Issued by: Edward Davey MP Ed on the Web! Local
MP launches his new web site at Hollyfield School
Issued
by: Keith Reed "Ministers now backing my English History campaign" – Edward Davey Kingston & Surbiton ‘s MP welcomes Secretary of State for Education and Employment’s support for his campaign to restore Anglo-Saxon History to the A-level syllabus. Further to the Early Day Motion tabled by Kingston’s MP last week, in response to the announcement that the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Boards planned to remove the study of Anglo-Saxon history from the syllabus, Edward welcomed the recent support he has received from ministers on this issue. The Secretary of State for Education, David Blunkett, has subsequently told the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the body responsible for regulating A-level specifications, to report by the end of this month on the board’s decision to drop its paper on English history from 300-1500 AD, due to lack of demand from students. Edward said, "I welcome the Minister’s intervention on this issue. Our country’s great history is too important to be ignored." "Hopefully with the cross-party backing I have received, these boards can be encouraged to recognise the vital importance of ensuring that students have the opportunity to study British history throughout the ages and they will reinstate this period to their syllabus." "It is apparent from the information I have received from history departments at universities across the country that they are greatly concerned by students’ poor knowledge of this period. If this is not reinstated then it could have a seriously detrimental impact on this county’s future historians." "Having enjoyed my recent walk around Kingston’s heritage sites under the excellent direction of the town’s historic walk guides, I know how significant Kingston was for Anglo-Saxon kings. I am sure local people would want to see this history last and will join with me in urging the Oxford & Cambridge Exam Boards to think again." ENDS. Notes to Editors: 1. Original Press release sent on 14/07/99 2. Early Day Motion Tabled in the Commons by Edward Davey
Issued by: Keith Reed MP’s Office flooded by calls from holidaymakers caught up in passport chaos. Special Passports Helpline "a major new initiative". Although the Home Secretary recently announced that most passport applications are now being processed before the date of departure quoted on the application form, many local residents have still had to contact local MP, Edward Davey, for help. Since Edward put his office on alert last week, he has taken almost 50 calls from concerned holiday makers, fearful of not getting their passports processed in time. After receiving reports that passport agency telephone lines were constantly engaged and the Post Office has been unable to guarantee processing within specified timescales, Edward pressed the Home Office to set up a system to deal with his enquiries quickly. The system has already proved successful for over 100 constituents, including a pupil at Tiffin Boys’ School, who thought he might miss out on a school trip planned for the summer holidays because of the delays experienced. If a constituent is still concerned that they have not heard anything up to two weeks before they are due to travel then they should telephone or fax his constituency office on: telephone: 0181 288 0161/ fax: 0181 288 1090 quoting when they are due to travel, when they sent off their application and their passport agency reference number if available. Edward, commenting on the well publicised delays, said, "This is a nightmare scenario for many local families and businesses." "I have had a large number of calls from concerned individuals suffering due to the Governments’ lack of forward planning. Ministers’ incompetence has caused a shambolic situation at passport offices throughout the country." "They have been negligent in not putting proper procedures into place even though they knew that a new computer system was due to come on line and the requirement to obtain passports for children would create an additional upsurge in demand." "From the desperate calls I have been receiving from my constituents, I knew that I had to do something to help." ENDS. Home | How to contact me | Advice sessions | Parliament | Constituency | Liberal Democrats |
