Chuka Umunna MP

Chuka Umunna has raised concerns about the affect of the government’s NHS changes locally with ministers in Parliament.

Speaking in a debate on the future of the NHS yesterday, Mr Umunna highlighted concerns which had been passed to him by local doctors, health professionals and service users.

He raised the issue that St Thomas’ Hospital, where he was born, as a teaching hospital faces additional pressures and asked why the government’s planned changes to the NHS have not done more to take this into account. It costs the exchequer £250,000 to train a junior doctor and £45,000 over three years to train a nurse.

Under the government’s planned changes, NHS providers such as St Thomas’ would need to compete with private sector companies to get work commissioned by GPs. Given the additional burdens of teaching, there are questions on how teaching hospitals will be able to compete in this way.

There have also been reports that St George’s Hospital is facing job cuts of more than 500, while the London Ambulance Service has said that it expects to cut 890 jobs over the next five years including 560 frontline jobs. King’s College hospital has already cut 58 staff posts in the last year.

Local primary care trusts, including Lambeth PCTs, are in process of being abolished and replaced by GP consortia. Mr Umunna raised the upheaval and worry that this will cause locally, and asked whether because of transfer of undertakings regulations, the rights of employees working for the PCT would be protected and they would retain the same terms and conditions.

Since 1997, Streatham has benefitted from six new and improved health centres including Baldry Gardens and Edith Cavell Surgery. There has been an 18 per cent reduction in deaths from cancer in Lambeth since the mid-1990s and a 45 per cent reduction in mortality rates from cardiovascular disease, covering conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said:

“Our local hospitals, clinics and surgeries and their staff do fantastic work every day and I am always struck by the dedication of those whose work makes the NHS what it is.

“Not one clinician I’ve met locally has told me they think the government’s proposed reforms will deliver better outcomes and treatment for my constituents.”

The future of local allotments has been thrown into doubt under government plans to abolish legal protection for growers, Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has warned.

Currently, councils are required by law to provide allotments where there is local demand but the government is reviewing this duty on councils for allotment provision, which has existed for more than 100 years. Although local government is responsible for providing allotments, national government sets the policy framework in which they operate.

The National Society for Allotments and Leisure Gardeners which represents allotment users has expressed concern about the potential abolition of the duty on councils to provide plots.

The review of statutory duties of local government has been undertaken by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Secretary of State Eric Pickles is due to make a final decision on the matter shortly.

Lambeth has allotment sites at Helmsdale Road in Streatham Vale as well as Stockwell, alongside a number of other privately-run allotment sites. There are estimated to be almost 300,000 allotments across England.

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“Allotments are an important resource in an urban area like ours, enabling people to grow their own food and reduce their carbon footprint.

“There is a real danger that the government will tear up important protections for allotments which have existed for over a century”

Chuka Umunna, London’s youngest MP, has raised with ministers concerns that the government’s bursary scheme to replace Education Maintenance Allowance could be discriminatory.

The government’s own equality impact assessment into EMA’s replacement, which was published recently, says students could face discrimination under the new scheme, which it says is “open to unintended discrimination on the basis of disability; gender; ethnicity or other characteristics protected under equality law.”

The assessment says that the government is still considering whether a system of “central arbitration” should be introduced to ensure that unintended discrimination does not take place.

Mr Umunna raised the concerns about discrimination under the new system with Leader of the House Sir George Young yesterday and was promised a response from Education Secretary Michael Gove on the matter.

Under the EMA system, which is being abolished by the government, awards are made in bands according to household income and 650,000 young people benefitted, but under the new system just 12,000 stand to receive support.

A government consultation on the new system finishes on May 20, but there are doubts over whether the new system can be put in place for students to make applications and for allocations of bursary funding to be made by the start of the 2011-12 academic year in September.

Many further questions remain about the new bursary system replacing EMA, including what support schools and colleges will be given: EMA was administered by central government, but schools and colleges themselves will administer the new system. It is also unclear how the government plans to advertise and inform students of the new system and its eligibility criteria, particularly given the limited timeframe in which to do so.

Mr Umunna has tabled a series of parliamentary questions for Education Secretary Michael Gove seeking answers on these questions, including what date students will receive funding and when applications must be made by.

In December, Mr Umunna visited Lambeth College along with Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham MP to meet with students who benefitted from EMA; 60 per cent of students at the college received the allowance.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said:

“There are real doubts about the government’s planned replacement for EMA, both on whether it will create the potential for discrimination and on whether it will be fully up and running in time and how students will be informed of the changes and the new eligibility criteria.

“More than 60% of students at Lambeth College received EMA and it made a real difference, with lower dropping out rates and improved qualifications among those receiving the support.”

Following a recent planning meeting, Lambeth council officials provided Chuka with an update on the Streatham Hub redevelopment. The update is below:

• Demolition of the former Pope’s Road car park is near completion with works to level the site now underway. This is due to be completed by late April 2011.
• Start on the construction of the temporary ice rink – July 2011
• Open temporary ice rink – November 2011
• Start on site for Streatham Hub – September 2011
• Completion of Streatham Hub – end of 2013
• Decommissioning of temporary ice rink – early 2014

Brixton Windmill reopened on Monday following an extensive renovation programme financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Lambeth Coucil and Friends of Brixton Windmill who have worked hard to secure the renovation. Chuka cut the ribbon along with Lambeth Mayor Christiana Valcarcel and a descendent of John Ashby, the windmill’s original owner.

The windmill, which was built in 1816, will now be open to the public on a regular basis and will grind flour from locally grown wheat and barley.

The BBC has compiled a selection of historic photos of the windmill, which is one of only five remaining in London.

In September, Chuka held an adjournment debate in Parliament on the issue of youth violence in London and raised a number of issues with Home Office minister James Brokenshire. These included funding for neighbourhood policing and for activities for young people to divert them away from the gang-related activity that leads to violence and the abolition of the Youth Justice Board.

To read the debate and the Minister’s response, follow this link. Following the debate, Mr Brokenshire wrote to Chuka to provide additional information – this letter is below:

In March, Chuka again raised the issue of gun and knife crime with the government and asked the government for an update on the steps it is taking to address the issue. Mr Brokenshire wrote to Chuka again following this – his letter is below:

Last month, Chuka attended the launch of Lambeth College’s London Programme, of which he is a patron, and presented graduation awards to its initial participants.

The innovative programme gives young people the opportunity to develop their skills and demonstrate their employability and is delivered in partnership with businesses.

Further details on the programme are here

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has challenged fellow South London MP Simon Hughes in Parliament over cuts to London South Bank University and increases in student fees.

London South Bank University has recently announced that as a result of government policies it will have to charge fees of £8,450 from next year for undergraduate degree courses.

Professor Martin Earwicker said earlier this month: “In the cuts the Government has imposed, the university lost 92 per cent of its teaching grant, 60 per cent of its capital grant and half of its innovation fund. This fee level does no more than put us to slightly less than we had before. The university is not gaining at all.”

Simon Hughes, who resisted calls to vote against increased tuition fees in December, instead abstaining on the matter, was appointed as Advocate for Access to Education.

Addressing Mr Hughes in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Umunna said:

“The right hon. Gentleman’s constituency and mine share a local university: London South Bank University. May I ask him two questions?

“Secondly, does the right hon. Gentleman accept or buy into the principle that higher education should be a partnership between government and the individual? If so, how does he explain the 92% cut in the teaching grant, the 60% cut in the capital grant and the 50% in the innovation grant for London South Bank university from the Government?”

Between 1997 and 2009, the number of young people from Lambeth going to university went up by more than 80% but with the abolition of Education Maintenance Allowance and increases in student fees there are fears that this progress could be reversed.

Celebrating Streatham, a free event for the local community showcasing its vibrancy, talent and diversity, is taking place on Saturday 21 May and tickets are available now.

Last year, Chuka Umunna first set up Celebrating Streatham to mark the retirement of former MP Keith Hill and bring the community together. After the success of the event, Mr Umunna is organising it again in 2011.

The event centres on a talent show with a judging panel, with acts taking part from youth and community groups as well as local schools. There will also be an exhibition of local photography and information stalls run by local organisations.

Mercury Music Prize-winning musician Speech Debelle, who grew up and lives in the local area, has recently been confirmed as one of the judges for the contest. The winning act will have the opportunity to perform at the Streatham Festival and Lambeth Country Show this summer, as well as the chance to record a music video with local social enterprise Generation Next Foundation.

The event is being sponsored by local businesses including Taylor’s bar of Streatham High Road.

Celebrating Streatham will take place between 4.00pm and 6.00pm on Saturday May 21 at Dunraven Upper School, 94/98 Leigham Court Road, SW16 2QB. To obtain free tickets to the event, please email cstickets {at} chuka.org(.)uk

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“After the great success of Celebrating Streatham last year I am proud to be hosting it again in 2011. It provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our excellent local talent in this constituency – taking in Streatham and parts of Brixton, Clapham, Balham and Tulse Hill – and gives us a chance to celebrate everyone who makes our community a place to be proud of.

“Celebrating Streatham promises to be a fantastic event again this year and I hope as many local residents as possible are able to come and support their community”.

On Friday, Chuka attended a number of different street parties across the Streatham constituency to celebrate the Royal Wedding, including at Abbotswood Road, Arragon Gardens, Holmewood Gardens, Killieser Avenue and Queensville Road.