Parliamentary sketch – Things we shouldn’t forget to remember

According to Westminster Lobby journalists – who are currently on their long summer break – MPs are now enjoying “their long summer break”!

Well, this week, after celebrating the success of the Jubilee Pool campaign in Penzance (where much behind the scenes work and lobbying had been done) which has secured almost £2 million, I made representations on behalf of constituents and myself to the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet Ministers to take more concerted action to protest against Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment of the Palestinian population, including schools, hospitals, UN shelters and the murder and maiming of thousands of their people.  If the intention of Israel’s strategy was to create an effective recruiting Sergeant for extremist and terrorist organisations then their bombardment of the people of Gaza will be recorded as a notable success.

I also made representations to the Defence Secretary, Rt. Hon Michael Fallon MP, to deploy the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Argus (which is currently alongside at Falmouth) and is well placed to provide a floating hospital in support of the terrorised people of Gaza.

I’m still in intense meetings with Government Ministers, Council of Mortgage Lenders, Housing Associations, fellow politicians and others regarding my Private Member’s Bill to promote Affordable Homes.  Whilst good progress is being made, intense and very technical negotiations have to be concluded before it is debated and voted on in just 4 weeks’ time!

And after a recent and successful Business lunch with CBI Regional Director, Graham Cole (Chairman of a helicopter giant AgustaWestland) I’m working with a number of companies to sort out the misselling of bank loans; negotiating details on Regional Growth Fund grant offers and meeting community representatives regarding recent sewage discharges onto popular tourist beaches whilst challenging South West Water and regulators to raise standards.

The excellent progress of our campaign to introduce new guidelines for safe staffing on hospital wards needs further work too.  Having an official guideline of never more than 8 patients to every registered nurse (excluding the nurse in charge) on each acute hospital ward is a good start, but we need to make sure that that is seen as the exception not the norm.  1 to 7 or less is what most acute hospital wards should be aiming for.  Further negotiations with the Royal College of Nursing, Safe Staffing Alliance, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Health Ministers go on.

And it was my privilege to join those who gathered this week to remember those who gave their lives (and others argue were sacrificed as cannon fodder) in the First World War one hundred years ago.  Fitting and poignant tributes have been paid.  Less we ever forget…

 

You can contact Andrew George by email: andrew.george.mp@parliament.uk.  His constituency office can be contacted at Trewella, 18 Mennaye Road, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4NG.  Telephone: 01736 360020.

Andrew George MP

Kernow a’n West ha Syllan

West Cornwall and the Scillies

Kwartron Porthia

Constituency of St Ives

Tel:  01736 360020

Fax:  01736 332866

 

5th August 2014