Archives - October 2008
29 October 2008 - Tony in Parliament - Oral Answers to Questions, Justice - Employment Tribunals (28/10)
You can read the debate, including Tony's contributions, here.
28 October 2008 - Wear it Pink Day
Tony Lloyd MP is joining forces with Breast Cancer Campaign for its award winning fundraising event, wear it pink, on Friday 31 October 2008.
Tony Lloyd MP says "Every year over 45,500 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many others, I know people who have lost friends and family members to breast cancer. I would like to encourage everyone in Manchester and throughout the country to support wear it pink on October 31, to raise valuable funds for breast cancer research."
To take part, whether you are in an office, at school, or simply popping to the shops, on 31 October donate �2 and wear an item of pink. Your donation will allow Campaign to continue funding innovative world class research across the UK.
To help Campaign reach this year�s target of �3.5 million, you can take part in the UK�s original and best pink day. You can visit www.wearitpink.co.uk for more information.
21 October 2008 - Tony in Parliament - GMPTA Reception
Some of the North West's most influential transport bosses travelled to London on Tuesday 14th October to meet MPs at the House of Commons. They were speaking at a special event organised by GMPTA with the theme 'Revolutionising public transport'. MPs, Lords, transport experts and journalists were among those invited to attend, and they got the chance to see the look of the new Metrolink trams.
40 trams will begin to be added to the Metrolink network next year to run on the existing system as well as on the extensions to Oldham and Rochdale, Droylsden, Chorlton and MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. Transport bosses took a 1.6-metre-long model tram to London to show off the new yellow and silver design (pictured below).
GMPTA regularly lobbies MPs for improvements to public transport in Greater Manchester. Earlier in the year, GMPTA representatives attended all three major party conferences to meet Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs.
21 October 2008 - Tony in Parliament - Political Parties and Elections Bill (20/10)
You can read the debate, including Tony's contributions, here.
20 October 2008 - Tony in Parliament - Department of Energy and Climate Change Debate (16/10)
Tony Lloyd: I, too, welcome my right hon. Friend's bold statement. The 80 per cent. target will be widely welcomed not only in Britain, but throughout the world. In response to my hon. Friend Malcolm Wicks, my right hon. Friend made the important remark that we need to look again at the whole structure of the energy markets. Will he give the guarantee, which I think is consistent with what he has said, that we will never allow price to be used as an instrument to ration energy supply to the poorest people in our country, because this issue is not only about security of supply, but it is also about adequacy of supply for people who need heat and light?
Edward Miliband (Secretary of State, Department for Energy and Climate Change: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, but we need to address the issues in a cautious manner because, as Peter Luff has said, investment and security are also important matters, and we need to ensure that companies keep investing. In this area, there is a whole range of problematic issues across the board, which, again, the Select Committee addressed very well. As I pointed out to the energy companies, only 60 per cent. of the people who switch supplier do better from having done so, which means that 40 per cent. are either no better off or worse off from having switched. I made the point to the energy companies yesterday that that does not suggest to me that the market is working as well as it should in relation to the information people are receiving and what is happening with prices. Somebody said to me yesterday that a week after having switched suppliers the prices changed and they were worse off from having switched. Therefore, a whole range of issues need to be looked at; I thought it was better to look at them in detail with proper care and attention than to make statements about them in my first two weeks in the job, but they are important issues that need to be addressed.
You can Watch the whole debate by clicking play on the video below.
16 October 2008 - MPs Commit to Meeting the Challenge of HIV
Tony Lloyd MP joined national charity NAT (National AIDS Trust) to mark the charity's 21st birthday.
Today more people than ever before are living with HIV in the UK, yet public knowledge about HIV is lower than it was 10 years ago. More than 20 years after HIV first appeared in the UK people living with HIV continue to face discrimination.
Tony Lloyd MP said: "I was proud to join NAT to mark 21 years of tackling HIV in the UK. With over 80,000 people living with HIV, we must do more to raise awareness about HIV in the UK. This is important to stop new infections but also to tackle the stigma and prejudice that many people living with HIV face in our community."
Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT, commented: "NAT was born out of a government commitment'to tackle HIV. 21 years on a lot has been achieved but significant challenges remain. Many people living with HIV in the UK still face discrimination. We are delighted that today MPs from across the parties have come together to reaffirm their commitment to ending HIV prejudice and stopping the spread of HIV in the UK."
The occasion was marked by the launch of a new report HIV: All Grown Up? that analyses the UK�s response to HIV in 2008 and sets out the challenges that remain.
Photo is of Tony Lloyd MP and Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT.
15 October 2008 - "Keep Your Cool at Christmas" says Tony Lloyd MP
Tony Lloyd MP joined shop workers at Westminster to call on customers to "keep your cool at Christmas" in support of the campaign by retail trade union Usdaw to cut down on the abuse and assaults suffered by shop staff during the Christmas shopping period.
Tony Lloyd said: "I am shocked that Usdaw's most recent survey shows that two thirds of shop staff have been abused in the last year and nearly 10% have suffered physical assault. The shop staff that I met told me that Christmas is the time when they suffer most anger and abuse.
"Christmas shopping can often end up being stressful. I urge all customers not to take out their frustration on shop staff who have to work hard, often for long hours at this time when shops are at their busiest.
"Both verbal abuse and threats are anti-social behaviour and I am encouraging retailers and police in Manchester to work together to make sure that the Government�s anti-social behaviour measures are used where necessary to protect shop staff."
John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary said, "Shop workers in Manchester are delighted to have the support of Tony Lloyd for our campaign.
"Christmas can be a very stressful time, but we are calling on all customers to think twice and not abuse staff, and by staying calm they will help retailers to give them a better service."