Archives - January 2008
31 January 2008 - Local Organisation Wins National Recognition for Helping Vulnerable People
Manchester Care & Repair, a local organisation that helps elderly and disabled people to make repairs and adaptations to their homes, has won national recognition for the quality of its service. Manchester were runners-up for the 'Agency of the Year' Award at the Annual Home Improvement Agency Awards. Baroness Andrews presided over the awards ceremony, which also saw Tony Lloyd MP present the award to agency manager, Maggie Walker.
Tony Lloyd said: "Manchester Care and Repair is an independent agency with a turnover of �1.6million per annum and the agency delivers a range of services to older people. Judges were particularly impressed with the medium to long-term strategic approach being taken to develop the agency, which includes a 5-year business plan. In the spirit of the awards, which is to encourage good practice sharing across the sector, it was felt that the business plan and other efforts to develop the agency, including developing a new management structure were measures that other agencies could learn from."
Baroness Andrews said: "What�s often behind the best of these schemes is a simple idea, a lot of personal enthusiasm and hard work, and perseverance. And it�s this, as much as the innovation itself that we are celebrating today.
"Home Improvement Agencies make a real difference to the quality of life of elderly and disabled people, providing repairs and adaptations which help them to live more comfortably and safely in their homes. The Foundations awards reward innovation and good practice and I am very pleased to see how high the standards are this year."
Tony Molloy, Director of Foundations, the National Coordinating Body for Home Improvement Agencies added: "We had a record number of entrants to this year�s awards, which really shows the quality of the service Manchester have developed to include advice on repairs and adaptations, help accessing grants and other benefits to fund this work, and technical support in making sure that work is done the best standards."
For more information on Manchester Care & Repair, please visit their website.
29 January 2008 - MP Welcomes Visit of Minimum Wage Bus to Manchester
Tony Lloyd today welcomed the arrival of a new Government campaign to boost awareness of the National Minimum Wage and help expose cases of underpayment in Manchester.
The Government sponsored '�5.52: Are you on board?' bus rolled into Manchester today, providing free help and information to members of the public.
The aim of the bus is to reach people directly to tell them of their rights to the minimum wage, to help them calculate whether they are receiving the minimum wage and enable them to report underpayment if necessary.
It's estimated that 1 million people in the UK currently earn the national minimum wage, introduced by the Labour Government in 1998. In October last year the Minimum Wage rates were increased to �5.52 for people aged 22 and over, �4.60 for 18- 21 year olds and �3.40 for 16-17 year olds.
Welcoming the bus campaign, Tony Lloyd MP for Manchester Central said, "Every worker should earn a fair wage for a fair day's work. We want to make sure workers know their rights and employers know their responsibilities.
"The national minimum wage remains one of the most important new rights introduced by this Government. Employers who don't pay the minimum wage are not only cheating workers, they're undercutting honest businesses."
Launching the campaign, Minister for Employment Relations, Pat McFadden said: "The Minimum Wage is one of the greatest gains for people at work over the past decade. This campaign will help provide those most at risk of underpayment in Central Manchester with the advice and support they need to make sure they are getting the minimum wage and to report it if they are not."
25 January 2008 - MP Backs Healthy Living Campaign
Tony Lloyd took a break from heavyweight politics when he had his Body Mass Index (BMI) measured at an event organised by Cancer Research UK this week in Parliament as part of a drive to raise awareness of the impact of obesity on cancer risk and the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.
Cancer Research UK also spoke to Tony Lloyd MP about a recent survey conducted by the charity which found that 65 per cent of people questioned were unaware that being overweight or obese would increase an individual�s risk of developing cancer.
Tony Lloyd MP said: "I�m really concerned that many people are not aware that changes to their diet and maintaining an active lifestyle could improve their health and reduce their risk of developing cancer.
"The evidence linking obesity and being overweight to an increased risk of cancer is compelling. Research shows that around 12,000 people every year might avoid getting cancer if they maintained a healthy body weight."
For Cancer Research UK�s advice and tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle you can visit www.reducetherisk.org.uk.
23 January 2008 - Lib Dem Plans Flawed, Unfair and Dangerous
Central Manchester MP, Tony Lloyd has hit out at Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's plans for an unfair local health tax. Clegg argued for local health boards which he "envisages" raising some NHS money locally.
Tony Lloyd said, "This local taxation would simply exacerbate health inequalities. Life expectancy in Manchester is already one of the lowest in the country. Kensington and Chelsea is one of the highest. However, it would be far easier to raise more money for Kensington by a local tax than in Manchester. This would simply widen the health divide, not bridge it. I cannot accept this plan for a two tiered health service."
There would also be serious concerns about how this plan would affect regional centres such as the Christie or the Manchester Royal Infirmary. "Would the taxpayers of Manchester be asked to pay for facilities used by people right across the region?" asked Tony Lloyd.
He also said, "Local decision making sounds good but these proposals would simply result in a postcode lottery with the residents of Manchester paying more. They are flawed, unfair and dangerous".