Another parliamentary recess arrives and if you believed all you read I would be writing this from the comfort of a beach as a result of 12 weeks break from Parliament in session.
The reality for me and many MPs is quite different. Rather than writing this from the beach I am writing it on the laptop sitting in the car, squeezing it in between going to meet some constituents.
The diary is quite full and whilst I certainly intend to spend some time with the family over the summer, like most MPs I will also be using the time to catch up on work in my constituency.
In addition to my parliamentary work, I also have my responsibilities as a Justice Minister. Along with my colleagues in the Home Office, I have been keen to promote a scheme to make sure that those who commit crime payback to the community.
Most of you will know of community sentences but how many of you are aware that they have changed in recent years.
Now known as community payback the unpaid work element is much more demanding and rather than simply being a few hours at the weekend, courts can require offenders to give up full days to work on projects in need of help.
In addition, since December last year most of those on community payback are required to wear fluorescent yellow jackets with Community Payback printed on them so that the public can see when the work is being done.
It is part of the government’s agenda to promote Justice Seen, Justice Done. I have talked to lots of people in the last few weeks about the justice system and one thing is clear – they want to have confidence that people are punished for their offences and they feel confident if they can see it.
We know that the reoffending rate is significantly lower for those who are given community work rather than sent to prison. Prison will always be essential for the most serious and violent offenders.
So for many community payback is a better punishment but it must not be an easy one.
It is not just the toil of those who commit crimes that is expected these days.
We recently launched a scheme called Community Cashback. Some of the money retrieved from the ill gotten gains of criminal activity is returned to the community through this scheme.
Each local justice board area (in our case Hertfordshire) is being allocated £95,000 to fund community projects — £4 million across the country.
The public can nominate projects in their area where the money could be spent. It needn’t be a lot of money but it should be something that will benefit the community.
Once the nominations have been received it will be up to the public in Hertfordshire to vote for the best proposals.
So if you have an idea of where offenders could be helping out – clearing a river bed, painting a community or charity facility, helping a local charity with repairs then let me know.
If you have a suggestion on how this cash might help to reduce anti social behaviour or prevent crime then submit your ideas at www.cashback.cjsonline.gov.uk or let me know .
July 09
They say a week is a long time in politics. Since my last column a month ago there has been huge change, particularly for me.
On Monday, June 8, at nearly 10pm I had a call from the Prime Minister asking me if I would like to take on a new job as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice.
I said yes but I was not at all sure of what I had let myself in for. I have been a minister in this government since 2005 and my job has been in the Whips’ Office.
Despite its reputation as a department of the dark arts responsible for persuading MPs to vote against their will, in reality it is the engine room of the government and the parliamentary party, making sure that new laws pass smoothly through the House of Commons and that MPs are kept informed of all the Government is doing. In contrast, being a minister in a department is much more policy focussed.
Now as a Justice Minister, I am responsible for the Criminal Justice System, sentencing policy, victims and witnesses and a whole range of other policy areas within the Ministry of Justice and working in support of the Secretary of State Jack Straw. As a solicitor before entering Parliament I have some legal knowledge so the work is familiar territory although there are lots of new areas to get to grips with including the controversial debate around laws relating to genocide and war crimes.
Now my days in Parliament are even busier. The famous red boxes of a minister have become a daily task for me to complete the work contained within them overnight. Whereas a whip is traditionally silent in the House of Commons, now I have a speaking role – answering questions, taking part in debates and appearing before committees.
I am keen to see our criminal justice system work better to support victims of crime and make sure that those responsible for crime are punished accordingly. I want to see our communities work together to tackle anti social behaviour and crime and ensure that they can see when justice has been done.
As always my constituents across Watford and Abbots Langley will help play their part in keeping me informed of their views and experiences of the criminal justice system. So if you have been a victim of crime, let me know what your experience has been. If you think that there are projects that those on community sentences should be working on, let me know.
Of course by moving to my new post I had to say farewell to my role as Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty’s Household. So last week I met the Queen to hand over my wand of office (actually it gets inscribed and returned for me to keep) and to formally pass the role on to my successor. I was in the post a very short time (The Queen suggested it may be the shortest) but a fascinating insight into the Royal Household and a closer than normal glimpse at our remarkable Head of State.
June 09
I can hardly write a column and ignore the thousands of newspaper pages that have been devoted to such a huge story over the last month.
No, I am not referring to the shock defeat of Susan Boyle by Diversity in the final of Britain’s Got Talent. Mind you, there was certainly far more enthusiasm for voting in that election than in the European ones.
I am of course referring to the revelation on MPs expenses. Maybe we should rename our general election Britain’s Got Political Talent with voting taking place by text – it would certainly improve the turnout.
The standing of MPs and Parliament has taken a battering over the last month. In some cases this criticism has been well deserved and for all MPs, myself included, we must shoulder the blame for a system that has been in operation for over 20 years but has allowed abuses to take place that are incomprehensible to most people. It is true that changes have already been made.
The system under which the claims of moats, swimming pool repairs, non existent mortgages and duck houses were made should not make these possible now.
But the changes do not go far enough and those MPs who supported freedom of information and changes to the allowances over the years were probably not aware, as I was not, just how appalling some of the claims had been. In respect of my own claims, I have set out my case in this magazine and on my website www.claire-ward.org.uk.
The public are understandably angry and although some of the intense heat may subside, the real challenge for Parliament and all political parties is to restore confidence in our democracy and our politics.
In my view, the overwhelming majority of people from all parties go into local or national politics because they want to play a part in improving our society.
Whether it is getting involved in the local parish council or becoming an MP, most want to contribute to building a better community. It’s what public service is all about.
So now is the time to get the public engaged in a real debate about how we run our country at every level.
How do we encourage people from all walks of life and all stages of life to be involved in shaping policy?
Is it time for MPs to be banned from taking any outside work or employment? Should we make our committees far stronger so that they can challenge government ministers and do the job that the media have taken on themselves in recent years? Should we reduce the age of voting to 16 and make it compulsory to vote?
Surely it is time that MPs were given a job description so that there was some common basis of operation, not just on how each of us feels we should do the job.
I would be interested to hear readers’ views and perhaps all the parties can start to take on board some of the ideas.
No party has a clear conscience on what has happened but we can all take responsibility for getting the future right and putting the public at the heart of public service.
May 09
The measure of a good society is how we treat our most vulnerable, particularly our elderly people. I think that pensioners have gained a lot over the last few years although I know that the current recession has meant that the income that many rely on from the interest on savings has fallen significantly. So I was pleased to see the measures announced in the budget last month that will help some of my older constituents. An additional payment of £100 to households with someone aged over 80 to be paid when they get their winter fuel allowance. For those aged over 60 the additional payment will be £50. Alongside that the government has increased the numbers of people who will be able to claim the Pension Credit by increasing the savings and capital limits from £6000 to £10,000. As a society our responsibility to our elderly is not just about meeting their financial needs. It is also about providing support at a time when life has often become more difficult. Last month I visited the Help the Aged drop in centre in Watford. People come from all over the town and Abbots Langley to have lunch and socialise. When I visited the group were celebrating St.George’s Day with flags and a truly English roast beef dinner. They also had a visit from children at Parkgate School, a regular arrangement to bridge the gap between the generations. It was such a wonderful atmosphere that it reminded me how important these facilities are and how much councils and government need to continue to support these activities. These days many families are spread around the country and few are fortunate enough to have grandparents on hand to help. Many of those children may not have grandparents nearby and this link gives them the chance to talk to older people and listen to the amazing stories that many of them have to tell. I would like to see more of these arrangements that can bring the generations together so that there can be more respect between them and more understanding. On the subject of providing something more for our pensioners, I am really sorry to see the strange situation that has arisen across my constituency where some of those aged over 60 can get free swimming and others can’t. The government has given money for local councils to introduce free swimming for those aged over 60 and under 16. It’s a great way to get people fit and is very popular. In fact 80% of all councils have taken up the scheme. If you live in Three Rivers district you will be able to benefit from their decision to adopt the scheme. You will also be able to benefit from the agreement made with Watford Borough Council when the swimming pools were rebuilt in Watford and swim there for free too. But sadly if you are a resident of Watford you won’t be able to benefit as the Council has decided not to participate in the scheme. This is not about party politics as both councils are run by the same party. So if you live in Watford near to the swimming pool, you have to pay but someone from Rickmansworth can swim for free. Is this fair? If the local councils can work together on the rebuilding of the swimming pools to create a deal for residents, then surely they can get together to make this scheme work too.
April 09
Some months ago Watford was on the short list as a possible venue for holding the G20 summit. Whilst it would have been prestigious and put our town on the international map, I am not quite so sure that thousands of anarchists, anti capitalists and others would have been quite so welcome if they took out their anger and frustration on Watford high street. So with hindsight, it probably was more sensible to hold it in London but at least we were in the running. As the great political leaders of the world arrived in the city earlier this month, it was with a huge expectation that by working together we can combat the recession that has taken a global grip. As I write this column we are still awaiting an update on the various meetings of the leaders. I am hopeful that those 20 men and women will seize the chance to work together for the benefit of all those on this planet and not to act in a way that not only protects their own people but does so at the cost of others.
One of the issues that has featured high on the list for discussion around the G20 has been climate change. We all know that the world is getting warmer and that the affects upon our planet are devastating. We know too that we have to be conscious of the fuel reserves that remain and the way in which we use them. That is why many companies and countries are looking at alternative sources of fuel such as wind, solar, geothermal (that’s heat from the ground) and even greater use of nuclear. I recently had the chance to visit a project in Berlin with Total who are based in Watford to look at the hydrogen fuel cell projects being developed. These prototype cars are fuelled by a rather complicated process (for us non scientists) which converts water into hydrogen which then fuels an electric motor. The partners in the project which include car manufacturers, fuel companies and the German government are hopeful that this will be a successful project and one more way in which we can help to reduce carbon emissions and make a contribution to the fight against climate change.
These are the big projects but we can also try to do things at a local or personal level. I have recently organised coffee mornings for constituents that are based on providing information and support on how to be fuel efficient. There are huge benefits in our own home from such action – it makes them warmer, saves money and doesn’t waste our limited fuel resources. There are a number of schemes which can help with better insulation for homes, especially if the occupants are pensioners. I am shortly due to hold an event with British Gas whose representatives will be able to pass on fuel efficiency ideas as well as helping people sort out their individual account problems. The G20 is about governments working together to get the best from the people and the resources on this planet. At our own personal level, we can play our part too.
