At her first outing at Health Questions as Labour’s new Shadow Minister for Public Health, Sharon raised the need for action to be taken on preventative measures to help change behaviours when it comes to the issue of rising obesity levels.

Image copyright Parliamentary Recording Unit 2016

During her exchange, Sharon highlighted the delayed and downgraded Childhood Obesity Plan as a policy which didn’t go far enough and quizzed the Public Health Minister on the need for assurances that the promised preventative strategy would be fully realised so that the next generation would be healthier than the last.

Following Health Questions, Sharon said:

“When the Childhood Obesity Strategy was published over the summer recess, I was dismayed to see it had been downgraded from the promised world-first strategy to a 13-page plan that rehashed many of the already announced policies the Government had come forward with.

“This is why it was important, especially on World Obesity Day, that I used my first outing at Health Questions as Shadow Minister for Public Health to seek assurances from the Government that they would do more to ensure that preventative measures were implemented to ensure that the next generation is healthier than the last.

“I welcomed what the Public Health Minister had to say, however, the time for warm rhetoric is over and what we need now is action to address rising obesity levels. Scrutiny of the Government’s actions will be paramount in the coming weeks and months ahead, to make sure any progress that is made will have a serious and positive impact on the health of the nation.”  

ENDS 

You can read Sharon’s exchange with the Public Health Minister here.

Sharon Hodgson MP's report - July-Oct 2016 number 88

Read Sharon Hodgson MP's report - News from Westminster - July-Oct 2016 number 88

Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West, and the new Shadow Minister for Public Health, said:

“I am honoured to have been asked by Jeremy Corbyn to serve in the Shadow Health team under our new Shadow Health Secretary, Jonathan Ashworth. I am proud to be a part of a team that will stand up for one of Labour’s proudest achievements: the NHS; where I will be specifically holding the Government to account on public health issues.

“Public health policy affects each and every one of us, and it is important that Labour develops a clear policy strategy that shows there is an alternative to the current Tory approach to public health.

“Labour always has, and always will, champion public health as one of the most serious areas of policy that we need to address to benefit society. Sadly, much of this is being undermined or blatantly ignored by the Tories on some of the key health issues facing our country. For the last six years under the Tories and the previous Tory-led Coalition Government, we have seen an utter lack of policy making, to address not only obesity, but also child hunger and malnutrition.

“This, along with the stalling of the ‘Public Health Responsibility Deal’, which was promised to make serious inroads into addressing our country’s health together with a lack of resources given to local council’s to offer wide-ranging and comprehensive public health services, are key areas of concern.

“This is a wide-ranging brief, with several important responsibilities, and I am looking forward to hitting the ground running by holding the Government to account from day one to ensure that the next generation is healthier than the last and not the other way around.”

ENDS

Following analysis of Government data, Sharon raised the impact that the Government’s decision to scrap funding to small schools to help pay for Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) and the impact this would have on small schools across the country, especially in seats held by Tories who have been silent on this issue.

This all followed the leaking of the Small Schools Taskforce report – which was commissioned to look into how small schools would continue to fund UIFSM – and concluded that if further funding was not allocated to small schools to help pay for UIFSM then schools would face a loss of nearly £4000 a year.

Analysis of the data by Sharon found that the worst region to be affected by this cut was the South West, where 520 schools would lose out on a total of £1,196,000 in funding which would affect 17,577 children. Based on the number of schools affected by this cut, all of the schools were based in Conservative constituencies, such as Liz Truss, the Justice Secretary and Patrick McLoughlin, Chairman of the Conservative Party, whilst based on the number of children impacted by this cut, both the Health Secretary and the former Prime Minister’s constituencies were top of the league.

During her exchange with the Schools Minister, Sharon highlighted that 566 children from across the constituencies of Education Ministers have been impacted by this cut, yet was met with a lack of understanding or knowledge by the Schools Minister who reiterated that the Government was looking at the funding for rural schools.

Following Education Questions, Sharon said:

“It was clear that the Minister had not fully understood my question and the impact of the cuts his Department have made to such vital funding that ensures children are eating a hot and healthy free school meal at lunchtimes.

“He may have said that they are looking into the funding of rural schools, however, in a report that his own Department commissioned and subsequently sat on to save themselves some grief, it shows that this cut to UIFSM small school’s subsidies will greatly impact the budgets of schools. It might be an idea that the minister goes back to his officials and asks them to pull off the Small Schools Taskforce report from the shelf and let him have a good read of it.

“Providing children with a hot and healthy school meal, especially a one that is free, is an important way of addressing many issues, including educational attainment, behavioural issues and as evidence shows, feeding a child a healthy meal can have many benefits on their health. Let’s hope that the Government will finally reconsider this decision to cut such important funding and make sure that children and these small schools are not worse off because of such a short-sighted cut.”

You can read Sharon’s exchange with the Schools Minister here.

Sharon speaking at the British Youth Council Youth Voices Convention

Photo copyright Office of Sharon Hodgson MP, 2016

Sharon was invited to address members of the British Youth Council at their Youth Voices Convention in Newcastle, where they discussed Brexit, along with other issues impacted the lives of young people. 

You can read Sharon's speech below:

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Thank you so much for inviting me here to speak to you all today. I have worked with the British Youth Council for a number of years now and the work they have been doing regionally and in Parliament is phenomenal.

I would like to thank all of the young people who have come along today to take part and to talk about the issues that matter most to you. It is important that politicians, of all parties, seriously listen to what young people have to say especially in such turbulent and unpredictable times following the EU Referendum result in the summer.

The young people of our country are as engaged, as knowledgeable and as important as anybody else in our society, and I am sure the way you work together and contribute at events like these will enable many to finally understand how vital it is to listen to our next generation. I am really looking forward to answering your questions in a short while as well, to put this idea into practice!

It is important for young people to identify the issues that will affect them the most, and to have serious debates and discussions on these matters, which can then be fed to politicians who sit in Westminster, along with our devolved legislatures and local councils, to inform the work we do as politicians that effects the lives of young people.

I am also very pleased and impressed to see some of the extremely important and complicated issues that are being looked into later on today here at this convention. I have to say from the off that there will be a lot of agreement between yourselves and me. Such as votes at 16.

This is an issue which I have supported for a number of years, believing young people who contribute to our society through paying their taxes, joining the army and having the ability to get married, should have a say over who is representing them.

This move to lower the voting age would be made even stronger, if we saw real commitment from the Government on improving citizenship education in our schools so that when young people do go to the ballot box that they are as well informed as possible to make important decisions on how their lives will be affected.

One of the main issues that I hope you will be discussing today, and I am sure you will be, is what Brexit will mean for the UK and young people now that the EU Referendum vote has taken place.

Young people have the most to lose from us leaving the EU, with the unpredictability of what Brexit actually means and the impact it will have on your lives; far more than the generations who voted for us to leave the EU.

However, the votes have been cast and the decision has been made – however much many of us may not have agreed or liked the result on the 24^th June. But what is important now, is young people help shape what Brexit will mean for them. As you will live with this decision for far longer than any of us who currently sit in Parliament or have taken an active interest in this issue.

From issues including, but not exclusive to: immigration and freedom of movement; access to the single market which has shown to be vital to our industries and trade; continuing the protections on our environment; seriously tackling climate change and global poverty, and; to worker’s rights. The list could go on.

What is important is that we move away from empty slogans which try to allay the concerns of many people who voted to remain or those who voted to leave but are now sceptical of the Leave campaign’s ability to deliver after their back peddling so soon after the result was known. Example, the £350 million a week on the side of the Brexit bus for the NHS.

What we need now are practical and concrete plans that will help us understand the direction our country will take once we finally invoke Article 50 and begin the process of decoupling ourselves from the EU.

Your voices must be heard, and I know that the work you do as part of the British Youth Council will be seriously listened to by Parliamentarians who will be scrutinising the Government, both from those on the backbenches, the Opposition frontbenches and the soon-to-be formed Select Committee on Exiting the European Union. But it’s not only Parliamentarians who can hold the Government to account, it is you as well.

You and your families can hold the Government to account by making your voices heard, by campaigning on issues you feel passionate about – just as you all already do as part of the British Youth Council. But also, writing to your local Member of Parliament.

Members of Parliament are there to represent their constituents, and it is important that they know the views of their constituents. As a Member of Parliament, I welcome hearing the views of all of my constituents, both young and old, and not only those who can vote.

That is why I hope you will write to your Member of Parliament after today’s convention and let them hear your views and opinions on Brexit – otherwise, your voices will not be heard as part of our daily work to represent our constituents.

The transfer of ideas and opinions, in a civilised, open and respectable manner, is exactly what our politics should be about. It is something we must cherish and protect. And I always enjoy talking to you all in such a manner. It can be incredibly refreshing from the bravado seen in the House of Commons or the vitriol seen on social media.

I look forward to hearing from you all in the Q&A shortly, and to hear what your concerns are on Brexit, but also on a whole host of issues which affect the lives of young people – from mental health services, to civil and democratic rights, and better employment opportunities. There are many I could list, but I want to hear from you and hear the concerns of young people right now.

So, once again, thank you so much for inviting me here today to be a part of this brilliant convention. I hope you all have a great day, learn a lot and have plenty of questions at the ready for me to answer!

Thank you. 

Ahead of LACA's National School Meals Week, Sharon has invited school chef, Audrey Chappell of Albany Primary School, to come to Parliament to cook for top politicians on Wednesday 2nd November. 

Audrey has made great contributions to school meals over the years, going the extra mile to make lunchtime a healthy and fun experience and encouraging food to be a part of the school curriculum. The trip to Westminster in November will be a just reward for her years of service and dedication to the job.

National School Meals Week is a year-round initiative that promotes pupils taking up school meals and showcasing the improvements seen in school food provision over the last decade.

The initiative culminates in a week of celebrations and activities across the country and will be taking place this year from the 31st October to 4th November, which will include celebrations in Parliament, such as the two school chefs rolling up their sleeves in the kitchens of Parliament to cook and serve food to top politicians, along with MPs getting the chance to try a sample menu of school food and see first-hand how much school food has improved since they were at school.

Following meeting Audrey and formally inviting her to come cook in Parliament, Sharon said:

“School cooks and the catering staff in our schools make up a total which is greater than that of the British Navy, and it is only right that we celebrate the hard work school chefs do to feed our children throughout the school term.

“The standard of food in our schools, along with the skills and knowledge from school cooks, has never been higher, that is why it is important that we recognise all of their contributions to the health and education of our children.

“This is why I am supporting National School Meals Week again this year, and I am delighted to see one of the local school chefs from my constituency given the opportunity to come to Parliament and cook for some of the most senior politicians in the country.”

You can find out more about LACA’s National School Meals Week by following this link: http://thegreatschoollunch.co.uk/

Following the publication of the initial proposals from the Boundary Commission on redrawing the map of Parliamentary constituency, Sharon has reacted to the initial proposals:

“The constituency changes, set out in the Boundary Commission’s initial proposals, are unfair, undemocratic and unacceptable. The data used to create the new constituencies is grossly out-of-date, missing off almost 2 million people who fell through the gaps from the Government’s botched job of introducing individual voter registration as well as all of those from the registration drive ahead of the EU Referendum.

“The omission of this crucial data has distorted the whole review and we now see a constitutional process based upon unfairness. The new constituencies that have been created don’t provide people with improved representation, this is seen specifically in Washington and Sunderland, where there are clear issues for future representation.

“It is extremely disappointing to see that Sunderland will now be split between five constituencies and Washington will be split amongst three, after it was rightly unified into one constituency at the last boundary review. It is also concerning to see that one of Sunderland’s biggest employers, Nissan, will not be in a Sunderland constituency. There has always been a strong parliamentary connection between Sunderland and Nissan, a connection set to be undermined by this boundary change.

“Sunderland and Washington both have strong identities within our region and this should be reflected within their representation in Parliament, that is why it is deeply saddening to see it diminished within these initial proposals. I will work alongside my Labour colleagues in Parliament to oppose these plans and make sure that the Tories pause and look again at this process and ensure that our electors and democracy are not undermined.”

For more information about the boundary commission's report and the subsequent consultation, follow this link.

Public Information - Sharon Hodgson MP would like to highlight the following consultation to constituents.

"Your force, your priorities" - Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird QC launches public consultation on policing and crime

At Culture, Media and Sport Questions on 8^th September, Sharon raised the issue of arts funding disparity for the North East compared to places like London and secured a commitment for the new Culture Minister, Matt Hancock MP, to visit Sunderland ahead of the City’s bid for City of Culture 2021.

Sharon speaking at Culture, Media and Sport Questions on 8th September 2016

Copyright Parliamentary Recording Unit

Analysis of National Lottery funding found that Arts Council England has distributed almost £3.5 billion of Lottery cash across England since 1995, of which London has received £1.34billion (approximately 39.1%) which is equivalent to £165 per head in London compared with £46.77 per head in the rest of England.

This also links with the disproportionate private sector funding into the arts in London, which received 82% of private sector funding for the arts.

Sadly, none of this was addressed in the most recent Budget where London arts and cultural organisations received more money in the Budget (around £54 million) than those outside of London, which in total received (£42.5million).

Following her Culture, Media and Sport Question, Sharon, said:

“It is clear that the North South divide has seeped down into funding for the arts and culture, despite there being many important cultural venues outside of London, especially in the North East, including here in the Sunderland, such as the National Glass Centre in Sunderland and the community-based Washington Arts Centre in my own constituency.

“More must be done to reverse these trends in order that culture in our region is not negatively impacted by lack of funding support. One way to do this is for Sunderland to successfully win the bid for City of Culture 2021 to showcase what we have to offer to the rest of the country and also the world.

“I will be taking up the new Culture Minister on his offer to come visit Sunderland ahead of our bid for City of Culture 2021 and will be writing to him to secure a date in his diary so he can see first-hand exactly what is offer on Wearside.”

Following the AGM of the Dyslexia and SpLD APPG, Sharon has been elected as the new Chair of this influential cross-party group of MPs and Peers after the out-going Chair, Kelvin Hopkins MP, decided to step down.

Following her election, Sharon, said:

“Following my own personal experiences as a mother of a child with severe dyslexia and campaigning through-out my time as a Member of Parliament on special educational needs and disability issues, both from the backbenches and on the frontbench, I am honoured that my fellow Parliamentarians have put their trust in me to continue the excellent work of the out-going Chair, Kelvin Hopkins and chair this cross-party group.

“Supporting children, young people and adults with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties has always been a cause close to my heart. Whilst there have been some important steps forward in provision in recent years, especially for children and young people with the roll-out of reforms in the Children and Families Act 2014, there is still a need to make sure that these reforms are ensuring that children and young people are getting the best deal possible to ensure they can grow up to be successful adults, and I hope to push forward on this agenda as Chair of this important APPG.”