The Government is being urged by Labour to abandon contentious welfare reforms after a series of defeats in the Lords. Planned restrictions on employment and support allowance (ESA) affecting cancer patients and the disabled were overturned by peers considering the Welfare Reform Bill.

The Lords also rejected a proposed one-year limit on ESA claims.

Labour said the coalition had been defeated for trying to “cross the basic line of British decency” and urged ministers not to try to reinstate the measures in the Commons.

We are being led to believe that the Government’s intentions for reforming the Welfare System are to improve work incentives, simply the benefits systems and reduce the costs of administering the benefits system.

Headlines of the Welfare Reform Bill
• Universal Credit (new benefit for working age claimants)
• DLA replaced with Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for working age claimants
• Benefits Cap
• Crisis Loans/budgeting loans/community care grants abolished
• Housing benefit for many council/housing association tenants will be restricted if their property has more bedrooms than needed
• Council tax benefit abolished
• Pension Credit will remain but some changes including new capital limit

The following benefits will be abolished:
• Income Support
• Income based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Housing benefit
• Child tax credit
• Working tax credit
AND REPLACED BY UNIVERSAL CREDIT

Universal Credit is due to be introduced in October 2013 for new claims. Current claims will remain on existing benefits until they are transferred over to Universal Credit between 2014 and 2017. This Universal Credit is for working age people on low incomes and will be available to people in work and out of work. Claimants moving into work will keep more of their earnings.

There will be a benefit cap of £26,000 per annum per household to limit the amount paid to claimants.

Universal Credit will be made up of basic allowance pus additional amounts. The personal allowance will differ between single and couple applicants with additional amounts made up for:
• Each dependent child/qualifying young person
• Each disabled child/qualifying young person
• Housing costs (rent/mortgage)
• Limited capability for work
• Limited capacity for work related activity
• Caring responsibilities
• Child care costs

Personal Independence Payments will replace DLA for people age between 16 and 65. PUPs will be introduced in April 2013. Like DLA, it will have 2 components being Daily Living and Mobility.

Each component will be payable at one of 2 rates:
• Standard – for people who are limited by their condition
• Enhanced – for people severely limited by their condition

No lower rates of care or mobility components.

There are also key changes to be made to Tax Credits this year.
• Upper income threshold reduced to £40,000
• Taper increased 12% to 41%
• Removal of baby element
• Entitlement to WTC extended to include those aged 60 or over, who work a minimum of 16 hours per week
• Reduction of increased income disregard from £25,000 to £10,000
• Additional £150 increase in child element
• Removal of 50 plus element
• Reductions in income of up to £2,500 will be ignored
• Backdating period reduced to one month
• Additional £60 increase in child element
• Qualifying hours for couple to qualify for WTC increased to 24 hours per week

Child Benefit rates have been frozen until 2014 with a proposal to withdraw Child Benefit from higher tax earners by April 2013.

There are also key changes to Housing Benefit this year:
• Local Housing Allowance (LHA) set 30th percentile of average rents
• Four bedroom rate becomes maximum LHA payable
• £15 excess on LHA removed
• Extra room rate payable for overnight carer for claimants with a disability
• Maximum LHA rates nationally per week:
o £250 one bedroom
o £290 two bedroom
o £340 three bedroom
o £400 four bedroom

Under the Act, communities will have new powers to lead the preparation of Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs). NDPs offer an opportunity to decide the nature, location and design of developments,  and can be used to guide decisions on planning applications in the local area.

As NDPs are community-led, Neighbourhood Forums (NFs)  will have the leading role in preparing the plans with support and guidance from the Local Authority.

Currently in Birmingham, there are 2 neighbourhood planning pilots designated by the government, one in Balsall Heath and the other in the wider Handsworth area with the Soho Finger being the likely location. Each pilot area was allocated £20,000 from the government to assist with progressing the project.

However, I am very concerned about how this change in legislation and policy will really impact on communities. It is all well and good asking communities to devise neighbourhood plans but what will happen when large property developers and other such groups not happy with the plans decide to take communities who decide the NDP’s to court. Will local communities be able to meet the legal bills before, during and after legal proceedings?

I think there is still a lot of work to be done before I am convinced that NDP’s are a positive move for our communities.

You may be aware that the North West Planning and Regeneration Team have also been developing a Regeneration Framework for Perry Barr/Birchfield Local Centre and the A34 (N) Newtown Row/Birchfield Road Corridor.

The  Framework  stems  from  the  policies  set out in the city wide Growth Agenda, the  emerging  Core  Strategy and the Aston, Newtown, Lozells Area Action Plan.

The Core Strategy identifies Perry Barr/Birchfield as one of three district centres  for  the  City,  which  would  act  as  ‘growth  points’  for  new development  and  investment. In addition, the Growth Agenda identifies key transport  corridors  (such  as  the  A34)  within  the City, which have the potential to attract investment and generate growth.

The draft Framework aims to translate these wider policies into a clear vision and a delivery plan for long-term transformation of the Perry Barr/Birchfield Centre into a vibrant and economically strong area that is linked to the City Centre by an attractive A34 Urban Boulevard.

There is also a strategy being developed by the department to look at planning legislation for shopping centres across the city. I will bring you further details about this in the near future.

If anyone has any comments/questions regarding any of the above, please email me Waseem.Zaffar@birmingham.gov.uk and/or contact me in any of ways as described on this website.

My first contribution was to inform the Lord Mayor, Cllr Anita Ward, who I bumped into in the corridors of the Council House, that the Council Chamber had been taken over by children from across Handsworth. She took this news on board and walked straight into the chamber to formally welcome the children to the Council House and participated in a 30 minute session of questions and answers despite not formally being invited. The children appreciated the debate with the Lord Mayor, whom I must commend for her fantastic representation of the City as its first citizen and her willingness to engage with all, with this as a typical example.

Myself and Cllr Lal then participated in a session of questions and answers from children from a number of schools across Handsworth including the following from my ward:
• Heathfield School (my old Primary school)
• Westminister School
• St Clare’s School
• Welford School
• Angelsey School
• Grove School

The questions were far tougher than one can assume. I felt extra proud to be able to speak to the children as I clearly remember my first visit to the Council House was whilst a pupil at Heathfield School to see the then Lord Mayor of the City, Honoury Alderman Bernard Zissman.

I found the session so refreshing that I have contacted all the schools in my ward to arrange visits in the new year and to build relationships with the schools. I look forward to working closely with some of the best schools in the city who contribute so much to the future of our city. I appreciate wholeheartedly the foundation that Heathfield and Holte Schools gave me whilst I was there as a pupil, and I would like the opportunity to put something back into the schools and the community as a whole.

The panel, consisting of myself, Peter Latchford (currently writing a report on the Birmingham Disturbances), Superintendent Richard Moore, a local Police Constable and Kirk Dawes QPM of the Mediation Project, discussed the relationship between young people and the Police.

A lively debate took place challenging the panel members in particular the Police to review their strategy in engaging young people.

The Police listened, appreciated some of the criticism and promised to take the suggestions on board. They also offered the young people an opportunity to be part of a formal scrutiny committee set up look into the work of the Police around young people.

I was extremely pleased to see the young people in attendance and in particular the confidence of the Chair, Shaun Baxter in facilitating a lively but constructive debate.

Yvonne has built up a depth of knowledge of the local area. She is much loved by many of the organisations and community activists that live and work in the area as her hard work and commitment to the community go well beyond her remits as an officer. She is passionate about her work and about the local area.

The City Council’s decision not to retain Yvonne as a officer is a huge mistake, a decision that will have a detrimental impact on our communities and one we will all regret in years to come.

Yvonne is someone that I called upon many times in the six months or so as an elected member and as a community activist in the past for her sound advice on matters in the area. She is without doubt the encyclopedia of information on Lozells, Birchfield and Handsworth.

I would like to wish Yvonne all the best for the future and hope this isn’t the last we see of Yvonne and her work in Lozells and Handsworth. Yvonne, thank you.

The trees will form part of a new Tree Trail to be produced for the park in the summer. Unusual types of oak and beech were planted to add to the variety of trees in the park. Other trees with interesting leaves were also planted. Two of the trees were particularly suited to wet areas, so they were planted near the pool.
Birmingham Trees for Life organisers, Rangers and the Park Keeper made sure the enthusiasm of the young people was harnessed safely.

The project Schools Liaison Officer had walked with them and the teachers from the school and on the way they discussed the importance of trees. They took away with them the tree species identification labels so that they could look them up on the internet and see what the trees will look like in the summer. Pupils were also given a “goodie bag” of information about trees.

I was pleased to be joined by other members of the community at the park including a representative from the cricket club in the park. As we were planting, several users of the park said how pleased they were to see trees being planted.
Handsworth Park occupies over 63 acres. It was largely created in two parts, the first opened on June 20 1888, the second added in 1895. It was designed by nurseryman and landscape designer Richard Hartland Vertegens and has Grade II listed status, reflecting its importance as a fine example of a 19th century urban park. It was extensively restored about 8 years ago – for more information click here.

I read the extensive report presented by the Cabinet Member for Sport Leisure & Culture, Cllr. Martin Mullaney and was surprised to see a number of key exclusion that I felt I had to bring to his and the chamber’s attention.

The Perry Barr Constituency Community Sports Physical Activity Network that has over 85 club members from a diverse range of sports and diverse ethnic groups reflective of the local community was not mentioned in the report despite being nominated as not only one of the best CSPAN’s in the city but one of the most active in the constituency.

They have worked with over 4,800 young people in the constituency through the 101 projects that they have delivered with the Youth Activities Fund that has been supported by the Community Chest. They have clearly filled the vacuum of other mainstream projects that had in the past delivered provision in the school breaks to divert young people away from negative activity into positive activity.

I was also surprised that the report didn’t include any mention of the Birmingham Cricket Parks League that engages hundreds of participants in the summer for cricket over a number of weeks in our parks, in particular Perry Hall Park. I also mentioned how embarrassing it is for us as city that this fantastic grass root level project has access to only one or two portable toilets in Perry Hall Park between hundreds of cricketers of all ages and absolutely no access to any water.

The report also failed to highlight any considerable partnership work with the fantastic professional sports clubs that exist in the City of Birmingham including Warwickshire Cricket Club, Birchfield Harriers and as I described in the chamber – the greatest football club in the world, my beloved, Aston Villa FC.

However, the most notable point that I made in this address was something that really worries me as a very proud Brummie. Birmingham City Council loaned £20million to Edgaston Cricket Ground to support its development into one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, in fact I would rate it as the best in the country with the possible exception of the Lords Cricket Ground. Yet, despite this, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have decided not to allocate Edgbaston an Ashes Cricket Test match when the Australian team are touring our country in 2013. This is truly a scandalous decision. I asked what representation the Cabinet Member made to the ECB for the people of Birmingham who would be deprived of Ashes cricket – I don’t think the Cabinet member responded to this point.

The second debate that I contributed to in the meeting was a motion presented by the Opposition Leader, Cllr. Sir Albert Bore and seconded by his deputy Cllr. Ian Ward regarding the proposed cuts to the BBC in Birmingham. The BBC spends in excess of £15m in the West Midlands each year, which is worth up to £29m to the economy. With the loss of 150 skilled positions, by the end of 2012, there will be almost no television or radio made for the national networks from Birmingham.

Furthermore, there will be great difficulty in accommodating some of the ethnic programming that brings so much colour to our city. Birmingham is soon to be an ethnic majority city and programmes such as Midlands Masala, Gospel Lounge and Chat Back with Bishop Joe Aldred, all on BBCWM, will face huge challenges.

These programmes do not just reach out to the ethnic communities but to all communities and helps educate all on the best of all cultures that exist in our diverse city. This helps break down barriers that may exist between communities to promote social cohesion.

These programmes also highlight some of the key issues affecting our BME communities and gives the BME communities a voice that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

The Shows has been very instrumental in helping with community cohesion. For example, in the middle of the riots Joe Aldred of Chat Back and Arshia Riaz of Midlands Masala co-presented a show. It was generally felt that they helped with the healing and calming process that was necessary to end the riots and stop any further friction and tenson that may have existed between the black and Asian communities.

These programmes also make the BBC more accessible to black community workers, performers, promoters and people with remarkable stories to tell.
A recent example of this was last week when a local black inventor and business man came on Chatback to tell listeners how he has been working with prisoners in Featherstone prison and how they have just invented a special stove that will help the poor in the Third World.

The programmes cover a variety of issues including natural disasters across the Third World, for example, the Midlands Masala coverage of the and support in fund-raising during the Pakistan floods was exceptional.

Therefore it would be an absolute tragedy for the community, if these programmes did not continue to broadcast from Birmingham in its current format. It is imperative that the BBC ensure that Midlands Masala, Chat Back and Gospel Lounge remains West Midlands based programme broadcast from Birmingham.

We all pay £150 a year for our license fee. Think of that money as an investment in public broadcasting and then ask what return are our Midlands citizens getting on that investment, when huge swathes of BBC production is being moved elsewhere, and virtually nothing is remaining here. With 114,000 undergraduates and postgraduates, Birmingham provides one of the most skilled graduate pools in Europe. Many of these graduates are in new and emerging fields of the creative industries – we need the BBC, we need good, decent jobs for them, or they, and their skills will leave the Midlands region.

My third contribution to the meeting was on an issue that I have spent a lot time on during recent years. I have in the past represented Birmingham’s Private Hire Drivers as a Unite Representative in negotiations with Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police. A motion proposed by the Joint-Chair’s of the Licensing Committee around endorsing Birmingham City Council as the lead player in the region for unifying conditions of license for drivers. An amendment was presented by Labour colleagues that I supported in my address to the chamber.

I wanted to endorse the motion’s consideration of the safety of the public, which is paramount but also wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the issues around the safety of drivers. I mentioned issues that arose following the tragic murder of Mohammad Arshad in the summer of 2009 and the work that I led on with West Midlands Police in reviewing policies and procedures of how the police deal with the Taxi community across the region. I enquired whether the Licensing Committee would be keen to also take the lead on sustaining this work as the Police are no longer able to continue with this due to re-structuring.

I also presented 3 petitions on behalf of the residents of Lozells & East Handsworth Ward:

• On behalf of Handsworth Against Cuts presented a petition signed by over 800 residents encouraging Birmingham City Council to ensure the Handsworth Library doesn’t face any further cuts to service.
• On behalf of residents of Frances Road Lozells encouraging Birmingham City Council to look at making Frances Road one-way
• On behalf of residents of Crompton Avenue Handsworth encouraging Birmingham City Council to look at the front access into the properties

There was a no show from the Fleet and Waste Management team for the second time in a row after agreeing to turn up to deliver a presentation and hear the concerns of the local residents. This is totally unacceptable and I will be writing a very strong letter to the senior management at Fleet and Waste asking for an explanation of why this continues to happen. Rajinder Rattu of Neighbourhood Consultancy presented an update on the Environmental project that his organization is delivering along with others in the ward supported by the Community Chest.

Yvonne Wager presented a report on the Community Chest applications as agreed at Ward Advisory Board. I also presented a briefing on the Community First fund and developments in the ward with respect to that.