A number of constituents have contacted me detailing their concerns over the Private Members Bill which seeks to amend the Freedom of Information Bill.

Whilst I was not able to attend the debate on Friday because of pressing constituency business, had I been there I would have voted against the Bill, albeit with some reservations.

I think it is a political own goal. I am in complete agreement that MP’s allowances (they are not ‘expenses’ in the widely understood sense) should be open to public scrutiny. I, and the overwhelming majority of my Parliamentary colleagues, have no problem with the publication of our travel allowances, postage and so forth, although many of us do worry about headlines which, for example, compare the travel allowances of an MP for a Scottish constituency unfavourably with someone from London! (more…)

Karen Buck welcomed Gordon Brown on his tour of Britain to Barrow Hill nursery in St. John’s Wood this morning.  The Chancellor was visiting the nursery to meet parents to discuss how it has been made easier for parents to go back to work and what more can be done to assist.

Parents spoke about the help that tax credits gave but also about the increased costs of living in London and overcrowded accommodation.

To follow Gordon as he tours Britain or to see what he stands on the issues that matter to you visit: www.gordonbrownforbritain.com

Karen will be on the panel at Saturday’s State of London debate which will be discussing how we can make sure that all Londoners benefit from the success of the city.

Issues such as the Mayor’s proposals for a London Living Wage, his childcare affordability programme, building more affordable housing and concessionary fares for young and old. If you would like to register or would like more information about the debate, which is open to all Londoners, visit www.london.gov.uk/stateoflondon/

Karen will tomorrow launch “Train to Gain” (T2G) locally.  T2G is a Learning Skills Council initiative that responds to the government’s agenda of aiming to get employers to take greater responsibility for developing their workforce.  The initative was launched in May ‘06 following successful pilots and uses experienced skills brokers and direct contact to assess business’ needs, pinpointing the right training, agree a tailored training package, find available funding and review progress made.

Locally City of Westminster College is the lead provider with the consortium consisting of eight private and public training providers: Portobello Business Centre, Joskos, North West London Online, Construction Learning World, Working Men’s College, London College of Communications, South Thames College and Westminster Adult Education Institute.

Please contact City of Westminster College for more information. (pictures to follow)

Last Thursday saw Parliament debate the issue of policing in London, a very big issue for many across the constituency.  Karen used this opportunity to praise the achievements of Neighbourhood Police Teams but called for better communication and extended patrol hours to reflect public concern.  She also called for a bigger drive to help prevent crime.”

I believe that the figures for crime and policing in London clearly demonstrate one crucial thing—the relationship between increased resourcing for the police and reductions in crime. If we use the year 2000 as our baseline, there have been dramatic achievements of which we should be very proud. The MPA, the Mayor and all the individuals on the front line of policing deserve considerable credit. That does not mean that every single crime that occurs is not a serious and sometimes devastating event for the person who is a victim.

Read Karen’s full contribution or read the full debate.