Bruce George MP is ecstatic with the decision announced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families that Walsall is to be fast-tracked to join the Building Schools for the Future programme this summer.

This means that Education Walsall (SERCO) in conjunction with Walsall Council can now start developing projects to rebuild and refurbish the five secondary schools in Walsall Borough in most need of investment.

Bruce George said “This is excellent news for Walsall. I am absolutely elated. The neglect over the years by Walsall Council of school buildings is now being seriously addressed. I have frequently highlighted the need for a new build for Joseph Leckie and Darlaston Community Science College and I am, therefore, convinced that they should be number 1 and 2 on the list. Although Blue Coat was only built 40 years ago I do believe that it should also be included in the priority list.

Joseph Leckie Schools has already had some funding to carry out major refurbishment and this announcement will, in my view, mean that the new build will now become a reality.

The process must be transparent with those schools in the most need being the beneficiaries.

These schools have worked hard to deliver a good standard of education in very difficult surroundings and conditions that are not conducive to learning.

This announcement by the government is a clear indication of the commitment that we have to transform the shape of education in our communities and will enable future generations to reap the rewards of these fantastic new learning environments and facilities.

Walsall have already been thinking and planning carefully for their Building Schools for the Future project and have shown they are ready to hit the ground running. Their bid was based on being able to demonstrate that they were ready to start projects from this summer. They must now put their words into action.

Now, more than ever, is the time to demonstrate our commitment to ensure a first class environment for the welfare and education of Walsall children.

My special thanks to the Government for including Walsall in the Building Schools for the Future programme from this summer.”

Bruce George, MP for Walsall South, last week organised a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Private Security which considered the growing problem of Cash and Valuables in Transit crime. CVIT attacks in the UK account for 76 per cent of all CVIT crime in Europe. Between £1.4 and £2bn is moved around the country on a daily basis, and during 2007, over £18m was lost due to criminal activity. The level of violence used in these attacks has increased dramatically, with weapon-related incidents rising sharply.

The meeting, held in the House of Commons, and attended by MPs and industry representatives, was addressed by Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker MP, Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Moore from Merseyside Police Headquarters, Professor Gloria Laycock from the Jill Dando Institute for Crime Science (University College London), and David Dickinson from the British Security Industry Association.

Bruce George commented “As someone with a long term interest in the private security industry, I recognise the serious nature of cash-in-transit attacks. It is vital that Members of Parliament understand the issues and the difference they can make in working with local authorities and other organisations in their constituencies to highlight the risks faced by cash-in-transit couriers. This meeting sparked a healthy debate on the issues which I hope will be of benefit in raising awareness about the problem.”

Speaking after the event Vernon Coaker said “The Government, police, security industry, retailers and finance industry are working very hard to prevent and tackle Cash and Valuables in Transit crime. This is not victimless crime; it has a big impact on people’s lives, their livelihood, and their families.”

After the event Bruce also took the opportunity to discuss with Vernon Coaker ongoing concerns surrounding Domestic Violence and in particular the problems faced by the Walsall Domestic Violence forum, in particular relation to funding.

Bruce George, MP for Walsall South today met with pupils and staff from Joseph Leckie Community Technology College to congratulate them on winning a House of Lords Competition run by the Lord Speaker. The What a Waste! Competition , organised by the Lord Speaker in conjunction with the Hansard Society, asked school groups to come up with innovative ideas to reduce the amount of waste produced in the UK. The winners got the opportunity to present their idea to the House of Lords Sub-Committee on Waste Management. The competition was open to all children between the ages of 11-18 with three ages categories; 11-14 (Key Stage 3), 14-16 (Key Stage 4) and 16-18 (Key Stage 5).

The team from Joseph Leckie, made up of pupils Mark Malik, Alice Jones, Daniel Beech, Sultana Akhtar and Matthew Jones, with the support of teacher Joe Greaves, were the winners of the 16-18 year old group. They set themselves the test of coming up with an inventive solution to the waste reduction problem: a reusable shopping bag scheme. By using recycled materials and a community-centred approach, this social enterprise looks set to rid their community of plastic carrier bags.

Bruce George, who met the students when they visited Parliament to meet with the Lord Speaker, said today “Joseph Leckie has an amazing record in winning competitions organised by the Houses of Parliament. It’s fantastic to see local school pupils succeeding in this national competition. Their idea was excellent and they have a great opportunity to present their idea to members of the House of Lords. It was a great pleasure to meet with them today and I’d like to wish them and the school continued success in the future.”

Parliament was in recess last week. I had the difficult task of juggling my many constituency commitments with observing the elections in Georgia (Caucasus) and jousting with the Russians at the Spring Meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly as leader of the British Delegation.

During the past week I met with a number of organisations who provide key services to the people of Walsall. Firstly I met with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police and his Deputy. I have regular meetings with the two Walsall Chief Superintendents to discuss policing in the Borough and their future plans.

I then had the tremendous honour of opening a new garden at Sure Start in Darlaston. This wonderful initiative which was the birth child of Gordon Brown is most definitely a good news story for a number of areas in Walsall who benefit from these centres. I would like to congratulate them all on the excellent work and support they provide to local families.

I also went to Walsall Housing Group to discuss a number of issues with them including their housing allocation system. We talked about their regeneration plans they are currently involved in Moxley and Pleck. Additionally they have informed me of their progress in refurbishing Council housing stock which they inherited. Many tenants have now had new kitchens, bathrooms and windows fitted which is very welcome news.

I also went to visit the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF) where I got an update on their evolving programmes and their funding. They undertake these activities on behalf of Walsall people who have been beaten or abused by their partners. My interest goes back nearly 30 years to when I was a member of the Select Committee on Violence in the Family. As part of that interest I have recently made a study of such organisations. I believe the WDVF is one of the best such organisations in the country, but like many lives a hand to mouth existence, working hard to maintain their necessary services. It is vital that such services receive all the support they need from both local council and central government.

I was delighted to hear recently that a lot of extra funding is coming from the government to the Primary Care Trust to help improve services. This follows on from the Government’s announcement of substantial additional funding for employment of 15 more GPs in the town. When people are worrying about tax, they sometimes forget that’s its largely through taxation that funding is available to improve our schools, hospitals, police and other vital services.

I had no surgery last Saturday; however as many of you will know I have held weekly surgeries for almost 35 years. I only have a Saturday off when the sequencing of surgeries is thrown out of kilter with five Saturdays in a month (although this only happens about five times a year). I feel so guilty that I’m not immediately available; however people continue to contact me or come to my house seeking my help!

Like many people, I often watch programmes such as The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and the Andrew Lloyd Webber singing competitions on BBC. As you may remember from one of my previous columns I raised questions about the voting in an earlier series of The X-Factor. The voting in these types of programmes has appeared a bit suspect in the past as Ant and Dec have found to their misfortune. After the last series of The X-Factor I wrote to Ofcom to raise a number of concerns that had been voiced. After a very lengthy investigation I finally received a response from Ofcom this week. Despite appearances to the contrary Ofcom have concluded that no breach of its Code of Conduct occurred in the voting for The X-Factor.