Letter from Westminster

Written by Stephen Williams MP and published in Clifton Chronicle on Sun 23rd Apr 2006

Probably the highlight of the week was attending the St George's Day parade of Bristol's Scouts at Bristol Cathedral. Over a thousand scouts and their group leaders paraded on College Green with their flags before attending a service. When I was a boy there were cubs, scouts, brownies and guides. Now they are mixed so you get girl scouts too. It was great to see so many people taking part.

Being a cub for a few years was certainly a memorable part of my growing up. Next year will be the centenary of this wonderful institution. As I sat in the cathedral it struck me how much we owe to the large number of people who give up their time to serve the community. As a politician I spend much of my time trying to improve state services. But Bristol is lucky to have a large and vibrant voluntary sector.

In Westminster this week I was able to raise the status of a relatively unsung part of the voluntary sector, carers. Last year I met with a remarkable group of children who act as carers for a member of their family. Some of them looked after a parent with a handicap or serious illness. Others helped their parents care for a sibling. Children are not formally recognised as having caring responsibilities. It is assumed that only adults or the state look after family members. This causes the children some problems as they can struggle with their schoolwork. Some were frustrated with adult social services, as they hadn't acknowledged their role in the home.

I promised the children that I would remember their circumstances whenever an opportunity to raise them arose. So when Education Select Committee questioned witnesses from the health and education departments on children's services I mentioned my experience. I hope that it had some influence on government policy that is evolving in this area.

Back in Bristol I joined pupils, teachers, governors and councillors on a tour of the brand new Fairfield School. The school is transferring from its well-known Victorian building in Montpelier to an amazing 21st century structure on Muller Road. The quality of the teaching space will I'm sure inspire the pupils to learn.

Educational standards are obviously a major issue in the current elections for the City Council. While state of the art buildings help, I don't think turning round Bristol's record is simply a matter of resources. It's also a matter of leadership. The success of schools depends on the qualities of the Head Teacher. But the Council also has to show leadership. Bristol is a prosperous and successful city and it is a major scandal that we are bottom of the national state school league tables. The Council's role is to be frank about the scale of the problem and encourage, support and cajole schools to drive up standards. There can be no tolerance or excuses for failure. I believe my colleagues in local government have made a good start but there is a mountain to climb.

For decades Bristol has lagged behind other cities not just in education but also transport, arts and leisure. The election is an opportunity for a fresh start. I know that Bristol should be a great city and with some new civic leadership its potential can be realised.