Representation of the Peoples Act 1995 HOUSE OF KEYS GENERAL ELECTION - EAST DOUGLAS THURSDAY 23rd NOVEMBER 2006 OTE V BRENDA CANNELL FOR AN OPEN AND RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT THE ISSUES PAGE Dear Constituents, 2. Policies for the Future A new Government will be formed following the Quality of Life • Law & Order General Election on 23rd November 2006. The Police • Care of Young People One of the very first tasks for the newly elected 3/4. Health & Social Issues House of Keys will be to select a new Chief Mounting Costs • Health Service Complaints Procedures. Minister, someone whose leadership combines the Cost of Nursing & Residential Care. strength, decisiveness and fairness necessary to Choice for those with learning determine a secure, sustainable, and buoyant disabilities • The Coughlan Judgement. economy for the Island’s people. He or she will The Manx Pension Supplement. select a Council of Ministers who will each head up 4. MEA Financial Crisis & a Government Department. Energy Issues This ‘Cabinet’ will need to work as a dynamic Manx Electricity Authority crisis. team, restoring the public's confidence through Fuel Poverty • Energy Conservation. their readiness to be fully accountable for the 5. The Youth of today working of Departments, ensuring greater scrutiny Politics at 16 • Youth Commission. of public expenditure, policies and procedures. Student Rates • Nursery Education. They will need to work together effectively and efficiently in defence of the Islands reputation in a 6. Healthy Environment competitive, even hostile, economic world. More Waste Charges • Kerbside collection. proactive, positive action is required, employing the Environmental Monitoring. lessons learned through past mistakes and making 6. The Numbers Game improvements in the systems of governance. To do Select Committee on this, the Council of Ministers will have to listen to Legislative Reform. the people and the members of the House of Keys 7. Constituency Matters when constructive criticisms are made. Traffic • Public & Private Housing. With an effective team working for the benefit of Housing Bill • Hospitality Industry. ourselves and our Island we’ll be able to enter the TT Centenary • Pubs, Clubs & Bars. next five years with real hope and confidence . 8. Political Responsibilities An overview of my political Brenda Cannell responsibilities and achievements. Policies for the Future Quality of Life Restoring Confidence In 2001 I called for residency controls following Much work is required by the next Minister of the passing of the Residency Act. At that time we had Home Affairs to restore confidence and morale in the seen the arrival of an average of 850 new residents in ranks of the Police force and this will take time and each of the preceding four years. The Government’s effort.. There has been much infighting, resulting in recent booklet ‘Immigration in the Isle of Man - the loss of some very good, hard working officers Frequently asked questions.’ raises more questions over the last few years. THIS MUST END and the than it answers. This is not good enough, people are lost respect and support restored at all levels through concerned about the lack of control over population the efforts of chief officers and the Department. growth. The Government needs to win control over immigration within the next five years. Tywald Select Committee on While it is important to continue to welcome highly skilled individuals to supplement our home- Police Complaints grown talent, we need to protect the employment I have spent this last year on a Tynwald Select opportunities of our own people, particularly Committee examining the issue of the Police graduates seeking to employ their hard won Complaints System. We’ve recommended that a qualifications at home. We also need to ensure that totally independent method of hearing and assessing population growth does not continue to outpace our complaints be introduced (such as an Ombudsman ability to provide affordable housing, education, scheme) to hear complaints made by the public and by health, sewerage and other service infrastructures. For officer against officer. Tynwald gave their unanimous instance, the new provision of treated drinking water support to these recommendations and the Department supplies can only accommodate a maximum has been charged with coming forward next year with population of 90,000 people; this figure is based on proposals to effect this change - consumption remaining as it is today. AN OMBUDSMAN SCHEME FOR Government needs to publish targets for CONSIDERING POLICE COMPLAINTS WILL sustainable population growth and be bold and GO SOME WAY TOWARD RESTORING imaginative in applying the Regulations for Residency PUBLIC AND POLICE CONFIDENCE. control. SUCH REGULATIONS SHOULD GO OUT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION NEXT YEAR. Commission of Enquiry into the Care of Young People Law and Order The recent tragic events have brought sharp focus Crime figures have risen this year with a marked on both the youth and community care and education increase in offences of violence and criminal damage. systems. The Commission have made no less than 132 Greater police numbers are needed on our streets, with recommendations aimed at greater improvements in a particular emphasis on Douglas Promenade - the site the way which we care for our younger generations. of too much unruly and criminal activity over the To date the Council of Ministers have approved only 5 years. A larger police presence supported by CCTV of these recommendations with the remainder being cameras would certainly benefit problem areas. under investigation and consideration by various Police numbers have largely remained static over Government Departments. Of real importance is that the last 5 years and there is often an inadequate the Commission not only looked at the events leading deployment of police officers in the evenings and at up to these tragedies, they also considered the early weekends. People need to feel confident about their days of a child's life and the ways in which we could personal safety, as well as the safety of their homes, improve our systems at an earlier stage of child businesses and other property. They should also feel development, in order to prevent, as far as is possible, confident that crime is being detected and that those such tragedies from occurring again. responsible are being brought to justice. This Enquiry was the third report received by the I support policies for maintaining law and order Government in a relatively short period. It is essential and protecting the public that ensure persons who are that all the recommendations be approved, even if repeatedly convicted of serious criminal offences some will take time to deliver in terms of making new receive extended prison sentences. Properly structured Laws etc. rehabilitation programmes would be an essential part I WILL PURSUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF of such policies. ALL THE ENQUIRY’S RECOMMENDATIONS . 2 Health & Social Issues At What Cost? that the elderly people and their families should resist any increase in charges. The Department of Health and Social Security continues to struggle with its finances, which I believe is largely due to the costs of the new Nobles hospital Care in the Community far exceeding original targets. To date we still do not It was interesting to note that one of the Report's know the final figure for the construction of the recommendations was for the ‘Care in the hospital, the last estimation being £111.7 million. Community’ scheme to be properly funded, enabling The last budget saw an £8 million shortfall in the those elderly or frail persons who wish to reside at Departments overall revenue and what followed was home to do so with the appropriate support - this was the threat of ward and theatre closures. This was my policy in 2001 and it remains so. strongly resisted by Tynwald and a move was made to provide the necessary financial shortfall. The move was lost by a slim majority vote, with, surprisingly, Grading System M.H.Ks who serve on the Department voting against. What is required is a form of ‘Grading System’ for The result of this financial crisis was the the Islands privately run Residential and Nursing Care commissioning of PriceWaterhouse Coopers to look at Homes, to provide a range of choice in terms of the the financial management of the Department by the quality of accommodation and the cost to the resident. Council of Ministers. They examined the costs of the It is essential that a prospective resident is provided health service in the Island, but TO DATE THE with as much choice as possible before taking the COUNCIL OF MINISTERS HAVE REFUSED TO decision to move from their homes to a Care Home. MAKE THIS REPORT PUBLIC. It is vital that such far reaching reports are published if we are to have a The Coughlan Judgement meaningful debate on retaining and enhancing the A case was recently considered in the high court in National Health Service. the U.K. and a judgement made to the effect that Government had an obligation to provide the 'nursing' Tynwald Select Committee on element of a persons care FREE of charge in Health Service Complaints Residential and Nursing Homes. The Government here is currently considering this, and I’m in full Procedures support and keeping a close eye on progress. I was the Chairman of this committee following a Petition for Redress of Grievance where we examined the process and made recommendations to improve Greater Choice for those with the system to make it easier and more transparent for Learning Disabilities those wishing to make a complaint regarding the I was pleased to report in 2001 the unanimous treatment of themselves or their loved ones at Nobles support for recommendations made by a Tynwald Hospital - most of our recommendations where Select Committee which I Chaired, although some approved by Tynwald earlier this year which should progress has been made there still remains much to realise improvements in this process for the public.