Pictures

 

NHS 60th Year Anniversary

I am pictured with the Health Secretary to celebrate 60 years of the NHS.

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fit for the Future Event

I am pictured above at the Fit for the future event NHS Open Day at Moat House to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cycle ride from Ford Green to Biddulph Grange

I was able to catch up with a large group of families and set them off on a family cycle ride from Ford Green to Biddulph Grange. 

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Party in Hanley Forest Park

Burslem South Community Groups held a Party in Forest Park on Saturday. The event was designed to bring together community groups across the City.

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burnwood Primary School cycle track opening

 

I was thrilled to attend the opening of the new cycling track at Burnwood Primary School as part of National Bike week.

This is phase 2 of a long term vision to introduce youngsters to safe cycling. Headteacher Dianne Herbert has acted as a true ambassador for cycling. 

Having won the argument on Safe Routes to School to include cycling, her school now has a cycle track, cycles, and is working with Cycling Great Britain to link the pupils to cycling initiatives

 

 

 

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports Secretary Supports Affordable Football Season Ticket Scheme

 

I invited the Secretary of Sport Andy Burnham to Port Vale to witness Port Vale's reduced ticket scheme and to see the importance of the club in the community. He fully supported the efforts being made by the club and praised the clubs efforts and called for more football clubs to follow Port Vale's lead and make match tickets affordable for families. I am pictured with the Secretary of State and the Chairman Bill Bratt.

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit Union

I am pictured, along with fellow Staffordshire MPs, pledging my support for the North Staffordshire Credit Union Study Group to set up a Credit Union for people who live and/or work in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Moorlands and Newcastle. If you would like to support this essential initiative please visit: www.nscu.co.uk/index.html?_ret_=return

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haywood Hospital

 

I am pictured at the Haywood Hospital construction site. Cranes now on site to rebuild the £35 million Haywood Hospital. Primary Care Trust has extra money to fund care in the community to promote good health. Take a look at the report by on Darwin Council.

Picture credit: Smith Davis Press

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Inland Waterways Boaters Meeting

 

 There is lots of work is going on on the waterways – I addressed the Annual Inland Waterways Boaters Annual meeting to tell them about the joys of Stoke-on-Trent canals, including improvements on the Trent Mersey.

 

Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House of Commons Select Committee for the Environment at the EC.

As vice chair of the Environment Audit Select Committee I am pictured here in meetings with the European Commissioner for the Environment. The Committee is about to complete its report on the post Kyoto negotiations and you can access all environment reports from www.parliament.uk/eacom.

Picture credit: © European Community, 2008

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norton Residents Association.

 

 Choosing the Easter Bonnet under 7's and over 7's winner is just about the most difficult task for Chair of Ball Green School Governors Neil Dawson and myself. But thanks to all Residents Association Members for a Palm Sunday Do, an Easter egg for every child, and to the Liberty Dance Troop who entertained us all.

 

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldenhill Community Centre.

 The roof might have been damaged but it is good to see the repairs from the storm damage complete and Friday night Bingo back to normal. Thank you for letting me hold my surgeries there.

 

 

 

 

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chell Heath Residents Association

 Every good wish to the new Chell Heath Residents Centre now that the work is complete and the doors are open. I am pictured with Jim Gibson who showed me round the centre.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burnwood Community School Tree Planting.

I went to Burnwood Primary School to see how they have linked with the Earth Restoration Service to encourage all constituency schools to play their part by planting trees. I above I saw young people from Groundwork preparing the ground and planting the trees along with the pupils and the pciture to the right shows seven year old children singing about trees in a music lesson.

 

 

 

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UCATT - Pleural Plaques Campaign

I am working alongside UCATT on the campaign to reintroduce plural plaques as a compensatable medical condition. I fully support UCATT’s campaign and will continue to put pressure on the Justice Secretary to follow current legislation in Scotland. I am pictured above with the West midlands UCATT representatives and the UCATT Regional Secretary Steve Murphy at the regional launch of the plural plaques campaign to promote the campaign locally.

Although the Law Lords have ruled out compensation, there is a depth of support for the government to find a way of supporting victims even if constitutionally the decision of the Lords cannot be overturned.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FaceScape 2008

FaceScape: Stoke on Trent 2008

 I met with Amanda Wright from FaceScape. She plans to give the whole community an opportunity to represent itself in an inclusive community arts project and is inviting constituents to join her celebrations. Show your support for FaceScape through myspace.com/facescape and facescape2008.blogspot.com or contact Amanda Wright by telephone: 01782 450254 or email: facescape@gmail.com

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Budget 2008

I joined fellow Stoke-on-Trent MP Rob Flello to meet with the Rt Hon Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Environment Issues.

 At the All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change I discussed climate change issues with Lester Brown, who is an environmental analyst and has written over twenty books on global environmental issues. In the picture Lester Brown and I are holding one of his best known works Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Million Meals - Ball Green Primary School.

 Ged Rowley, the Director of Children and Young People’s Services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council presented an award to Ball Green Primary School as the first group to take part in a programme designed to encourage healthy eating. The Million Meals Scheme organised by the PCT, as part of the School Food Trust, is a £80,000 campaign to to promote healthy eating and combat obesity, and to ensure every pupil is eating a health school lunch by 2010.

Image supplied by: www.ngphoto.co.uk

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endon High School visit to the House of Commons.

 I arranged for Endon High School to visit the Palace of Westminster to sit in on Local Government Question Time and a meeting to support street children in South Africa. We are seen here in Westminster Hall.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Reading of the Temporary and Agency Workers Bill

 

I am stood outside Parliament along with 147 MPs who voted YES on 22 February to the Temporary and Agency Workers Bill, which would see agency workers get equal rights to the same terms and conditions as permanent or directly employed staff. This would include factors such as equal pay, pensions and training entitlements. The Bill will now go to the committee stage.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baroness Vadera officially opens Vale Park Enterprise Centre

I was delighted to welcome Baroness Vadera, Minister for Business and Competitiveness, to open the new enterprise centre at Port Vale Football Club, the first development of its kind to be based at a Football League ground.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Select Committee Inquiry on Climate Change 

As part of the Environmental Audit Select Committee’s inquiry into post-Kyoto; The International Context for Progress on Climate Change, along with the select Committee, I visited China and Australia to examine the urbanisation programme first hand and the impact this is having on climate change. For more details on the Select Committee’s enquiry please view the parliament webpage: Environmental Audit Select Committee - Post-Kyoto: The International Context for Progress on Climate Change

Below are a selection of pictures from the trip:  

      

    

                                Economic Development in Quzou                                     Economic Development in Quzhou 

         

                                     Economic Development in Quzhou

   

                                Discussions with the local University                                              University talks.

    

                Select Committee meets Chinese Climate Change experts.    Musical Concert - young musicians would love to perform  in Burslem.

        

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joint Ventures.

 Whilst out in China I kept a promise to visit the BHW Joint Venture with Zhejiang Porcelain Insulator Works Co. Ltd in Quzhou and to see first hand what Joint Ventures in China have to offer our community.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chartered Institute for Environmental Health.

 I was awarded a special parliamentarian of the year award from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health officers in recognition of my work in Parliament. Seen here is Steve Battersby, newly elected President, and Daniel accepting the award on my behalf.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPJAG Atrium Reception.

 

20080116_appj_128 Evening at Portcullis House sponsored by PPL

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Group promotes JAZZ across the UK and hosts the prestigious JAZZ Awards. Young musicians from Doncaster joined me here, and I am hoping local musicians will benefit in the future. Any takers?

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showcasing young talent in Stoke-on-Trent

As part of the Prime Minister’s vision to encourage new talent, a reception was arranged at No10 Downing Street for young people designed to showcase young talent throughout the UK, I nominated Scott Schofield of the Potteries Theatre Company. Pictured above is the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Scott Schofield and myself.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Margret Ward High School visit the Houses of Parliament

I was more than happy to take time out of my busy schedule to meet pupils from St Margaret Ward High School on their trip to Westminster to visit the House of Commons which I had arranged for them. During their visit they saw Parliament in action. They have been in touch with me since to say how much it opened their eyes and what a great visit they had.

The pupils are pictured in Portcullis House and through the window you can see the Palace of Westminster.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Cadets marathon march for my 20 year anniversary as Stoke-on-Trent North MP

 

I was extremely honoured by the a 19 mile walk the Air cadets, and their staff from 235 Air Training Corps, took part in around the constituency perimeter of Stoke-on-Trent North to celebrate my 20 years serving as Stoke-on-Trent North Member of parliament. 

I have been Honorary President for 10 years and am committed to the squadron.

The walk began at the Cobridge Barracks, through residential streets of Burslem and Tunstall as well as the countryside surrounding Bagnall, Brown Edge and Endon, and ended at my constituency office in Burslem - and as you can see from the picture on the right it was a squeeze to get them all into my constituency office.

I would like to thank all the people involved, including Office Commanding Mike Stubbs, for all their efforts in marking this a very special occasion.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening of North Staffordshire Construction Employment Centre

I was invited to open the new North Staffordshire Construction Centre. This is located within Groundwork's offices on Moorland Road. It is there to link local unemployed young people to local companies looking for a skilled workforce to contribute to the regeneration of the area. So it was good to open a new training centre after so much hard work by so many to secure the grants and funds to help the large number of young people out of work, training and education to find their niche.

I was able to see for myself the construction related training - plumbing, plastering, CSCS cards, bricklaying, tiling, excavating and fork lift truck licenses. To date Groundwork have 1985 registered clients and have put 206 people through construction training, assisting 80 people into employment already.

This new facility coincides with the government placing the national spotlight on training and apprenticeship schemes for young people. At the opening I was able to pay tribute to a constituent who has just won national acclaim as a result of winning the Medallion of Excellence whilst representing the UK in the World Bricklaying competition in Japan.

Groundwork's new centre, linking as it does with local employers is seeking to recruit. It has already brought together many, and it is clear that the Construction Employment Centre is set to support a large number of young people in their transition  to work. I am especially keen to hear from employers who could work with the centre.

 
Back to picture selection Back to home page