Lancaster Castle - should it remain as a Prison?

Although Parliament may be in recess, that doesn’t mean that local MP Eric Ollerenshaw is off on his holidays! This week Eric has been out and about across Lancaster and Fleetwood, from Lifeboat Day at Fleetwood, Pilling Coffee Feast and the Maiden Bridge Arts Centre in Tatham up in the Lune Valley. Eric has also had meetings with local businesses in Lancaster, English Nature, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Department of Work and Pensions.

On Tuesday Eric, along with his Morecambe & Lunesdale colleague David Morris MP visited HMP Lancaster Castle. With the recent announcement from the Ministry of Justice regarding the potential closure of the Castle as a working Prison, Eric was keen to speak to the staff who work there.

Eric commented, “Although the prison may be deemed as unfit for the 21^st Century, it is actually an extremely high performing prison, graded 4th overall and the highest rated Category C Prison in the country.

The fact that the Castle performs so well despite it’s medieval conditions, is a credit to the staff who work there. There is a real community atmosphere and this helps with the rehabilitation of the prisoners, many of whom specifically request to come to Lancaster because of the successful rehabilitation programme.”

The opportunity to turn HMP Lancaster Castle into a visitor attraction would certainly place Lancaster on the international tourist trail and bring many more visitors to the City as well as being a major boost to the city’s economy. However there would be a substantial cost running into many millions of pounds to return the Castle to it’s original state as well as extremely high running costs required to simply maintain the Castle.

Eric will be meeting with the Prison’s Minister and the Duchy of Lancaster in the next few weeks to discuss the future plans for Lancaster Castle to hopefully be able to answer more fully, the many questions that we all have over Lancaster Castle’s future.

Eric campaigning against Canatxx back in 2008

The big news this week is that Canatxx are back with a new name,(Halite Energy Group) a new logo and a new PR campaign to convince residents of the benefits of storing gas under the River Wyre.

Eric Ollerenshaw, MP for  Lancaster and Fleetwood, is far from convinced.

 “They seem to think that they can have another attempt at gaining approval for this scheme by altering a few details and changing their name. I am certainly not convinced and I doubt Wyre residents will be either.”

“ Their last proposal was rejected after massive opposition from local residents, major concerns regarding safety and the suitability of the site, I myself helped to campaign against Canatxx’s proposals and I fail to see how this new plan would overcome the objections from Canatxx’s last failed attempt to gain planning permission and I will be raising in Parliament, alongside Ben Wallace MP, the principle of repeated planning applications of this nature.”

Elsewhere in  Lancaster & Fleetwood this week Eric has met with representatives from Job Centre Plus, Lancaster & District Homeless Action Service, the Chief Fire Officer for Lancashire and CancerCare Lancaster.

Eric in the House of Commons

Local  MP, Eric Ollerenshaw is worried that London academics seem to have lost Fleetwood and placed it in Blackpool. Eric put the record straight when speaking out in a debate on the future of coastal towns in Westminster Hall.

“a recent study somehow missed Fleetwood off and instead included it in something called Greater Blackpool ,anyone who has ever been to Fleetwood will know that Mr and Mrs Fleetwood do not regard Blackpool as either greater, or a part of them.”

Eric also spoke out in support of Fleetwood’s fisherman and the problems they are facing due to the increasing amounts of off shore windfarms.

“There is also a lack of any statutory compensation, and I find it incredible in this day and age that, even though fishermen are usually a one-man business, they have to negotiate compensation themselves when wind farms go up on their fishing grounds. I hope that that will be addressed nationally, and I know that other hon. Members feel the same way”

Eric also spoke about Fleetwood’s  transport problems, highlighting the tramline upgrades, the A585 and the rail link, calling for investment in local transport to bring extra jobs and release potential.

Eric being interviewed in Lancaster for the Politics Show

A busy few weeks have seen Eric Ollerenshaw, MP for Lancaster & Fleetwood criss-crossing the Constituency. As well as holding his regular surgeries for local residents, Eric has had meetings with representatives from the local Police, visited Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School as well as meeting with local businesses concerned about the future of the Heysham/M6 Link Road.

Eric also appeared on the Politics Show Northwest where he was asked about the proposed abolition of the North West Development Agency and finally, last weekend, while everyone was getting ready for the World Cup final between The Netherlands and Spain, Eric had the honour of attending the Lancaster City v Fleetwood Town match at Giant Axe in Lancaster.

“Everyone keeps asking if I was supporting Lancaster City or Fleetwood Town, however as MP for both Lancaster and Fleetwood, I have to support both teams! I was keeping my fingers crossed for a draw, but Fleetwood Town ran out the deserved 3-0 winners. I wish both teams the best of luck for the forthcoming season in their respective leagues.

Eric at Pisces Fish and Chip Shop in Fleetwood

Eric was delighted to be invited to present a 5 Star Fish Friers Quality Award to Charlie Cummins and Pisces Fish & Chip Restaurant on Poulton Road, Fleetwood.

The award is only given to shops that have extremely high standards. Shops holding the Seafish Friers Quality Award are nationally recognised for producing first class fish and chips in a first class environment.

An approved inspector checks the shop’s image, design and condition, selection of raw materials (fish, potatoes, oils, etc.), storage, hygiene and cleaning, product care, handling and temperature control, packaging, quality of the final product, management systems, training and skills.

Eric commented “Pisces has a really good reputation, Charlie has obviously worked very hard to build up his business, and the restaurant was full of satisfied customers, I wish him and his staff all the best for the future.”

Eric showing support for England at the Bowel cancer event

MP hopes constituents will remember the experience of Bobby Moore, who captained England to World Cup glory in 1966, but died of bowel cancer aged 51.

Eric Ollerenshaw OBE MP supported efforts to beat cancer at a major Cancer Research UK event in Parliament.

During the briefing on the 15^th June, the Lancaster and Fleetwood MP heard from experts how bowel cancer screening saves thousands of lives. He heard about a recent groundbreaking study, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, which shows that a one-off, cost-effective screening procedure called a Flexi-Scope test, could prevent a third of bowel cancers and reduce death rates by nearly half.

Eric also met Stephanie Moore MBE, wife of England’s 1966 World Cup winning captain, Bobby Moore.  Stephanie founded the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK after Bobby died of bowel cancer in1992.

Eric said: “Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and more than 100 people are diagnosed with the disease every single day. One in three people can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. During World Cup season, I urge everyone to remember Bobby Moore and to take up the offer of bowel cancer screening when they are invited because screening saves lives.  Having had close friends who have died through this disease and had never had any screening I know personally the tragedies that can result from this.

“Diagnosing cancers like bowel cancer early is absolutely critical as, when cancer is picked up early, it’s nearly always easier to treat successfully.”

Aisling Burnand, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Cancer Research UK, said:

“We are very grateful to Eric Ollerenshaw OBE MP for supporting our vital work. Cancer screening is a crucial part of diagnosing cancer early because it detects cancers which might not yet have caused any signs or symptoms.

“Cancer Research UK thinks the findings of the Flexi-Scope study are so promising that we are calling on the UK governments to incorporate the Flexi-Scope as part of the national screening programme for bowel cancer.

“MPs have a key role to play in raising awareness of bowel cancer locally and nationally and highlighting the importance of screening programmes to help detect cancer early. Cancer survival rates have continued to improve and our work has been at the heart of that progress. If we diagnose cancer earlier, this would help us to make the UK’s cancer outcomes among the best in Europe in the next 10 years.”

For more information on bowel cancer visit http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/spotcancerearly/screening/bowelcancerscreening/

Eric at the RNIB event

Eric recently met with the RNIB at a parliamentary reception designed to give MPs a first hand experience of the everyday challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people.

Wearing a blindfold, Eric tried to carry out some everyday tasks, like making a cup of tea and using a cash machine, within the kitchen and bank areas that had been set up in the House of Commons.

Eric said “It was a real challenge to carry out these simple everyday tasks without the use of sight. It made me aware of the need for support to be in place when someone loses their sight and is struggling to adjust, trying to remain independent in their own local area and home.”

There are nearly 2 million people living in the UK with sight loss, and every day another 100 people start to lose their sight. A shocking 23 per cent of people losing their sight leave the eye clinic without even being certain of the name of the condition that caused their sight loss. The majority are getting no support when they lose their sight – most receive no counselling and are left to cope with their diagnosis alone.

Steve Winyard, Head of Campaigns at RNIB, said “Every week in the UK hundreds of people begin to lose their sight. You might think that support services would be waiting to step in and help, but that’s not the reality many people experience. For example, we know that in the weeks after being registered as blind or partially sighted many people will not be visited by social services. A year after losing their sight only about a quarter of people will be offered mobility training to get out and about independently. RNIB is campaigning to ensure that everyone diagnosed with sight loss gets the practical and emotional support that they need to rebuild their lives.”

What an amazing 3 weeks – elected as your MP, rushed to Westminster, supporting the moves to a Coalition Government then ending up on the Government side supporting our first Coalition Government since the War in presenting its first steps to addressing our financial and debt crisis. All of this while still to date, amongst many others waiting to be allocated office space!

As any one can imagine this has been an extremley humbling and proud time for me and I am so gratefully to the people of Lancaster and Fleetwood who have put their trust in me. I hope to do my best and promise to represent everybody regardless of political affiliation in my time as your MP.

My surgeries begin this week with the first one in Lancaster and then Fleetwood next week. An appointment can be made by ringing 01995672977 or email the issue through this web site untill an office can be sorted in Parliament.

One of the nicest things that happened was the visit of pupils from Glassom Dock school who visited Parliament on May 19th – they were brilliant – interested in all they saw and put some really tough questions to me as they sat in one of Lords Committee rooms. They were a credit to our area, their staff and their Parents.

Eric Ollerenshaw celebrating with a local ale

Eric Ollerenshaw, the new MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, celebrated his election victory with a local ale at the Fuzzy Duck Brewery.

The beer was named ‘True Brew’ especially for the occasion, and Eric was joined by the Sales Manager, David Shaw (c), and the Head Brewer, Ben Coston (r).

Eric will work tirelessly to help all the people of this constituency and so if you have a problem or a query, Eric would love for you to get in touch. Click here to find out how.