27 May 2003
Blair avoids MP's questions on weapons of mass destruction

14 May 2003
Silence from PM on crucial questions on weapons of mass destruction

31 January 2003
'Please do not forget us' Palestinians tell Birmingham visitors

 22 August 2003

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Lynne Jones has received a Parliamentary answer from Bill Rammell MP stating that the reason the UK didn’t give its Niger intelligence to the weapons inspectors is because it came from another country.

This is in direct contradiction with a statement made by Alastair Campbell when he turned up out of the blue on 27 June for a live interview on Channel Four News as the government's row with the BBC over its Iraq coverage intensified.  Campbell stated that it was the fake intelligence that was from another country but that:

“the British intelligence put what they put in that dossier on the basis of British intelligence. Get your facts right before you make serious allegations against a government.”  In view of his comment about factual accuracy, Lynne Jones has written to Tony Blair to ask which is the correct position; that stated by Mr Rammell or by Mr Campbell.  She is also continuing to seek clarification from the Prime Minister about the legality of withholding intelligence from the IAEA, even if it did come from another country.

Click here for the full text of Lynne Jones’ letter to the Prime Minister.

ENDS

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11 August 2003

Today, at a visit to launch the newly opened Knights Ophthalmic Opticians in Weoley Avenue, Lynne Jones MP welcomed the local services being provided.

Claud Abban, who runs the new practice, has for the past four years, been registered to screen for diabetic retinopathy in conjunction with Selly Oak Hospital and local GPs.  He has now opened a practice-base to offer this speciality as well as glaucoma and cataract screening and regular opticians’ services.  Previously Mr Abban had to divide his time between various practices in Birmingham.

Lynne Jones said:

“Good quality primary health care should be available in the local community and I am delighted that these important screening services will be so convenient for local people in the Weoley area, where there are many elderly residents.  Since the Labour Government’s reinstatement of free eye tests, many more elderly people are coming forward for the screening that is so important for the early detection and treatment of conditions such as diabetes.  Elderly and disabled people can take advantage of the home visit service that Mr Abban also provides and the occupation of a previously vacant shop unit will help ensure the ongoing vitality of the Weoley Avenue shopping parade.”

Lynne Jones is pictured with ophthalmic optician Claud Abban (holding portable eye test equipment) and the practise manager, Sam Lilley.

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The British Government has finally been forced to admit that it has not passed any intelligence to the IAEA on allegations that Iraq attempted to procure uranium from Africa, despite this claim being in the September 2002 dossier.

The break with the UK Government’s obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions was revealed to Lynne Jones, Jones MP for Birmingham Selly Oak in a Parliamentary Answer:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 10th June, Official Report, column 793W, when the UK Government gave the IAEA the information upon which it based its assessment that Iraq sought to procure substantial quantities of uranium from Africa.

Date answered, 3 July 2003 Mr MacShane

The UK Government did not pass to the IAEA any information on Iraqi attempts to procure uranium.

The Birmingham MP will be tabling the following Parliamentary Motion which questions why the Government has not submitted its evidence to the scrutiny of the IAEA:

UK GOVERNMENT KEEPS NIGER INTELLIGENCE FROM IAEA

That this House notes the comment from the Prime Minister in a letter dated 22 May 2003 to the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak that “we remain confident that Iraq sought to procure significant quantities of Uranium from Africa”; further notes that in its report to the Security Council on 7 March 2003, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that this specific allegation was unfounded; also notes the question by the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak to the Foreign Secretary asking whether access to all information in his possession on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was given to (a) the Chief Weapons Inspector and (b) the Director General of the IAEA and the answer given by the Member for North Warwickshire that the Government shared all relevant information about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction with the weapons inspection teams from both UNMOVIC and the IAEA; further notes the question put by the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak to the Foreign Secretary asking when the UK Government gave the IAEA the information upon which it based its assessment about attempts by Iraq to procure uranium from Africa and the answer given by the Honourable Member for Rotherham, that the UK Government did not pass to the IAEA any information on Iraqi attempts to procure uranium; and therefore questions why the UK Government has not submitted the evidence, upon which it bases its assessment, to IAEA scrutiny, in line with its obligations under Security Council Resolutions.

ENDS

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06 June 2003

“Can you please confirm that all the information on which you have based your assessment has been passed to UNMOVIC and the IAEA?

If this is the case, is the Government saying that Dr El Baradei and Dr Blix have been deliberately misleading the Security Council and the public by failing to mention the existence of the more secure information that the British Government has provided them?”

ENDS

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27 May 2003

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On 8 April, Lynne Jones MP wrote to the Prime Minister making the case that his assertions to the House of Commons about links between Iraq and al-Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction did not stand up and seeking answers to written Parliamentary questions that had not received serious replies.  Despite two reminders, the PM has not even sent an acknowledgement to the Selly Oak MP.

The letter to the PM concludes:

“Since the whole rationale for the war on Iraq is that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction and, for the American people at least, would supply them to al-Qaeda, I hope you are confident that, when it is eventually released, the information on which you and President Bush have relied backs the assertions you have repeatedly made in the House.”

The MP said today “The lack of answers from Tony to my inconvenient questions speaks volumes.  The dreadful terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia shows that the war on Iraq has not made the world a safer place”.

ENDS

For the full text of Lynne Jones' letter to Tony Blair please click on link below

http://www.lynnejones.org.uk/4war.htm

23 May 2003 - Since this press release, I have today received a reply from the Prime Minister which is posted after the text of my letter - you can view this via the  above link.

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PRESS RELEASE**PRESS RELEASE** PRESS RELEASE**PRESS RELEASE

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET US PALESTINIANS TELL BIRMINGHAM VISITORS

Lynne Jones MP will be Chairing a Press Conference by Birmingham Trade Unionists who have just returned from the occupied territories of Palestine - the West Bank and Gaza. The Press Conference will be co-hosted by Councillor Mick Rice, Secretary of the Birmingham Trade Union Council.

The Press Conference will be held

AT: Birmingham Unison, 7^th Floor, Centre City Tower, 7, Hill Street, Birmingham

TIME: 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

DATE: Friday, 31^st January 2003

The ten Birmingham-based trade unionists narrowly missed being caught in an Israeli assault on Gaza City that left 12 Palestinians dead. They had just passed through a checkpoint on their way back to the West Bank when shooting broke out behind them.

The incident occurred at the end of their week-long visit to the Palestinian occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza. During this trip they saw the effects on Palestinians of almost constant curfews, regular military incursions which leave swathes of destruction, military blockades which make travel of even a few miles extremely difficult, political assassinations and frequent harassment and detentions of young people. The Palestinian city of Hebron, for example, has been under curfew for more than 70 days.

Wherever they went they met Palestinians who welcomed them with open arms, glad to see that there were people who were not ignoring their plight. Many asked for links to be developed and maintained between them and the people of Birmingham so that they would not be left isolated. They suggested that twinning links be built between organisations in Birmingham and Ramallah - schools with schools, hospitals with hospitals, universities with universities, trade unions with trade unions, voluntary groups with voluntary groups and the City of Birmingham with the City of Ramallah.

This need for contact was felt particularly strongly as the clouds of war darken over the Middle East. Many Palestinians are worried that Israel will seek to push them off their land in large numbers under the cover of an attack on Iraq. This ethnic cleansing is demanded by some of Israel's political parties and supported by significant numbers of Israelis according to polls.

"This press conference will be a chance to obtain direct feedback from eye-witnesses of what is happening in the occupied territories. We will also be able to discuss with them what the Palestinians they met said about the best way we in Birmingham can promote peace and reconciliation in the region," said Lynne Jones MP.

"Birmingham has a great tradition of supporting human rights, from the support of the anti-slavery movement to our support for the battle against apartheid in South Africa and twinning with Johannesburg. We must do the same for the people of Ramallah and Palestine," added Councillor Mick Rice.

The ten trade unionists also met with Israeli human rights groups - Betsellem and the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

For Further Information contact Chris on 07785 342 124 

Note to Editors:

1. Ten trade unionists were involved in the delegation, including members of Unison, the CWU, the FBU, the NUT and NUS. One delegate was supported by the Birmingham Trades Union Council. The delegation was also supported by the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition and west Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
2. West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign is part of the national Palestine Solidarity Campaign and it supports the right of Palestinians to self determination, an end to the illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the right of return of Palestinian refugees and opposes all forms of racism including anti-Semitism.

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Lynne Jones MP has recently met with local subpostmasters and mistresses to discuss plans for urban post offices under the ‘Urban Network Reinvention Programme’. Those attending expressed concerns about the obstacles that appear to be being put in the way of people who want to go on receiving their benefits in cash over their post office counter, as is their right.

Lynne Jones said: "Pensioners and other benefit claimants have the right to open a Post Office Card Account but are being forced to phone a "helpline" to get an application form. Information from customers at local post offices suggests that, when people ring the helpline, all effort seems to be directed at ensuring that as few people as possible take out a Post Office Card Account. I have asked Stephen Timms, Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry, for a copy of the ‘script’ being used by helpline operators and demanded to know why my constituents cannot simply open a Card Account over the counter at their local post office.

The new arrangements for the payment of benefits will have a major impact on sub post offices and I will be meeting with Mike Dalton, the Head of External Relations for the Royal Mail, West Midlands to discuss the concerns of local proprietors who feel they are not being properly informed about the commercial strategy the Post Office is adopting".

The MP is supporting a Commons motion (text below) calling for a level playing field in the marketing, promotion and advertising of all the options for receiving benefits.

E N D S

EDM 572

That this House believes that those Post Office customers who wish to continue receiving their benefits, pension payments and tax credits through the Post Office, following the introduction of ACT in April, should be allowed to do so through a post office card account opened at the counter of a post office or sub-post office; further believes that customers should be offered a genuine choice between the options available, including a post office card account; supports the National Federation of Subpostmasters' call that there should be no administrative obstacles to customers opening a post office card account; notes the importance of post office card accounts to the future financial viability of sub-post offices; and calls upon the Government to ensure that there is a level playing field in the marketing, promotion and advertising of the banking options from all Government departments and agencies, including the Department of Works and Pensions, the Inland Revenue and the Veterans Agency.

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