteer programme

6 - 17 October 2003

6 October: Speak at Pensioners' Convention Rally calling for the restoration in the value of the state pension.

7 October: Visit to Tyco Healthcare in Kings Norton. Tyco is a multinational company specialising in medical products.  Tyco Healthcare as a whole (Birmingham is one of the company's six plants in England and N.Ireland) is the second largest supplier to the NHS of consumables such as needles/syringes, sutures, wound care, orthopaedic products, clinical instruments and devices and other operating theatre equipment. The company directly employs 1742 people across the UK.

The Kings Norton plant, which employs 41 people, specialises in orthopaedic footware which are in use throughout the National Health Service.  It was interesting to see the skilled design and manufacturing work that goes into their products, some of which are pictured here:

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8 October: Speak at West Midlands Home Energy Conservation Act Forum Conference. I call for more imaginative use of renewable energy technologies (click here for more info) in the construction and renovation of local housing.

10 October: World Mental Health Day. Speak at Women's Mental Health Fair

17 October: Speak about the work of the All Party Group on Mental Health at a seminar organised by Workability, an offshoot from the local Mental Health Trust that helps people with a mental health problem overcome barriers to work.

Talk to school students at New Street Odeon following a viewing of "Dirty Pretty Things", a film about asylum-seekers. The students find the film challenges common stereotypes about asylum seekers and we discuss media distortion.

Delighted to open the children’s art exhibition at Primrose Hill Junior and Infant School (some of the wonderful artwork is shown in the photo below).

The school’s popular head teacher Jan Spooner has worked hard in recent years to raise the morale of staff, people and parents in the area and the school is much improved and is succeeding in meeting the needs of all pupils although there is still progress to be made.

There has been some really good work done with parents during the life-long learning opportunities and the school has now succeeded in attracting nearly £2 million of Government money to create a neighbourhood nursery. It is hoped that there will be further developments to include a children’s centre. 

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Week beginning 18 August 2003

Monday and Tuesday

In Westminster office.

Wednesday

Spoke at a Public Meeting on Foundation Hospitals,  Friends Meeting House, Bournville.

Other speakers included:
Dr Peter Fisher
President NHS Consultants Association

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
former Health Minister

John Rostill
Chief Executive of Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust

Chair:
Dr Aquil H Chaudary

Week beginning 11 August 2003

Monday

Attended open day launch of new optician's service in Weoley Avenue...

click here for press release of event

Tuesday

Met with Birmingham NHS Concern to discuss the

Private Finance Initiative

Wednesday

Visited St Mary's Hospice to discuss funding for palliative care and meet patients.

Thursday

Meeting with other Birmingham MPs and Alstom management at the Washwood Heath Factory.

Some more examples of events and meetings:

Birmingham Creative Partnerships opening July 2003

On 7 July, I opened the Creative Partnerships Exhibition at the University for Central England Centre for Visual Arts in Bournville... 

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click on picture for Creative Partnerships website

Creative Partnerships Birmingham is part of a national programme which gives school children the opportunity to develop their potential, their ambition and their creativity through sustainable partnerships with creative and cultural organisations, businesses and individuals.  Twenty-six participating schools in Birmingham have been organised into five clusters.  Each cluster working with one or two long-term partners.   Projects cover a wide range of different subjects from history, science, drama, geography, dance, technology, visual arts and music.  The schools in my constituency (Queensbridge and Moor Green Infants') are involved in the Performing Arts Cluster and have been working with Birmingham Royal Ballet.  I very much enjoyed finding out more about their work.

Parliamentary Recess 2002

I recently helped launch the awareness raising campaign, 1 in 100 in the West Midlands organised by Janssen-Cilag Ltd, which aims to provide people living with schizophrenia and their carers with information and support.  Click here for a press release and fact sheet for more information.  On 11 October, I attended the Young People's Parliament as part of a family learning weekend about the experiences of refugees in Birmingham and then met firefighters at Bournbrook Fire Station to discuss their pay claim and my work as a constituency MP.  Over the last few weeks, I have used the opportunity afforded by the parliamentary recess to make constituency visits and meetings. I have visited Centre 13 in Moseley, Kings Norton Church and other nearby listed buildings. I have spoken to young people at Camp Hill Girls' School and Wychall Farm J&I and discussed the situation in the Middle East with representatives of the Muslim Community. I met with the Chief Execitive and staff involved in the delivery of Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Services at the Children's Hospital and carried out a fact-finding day of visits to three slaughterhouses to see how pigs, cattle and sheep were treated.

Visit of José Bustani - 9 May 2002

José Bustani, ousted Director General of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons spoke at a meeting for parliamentarians. Considerable concern was expressed by those in attendance, including Professor Julian Perry Robinson, a member of the UK Government’s advisory committee on chemical weapons, about the precedent created by which an international civil servant, duly elected to head an international organisation can become vulnerable to the whims of major contributors to the organisation’s budget. The world owes José Bustani our thanks for refusing to go quietly thus exposing the behind the scenes manoeuvring to remove him. I have tabled a number of parliamentary questions including the following which demonstrates quite clearly that the US, Germany and Japan have failed to honour their obligation to pay their contributions by 1st January: please also see my press release and article on the visit and Early Day Motion 1188 in the name of Harold Best, which I have supported.  See below for photograph and text of one of my Parliamentary questions on this issue.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries are the main contributors to the funding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; which of them are in arrears with their contributions; and by how much. [53458]

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attendees including MPs, Jos
é Bustani and Brian Eno

 
Mr. Bradshaw: The major contributors to the funding of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) amounting to approximately 70 per cent. of the OPCW's budget are: the United States (22 per cent.), Japan (20 per cent.), Germany (10 per cent.), France (7 per cent.), UK (6 per cent.) and Italy (5 per cent.). The UK, France and Italy have paid their contributions for 2002 in full. The United States and Germany usually make staged payments and have so far paid approximately 50 per cent. of their 2002 contributions. Japan is expected to pay the entire amount of its 2002 contribution around the middle of this year.

For information on Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction click here.

 

 

On the web...

There is a wealth of information on the Parliament website:


Foreign Visits

click here for an archive of my trips to foreign countries in association with my Parliamentary work


People say...

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