December & January Monthly Report

Parliamentary Business

Welfare bill

The Government has forced through changes to the uprating of benefit payments which will limit increases in most working-age benefits to one per cent a year for the next three years.

The Chancellor has said this cut to tax credits and benefits will affect shirkers but I am concerned that those on low incomes will be the most affected.

The bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords on 11 February. Once the bill returns to the Commons, my colleagues and I will press to ensure the most vulnerable are not the hardest hit.

Draft communications data bill

A Joint Committee of MPs and Lords recently examined the Government's draft bill and recommended it be 'significantly amended' in light of their concerns.

The draft bill would extend the powers of the police and intelligence agencies to access vital communications data. It also proposes to allow communication service providers to collect and store communications data, including details of when, where, by and to whom a text message, call, email or social media message are sent.

While it is vital that the police and security service remain up-to-date with technology as it changes, there must be a balance between real security needs and an appropriate response to privacy.

The bill will come before the House of Commons shortly.

Succession to the Crown

Under current law the eldest born son of a reigning monarch is entitled to accede to the throne but a daughter can be succeeded by a younger brother.

The Government has now received agreement from all Commonwealth Governments to change the law to allow the first born to become King or Queen whether it is a boy or a girl. The proposed new law will also allow anyone married to a Roman Catholic to become monarch but still discriminates and does not allow the monarch to be a Catholic.

The bill has passed from the Commons to the Lords to be considered.

Gay marriage

The Government has unveiled plans for enabling same sex couples to get married in civil ceremonies as well as permitting religions who want to marry couples of the same sex to do so. If the proposals are agreed the Church of England will not be legally allowed to marry same sex couples unless a new Act of Parliament is passed.

MPs will have a free vote and I will be voting for this measure when it comes before Parliament.

I asked equalities minister Maria Miller whether the Government is making provision for couples who have registered a civil partnership to convert this to marriage if the law changes.

This will be possible but details have not been agreed although it will be able to be done administratively for a fee. If you have thoughts on this please let me know so that I can pass on your views directly to the Government as it comes up with more detailed proposals.

Work capability assessments

These assessments are made of people who have been unable to work because of ill health or disability so that the Government can decide which benefit they should receive.

I support the principle that people should not be written off from work because of ill health or disability.

A recent short debate in the Commons called by the backbench business committee was oversubscribed. The debate had been chosen because a shorter debate before Christmas had attracted over 40 MPs hoping to speak.

I was able to raise my concerns about the impact of these assessments on people with mental health problems and those with HIV/AIDS. The assessments do not take proper account of fluctuating conditions, the side effects of certain illnesses or understand that there can be both physical and mental symptoms of a health problem.

I have now raised this issue with ministers directly.

Other matters

Help with Funeral Costs

Few people think about the cost of funerals but a number of my constituents end up saddled with debt when a loved one dies.

I am working with other MPs to highlight the difficulties in claiming social fund payments which is currently the only source of Government support for funeral costs for those who qualify.

The payment is an average of £1300 which does not cover the full cost of the funeral and has not increased for 10 years. Average funeral costs are £3300. More people seem to be seeking public health funerals which are paid for by local councils.

The DWP will only pay out once the funeral has been paid for and so it is only after huge expenses have been incurred that relatives find they may not qualify for the payment.

If you have recent experience of a social fund claim for funeral expenses please contact me at meghilliermp@parliament.uk.

London rental standard

The Greater London Authority is currently consulting on proposals to create a London rental standard. Shelter has launched a campaign to encourage those who rent in London to get involved in the consultation.

I welcome the proposal which reflects the fact that more than one in four Londoners are now living in private rented accommodation. We need to ensure high-quality homes and a fair deal for Hackney's renters.

The proposed standard would be a voluntary accreditation scheme for landlords and letting agents to improve the standards and conditions for those who rent in London. More information can be found here

All Party cycling group inquiry

As vice chair of this group I'm pleased to be involved in the Get Britain Cycling inquiry where MPs are hearing from a range of organisations about how to encourage and support cycling in the UK.

The aim is to provide all three major parties with a blueprint for the future of cycling in the UK.

Follow us at @allpartycycling and #getbritaincycling

London consultation on aviation

The Mayor of London has commissioned Transport for London to undertake a consultation on the provision of new airport capacity to serve London.

The aim is for the findings to be reported to the Government appointed Davies Commission before its interim report is expected in late 2013.

The consultation closes on 8 February 2013. You can get involved in the consultation here

Beware PPI scams

Have you had emails or texts advising you that you are owed money by your bank?

Every day thousands of messages are sent urging people to make claims for missold payment protection insurance. While there are genuine victims, most of us are being targeted at random by companies which take a cut of any compensation paid.

This scamming costs us all. Yorkshire Building Society alone employs 35 people just to deal with complaints about products that have not even been sold.

I have written to ministers to ask what more can be done to stop this scamming.

Basketball funding

I am working with the All Party Parliamentary Group on basketball to challenge the decision by Sport England to reduce the funding for the British Olympic basketball team.

It seems crazy to cut funding for Britain's fifth support. Although the team did not win any Olympic medals in 2012 it is in the European Championships this year.

Hackney Issues

High spending on slot machines

Hackney South and Shoreditch residents spend over £167,586,207 a year on slot machines in betting shops according to new figures.

I have previously raised concerns about the high number of betting shops in Hackney.

Per head of population the poorest areas see more spent on these machines which allow people to spend a £100 every 20 seconds. There is no human interaction with a machine which makes it just a money making exercise.

There are over 70 betting shops in Hackney and these machines just add to temptation for those who can least afford it. The Government must not allow the number of these machines to be increased. If it bows to the demands of the bookmakers it is constituents in areas like Hackney who have most to lose.

Join the campaign @fairergambling.

Threat to 38 bus

When the 242 bus frequency reduced from 10 an hour to 7 before Christmas I warned of Mayor Boris's stealth cuts to London bus services.

At a time when fares have been hiked we now see a reduced service on the 38 bus with only every other peak time bus going beyond Hackney Central to Clapton Pond. The 38 is a key spine route for Hackney.

The reason for the reduction is the overground rail improvements. The Mayor does not seem to understand that for those who pay as you go bus travel is cheaper and many do not have the ready option of shifting to rail. And the new overground does not run to Clapton Pond.

Transport for London have promised to regularly monitor the scheme. Please let me or London Assembly member Jennette Arnold know if you experience any problems on this route.

Kingsland Fire Station

I was very disappointed that the Mayor of London is planning to press ahead with the proposed closure of Kingsland Fire Station on Kingsland Road.

The London Fire Authority voted against the closures but the Mayor has criticised the authority for this.

The argument for closure is that there are fewer fires in London than there were a decade ago. If this is correct, why has closure only recently been raised as an option?

I'm also concerned that the population of Hackney is growing (up 30,000 at the last census) and once a site is sold off it will not be easy to replace.

Local stations in Bow and Clerkenwell are also set to close. Overall of the 18 fire appliances being removed from London 10 are from inner London.

I have met the borough Fire Commander and the Fire Brigades Union and spoken to the London Fire Commissioner about my concerns.

Launch of Artburst in Hoxton

I was delighted to attend the launch of a new project supporting Hackney families.

The Big Lottery has provided over £370,000 of funding to this project which supports Hackney children who have speech and language communication needs. Based at the top of Hoxton Street, Artburst works to support the family and child through art and drama therapy.

Start-up loans for entrepreneurs

Anyone in Hackney between the ages of 18 and 30 with a business idea can apply for a loan to set up their own business. Hackney Business Ventures (HBV) Enterprise is part of the consortium delivering start-up loans.

Anyone with a business idea should get in touch at www.hbv.org.uk, on 020 7254 9595 or at the HBV Enterprise Centre on Dalston Lane next door to the former CLR James Library building.

Police cuts

Hackney borough command stands to have 85 fewer police officers than in 2010.

There are also proposals to close Clapton police station and for Shoreditch police station to be open during the day only.

I have long been a critic of the difficulty people have in contacting the police. Queues at police stations are often ridiculously slow, phone contact is variable and there seems to be no service standard for responding to enquiries.

I have raised these concerns directly with Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe and Hackney's borough commander.

I am less concerned about the closure of Clapton station which most people thought was closed anyway but am determined that Hackney's police must be available and accessible to the public they serve - whether it be in small local offices, at police surgeries, on-line or by phone.

The loss of officers is bad news. I remain concerned about the impact on local neighbourhood police teams which have changed relations between the public and the police in Hackney.

London Fields a secure station

The Department of Transport has accredited London Fields under the secure stations scheme.

This recognises work done with British Transport Police and other local partners to implement security measures. London Fields has an active user group which works on behalf of passengers to improve the station along with West Greater Anglia which manages the station.

Unemployment in Hackney

Latest figures show that 5,376 people in Hackney were unemployed in December, 634 fewer than December 2011.

This represents a rate of 11.7 per cent of the economically active population aged 16 to 24. This is the 24th highest rate of the 650 Parliamentary constituencies.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Hackney's annual Holocaust memorial day was held on 25 January in Hackney. Hackney school children sang and made some moving and thoughtful readings about the Jewish Holocaust and genocides since.

An Hungarian Auschwitz survivor spoke movingly about his experience of deportation and survival in an extermination camp.

It is important that we never forget where man's inhumanity to man can lead.