My column from this week’s Ham & High:

A room full of older people socialising, having lunch, talking and laughing – that’s what luncheon clubs and drop-in centres deliver for our older residents.

If it wasn’t for such facilities – some older people might never even get out of their homes and wouldn’t necessarily see another living soul from one week to the next. They might not eat properly. They might not get any exercise. And as many of those who use Abyssinia Court (near Crouch End) luncheon and drop club in Haringey told me when I visited last week – if it wasn’t for this haven of warmth and friendship – they would be depressed, would fall ill and become a much greater cost than the £425,000 per year that Haringey currently spends in total on all its luncheon clubs and drop-in centres. That is an amount which totals 0.2% of Haringey’s budget of £182million. Value for money – and then some!

The £425,000 cut proposed to drop-in centres, day centres and luncheon clubs is less than the annual cost to residents for the write off of the residents’ money that the Labour Council lost in the Icelandic bank collapse.

At Abyssinia Court which provides extra care housing, assisted living, close care, continuing care housing and is run by Hornsey Housing Trust – residents and locals alike drop into the community rooms for lunch and company. They also have access to other services that visit there. There is a hairdresser, a chair exercise teacher and other services like foot care. But it is the getting out of your room or your home, the company and good, healthy food – and of course bingo twice weekly – that mean that this expenditure is not only a vital lifeline – but an investment.

So – yes – it’s a time of austerity and yes the Government grants to local authorities mean that there will have to be cuts. However, where to cut is entirely at Labour Haringey’s discretion.

Haringey Council was banged to rights in a television interview with Lib Dem Minister Andrew Stunell (Department of Local Communities – the department who award local authority grants) last week. Mr Stunell made it crystal clear in the television interview that Haringey Council is receiving 5 times more for each resident than richer boroughs – because of the greater levels of need in the borough. (Not to mention that Haringey has the fifth highest council tax in London).

The cameras had gone into Willoughby Road luncheon club when it came to light that very first in line for local Labour cuts were Haringey’s luncheon clubs. They interviewed the elderly people there who rely on it – and they certainly made it clear how vital the club was to their well-being.

But what really gets me is that Haringey seem to be ducking the hard choices. For example – if you take their Communication and Policy budget of £6million – the cuts they are proposing to that is £124,000 – peanuts!

My Liberal Democrat councillor colleagues are studying the Labour Council’s budget proposals closely currently in draft. No doubt they will be mounting a ferocious challenge to save the soft targets whilst pointing the way to Haringey on where cuts could and should be made.

Without doubt – there are tough times ahead for local authorities and they will have to make cuts and not everything can be back office (although quite a lot can). But Haringey have muddled along for years. If Haringey could only do something once and do it right – that in itself would probably save a bomb.

Local government has to make savings, but it is up to the local authority where those savings rest. Haringey Labour are going for soft targets, but I believe this drastic cut to services for older people is a very poor decision. We should protect our most vulnerable not close services they cherish.

Labour’s financial mismanagement nationally got the country into this mess (together with the irresponsible banks and our individual live now pay later attitude) and locally Labour has made it much much worse.

I really couldn’t believe it when I heard that Haringey Labour Council had announced late last year – plans to increase Council charges to residents for street parties from £60 to £3000. Charging local residents £3000 just to have a street party was an outrageous proposal.

Well done to my LibDem councillor colleagues who took action to force Labour to reverse this truly draconian proposal. The planned increase has now been abandoned and at the Council’s cabinet meeting last week the Labour councillor responsible announced that charges would increase, but only to £80 for small street parties. Liberal Democrats welcomed the climb-down following LibDem councillors having raised the issue in December 2010.

Given the number of streets likely to hold street parties for the Royal Wedding – and we are a pretty sociable and street party borough anyway – even without the Royal Wedding – as my LibDem Councillor Colleague Gail Engert said ‘ thank goodness Labour have seen sense’.

My view – pity they didn’t have any sense in the first place!

Just a quick catch up on some constituency visits over the last week:

– met with Catch 22 who have a project running in Haringey where they have taken on Intensive Intervention with 50 young people who need a huge amount of support to help them stay out of trouble. I met two of the young people – who really are benefiting from the support they are getting as well as the organisation key people nationally and the lead for the local project.

– met with the Tavistock who are working in partnership with Haringey on mental health support services. Very interesting meeting and an opportunity (I think) for integration between the Tavi and the work on Early Intervention. The government program to get a 100,000 of the most chaotic families back into work is absolutely right – but very challenging. I suggested the Tavi perhaps look into whether there was any support they could give if mental health issues were a barrier to success in any of those families.

– I met with about 20 young people who are concerned in case Haringey decide their youth clubs are a soft target for cuts. Given that I just read that their Communication and Policy budget is only being cut by £124,000 – it is clear that the hard choices are being ducked and no doubt they will focus on the soft targets – rather than really dealing with the structural faults. I am meeting with the Council Leader later this week to discuss this.

– I attended Holocaust Memorial Day at Bruce Castle – always moving. A huge thank you to all who every year make sure that this is not only done – but done extremely well. I was talking to one of the holocaust survivors in attendance – and that is always such a privilege. This year also marked the opening of an exhibition there of portraits of Haringey’s Holocaust Survivors – worth a visit for sure.

– I went to Cranwood (old peoples’ home) to see the children who come in from St James’s Church every Sunday to sing, play their instruments and generally engage with the residents. Clearly both the elderly and the children enjoy this hugely and it benefits both. There are rumours that Haringey may look to close Cranwood – with the obvious concerns that brings to staff, residents and their relatives. I have not heard about this – but will now investigate.

– went to the Big Green Bookshop for the launch of the 3rd edition of Zoom Rockman’s comic. When I chose the illustration from all the entries for my Christmas card competition this year – and it was Zoom’s – I had no idea he was already a recognised artist!

– As for Parliament and Government – that was a week in politics with so much happening – I wouldn’t know where to begin – Alan Johnson to Andy Coulson to Ed Balls – to Tony Blair – so am not going to try. For myself, many governmental meetings, speeches and other meetings – too many to list. Coming week – Home Office and Equality Orals – Monday and Thursday respectively. Tuesday am appearing before both APPG on Sexuality and Home Affairs Select Committee on a range of issues.

– an apologies for lack of blogging generally – am struggling to find time – but don’t want to just give it up so am just working on a when I can basis – but not very satisfactory

I went to visit a new ‘PassivHaus’ in Hornsey. It is a terraced house belonging to Metropolitan Housing Association in a conservation area which has been retro-fitted to meet the Passivhaus standards

From the PassivHaus website the following is a description of a dwelling that achieves the PassivHaus standard and typically includes:

– very good levels of insulation with minimal thermal bridges well thought out utilisation of solar and internal gains
– excellent level of airtightness
– good indoor air quality, provided by a whole house mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery

By specifying these features the design heat load is limited to the load that can be transported by the minimum required ventilation air. Thus, a PassivHaus does not need a traditional heating system or active cooling to be comfortable to live in – the small heating demand can be typically met using a compact services unit which intergrates heating, hot water and ventilation in one unit (although there are a variety of alternative solutions).

For Europe (40o – 60o Northern latitudes), a dwelling is deemed to satisfy the PassivHaus criteria if:

the total energy demand for space heating and cooling is less than 15 kWh/m2/yr treated floor area;
the total primary energy use for all appliances, domestic hot water and space heating and cooling is less than 120 kWh/m2/yr

These figures are verified at the design stage using the PassivHaus Planning Package.

As the Hornsey house was a retrofit rather than a new build – the standard is marginally different.

It was very impressive – and very warm. Between insulation, special air circulation, triple-glazing, special door fittings and solar panels – it is an example of what can be done where there is a will to actually take the measures that will enable our housing to become environmentally neutral.

This is an annual award (rating) by Stonewall which includes private, public and third sector workplaces – and the Home Office came in this year at No 1!

Receiving such a tremendous accolade is the result of really working to make the Home Office the best place to work for lesbian,gay and bisexual people.

And now it’s official – it is the best place!

It’s a real recognition of the Home Office’s drive to create an environment in which people feel they can be open about their sexuality.

The award means that the HO is the top place to work because Lesbian, gay and bisexual staff are represented and supported by senior managers and Spectrum – the department’s own network group. Stonewall said the department had ensured that the Specturm network had reached Home Office staff across the UK and applauded campaigns such ‘Here Come the Girls’ which address the lack of visible gay and bisexual women in workplaces.

The Home Office was also commended for accepting Stonewall’s recommendations in new training for asylum caseworkers on how to deal appropriately and sensitively with the claims of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Also the Home Office was praised for supporting ‘Blow the Whistle on Gay Hate’ which encourages victims of homophobic hate crime to come forward and report such incidents to the police.

Stonewall said that the Home Office ‘understands the importance of truly embedding equality and diversity into everything it does’.

Congratulations to Ravi Shand, CBE QPM, Head of Equality and Diversity at the Home Office and to everyone in the Home Office who contributes to creating a workplace to be so proud of.