Siôn Simon MP

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week welcomed two special visitors to the Houses of Parliament, Mr Birthday and Little Miss Birthday, from the famous Mister Men series. The characters were in Parliament in the run up to the activities and events happening in libraries across the country in support of the Children’s Party at the Palace (Sunday 25th June) when 2,000 children and the Queen celebrated children’s literature on the occasion of Her Majesty’s 80th birthday. The theme of the children’s party was “Bringing Literature to Life at Buckingham Palace”, and the show celebrated the magic of books and encouraged children to read more.

In the lead-up to the event on the 25th June, 4,500 libraries across the country were taking part in reading activities as part of a “Literary Long Weekend.” Other activities include crafts, performances, games and children’s book recommendations to the Queen on library websites.

Lyn Brown, chair of the All Party Group on Libraries and Information Management said:

“This coming weekend will be a tremendous opportunity to celebrate children’s literature and the role of Britain’s 4,500 libraries in promoting children’s books, stories and reading. Another treat is that the Queen will be sending a special message to every library taking part. Up to a million children and their families could receive the Queen’s message, in their libraries on that day.”

Mr. Simon said:

“I’m sure all those who witnessed the festivities at Buckingham Palace on Sunday will agree that the children’s party was a fantastic way to celebrate the Queen’s 80^th birthday. As well as entertaining the children who had gathered at the palace, the show also reminded everyone the value of literature and reading for those of all ages. “

“Welcoming Mr Birthday and Little Miss Birthday into Parliament was a fantastic experience, one which quite literally brought children’s’ literature to life!”

Erdington MP Siôn Simon this week pressed David Milliband, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how the Government could encourage people to cut down the energy wasted by UK homes. In a Parliamentary exchange, Mr. Simon urged the Secretary of State to look at ways in which the Government could impress upon people in the UK that they really could make a difference to the problem of climate change.

After the exchange, Mr. Simon said:

“It is a common misconception that individuals can do nothing to help prevent the adverse effects of climate change. However, as I pointed out to the Secretary of State today, almost 30% of total UK energy is used by homes, not businesses, according to 2004 figures.”

“If everyone makes an effort to ensure they are being as energy efficient as possible, for example turning televisions off rather than leaving them on standby, then their combined endeavour will really make a difference. I will continue to press the Government on ways in which they can encourage this kind of energy saving culture in the UK.”

Mr. Siôn Simon (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab): What progress has been made with the climate change programme. [79349]

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (David Miliband): In March the Government announced a climate change programme setting out measures that will affect all major sectors and sources of UK emissions. The review predicts that the measures will reduce the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions to 15 to18 per cent. below 1990 levels and the emission of greenhouse gases to 23 to 25 per cent. below 1990 levels, which is double the Kyoto target. Progress will be monitored and assessed regularly and frequently by an inter-departmental board, and there will be an annual report to Parliament every year, starting next year.

Mr. Simon: According to 2004 figures, 30 per cent. of total UK energy use comes from the domestic sector, as do 27 per cent. of total carbon emissions. What more can the Government do to convince people that individual action in aggregate accounts for a massive percentage of the overall problem?
David Miliband: My hon. Friend makes an important point. Let me say two things to him. First, by 205030 per cent. of houses will have been built since the introduction of the new building regulations, which represents a 40 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency in new housing. Secondly, I believe that there should be cross-party support for the home information packs that will be introduced next year. They will include an energy rating of every household, which has never been available before. They will also tell householders how they can cut energy emissions, and how they can save themselves money. [Interruption.] If the Conservative party opposes a measure that is both green and economic, it needs to re-examine its policies.

Erdington MP Siôn Simon today paid tribute to the workers of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant, with the news the Jaguar XK sports car has been named “Car of the Year” by the prestigious Auto Express, Britain’s biggest-selling weekly motoring magazine. Furthermore, the XK Coupe came out on top in the ‘Best Coupe’ category staving off competition from the BMW 6 Series and the Porsche 911.

The Auto Express New Car Honours are the result of the biggest new car assessment programme carried out by any UK motoring magazine – with over 900 new cars independently tested each year on a wide range of key buying criteria, including practicality, value for money, performance, handling and safety.

Auto Express editor in chief, David Johns, said:

“The name Jaguar has always meant something special in motoring history, but in the recent past its cars haven’t been able to live with the best from the German prestige brands.”

“Now Jaguar has produced a car which knocks them all into the weeds. The new XK is a truly special car both the own and to drive. In its own market it is ultra-competitively priced. And we have no doubts that it is a real worldbeater.”

“It displays all the qualities of styling, engineering and sheer class which only the British know how to do. It is the car which sets Jaguar on the path of success – and what is so exciting is that there are more, equally brilliant new Jaguars on the drawing board and coming the market. ”

Geoff Cousins, UK Managing Director at Jaguar Cars, commented:

“We are delighted that Auto Express shares our view that the new Jaguar XK is very special. At the outset Jaguar’s aim was to deliver a sporting Grand Tourer that on the one hand cossets the driver and on the other offers an involving and rewarding experience – the true heart and soul of a sports car. For those who have had the pleasure to experience the new XK, I am sure they will agree that we achieved just that.”

“To win two awards from the UK’s biggest selling weekly car magazine, Auto Express, is a great honour for us, but to win the top award of the evening – ‘Car of the Year’ – is fantastic. This is the most significant award Jaguar has ever won at this event and is testament to just how good the new XK really is.”

Mr. Simon said:

“This prestigious award is a real sign of how strong manufacturing is here in Erdington. Moreover, the XK model beat off stiff competition from foreign producers BMW and Porsche to show the British motor industry is still very much alive and kicking, and producing some fantastic cars.”

“This award will also help boost Jaguar’s workforce across the West Midlands, who have undoubtedly had a tough time of late with job losses and closures in the past year. However, I am confident that on the back of this award Jaguar workers both in Erdington and across the West Midlands can go on from strength to strength.”

Birmingham, Erdington MP, Siôn Simon, has welcomed the decision to create a new taskforce to investigate Social Exclusion in Britain. In the light of his recent questioning of the Prime Minister Tony Blair, Mr. Simon is delighted to see that the Government will be tackling some of the country’s most deep-rooted social problems.

Mr. Simon said:

“I am pleased to see the Prime Minister acting so quickly on my question to him earlier this month in the House of Commons. I asked him to set up a working group to investigate some of the most difficult problems in our society. Labour has drastically increased standards of living, education and healthcare across the country. The time is now to build on this record of success and entrench the changes in our communities that will really make a difference.”

The Taskforce will draw together staff from the former Social Exclusion Unit in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and policy specialists from the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit.

The Taskforce’s work will complement the role of departments which will continue to have responsibility for delivering social exclusion policies on the ground.

Hilary Armstrong, the new Minister for Social Exclusion, will play a crucial strategic role in co-ordinating this agenda across Government and will work closely with other Ministers.

Mr. Simon added:

“There are now 2 million more people in work than there were in 1997 and there has been faster than average increases in employment among some key disadvantaged groups like, lone parents, people with disabilities and those over 50 years old. However, I am determined not to forget the minority of people who have yet to benefit from the Labour Government, that’s why I am encouraged to see that the Government takes this problem as seriously as I do.”

Siôn Simon, MP for Birmingham Erdington, this week met Andy Burnham, the Health Minister, to discuss his concerns over a Government Bill to establish a new NHS Redress scheme. Mr Simon who is also a trustee of the charity, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), has welcomed Government plans to establish a new scheme which will reform the way lower value clinical negligence cases are handled in the NHS, however he has serious doubts over the current draft of the Bill which he believes will create a NHS Redress Scheme which could potentially do more harm than good for both patients who are affected by clinical negligence and for the NHS itself.

The new scheme would provide appropriate redress, including investigations, explanations, apologies and financial redress to patients who have suffered as a result of clinical negligence, without the need to go to court as they have to do in the current system. Although widely welcomed by MPs and Peers, the new Bill has come under criticism for failing to allow an independent organisation to investigate complaints. Instead the Government has stated that NHS litigation Authority, an arm of the NHS which was established in 1995 to deal with claims on behalf of the NHS, would run the scheme and investigate complaints. By appointing the NHS Litigation Authority, it is feared that the scheme would not command public confidence as the NHS would be seen as both judge and jury in complaints brought against it.

Mr Simon said:

“I applaud the Government for initiating this Bill. Both past Government reports into the current system and arguments from patients groups have shown that we need a speedier less stressful way of providing redress in the widest sense for people who have been caused avoidable harm in NHS care. We need a system which benefits the patients by providing compensation with full explanations, apologies and assurances that patient safety lessons will be implemented to make things safer for others. Furthermore, the system should benefit health professionals by abandoning the current climate of fear and encouraging people to admit when they have made an error, so that others may learn from it, without the worry that they may wreck their careers by doing so. As it stands, however, we will be establishing a scheme where the NHS – the would-be defendant – sits in judgement over itself, and no specialist legal representation is available to empower the patient to make their case effectively in what is a very technical area of law”.

A report by the National Audit Office in 2001 on handling clinical negligence claims concluded that the rate of new claims per thousand finished consultant episode rose by 72% between 1990 and 1998. Further conclusions found that on average claims took too long to settle. Those closed in 1999-2000 had taken, on average, five and a half years to settle after receipt of the claim; and claims still outstanding were on average already 8.3years old, with 22% over 10 years old.

Another report, Making Amends, conducted by the Chief Medical Officer, published in June 2003, highlighted the importance of the issue by suggesting that untoward harmful consequences of health care are more common than previously recognised with 10% of hospital in-patient admissions potentially resulting in some kind of adverse event and 5% of the general population reporting suffering some injury or other adverse effects of medical care while almost a third of those claimed that the event had a permanent impact on their health.

The cost of clinical negligence has also seen a sharp rise in the last 10years; between 1996-97 £235m was spent on it, rising to £503 for the years 2004-05. Despite the huge rise in costs for claims brought against the NHS, in 65% of settlements below £50,000 the legal costs exceeded the sum paid to claimants.

Mr Simon added:

“Clinical negligence involves considerable human costs. Patient who suffer injury through negligence often face a long a difficult process pursuing their claims and achieving damages. It is equally distressing for the NHS which currently spends vast amounts of money defending claims. These costs are a drain on resources which could be used for improving patient care. There is every opportunity for these reforms to be a universally “good news story”, by taking the cost of claims out of the court system we will save the NHS money and patients will benefit by a speedier more accountable NHS which seeks to prevent the mistakes of the past”.

Mr Simon will meet Andy Burnham on Wednesday to discuss his concerns before he sits on the Committee for the Bill. If Amended at Committee stage the Bill will need to return to the House of Lords.

With only six weeks to go until the school holidays and the great summer holiday exodus.

The Erdington MP Siôn Simon has joined the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) in calling on all parents and other summer holidaymakers to check now that their passports are in order.

Every year people risk being unable to go on holiday because they arrive at ports and airports with passports which have expired. Last summer alone 106,000 people paid £48 extra for the same day passport renewal service because they had not left enough time for a standard renewal.

Travelling abroad has become the norm for many people, but checking travel documents well in advance has fallen out of fashion. Research conducted for IPS found that:
* 17 per cent of people start looking for their passport just one day before a trip;
* 15 per cent start looking only a few hours before a trip;
* 7 per cent have had a last minute panic because they were going away and either didn’t have or couldn’t find their passport; and
* 3 per cent have left home for a trip abroad without their passport

Home Office Minister Joan Ryan said:

“The school holiday period is always one of the busiest times of year for the Identity and Passport Service, with people having to make last minute applications to ensure they can get on the plane for their summer holiday. The advice to holidaymakers from IPS is to check now that they have their passports and that they are still valid.”

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Mr. Simon said:

“There are currently around 47 million British passports in circulation, with 80% of the population holding a passport – a massive increase from 24% in 1984. However, with the school holidays fast approaching it is vital that people ensure ther passport is up-to-date, rather than be left stranded in an airport.”