Photo courtesy of Mark Makela Photography

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting the launch of a report on the impact of Leicester’s 2009 Special Olympic Games. The report, called “Learning Disability, Sport and Legacy”, was produced by De Montfort University and Leicester University. It found that the games not only brought real health benefits to the athletes but social benefits too, such as boosting their self-esteem. The report found that the Special Olympics helped bring disabled and non-disabled people closer together and played an important role in challenging misunderstandings about learning disabilities amongst the wider public. Guests at the launch event also heard that the 2009 Games brought real economic benefits to our city, boosting the local economy with an estimated £2.8 million.

I was delighted that a number of athletes who took part in the Games came along to the launch even in Parliament. I was also pleased that Hugh Robertson MP, the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, agreed to come and speak at the reception. He said he was determined to make sure we build on the lessons from the Special Olympics in all sporting events, but especially in next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

 Last month I hosted a reception in Parliament to raise awareness about the work of Minority Supplier Development UK and the vital role that black and minority ethnic businesses play in our economy.
MSD UK is a Leicester based not-for-profit organisation that brings together ethnic minority businesses with corporations looking to diversify their supplier chain.

The event was attended by politicians, policy makers, ethnic minority businesses and senior executives from companies like ExxonMobil, Merck/MSD, GlaxoSmithKline, PepsiCo, IBM, BT and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, who are all corporate members of MSD UK.

I was really pleased that Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills and Stephen Timms MP, the Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury, attended the event (pictured here with Mayank Shah, from MSD UK). I told them about the vital role that black and minority ethnic businesses play in my constituency, and how I believe we need to do more to help and support these companies create the jobs and growth that our city and country urgently need.

On 24^th June I went to a ‘hustings’ debate organised by students at Leicester College. The students, who are adult learners doing the citizenship model on the pre-access course, were in two teams: Say No To Size Zero, who are campaigning to raise awareness about the dangers of unhealthy body images, and Heart to Heart, who are campaigning to save children’s heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital. In the end, Heart to Heart got the largest number of votes, but I think both teams did really well – and if they ever want to go into politics they will be a force to be reckoned with!

I think that the Land Registry’s public sector status is vital to the impartiality and integrity of its work, and I have been actively campaigning against any suggestion that the Registry should be privatised over recent months.

I have met with staff and trade union officials at the Land Registry’s office on Westbridge Place and I have also met with Michael Kavanagh, the PCS Land Registry Group President.

I raised the issue directly with Ken Clarke during a recent Justice Questions. If you are interested in reading my exchange with Mr Clarke you can find it here.

I have also written to Lord McNally, the Minister responsible for the review of the Land Registry, requesting a meeting to discuss the review with him in person. He agreed to meet me in February but cancelled at short notice. I will continue to press for the meeting and to oppose privatisation of the Registry.