Iain Wright

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:16:42 +0000

I wrote last week in my column about the Veterans Minister coming to Hartlepool and meeting with people from Hartlepool who had served in the Armed Forces.

Id written that Hartlepool is a strong military town and I certainly had evidence of that in the days after my column was published in the Hartlepool Mail. I have never been stopped quite so much by people in Hartlepool about an article Id written. I was stopped in York Road after buying five pork pies from Morrells yes five, but in my defence they werent all for me. I was stopped at the match on Saturday, where somebody thanked me for acknowledging the importance of veterans. This all demonstrates to me, if proof were needed, that we in Hartlepool are very proud of our military, and wish to acknowledge the debt of gratitude we all owe the brave men and women who have served in the Forces in the past.

However, this is not a history lesson. That bravery is very much evident in the men and women who are serving in the Forces now. They are often a long way from home, separated from friends, family and loved ones, and in very dangerous situations like Afghanistan. Since the start of the month, we have tragically lost six brave soldiers in the southern part of Afghanistan. The bravery of all of our troops, and particularly of those who have fallen, is astonishing, and something we should never forget. Their love of their country and their wish to defend it against extremists who wish to destroy our way of life is something which I think is admired and respected by the vast majority of people in Hartlepool.

It must be gratifying if you are a soldier serving in Afghanistan knowing that the country you have left behind and for whom you are fighting are fully supportive of you. You must be pleased if your community is pulling together to ensure that it can demonstrate its support.

That is certainly what took place on Saturday night at the Navy Club. Lisa Whitehead, who is the most energetic dynamo I have ever met, took charge and organised a marathon darts and snooker session to promote Help for Heroes. For 12 hours, many people from the town took part in the sessions to demonstrate their support for our troops and to raise money.

It was great to see so many people enjoy themselves whilst doing something for a good cause. When I arrived at the Navy Club, at about 9 oclock on the evening, I saw little sign of flagging.

With her energy and determination, it looks likely that Lisa has helped raise about £2,000 to show the towns support for the troops. She did this with limited publicity. Although she has demonstrated her help for heroes, I think Lisa is a hero herself.

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:14:07 +0000

Veterans Minister visits our troops

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:24:29 +0000

Iain and veterans minister Kevan Jones with land girl Florence.

It was a privilege to have the Minister for Veterans, Kevan Jones MP, visit the town last week to meet with people from Hartlepool who had served in the countrys Armed Forces.

The Minister met with Veterans (in appalling weather, if you remember last week) at the restored Heugh Gun Battery. The Battery has played a strong and proud role in the military history of this country for centuries, not least during the Bombardment, when it is said that decisive and professional return fire from the troops from the Battery made the German warships cancel their planned three-hour shelling of the town and make a retreat after less than an hour.

The restoration of the Battery is testimony to the vision, passion and commitment of the likes of Taffy Southcott, Steve Plant and countless others who volunteer and give up their time to secure the future of this important part of our military history. The Minister was extremely impressed with what the Battery Trust had done with the place.

Hartlepool is a strong military town, although it sometimes doesnt seem that way. We havent an army base close by, like Catterick, we dont have an RAF base next to us, like Linton-on-Ouse (much to my dads despair, who loves the RAF) and- although were on the coast and have a proud maritime tradition- I wouldnt say we are a navy town like Plymouth.

Having said that I really enjoy, when I get the chance, to have a drink in the Navy Club. I occasionally end up singing when I come out of the Navy Club after spending time with John Neville and others I think they must put something in the rum. We in Hartlepool have a great tradition with the Durham Light Infantry, and the Royal Air Force Association are actively recruiting members and doing a lot to advance the objectives of the Association.

There were about 40 Veterans at the event with the Minister last week. There was a great atmosphere, and the Minister mentioned the role that he has in Government, including being the Minister with responsibility for UFOs.

There is more help available to veterans now than ever before. The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency provides great support for anyone who has served in the Armed Forces, even if only for a day. This includes a free Veterans UK helpline 0800 169 2277 and website www.veterans-uk.info which provide information, advice and guidance on benefits, compensation payments, pension, employment, awarding of medals and much more.

It is always very humbling when I spend time with Veterans. They are truly inspirational people the best of British, as I mentioned on Friday. They provided, in dark days like the Second World War, the spirit and fight to beat the enemy. I dont believe that that those are unique characteristics of that generation: I think the young men and women who are fighting on behalf of our country now display the same character. We should all be immensely proud of what they do for our country and, when they leave the Armed Forces, they should be provided with the best possible help and support there is.

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:21:00 +0000

MP Welcomes New Support for Asbestos Victims

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:07:13 +0000

Iain today welcomed a multi-million pound package of vital help that the Government is extending to individuals whose health has been put at risk due to exposure to asbestos.
This includes action to help people with asbestos related diseases to claim compensation, increase their upfront payments, and work towards a fund of last resort for people diagnosed with a serious asbestos-related illness who cannot trace their insurance records.
It also includes financial help to people with pleural plaques who were left in limbo by a House of Lords ruling in 2007.
The full list of measures, which was announced as part of the Governments response to a consultation on pleural plaques (an asbestos related condition) includes:

An ex-statutory scheme of fixed payments of £5k for individuals who had begun, but not resolved, a legal claim for compensation for pleural plaques at the time of the Law Lords ruling in 2007;

Work towards the creation of an Employers Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) to help people who develop an asbestos-related disease to trace the relevant insurer and obtain full compensation.

A consultation on the creation of an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB), which will act as a fund of last resort for sufferers of asbestos-related disease who cannot trace the insurance records needed to gain compensation.

Increased upfront payments for Mesothelioma sufferers and their dependents.

The establishment of a world-leading network of medical practitioners to research asbestos-related disease, with increased investment from Government alongside £3m funding from the insurance industry;

Action to examine and streamline litigation practices and procedures to speed up claims relating to Mesothelioma.

Responding to the Governments decision, Iain said:

I am delighted that the Government is building on its record of support for asbestos victims with the important measures announced today. In constituencies like Hartlepool, where many people were exposed to asbestos during their working lives, steps to help people gain swifter compensation for asbestos-related disease will be widely welcomed as will increased investment for medical research in this area.

The GMB trade union has been working with the Government, other MPs and me to ensure that the injustice of compensation for those suffering from pleural plaques will be stopped. Todays announcement is a long way towards our ultimate aim of complete compensation, help and support.

I am very glad there will be fixed payments for people with pleural plaques who had cases in the pipeline before the Law Lords ruling in 2007, and I urge any constituents who are in that category to visit the website below for information on how to apply.
www.justice.gov.uk/about/pleural-plaques.htm

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:05:35 +0000

Last week Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, came to Hartlepool to see what is being done about tackling unemployment in the town.

Unemployment is devastating. Being in a job is not only positive in terms of providing you with an income, but all the evidence suggests that it improves other chances in life such as increased health, and a better sense of well being. The notion of getting up and doing a decent days work is something which has social benefits as well as making financial sense. Unemployment can never be seen as a price worth paying, or something that can be useful in pursuing economic goals such as reducing the level of inflation. Unemployment blights families and can really undermine whole communities.

Hartlepool has unfortunately down the decades suffered from more than its fair share of unemployment. In the 1980s, the scale of job losses and the decimation of traditional industries meant that, at one point, male unemployment was running at 25 per cent in the town. It has taken years to try to turn around the social and economic consequences of this devastating time, and even now the town remains vulnerable to an economic downturn. It will arguably take decades to recover from the industrial and economic shocks of the 1980s.

In the most severe economic recession that the world has seen since the Second World War it is sadly the case that Britain, as a trading nation, and Hartlepool- which remains a strong trading town, could not be immune from these big global forces. On a positive note, it is useful to realise that, in the last recession in the 1990s, the number of people in the town unemployed was significantly higher than today. In 1992, the number of people unemployed was about 6,500; now, it is just below 4,000. This seems to indicate that the interventions from the Government together with more flexibility from business are helping to reduce the jobless figure.

However, this is not the time for complacency. The unemployment figures we see today are still far too high, and I feel it is the role of anybody in authority to work together to try to address this problem.

The Government has responded, particularly with regards to unemployment for younger people, with investment such as the Future Jobs Fund. Hartlepool was successful in receiving this money, and thanks to partnership and determination to do something to help the town, the Council, voluntary groups and others are pulling their weight to help reduce unemployment.

Hartlepools Future Job Fund, after only a couple of months, is the best performing project in the North East and one of the best in the country. There are approximately 400 people in the North East who have accessed the Future Jobs Fund, and over half of these 218 are in Hartlepool. The scheme is on track to achieve its objectives of creating 720 jobs.
Of great significance in this is Manor Residents Association. Angie Wilcox, the Manager, is someone who wont take no for an answer. She called me one Friday to demand that I attended a meeting at Manor Residents so some of the problems about Future Jobs Fund could be aired and sorted out. Last week she told Yvette Cooper the story of how Manor Residents started out by knocking on peoples doors in Owton Manor asking them what colour those doors should be. Now, the Association is a major part of the Manor and employ people in youth matters, child care, and garden and allotment maintenance amongst others. It is a really positive story, and impressed the Secretary of State so much she texted me after the meeting to say she told half the Cabinet about Angie and Manor Residents!

I want to continue to work hard to ensure that other people in Hartlepool have the chance of work. Initiatives like the Future Jobs Fund shows that this vital investment is necessary and is working. Unemployment is never a price worth paying, and I will not rest until we can ensure that the jobless total comes down.

SHOPPERS URGED TO SWAP FOR FAIRTRADE BY HARTLEPOOL MP

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:17:00 +0000

Iain is encouraging shoppers in Hartlepool to buy Fairtrade products during this Fairtrade Fortnight (22nd February 7th March).

Iain welcomed Government plans to boost funding for the Fairtrade labelling system and urged shoppers in Hartlepool to look for the Fairtrade Mark on food, gifts and other products in the shops.

Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the Fairtrade Mark and there are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers in developing countries. Latest investment will bring another 1 million producers into the scheme and enable 7 million more people in poor countries to benefit from a better deal offered by Fairtrade.

Iain said:

Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the worlds poorest people. By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.

When consumers and retailers act together to promote and buy goods from developing countries, we can make a real difference to the lives of some of the worlds poorest people.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said:

Iain has been a passionate campaigner on fair trade. I hope shoppers across Hartlepool will join Iain during Fairtrade fortnight and take the chance to swap their usual shopping for Fairtrade products.

SHOPPERS URGED TO SWAP FOR FAIRTRADE BY HARTLEPOOL MP

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:45:09 +0000

Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the worlds poorest people. By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.

When consumers and retailers act together to promote and buy goods from developing countries, we can make a real difference to the lives of some of the worlds poorest people.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said:

Iain has been a passionate campaigner on fair trade. I hope shoppers across Hartlepool will join Iain during Fairtrade fortnight and take the chance to swap their usual shopping for Fairtrade products.

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:06:53 +0000

At the weekend I watched Gordon Browns interview with Piers Morgan. Like many people in the town who will have watched the actual programme, Id seen the advance trailers, which seemed to suggest that the Prime Minister had wailed and sobbed on national television when speaking of the death of his daughter Jennifer.

In reality, this was far from being the case. Im genuinely not being party political here I also for example think David Cameron has handled the death of his son Ivan with dignity. I think the Prime Minister was in obvious pain and grief when describing vividly the joy of his daughters birth and the smack of realisation that she wasnt going to survive. The grief didnt manifest itself in sobs and outright crying like the television adverts claimed he would, but with something arguably more painful and poignant: the Prime Ministers red eyes and the memories etched across his face as he spoke about his daughter.

Ive been very blessed. I have four wonderful and healthy children. Weve had a few painful scares with illnesses for one or two of them, some of them very serious indeed. But thank goodness I have never had to endure the death of a baby or young child. I simply cannot think of anything worse. Ive heard parents and grandparents over the years particularly my late nana saying that they would willingly sacrifice several years of their own life to ensure that their children and grandchildren would have happy, peaceful and healthy lives. As a dad, I fully understand that.

I think this country has come a long way in dealing more sensitively with the deaths of young children and in particular stillborn babies. It is not too long ago that the death of a premature child was seen as something you could brush off, almost without any thought. Grieving parents were provided little emotional support and it was thought best to try and move on almost as if nothing had happened and the child had never existed. A large number of parents have over the years lost a child in pregnancy, in child birth or in the early days of the childs life; and the approach taken towards them was often astonishingly callous. It may have been meant well, but I think it in many cases it will have extended and intensified the grieving which the parents and close family experienced.

We have moved on. We have in Hartlepool the Baby Bereavement Support Group, set up by Val Lake about 15 years ago, which is run by bereaved parents for bereaved parents. The Group provides help, support and understanding for parents by people who have been through exactly the same emotions, emotions which cant really be shared by anybody else. They are a wonderful group who can be contacted for anybody who needs help on 862362.

But of course grief can hit anybody at any time. The loss of a parent, grandparent or friend can be devastating, and take years to heal. Some people find it difficult to talk to somebody they know about what they are feeling. The Hartlepool Bereavement Service, run by bereavement officer Linda Parker, offers a listening ear. They can be contacted on 244689.

For any grief, whether it is the death of a child or the loss of a grandparent, grief can mean different things to different people, and will be handled in different ways. The important thing to remember in Hartlepool is that you dont have to be on your own help is out there.

TOWN MP BACKS CAMPAIGN TO SHOUT OUT FOR A SURE START

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:42:03 +0000

Iain has this week given his backing to a new campaign in support of Sure Start Childrens Centres, which provide universal services for all families and children under five.

The Shout out for a Sure Start campaign was launched this week by the charity 4Children and the popular childrens TV character Peppa Pig. The campaign has the support of childrens charities, trade unions and the Childrens Secretary Ed Balls and parents can find out more by visiting the new website at www.shoutoutforasurestart.org.uk

Iain said:

Parents across Hartlepool tell me all the time how much they value their local Sure Start Childrens Centres, the services on offer and the help and support at hand. Most parents I talk to cant imagine what it would be like if their local Childrens Centre was not there.

Thats why Im backing this campaign to shout out for Sure Start and promote the universal services on offer for families across Hartlepool like childcare and healthcare.

Back in 1997 there were no Childrens Centres but thanks to investment from the Government there are now eight across Hartlepool, offering services to local children under five and their families.

The Government has said it will keep investing in Sure Start because the early years of a childs life are so important. Sure Start makes a difference to hundreds of families across Hartlepool. It should be open to all parents and children, not just a few. Thats why Im going to keep shouting out for Sure Start and urge local parents to back the campaign too".

Mail Column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:30:00 +0000

How would you like to produce electricity for your home, do it in a way that is kinder to the environment, and get money from the National Grid into the bargain?

That doesnt seem to be a bad deal. The Government last week announced details which would ensure that households and communities who install technology like small wind turbines and solar panels will, from April, be entitled to claim payments for the electricity they produce, and from the following year, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband has published a plan for a similar scheme to be introduced in April 2011 to do the same for low carbon heating technology. This would be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

The Clean Energy Cash Back starts on 1 April and introduces for the first time in this country a so-called feed-in tariff. This means that homeowners would get paid about 42 pence per kilowatthour (kWh) of electricity they produce from renewable sources like photovoltaic cells you put on your house roof.

According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change, a typical three bedroom house uses about 3,300 kWh of energy per year. It is possible that a renewable system could earn the homeowner about £900 a year and save a further £140 off their electricity bill. The income that is earned from the system will be tax free and linked to inflation and the costs of buying and installing the renewable energy source can be bought with an interest free loan from the Government, so it wont be too many years before the system pays for itself and then generates a nice cash sum for the householder.

It would probably have a positive impact on the value of your house. House prices go up and down as a result of many factors, but the fact that the property can generate an income from a wind turbine or solar cells would I think have a positive impact upon the house price.

It will help the local economy too. Not only is Hartlepool and the wider North East economy fast becoming a centre of excellence for renewable energy, I think this sort of policy will generate (forgive the pun) a whole score of businesses and opportunities for employment with those firms who offer households the service of installing and maintaining this low carbon technology.

I think there are exciting opportunities, and I would hope that many households in Hartlepool would take advantage of this potential. Please have a look at the Energy and Climate Change website at www.decc.gov.uk for more details.

Iain urges Hartlepool to join celebrities and make the global poverty promise

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:21:44 +0000

Iain is urging people across Hartlepool to join celebrities like Davina McCall, Mariella Frostrup, Richard Wilson and Meera Syal by signing up to support a new campaign against global poverty on the fifth anniversary of Nelson Mandela's Make Poverty History speech in Trafalgar Square.

In a campaign video released today, the celebrities invite people to show their support for a new law that would commit the UK to spend 0.7% of national income on development assistance, by signing up at www.GlobalPovertyPromise.com - where you can also see the video.

The celebrities highlight how small 0.7% is - yet how much of a difference it will make to lives in the developing world. The www.globalpovertypromise.com website is part of a campaign to put Britains promise to raise international development aid to 0.7% of national income by 2013 into law.

Iain said:

People across Hartlepool are proud of what weve achieved and the help weve given to people living lives of poverty in developing countries. Weve campaigned to Make Poverty History and kept our promises through this global recession.

I am urging people to go online today and join me and celebrities like Davina McCall by signing up at globalpovertypromise.com

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said:

Iain has been a passionate campaigner on global poverty and a long standing advocate of action to help people in the developing world.

Aid increases and debt cancellation have helped to get 40 million more children into school, while the number of people with access to AIDS treatment has increased from just 100,000 to over 4 million. The proportion of the worlds population living in poverty has fallen from a third to a quarter thanks to a combination of both aid and trade."

Mail column

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:07:10 +0000

This week is Apprenticeship Week 2010. As Apprenticeships Minister, I have had a busy, hectic and completely enjoyable week, travelling all over the country and meeting apprentices from all walks of life. I have really enjoyed meeting fantastic and committed young people, who want to make a go of their chance to gain a successful and rewarding career. A particular highlight was going to TTE in Redcar on Monday, and meeting with Cleveland Potash apprentices who are trained to a very high level by Hartlepool College of Further Education.

Hartlepool and the North East region practically invented the idea of an apprenticeship, the notion of learning a trade. When I was growing up in the town in the 1980s, the notion of becoming an apprentice was virtually unheard of, as the Government of the day simply didnt value them.

In 1997, fewer than 70,000 people started an apprenticeship. Last year, despite the difficulties that the recession caused, the figure is now almost quarter of a million. In the last dozen years, we have seen a revival and apprenticeships are now found in every part of the economy, not just the traditional areas like heavy industry and hairdressing. Firms like Heerema in Hartlepool provide a first-class apprenticeship scheme, showing real commitment and loyalty to young people.

I regularly speak with firms, asking then what help they need from Government in order to assist them in considering taking on an apprentice. Theyve been telling me that the recovery is here, but that it is fragile. It would be ridiculous to start pulling support away immediately from the economy, as that would plunge us into a second quick and deep recession. Firms are interested in taking on an apprentice, but are concerned at the cost and commitment for a couple of years.

That is why I was pleased to announce recently a new grant for employers to make it easier to take on young apprentices. Over the next 10 weeks the Government will provide up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds. The grant of £2,500 is to enable employers to offer 5,000 new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. The £2,500 grant is in addition to the costs of training which are already met by the Government. I hope many Hartlepool firms take this offer up to ensure that their businesses can grow, whilst at the same time helping many of the towns young people.

It makes real business sense to take on an apprentice. Companies can boost productivity, increase staff retention and address skills shortages. In short, firms can make more money! When I was at TTE in Redcar on Monday, I asked the apprentices from Cleveland Potash where they thought they would be in five years time. All of them replied Cleveland Potash. If a firm shows a young person loyalty, they will repay this with loyalty ten times over.

I hope firms and young people in Hartlepool will think about an apprenticeship. For more details, please contact me, or log onto www.apprenticeships.org.uk for more details.

Town MP pledges to do his bit for the British Armed Forces

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:13:08 +0000

Iain Wright MP for Hartlepool has pledged to do his bit for the British Armed Forces family.

Iain made the pledge on The Royal British Legions website.

The website also features the charitys general election manifesto, which sets out priorities for the next Government to improve conditions for Service Personnel and their families, the bereaved, veterans and dependants.

Kevin Shinkwin, the Legions Head of Public Affairs, said

Were really grateful to Iain for pledging to do his bit. The entire Armed Forces family needs the support of politicians from all parties, and our manifesto outlines practical ways the next government can help. We hope all the parties will give serious consideration and that every MP will pledge to do their bit.

Iain Wright MP said

I was delighted to support The Royal British Legion. They have an important role to play in highlighting the needs of the whole Armed Forces family. I have pledged to do my bit and would encourage everyone to visit the website www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk to find out how they can get involved in the campaign.

Iain official recognition of Workers Memorial Day needed and deserved

nospam@example.com (Administrator) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:11:19 +0000

Iain has today joined with Edwin Jeffries, President, Hartlepool Trades Union Council to applaud the Governments decision to officially recognise Workers Memorial Day in the UK.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper announced today that the country will officially commemorate thousands of people who have died, been seriously injured or made ill through their work.

This follows the Governments consultation in July to explore options for official recognition of the day, which gained widespread support.

This year, the UK will join the many other countries around the world that officially recognise the Day on 28 April, the International Day of Action for Safety and Health at Work. Formal recognition will reinforce the significance of the Day and raise awareness of the number of people who are killed, disabled, injured or made unwell through their work.

Iain said:

Im really pleased that the Government has decided that the UK will officially recognise Workers Memorial Day. Hartlepool has led the North East, if not the country, in remembering those workers who have lost their lives or fallen ill through their employment. The ceremony in Hartlepool has grown year on year and is a moving focal point for families and co-workers to remember friends and loved ones and to work for justice for those still suffering. It is thanks to the hard work of Hartlepool Trades Union Council, who contributed to the consultation, and other trade unionists, that the UK will now officially recognise this important day.

Edwin Jeffries, President of the Hartlepool Trade Unions Council, said:

I am delighted that the UK Government has listened to the wishes of the people through the consultation process and has given Workers Memorial Day the official recognition it deserves. A Workers Memorial Day Service & Wreath Laying Ceremony has been organised in Hartlepool by Hartlepool Trades Union Council since 1999 and has been held on the official day of April 28th since 2000. This years event to be held on Wednesday 28th April, 12.30pm, Christchurch, Church Square, will include speakers Keith Norman, General Secretary, ASLEF: Phil Davison, Browell Smith & Co, Solicitors: Geoff Fletcher, Branch Secretary, Prospect HSE Inspectorate branch and Simon Kennedy, Regional Organiser, NASUWT . Everybody is welcome to attend. Employees who have died through Industrial Accident or Disease whilst trying to earn an honest living for themselves and their families are not publicly remembered on any other day.

Work and Pensions Secretary of State Yvette Cooper said:

I am delighted to announce that the UK will officially recognise Workers Memorial Day. This is a tribute to all those who have campaigned long and hard, including bereaved families, trade unions, campaign groups, and many other organisations and individuals.
For the first time, the UK will join countries across the globe in remembrance of all those killed at work and for the families they have left behind, and the many more who have been harmed. It is also a spur to greater efforts to improve health and safety for todays and tomorrows working population.
While the UK has one of the best health and safety records in the world, official figures show that 180 people were killed at work last year and over 27,000 suffered major injury. Around 8,000 each year die from occupational cancers and lung diseases.
There have been an increasing number of commemorative events in the UK in recent years as Workers Memorial Day has become a focal point for bereaved families, unions, campaign organisations and local authorities among others. As more people have become involved in these events, there has been growing support for formal recognition of the Day.
Commemorations will continue to be led by individuals, employers, trade unions and community organisations. In keeping with the outcome of the consultation, the Government will encourage commemorations to be held on the day itself throughout the UK. The Government and Ministers will help support and promote these commemorations.

Iain Wright

Mail Column

Mail Column

Veterans Minister visits our troops

Mail Column

MP Welcomes New Support for Asbestos Victims

Mail Column

SHOPPERS URGED TO SWAP FOR FAIRTRADE BY HARTLEPOOL MP

SHOPPERS URGED TO SWAP FOR FAIRTRADE BY HARTLEPOOL MP

Mail Column

TOWN MP BACKS CAMPAIGN TO SHOUT OUT FOR A SURE START

Mail Column

Iain urges Hartlepool to join celebrities and make the global poverty promise

Mail column

Town MP pledges to do his bit for the British Armed Forces

Iain  official recognition of Workers Memorial Day needed and deserved

TOWN MP BACKS CAMPAIGN TO SHOUT OUT FOR A SURE START

Town MP pledges to do his bit for the British Armed Forces

Iain official recognition of Workers Memorial Day needed and deserved