Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, has pledged his support for Halve It, a national campaign that aims to halve late diagnosis and undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2015.
Halve It is a coalition of advocates and experts that works with all levels of government and the NHS to reduce the proportion of people undiagnosed and diagnosed late with HIV, through public policy reform and implementation of good practice.
The Halve It campaign focuses on the expansion of HIV testing services, on the basis that early testing of HIV saves lives and also results in substantial savings to the public health budget.
An estimated 98,400 people were living with HIV in the UK in 2012. The overall prevalence was 1.5 per 1,000 population, and an estimated 21,900 people living with HIV in 2012 were unaware of their infection.
For more information on the Halve It campaign, CLICK HERE:
Mike said:“HIV must remain a public heath priority. As the latest statistics on the disease show, more still has to be done to address the prevalence of HIV. As a Halve It supporter I will continue to advocate for the campaign’s continued work on improving HIV testing and diagnosis.”
Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven is seeking views about the possible pedestrianisation of St James’s Street.
Simon Kirby, MP
In an email to local residents, Simon wrote:
“As your Member of Parliament for Kemp Town I am frequently in touch with residents about issues of concern and I try and stay in regular contact to keep people informed of the actions I am taking.
“One issue I have been contacted about is the possibility of pedestrianising St James’s Street. I believe such a move could help provide a boost to local businesses as well as improving safety for shoppers, diners and pedestrians but I am keen to hear your views.
“Please do take a moment to let me have your views on this local issue. I am also surveying a number of residents in the St James’s Street area to hear their thoughts and I have made the survey available electronically.
“If you would like to fill in the survey, CLICK HERE:
“As well as liaising with the St James’s Street Community Action Group regarding this important part of our city, I continue to work on a wide variety of issues affecting Kemp Town, such as dog fouling in the area, anti social behaviour, the poor condition of many local roads and pavements and the need to ensure the area is well maintained by the Council (for instance repainting railings).
“I will be sure to keep a close eye on these issues and please do continue to report any concerns you have, about any issue, to me BY EMAILING:“
You can contact Simon:
By post: Simon Kirby MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Caroline Lucas has taken an HIV test in support of the Halve It campaign, which is aiming to halve late diagnosis and undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2015.
Caroline Lucas, MP
Caroline, who is giving the opening speech at the World AIDS Day event unveiling the largest Red Ribbon in the World on Brighton Level this Sunday, said:
“Sadly, Brighton and Hove continues to have the highest rate of HIV infection in the country outside London. Early testing and diagnosis are key to combatting this epidemic, which is why I chose to be tested today. We need to remove the stigma around HIV testing.
“Across the country, HIV must remain a priority, and we have to continue to work to improve testing and diagnosis.”
HIV testing formed part of the Halve It World AIDS Day parliamentary drop-in session yesterday, where Caroline met with key members of the campaign’s steering group, including leading HIV clinicians, and CEOs of patient and policy organisations. She discussed with them Halve It’s aims and achievements to date, and the campaign’s case for HIV to remain a public health priority in the UK.
Halve It is a coalition of advocates and experts that works with all levels of government and the NHS to reduce the proportion of people undiagnosed and diagnosed late with HIV, through public policy reform and implementation of good practice. The Halve It campaign focuses on the expansion of HIV testing services, on the basis that early testing of HIV saves lives and also results in substantial savings to the public health budget.
According to Public Health England data released last week, an estimated 98,400 people were living with HIV in the UK in 2012. The overall prevalence was 1.5 per 1,000 population, and an estimated 21,900 people living with HIV in 2012 were unaware of their infection.
For more information about the Halve It campaign, CLICK HERE:
Jenny Jones, the new Green Party peer, has called for the Metropolitan Police Force to improve its communication skills, criticising the way it has handled issues like reduced training of armed officers, stop and search, and undercover policing.
Jenny Jones.
In her maiden speech in the Lords today, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, who sits on the London Assembly and is deputy chair of its Police and Crime Committee, said that trust in the police has been affected by the Plebgate affair, and that “the police’s biggest problem” is communication:
“Trust in the police has always ebbed and flowed, but Plebgate has caused a flurry amongst even the usual supporters of the police. Even the middle classes are saying, if the police could do something like this to a Government minister, what chance does a working class youth on a council estate have?
“My years of Met scrutiny have led me to the conclusion that the police’s biggest problem is communication. If forces could communicate better, they would hear more useful intelligence from communities, get more support on the streets, and fewer attacks in the press, which would raise morale internally and improve the public’s confidence.
“And then there’s the undercover police, spying on and sleeping with their targets in various environmental organisations. These targets are people – women – who are innocent of any crime. Officers have intruded in their lives to an astonishing degree. One of them even fathered a child. The Met seems strangely mixed up on this, the Commissioner telling me that the Met never authorises such activity, while the Met lawyers are saying the opposite. This needs clearing up quickly.”
Jones’ speech also paid tribute to her father who grew up in poverty in South Wales. His own father died in the Senghenydd mining disaster, and rather than work in the same pit, he walked to London to find work.
After the war,he moved to a Homes Fit for Heroes council house in Moulsecoomb in Brighton, where Jenny grew up.
She said that her background has influenced her political views:
“Having known hard times, my parents were big fans of the Welfare State. They both knew a Britain where it didn’t exist. So my upbringing was full of gratitude and awe about free education, free medical care, and an understanding that you have to help the most vulnerable in society, because that’s a mark of civilisation.”
Simon Kirby has been raising money from MPs in Westminster for a local HIV charity in his Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven constituency ahead of World Aids Day (WAD) on December 1.
Mr Kirby has been collecting money for WAD ‘Red Ribbons’ with donations from Members of Parliament going to the Sussex Beacon, a charity which offers specialist care and support for men, women and families affected by HIV.
Simon said:“World Aids Day is an opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives to the virus and raise awareness of the ongoing struggle against Aids.
“It is a particularly important occasion in my constituency, as Brighton has one of the highest HIV rates in the country with 7 in 1000 people living with the virus. Charities like the Sussex Beacon do a remarkable job in supporting those affected, and I was very happy to help raise money for them from my colleagues in Parliament.
“There are a number of events taking place in Parliament and in Brighton this week to mark World Aids Day. On the day itself I will be attending the vigil at New Steine Gardens, and I would encourage my constituents to attend from 17.00 to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives to the Aids virus.”
Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, is calling on residents in at risk groups in Brighton & Hove to get tested during National HIV Testing Week, in the run-up to World Aids Day on Sunday, December 1.
Mike Weatherley, MP
HIV and sexual health charity Terrance Higgins Trust has launched the National HIV Testing Week to encourage at risk groups to take an HIV test.
The HIV Testing Week runs from Friday 22 – Friday 29 November ahead of World Aids Day on December 1.
In recent years, Mike has taken a rapid HIV test in Parliament on World Aids Day to raise awareness of the need for early diagnosis of HIV in the UK. Sadly, the number of new HIV cases across the country and in Brighton & Hove continues to rise.
Mike said:“Given that instances of HIV continue to rise in Brighton & Hove, it is vital that both gay and straight residents from at risk groups in the city get tested. Up to a quarter of people living with HIV in the UK do not know that they have it, so increasing testing and reducing the stigma attached to it will help reduce this figure.”
For more information on National HIV Testing Week, CLICK HERE:
Parliament’s largest competitions,Rock the House and Film the House, founded by Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade is being launched today, Tuesday, November 19 at a reception on the Terrace of the House of Commons.
Speeches will be given by the Rt Hon Speaker Bercow, Lord Puttnam and competition founder, Mike Weatherley MP.
Among the guests will be musicians and Patrons Brian May (Queen), Mark Hoppus (Blink 182), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Tay Jardine (We Are The In Crowd), Adam Perry (Bloodhound Gang) and Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake).
Rock the House and Film the House are designed to raise awareness of the importance of protecting intellectual property rights among legislators and the general public. Musicians and film makers enter their original material to their MP, who ultimately nominates one entrant per competition category. A panel of industry executives presides over choosing the finalists and winners, who go on to have their pieces played in Parliament and win an array of prizes, from equipment, festival slots, exposure, recording sessions, radio and TV airplay and more.
David Cameron MP
Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister, said:“The creative industries are a crucial part of the British economy so it’s great to see a Parliamentary initiative on the very serious issue of protecting British Intellectual Property rights. Rock the House and Film the House gives film makers and musicians a fun and unconventional vehicle through which they can engage with their MPs.”
Mike added:“Every year the competition gets bigger and better and my thanks go to our Patrons, Sponsors, Judges, the entrants, the MPs who take part and the loyal team who have run the project since its inception in 2010. If you’re a musician or a film maker, make sure you take part in the 2014 competition!”
An alliance of community groups in South Portslade have joined forces to demand action from the council to have a school crossing built.
Friends of St Peters School, Friends of Vale Park and the community supporters of South Portslade will launch a ‘Give The Kids A Crossing For Christmas’ campaign on Friday November 15 at 8.15am.
The groups will meet with Labour’s South Portslade Councillor, Alan Robins and Labour’s Parliamentary candidate, Peter Kyle, outside the community primary school to highlight how dangerous the road is and then to go into the community to speak to residents and urge them to contact to the council.
Despite expanding from an infant to a primary school – and looking to double pupil numbers – no provision for a safe road crossing has been made. Yet the school is located by one of the south coast’s busiest ports with industrial units and a major arterial road just yards away.
Parents, who recently presented an 800-word petition to the council, feel that after several near misses it’s just a matter of time before a child is seriously injured. Yet the committee in charge of making improvements is refusing to prioritise the issue and continue to insist that they need to make assessments – which could last well into next year.
Peter Kyle
Labour’s Parliamentary candidate, Peter Kyle, is supporting the campaign. He said: “The fact that 800 people signed a petition in support of installing a crossing shows the depth of concern in the local community. Why Pete West, the Green councillor in charge of relevant committee, would want to stall and delay making some simple road safety measures is baffling.”
Councillor Robins added:“We need to bring some common sense into the process and improve the crossing facilities for St. Peters School as opposed to rigidly sticking to a tick box exercise on a council form.
“The planning committee is hiding behind bureaucratic procedure and assessments when we need to action now.”
The Head of the School along with the Board of Governors have also called for urgent action to be taken and with the school set to expand significantly in the coming academic years this issue is pressing and in need of action.
Cllr Pete West
Councillor Pete West, Chair of Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee, said: “Over £25,000 has been spent on crossing points and other safety measures around St Peter’s School following its expansion. Council officers are now assessing the area around St Peters’ School in response to residents’ requests to see if further measures are needed.
“We consider all requests to improve road safety for pedestrians very carefully, as we believe it’s important for everyone who chooses to walk to school or work to be able to do so safely. So unlike other administrations, we’ve protected vital funding for transport schemes. We look at over 100 sites a year in response to residents’ requests, so that those most in need of work are prioritised in a fair and impartial way. This system was supported by all parties when it was introduced, and its development was even overseen by Labour’s current Leader Councillor Warren Morgan.
“I would like us to be able to spend more on pedestrian crossings, but this isn’t helped when Labour and the Conservatives prefer to squander over £100,000 on a free parking giveaway – money that could have paid for five zebra crossings. As it is, Labour’s priorities simply encourage more cars on the road.”
Accidents on Brighton & Hove’s roads have fallen by 12.5% since the Greens took office, according to a major survey by the Department for Transport. At the same time, accidents across the South East fell by just 1% and in England as a whole by only 5%. This is despite the fact that Brighton & Hove’s population is rising rapidly, with more people than ever before using the city’s streets.
Cllr Ian Davey
Lead member for transport, Councillor Ian Davey, said: “This survey proves in black and white what we have been saying since we took office: we are introducing policies that make the roads of Brighton & Hove healthier and safer.
“Opposition councillors and pro-motorist campaigners want us to roll back time and return to the transport policies of the last administration. But do they also want more accidents on our roads each year? Because that’s what a roll-back would mean.
“Our streets are now safer. Sometimes people claim that Greens are anti-car. We are not anti-car but we are for safer streets for everyone. And that’s what this survey demonstrates we are achieving”
Cllr Warren Morham
Cllr Warren Morgan, leader of Labour & Cooperative, said: “We welcome this reduction, which is line with the national decrease seen in recent years”
At a time when the Greens’ road policies are coming under fire from motorists’ and taxi drivers’ campaigns such as Unchain the Motorist, the Greens claim the survey provides evidence that their policies are working: there are now one in eight fewer accidents than before the Green administration launched its transport initiative and a much higher drop in accidents than seen nationally or across the region.
Cllr Graham Cox
Graham Cox, the Conservative Transport Spokesperson, added: “I am pleased that the record levels of transport funding provided by the Conservative led Government is leading to a fall in road casualties in our city. We will continue to support further road safety measures which are based on sound evidence, so that the casualty rate falls further.”
Ahead of this week’s Commonwealth heads of governments conference in Sri Lanka, Purna Sen, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion is calling on Prime Minister, David Cameron to raise the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people across the Commonwealth at the conference.
Dr Sen, Chair of the Kaleidoscope Trust and a former head of human rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat was commenting on a new report from the Trust on the experiences of LGBT people throughout the Commonwealth.
She said:“The vast majority of countries in the Commonwealth, 80 per cent, criminalise homosexuality. That is why the Commonwealth has been called a homophobic association.” Adding that over half of the countries in the world that criminalise homosexuality are in the Commonwealth.
Dr Sen pointed out that Uganda’s recent steps to introduce the death sentence for homosexuals who are classed as so-called “serial offenders”, have “lifted the lid off the issue.”
However, the issue is how to deal with LGBT rights at the heads of government meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where homosexuality is criminalised, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison ?
Some Human Rights organisations are concerned that threats like that made by David Cameron before the last heads of government meeting in Perth, to cut aid to countries which criminalise homosexuality could make LGBT people targets for attack.
Purna added:“Britain is the largest financial contributor to the Commonwealth and with that comes some responsibility. What does it mean for Britain to give the Commonwealth money to enable it to function, if you then don’t try to influence what it does ?”
“It is essential for the Prime Minister to say that we recognise that many people in the Commonwealth suffer harm, suffer persecution, and worse because of their sexual orientation.
“We don’t feel this is in keeping with the values of the Commonwealth. We should call for a commitment to see this addressed in the next session. We want a moratorium in the next five years followed by decriminalisation.”
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