Last December I predicted that the closure of the Deerplay Children’s Ward at Burnley General and the transfer of in-patients to Blackburn would test to destruction the coalition’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Pendle’s Conservative MP, Andrew Stephenson, pleaded for the Health Secretary to

“step in and help resolve the situation in a sensible and common sense fashion.”

Burnley's blustering Lib Dem MP, Gordon Birtwistle, boasted on 2 November 2010:

“Once I have secured the stay of the children’s ward I will then begin heavy campaigning for the return of A&E services (to Burnley General).”

Yak! Yak! Yak!

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has now been sitting on a recommendation on Deerplay from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel since 21 January.

The issue had been referred by Lancashire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee to the IRP on 23 November 2010.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing about Deerplay on the agenda for the Committee's next meeting a week today (22 February). The meeting after that one is not until April - by which time the red hot issue will be stone cold.

Time, I think, for Birtwistle to inject some pace and urgency and tell Lansley he wants a decision.

And then the hospital campaigner can get back to his “heavy campaigning” to re-instate A&E.

Lessons in Hate and Violence

From time to time I find myself in Keighley where it is impossible to miss the Markazi Jamia mosque, a big and imposing building in the centre of town.

However, until last night, I had no idea what was going on behind its heavy wooden doors.

Channel 4’s Dispatches programme showed a man, with another present, routinely hitting children during Qu’ran lessons.

The documentary cuts to my friend Ann Cryer for her reaction. She is shocked, adding that such behaviour would never be tolerated in a Sunday School.

Goes without saying. I hope.

And then there is the jaw dropping footage from a Birmingham school, Darul Uloom, where the concealed camera shows an ignorant preacher telling the young people the most hateful and absurd things about Hindus and followers of other religions.

And yet I read that Lib Dem MP, John Hemming, criticizes Channel 4 for getting its facts seriously wrong.

In what way did it get its facts wrong?

I am left wondering if he saw the programme before he took Dispatches to task.

Attachments:

Gordon Birtwistle. Health And Social Care Bill.pdf	[Birtwistle refers to Children's Ward]	34 Kb
Health Scrutiny Minutes 23 Nov 2010.pdf	[Lancashire Health Scrutiny minutes 23 November 2010]	47 Kb