MP for Putney's Diary
Tony
Colman MP for Putney writes
In this week's diary for PutneySW15.com our
MP covers the Council Tax, Stop Smoking Day & International Women's
Day, Victim Support London plus the UNICEF Educational Support Service........
Council
Tax Wandsworth
I am sure many will be pleased that there will be no increase in the Wandsworth part of the Council Tax (Ken Livingstone's precept is going up slightly). However, it comes with a £1 million cut in the Schools Budget (second year running) and cuts on a whole range of Putney services - luncheon clubs, cancer resource centre, bereavement services - of a further £300,000 and the loss of Putney CAB through another cut of £300,000. Added to this, Wandsworth Council still has large reserves which it refuses to use for the above. The electors of Putney have a choice in 2006 whether they wish to have the reserves used to keep/restore services or a small increase in Council Tax. If Eddie Lister's mailbag is as big as mine I hope he will use the reserves and reverse all these cuts. Tom Cox (MP for Tooting), Martin Linton (MP for Battersea) and myself are holding an adjournment debate in the House on March 16 on this subject.
There have been a lot of important issue-raising days in the last week and so I would like to draw attention to them in my column this week:
Cease smoking day
Wednesday 10 March was stop smoking day. We all know the health risks of smoking, but equally I know that it can be hard to quit. My father died young from smoking and my mother had severe emphysema from it. I hope this year's stop smoking initiatives will give those of you who wish to stop smoking the tools to do so.
Victim Support London
On Monday 8 March I attended a House of Commons reception held by Victim Support London. This year's theme was "Protecting our Children". This was a well attended and worthwhile event. Victim Support in London does a very good job, with 17 staff in 12 boroughs working directly with children and young victims of crime in London. The organisation is currently helping child and young victims of crime by providing practical and emotional help and support, assistance at court and guidance and support for parents.
May I pay tribute to the work of the late Cllr Duncan Hawkins who promoted Victim Support Wandsworth for so many years.
International Women's Day
This was also 8 March and there were a number of high profile events in London to celebrate including capitalwomen2004 hosted by Ken Livingstone.
My wife, Juliet and I are concerned about gender issues. Recently I made a flying visit to Johannesburg to attend a UNDP Seminar on Gender Equality. Juliet organised a UNIFEM event at the Split Lit Festival on Wednesday. UNIFEM is the United Nations women's fund - which provides financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that promote women's human rights, political participation and economic security.
UNICEF Education Support Service
There has been an information stand in the Palace of Westminster this week advertising the UNICEF Education Support Service. I think this is a very useful initiative. The Education Support Staff offer: active classroom sessions and INSET sessions with teachers on: children's rights in Citizenship and PSHE/PSE, Global citizenship, the work of UNICEF, curriculum topics such as water and food and teaching locality studies, for example, on India.
I have collected some leaflets which I am sending to Primary Schools in Putney, but anyone else who is interested should look at the UNICEF website: www.unicef.org.uk
Tony Colman MP
For more information about what I've been up to and how to contact me go to my web site www.tonycolman.org.uk Or just e-mail me with any concerns/problems: colmant@parliament.uk
To check
if I am your MP, please log on to www.locata.co.uk/commons
and enter your full postcode.
Tony Colman MP
For Labour Party information: www.labour.org.uk
For Government Headlines: www.ukonline.gov.uk
For Parliamentary Information: www.parliament.uk
March 13th, 2004
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter
Comment on this story on the
Related Articles
St Mary's Primary School, Council Tax, Car Clubs and immigration 27.02.2004
Top up fees, a tribute to Hugh Jenkins, the Putney Hospital site & more....14.02.2004
Top up Fees, Wandsworth Citizens Advice Bureau, smoking, cruelty to animals & sporting life ........9.01.2004
Christmas, smoking, looking after your health and peace on earth 4.12.2003
Sustainable
Aviation Dbate, postal voting & Wandsworth & Merton Legal Resource
Project 19.11.2003
Airport noise, effects of Robin Hood Gate closure, Putney's Pensioners,
Police Accountability and Fireworks 06.11.2003
Household
re-cycling, Wandsworth Art Festival & more ............ 22.10.2003
Top-Up fees, threats to close local primary schools and on the national
stage the Inter-Parliamentary Union 8.10.2003
Schools in Putney, local bus routs & cinema hours.......... 26.09.2003
The future of Putney Hospital, Winter Fuel Payments, the development at
Whiteland College & the Nike 10k run.......03.09.2003
Local Issues of Night Flights, affordable housing& Sure Start plus National & International issues. 10.07.2003
Richmond Park, school funding, carers & the Euro 13.06.2003
Transport Education and Putney in a globalised world 03.06.2003
School's admissions, Smoking (Restaurants) Bill & extra cash for the over 80's 17.04.2003
War in Iraq, the Arndale Centre and a bill to ban smoking in restaurants 03.04.2003
Planning, recycling, education and war are all on our MPs agenda. 21.03.2003
Busy with Local and International aspects of life 06.03.2003
Putney MP Quizzes Clare Short on Humanitarian Planning for Iraq 13.02.2003
Christmas in SW15 .....................20.12.02
Aviation, finance, local hospitals and local events all in this weeks diary........ 5.12.02
An eventful fortnight in Putney & Westminster........15.11.02
MP Welcomes Queen's Speech ....1.11.02
visits at Westminster from the Limbless Association (based in Putney) and the tour he gave to children from Linden Lodge School, plans to talk to the RPA and his stance on top up fees for students..... 01.11.02
The Garden Centre site & Richmond Park are yet again centre stage......10.10.02
Visit to the CCTV centre and his concerns on crime 01.07.02
"another small step in dragging politics in the UK in to the technological age."
Postwatch and London Housing Federation are under the MP's scrutiny.
MP for Putney announces 11 achievement awards to local primary schools
MP for Putney commends the work of four local community groups
Planning issues are top on Mr Colman's constituents' agenda
Tony Colman explains his motion to support UNIFEM in the fight against International Sex Trade.
MP's response to Terminal 5 go ahead
Lister Blasts Terminal 5 Decision
Putney Post Office Under Threat
First Putneysw15.com Diary Entry 8.11.2001
If you have a point to make about a local issue why not contribute to our forum
12th March 2002