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News Autumn Update by John Bowis - Conservative Member of the European Parliament for London
JOHN'S PARLIAMENTARY
WORK John's Report on Health and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries received unanimous approval at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in early September. It responds to European Commission plans for a framework policy for supporting healthcare in developing countries. The report highlights how vital health improvements are to reducing poverty. Tackling the three big killers: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria is critical but there are a whole range of debilitating and disabling diseases and mental illnesses that must not be neglected. By 2020, 80% of the global burden of disease will be non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, cancer, diabetes, depression and epilepsy. Developing countries trying to build up their own health systems are not helped by the developed world recruiting their doctors. Each year developed countries recruit some 63,000 doctors from developing countries; in return, we send them just 1,300. John is asking the Council of Ministers what measures EU countries are taking to reverse this unacceptable situation. John has been appointed as the Rapporteur to prepare the European Parliament's views on developing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This proposal will build upon the EU's existing efforts to plan and co-ordinate swift responses to health issues such as SARS. BEER SAVED FROM
FISHY FUTURE John has championed British beer in Europe, helping defeat damaging legislation that would force British brewers to label their beer "contains fish products". The proposals threatened the use of isinglass, a fish product used in wine and beer production, despite centuries of use with not a single known case of an allergic reaction. It is added to beer to remove haze and leave it clear by aiding sedimentation and filtration. Breweries could only change their brewing process at great expense, and a change in clarifying agent could have forced many micro-breweries out of business. In the case of bitter, there is no alternative to using isinglass in clarifying beer. John commented "I am delighted that common sense prevailed. Labelling a product as allergenic when there is no scientific evidence to support this would mislead consumers and unnecessarily reduce the choice of allergy sufferers." URGENT NEED FOR
MORE BRAIN RESEARCH The illness of Frank Bruno has hit the headlines. Behind the story is a desperate need for more research into diseases of the brain. John recently addressed a European conference to promote the importance of brain issues. Millions of people across Europe suffer from a variety of diseases and mental health problems such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Epilepsy, Depression and Schizophrenia. In particular, John highlighted the stigma that people with mental diseases suffer. He said: "For far too many people, living with a brain disorder or mental illness means being labelled, patronised, despised, feared and, to a greater or lesser extent, segregated. Stigma is rampant and is a human rights abuse. The admission of Frank Bruno to Hospital under the Mental Health Act has brought to the fore the insensitivity of such stigma. The response of some parts of the media to his predicament clearly illustrates the often unintentional brutality of such stigma." HEALTH & THE
EU Below is the text of the speech John gave during the health debate at the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool. "When I was in the Department of Health we had a steady stream of visiting Ministers and officials from abroad wanting to learn about our NHS. Whatever our concerns, they admired it and sought to emulate it. Now I am in the European Parliament and the stream is the other way - people from Britain seeking best practice in other European Countries and people there offering us sympathy for our sick NHS. "Labour's Health
Service is having to be baled out by contracts to treat our patients in
European hospitals. The European Court has confirmed the patient's right
to be treated in another EU country. Good for patients, who can bypass
Labour's intolerable waiting times, but what an indictment of Labour Britain.
I believe the country is crying out for radical solutions to meet and
afford their health needs. "In Europe we do not lay down standards for national health services - that is for Member States. But we share good practice; we seek effective health promotion; we work together on health emergencies and bioterrorism; and we vigorously oppose damaging proposals such as that on food supplements. "In the last four years your Conservative MEP team has led the way on health. We succeeded in focussing EU research on Disorders such as Parkinson's, diabetes and dementia; we launched the European Epilepsy White Paper and the European Brain Council; we led on mental health promotion and the defeat of stigma; we furthered the causes of cancer screening, of the prevention of heart disease, of Lupus, of orphan drugs and rare diseases; and helped the new Member States meet their health obligations. "Not one of these actions has been initiated by the Labour Government. It is British Conservatives in Europe, in the best traditions of British Conservatives in Government here, who are pioneering the best in health for the benefit of British people. It is to British Conservatives that health professionals, scientists and patient organisations increasingly turn when they want action. In Europe, as in Westminster, we shall not let them down." LORD BETHELL RETIRES John Bowis salutes
his Conservative colleague, Lord Bethell who has sadly had to retire as
a MEP due to ill health. He said: "Nicholas has made a real difference
during his political career. He was instrumental in bringing out of the
Soviet Union the Solzhenitsyn works and securing the release of Sakharov,
as well as establishing the rights of the people of Gibraltar and breaking
the air monopoly which led to the launching of low-cost airlines." John welcomes Ian
Twinn, who replaces Nick Bethell as a MEP, to the London Conservative
Team and looks forward to working with him. CONTACT: John Bowis MEP I also work closely with my London Conservative colleagues: Richard Balfe, Charles Tannock, Ian Twinn and Theresa Villiers. |
John at Dagenham Conservative Association helping to celebrate saving British Beer.
John contibuting to the Health Debate at Conservative Party Conference.
John with Nick Bethell.
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