Ann McKechin MP

Ann slams Executive for stopping funding for schools Holocaust visits

1 May 2008

I am dismayed by the Scottish Executive’s decision not to use money intended to fund educational visits by Scottish school children to Holocaust sites. I have tabled a Commons motion condemning the decision by the SNP Scottish Executive as regressive and narrow-minded.

I am shocked that the SNP Executive supported by the Tories has voted not to use the funds available for Scottish school children to benefit from this scheme.

These educational visits are a valuable way young people can learn about the Holocaust and the ongoing threats of genocide today.

Notre Dame Secondary School from the constituency was last year among the first to be represented in visits organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust by direct flights from Scotland designed to allow more Scottish children to participate. I am aware that other schools in the constituency were hoping to take part in the scheme.

I am calling on Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Scotland to raise the issue with Alex Salmond.

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Nationalists must assist in child poverty fight

31 April 2008

Ann has raised the issue of tackling child poverty in Parliament, and noted with dismay the Scottish Governent's lack of clear commitment on nusery places for vulenerable children. Prioritising childcare support should be a key cornerstone of any Government which is serious about eradicating the human misery of child poverty, which was recently identified as having a £1.5billion financial cost to Scotland by the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland.

Ann said:

"It is ... important that we have appropriate complementary policies as regards child care and early intervention. I understand that [the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell] will soon visit Scotland and very much hope that he will be able to visit Glasgow, where there are a number of very successful projects."

Ann also urged the Government to "...clearly put the message across to the the Scottish National party Administration that they need urgently to consider their refusal to promise all vulnerable two-year-olds a place in nursery school, which had been promised by the previous Labour Administration."

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Ann welcomes EU decision on Serbia

30 April 2008

Last week I spent four days in Serbia and Kosovo as part of a delegation of international parliamentarians looking at the political situation in the region following the declaration of independence by Kosovo in February and the forthcoming elections in Serbia next month. I had the opportunity to discuss the visit yesterday in Parliament in a debate about EU policy in the Balkans. It is vital for the Region's future that the EU encourages further integration and supports moderate opinion against the regressive nationalist politics that has dogged its people over the last decade. That is why I welcome the decision by the Ministerial Council yesterday to sign a Stabilisation and Association agreement with the Serbian government which will send an important sign of our ongoing commitment to Serbia's citizens.

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Tax changes

29 April 2008

If you have any concerns following from the recent Budget changes then please let me know. Most households on low incomes - families with children or those over 65 have considerably benefited this month but as you will be aware the Government has now announced its intention to provide back-dated assistance to the two main groups who have experienced a negative effect so they will not lose out - low paid workers without children and pensioners under 65. Our tax system is by its nature complex but so are peoples' lives and I know that some people may have personal circumstances that don't fit a standard pattern. I intend to feed these examples into the new inquiry announced by the Treasury Select committee last week so we can all get a better picture of how to assist those on low incomes.

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Remembering those killed doing their jobs on Workers Memorial Day

28 April 2008

Ann has welcomed the Workers Memorial campaign by Unite which seeks to highlight the unacceptable workplace death toll in the UK. 15,000 workers die every year from accidents, occupational diseases and work related driving.

Ann said:

Today is Workers Memorial Day, which gives us a chance to pause and consider the dangers many people face every day across Britain by simply going to their job. I feel strongly that with such an unacceptably high number of deaths, we must redouble our efforts to ensure employers never fail in their duty to the workforce and help put an end to preventable tragedies.

Ann is a strong supporter of enforcing the law to prevent negligent employment practice and the need to tighten up requirements in this in this field, see below.

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Justice for victims of Negligence

23 April 2008

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, which came into effect this April, will make it easier to prosecute companies and other large organisations when gross failures in the management of health and safety lead to death.

The new offence aims to rectify a key defect in the present law which meant organisations could only be convicted of manslaughter if a single individual at the very top of the company was personally liable. This failed to reflect the reality of decision-making in large organisations.

Photo right: The HSE report into the ICL Stockline disaster in our constituency revealed seriously negligent health and safety practices

The Act aims to provide a missing link in justice and discourage dangerous employment practices. We are sending out a powerful message to companies and organisations who don't take health and safety of workers seriously that they will be made to face up to their responsibilities. I believe it will serve as a powerful deterrent and in so doing will save lives. I am pleased to have supported this Act.

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Ann welcomes decision to scrap Botanics nightclub plan

Thursday 17 April

Plans to build a nightclub in a part of the Bortanic Gardens have been shelved following objections by Ann and many local residents

I very much welcome the news that the proposal for a nightclub in the Botanic Gardens has been rejected.

I'm pleased that good sense has won out. From the start I have opposed this plan for a nightclub and and I've been working to convince the Council that the plans weren't right for the Botanic Gardens, the West End and Glasgow.

This is great news for the local community and all those who opposed these plans.

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A joint effort to Act on CO2

16 April 2008

The Government is trying to get as many people as possible on board with a joint effort to reduce individual carbon emissions. The Government has launched a helpline which gives everyone free access to useful information and advice on cutting household carbon emissions and saving energy.

For more information, please see the Campaigns and Issues section of the site

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Maximizing regional influence on Burma

25 March 2008

Today in the Commons, Ann asked Meg Munn MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) if the Governemnt would be entering into further dialogue with Burma's powerful neighbours, China and India, to ensure maximum influence on the regime's direction following the disappointing outcome of the recent visit by UN special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari.

Ann said:

"Does [Meg Munn MP] share my concern about the proposed referendum that the Burmese regime anticipates will take place in May? It is likely that it will wish to retain a large block vote for the military in the new Parliament, and to ban opposition leaders. What dialogue has she had with Burma’s neighbours, including China and India, on what they will do to put pressure on the Burmese regime to ensure that the process is much more democratic than is currently proposed?"

Megg Munn MP, replied:

"My hon. Friend is absolutely right: the proposals give no cause for optimism at all. There is no inclusive process in the proposals; indeed, the constitution on which the referendum would take place has not been seen. She rightly identifies the important role of China and India. My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown has done a great deal to work with them. The Prime Minister raised the matters on his visits to China and India, and we will continue to press them to use their influence."

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Ann welcomes Chancellor's Budget

12 March 2008

Photo: Ann met with the Chancellor to discuss the Budget

The Chancellor, Alistair Darling, presented his Budget today. I very much welcome the focus in the Budget on tackling two of the big issues of today - child poverty and climate change.

The Budget set out key measures to help lift 250,000 children out of poverty, and an extra boost of £50 to over 60’s households and £100 for over 80’s households on top of the Winter Fuel Payment.

Over 9,500 households in this constituency will get extra cash to pay their heating bills this year. And nearly 6,000 families in Glasgow North will gain from the increases in Child Benefit.

We have had 10 years of economic stability and growth. The Government has taken the long-term decisions, such as independence for the Bank of England, new fiscal rules and a reduction in debt, that have created a strong platform of economic stability that has allowed for sustained ionvestment in public services.

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A smart approach for energy customers

7 March 2008

Photo: Ann at the Smart Meter exhibition

Ann has joined over 130 other MPs in supporing an Early Day Motion (EDM) in Parliament which welcomes the launch of Look Smart, a campaign by Energywatch calling for greater Government support of 'Smart Metering' which will ensure accurate bills an make it easier for (and encourage people to) micro-generate their own energy and even sell it back to the provider on the national grid.

Ann also attended the exhibition which was set up to demonstrate the technology to MPs.

The LookSmart motion: "recognises that smart metering would put an end to estimated energy bills, give consumers accurate, understandable and up-to-date information on the energy they are using, remove the additional cost to service pre-payment meters and have a positive impact on fuel poverty and carbon emissions" (EDM 385)

• Smart meters have a broad base of support from the energy industry, consumer groups and environmental organisations.

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National Minimum Wage to rise above rate of inflation

5 March 2008

The National Minimum wage, which the Opposition still resent 10 years on from its inception, is to get another rise above the rate of inflation to take greater account of higher living costs.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today announced the adult National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate will rise from £5.52 to £5.73. The rate for 18-21 year olds will also increase from £4.60 to £4.77, while the 16-17 year old rate will rise from £3.40 to £3.53.

While the Tories opposed the minimum wage and still criticise it, the Labour Government is taking steps to strengthen it – ensuring that employees know their rights and employers know their responsibilities.

Nearly one million low paid employees, two thirds of them women, will benefit from this increase.

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Helping our fair-trade city make a greater difference on Fairtrade Fortnight

22 February 2008

Photo right: Ann McKechin MP with Douglas Alexander MP discussing fairtrade fortnight

Many local people have discussed the importance of fair trade with me. As a long term supporter of Fair Trade, I campaign together with Fairtrade Foundation to pressure international governments to secure better trade rules that will allow the world’s poorest countries to help grow their economies and reduce poverty.

Ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight (25th February – 9th March) I wanted to outline why fair trade is so important and what more we can all do to ‘shop for development’.

Fair trade sales are becoming increasingly popular. Every 2 years for the last eight, UK shoppers have doubled the amount of Fair Trade goods they buy. Fair trade sales in the UK have been growing on average at 40 per cent, per year. The total value of fair trade products sold in the UK in 2006 was £284 million, up from £196 million in 2005, and a growth of over 1,000 per cent since 1998.

This growth is not restricted to the UK: the market for fair trade labelled products has been growing worldwide at 30-40 per cent a year. In 2006 £1.1 billion was spent by consumers on Fair Trade certified products. This is a 42 per cent increase on the previous year and directly benefits over 7 million farmers, workers and their families in developing countries. The areas of particular growth were: cocoa (93%), coffee (53%), tea (41%), bananas (31%) and cotton (doubled in 1 year).

No country has reduced poverty in the last 30 years without also increasing trade. This is why the government has led international efforts to secure fairer trade rules. As part of this the government has committed significant resources: £12 million on Fair Trade promotion since 1997 and $750 million every year from 2010 on Aid for Trade (which helps promote developing countries’ ability to trade by investing in relevant infrastructure, among other things).

But there is more that we can do as consumers. Three simple steps will help grow the fair trade market and deliver benefits to some of the world’s poorest countries.

• First, where possible, buy products from developing countries.
• Second, if there is no clear labelling then ask the retailer where the product has come from and ask that they provide this information more clearly in the future.
• Third, we should ask about the working conditions of those who produced the goods.

By ensuring that retailers are aware that there are a significant number of concerned shoppers, we can help deliver real benefits to developing countries. In Africa, for example, fruit and vegetable exports to the UK benefits a million farmers and their families.

The Government is also currently consulting on its fair trade policy. If you would like more information or to contribute your idea, please get in touch.

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Treatment of women and improving justice in Afghanistan

30 January 2008

Speaking out for improvements to the justice system in Afghanistan, Ann has asked Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, to impress upon the Afghan Government the importance of upholding laws and law enforcement which protect the most basic human rights of women.

Ann said:

"In his discussions with his European counterparts, will my right hon. Friend [Douglas Alexander MP] ensure that much greater priority is given to reforming the justice system in Afghanistan? Women there are still arrested and routinely jailed for years simply for running away from home or choosing not to marry the man their families have chosen for them. I ask that the issue of gender be given much higher priority as well."

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Glasgow 2014 disadvantaged by Nationalist opposition to London Olympics

28 January 2008

Ann McKechin has pointed out that the success of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games is put at risk by the SNP's opposition to the London Olympics in 2012, which is set to give strategical benefits to the planning and organization in Glasgow.

Speaking in Parliament today, Ann said:

"The interest in sport that will be generated by the Olympics, and the knowledge and experience that we will gain from it, will be of direct benefit to Glasgow and to the games."

The skills and experience of a major UK city hosting one of the world's greatest sporting events, just two years before Glasgow hosts yet another, would be lost if the Nationalists had their way. Scotland hosting Glasgow 2014 will be enjoyed by and benefit all of Britain and the Labour Government is organizing to ensure all of Britain benefits from London 2012.

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