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Free and Fair Trade
8. Helen Jackson (Sheffield, Hillsborough): What action she is taking to promote (a) free and (b) fair trade. [66374]
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Patricia Hewitt): We played a very important role in securing agreement last November on the Doha development round. It is through the World Trade Organisation that we can create a framework of rules for free and fair world trade. We are working closely in the European Union and with other Governments across the world to ensure that we deliver on those Doha commitments.
Helen Jackson: I thank my right hon. Friend. She will be aware that the campaign for fair and free trade attracts people across social classes and ages, and gives the lie to the belief that there is political apathy in this country. I am now in contact with more than 150 constituents, more than 20 of whom took the time and trouble to travel down from Sheffield to attend the lobby on free and fair trade a couple of weeks ago. In that context, will she ensure that, in her discussions with her EU counterparts
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as part of the CAP mid-term review, she helps to establish a firm timetable for the elimination of export subsidies, to which the EU will make every effort to stick?
Ms Hewitt: I entirely agree with my hon. Friend and, of course, we will continue to press for a firm timetable for reducing agricultural subsidies and then for eliminating them. I also agree strongly with the points that she made about the Trade Justice Movement, and I very much hope that the faith groups and other voluntary organisations involved in that movement will now spread their wings and make connections in other European countries and, perhaps most importantly, in the United States of America, so that we can spread throughout the rich countries of the world the understanding that we need free and fair trade, in the interests, above all, of the developing countries.
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
The Minister was asked—
Affordable Child Care
29. Mr. Gareth Thomas (Harrow, West): What steps she is taking to promote access to affordable child care. [66401]
30. Mr. Anthony Steen (Totnes): What steps she is taking to assist working mothers to obtain affordable child care. [66403]
The Minister for Women (Ms Patricia Hewitt): The Government are committed, through their national child care strategy, to ensuring that accessible, affordable and good quality child care is available in every neighbourhood. I am glad to say that, in the last five years, we have already created nearly 500,000, new child care places, which are benefiting nearly 1 million children, and that we are on track to meet our target of creating new places for 1.6 million children by 2004.
Mr. Thomas: Does my right hon. Friend accept that after-school clubs—such as those provided at Vaughan first and middle schools, Pinner Wood first and middle schools, and Earlsmead first and middle schools in my constituency—are a key form of affordable child care? Does she understand the frustration of head teachers and school governing bodies that they are technically, in law, unable to provide the after-school clubs directly themselves, and that they have to set up separate organisations to do so, with all the extra work load that that creates? What are the Government's plans to tackle that issue? If we have not solved the problem, will she undertake to discuss it as a matter of urgency with colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills?
Ms Hewitt: I congratulate the schools in my hon. Friend's constituency that are already providing after-school clubs, which are hugely useful for children and their parents. In the Education Bill, we are already giving further powers to head teachers to deal with some of the problems that my hon. Friend has rightly identified. I will certainly ensure that we consider that matter in the review being led by the performance and innovation unit,
in which we are looking at our child care strategy right across government to ensure that we are doing everything possible to ensure that parents and children get the child care that they need.
Mr. Steen: The Minister will know that I am a great fan of hers. I hope, therefore, that she will understand why I wonder whether it is discriminatory that she is the Minister for Women rather than the Minister for Parenting. Does she agree that we need to change the business culture in this country so that businesses provide creches for parents—whether they are men or women—with young children? Should we not give them some kind of tax break to encourage this?
Ms Hewitt: I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman that balancing work and family, and meeting the needs of children, are issues for fathers just as much as for mothers. He will be aware that from next April, under the Employment Act 2002, two weeks paid paternity leave will be available to fathers for the first time. Indeed, Fathers Direct has announced that tomorrow night is the key date for would-be parents if they want to be among the first to take advantage of the new provisions.
I have to tell the hon. Gentleman that workplace creches are not always the preferred choice of parents, particularly those who work in cities and do not want to take small children to work on what might be a crowded commuting journey. We are, however, examining all those issues in the PIU review, to ensure that, with the support of employers, education authorities, the voluntary sector and so on, we get the range of child care services that will meet different parents' needs.
Glenda Jackson (Hampstead and Highgate): My right hon. Friend will be aware that there are huge discrepancies with regard to affordable child care, particularly in London. One of the issues that is causing difficulty for some of my constituents who wish to expand the physical premises on which a nursery is held has to do with the planning system. Will my right hon. Friend please speak to her colleagues in the relevant Department to see whether there is a way of speeding up this process, if not of reducing the relevant requirements?
Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend raises an immensely important point. Like her, I know of several nurseries and child care centres that are unable to expand because they simply cannot get the premises or the planning permission that they need. The Government have already embarked on a radical reform of planning law to ensure that businesses are not held back from desirable expansion, whether in this or any other sector. That reform will go ahead as quickly as possible.
Sandra Gidley (Romsey): Many organisations now require flexible working, but child care provision generally does not reflect that. Does the Minister agree that employers are best placed to make such provision? Is she happy with the fact that only 5 per cent. of employers provide creches, and if not, what will she do to remedy the situation?
Ms Hewitt: There is no doubt that child care in the workplace can be useful in some circumstances. My Department provides several places at a Westminster
nursery, which are very popular with some of my officials. As I said earlier, however, most parents say that they do not want to take young children to work, and would prefer other forms of support from their employers. Many employers do provide other forms of support, by subsidising the cost of child care elsewhere or simply by ensuring that parents whom they employ obtain adequate information about all the choices available to them. We will, however, examine the issue further in the PIU study.
Caroline Flint (Don Valley): As I have said before, it worries me that those responsible for driving our economic agenda in the regional development agencies and the Small Business Service do not seem to consider child care an important part of the infrastructure to help families combine work and family life. Will my right hon. Friend, wearing her hat as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, seek reports from all the regional development agencies and, in particular, from the Small Business Service on what they contribute? Such provision is vital if we are to make work meaningful for people with families, and help others to get out of poverty and into work.
Ms Hewitt: Following an earlier question from my hon. Friend, I raised the matter directly with the chairs of all the regional development agencies. I stressed that child care was as important a part of our economic and social infrastructure as roads, railways, broadband telecommunication networks and so forth. Increasingly, agencies are working with the Department for Education and Skills and other Departments involved in the child care strategy, and considering how they can help to expand child care facilities. That will depend on the particular needs of regions and on investment programmes.
Mrs. Caroline Spelman (Meriden): Along with, I am sure, most working parents, I am bracing myself for the six-week summer holiday. I am sure that I am not alone in being dismayed by a survey published in The Times last week, which revealed that nearly 50 per cent. of all working parents have no relatives or friends on whom they can rely to look after their children during the holiday.
How would the Minister respond to the criticism expressed by Stephen Burke of the Daycare Trust, a leading child care charity, who said that parents were
forced to spend huge sums on child care during the summer holidays because of the shortage of play schemes? He added
"Even where schemes do exist, they are beyond the reach of many parents".
I hope that the Minister agrees that this is an area in which affordable child care provision is woefully inadequate.
Ms Hewitt: We have been considering the whole issue and are looking at ways to expand provision of holiday play schemes for children of all ages throughout the country, but particularly in the most disadvantaged communities. Such schemes are hugely important, not just in ensuring that children are safe and properly cared for during the summer holidays while their parents are at work, but in preventing young people from being tempted into criminal activities because they have nothing better to do.
Provision is indeed being expanded as a result of our early years partnership, but of course more needs to be done. That is why we are increasing investment in child care. We will soon have the PIU report, which will help us to do even more in this important area.
Mr. Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw): The Minister will know that the school holidays have already begun in Scotland. Thousands of working mothers are taking their children abroad. May I quote from the Civil Aviation Authority's cabin safety procedure bulletin?
"Emergency situations have shown that the separation of family groups, especially children, may lead to problems in emergency situations. Of particular concern is that during emergency evacuations, group members . . . might seek each other out during the evacuation process. Such actions could have an adverse effect on passenger flow rates towards emergency exits, and might seriously"—
Mr. Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman cannot do that. I call the Minister to reply.
Ms Hewitt: My hon. Friend raises an extremely important point. I understand that some package holiday companies charge extra for a family who want to be seated together, even though, as he rightly says, the cabin safety guidelines say that that is desirable. I shall ask the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Miss Johnson), who has responsibility for consumer affairs, to look into the problem and give my hon. Friend a more detailed reply.
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Amelia R. Choyne, Partner
E-mail: archoyne@arfdlaw.com
LinkedIn | VCard
Health Care Law — Regulatory Compliance
Medical Malpractice Litigation
Amelia R. Choyne's practice is dedicated to trial litigation of high-exposure medical malpractice matters for major metropolitan area hospital systems and medical practices and general liability, and liability consulting/investigation. Ms. Choyne is admitted to practice in the State of New York as well as in the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.
Highlights of her most recent successes include:
Obtained voluntary discontinuance of entire case prior to moving for summary judgment on behalf of two client-physicians and hospital in New York County Supreme Court case.
Obtained summary judgment dismissal for hospital client in Queens County Supreme Court case.
Obtained voluntary discontinuance for client following deposition in Bronx County Supreme Court case.
Obtained voluntary discontinuance of both client-physicians following plaintiff's deposition in New York Southern District federal case.
Ms. Choyne is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Brooklyn Women's Bar Association and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. She has been invited to participate in an number of panels and round table discussions on the advancement of women in law and leadership. She is also an active participant of the New York City Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Moms in Training and is formerly a member of the Executive Leadership Committee for New York City Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Moms in Training and the fundraising committee for The 2018 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Crimson Ball.
Ms. Choyne received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from Emory University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law. She was a member of the Jessup International Moot Court Competition Team where she was a regional semifinalist and won Second Place for Best Brief. She also served as vice president of the International Moot Court Board.
Aaronson Rappaport Attorneys recognized as 2022 NY Metro Super Lawyers and Rising Stars!
24 ARFD Attorneys Recognized as 2021 NY-Metro Super Lawyers and Rising Stars!
Amelia Choyne moderates round table at the Women in Law & Leadership NYC Summit
Amelia Choyne Speaks before New York State Bar Association

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Sixth Form Business students visited the huge NHS Supply Chain warehouse in Bridgewater with Mr Farish and Mr Milne. The entrepreneurial A level class were intrigued to find out more about the business and put into context what they have been learning in the classroom.
The day started off with a boardroom meeting and an introduction about the organisation, followed by a tour to see how the warehouse operated. After learning about the theory of "Lean Quality Management" and "Maslow Hierarchy of Needs" in the classroom it was great to see them being used in a real life scenario. The day came to a close when the students presented what we had learnt about the organisation to experienced employees including the Operations Manager. It was a fantastic trip and an experience which is invaluable going into the world of business as well as seeing the NHS from a totally new angle. Some pupils who are interested in doing Medicine at university also joined the trip and got to see what many doctors never actually see in their careers.


Do you remember the day when you were born?
Starting from the same day you born that is today. Happy birthday!
Serious problem shortage of sugar.
Now spread your sweetness on such a wonderful day.
may we be friends, till the world ends.


Summer weather rocks, almost literally ... it doesn't matter what part of the country you live in, you are likely to be experiencing unusual weather patterns, from thunder and lightning to flooding to drought and extreme heat.
Does this reflect your law practice as well? With the weather, we have no choice but to "weather it," ride it out and wait until normal times return. In your practice, hopefully you have built reserves to either weather the storm as your practice hits a valley or exploit the peak. Planning ahead is always the key to success. I hope you have a great summer.
Even in death, there is no peace. At least not for the families of lawyers. A recent court ruling extended the time period during which a malpractice suit can be filed, so the estates of deceased attorneys are at even greater risk than previously.
In Greenbaum v. Holian, Lawyers Weekly No. 12-049-14, the court gave new meaning to the "long arm of the law." The court extended Massachusetts's one-year statute of limitations against attorneys for malpractice and allowed a plaintiff's claim that was filed twenty-nine months after the attorney's death.
The circumstances of the underlying case are interesting but not outstanding. There is some dispute about whether the circumstances would have sustained a judgment even during the statutory period. However, the court found that the statutory period should be set aside and the claim against the attorney's estate permitted. The court has broad equitable powers; in this case, the court noted, "justice and equity require it." The court further found that there was "no culpable neglect" by the plaintiff in not pursuing its claim sooner.
This case is based on Massachusetts law, but it confirms a similar outcome in a Maine case of many years ago. Analogous cases have appeared throughout the country. Thus, attorneys and their heirs are always at risk when there is a claim of malpractice.
Though gruesome, being buried does not end a lawyer's professional life-and the trail of his assets are subject to claims many months, if not years, later. Estate planning for and by lawyers must take this situation into account. After all, ignoring the need for estate planning means ignoring the needs of your family after your death.
You spent a lifetime building your practice of law; don't allow bad estate planning to expose that business to the risk of a malpractice suit when you're no longer around to defend yourself.


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Vero Beach è una città degli Stati Uniti d'America situata in Florida, nella Contea di Indian River, della quale è anche il capoluogo.

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

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