Press Releases - Member of Parliament for Rhondda - Chris Bryant MP
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CHRIS BRYANT MP

BRYANT CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO USE MINES RESCUE SERVICE IN EMERGENCY DISASTERS IS THE UK - 09/03/06   back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has called on the Government to use the Rhondda-based Mines Rescue Service in any future UK emergency disasters such as July 7 2005.

During Parliamentary questions to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Chris urged ministers to make use of the skills and expertise of the Service, which has so far been overlooked.  The minister gave an encouraging reply stating that Chris’ suggestion would be taken on board and that the Government‘…will be in touch with the Mines Rescue Service in due course.’

Chris says –

“The Mines Rescue Service has the knowledge, skill and experience of extracting people from deep underground.  They are one of the best groups around for performing this task which is why I am so surprised that they have been overlooked by the Government.

I was delighted with the minister’s response as he rightly accepts the significant contribution the Service can make when called upon in an emergency.  They are experts in their field and the Government should make full use of their know-how.”

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Notes to editors:

    • Chris intervened on a question on contingency planning during House of Commons questions to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 09.03.06.  The full text of Chris’ intervention is as follows:

      • Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): One of the best groups at extracting people from underground is the Mines Rescue Service, based in the Rhondda, yet it was not involved in discussions about Osiris, and nor were its services requested following 7 July. May I urge my hon. Friend to consider how the Mines Rescue Service could be used in such events?

      Jim Fitzpatrick: I hear exactly what my hon. Friend says and his suggestion, which will be taken on board by officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The experience and expertise of the Mines Rescue Service staff can be put to good use. We have already amended our techniques on rescuing people from deep areas and, as a result, the 7/7 exercise was a success. I am sure that we will be in touch with the Mines Rescue Service in due course.

    • Exercise Osiris 2 took place in 2003 and allowed London's emergency and health services to practice their response to a chemical attack on the tube.

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BRYANT WELCOMES NEW POINTS-BASED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM - 08/03/06   back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has today welcomed the Government’s announcement of a new points-based immigration system.

The points system aims to ensure that only those migrants who benefit the UK - for example the highly-skilled such as surgeons or scientists or those who are coming to fill gaps in the labour market that cannot be met from the domestic workforce such as teachers and nurses, can come to work or study, while introducing new measures to ensure that migrants comply with their leave to remain and go home at the end of their stay.

The new system will replace over 80 existing schemes with five different tiers for applicants wishing to enter the UK.  These tiers are:

    • tier 1 – highly skilled, e.g. scientists or entrepreneurs;
    • tier 2 – skilled workers with a job offer, e.g. nurses, teachers, engineers;
    • tier 3 – low skilled workers filling specific temporary labour shortages, e.g.  construction workers for a particular project
    • tier 4 – students; and
    • tier 5 – youth mobility and temporary workers, e.g. working holiday makers or   musicians coming to play a concert.

The more skills you have, and the more those skills are in demand, the more points you will gain, increasing your likelihood of entry to the UK.


Chris says –

“This new points-based system will enable the UK to control migration more effectively.  It is simpler, more transparent and more rigorous to benefit our economy and protect our borders.

Only those potential migrants with the skills and abilities that we need will be able to acquire enough points to come here and work.  This new system will enable us to attract the brightest and best from across the world while being robust against potential abuse.”

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Notes to editors:

The Command Paper 'A points-based system: making migration work for Britain' can be found at on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk

A paper entitled 'Employers' use of migrant labour', was published today on the Home Office website.

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BRYANT WELCOMES INCREASED FINES FOR SILENT CALLERS - 02/03/06   back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has welcomed the news that companies will face fines of up to £50,000 if they plague consumers with silent calls.

The Government this week announced that the maximum penalty companies will incur for silent calls is to be increased from £5,000 to £50,000.  Businesses in the UK generate millions of direct marketing calls each year that result in callers receiving silent calls.  The problem is caused mainly by power-dialling equipment designed to maximise the use of call centre operations.

Alongside the Government’s decision to increase the maximum fine, Ofcom have announced the implementation of new measures designed to strengthen consumer protection from silent telephone calls.

Chris says –

“A number of constituents have expressed concern about silent calls, and I have been supporting calls for tougher measures to deter the companies who use them.

Silent calls are annoying and distressing, particularly for the elderly and people living on their own.  I am delighted that the Government has increased the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £50,000 - it will act as a robust deterrent in stopping companies from making these nuisance calls.”

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Notes to editors:

More information is available from the Department of Trade and Industry: www.dti.gov.uk

Ofcom is the body set up under the Communication Act 2003 with a primary duty to further the interests of consumers in relation to communication matters.  Further details on Ofcom’s announcement can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk.

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BRYANT WELCOMES BAN ON SMOKING IN PUBLIC - 20/02/06    back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has welcomed the vote in Parliament last week which will mean a ban on smoking in public places across England and Wales . 

Chris was one of a vast majority of MPs who used their free vote to vote overwhelmingly for a blanket ban, without exemption for pubs that do not serve food and private members’ clubs.  

Chris says –  

“Passive smoking kills, yet non-smokers have no choice as to whether they breathe in cigarette smoke.  That is why I am delighted that we used our free vote to put in place this progressive measure – millions of people will now be protected from the harmful effects of second hand smoke.   

The upshot of the vote will be a ban across the whole of England and Wales , including pubs that don’t serve food and private members’ clubs, and I hope that the Assembly and Westminster governments will agree a date as soon as possible for it to start.  

It would have been totally wrong to protect workers and non-smoking customers in one place but not another, which is why I and my colleagues voted for a total ban in public places.”

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Notes for editors:

The vote took place on Tuesday 14th February 2006.

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BRYANT WELCOMES GOVERNMENT’S INCAPACITY BENEFIT REFORMS - 24/01/06  back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda , has welcomed the Government’s proposals to introduce changes to Incapacity Benefit.  

The Government today published its Green Paper on Welfare Reform.  In it are proposals to help ensure that 1 million people are helped off Incapacity Benefit and into work over the next 10 years by removing barriers that prevent people from finding work.  

The most severely sick and disabled will receive a higher rate of benefit than now and have no obligation to look for work.

Chris Bryant says –  

“One of the causes of depressed ambition, weakened opportunity and life on poverty is over dependence on Incapacity Benefit.  I am delighted the Government is both rewarding the most disabled better and working hard to get people off benefits and into work.   

The barriers to work for those on Incapacity Benefit are complex - difficult journeys to work, health and safety problems at work and lack of self confidence.  The more we can treat people as individuals and not statistics the better.”

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Note for editors:  

The Rhondda has the 12th highest number of people on incapacity benefit in the UK .

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BRYANT SOUNDS DANGERS OF CANNABIS USE - 23/01/06    back   return to top of page   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda , has cautioned on the dangers of cannabis use.  

Last Thursday, the Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced that after consideration of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ report, cannabis would remain illegal as a Class C drug.  It was reclassified from a Class B to C drug two years ago.  

Chris welcomed the Government’s announcement of extra resources for education and health campaigns to highlight the harmful effects of cannabis use and the fact that it is an illegal drug.  

Chris Bryant says –  

“Cannabis was and remains quite rightly an illegal drug.  Studies show that it can be immensely harmful to one’s mental health, which is why I welcome the Government’s announcement of extra investment for education and health campaigns.  Not only are the effects of smoking it with tobacco self-evident, but cannabis itself can increase a sense of paranoia and delusional behaviour.  

While I would have preferred originally not to have reclassified it from a B to C, I believe we need to educate on the dangers that it poses and address the misconception that it is somehow a safe or less harmful drug.  The simple fact remains that it is harmful and illegal, and the Government need to get that message across.”

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BRYANT WELCOMES NEWS THAT DNA DATABASE IS BRINGING CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE - 17/01/06   back   return to top of page   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda , has welcomed the news that the expansion of the national DNA database is helping to solve more and more crimes that were once left ‘cold’.  

In parliamentary questions to the Home Office, Chris raised the issue of the effectiveness of the national DNA database.  The minister replying highlighted a recent report which showed that there had been a four-fold increase in the number of detections between 1999 and 2005, showing that the expansion programme was working.  

Thanks to those arrested having their DNA kept on the database, 88 murders that were considered cold cases have been solved, three of those being in Wales .  The expansion programme of keeping the DNA of people who have been arrested on the database has led to them being linked with 3,000 offences that otherwise would have been left cold.

“Clearly the DNA database is making a real difference.  Cases that the police thought were ‘cold’ have now been solved, often after many years.  Those like the Lib Dems and Tories who quibble at the creation of the DNA database should open their eyes and see what a vital tool it is in bringing criminals to justice.”

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Note to editors:  

Below is the Hansard extract from Chris’ question to the Home Office –  

12. Chris Bryant ( Rhondda ) (Lab): What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the national DNA database. [41780]

  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Andy Burnham): As the recent report on the DNA expansion programme confirms, the national DNA database is a key police intelligence tool and provides the police with around 3,000 intelligence matches each month, which are critical leads for police investigations. There has been a four-fold increase in the number of detections obtained through the use of DNA between 1999 and 2005. The database is helping to secure more convictions and bring more offenders to justice.

Chris Bryant: I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. He will know that 88 murders once considered cold cases have now been solved thanks to the DNA database. Three of those were in Wales , and 11 stranger rape cases have also been solved in Wales as a result of the database. I urge him not to listen to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), who says that it is an intolerable attack on human rights, or to the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green), who seems to think that it is an irrelevance. Will the Minister push forward with the DNA database so that we can solve more cold-case crimes?

Andy Burnham: I could not agree more with my hon. Friend's points. In particular, people who have been arrested for offences and whose DNA has been held have been linked to 3,000 offences, including 37 murders, 16 attempted murders and 90 rapes. Those leads are giving justice to families who could not previously have their case concluded. The database is extremely important and provides the police with a vastly important intelligence tool. We should celebrate its expansion rather than, as some others have done, seek to nit-pick and carp at every available opportunity.  

For further details contact Marc Lockwood on 020 7219 8153 or Chris Bryant MP on 07980 595177

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BRYANT WELCOMES FREE VOTE ON SMOKING BAN - 12/01/06   back   return to top of page   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda , has today welcomed the announcement by the Government that Labour MPs are to be given a free vote on a ban on smoking in public places.  

The Health Bill had proposed a partial ban on smoking in public places, leaving pubs not serving food and members’ clubs exempt.  Today’s announcement however means that Labour MPs will be free to vote as they see fit, paving the way for a total ban in public places.  

Chris Bryant says –  

“Smoking not only affects the health of the smoker, but of those around the smoker too – they have no choice as to whether they smoke.  It would be unfair to allow some workers to suffer from the effects of second-hand smoke while protecting the health of others, as the proposals in the Health Bill would have done.  

There has been growing evidence on the impact of smoking bans from other countries, and public opinion has continued to shift.  There is a conflict between two important principles – freedom of choice and protection from harm.  It is right therefore that MPs be given the opportunity to vote freely on the issue, and I welcome this announcement.”

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BRYANT SAYS: “I’M ‘JUST LISTENING’ – HAVE YOUR SAY!” - 09/01/06   back   return to top of page   return to top of page       

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has launched the Just Listening project here in the Rhondda .  

‘Just Listening’ is a nationwide project involving 33 Labour Members of Parliament, led by Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary and Minister for the Olympics.  This is the second time the project has been run.  

Chris has been inviting constituents to join him for a series of informal discussions focusing on some of the big questions about the way in which the Government engages with people.  The questions they will be tackling include:  

  • What single thing would most improve your quality of life and your community’s quality of life by 2010 and is this Government’s job?
  • What does fairness mean to you and how could Britain become a fairer society?
  • What can we all do to make politics more honest, more relevant and more effective?
  • What does Britishness mean to you and what can we do to make it more of a reality to unify society?

The results of these discussions, with those of other similar meetings around the country, will feed into a major report by the Fabian Society to be published in Spring (although participants in the consultation process will remain anonymous).  The MPs hope to present the results of the discussion to Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street .  

Chris says:

“’Just Listening’ does exactly what it says on the tin – local people will do the talking, and for once the politician will stay quiet and just listen.  In addition to all my local surgeries and visits, I want to take this chance to put some big questions to people and hear what they have to say.  This project will help make sure that the views of the Rhondda are heard at Westminster more loudly than ever.  

If you would like to take part in ‘Just Listening’ then please contact my office on 687697.”

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BRYANT WELCOMES CHANCELLOR’S PRE-BUDGET REPORT - 06/12/05    back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has welcomed the Pre-Budget Report unveiled by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as “good news for the Rhondda”. 

Among measures announced by the Chancellor were help for pensioners with their heating and more money to improve youth and community facilities.

Chris Bryant says –  

“There were many welcome announcements in the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget report, such as an additional £28 million for the Welsh Assembly Government to allocate as they wish, which is good news for Wales; help for first time home buyers with shared equity schemes to help them get on the housing ladder; and an increase in the tax credit income disregard from £2,500 to £25,000 a year which will increase certainty of tax credit awards when claimants take up new jobs. 

However, one that caught my eye was the news that the Government are committing £53 million to expand youth opportunity funds.  Each local authority will receive money over the next two years so that young people can run and decide on what local amenities and activities they want.  This is great news as it will empower young people and give them a real say in the programmes aimed at them. 

Also, the Winter Fuel Allowance, worth £200 for pensioner households with someone over 60 (£300 for over 80s), will be paid for the rest of this Parliament - this is excellent news for our 14,300 pensioners in the Rhondda.  What is more, the Government will be committing £300 million over three years to enable pensioners on Pension Credit who do not have central heating to have it installed free of charge.  There will also be a £300 discount for all other pensioners.

I welcome this Pre-Budget Report as it continues to demonstrate Labour’s commitment to pensioners, young people and hard-working families.  It builds on Labour’s successful management of the economy, which has seen unemployment slashed in Rhondda since 1997 by over 46 per cent, and allows for the Government’s continuing extra investment.”

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BRYANT CALLS FOR MORE LOTTERY MONEY FOR MINING CONSTITUENCIES - 22/11/05   back   return to top of page  

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has called on the Government to look into getting more lottery money for former mining constituencies.

During Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary questions on Monday, Chris highlighted the fact that money going to former mining constituencies has dropped off recently.  This was in contrast to the improvement in funding a couple of years ago.

Chris Bryant says –

“Lottery money is doing extremely good work all over the country, but former mining constituencies like the Rhondda seem to be losing out.

There was an improvement a couple of years ago, but this has fallen off again recently.  Constituencies like the Rhondda do not seem to be attracting the same levels of funding as other constituencies, and I urge the Government therefore to look into this.”

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BRYANT CALLS FOR PROPER RECOGNITION FOR BRITISH TROOPS IN BOSNIA - 09/11/05   back   return to top of page  

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has today called on the Government to recognise the hard work of British troops in Bosnia by allowing them to accept and wear the campaign medal awarded for completing a tour of duty.

At present, British forces serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not receive the campaign medal for their service as part of the EU Force Operation Althea.  However, the European troops they serve with do.

Because operations have been carried out under the UN, NATO and the EU there has been no British campaign medal for a tour of duty.  The European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal is awarded instead.  But because it is classed as a foreign medal in the UK, its acceptance and wearing is subject to a different set of rules from British medals.  As yet, approval to accept and wear the medal has not been given, which means that British troops do not receive proper recognition for their tour of duty in Bosnia.

Chris has therefore tabled an Early Day Motion, with widespread support from other MPs, calling on the Government to grant unrestricted acceptance and wear of the service medal.

Chris says –

“British troops have done an amazing peace-keeping job in Bosnia tackling everything from mines clearance and counter insurgency operations to drug smuggling and people trafficking.  The least we can do is say a proper thank you.  It’s downright unfair that German, French, Dutch, and even Romanian troops get a medal and our boys - who are the most professional of the lot – lose out.”

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NOTES TO EDITORS: 

The text of Chris’ Early Day Motion reads as follows –

 This House notes that British troops have been deployed in Bosnia since 1992 and played a vital part in the multinational forces IFOR and SFOR; further notes that British troops have remained in Bosnia as a key member of  EUFOR since it took over in December 2004; honours the tough and complex peacekeeping role that British troops have performed alongside French, Italian, Dutch and German colleagues; is concerned that unlike their European counterparts British troops serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina receive no campaign medal for their service; and calls on the Ministry of Defence to grant unrestricted acceptance and wear of the European Security and Defence Policy Service Medal so that the hard peace-keeping work of British troops in a difficult and often forgotten theatre of operation can be properly recognised.

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BRYANT WELCOMES NEW LAWS TO TACKLE COMPENSATION CULTURE - 03/11/05   back   return to top of page  

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has today welcomed new proposals to tackle compensation culture and protect people from the practices of cowboy claim companies.

The Compensation Bill is part of a package of measures to tackle the development of a ‘compensation culture’.  Amongst the measures in the Bill, it will require claims management companies to be regulated to comply with rules and a code of practice.  The Bill also sets out that courts considering a negligence claim should be able to take into account the wider social value of the activity where the injury took place.

Chris Bryant says –

“Everyone in the Rhondda knows that some of the claims handling firms overstep the mark when it comes to making claims. 

Schools have become too nervous about running events in case they end up with a massive compensation claim, yet some of the best education and youth work relies on a bit of a sense of adventure.  The sorry site of ambulance-chasing sickens most decent people so I am delighted that the Government is taking steps to curb the compensation culture. 

Of course when companies or individuals are negligent or fail to abide by health and safety standards then people should be entitled to compensation.  In the Rhondda we know that it was absolutely right and fair to compensate people for the ill-health they suffered as a result of working in the mines.  But some of the activities of dodgy law firms and claims handling firms have been scurrilous and mean hearted.”

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Compensation Bill was published on 3 November 2005.  The key measures of the Compensation Bill include:

  • The legislation will create an offence of providing claims management services if not authorised, exempted by the Secretary of State or subject to a waiver by the regulator. The maximum penalty for the offence will be two years imprisonment
  • Regulation will capture anyone providing claims management services in the course of a business or for reward; will allow for persons to be exempted if already subject to regulation
  • Regulation will be targeted in areas where there is the greatest potential for consumer detriment - initially these are likely to be claims for:

personal injury   -   criminal injuries compensation   -   employment   -   housing disrepair   -   mis-selling of financial products

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Bryant calls on Government to stop heroin getting into the UK - 18/10/05   back   return to top of page

Chris Bryant, Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, has called on the Government to ensure that heroin is stopped from getting on to the streets of the UK.

During House of Commons questions to the Defence Secretary, John Reid MP, Chris highlighted that while most of the heroin that comes into the UK comes from Afghanistan, it has to go through places such as Bosnia to get here.

Chris therefore called on the Government to block the trade routes that heroin has to take to get to the UK, as well as stopping it being farmed at the source in Afghanistan.

Chris says -

‘We know all to well the damage that drugs does to both the individual and to families, and heroin is right up there as being one of the most destructive.  This is why the Government have to use all of their available resources to stop this drug getting onto the streets of the UK.

Our troops are doing an excellent job, both in Afghanistan and Bosnia.  A recent find of large amounts of Afghan heroin in Bosnia by our troops highlights the routes that criminals have to take to get their drugs onto our streets.

I urge the Government to deal with this problem, by both tackling the source of drugs and blocking the drug routes.’

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