REPRESENT is about you and your connection to Parliament. Your response could be about making your voice heard, or about ensuring others listen. It might be about how you are represented now or how you would like that to be changed. Or it might be about your identity and how that affects how you are represented in 2012. Whatever it is you would like to say, you can do it with lyrics, rhyme, prose, or even just a couple of sentences.

“I think REPRESENT offers an exciting opportunity to talk about representation and what it means to get your voice heard. I am delighted that the poem will be shown in the historic setting of Westminster Hall during the Arts in Parliament programme this summer, and I encourage everyone in Lincoln and indeed Lincolnshire to get involved,” said Mr M^cCartney MP.

Using the responses from across the UK, award-winning poet and performer Inua Ellams will create a single poem which will be shown as a film online and in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament between m 1 – 6 August 2012.

To participate, include your first name, age and city or town you live in, and submit your short contributions via: email to represent@parliament.uk, Twitter using the hashtag #represent2012 or YouTube. Submissions must be received by Monday 25 June 2012.  For full rules and details visit: www.parliament.uk/artsinparliament

REPRESENT is a partnership project between Arts in Parliament, an innovative and unique programme which brings visual art, music, dance and poetry into the iconic setting of the Houses of Parliament in the Olympic year, and the UK’s leading spoken word organisation, Apples & Snakes.

Notes 

1.       For media enquiries about REPRESENT and Arts in Parliament please contact: Anikka Weerasinghe weerasinghea@parliament.uk / 0207 219 0849 or Gary Calder calderg@parliament.uk / 0207 219 1123.

2.       Arts in Parliament is an innovative and unique programme which brings art, music, dance and poetry into the iconic setting of the Houses of Parliament in the Olympic year. From June to September 2012 there will be free exhibitions displayed in Westminster Hall and on Cromwell Green, together with performances from the Arts in Parliament partners.  For more information visit www.parliament.uk/artsinparliament or follow @UKParlArts on Twitter.

1. REPRESENT is a spoken word project that will take place throughout the first six months of 2012, culminating in the creation of an ‘epic poem for the 21st Century’ on the themes of identity, voice, democratic engagement and political representation. The final poem will be curated by a leading spoken word artist, and presented as a digital collage on film. The film will be shown in Westminster Hall during the Arts in Parliament programme between 1 – 6 August 2012, and will be available online. All submissions must be received by Monday 25 June 2012. For full details visit www.parliament.uk/artsinparliament.

4.       Apples & Snakes is the leading organisation for performance poetry in England, with a national reputation for producing exciting and innovative participation and performance work in spoken word. They work in partnership with creative individuals and organisations across the country to produce high quality artistic experiences – including work with, for and by young people – that raise the profile of spoken word and push the boundaries of the artform, artists and audiences. They offer professional development for artists including advice, training and performance opportunities at a local, national and international level, with a particular focus on nurturing emerging talent and championing marginalised and disenfranchised voices. For more information visit www.applesandsnakes.org

5.       Inua Ellams is an award winning poet, playwright and performer; a writer with a style influenced by classic literature and hip hop. Rooted in a love for rhythm and language, he crosses 18th century romanticism and traditional story telling with contemporary diction, loose rhythm and rhyme. His first play, The 14^th Tale, won the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 before returning to London for a sold-out run at the Cottesloe, National Theatre. His 2nd play ‘Untitled’ toured nationally for 30 dates including 2 weeks at Soho Theatre in October 2010.

Inua  also works as a graphic designer / visual artist as such describes himself as a ‘Word & Graphic Artist’. Both art forms combined, he has work with diverse organisations including: The Royal Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, The National Theatre, BAC, Roundhouse, Soho Theatre,  British Council, BBC Radio 1 through to 4, BBC TV, TATE Modern & Britain, and the South Bank Centre. For more details visit: http://inuaellams.com/

In short, ill thought out regulations cost businesses time and money, damaging both growth and prospects for greater employment.  However, sometimes, the regulation itself is fine – it is inconsistent or inappropriate enforcement that causes problems or could just be so much better.

That is why the Government have launched Focus on Enforcement – a new campaign and call for evidence.  For the first time, information about regulators is being made available in one place so that businesses and members of the public will be able to have their say about how the enforcement of regulation affects them and to suggest areas of enforcement that should be considered for possible review.

Karl said, “The Government would very much like to hear from members of the public, civil society organisations and businesses, examples of good and bad enforcement practice so we can both share good practice and seek reform of areas that are causing problems.  I would ask my Constituents and businesses and organisations in the City of Lincoln to submit their suggestions to http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/focusonenforcement.”

The best ideas and suggestions will be chosen for further investigation and the Government will report its findings on the website  http://www.bis.gov.uk/ together with the actions it proposes to take in due course.

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

“I welcome this report and I, along with the CQC, recognise the progress Lincoln County Hospital has made, particularly around assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision. The report describes an increase in activities and systems to manage and reduce risks to patients and reflects the success of the Safety and Quality Dashboards that were launched across the Trust in December.

“In addition to the CQC’s report, my recent visits to the Hospital have assured me that the Trust remains fully committed to addressing all the issues raised and that they are working very hard to identify where improvements can be made.”

The CQC Report may be viewed at Lincoln County May 2012

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk.

Justine Greening will outline progress following the Prime Minister’s summit in February and confirm new measures being taken by Government to encourage the insurance industry to reduce premiums, including for young drivers.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening said, “Car insurance costs are simply too high: they must be reduced.  The Government has already taken tough action to ban referral fees, reform no win no fee rules and crack down on fraudulent whiplash claims.  But I think we can go further.  Why is it when the overwhelming majority of UK young drivers are amongst the safest in the world and we are seeing faster reductions in casualties for this age group than for all drivers as a whole – that premiums are still sky high? That is why we will be talking with young drivers to find out what they think can be done to reduce the cost of car insurance. Insurers need to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes, which will allow young drivers to prove how safe they are.  There is no getting away from it: the cost of car insurance is bearing increasingly little relationship to the real world.  I am convinced that by working together with drivers and the industry we can bring some common sense back and get premiums down.”

City MP, Karl M^cCartney, said, “I am pleased this Government is tackling this issue of high motor insurance premiums.  Action needs to be taken by the legal profession and insurance sector companies with regard to the issue and it may need regulation to force them to comply.  The cost of motor premiums has been driven up by insurers, solicitors and claims management companies who have encouraged people involved in road accidents they did not cause to claim for personal injury, car hire, and other legal costs.  While we do need to improve the regulation of this, I feel very strongly that there has to be changes in the law too.  And whilst we are examining the issue of insurance, costs, claims, including bona fide whiplash claims and insurance scams, we also need to address the 1.5m drivers on our roads that currently remain uninsured.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

-NOTES -

The Transport Secretary, with Road Safety Minister Mike Penning, Cabinet Office Minister of State Oliver Letwin, Ministry of Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly and Minister of State for Health Simon Burns, will discuss with the insurance industry how this action should result in real savings in insurance premiums. The measures include:

On whiplash

It is scandalous that we have a system where it is cheaper for insurers to settle a spurious whiplash claim out of court than defend it, creating rocketing insurance premiums for honest drivers. We will weed out fraudulent claims by:

• Consulting on the feasibility of introducing independent medical panels for assessing whiplash claims, making it more difficult to claim exaggerated or fraudulent injuries which push up costs for responsible motorists.
• Consulting on increasing the small claims threshold for personal injury claims (from £1,000 up to £5,000). This would mean that most whiplash claims would go through the cheaper small claims track.
• Working closely with the Department of Health and other health bodies, we’ll issue tougher guidance on whiplash diagnosis to enable doctors not to support claims they don’t think are genuine.
• Calling on insurers to do more on deterring speculative or exaggerated claims by sending a clear message – possibly by printing messages on printed literature – that whiplash claims will be rigorously assessed and challenged.

• Working with manufacturers on advances in crash avoidance technology which could help prevent some accidents (like whiplash) from occurring and encourage them to offer effective systems and raise awareness with the public (including by providing better information through our websites on crash avoidance technologies and car safety ratings, to help prevent and lessen the impact of accidents).

On young drivers

Some groups, especially young drivers, are seeing some of the highest premiums.  Whilst UK young drivers are amongst the safest in the world, and we are seeing faster reduction in casualties for this age group than for all drivers as a whole, they remain some of the most ‘at risk’ road users.  We are looking at ways to improve safety and drive down the costs of their insurance. Action includes:

• Listening to young drivers to find out what they think about what can and should be done to reduce the cost of car insurance for them. It is important that we don’t put in place unnecessary blanket restrictions but see whether there are ways where young drivers can work with insurers on measures to reduce risk.  We’ll start a listening exercise shortly.

• Continuing with our reforms through the Learning to Drive programme – encouraging and properly training people to be lifelong, safe and responsible drivers’, education which is ultimately best achieved through better standards of training and changes in behaviour.

• Working with the insurance industry on post test training to see whether this could improve safety and help identify the younger drivers who are less at risk, which in turn could lead to reduced insurance.

• Urging insurers to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes. Through these ‘smartboxes’ insurers can access a real time data feed which would allow them to see whether additional learning has improved driving behaviour – something which simply has not been possible in the past. This will allow insurers to gain a much more direct understanding of risky driving behaviours and make the driver aware of this, rewarding safer drivers with reduced premiums. We welcome the fact that a number of insurers have already introduced products, and most of the largest insurers are now starting large scale pilots. Estimates suggest that young drivers should see their annual premiums fall by 20% or more with a black box installed and many hundreds of pounds over time and we urge the industry to look at passing on reductions in premiums as a matter or urgency.

• We also want to ensure that professional instructors, who provide paid training, have the appropriate qualifications and skills to do this.   This will raise the overall standard of training, and maximise the benefits from wider changes we have/or make to the driving tests and the way that people learn to drive. We are already working with the training industry on proposals.

• There will be a fresh launch in September of the voluntary Safe Road User qualifications available   Aimed at 14 -16 year olds, these seek to ensure that young people develop a solid grounding in safe road use be it as pedestrians, cyclists.  Our aim which insurers support is ensuring that people develop the correct attitude early on, and before they get behind the wheel.

Other measures

• The Government is already taking steps to address the compensation culture and take excess money out of the legal system, through a fundamental reform of ‘no win no fee’ conditional fee agreements and a ban on the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases. These reforms are being taken forward through provisions in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and will  have a significant beneficial impact on personal injury claims.

• We will reduce the fixed fees payable under the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) personal injury protocol for claims where liability has been admitted, which will bring down the costs of making a claim and contribute towards reducing premiums. We are also extending the scheme up to £25k (about 97% of all RTA claims)  and also to cover employers liability and public liability and claims– both of these changes will be introduced in April 2013.
• Since the February summit we have continued to look at what reduction should be made to the £1200 fixed recoverable costs lawyers automatically receive in small value claims, for a new level to be introduced in April 2013.

• The Government has already cracked down on uninsured driving, which puts at least £30 on the price of each premium by making it illegal to own an uninsured car.

• Earlier this year the Government announced measures to transform the levels of customer service provided by garages. We will work with the industry to drive up standards and the quality of work by supporting the development of industry codes and better information on the performance of garages. Mystery shopper tests will also help to improve standards and protect consumers. These will mean better quality and longer-lasting car repairs and tackle the problem of garages that overcharge simply because a repair is covered by an insurance policy.

Key facts and info: 

The average motor insurance bill today is £410 – a 17 per cent rise on last year. (ABI)

The average premiums for young drivers are £2,977 for a young male driver and £1,682 for a female driver (The AA)

Britain is now the whiplash capital of Europe, with more than 1,500 claims a day, with people claiming for whiplash injuries sustained in the most minor of incidents;

According to the ABI the cost to the industry from whiplash claims is £2 billion, adding £90 to the average premium;

The Government has already cracked down on uninsured driving, which puts at least £30 on the price of each premium, by making it illegal to own an uninsured car; 

Attendance list

 ABI                                        

Otto Thoresen and Nick Starling

 Admiral                                  

David Stevens, CEO

 Aviva UK and Ireland

David McMillan, CEO

Axa UK and Ireland        

Paul Evans, Group CEO

Co-operative Insurance        

David Neave, Director of General Insurance                  

RBS Insurance                      

Tom Woolgove MD Personal Lines                        

RSA                                       

Adrian Brown, UK Chief Executive

Zurich UK                              

Stephen Lewis, CEO

Sabre and the Motor Insurers Bureau

Keith Morris, the Managing Director of Sabre and Chair of the Motor Insurers Bureau

British Insurance Brokers’ Association

Graeme Trudgill

Uswitch                                  

Ann Robinson  

Which                         

Peter Vicary-Smith, Chief Executive

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport

Mike Penning

Cabinet Office Minister of State

Oliver Letwin

Ministry of Justice Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Jonathan Djanogly

HM Treasury

Bridget Micklem, Deputy Director of Insurance and Savings

Minister of State for Health

Simon Burns

Cabinet Office

Kate Starkey

Driving Standards Agency (DSA)

Rosemary Thew

Mark Magee

Type 1 diabetes is a serious autoimmune condition that causes the body’s own immune system to turn on itself and attack cells in the pancreas, which produce insulin.  The condition affects about 300,000 adults in the UK, including over 26,000 children and requires multiple daily insulin injections and finger prick blood tests to manage.

Commenting on the event Mr M^cCartney said, “It was a pleasure to attend the ‘Type 1 Parliament’ lobbying event and the meet with Marie, Findley and other attendees last Wednesday.   As a result of this event and conversation and correspondence with Marie and Findley, I have already written to Rt Hon David Willetts MP, the Minister of State for Universities and Science at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, requesting an update on the measures the Government is taking to encourage and fund medical research into Type 1 diabetes and I await his response with interest.”

Over the last few years, JDRF has successfully built awareness for type 1 diabetes and has developed a political presence within Westminster through the devolved administrations, campaigning on the postcode lottery on the provision of insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors and advocating the importance of funding medical research for type 1.  In 2009 the UK Government, through the funding bodies including the Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research committed £51 million to research, to tackle the growing problem of diabetes.  Of this, only £6 million^[1] was applicable to type 1 diabetes.  In relation to funding, the UK falls way behind other developed countries and JDRF believes that this needs to change.  Not only will greater investment in research ensure we find the cure for type 1 diabetes sooner; it could also bring significant advantages to the UK economy. 

For more information about type 1 diabetes and JDRF, please contact JDRF on 0207 713 2030 or jperry@jdrf.org.uk. 

-Notes-  

Attached: images of Karl with Type 1 Parliament delegates, Marie Betts and Findley Scrivener 

About type 1 diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening condition that has a life-long impact on those diagnosed with it and their families.  JDRF exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes.
• People with type 1 diabetes rely on multiple insulin injections or pump infusions every day just to stay alive, until we find the cure.
• It normally strikes children and stays with them for the rest of their lives.
• Type 1 diabetes affects about 300,000 people in the UK, 26,000 of them children. 

About JDRF

JDRF exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications, and is the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research charity.  At a global level, JDRF volunteers and staff have been responsible for raising over £900 million to support type 1 diabetes research, since the charity’s inception. www.jdrf.org.uk

Sanofi, Lilly, Animas, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd and Bayer have sponsored JDRF’s Type 1 Parliament event. They have had no input into the content of the event.

Mr M^cCartney will also hold an Advice Surgery on Friday, 25th May, between 5pm to 7pm at Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln.

For an appointment, please call Karl’s Office on 020 7219 7221 or email karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

Karl M^cCartney JP MP:

“Is my Rt Hon Friend aware of recent very good news in the manufacturing and engineering sectors in Lincoln.  Hoval have seen an increase in turnover of over 20% to around £17.5m, Italian firm Bifrangi have confirmed a c.£50m investment in a new tooling press, one of the largest in the world, and Siemens are involved with the first new Engineering School in our country for 20 years, at the University of Lincoln.  Would my Rt. Hon. Friend accept my personal invitation to visit Lincoln and see for himself the excellent progress our City is enjoying under his Conservative-led Government? “

Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP:

“I am very grateful for my Hon. Friend’s invitation and I shall try and take it up.  As I said earlier, [despite] the very disappointing [GDP figures] today, underneath there is a rebalancing that needs to take place and is taking place, in terms of manufacturing investment, in terms of exports and in terms of the Government getting behind that with more investment in apprenticeships, more investment in technical hubs at our universities like the one at the University of Lincoln, and cutting business taxes so we get Britain working and making things again.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

“At this stage I do not believe the findings of the Report, nor the response of the Federation Trustees, should be made public.  I am confident that the Department for Education and EFA are fully aware of all the facts and any decision to make information public is a decision for the Federation Trustees and others to make.

“The Parents have a right to know that the Federation senior management specifically, and the academies’ management teams within it, are operating and making financial decisions that are the right ones for their children.  I believe the Federation and the Priory Academies will continue to act in the best interests of their pupils and will of course keep parents informed with the information that they need to know.  In the wider general sense the Federation decisions to purchase both the Equestrian Centre, the French Centre and to invest in the new buildings and facilities at the various Academy school sites have been audited and examined by the EFA on behalf of the Department for Education and judged to have been value for money.”

Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney, has called for local amateur film makers to enter FILM THE HOUSE, a national competition that celebrates up-and-coming amateur film producers, directors and script writers across the UK.

Film lovers of all ages are urged to get their creative juices flowing, and submit their amateur films to FILM THE HOUSE.   Mr M^cCartney will nominate his top film from the area for the national competition, which aims to also raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights, film and the creative industries.

Founded by Mike Weatherley MP and supported by the British film industry, FILM THE HOUSE gives entrants the chance to win a screening of their film to film industry executives at the House of Commons.

Mr M^cCartney said: “FILM THE HOUSE is a great opportunity for aspiring film makers of any age looking to find a way into the industry. I am excited to see the films that the people of Lincoln can come up with, and hope to see as many submissions from our City as possible.”

The competition is designed to promote the wealth and variety of film in the UK. Categories include drama, thriller, action, comedy, music video, documentary, as well as a separate category for under 18s which can be any genre.

The closing date for nominations is 30th June and the winners will be announced on the 30th October at a special reception and screening of the winning film at the House of Parliament. For more information on how to apply visit www.filmthehouse.com .

- Notes -

Founded by Mike Weatherley MP and supported by the Alliance Against IP Theft, FILM THE HOUSE is an innovative and fun Parliamentary initiative to raise the political profile of the importance of intellectual property rights, film and the creative industries, among Parliamentarians and the Government.

This competition follows the success of the founding parliamentary competition Rock the House. Supported by patrons including Alice Cooper, Robin Gibb, Mark Hoppus, Ian Gillan and Charlie Simpson from Busted, the competition is now in its second year, and celebrates the very best of up-and-coming unsigned British artists, and the live music venues that support them.

For more information please visit www.filmthouse.com or contact Amy Bourke or Lucy Hopkins on 0207 618 9142, filmthehouse@luther.co.uk

Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney, has won the Bupa ‘Get Moving’ challenge donating £1000.00 worth of sports equipment between: The Ark at Waddington Pre-School, Queen’s Park School, Westgate Academy, St Lawrence Church of England Primary School and Clayton’s St Peter’s Table Tennis Club.

Held in partnership with MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it!), the Youth Sport Trust and Diabetes UK, Bupa organised three walks around Westminster between 24 January and 7 February to raise awareness of the benefits that taking regular exercise, such as walking, can have in ensuring a healthy heart and reduced body fat.

13 Members of Parliament took part in the competition. The three 30 minute walks around Westminster went past some of London’s most famous landmarks including Big Ben, The London Eye and Trafalgar Square.

On winning the sports equipment, Karl M^cCartney MP said: “It was fun to take part in the walks and fantastic to win the money for sports equipment for young people and adults in Lincoln. I know the equipment will be put to good use by the schools and the table tennis club.”

Martin George, Managing Director, Group Development, Bupa said: “It’s great that Members of Parliament are setting a positive example by taking part in the Bupa ‘Get Moving’ challenge and I’d like to congratulate all the winners on their success. Bupa and our partners [MEND, Youth Sport Trust and Diabetes UK] are committed to helping people to get moving and live healthier lifestyles and walking is an excellent way of achieving this.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR

Evidence shows that regular exercise, including walking, can:

• halve the risk of getting type 2 diabetes;

• halve the risk of developing coronary heart disease.