September report

GCSEs

GCSEs have yet again been a subject of controversy this summer over the alleged downgrading of exam papers.

Hackney's young people have done well again this year with 60.5% gaining 5 A* to Cs including Maths and English at GCSE (subject to any re-marking of papers).

But they have been let down by the government's mishandling of grading, in particular the grading of English GCSE.

The grading criteria were changed mid-year which left many young people with a lower grade than predicted. I raised my concerns with the Secretary of State in a debate in Parliament. Many of these are now having to resit to get the grades they need to progress.

English baccalaureate

Since the GCSE debacle, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education has announced that he plans to replace GCSEs with a new English baccalaureate.

The so-called E-Bac will be introduced in two phases in 2017 and 2018 with teaching for the new exam starting in 2015 and 2016.

I welcome the fact that the Secretary of State is replacing the many exam boards with just one exam board per subject which will remove confusion. However, I hope this does not result in an over prescriptive and narrow curriculum.

There is still scant detail about how the new system will work. I am very concerned that those who do not sit the E-Bac will not have an alternative and some will leave school with only a record of achievement rather than a qualification.

Current year 7 students will end up with a mish-mash of E-Bac and GCSEs - so there will be pupils with two different qualifications and none. A recipe for confusion as these pupils seek work.

Scrap metal dealers bill

I served on the bill committee of the scrap metal dealers private members bill. This will give more powers to local authorities to tackle the sale of stolen scrap metal.

The bill requires all scrap metal dealers to be licensed by their local council. It is supported by the majority of scrap metal dealers who are keen that rogue dealers are dealt with.

Metal theft is a growing problem in the UK at huge cost across the public realm, including railways, churches, telephone providers and local councils.

As a trustee of the War Memorials Trust I have been particularly concerned about theft of metal from war memorials.

Small charities donation bill

The small charities donation bill introduces the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme which was announced in the 2011 Budget.

The purpose of the scheme is to enable charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs to claim a Gift Aid-style payment on small cash donations up to £20 where it is often difficult to obtain.

Eligible charities and groups will be able to claim top-up payments on up to £5,000 small donations each year.

Mental health discrimination bill

The mental health discrimination bill (another private members bill) had its second reading this month. I fully support the aims of this bill which argues for better services and rights for people with a mental health problem.

The incidence of mental health in Hackney is higher than average and I pursue any opportunities to raise these issues in Parliament. I will also be meeting the mental health services working together forum later in October.

Youth potential in Nigeria

In April, I visited Nigeria as chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria travelling to Lagos, Minna and Abuja.

This month I launched the report of this trip, which focussed on Nigeria's youth population.

There are four areas where the APPG believes international partners, and in particular the UK can be most effective in supporting change in Nigeria.

These areas are: improving access to and quality of education and skills; supporting UK businesses of all sizes, in cooperation with the Nigerian government, to enter Nigeria in key industries; supporting efforts to reform the power sector; and engaging Nigerian individuals and organisations in the UK and US in a formal network that can assist efforts in Nigeria.

New minister for child care

Elizabeth Truss MP is now minister for education and child care. She has previously proposed deregulation of childminders. Now she has the chance to implement her proposals as part of the Government’s child care commission, reporting in late October.

Child carers and parents at both a local and national level are concerned. Child carers do not want to be reduced to “glorified baby-sitters” as one childminder put it to me. Parents want affordable quality child care not cheap, unregulated child care.

London Metropolitan University

During the summer the UK Border Agency announced to the press that London Metropolitan University would lose its license to give overseas students visas.

This would give existing students 60 days notice to find another sponsor University, or leave the country..

In an answer to an urgent question on the matter in the House of Commons the then Minister of State for Immigration, Damian Green MP could not tell MPs what would happen to the majority of overseas students with legitimate visas.

All he could say was that they would be written to in early October when the 60 day notice period would kick in.

The UK Border Agency should target bogus students but not at the expense of those legitimate overseas students who bring much needed money to our universities and contribute to our local economy.

The way this matter was handled is just another example of poor management by Government. It sends out alarming messages internationally about how the UK treats foreign students at a time when countries such as Australia and Canada are working hard to attract students from overseas.

Development on gardens

The Government has announced that it will be consulting on doubling the size of house extensions to up to eight metres for detached homes and six metres for semi-detached and terraced houses.

This could leave neighbours who are unhappy with proposed extensions unable to object.

Review of cosmetic interventions

Over the summer the Department of Health announced a review of the regulation of cosmetic interventions which will be led by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, the National Medical Director of the NHS Commissioning Board.

This review is in response to the problems caused to some patients who had been given poor quality, and potentially harmful, breast implants.The review has announced a call for evidence. Anyone wanting to submit evidence should go here. A report from the review panel is expected by the end of March 2013.

Eastminster

The potential cost of refurbishing the parliamentary estate to bring it up to 21st century standards is up to £3billion and the refurbishment could take five years.

I suggested to Parliament that it could take the opportunity offered by the Olympics and make a temporary move eastwards to the former broadcast and media centre.

Whilst it was a slightly tongue in cheek suggestion, I was underlining a more serious point.

As custodians of this important part of our built heritage we are allowing it to gradually fall into long-term disrepair.

When it rains MPs, staff and members of the public have to avoid buckets collecting rain water in the committee corridors. There are significant areas of the House where there is no wifi or mobile phone coverage. If a constituent lobbies their MP a card system is still used which might not reach the MP until the following day. We need a parliament building which meets modern working practices.

The co-op and dairy farmers

As a Labour and Co-operative MP I am pleased that the Co-op Group has increased the price they pay to dairy farmers for milk.

DVLA services at local post offices

I wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport, and the Post-Master General to raise concerns I have received about the impact on local post offices if the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency services are not retained by post offices.

The minister tells me that they are in the final stage of a competitive process involving two bidders.

I will keep constituents informed when an announcement of the outcome of the bidding process is made.

When in Government we allowed too many services to be removed from Post Offices so reducing their viability.

Government needs to learn from this and ensure that enough services are retained to support the other vital work that the Post Office does with some of the most financially excluded.

Internet parental controls

The Government has recently consulted on whether to introduce automatic filters to protect children from unsuitable internet content.

I favour a technical approach to this which makes it harder for anyone underage to access inappropriate content. Some argue for parental education. As a parent myself I know how quickly children get ahead of their parents in technological know how.

In principle we must protect children and young people from some of what is available so easily on-line. In practice the answer to how to do this is technological and should allow an opt in or out at the purchase stage.

The consultation is now closed. I will await the outcome of the consultation and the Government's proposals with interest.

Pay before you board

Transport for London will start to phase out the pay before you board scheme from 28 September to January 2013. All roadside-ticket-machines will be removed during that period. Current machine users will be able to pay by cash on the bus but will be encouraged to move to pay as you go Oyster cards.