Local MP, Andrew Percy, spent last Friday night at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service 999 emergency call handling centre at York. The MP spent between 10pm and 2am at the centre which responds to emergency calls from the East Riding. During the course of the evening, Andrew was able to listen in to emergency calls as they came in and to observe how call handlers deal with emergency calls. The centre not only handles calls but also dispatches Ambulances.

Andrew says, "It was great to be able to spend time with both the call handlers and the dispatchers who determine which resources are sent to which incidents. What struck me was just how quickly everything happens. As soon as calls come in to the Ambulance service, resources are dispatched, even before all of the details are taken from the call. It is reassuring to know that even as the details of an emergency call are still being taken down, a vehicle will have been dispatched to the call.

"The call handlers are very well trained and use a specialist call handling scheme which enables them to offer the best advice to callers on how to deal with the particular issues involved in that emergency. Everything happens so quickly on the call as the handlers run through a series of questions which pop up and are appropriate to the nature of the call. It was a struggle to just keep up!

"I also got to spend some time with the dispatch team, specifically the dispatcher for the East Riding Ambulances. This enabled me to talk at length about how the Goole Ambulances are dispatched. This built on my recent shift with one of the crews from Goole. During that visit I once again saw how Ambulances from our area can get stuck responding to calls in other areas. This is an issue I will be discussing in more detail with service managers shortly.

"Like my recent visits with the Police and the Ambulance crew, I was once again surprised by just how many of the calls for service dealt with involved alcohol. It is awful to see so much taxpayers money being used to respond to self-inflicted incidents involving booze. Every time an Ambulance responds to an alcohol related incident it is not available to respond to genuine emergencies such as heart attacks."

Local MP, Andrew Percy, today supported Brough workers rally at the BAe Systems Annual General Meeting (AGM) in London. Workers travelled down by coach and those with shareholdings went into the meeting to raise questions with BAe’s Board over job losses at the Brough site.  Andrew joined over 500 workers lobbying outside the AGM.

Andrew is to speak at the rally during the afternoon.

Andrew said, “I headed down to London to give my support to Brough workers outside the BAe AGM this morning. There was a huge turnout for the rally outside and many more workers used the opportunity as shareholders to attend the AGM and question BAe’s Board.

This is a really important campaign. A large number of people could be affected by job losses at the Brough site. The enormous turnout today has shown the strength of feeling among workers. I’ll continue to do whatever I can to help mitigate job losses at the site.”

Photo: Roy Cartwright, Union Convenor at Brough, Andrew Percy MP and Diana Johnson MP.

Local representatives, Andrew Percy MP and Cllrs John Barrett and Caroline Fox, met with representatives from UK Coal this week for an update on plans to extend the Kellingley mining activites into the East Riding. The proposed area of the mining extension would bring mining operations to the land between Pollington, Gowdall and Heck. There would be no mining under any of our local villages.

Andrew and the local Councillors met with representatives of UK coal, John Hind, company surveyor, Spencer Warren, Heaton Planning and Andy Mortimer, Kellingley Colliery surveyor (see photo). The meeting was a follow up to the meeting held in January.

Local MP, Andrew Percy, says, “When we last met UK Coal they told us that they would be undertaking further reports and investigations before making any further decision on whether or not to apply for the extension of the mine.

They have now completed some of these reports and are now looking at putting together an Environmental Statement to accompany a planning application that could be submitted sometime in the next few months. UK Coal again stressed to us that there would be no workings above ground and no mining under any of our villages which would have caused concern to residents.

Ahead of any application, UK Coal has agreed with us on the need to hold some public information events in the area to keep people informed and to allow residents to ask questions ahead of any application.”

Cllr John Barrett adds, “We have asked UK Coal to make sure they hold these sessions in both Gowdall and Pollington to enable as many interested residents as possible to come along. There would obviously have been more concern if the mining operations were proposed to come under local homes in our villages.

The planning application process will also allow residents and Parish Councils to make their views known and to raise issues. UK Coal informed us that even if planning permission were granted it could be some years before the extended area was actually mined.”

Cllr Caroline Fox continues, “We will obviously keep residents fully informed on this development and make sure residents know about the public information events which we will also attend.

This mining would take place about half a mile below the surface and UK Coal says that the extension would help secure the future of the pit which employs 700 people, including a number from our area.”

Local MP, Andrew Percy, is celebrating after BT announced a number of telephone cabinets in Brigg and surrounding areas such as Broughton and Wrawby should soon be upgraded to allow access to superfast fibre broadband for residents.

Andrew has met with BT on several occasions to push for faster broadband in the region. He most recently discussed the matter with Clova Fife, Head of Parliamentary Affairs (left) and Annmarie Holligan, Programme Delivery Manager at BT (centre).

A list of telephone cabinets being upgraded can be found at https://sites.google.com/a/shumberbroadband.info/shumberbroadband/briggmap. Andrew has contacted BT to discuss the cabinets that are not being upgraded. BT informed Andrew that some are in non-commercially viable areas but they will be kept under review.

Fibre broadband can provide speeds of up to 76Mb, or possibly more as technical upgrades occur in the future.  According to BT, the cabinets should be upgraded by August 2012. Residents should contact their service provider to enquire about an upgrade.

Separately, North Lincolnshire Council’s Broadband Plan is currently awaiting approval for £2.3m of Government funding. The plan seeks to ensure that more than 90% of residents have access to superfast broadband and will attempt to bring superfast broadband to areas deemed non-commercially viable. Andrew has written to Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt MP, requesting that he approves the plan as soon as possible.

Andrew Percy MP says, “I regularly raise with BT how important broadband is in our area. This is great news for many people in Brigg and surrounding villages. Superfast broadband will ensure we keep up to speed with more urban areas.

“BT are not proposing to enable every street cabinet at this stage. I have lobbied them on this and they will keep those cabinets under review. However, North Lincolnshire Council have submitted a Broadband Plan which will look to fill the non-commercially viable gaps. I’ve written to the Secretary of State to push for the £2.3m funding for the plan to be approved as soon as possible.

“I know broadband speeds and access mean a great deal to people locally. I’ll continue to keep residents updated on any progress.”

Local MP Andrew Percy and local leaders from the NHS and business have come up with a novel way to help local youngsters get back into work.  They will be holding mock interviews along the lines of "The Apprentice" TV programme with a group of young people aged between 18 -24 - these jobseekers will be ones who are keen to gain employment but who would benefit from some coaching and feedback from experienced employers and business people.  Interviewees will be expected to attend dressed as they would for an interview and present an up to date CV, they will receive feedback on all aspect of the interview from first impressions,  through to depth of answers, quality of CV and preparation in general.

Stuart Griffiths Jobcentre Plus District Manager, whose organisation is identifying suitable young people and will be hosting the interviews at Goole Jobcentre on 28 May said: "This is a terrific example of a local MP and local business leaders giving up their own time to help some 18-24 year old customers improve their prospects in the labour market.  Our advisers work with young people and give advice and guidance on interview technique, the amount of support that we give to young jobseekers has increased under the Government's Youth Contract - but any extra help is very gratefully received.  It will be invaluable for these jobseekers get some tips and advice from Andrew and the other business leaders - it might just make the difference between getting the job they want or not."

Andrew Percy said "I am delighted to be involved in this initiative, Youth Unemployment is a top priority for the Government and also for me as a local MP.  I meet lots of young people who are really keen to find a job and if myself and other employers can do something that might help them, then we are very happy to help.   Whilst the format will be loosely based on The Apprentice TV programme, I think that we can promise the interviewees that whilst we will be honest and forthright, the approach will be considerably more supportive than they might have seen on the programme!  I will be keeping in touch with the  jobcentre to track how the young people get on following these mock interviews - if it is deemed to be a success we can always look to repeat the exercise."

Local MP Andrew Percy and Cllr Paul Robinson, Chair of the Goole and Howden Community Partnership, met with Goole GoFar Chairman Martin Crossland and Development officer, Christine Dales to discuss the issue of rural transport.

Discussed were some of Andrew and Paul’s ideas and plans for the future, and how by working together and with the East Riding and Parish Councils, rural transport projects for both young and old could be developed and expanded. This could include bussing people into Goole to utilise the facilities available at for example the Leisure Centre, the Hinge or the Junction.

Andrew Percy MP said, “I also wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area to run in the summer when school kids are on holiday. For a couple of years local kids have said they would like to be able to get to Xscape in Castleford during the summer”.

Paul and Andrew left the meeting with Martin and Christine from the GoFar feeling very positive. All involved are looking to work together, and with other East Riding Councillors and Parish and Town Councils to address issues of rural transport in our areas.

Andrew Percy MP also said, “Goole GoFar do a great job locally and it was great to meet with them to discuss local services. I wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area. They have said they will look at the cost of this so that I can pursue it further. It may come to nothing but at least we are looking into it”.