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Hove MP supports Meningitis Matters

Mike Weatherley, MP
Mike Weatherley, MP

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade signed the Meningitis Matters Pledge as part of a public awareness drive on the life-threatening disease at a parliamentary receptions last week.

The reception brought together parliamentarians as well as leading healthcare professionals to raise awareness of meningitis, particularly amongst children.

Meningitis Matters looks to raise awareness of meningitis and septicaemia, and to ensure that tackling the diseases remains a top public health priority while the current NHS reforms are implemented.

Meningitis remains a serious and life-threatening disease that affects around 3,400 people in the UK each year.

Mike said:

“Meningitis still kills far too many children and leaves many more with life-long disabilities. Although real progress has been made over the last decade, more needs to be done. Meningitis and septicaemia are terrible diseases which are vaccine-preventable so no child in Britain should be dying from them in the 21st century.”

For more information on meningitis, VIEW:

Flu activity update

WEB.378Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) up to January 6, 2013 show that flu activity remain at similar levels to those reported in the previous week based on a number of indicators, including GP consultation rates in England and the proportion of calls to NHS direct.

The latest figures show that GP consultation rates have decreased slightly from 32.7 per 100,000 in week 52 ending on December 30 to 29.2 on week 1 ending January 6, 2013. Meanwhile, 2.0% of the calls received by NHS Direct concerned influenza compared to 2.1% in week 52.

In week 1 (ending January 6, 2013), the weekly primary care ILI consultation rate decreased in England (29.2 per 100,000) and increased in Wales (33.0 per 100,000), Scotland (46.3 per 100,000) and Northern Ireland (87.0 per 100,000).

Dr Richard Pebody, head of seasonal flu surveillance at the HPA, said:

“The flu activity has remained similar to last week across several of our indicators in line with the trend we expect to see at this time of year. 

“However, the latest data should be interpreted with caution due to GP practices being closed on the bank holidays which may have impacted on GP consultation rates. 

“It still remains very important that everyone does their best to prevent the spread of the flu virus by maintaining good cough and hand hygiene such as covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough and sneeze, disposing of the tissue promptly and washing your hands as soon you can.”

Flu symptoms include the sudden onset of fever, a cough with a sore throat, and aching muscles and joints. If you are otherwise healthy and are suffering from flu, you should stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and take pain relievers such as paracetamol. Children under 16 should not take any medication containing aspirin.

Government minister to visit Hove this week

Brandon Lews, MP
Brandon Lewis, MP

Brandon Lewis MP  the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government whose portfolio includes homelessness will be visiting Hove on Thursday, January 17.

Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade felt it important to show a Government Minister how the issue is being addressed in Brighton & Hove and has invited him to visit Off the Fence, a local homelessness charity.

Mike said:

“It is excellent news that a Government Minister will be visiting Hove. Right away I thought that one of the best places for Brandon to visit would be Off the Fence, a fantastic local charity that has a first-rate homelessness programme. I know that Brandon will be impressed by the services offered by Off the Fence and will be able to report back to Whitehall on how things should be done.” 

Match-day parking scheme to benefit residents

Cllr Ian Davey
Cllr Ian Davey

Residents in Coldean and Moulsecoomb have given the thumbs up on proposals to provide a dedicated parking scheme during match days and large events at the Amex Community Stadium.

Consultation carried out in the autumn revealed that, in Coldean, over 78% of those who responded were in favour, while 68% supported the proposals in Moulsecoomb.

The results will be considered by the Transport Committee on January 15 which will decide whether to move on to the final design of the scheme.

Councillor Ian Davey, chair of the city’s transport committee, said:

“The council has been working closely with residents and Brighton & Hove Albion on these proposals in order to find the right solution to the problems residents have been experiencing with parking and to help ensure the ongoing success of the football club. 

“We’d like to thank Brighton & Hove Albion for their support in developing these proposals and residents and businesses who have taken part in the consultation. If agreed by the committee, we will be taking people’s comments into consideration when drawing up the detailed design of the scheme.”

The proposed new scheme would include 46 streets in Moulsecoomb and 33 streets in Coldean.

It is proposed that the scheme would have 24 hour operation on match and event days and that resident and business permits would be free.

Each household would qualify for one free resident permit for every registered vehicle and one free visitor permit for every adult each year (plus they would be able to purchase further visitor permits at £2.50 a day, up to a maximum of 25).

Local businesses would also be able to apply for permits. Blue badge holders and motorcycles would not need a permit.

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club is funding the residents’ scheme as part of the planning permission granted for additional seating at the stadium. The club was also consulted and expressed its support for the proposal.

Four thousand households and businesses were sent questionnaires about the proposal and people were invited to take part online. There were also public exhibitions and council officers gathered views at community meetings.

If agreed, the Amex Community Stadium residents’ parking scheme could be in place next June in time for summer events and the start of the 2013/14 football season.

Late Bloomers at Dukes@Komedia

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As part of the B.Right.On Festival there is a rare screening of the 1996 lesbian film Late Bloomers during LGBT History Month on Sunday, February 10 at 11.30am. Directed by Julia Dyer the film is set deep in the Texas of the 1990s. Carly who is married with two kids, works as the school secretary, and Dinah the maths teacher who coaches the girls’ basketball team, unexpectedly fall for each other. Their late blooming passionate relationship causes a scandal at the Eleanor Roosevelt High School, and an outcry from family and friends. Delicately balanced between comedy and drama, the film takes a look at romance between mid life women with an early glimpse of gay marriage.

WHAT:       Screening of Late Bloomers (15): 107 minutes running time

WHERE:    Screen 2 at Dukes@Komedia, 44-47 Gardiner Street, Brighton, BN1 1UN

WHEN:      Sunday, February 10

TIME:        11.30am

COST:       Tickets £8 on the door and in advance (Duke of Yorks members’ concessions apply)

TEL:          0871 704 2068 (10p a minute from a BT landline, but calls via other providers or mobile phones may cost more)

For more information VIEW:

Or telephone Val on:  01273 328771/0778 898 0287

Archbishop Conti claims gay relationships are “morally defective”

WEB.600A senior representative of the Catholic Church in Scotland has claimed same-sex relationships are “morally defective” in a letter attacking the Scottish Government for the “profoundly unwise” decision to “equate homosexual unions with heterosexual marriage”  by legalising same-sex marriage.

In the letter published in the Catholic journal The Tablet, Archbishop Mario Conti also suggests that same-sex relationships should be made illegal arguing that “while it is true that governments are not required to make all immoral actions illegal, to many it is unhelpful and unnecessary to render moral what is in itself morally defective”.

LGBT equality charity, the Equality Network, has called on the Scottish Government to “stand firm” on plans to introduce same-sex marriage, and not give in to the “anti-gay agenda” being pursued by the Catholic Church.

Tom French
Tom French

Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said:

“In a free society Archbishop Conti is entitled to express his views, however offensive they may be. Thankfully most people in Scotland support same-sex marriage and disagree with the assertion that their gay friends and family members are ‘morally defective’. The Catholic Church has long campaigned against equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and for Archbishop Conti to imply that same-sex relationships should now be made illegal is evidence of a worrying anti-gay agenda.”

The Equality Network points out that the Catholic Church has campaigned against every major step towards LGBT equality in the UK, including the introduction of an equal age of consent, the repeal of Section 28, Civil Partnerships, same-sex adoption, and now same-sex marriage.

In December 2011, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic said that there should be no laws that “facilitate” same-sex relationships:

He said:

“The empirical evidence is clear, same-sex relationships are demonstrably harmful to the medical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of those involved, no compassionate society should ever enact legislation to facilitate or promote such relationships, we have failed those who struggle with same-sex attraction and wider society by our actions.”

The Scottish Government announced in July 2012 that it would bring forward legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry. The draft Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill was launched for consultation in December and a final version is expected to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament by Summer 2013.

Under the plans no religious body will be required to conduct same-sex marriages, but those that do want to will be able to. Religious and belief bodies that actively want the right to conduct same-sex marriages include the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, the Unitarians, Liberal Judaism, Reform Judaism, Buddhists, the Metropolitan Community Church, the Iona Community, the Open Episcopal Church,  the Pagan Federation, and the Humanist Society Scotland.

A majority of MSPs and a majority of the public have said that they support same-sex marriage.

Two-thirds of MSPs have now signed the Equality Network’s ‘Equal Marriage Pledge’ committing themselves to voting in favour of same-sex marriage. Signatories include First Minister Alex Salmond, all Cabinet Ministers, and the leaders of all four opposition parties. Whilst 88 MSPs have now said they will vote in favour, just 10 remain publicly opposed.

Opinion polls have shown consistent public support for same-sex marriage across Scotland. The most recent poll in Scotland was conducted in June by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Equality Network. It showed record support with 64% of Scots in favour of a change in the law, and just 26% opposed. Separate polls conducted over the past two years by Populus, YouGov, Angus Reid, ComRes, and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, have all shown similar levels of support.

Most countries around Scotland already have same-sex marriage, including Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. The French Government have pledged to bring forward legislation soon.

I must have wanton poets!

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Four of the most exciting queer poets in the UK today are putting on a performance in celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans (LGBT) History Month at Envy, upstairs from Charles Street Bar, on Sunday February 17, as part of The B.Right.On Festival.

John McCullough’s author of Frost Fairs has just won the Polari First Book Prize – while young, London based poet, Max Wallis, was on the shortlist.

Polish born Maria Jastrzebska is “fabulous, audacious and compelling,” while Vince Laws has been called many things, including “controversial’!

Vince Laws
Vince Laws

Vince said:

“If I had a pound for every time I hear, I don’t normally like poetry, but that was great! I wouldn’t need to do this gig,”

“Come with open ears, an open mind, and I promise you are in for a treat.”

Open Mike participants are particularly encouraged to sign up on the afternoon.

EVENT:     I must have wanton poets!

WHERE:   Envy Nightclub, (Upstairs from Charles Street Bar), 8 Marine Parade, Brighton

WHEN:      Sunday, February 17

TIME:        4pm

COST:        Tickets are £7/£5 concs, with £1 from every ticket going to the Rainbow Fund.

For tickets and more info VIEW:

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