News Andy Burnham MP for Leigh

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09/06/2009 - Tackling Youth Crime receives £350,000 boost

Tackling youth crime in the North West has received a vital boost after being handed £5.6m to help clear-up antisocial behaviour, make schools and communities safer and provide support for young people and families who want to turn their lives around.

Within the North West 16 areas have each been handed £350,000 to help implement seven core crime fighting initiatives as part of the Government’s £100m Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) announced in July last year.

The Leigh area is included along with Wigan and nearby Bolton and Manchester.

The money will be used to implement and fund the seven core activities this year that have been successfully trialled across the region over the last 10 months:

• After School Patrols to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) at peak times (881 patrols carried out around 90 schools with 581 referrals to other services between November 08 and March 09)
• Operation Staysafe – using safeguarding powers to take children off the streets at night and return them to a safe place (51 operations carried out with 392 young people removed to a place of safety and 328 referred to other services between November 08 and March 09)
• Street Based Youth Teams – engaging young people hanging around (deployed 492 times and engaged with 5,242 young people between November 08 and March 09)
• Youth Offending Team workers in custody suites to identify and address young offenders’ needs early on and help keep them on the right track (26 young people engaged with and 45 referrals to other services between November 08 and March 09)
• Pay back work in leisure time (including Friday and Saturday nights) – making young offenders feel the consequences of their behaviour. Also, greater community involvement in identifying pay back work and more feedback to communities on the work that has been completed (434 sessions completed between November 08 and March 09)
• Family Intervention Projects - intensive and persistent support for ‘chaotic’ families with children at risk of committing crime/ASB (180 FIPs will be in place by summer across the country. Projects have already worked with nearly 2,000 problem families nationwide)
• Think Family – providing a framework for adults and children’s services to work together to improve identification and support to families at risk (Think Family is currently being introduced into every local authority area)

Andy Burnham MP said, “I know that the vast majority of young people make a positive contribution to our local communities here in Leigh. However, there are a minority who persist in antisocial behaviour and some in more serious criminal activity – their behaviour is unacceptable."

“The funding announced today is crucial in the fight against youth crime, both in terms of preventing young people turning to crime and protecting young people becoming victims of crime. It will compliment initiatives on the ground here in Leigh like the successful Midnight League scheme.”

YCAP was launched in July last year in 69 areas and is a cross Government initiative with a triple track approach of tough enforcement where behaviour is unacceptable or illegal; non-negotiable support to address the underlying causes of poor behaviour and early intervention to tackle problems before they become serious or entrenched.

The Youth Crime Action Plan can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/youth-crime-action-plan

02/06/2009 - Andy Burnham MP backs Parents & Carers Spotlight Day - 3rd June 2009

Andy Burnham MP today gave support to the shopworkers’ union Usdaw’s national spotlight day to highlight the benefits due to working parents and to give renewed support to the pledge to end child poverty by 2020.

Andy Burnham MP said, “The Government have put in place many measures to support working parents. I want to make sure that local families have all the information they need to claim what they’re due, particularly in these tough economic times."

“I am also pleased to give my personal commitment to the pledge to end child poverty by 2020. The Government’s action in helping parents back into work and giving them practical and financial support will help to lift even more children out of poverty.”

John Hannett, Usdaw’s General Secretary, is delighted with Andy’s support:

“I know that because of the global recession many Usdaw members are worried about money, as are millions of low-paid families. Working parents are particularly concerned about their ability to pay the bills, take planned maternity or paternity leave, and the quality of their family life.

“That is why we are informing parents about all the benefits and support available to make sure that no family in need misses out on the help they’re entitled to.

“We are also asking our members to write to their MP to ask them to re-affirm their support for the pledge to end child poverty by 2020. At a time of recession it is more important than ever to ensure that every child can reach their full potential, so I am particularly pleased that Andy Burnham MP has given his commitment.”

Usdaw have produced information leaflets for working parents on:

Child benefit
Tax credits
£500 Sure Start Maternity Grants
£190 Health in Pregnancy Grant
Child Trust Fund
Help with NHS health costs
Housing and council tax benefits

Download a copy from www.usdaw.org.uk

01/06/2009 - MPs win ‘green light’ for Bickershaw South - Local jobs boost for Leigh

A flagship regeneration development that will provide much needed local construction jobs is expected to move ahead in days.

Plans for a flagship regeneration scheme on the site of the former Bickershaw Colliery were put on hold earlier this year due to concerns over its financial viability in the current economic climate.

The news follows an intervention by Andy Burnham MP who believes it will signal a local ‘jobs boost’ for Leigh. Andy and Ian McCartney MP met with Housing Minister, Margaret Beckett recently and presented a robust case for work to restart on site as well as protecting local construction jobs.

Andy Burnham MP said, “I have always seen this development as a crucial step in the ongoing regeneration of the Leigh area."

“When I heard news of the delay I was very worried about the impact on local jobs and I urged the minister in the current economic downturn to release funds to ‘kick start’ work so that construction jobs could be protected."

“I understand that an announcement is expected in days and is one that will provide a big boost for jobs in the Leigh area. In these difficult times work starting on site would be real help now and would signal a major boost for the Leigh economy and the local construction industry.”

Land owner the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) was set to start work on developing the southern part of the Bickershaw site with up to 650 new homes and a marina with the potential for waterside, bars, restaurants and shops. They announced earlier this year that plans for housing were to be put on hold due to the current economic climate.

Wigan Council, along with English Partnerships and others are transforming the northern part of the site into a 190 hectare country park, activity and education centre.