Summary of this week in the House of Commons:

· Government Statement and Opposition Day debate on Syrian refugees
· Immigration Bill, Report and Third Reading
· Opposition Day debate on Teaching Quality
· Consumer Rights Bill, Second Reading

Other news from Parliament:
Lobbying Bill, Lords amendments
Lords amendment on smoking in cars – Children & Families Bill
Lords amendment on sex and relationship education – Children & Families

Question Time session at Haslingden High School

This morning I attended a Question Time session at Haslingden High School with Jake Berry MP for Rossendale and Darwen and Cllr Steve Hughes from Rossendale Borough Council. Pupils in

Hacked Off letter (to MPs) and press regulation

Dear Mr Graham Jones MP,  In 2013, by endorsing the Royal Charter on Press Self-Regulation, Parliament took a historic step towards greater press accountability without impairing freedom of expression. In 2014 Hacked Off will work hard to see the Charter put into action. Here are some of the things we are doing.

Widespread support for the Royal Charter

More than 100 leading figures from the

The fight against metal theft has been a remarkable success

The fight against metal theft has been a remarkable success in the relatively short time since I first introduced my Private Member’s Bill to the Commons, and the Government’s decision eventually to legislate. It is remarkable that according to the Government there has been a 45% reduction in overall metal theft, and a 75% reduction in theft from Network Rail property.

We have also for the first

YouGov poll on Britain’s relationship with the EU

electionista (@electionista)28/01/2014 07:44UK - YouGov poll on Britain's relationship with the EU pic.twitter.com/Ly36Rxzy72

UK Aid in Action - Update on Malaria

As a member of the APPG on Malaria and Tropical Disease, I recently received an update about the significant progress being made to reduce malaria worldwide. I have also spoken with NHS staff locally at A and E about triage and testing locally for those who have been away to Malaria infected areas and who may turn up at hospital concerned about a cold or shivers.Malaria is the greatest killer

The Tories need to adopt Labour’s plans to save our local pubs

This week I backed local pubs in Haslingden and Hyndburn by voting in Westminster to introduce a new code to support small landlords and give consumers greater choice.

Pubs are vital hubs for communities in Haslingden and Hyndburnand are valued by local people, but due to the Government’s inaction and broken promises, they are closing at an ever-increasing rate. This costs jobs, especially for

This week I signed the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day this week I signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, honouring those who died during the Holocaust as well as honouring the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people about what they endured.

Monday 27th January will mark the 69th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi

TORIES HAVE NO ANSWERS TO THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS BECAUSE THEY PUT THE WRONG PEOPLE FIRST

There are 13 million people living in poverty in Britain and for the first time ever, the majority are in working families. David Cameron says his economic plan is working and people are better off, but this simply isn’t true – and it just shows how out of touch they are. In the past, when the economy grew, most people got better off with it. But that isn’t true anymore. Today people are facing

Minister backs down in debate over bading of scrasp metal collector vehicles

When the metal theft legislation was passed I forced the government into conceding large council license badges on mobile metal collectors.


They did it by voting down the amendment I put forward by bringing forward a badly worded one of their own.


None the less the debate made it clear that large signs on vehicles are desirable.


The new minister Norman Baker MP since arriving in the job

Meeting of concerned Labour MPs with the minister on Shale Gas in Lancashire

LCC explain cuts to school milk ...

LABOUR’S BASIC SKILLS TEST WILL HELP THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED GET BACK INTO WORK

Local people tell me how concerned they are about unemployment, particularly long-term unemployment, and how it affects our social security system.

One of the main reasons why so many of the long-term unemployed find it hard to get a job is their lack of basic skills in maths, English and IT.

Labour this week announced plans that would require jobseekers to have an assessment of their basic

You may be interested in the following articles and speeches, delivered by members of the Labour Front Bench in the last week:


A piece by Tom Greatrex on shale gas: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10585347/Shale-gas-is-not-the-silver-bullet-to-all-our-energy-problems.html

A piece by Yvette Cooper on Syrian refugees: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/

Decent homes to rent in Hyndburn - What is being done?

Doreen Louise WalkerI sorry 2 trouble u I just wonder those houses what they building on Blackburn Rd r they 2 let with Hyndburn HomesToday Graham JonesHi Doreen,1) I believe Great Places Housing Group are involved in the rentals. There has been a show home there on site ( I had a look myself a while back) where they may have more info and provide an opportunity to

My article for Politics Home on FOBT's

Nick Clegg & LibDems voted to support FOBT's in Parliament

Fixed Odds Betting Terminals have been described as the ‘crack cocaine of gambling’ and they are the latest problematic consumer issue to land in the governments ‘broken markets’ in tray.

Touch screen arcade machines that offer pay by credit card roulette at £100 per spin every 20 seconds, a possible £18,000 per hour and whose easy

Summary of this week in Parliament

· Lobbying Bill, Consideration of Lords amendments
· Urgent Question on the UN Syrian Refugee Programme
· Opposition Day debate on Pub Companies (Pubcos)
·

Small Businesses Need Liability Insurance

Today many small businesses are popping up.  The reasons for this vary.  Many want to be their own boss, some people are creating their own job since they are unable to find one or many corporate companies are encouraging their employees to become 1099 consultants to help save on benefits.  Either way, people are setting up on their own and it is to these people that I write this blog article.  

Start up costs are a difficult things to manage when you are just beginning your business.  Many demands are placed on your budget but one thing I would encourage you to put top on that list is liability insurance.  All business, big or small, should have liability insurance to both protect the business itself and its customers.  Here are four reasons I would strongly recommend liability insurance even for theone person shop.

1) Contracts:  Contracts are king these days.  Customers require contracts to do business with you.  In many contracts you will see insurance requirements so it is best to have that in place at all times to be able to meet those requirements, especially if you are bidding for a job.  Many start up business work out of their home but for those that lease space elsewhere you will find insurance requirements in your lease contract that need to be met.

2) Slip and Falls:  As I write this article Ohio is dealing with cold weather, snow and ice.  Already claims are coming in where people have slipped and injured themselves outside of businesses.  Whether you are negligent or not in these situations there is still a cost to defend yourself when someone comes to your door on crutches handing you their medical bill from the fall they took on your premises.  

3) Product Liability:  Retailers who sell products have the exposure of something going wrong with their products and causing injury.  Especially if your product is used in cooking or toys for children, this risk is always there and could be very costly.

4) Property Damage to Others: Contractors face this risk the most.  If you are mowing a customer's yard and cause rocks to damage near by cars or houses you will be liable to pay for the damages.  If you are a contractor working on a customers building and end up damage a portion of the building you are not working on, that damage will be your responsibility.  

These are just four examples of where businesses risk having claims.  Each of these would be covered by a general liability policy setup for your business.  Be sure to consult with an independent agent that can help pinpoint the type of coverages that best suit your business and stay protected from unexpected expenses.

My article on FOBTs for Central Lobby News

Central Lobby News (@CLobbyNews)21/01/2014 17:27Graham Jones MP: A civil society should protect the vulnerable from FOBTs: Labour MP Graham Jones writes ahead... bit.ly/LBsAoe

Backing local pubs in Parliament

Backing local pubs in Parliament

Today I joined Labour colleagues in Parliament in backing local pubs across Britain by voting to introduce a new code to support small landlords and give consumers greater choice.

An estimated 26 pubs are closing each week in Britain and the large chains of pub companies (PubCos) have been accused of giving landlords a raw deal, with many paying over the odds

The December 2013 edition of Aviva’s Family Finances report makes sober reading.

The December 2013 edition of Aviva’s Family Finances report makes sober reading. Particularly worth noting is the fact that the gap between the highest and lowest earning families grew by 14% in the last three years, and at the same time less and less families have any savings to fall back.

Particularly hard hit have been divorced, separated or widowed parents who have seen their monthly incomes

East Lancs Hospice Run - a great success

I visited the first ever East Lancs Hospice 10k run in Great Harwood last weekend. The event saw over 300 runners from across the North West take part and raise money for East Lancs Hospice. There was also a 1k fun run for children and families.

The event was organised by the Hospice, Nick and Louise from Gaskell Motorbodies Great Harwood, Clayton-Le-Moors Harriers and local Rotarians

FW: FOBTs take main stage in Parliament as debate heats up

News Opposition debate sparks fresh FOBT controversy January 2014 became a landmark month for the Stop the FOBTs Campaign, as Labour supporters chose to debate the subject of FOBTs and licensing for the party's first opposition debate of the New Year. In a heated exchange, Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport Clive Efford put forward the Labour Party's concerns, inviting comment and

Behind Cold Doors - Report from The Children's Society

THE GOVERNMENT MUST HELP STRUGGLING FAMILIES WITH THEIR ENERGY BILLS
I am supporting The Children’s Society’s call that no child should have to grow up in the cold home. More than three million families are likely to cut back on food so they can pay their energy bills this winter, The Children’s Society reveals this week in its report, Behind Cold Doors: The chilling reality for children in

WE NEED A BANKING SYTEM THAT HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES INSTEAD OF HINDERING THEM

People in Haslingden and Hyndburn are facing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. Prices are soaring, wages are falling, working people are £1,600 per year worse off and small businesses are struggling to access the finance they need to grow. Yet David Cameron continues to demonstrate how out of touch he is with the struggles millions are facing and is determined to operate our

Summary of this week in Parliament

Opposition Day debate on Banking
Opposition Day debate on the National Minimum Wage
Backbench business debate on welfare reform and poverty
Urgent Question on IT systems and army recruitment
Offender Rehabilitation Bill, Report and Third Reading
Government statement on Syria

Opposition Day Debate on Banking
On Wednesday the House of Commons debated an Opposition motion on reform of the

Visit to North West Logistics, Altham

Last Friday I visited North West Logistics last week to discuss their plans for expansion and the work that they do in the UK and across Europe.

I'm always amazed at the diversity of employers and companies we have in Hyndburn and it's impressive to see how a firm in the constituency can be operating in Europe and looking to expand.

We discussed a number of things that I will be taking up

Agapao officially closes

In the summer I actively encouraged a mass application of people to join the controversial  charity Agapao with the sole intention of running the charity better. 

As far as I am aware all the applications were turned down - nearly all from Haslingden people with years of experience in charitable work.

I wrote to the Charity Commission (and lobbied the minister) about this and also the previous

The Syrian conflict; shocking photos

I receive much correspondence, and whilst shocking, and after much thought I decided that these photos were worth publishing as an insight into the brutality which ordinary people are suffering and why many have fled through the freezing temperatures to refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.

UK AID is providing substantial assistance to the refugee's. 

The situation in Syria is still

Accrington Observer Column

The last two months have seen a number of issues I have led on or been involved in come to the fore.

This week the All Party Metal Theft group met where the Energy Networks Association revealed a 45% drop off in metal theft.

I led the campaign with the ENA to change the law and the two lessons the Government must take from the legislation's success is that the tougher the better when it comes

Accrington to Manchester Airport Direct Line 2018? …

I have long campaigned for a direct rail link between Accrington  to Manchester and this is about to become a reality with the construction of the Todmorden Curve. Work is scheduled to finish this May though the start of the service has been delayed. This service as planned will terminate at Manchester Victoria.

Trains to Manchester Airport run from Manchester Piccadilly but work is soon to

The Tories promised in 2010 to balance the books by 2015

@GrahamJones_MP: The Tories promised in 2010 to balance the books by 2015 but have failed borrowing a lot more than planned.


View picture:

https://www.postuno.com/pu?741=13558&852=5568909.jpg

Concern over cancer rates in Hyndburn.

Cancer Research UK has released comprehensive data comparing constituencies across England (http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/local-cancer-statistics/). The results for Hyndburn are concerning when compared nationally.

The cancer incident rate in East Lancashire is 427.1 per 100,000, which is notably higher than the English average of 398.1 per 100,000.

Specifically, East

Extended Dwelling Coverage on a Homeowner

Many moons ago all insurance companies used to have guaranteed replacement cost endorsement you could put on your homeowner policy. This endorsement would guarantee that the insurance company would rebuild your house exactly as it was prior to the claim even if your limit of insurance on the house was lower than the cost to rebuild. Today many insurance companies limit that endorsement to only homes that are considered high value (homes valued at $500,000 or more). The endorsements also require that the insurance companies send out professional reconstruction appraisers to figure out as best they can what it would cost to rebuild your home.

For those homeowner clients who have a house valued at less than $500,000 the endorsement that needs to be added to the homeowner policy is Extended Dwelling Coverage. What this endorsement does is give a percentage of the homeowner limit as extra coverage in case of a total loss on the home. For example, if you have 25% Extended Dwelling Coverage and your house is insured for $200,000 then you would actually have $250,000 if your home suffered a total loss ($200,000 X 1.25 = $250,000).

We feel this coverage is important for two reasons. One reason is we do not send out professional reconstruction appraisers to every house. Instead, insurance companies use in house software that helps determine reconstruction cost on your house using things like square footage, construction type, location, year built, etc. to come up with a value. These programs are usually very accurate but nothing replaces the accuracy of an in home visit with measuring tape and details of the type of amenities in the house. The Extended Dwelling Coverage endorsement helps make sure that if for some reason the calculations on the house are a little off, there is still enough insurance there to replace the house to its original state.

The second reason we encourage this endorsement is for catastrophe situations. Let’s say a tornado wipes out not only your house but two other neighborhoods worth of homes. Every builder and building supplier in town will be in demand. Economics 101 will tell you that if demand goes up and supply is the same, then prices are going to rise. That home that only cost $200,000 to rebuild just got a lot more expensive but if you have the Extended Dwelling Coverage on your homeowner you would be in a much better situation.

One thing to note about this endorsement, you can’t use it to underinsure your home. In our example above, you can’t insure the house for only $160,000 and add the 25% Extended Dwelling Coverage (which would put your total insurance at $200,000). That is not the intent of the coverage. The insure companies will use their software to figure out a good estimate of the cost to rebuild your house and you would have to have it insured for that amount in order to add the coverage.