Julie Morgan MP

ASW: The fight goes on

Julie has pledged to continue to fight the corner of former Allied, Steel and Wire workers who lost their occupational pensions when the company collapsed in 2002.

Following an announcement by the European Court of Justice last week that UK pension rules were "inadequate", Julie has tabled Early Day Motion 749, which has attracted 61 MPs' signatures since last Thursday alone. The EDM states:

That this House notes the judgment by the European Court of Justice that current UK measures to protect the expected pensions of members of occupational pension schemes in the event of their employer becoming insolvent are inadequate and unlawful under the requirements of the Insolvency Directive; further notes the terrible impact that the failure of successive governments in this regard has had on members of the ASW, UEF, Kalamazoo and other schemes and the estimated 125,000 pension scheme members who have lost their expected pensions, despite the £2.3 billion set aside for the Financial Assistance Scheme; believes that this situation is the fault of successive governments; and therefore calls upon the Government to take steps in the Pensions Bill currently before Parliament to ensure that those who lost their expected pension due to employer insolvency receive the pensions they saved for.

Julie said: "The Government has taken steps to ensure that this kind of loss of an occupational pension cannot impact so strongly on workers in the future with its new Pension Protection Fund; and there has been £2.3 billion put into a Financial Assistance Scheme for those who have already lost out. But I know that this is not enough.

"I have listened to those who have lost their pensions and they tell me of the misery which they and their families are going through. They worked for years, often decades, building up their pension for retirement. Now they have got to this point and the money is gone through no fault of their own. It is a running sore which I believe that this Government must help put right.

"There is a Pensions Bill currently before Parliament to which I hope to table an amendment to get ASW workers' pensions back. I hope to work with colleagues in the Commons to put right this ongoing injustice."

If you are an ASW pensioner affected by the collapse of the company in 2002 please do get in touch with Julie and let her know your views.

Julie to hold public meeting on Trident

Julie will hold a public meeting on the question of whether to renew Britain's Trident nuclear missile system on Tuesday 13 February, from 7pm to 9pm at Ararat Baptist Church, on Whitchurch Common.

Julie said: "This meeting will be a chance for the public to air their views on whether the UK should renew its nuclear deterrent.

"I am beginning from the position that I am extremely sceptical about whether we should replace Trident. But I am keen to hear the views of my constituents. To that end, at the Ararat meeting we will be hearing from a speaker from CND who will put the case against renewal, whilst Wayne David, MP for Caerphilly, will put the case for.

"This will not be a strict debate but just an opportunity for all points of view to be heard. I hope that my constituents will use this opportunity to discuss a critical question for our national defence."

For more information get in touch with the constituency office on (029) 20 624166.

Daily Bulletin: Wednesday 31 January

Today, Julie is in London. The business in the House of Commons will include oral questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Hillary Armstrong, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Tony Blair (watch live here from 11.30am). The main business will be motions relating to the police grant and local government finance reports.

Headlines

Eight people have been arrested in Birmingham in anti-terror raids; auditors have said that reconstruction money in Iraq is being wasted; and watchdogs say that police and prosecutors are not implementing measures aimed at boosting rape convictions.

Politics

Gordon Brown believes that people will be "satisfied" once the "full facts" of the current police investigation into Lords appointments is completed; the Audit Commission has said that councils should do more to ease tensions between migrant workers and local residents; and the Welsh Tories have suspended their ex-chairman.

Tackling child poverty

Labour's Secretary for Work, John Hutton, addressed the issue of getting lone parents into work in a speech about child poverty. He said: "We know the difference that helping lone parents into work can make. A significant proportion of our progress so far in tackling child poverty is due to helping lone parents move into work. Our reforms to childcare will be one crucial part of breaking down the barriers to work and helping lone parents to stay in work for longer."

Due to action taken by Labour, there is now more help available for lone parents through child care and support from the state and providers than ever before. However, as John Hutton said, there are still issues that need to be addressed such as tackling child poverty and what we know is that work is the best route out of poverty.

Currently, the UK has one of the highest proportions of families headed by a lone parent in Europe. And yet despite the progress Labour has made in increasing the lone parent employment rate since 1997 — now up over 11% to 56.5% — we still have the lowest long parent employment rate of any major European country.

Julie said: "It is important that we support lone parents, including, where possible, helping them to get into the workforce. Today there are twice as many registered childcare places as in 1997. Under the Tories there was a registered place for 1 in 8 children under eight; now it's already 1 in 4. We have Sure Start, the expansion of early years education and child tax credits. We must not lose this bedrock of support for lone parent families."

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Julie's next surgery

Julie's next constituency surgery will be held this coming Friday, 2 February, from 11am to 12pm at St Mark's Church in North Road, Gabalfa. No appointment is necessary.

For more information call the constituency office on (029) 20 624166.

Daily Bulletin: Tuesday 30 January

Today, Julie is in London. The business in the House of Commons will include oral questions to the Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander, and Ministers in the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The main business will be the fourth allotted Opposition Day of the year; there will be debates on education provision for children with special educational needs, and on the sale of a radar system to Tanzania.

Later today, Julie will launch her Ten Minute Rule Bill on security of tenure for Gypsies and Travellers. The Bill, originally introduced in the last Session of Parliament (see Julie's speech here), would give the same tenancy rights to Gypsies and Travellers on sites as to "bricks and mortar" tenants.

Headlines

Manchester is the surprise choice for Britain's first "super casino"; more than 20 Shia Muslims have been killed in Iraq in bombings at the end of the Ashura festival; and Microsoft is pushing its new Windows Vista.

Politics

Ministers have been accused of trying to impose a "new morality" after the decision on there being no exemptions to new gay rights laws; Afghan opium poppes should be licensed to make pharmaceutical products, according to the Tories; and former Trade and Industry Secretary Paul Channon has died aged 71.

Sinn Fein backs Northern Ireland police

Tony Blair and Irish PM Bertie Ahern have welcomed Sinn Fein's decision to back policing in Northern Ireland. The motion to support the PSNI was supported by 90% of the 900 members who voted at the party's conference in Dublin on Sunday.

The decision gives Sinn Fein's ruling executive the authority to declare its support for the PSNI and the ciminal justice system when devolution is restored and policing and justice powers are transferred to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Tony Blair told The Politics Show: "The next few weeks will be as important as the negotiation of the original Good Friday Agreement. We will determine whether we have a basis for the future in Northern Ireland that allows us both to have power-sharing between unionists and republicans and nationalists, really on a solid basis for the first time ever."

Adoption and equality

The Prime Minister announced yesterday there should be no exemptions from Labour's equality regulations in the case of faith based adoption agencies.

In a statement he said: "Over the last few days I have listened to the strongly-held views on all sides of the issue of adoption agencies and the new sexual orientation regulations. I have heard from representatives of gay rights groups and the leaders of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches.

"While views obviously differ, everyone is agreed that, above all, the interests of the child and particularly the most vulnerable children must come first. I believe we have now found a way throught that achieves this and which all reasonable people will be able to support.

"I start from a very firm foundation: there is no place in our society for discrimination. That is why I support the right of gay couples to apply to adopt like any other couple. And that is why there can be no exemptions for faith-based adoption agencies offering publicly-funded services from regulations which prevent discrimination.

"This will be made clear in the regulations that the Government will lay before Parliament shortly. In the interests of children, they will include a transition period before these regulations come fully into force at the end of 2008 for existing adoption agencies. This will be coupled, during this period, with a statutory duty for any adoption agency which does not process applications from same sex couples to refer them to another agency. I have also asked for a regular independent assessment from adoption and child welfare experts on the impact of the sexual orientation regulations on adoption in order to maintain the existing body of expertise.

"I am convinced that this is a package which has the interests of children at its heart. It recognises the hugely valuable role played in adoption by charities and volunteers, including those inspired by religious faith, ensuring that we do not lose their expertise and services while upholding and extending the Government's record against discrimination in all spheres."

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Daily Bulletin: Monday 29 January

Today, Julie is in the constituency. The business in the House of Commons will include oral questions to the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell. The main business will be the remaining stages of the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Bill.

Headlines

A suicide bombing, the first in Israel for nine months, has killed three people; Sudan's president has failed in his bid to become chairman of the African Union because of the situation in Darfur; and official campaigning is to start in Portugal ahead of a referendum on proposals to relax its strict abortion laws.

Politics

A defiant John Reid has said that he is "not going to quit" the Home Office; Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain says that the DUP is "ready for its role" in a restored Stormont Assembly; and community groups will be able to tell the courts about the impact of particular crimes before sentencing in a pilot.

Protecting our borders

Building stronger borders, tackling organised crime and removing incentives for illegal immigrants to come to Britain are at the heart of Labour’s UK Borders Bill, published on Friday. The Bill will equip the new Border and Immigration Agency with a wide range of new powers to deter, detect and deport those breaking the rules and ensure that those foreign nationals legally in the UK play their part in upholding the rules.

Labour has already made significant progress in reforming its immigration and asylum systems and boosting UK border controls. Annual asylum applications are at their lowest level since 1993, the majority of initial decisions are now taken in eight weeks, the introduction of airline liaison officers has helped prevent over 30,000 people from travelling to the UK in 2005 and 17,000 people have been stopped crossing the Channel illegally. Plans are in place for the introduction of a new firm but fair points based system for managing migration into the UK.

The key measures in the new Bill will provide immigration officers with greater powers, ensure that foreign national prisoners face automatic deportation and tackle illegal working and fraud. They will include the ability to arrest people smugglers or traffickers even if their crimes were committed outside the UK; detain at ports individuals they suspect of having committed a crime, or those with a warrant outstanding against them; arrest those they believe to have fraudulently been acquiring asylum support, and to exercise associated powers of entry, search and seizure; and access Revenue and Customs data to track down illegal immigrants.

Under the new legislation, foreign prisoners will face automatic deportation if they have committed a serious offence, such as crimes against children, terrorism or drugs offences, and been sentenced to imprisonment, or any other offences which resulted in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; and no longer have the right to appeal from within the UK except under very specific circumstances.

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Daily Bulletin: Friday 26 January

Today, Julie is in the constituency. Later today, she will visit Llandaff North Library to present a number of books and talk with staff and patrons. The main business in the House of Commons will be the Second Reading of Tim Yeo MP's Private Member's Bill, the Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill, which would advance time by one hour across England in both the summer and winter months for a trial period. The Bill would devolve power to do the same to the Welsh Assembly.

Headlines

Iran has demanded the removal of the United Nations' chief nuclear inspector; and as the Davos World Economic Forum continues, Bill Gates has praised the UK Government's record on Africa, calling it a "change agent", and questions are asked over whether big business has "gone green".

Politics

The Department for Education strongly denies that babies are being removed from their parents so that local councils can meet adoption targets in England; First Minister Rhodri Morgan has said that for the first time English people have reason to be jealous of the Welsh because of Labour's abolition of all prescription charges; and Tories in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire are locked in a selection battle.

Violent crime down; overall crime stable

Crime in England and Wales remains stable according to the British Crime Survey (BCS) and has fallen by three per cent according to the Recorded Crime Statistics, both published on Thursday.

Overall violent crime also remains stable according to the BCS, having fallen by 43% since 1995 and police recorded violent crime fell by 1% compared to the same quarter last year. Recorded violent crime resulting in an injury is down 7%. The risk of becoming a victim of crime has increased from 23 to 24%; however, it remains historically low, after peaking at 40% in 1995.

In the 12 months to September 2006, recorded firearm statistics show a 14% drop in firearms offences compared with the 12 months to September 2005; a 9% reduction in serious injuries; and a 29% reduction in slight injuries. Firearm fatalities showed no change.

Congratulating the police, Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "I would like to congratulate the police on today's crime figures. The most feared crime — violence that causes injury — is down 7%. Sexual offences are down 4% and crimes involving firearms are down 14% compared to last year.

"Tough laws — including a minimum five years for possessing a gun — are bearing fruit. Neighbourhood policing teams are expanding across the UK. In London every community now has its own patrolling team. And this has been achieved while still driving down burglary and vehicle crime. The number of burglaries has fallen by 55% since 1997 — that 651,000 fewer homes being burgled. The public are not going to put up with mindless vandalism, and I am pleased that more people are reporting cases of graffitti. Of course there is more to do. Every victim is one too many. We need to continue the drive against street crime and the use of firearms."

The BCS is generally accepted as the most authoritative and reliable indicator of crime trends and has measured people's experience of crime in the same way for over 25 years.

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Daily Bulletin: Thursday 25 January

Today, Julie is in London, where the business in the House of Commons will include oral questions to Gordon Brown and his team of Treasury ministers. Julie is scheduled to ask question 9, on whether the Government will legislate to provide for an independent appeal tribunal for cases where overpayments on tax credits are disputed. At present, appeals against the Tax Credit Office are essentially arbitrated on by the Tax Credit Office — a practice which the European Court has recently ruled is unjust in the issue of welfare claimants. You can watch Treasury Questions live from 10.30am here.

The main business will be the remaining stages of the Fraud (Trials Without a Jury) Bill.

Headlines

The Catholic Church is not expected to win its battle for an opt-out from Equality Act regulations banning discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation; a strike by British Airways cabin crew is to go ahead on 30 and 31 January; and aid has been pledged by both the US and France for Lebanon.

Politics

The MoD has denied that there is a split between the US and the UK on Iraq policy; late-night quiz shows should be subject to gambling laws, says the Culture Committee; and homeowners are being urged to check their council tax band to see if they are entitled to claim any money back from their local authority.

Prison population

Home Secretary John Reid chaired the National Criminal Justice Board with the Lord Chancellor and Attorney General yesterday. There was a discussion on how the growth of the prison population can be managed. The three criminal justice ministers have produced a "statement" on how best to manage the growth in the prison population:

• The Government have ordered a further 8,000 prison places will be built, to start coming on in the Spring
• The Government have built prison places twice as fast in the last ten years as before 1997
• There are currently 40% more dangerous, violent and persistent offenders in prison than in 1997
• Serious and dangerous offenders are getting longer sentences

The Home Secretary's approach is that it is vitally important that non-violent, non-dangerous and non-persistent offenders pay back to their community the damage they have done with tough and credible community punishments. If the courts use community punishments more and better enforced fines for minor offenders, this will free up scarce prison places to protect the public from dangerous, violent and persistent offenders.

Julie said: "I would welcome more emphasis on community punishments, which I think would be much more conducive to rehabilitation and cutting re-offending. Prison places must be available so that violent offenders can be put away and the public protected."

Tory 'A-list' abandoned

Showing an increasing tendency to cave in to the Tory Right and the old guard, The Times reported yesterday that after local revolt, Tory leader David Cameron has backed down and agreed to end the Tory candidate ‘A-list’ and will now allow Tory associations a far wider choice of candidates.

Under the new rules, local branches will no longer have to choose from the A-list of priority candidates selected by Head Office, but can choose from a general list of 600 people approved to stand for the party.

The A-list has produced just three candidates from ethnic minorities so far. The A-list was supposed to end the situation in the Tory Party that was highlighted last year when the Tory chairman told an Asian candidate: "Good luck, Ali, but I would be shocked if they didn't pick a white, middle-class male."

Have we missed a story? Want to discuss these issues? Leave a comment below.

Daily Bulletin: Wednesday 24 January

Today, Julie is in London, where the main business in the Commons will include oral questions to the Secretary of State for International Development and the Prime Minister. The main business will be a debate on Iraq and the Middle East on a motion for the adjournment of the House.

Headlines

President Bush has delivered his seventh State of the Union address; the Bank of England voted 5-4 for an interest rate increase in January, minutes have shown; and the World Economic Forum is due to meet in Davos.

Politics

Home Secretary John Reid is asking the courts to limit jail sentences; the Church of England has backed the Catholic Church over the gay adoption exemptions row; and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee is looking into the cost of the 2012 Olympics.

Achieving for Wales

Welsh Labour wants to hear about people's favourite Assembly achievements. On Friday, the party is launching its Building a Better Wales achievements document, celebrating eight years of Welsh Labour delivery for Wales, with 250 of its best featured. Labour is asking the people of Wales what their favourite local and national achievements are. Is it free bus passes? A community centre which has been given a new lease of life thanks to Assembly Government investment? Or an initiative to make Welsh homes more energy efficient?

Vale of Glamorgan AM Jane Hutt said: "Welsh Labour in the Assembly has achieved a lot for the people of Wales since 1999. We have created more jobs than any other region of the UK; invested record amounts in our public services; and invested heavily in initiatives to prevent crime.

"In April, people in Wales will receive free prescriptions, a policy that will define the fairness agenda of Labour's second term in the Assembly. There is much for us to celebrate in Wales. Community groups are prospering and good local work is underway the length and breadth of the country because of the strong partnership between Labour and the people of Wales.

"Labour wants to hear from people about what they value the most from their Assembly. People can send in their favourite local or national achievements and we will public responses on our website. Rhodri Morgan will visit as many of the local initiatives we hear about as possible between now and polling day on May 3."

Tories fail to support free prescriptions for Wales: Welsh Labour has slammed the Tories for failing to support free prescriptions for Wales. In a vote held in the Assembly yesterday, the Tories failed to support the policy. Welsh Labour called it a "defining moment" in the run-up to the May election, exposing the Tories as being against fairness.

Deputy Health Mininster and Newport East AM John Griffiths said: "The peopel of Wales would not be able to trust the Tories to maintain free prescriptions after May's Assembly election."

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Peter Clarke

I was so sorry to hear of the death of Wales' Children's Commissioner, Peter Clarke, on Sunday. Peter was a champion for children in Wales. He was the UK's first Children's Commissioner, and the success he had in his role helped convince the other nations of the UK to establish their own Commissioner posts.

I had cause to work quite a lot with Peter in my capacity as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Children in Wales, and also as a former member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. He was dedicated and professional and he will be very sorely missed. My condolences go to his friends and family.