On Thursday 8th January 2009 the cabinet will be meeting in Liverpool. Whilst I am there I have invited local people to come and meet me to discuss how things are locally and raise any issues of concern.

If you would like to join us please email harmanh(at)parliament.uk for more details.

The Prime Minister asked me to stand in for him on Wednesday 17th December at PMQs. I answered MPs' questions on energy prices, British troops in Iraq, unemployment and housing associations.

Click here to read a transcript.

On Friday 12th December I met with the chair of the “Save Camberwell baths Society” Chris Owen, other members, Cllr Lewis Robinson the executive Member for Leisure at Southwark Council and Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle the chair of Camberwell Community Council.

I have invited Gerry Sutcliffe MP, the Minister for Sport, to visit the pool and see it first hand. The Minister has agreed.

I have always fully supported the campaign to keep the baths open serving the residents of Camberwell, but they also need to be improved. I am supporting the council’s bid for government money to help the baths stay open – and am delighted that the Minister has accepted my invitation to come and see the baths for himself on 21st January 2009.

 

 

On Friday 21st November I visited Lime Tree House, an Extra Care Shetlered Scheme  that provides housing and support services to older members of the community in Peckham, most of whom have been resident in the local area for a many years.

I was proud to officially open the building in back in May 2000 and was delighted to see how well things are going and open the new extension today.

 

On Wednesday 29th October I held a business breakfast at Southwark Town Hall. I have been working closely with the Southwark Chamber of Commerce who chaired the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was an opportunity for anyone who runs or works for a small business in Camberwell and Peckham to come and speak to me and raise any issues concerning their business during this difficult economic time. It was very well attended with over 40 local business men and women, The Southwark Chamber of Commerce, the Black Business Initiative, Val Shawcross AM, The Mayor of Southwark and local Councillors.

I will be feeding into the Government's National Economic Council the points raised by people during this excellent discussion.

 

If you are interested in reading about the role of Members of Parliament, how you can contact your MP and the ways in which they can help you then click here.

You may also be interested in getting involved in your local community and are not sure where to start.

I have recently launched the Black, Asian and minority ethnic women Task Force to encourage more women to get involved in local government.

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women are scandalously under-represented in the democratic life of this country. 

Only two women MPs come from minority ethnic communities and BAME women account for less than one per cent of England's 20,000 local councillors while they make up more than 5 per cent of the population.

To create a more representative picture the number of BAME women councillors needs to increase more than five-fold – from just 168 to nearer a thousand. Your local council needs you!