Martin Linton asked the Secretary of State for Health What criteria are used to assess proposals for local care hospitals. Ivan Lewis answered for the government.
Read the question and full answer on TheyWorkForYou
November 2006 Archives
Sadiq Khan is the MP for Tooting (the constituency to the south of Battersea). Writing in his blog this week he talks about a reception he held for readers of his local newsletter, Totally Tooting. Martin Linton was a guest and made a speech.
Coming full circle, the Guardian's Parliamentary sketchwriter, Simon Hoggart, writes about Martin Linton asking Tony Blair about Polly Toynbee's Guardian article.
Martin Linton asked the Prime Minister if he had seen Polly Toynbee's article from the previous day's Guardian (as previously mentioned on this site). He went on to ask if the PM agreed that Wandsworth Council should take social policy advice from Polly Toynbee.
Somehow, Tony Blair twisted the question into an excuse to talk about how the current government has reduced child poverty.
Read the full exchange on TheyWorkForYou
Writing on the MySociety blog, Tom Steinberg notes that it's a year since HearFromYourMP was launched. This reminded me to look at Martin Linton's page on the site. It says that 100 people have signed up to recieve email from him and that HearFromYourMP have contacted him four times, but that so far he hasn't used the service. He'll be contacted again once 150 people have signed up.
In my opinion, it's a real shame when MPs don't take advantage of the possibilities offered by the internet. I wonder if there's anything we can do to convince Martin Linton of its power.
The official site continues to publish broken RSS feeds, so I've corrected the links below.
We find the 'missing' affordable flats - Martin Linton publishes the results of research into the sale of "affordable" accommodation at Chelsea Bridge Wharf for higher prices than most key workers can afford. We have previously covered this story on this site.
Overwhelming vote for Battersea hospital - A survey has shown that people are overwhelmingly opposed to moving facilities at the Bolingbroke Hospital out of Battersea.
Ban junk food ads - A proposal to ban advertising for ‘unhealthy’ food during television programmes that appeal to children has the backing of Battersea’s Labour MP Martin Linton.
Writing in The Guardian, Polly Toynbee says that the Labour Party are losing the support of medical professionals by ignoring local campaigns to prevent hospital closures. One of her examples is the Bolingbroke Hospital in Wandworth which is the process of being closed down and replaced by a newer facility against the protests of the staff, local people and the (Tory) council. Toynbee mentions Martin Linton when discussin the political issues:
The hospital is in the constituency of Battersea, one of London's most marginal, where the Labour MP Martin Linton hangs on by a whisker. It is to his great credit that he has not succumbed to John Reidism: despite the cacophony of the local council's foghorn campaign, he is trying to explain why the services should be decanted to the new, better clinic. (He is also campaigning for a new community hospital down at the poor end of his patch.) Wandsworth Conservatives naturally hope the issue will unseat Linton at the next election: their disingenuousness is breathtaking, for Wandsworth is the council famous for selling off just about everything, from blocks of flats to two popular schools (instead of less popular ones, because the latter were on less profitable sites). If the Bolingbroke had belonged to them, they'd have sold it years ago.
According to the Wimbledon Guardian, green campaigners are urging politicians in Wandsworth to do more to help people live greener lives. Martin Linton thinks that Wandsworth residents are already ahead of the curve. He is quoted as saying:
People are beginning to accept there's more to be done to deal with the problems of climate change. I find people are more interested in green issues than those in the rest of the country. We may not be pioneers, but we are ahead of the game and we are prepared to make lifestyle changes
Terrible punning from the Wimbledon Guardian in a story reporting that South West Trains are considering removing the toilets from some of their trains in order to make more space for passengers. Martin Linton is quoted as being generally in favour of the move. He says:
The biggest problem for people in this area is actually getting on the train.
The trains are so overcrowded that people have fainted and had panic attacks on them, so I support everything SWT is trying to do to create more capacity.
It's unlikely people are going to need the toilet during the short journey to Waterloo.
Two more stories from the official site (which continues to broken RSS feeds - the links below have been fixed).
Prosecution could follow crane incident - A Government minister has told Battersea MP Martin Linton that a “general safety alert†was issued to tower crane operators last month setting out simple guidelines for erection and operation. The safety alert highlighted general issues such as the importance of proper maintenance and ensuring operators are competent.
Lifts at last for Clapham Junction - Lift access will be provided to all platforms at Clapham Junction – that promise was made by Network Rail Chief Executive John Armitt this week to Battersea MP Martin Linton.
Martin Linton gave a long speech in this debate discussing school admissions policies.
Read the full debate or Martin Linton's speech at TheyWorkForYou
Two new stories from the official site about the Northcote Road campaign.
Post Office promises to restore service - The Post Office have told Martin Linton that they are doing all they can to replace the recently closed Northcote Road office.
Northcote residents have their say - Martin Linton held a public meeting for residents south of Clapham Junction on Saturday
Martin Linton asked the Home Secretary when he would be able to answer a question that he had tabled almost a year earlier. Liam Byrne replied, pointing out that the question had been answered five days before.
Read the full exchange on TheyWorkForYou
