I am disappointed that a Government Minister refused to get involved with local affairs yet again. 
This time it was about the closure of Lickhill Primary School in Stourport. 

It is well known that the local authority wish to close this school and expand Stourport Primary School to a two-form entry primary school. Regardless of the merits of this proposal, the staff at Lickhill went through enough uncertainty and worry during the restructuring of education in Wyre Forest to a two-tier system. To put them through this stress again one year later is to me unacceptable. It is also unacceptable to a huge majority of parents who fought a powerful battle for the school's retention. 

An OFSTED inspection took place at the beginning of December and, to the utter amazement of everyone who knows of the school's achievements and high local and national reputation, has declared the school to be failing and therefore to go into special measures. 

As my letter to the Secretary of State was referred to OFSTED I have been in touch with them and have been reassured that no outside body can influence the timing of such inspections. Even though the result of an inspection leads to dissent the publication of a report is never delayed pending the outcome of complaints.

We must now follow the progress of the school's complaint about the inspection and await the result of the Adjudicator's Report on the closure of the school that had to be delayed until after the result of the OFSTED inspection was announced.
________

I regret that [Mr. Richard Hubbard] the respected Director of Children's Services chose to retire early at Christmas so he is not available to me for comments that I always found sensible and helpful when he was in post.
[And we welcome his temporary successor, Mr. Richard Keble, in post until 23rd March..Ed]
________

I have been asked when we will see the effect of the reduced fuel prices in our own fuel bills. Those of us who drive vehicles will already notice the reduction in motor fuel prices but those struggling to pay gas and electricity bills will not. 
I have written to the Minister in the Department of Energy and Climate Change to ask her to do all in her power to make sure these price reductions are passed on to consumers as quickly as possible.
________

The Coroners and Justice Bill had its Second Reading on Monday. 
The Government has combined necessary and largely agreed reforms of death and cremation certification with controversial changes in the law that will allow some inquests to be held in private without juries and sharing of information that may contravene the Data Protection Act. 

Because the Bill touches so many areas, front bench speeches took up three hours of just over the six hours available leaving little time for all the back bench members wishing to speak. 
As the only person in the debate who had ever signed death or cremation certificates I wanted to make my views clear and was frustrated only to be called to speak at the end of the debate. 

I have come to expect to be called on medical subjects and a senior MP reminded me that as an Independent I actually do better than most Party MPs so I must be grateful for my eight minutes.

RT

© Independent Kidderminster Hospital & Health Concern 1995-2009
(webdesign@chaddesley-corbett.co.uk)