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Over 150,000 UK residents suffer from ME, a potentially severe and chronic condition affecting the immune and central nervous systems.
There is much controversy surrounding the disabling disease, as it is difficult to diagnose. ME has been branded the 'yuppie bug' but in fact it has been known about for many years. The same disease process has been recorded from early medical literature. The symptomology has been consistently described by patients but they have been disbelieved or branded as vast exaggerators.
But ME is not an illness which can be ignored. Although a large proportion of sufferers make a partial or even full recovery, a significant 15 - 2056 become severely and permanently disabled. Lawrie Quinn said
"I have had many letters from local constituents who have ME and are experiencing various problems with their medical support and medical welfare benefits, all too often the true nature of their illness is not being recognised and they are left without support."BRAME with the help of Tony Wright, MP for Great Yarmouth have organised a meeting which will be held in the House of Commons on Thursday 14'h May. Lawrie Quinn regrets he is unable to be present for this opportunity to raise awareness of ME. He will be in the constituency to meet the Prince of Wales in Danby. Although he is unable to attend the meeting, he wishes to express his concerns on the issue and urges people with ME to contact the ME support group.
12 May 1998
Lawrie Quinn MP said:
"To date building society bureaucracy has meant that only the first named holders of joint accounts are given payouts. It is not right that second and subsequent named account holders lose out. Women in particular find themselves in this position because of the traditional order of "Mr ad Mrs""A woman in my constituency is the second name on a mortgage she took out with her husband. Since her marriage broke down she has battled to keep up the mortgage repayments only to discover that her former husband had received the shares payout "
"I have since received representation from other people across the constituency expressing bitter disappointment that their right to an equal share of the bonus payouts has been rejected.
"Nothing in law stops the building societies setting up schemes that give fair shares to all their policy holders. But nothing in law forces them to do so. John Healey's bill aims to change the law to make sure that, in the futures, those who are second names in joint accounts benefit equally from any bonus payouts."
1 May 1998
The extra cash is part of the Government's overall individual health authority allocation from the extra £500 million for the NHS, announced in the March Budget. Welcoming the £4,009,000 extra for North Yorkshire Health Authority, Lawrie Quinn MP, Member of Parliament for Scarborough & Whitby said
"This is a real tonic for patients in Scarborough & Whitby, £4,009,000 of new NHS money to tackle the first priority of local people - getting the NHS waiting lists down"Lawrie Quinn went on to say,
"The Government has said that they will be closely monitoring the performance of North Yorkshire Health Authority. I will also be monitoring their performance, and will let the local people know just how this extra £4,009,000 is being spent The extra £500 million announced in the last Budget brings the extra money the Government has put into the Health Service in our first year to £2 billion, that is close to £5 million extra for the Health Service every single day during the coming year".Lawrie Quinn concluded,
"The extra f2 billion spent on the NHS is £2 billion more than the previous Government was planning to spend on the NHS, and more than three times as much as the Liberals promised the Health Service at the General Election.
28 April 1998
He said
"A report published by the Br'tish Tourist Authority last week outlines the benefits of reducing VAT on tour'st services"The report examines the impact of differing rates of VAT throughout the European Union and demonstrates a correlation between VAT levels and consumer demand. A reduction in VAT will bring Brittain in line with overseas ct~mpetition and help boost the economy.
Lawrie Quinn is encouraging local people in the tourist industry to read the report and send their views to him at his constituency office at 53 Westborough.
Copies of the report have been sent to:
Robin Hood's Bay Tourism Association,
Scarborough Forum for Tourism
Whitby Tourism Association.
23 April 1998
Lawrie Quinn said,
"Mobile phones are an essential tool of modem life. But like all tools, there is a time and a place where they should be used. And driving is neither the time nor the place".Lawrie Quinn added,
"Drivers need to concentrate on driving, a driver attempting to use a mobile phone whilst driving is dearly not driving with proper care and attention. Worse still the driver could cause a serious accident".Lawrie Quinn strongly endorsed the message both the Government and the mobile phone industry are putting forward, namely that hand-held mobile phones should not be used whilst driving and that regular breaks from driving should be taken.
"The mobile phone industry is also contributing up to £l Million to the publicity campaign" said Lawrie Quinn.
23 April 1998
"The Government is proposing a national contract for health, with national Government action supporting local action. I want to turn it into a local contract for health with Scarborough and Whitby. That's why I'll be doing all I can to make sure that our voice is heard in the new national debate over how we help all of us to live longer and healthier lives" says Lawrie Quinn MP.
Lawrie Quinn MP said
"As part of the consultation on the Green Paper on Public Health. I'm leading a one-day Good Health Conference at the Spa Complex on Saturday 28 February. 1998. Far too many people are still falling ill more often and dying sooner than they should. The Government has put forward new ideas to deal with the situation and are asking for the views of people here in Scarborough and Whitby."The last Government spent most of their time trying to get people to live healthier lives, where necessary by changing their lifestyle. Now I'm supporting the new Government's drive to see far more attention and Government action concentrated on the things which damage people's health which are beyond the control of any of us as individuals.
"Issues such as air pollution, poverty, low wages, unemployment, poor housing, crime and disorder, can make us ill - both in body and in mind. The Government has made a start in tackling these and we need to keep up the effort.
"We need to target our efforts at the big killers, like heart disease and strokes. For example, over the last two years in the North Yorkshire Health Authority area, 168 people under the age of 65 have died from coronary heart disease and strokes. We can and we must get that number of avoidable deaths down.
"But we'll only get that done if we get everyone corking in partnership with local organisations, to improve people's living conditions and health. The Government can do its bit, but there's lots ~ can do ourselves.
"I am urging people in Scarborough and Whitby to attend the Good Health Conference and participate in the discussions. If you are unable to come but have something to say please get in touch with me I will be happy to send you details of the Governments proposals and I shall make sure your comments are heard."
26 February 1998
Lawrie Quinn said,
"Faulty heating systems, blocked chimneys and flues cause around 50 people a year to die from carbon monoxide poisoning - all of which is avoidable if the right precautions are taken".To ensure that the message about carbon monoxide poisoning hits home, a new three pronged plan has been launched by the DTI that will see:
"I welcome the move by the Consumer Affairs Minister Nigel Griffiths to ensure that every gas consumer gets a leaflet explaining how to safeguard against this silent killer. The people of Scarborough & Whitby should take the time out to read these leaflets when the come through their door to ensure that neither they nor their families fall foul of this deadly gas".
24 February 1998
The New Deal starts nation-wide on 6 April and will be up and running locally in Scarborough and Whitby to help our young unemployed build up the skills and experience they need to get off benefit and into work.
Lawrie Quinn MP today backed the New Deal advertising campaign, which makes the business case for taking part in the programme.
The adverts appeal to employers to offer job opportunities to young unemployed people, using real business people to explain why it makes sense for their business, the wider economy, community and the young unemployed people who take advantage of the opportunities.
Lawrie Quinn MP said
" As we get the New Deal for the young unemployed up and running, Labour in Government is delivering on a key election promise, that's why I've been so involved in the North Yorkshire Strategic Planning Group for New Deal and I will be launching an employers meeting on Monday 16 February in York at the Novotel. I want every firm in Scarborough and Whitby to know about the benefits to their business of taking young people on through the New Deal."The advertising will be aimed at getting the business case across to local firms, large and small. We need especially to bring on board the smaller local firms, which are the engines of growth of the local economy. That's where many of the jobs needed for the young unemployed will come from.
"The adverts are using real people, not actors. Business people themselves will be best at promoting involvement in the New Deal to other businesses.
"I would urge employers to contact the local Employment Service about how they can take part in this national crusade for jobs. Or they could the telephone hotline on 0845 6062626 to find out how they can play their part in building a stronger Britain."
13 February 1998
The Employment of Children Bill will have its second reading on Friday 13 February, an unlucky day for employers who exploit children or put them in danger.
Lawrie Quinn said
"Most adults are unaware of the scale of child labour or the danger it can pose to children's safety. Four out of every ten schoolchildren in this country have a part time job. But alarmingly, a third of those children are involved in an accident at work. British children work more than their European counterparts, they make up one third of the total number of children working in Europe, but three quarters of British children are working illegally, because they have no official work permit or are working illegal, often dangerous hours".Lawrie Quinn went on to say,
"Working can often give children their first taste of independence and responsibility. The Bill does no seek to stop that. But children who work must be free from exploitation and physical danger. Under the present legislation, which was framed in 1933, children from the age of 13 can work for up to 17 or 20 hours each week, if you add a full school week, plus homework, some children are working 60-63 hours every week, most adults would shrink from that workload, for vulnerable schoolchildren, those hours of working should be illegal in a civilised society . The Bill will ensure that children work no more than a ma>o'mum of two hours each school day and Sundays. Saturday jobs will not be affected unless a child is working for more than 12 hours per week And there will be much more involvement from the children themselves, their parents and schools, local education authorities, employers and their insurance companies in making sure working children are properly protected. The Bill will reduce the hours many children work, tougher regulation will ensure that they work safely, free from exploitation and without damage to their education".Lawrie Quinn added,
"The current legislation for children at work was framed at the time of the Great Depression, 65 years ago. it is time it was modernised for the 21st century".
11 February 1998
During his visit he will be opening the new local Labour Party headquarters at 53 Westborough, Scarborough. Mr Prescott will be arriving at 11.30 a.m. Saturday 7 February where he will be met by local party Chairperson Steve Siddons.
Steve Siddons said,
"The new headquarters will provide the space and facilities we need for continued campaigning."We are sharing the new offices with Lawrie Quinn MP for Scarborough and Whitby to work in partnership providing a complete service to the local people."
5 February 1998
Lawrie Quinn said,
"The consultation document looks at a range of measures on enforcement, penalties, education, publicity and rehabilitation. By taking action on all these fronts we can hopefully make further progress in reducing the number of deaths and injuries."Lawrie Quinn finished by saying,
"One of the options the Government is looking at is reducing the blood alcohol limit from 80mg per 100ml to 50mg. There is evidence to suggest that a driver with blood alcohol between 50 mg and 80mg is twice as likely to he involved in an accident as one who has not been drinking."
2 February 1998
Lawrie Quinn said,
"We have to tackle the growing problem of traffic pollution and congestion for people's health, the environment and economy. Latest traffic forecasts predict that road traffic will increase by between a quarter and a half over the next twenty years. To allow such increases unchecked would damage the economy and the environment. We simply cannot go on building more and more roads to accommodate more and more traffic. That is why the Government is committed to developing an integrated transport policy transport more. We aim to publish a White Paper in May that will set the direction for transport for the new millennium. I hope to be called to make my contribution to this debate. I will speak from the experience of a former child asthmatic, professional civil engineer and advocate of a "sustainable transport policy for this country".Lawrie Quinn finished by saying,
"I am delighted that the Government and Friends of the Earth have come to an agreement on the Road Traffic Reduction Bill. It shows our commitment to taking the environment seriously."
29 January 1998
Lawrie Quinn said following last years tragic death of Kristian Whitehead at the Milton Keynes Sanctuary club, both Doctor Phyllis Starkey and I started to collaborate on the public safety issues surrounding similar entertainment venues around the country. This collaboration now moves onto the floor of the House of Commons on Wednesday 28'" January.
"Over 120 million people a year enjoy a good night out in night clubs and discotheques. They have a right to know that the door supervisors employed for their safety are trained, competent and honest", says Lawrie Quinn.Over 100 local councils have set up local registration schemes in partnership with the police. In Newcastle, the introduction of registration for 700 local bouncers reduced violent and drug-related offences involving door supervisors by nearly 75%.
But standards vary, some areas have no controls and criminals can exploit these weaknesses. Minority of door supervisors pose a real threat to public safety.
"A national register would exclude people with criminal convictions. Every registered door supervisor would have to complete nationally recognised training in crowd control and safe ways of restraining people, in recognition of drug abuse, in first aid and fire safety. Clubgoers need this protection" says Lawrie Quinn.A mandatory national registration scheme is supported by the British Entertainment and Discotheque Association (BEDA) and by the GMB trade union.
26 January 1998
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