One in every hundred adults has autism, meaning there are 300,000 adults in England with the disability.

Alex’s endorsement of the ‘Push For Action’ campaign follows a recent NAS survey of 1,100 people across England, which showed that many adults with the disability are missing out on the support they need.  For instance, 36% of people with autism said they need help to wash and dress but only 7% get this support from social services, while 77% of people with autism said they need help to manage money but only 4% receive this support from social services.

These findings come despite the existence of the Autism Act 2009, which was designed to improve support for adults with autism and their families.  The new NAS research shows that while there have been some improvements, far too many people with autism are still waiting for the right services.

This year the Government is reviewing the impact of the Autism Act.  Alex is supporting ‘Push for Action’ to make sure adults with autism in Stockton North and across England can access support.

Alex said:

“If they don’t have the right support, many people with autism can struggle with the everyday activities that many of us take for granted.  With the impact of the Autism Act under review, I hope I can count on the support of local people in the area to get behind the NAS’ ‘Push for Action’ campaign, and seize this opportunity to improve life for adults with the condition.

“I will be writing to the council to make sure the needs of people with autism in the Stockton Borough are being put front and centre.”

Mark Lever, NAS Chief Executive, said:

“It’s great news that Alex is championing this important campaign.  Adults with autism have been waiting a long time to get the everyday support that they need.

“We’ve seen great strides forward in some parts of the country since 2009, but progress has been too slow and too patchy.

“The Government’s Autism Act review gives people with autism a second chance to be heard – we need to make it count.”

Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, is joining the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to urge constituents to learn how to spot the signs of wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) – the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK – so they can act quickly.

Alex is supporting RNIB’s “Spot the Signs” campaign to encourage over-50s to recognise the early signs of AMD, which include straight lines appearing curved or distorted, small print becoming difficult to read even when wearing reading glasses, and faces starting to appear blurry.

There are two main types of AMD, wet and dry.  While there is currently no treatment for dry AMD, sight-saving treatment is available for wet AMD if diagnosed in time.  About 40,000 people develop wet AMD each year, but many people do not recognise the urgency needed to diagnose and treat the condition which can take eye sight in as little as three months.

An RNIB report reveals that nearly 60 per cent of patients were unaware of the condition despite having dry AMD – a more gradual loss of sight which cannot be treated but can develop into wet AMD.  Just under 70 per cent of patients were not diagnosed within seven days – in accordance with professional guidance – increasing the risk of permanently losing their central vision.  Smoking is also a risk factor, with smokers twice as likely to develop AMD as non-smokers.  Studies show that stopping smoking can reduce the risk of developing AMD.

Alex said:

“I am pleased to support the RNIB’s “Spot the Signs” campaign, and strongly urge all constituents in Stockton North to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of AMD so that they can recognise any warning signs early and seek medical attention to prevent sight loss.

“Lack of awareness is risking the sight of thousands of people each year – nearly half of adults haven’t heard of AMD, while only just over a third would make an immediate appointment with their GP or optician if they started experiencing blurry vision or wavy lines.  I hope that this campaign will increase recognition of AMD and the associated risk factors, and encourage everyone to take action to minimise the risk of sight loss.”

Steve Winyard, Head of Policy and Campaigns at RNIB, said:

“We welcome the support of Alex Cunningham MP in raising awareness of the signs of wet AMD.  Losing your central vision can have profound consequences, with many people unable to carry out basic tasks such as driving, chopping vegetables, reading a newspaper or writing a shopping list.  However, it doesn’t have to be this way and people need to be aware of the early sign of wet AMD so they can act quickly and avoid sight loss.” 

Research from the Royal College of Nursing in the North East of England shows that while Kensington and Chelsea and the City of London get £184 and £133 respectively per person, Stockton gets just £67 and Redcar & Cleveland £81.

Areas like Chelsea and Kensington and the City of London have some of the lowest incidences of childhood smoking, lung cancers, diabetes and obesity in the country, and yet their public health funding allocations dwarf those of Teesside and the North East.

Alex said:

“Despite the progress made over the last 15 years on addressing public health issues, there are still tremendous differences in the life expectancy on areas like Teesside and the South East yet the Government has responded by concentrating the greatest resources in of all places the City of London and Kensington.

“That cannot be fair, and it shows the lack of understanding and judgement from the Government.  It is time the two Government MPs on Teesside, James Wharton and Ian Swales stood up for our communities – and instead of backing these huge discrepancies in funding, made their voices heard at Westminster and have the matter put right.”

Stockton North Labour MP, Alex Cunningham, said he was disappointed that despite plenty of platitudes from the Government about protecting the Nation’s health, they’re not prepared to do anything about it.

Alex was speaking after listening to the Queen’s speech outlining the Government’s legislative programme for the next year – a programme which is short on ideas and action to tackle the dire economic state we are in, stop rising unemployment and protect our communities.

But it was the lack of any health agenda that disappointed Alex most:

“I cannot understand why Government Ministers have a blockage when it comes to taking opportunities to improve our society by making it healthier.   Despite laudable statements around the need to tackle smoking in communities like my own in Stockton North, there is no sign of legislation to combat it,” he said

“The decision to drop a proposed Bill on introducing plain packing for cigarettes and tobacco, seemingly taken over the heads of the officials and Ministers who wanted it, robs us of an effective new tool in combating smoking.

“Sadly it means the tobacco and drinks industries with their massive lobbying resources have again seen the Tory government bow down and give in by ditching the legislation.

“Worse still it means that the opportunity to improve the health of the Nation has been lost yet again and the much needed brakes on the two industries has been let off yet again.”

Alex was also concerned about the thin legislative programme:

“People elect Government to take action to improve their lives – but there is little if any indication that the people of the North East will see much positive change in their lives over the coming year – and with the severe austerity programme only just starting to bite, things look more likely to get much worse,” he said.

My Money Week will improve young people’s financial skills, knowledge and confidence through special lessons, activities and debates in schools and other settings across the UK.  Teachers in Stockton North can order a free Activity Pack, developed by pfeg, full of creative and engaging financial resources and ideas for how to deliver financial education to young people, from the age of four up to 19.  Young people in Stockton North can also take part in the ‘A-Z of Money’, a national competition challenging them to learn more about money through creative writing.

Alex said:

“I am more than happy to encourage schools in my constituency to get involved with My Money Week. This is a great opportunity for schools in Stockton North to help young people to improve their financial knowledge and skills.”

Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group), said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Alex Cunningham MP in promoting My Money Week this year, and I hope all schools in Stockton North will seize the opportunity to take part through our free activity pack, advice and support.”

My Money Week 2013 will also raise awareness of Barclays’ flagship UK community programme, Barclays Money Skills, and provide opportunities for Barclays employees to share their financial expertise and skills with young people in teacher-led My Money Week activities in local schools.  In addition, this year will see extra resources targeted towards disadvantaged young people in both the school environment and the wider community.

Ashok Vaswani, CEO UK and Retail Business Banking at Barclays, said:

“It has never been more important for young people, particularly those who are vulnerable, to be able to access the support they need to learn about money. Having sound financial skills and being confident in managing money is critical to everyday living and achieving future goals.”

Since the first My Money Week in 2009, more than three million young people have been helped to understand more about money and personal finance through focused activities in schools.  In 2012 around 500,000 young people took part in My Money Week activities, with 99 percent of teachers reporting an increase in skills and knowledge and 91 percent of teachers reporting a shift in students’ attitudes towards money.

Teachers in Stockton North can pre-order their free My Money Week Activity Packs at www.pfeg.org/mymoneyweek

There has been no indication at all from the pre-speech announcements that such legislation will be in the list.

“I only hope the Government aren’t going to give in to the tobacco lobby and dump the proposals to bring in plain/standard packaging for cigarettes.  All the indications so far are that they have done so but I hope to be surprised,” said Alex.  “It would also be good to see them adopt the provisions of my Bill to ban smoking in cars with children present but that too looks unlikely.”

Meanwhile, the fight to ban smoking in a car when a child is present was aired by Alex’s fellow Labour MPs Steve Reed, Sharon Hodgson and Andy Sawford, who signed his new clause to be included in the Children and Families Bill which would introduce a ban.

The Minister, though warm towards the idea, agreed to look at the idea but the ‘new clause’ was withdrawn for the time being, though Alex and his colleagues will re-table it during the next stage of the Bill.

Smoking in cars when a child is present is proven to make the impacted child more likely to suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems later in life, and research has shown that the toxicity limit is breached, even when a window is open.

Alex said:

“I am pleased that the ban was debated in Committee Stage. Though the clause was withdrawn, I am still hopeful that it will be included in the final Bill. There is a growing consensus within the Labour Party that a ban is the right course of action and Ministers seem to accept the idea in principle. The health benefits of doing this are well known, and the idea that this somehow infringes on individual liberty is easily dismissed.

“I know that I have the support of at least three Ministers in the Department for Health, but now is the time for the Government to put their money where their mouth is, and throw their support behind this provision. Every day hundreds of children are unnecessarily subjected to damaging tobacco smoke. The Government have the power to stop that happening. It is time that they made that happen.” 

A detailed breakdown, obtained by Freedom of Information Requests from Shadow Home Office Minister Gloria De Piero and research by statisticians from the House of Commons Library, has revealed new figures which show that in the Stockton-on-Tees local authority area there were 9,383 anti-social behaviour incidents recorded by the police in 2012.  This means that, on average, there were 49 anti-social behaviour incidents per 1,000 people.

The figures also paint a revealing picture of the scale of the anti-social behaviour problem at a police force wide level.  Cleveland Police recorded 31,107 incidents of anti-social behaviour in 2012, which means on average there were 55.8 incidents of anti-social behaviour per 1,000 people.

Alex said:

“Anti-social behaviour is a serious problem and Cleveland Police has one of the highest rates per resident in the country to deal with.  The Government’s official crime survey has revealed that more than eight out of ten people believe anti-social behaviour has risen in England and Wales in the last 12 months, while nearly a third said that they had personally been a victim of yobbish behaviour or had witnessed an event.

“The Government is turning the clock back with their plans to scrap the ASBO and replace it with a weaker power which carries no criminal sanction for a breach.  The Government’s community trigger, which demands a response if a person has complained three times just isn’t good enough.  People have the right to expect action right away and help to tackle an issue which is a huge worry.

“I know how hard the local Police and Council work with other partners in our area to deal with anti-social behaviour, but if the Government strips away the sanctions imposed on troublemakers, their job can only be that much tougher to do their best for residents who just want to live in peace.”

Alex Cunningham, the Member of Parliament for Stockton North, is calling on parents across his constituency to check for warning signs of possible heart problems experienced by their children and follow life-saving guidance issued by the UK’s leading children’s heart charity.

Alex is supporting ‘Think HEART’ the Children’s Heart Federation which aims to increase early diagnosis of children’s heart conditions.

Think HEART provides parents with five easy signs to help to spot a heart problem:

H – Heart Rate (Is their heart rate too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 100 to 160 beats per minute)

E – Energy (Are they sleepy, quiet and too tired to feed)

A – Appearance (Is your baby a pale, waxy, dusky, blue or grey colour)

R – Respiration (Are they breathing too fast or too slow. Normal rate is between 40 to 60 breaths per minute)

T – Temperature (Are they cold to touch – particularly their hands and feet)

Alex said:

“Every year, 5,000 babies are born with Congenital Heart Disease, however only a third are detected before birth. Delays in diagnosis cause uncertainly, distress, physical harm and can even lead to risks to life for these young children.

“I urge parents across Stockton to look out for the five Think HEART signs to ensure that any problems are quickly identified and managed effectively”.

Anne Keatley-Clarke, Chief Executive of CHF says:

“We are grateful for Alex’s support for our Think HEART campaign. We hope their encouragement alert’s parents to the importance of checking the health of their children’s heart condition and it gives them the confidence to raise the issue with their doctor or health professional.”

The Government have argued that in too many cases tenants face a combination of unfair practices, lack of transparency, and a focus on short-termism which comes at the expensive of the long-term success and sustainability of the sector.

The consultation is designed to look into the possibility of creating a new statutory regulator and code to bring about a new relationship between pub companies and tenants which is fairer than the self-regulation of the recent past.

Alex said:

“It is important that the Government get this right, and I would encourage all publicans in the Stockton area to contribute to the consultation. Pubs are a key part of our local economy, and the small business economy more widely.

“I will write to all of the pubs in the local area, and make sure their voices are heard when the Government introduces the new code and regulator.” 

Alex Cunningham MP is supporting a call for the Government to bring in a law to require plain, standardised tobacco packaging after an estimated 539 young people started smoking in his local area during the last 12 months.

At a joint meeting last Tuesday of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Smoking and Health and on Heart Disease, Alex heard about the successful introduction of standard tobacco packaging in Australia and also from a UK shopkeeper who supports the measure.

Exactly one year ago, the UK Government launched a public consultation on tobacco packaging but has not yet issued a response. [1]  In the twelve months since the start of the consultation, more than 200,000 children have taken up smoking across the UK children, 539 have  started to smoke in Stockton-on-Tees, which is the equivalent to 10 every week. [1]

Alex said:    

“It is appalling that so many children in are being tempted into taking up smoking every day.

“Cigarette packs are designed to make smoking look cool and attractive yet the reality is a  life-time of addiction, illness and premature death. If we are to stop a new generation becoming addicted to this deadly habit we need to act now.   Australia has led the way with standard cigarette packs which show the gruesome truth about smoking.  The UK can, and should be the next country to implement this life-saving measure.”

Professor Mike Daube, of Curtin University, who chaired the Australian Government’s expert committee that recommended standard packaging commented:

“Contrary to the myths peddled by the tobacco industry, the  standard tobacco packaging in Australia has been a great success.  Only four months after the legislation came into effect, it is clear that retailers are coping well, and there are very positive indications that smokers are being encouraged to quit. Now that the promotional elements have gone, the cigarette pack has turned from a fashion accessory to a stark and unavoidable reminder of the dangers of smoking.

 “The UK has a good track record in terms of tackling tobacco but needs to do more to prevent a new generation getting hooked. I hope that the Government will follow Australia’s lead and bring in standard tobacco packaging as soon as possible.”

 John McClurey, a shopkeeper in the north-east of England, is also in favour of standard packaging. He commented:

 “Retailers are fed a lot of misinformation from the tobacco companies about the likely impact of standard packaging on our businesses.  But real life experience in Australia shows that small shop-keepers have nothing to fear.  No-one has gone out of business as a result of this measure.  Tobacco sales are already declining and as standard packs will mainly deter children from smoking, the impact will be gradual over the longer term.”