I’ve campaigned over the years to protect the Green Belt; it goes without saying that urban areas like ours need open space. Developers have their own agenda and no doubt some have already cast their eyes over the site of Three Crowns School. I urge residents of Walsall to protest strongly should the Council give permission to build on the site. I would prefer the existing buildings to be used by a school, but certainly not violating the green belt.

Those Walsall residents who were in the “Land Army” in the Second World War will be pleased to have heard the government is to honour them and acknowledge their contribution during the Second World War with a badge of recognition. Those Walsall residents who believe they are eligible for the award can either apply via the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/working/wla/index.htm or if they would like assistance in applying they can contact my office.

I attended a poignant ceremony in the Art Gallery last Saturday to mark Holocaust Day. History is filled with barbaric acts of mass brutality and killing, cities and towns laid waste and their populations butchered. The twentieth century was filled with examples. The deliberate murder of millions by Stalin; the Nazi mass-murdering of Jews; Rwanda, Congo, and now Darfur. We live in supposedly more civilised times. Could it happen again? Of course it could, and the international community has to do more than wring its hands, send a few hundred peacekeepers or have people write to the Guardian. We have to do better.

We have to do better to raise educational standards too. The recent OFSTED report on Darlaston Community Science College was horrendous. It’s difficult to change in a couple of years the neglect of decades. Everyone concerned with the school should carry around on their person a copy of that report to remind them what needs to be done. When OFSTED come back in six months they will expect to see progress and again six months later. That’s the real crunch point, with severe consequences for failure. I personally will give both Education Walsall and Darlaston Community Science College all the support I can. One possible solution for the school is academy status. I’m very wary until I know more about where the money would be coming from and who’s giving it. I’d be reluctant for the local authority to wash its hands of the school by letting somebody else pick up the pieces. There has to be a very wide debate where local views are solicited. I’m in the same dilemma on fairly similar moves to change the status of local hospitals where they become foundation trusts.

Bruce George MP celebrates achievements of young people in Walsall South who have received an award in the Help Yourselves scheme at special awards ceremony in Westminster.

Bruce said, “I am delighted that the Walsall Street Teams’ Jigsaw Project have been recognised for their work. They ran a successful series of workshops to engage group of vulnerable young women most of whom are now back in education or work. The success of this pilot led to Walsall Street Team making it a permanent piece of their work.

“It is a great example of how young people can make a difference in their local community. Other young people should think about what they can do in their community and apply for an award through the Save the Children and British Gas Help Yourselves scheme. It’s a great opportunity to make a difference.”

Bruce has also added his name to an Early Day Motion expressing concern about the plight of young people in deprived areas; welcoming the awards scheme and calling on the Government to do more to support young people living in deprived areas. He will also be visiting the scheme in his constituency later this month.

Save the Children and British Gas teamed up to create ‘Help Yourselves’ – a small grants scheme aimed at empowering and engaging children and young people who actively wanted to make a difference to their lives and the lives of their community. Help Yourselves was launched in 2005 and since then over 180 grants of £1,000 or £3,000 have been given to groups of vulnerable children and young people to do something proactive to make their lives and communities better.

‘Help Yourselves’ was created especially for young people. It provides the opportunities and advice they need to change and improve their quality of life by being actively involved in making changes to the communities in which they live.

Roxane Brown, Manager of Help Yourselves at Save the Children said, “Save the Children is very excited about celebrating the outstanding achievements of young people at this awards ceremony. We hope it will also encourage more people to get involved with the scheme as it goes from strength to strength in 2008. The Help Yourselves grants encourage children living in deprived areas to actively participate in making changes within their communities and to their lives. Save the Children particularly welcomes applications from groups who may face discrimination and disadvantage in society because of issues relating to, for example, geography, gender, ethnicity or disability. ”

The awards ceremony also marks the start of the next stage of Help Yourselves - where bigger grants are going to be given out during 2008. The new phase will include 40 awards of £1000, 8 awards of £5000 and 3 awards of £10,000 - all of which will help children themselves set up lasting projects in their communities and really have a say in what goes on in their lives.

The Prime Minister took time out of his schedule this week to meet Bruce George MP. The meeting was called by the PM to discuss his forthcoming trip to China and India. Gordon Brown wanted to hear the views of Bruce George and a small group of Members of Parliament on the issues to be raised during the trip.

The PM outlined the objectives for the visit including making the UK the European partner of choice for Indian and Chinese trade investment; to work with India and China on the big global challenges from poverty to climate change; to promote new English language initiatives in both countries; to build sporting and cultural links and to discuss reform of the global institutions from the UN to the World Bank.

Gordon Brown said afterwards “I had an extremely useful discussion with Bruce George MP. He emphasised to me the importance of our relations with India and China and the many links between families in his constituency and family members in both countries. We discussed the importance of trade and investment links with both India and China, and development in India. We also spoke about the power of education to transform women’s lives, and therefore the lives of families and communities. I will take forward a number of issues he raised with me and report back on my return.”

Bruce George said today “It was a very useful meeting and I raised a number of issues which I hope will be helpful. I hope the Prime Minister will visit other countries in the sub-continent in the not-too distant future, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian sub-continent is becoming more and more important, and there are a large number of people in Walsall South who follow events there very closely. I very much hope that elections will proceed in Pakistan and that democracy will develop in the region.”

I’ve had a Parliamentary recess of contrasts. Most people will think it has been holiday time; quite the reverse. I’ve had a very busy programme. Before Christmas I visited Alumwell Junior School to attend a farewell ceremony for an immensely popular teacher John Oaker. It was a very moving ceremony, there were a number of speeches eulogising him. John has only ever taught in one school, Alumwell, and has done so for 40 years. It was his first and only job. He brought pupils down to Parliament, usually 90 in a week, for 35 years introducing young people to Westminster and London. When people criticise education they must always remember the enormous contribution being made by the likes of John.

On the theme of education during the recess I also visited Walsall College. I’ve been going to the College periodically for 35 years. The building is typical of the late 1950s, it’s clapped out and it’s about to be demolished. What will replace it will be a magnificent and well worthy of our town. Nearby there is being built an amazing complex for very high tech companies and the college should supply the computer specialists for this 21st century industry. Walsall is often associated with traditional industries, but the way for the future is to retain what we do well, but simultaneously move to a new dimension.

Elections have been very much on my mind. We are witnessing the chaos and bloodshed in Kenya, with possibly up to 1,000 killed. You may recall that I have headed a number of election observation missions. At the time of writing I am returning from Georgia, in the Caucasus having monitored the recent Presidential elections. They took place two days before the Georgian Orthodox Christmas. It was a very contentious election and two days after there is still some doubt over the winner. I’m glad our elections are not as controversial and very hotly fought, in every sense of the word.

May I wish my constituents in Walsall South and the people of wider Walsall the very best wishes for 2008 – and well beyond. I know it may seem slightly absurd but I would like to express similar sentiments to the town.

Many good things are just about to happen in Walsall – a much enlarged hospital, a new Walsall College, premises for High Tech companies, substantial town centre redevelopments and many other regeneration projects will change the face of our town for the better.

Over the last year or so there have also been substantial improvements in the local governance, particularly in the field of education and housing, which have largely been taken away from the Council’s responsibility.

Walsall has been a bit of a backwater, totally overshadowed by Birmingham and even by some of our smaller neighbours. The signs however are very positive and I would like to thank all of those in government, both locally and nationally, the public and private sectors, and many other groups who are helping to make Walsall a town for the Twenty First Century.