29th November 2011

Vascular Services Review "A Cause for Concern"

Warrington South MP David Mowat last night used a House of Commons debate to raise his concerns about the removal of vascular services from Warrington Hospital.

The Cheshire & Merseyside Vascular Services Review has announced that Warrington Hospital, along with Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, will lose its specialist vascular services department in favour of a "centre of excellence" at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

David Mowat said:

"This review seems to have been carried out in a piecemeal fashion which is a cause for concern. If every centralisation decision is taken in this piecemeal way, Warrington and Halton hospitals might well lose out every single time. When decisions on centralisation are made, there needs to be some kind of strategy for deciding what will end up where, so that every decision is not made on a piecemeal basis

"As a result of Labour's botched PFI contract, we have a financial black hole just up the road at Whiston which could suck patients away from Warrington. With specialist vascular services now being moved elsewhere too, there is a real danger that this could have a detrimental effect, not just on the services provided for people in Warrington, but also on the future finances of our hospital."

25th November 2011

New Nuclear Good for Warrington

Warrington South MP David Mowat this week welcomed news that plans to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinckley Point Power Station in Somerset were moving forward once again. A recent report on nuclear safety by Britain's Chief Nuclear Inspector Mike Weightman confirmed that there was "no reason to curtail the operation of power plants or other nuclear facilities in the UK" in the wake of the powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami which crippled the Japanese plants in March.

Hinckley is one of 10 potential sites for new nuclear reactors identified by the Government for development. In Warrington more than 30 companies employing more than 3,200 employees have jobs connected to the UK supply chain according to a report by the Nuclear Industry Authority last year.

David Mowat said:

"Warrington has a major interest in the Nuclear industry, so it is excellent news to hear that new nuclear plants are finally moving forward after 13 years of dithering and delay by Labour. We have a number of businesses, of varying sizes, which are directly connected to the nuclear supply chain and that doesn't take account of the many other businesses which supply those businesses with everything from PCs to paperclips.

"A major factor in creating new jobs in Warrington will be a resurgence in our civil nuclear power industry. The addition of more nuclear plants will allow those businesses retain and expand their workforces as well as safeguarding specialist engineering jobs and expanding the pool of people with specialist skills."

Focus on Warrington Franchising in Parliament

David Mowat along with a small selection of fellow UK MPs, met with franchising industry leaders at the Houses of Parliament on 31st October to discuss the economic impact of franchising through sustainable business growth, new business start-up and job creation.

The recent NatWest bfa Franchise Survey showed that better than 90% of franchisees report their businesses to be profitable and the rate of commercial failure is currently running at less than 4% per year; between 6 and 10 times better than conventional business start-ups.

There are 897 different brands franchising in the UK today, which support 36,900 individual franchise owners – a growth of 6.5% and 6% respectively on last year. This creates employment for over 520,000 people and generates £12.4 billion income for the UK each year. In Warrington South alone there are over 30 different franchise operations employing about 450 people.

Mr Mowat met with Trevor Brocklebank of Home Instead Senior Care, a franchising operation based in Stretton and employing around 3,500 carers.

The bfa is now looking to establish an environment with MPs from across the UK to build a regular two way exchange of ideas, education, advice and support.

Brian Smart, Director General of the bfa, said:

"The success rates are no surprise. Franchising operates through a locally owned and run proven business concept, driven by enterprising individuals, with training, branding, economies of scale and support from the wider network. This removes or reduces many of the hurdles that floor most SMEs.

"Franchising is not for everyone, which is why most of our work is in educating those investigating franchising, either as individuals, or as businesses looking to adopt it as a growth model. It is important that people take the right advice and carry out their own due diligence, because when they do we see some outstanding success stories and ones that inspire many others.

"We have been delighted by the positive response from MPs at today's exchange and we thank David Mowat MP for their important support. There is a real hunger by our MPs to capitalise on what is a sustainable, proven and low risk option for many. Our goal now is to work with our MPs to help open up information and advice to many more people that may at the moment be struggling to know where to turn."

Mr Mowat said:

"With recent public sector job cuts, there will be a number of new people wondering what their next step will be. In some cases franchising can provide their best route; either providing a business start-up platform with a lower level of risk, or providing the opportunity for someone who might not ordinarily have considered being their own boss to start and run a business, create jobs and help our economy grow.

"We need more businesses like Trevor's in Warrington."

David Mowat is raising awareness of dyspraxia, a neurological condition thought to affect up to ten percent of the population. Males are three times more likely to be affected than females. Dyspraxia overlaps with autism and dyslexia due to the implications it has for skills like reading and writing. Dyspraxia though has its own symptoms.

Children often encounter late development in motor skills like standing and walking then later difficulties in running and catching a ball. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is probably the most famous dyspraxic.

Mr Mowat said:

"Dyspraxia Awareness Week aims to highlight the problems which dyspraxic children and adults can encounter. There is a lack of understanding within as to what dyspraxia is and how it is different to the more well-known autism and dyslexia. I'm fully behind dyspraxia awareness week and all the good work being done by the dyspraxia foundation."

 If you think you or your child may have dyspraxia, or would like more information, visit www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

2nd November 2011

Statement on St Rocco's

"It is clear that there have been important issues which must be resolved. However, it is also clear that many hundreds of residents and their families have benefitted significantly from the care offered by the hospice over the years.

"It is now important that these matters are resolved and St Rocco's gets back to doing what it does best....providing respite care and comfort to the people of the town."

Labour Councillors giving up on Penketh & Cuerdley

David Mowat, MP for Warrington South, today slammed Labour Councillors for failing to back a motion condemning the breaking up of Warrington and calling for an "all-Warrington solution". Penketh & Cuerdley Councillor Paul Campbell and Lymm Councillor Bob Barr tabled a motion that would have expressed "concern" about the proposals put forward by the Boundary Commission and the "detrimental" effect it would have on the representation of the people of Warrington, particularly those in Penketh & Cuerdley.

Unfortunately, Labour Councillors tabled an amendment which gutted the main motion and sought only to "reassure the residents of Penketh & Cuerdley that they will still remain Warrington Borough Council Tax Payers." The amended motion was passed with Labour Councillors voting in favour and Conservative and Liberal Councillors voting against.

David Mowat said:

"We now know that Labour councillors are not interested in standing up for the people of Penketh & Cuerdley. Rather than make a strong case for keeping Warrington as a whole, which is not only possible, but would be superior to the Commission proposal, Labour Councillors seem to think that people in Penketh & Cuerdley will be reassured because they can still keep paying Council Tax to Warrington Borough Council! I'm not convinced that Labour Councillors truly understand the problem here.

"People in Penketh & Cuerdley don't want to be in Widnes, whether it's for the purposes of parliamentary elections, paying the rates or anything else. They want to stay part of Warrington, where they shop, where they do business and where they socialise. Labour Councillors are putting their allegiances to party proposals before people."

Cllr Paul Campbell added:

"I put forward this motion as a non-partisan way of highlighting the problems that these proposals will cause in Warrington. I simply don't understand what it was that Labour felt they couldn't back. Do they think Penketh would be better off in Widnes? Are they not concerned that thousands of people will change seats unnecessarily? Do they not think Warrington should be represented as an entity?

"Once the principle has been established that Penketh can be outside the Borough of Warrington for Parliamentary elections it makes it more likely that future reviews of local boundaries may decide that Penketh should no longer be in the Borough of Warrington at all."

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