I would like to report on three recent issues that I have been campaigning on locally and in the House of Commons.

Job Cuts at Telford College
 
About 50 staff at Telford College (including lecturers, managers and support staff) are at present faced with the threat of being made redundant as a result of a funding crisis. This is despite a sharp rise in recent applications.

Some of the lecturers under threat are in building and trades which have proved especially popular with applicants at a time when it is more important than ever that there are enough places for people to retrain and improve their skills.

Along with local MSP Malcolm Chisholm, I took part in a lobby of the Scottish Parliament in support of the staff and I have sponsored a motion in the House of Commons to publicise the issue. I have also raised the issue with the Principal of Telford College.

Royston Primary School closure threat

It was a big shock recently when Edinburgh’s LibDem/SNP Council announced it was proposing to close Royston Primary School. Parents and the local community have begun a big campaign to stop this, and I have offered them my support.
 
Mobile Phones
 
Over 90% of households in the UK now use a mobile phone but I know from the number of people who have contacted me on this issue that many people are unhappy with the service they are getting. I have recently been working with the independent watchdog, Consumer Focus, on a public consultation about the problems people experience.
 
Contracts are becoming ever longer. Many are now over 12 months and they run to so many pages that they can be hard to compare.  Operators also tend to offer the best deals to new rather than existing customers.
 
However, in general, even people on contracts benefit from cheaper rates than those on pay-as-you-go who are more likely to include the elderly and those on low income. There are also extra charges for paper bills if someone does not have access to the internet, which lots of people still do not!

Whilst calls from landlines to 0800 helplines are free, mobile calls are usually charged, with pay-as-you go customers again faring worst. This has become a bigger issue with the increasing number of government services who use 0800 or 0845 numbers.

Mobile phones are big business - bringing in more than £15 billion in revenue each year in the UK alone. Mobile phone operators and the government should ensure that they give all their customers a fair deal, and that they don't penalise those who can least afford to pay more.

If you have any views about what needs to be done to give customers a better deal – let me know! (email mark@marklazarowicz.org.uk or write to my office at 5 Croall Place, E7 4LT).