Barry Gardiner MP has received today the initial proposals for the new boundaries of his constituency of Brent North from the Boundary Commission.

A protester faces off with riot police officers on the streets in London on 7 August 2011 (Copyright Lewis Whyld/PA/AP).

Barry Gardiner MP has today condemned the attempted murder of two police officers who were patrolling Fulton Road by some looters in the early hours of the morning.

Barry Gardiner spent the night between Monday and Tuesday doing walkabouts on the streets of his constituency of Brent North to reassure business owners and residents and to patrol the area, inviting youths to clear the streets and go home.

Today Barry Gardiner has met with community leaders, local police officers and with the Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband.

The sense of inclusion, which is still alive in the communities that Barry Gardiner visited last night, together with the prompt reaction by the local police teams seem to have prevented violence on a larger scale.

Barry Gardiner MP has today denounced the government's White Paper on Electricity Market Reform as a wasted opportunity to radically transform the electricity market.

The White Paper is based on four main pillars: a carbon floor price; contracts for difference to support low-carbon generation; capacity mechanisms to ensure investment in back-up power; and an emissions performance standard to prevent any new unabated coal-fired power plants.

This avoids the much more substantial change needed to improve liquidity in the electricity market - an essential precursor to reform – and to address the problems caused by the vertical integration of energy companies, which results in low levels of liquidity in the wholesale market and a lack of reliable price signal, therefore deterring investment outside of the Big Six.

In response to the White Paper on Electricity Market Reform, Barry Gardiner MP said:

"The White Paper on EMR published yesterday was supposed to be about affordable electricity, security of supply and about moving towards low carbon energy production and distribution. It is none of these.

We are left ruing a wasted opportunity from a government with a narrow understanding of what is required to genuinely reform Britain's electricity market.

"Fiddling with subsidies and structures around the market, rather than reforming the market itself, by breaking the vertical integration of the six biggest energy providers, will do little more than bring in minor cosmetic changes to the balance sheets of the Big Six."

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS:

1. In the debate following the Statement on Elecritity Market Reform by Chris Huhne, Barry Gardiner asked:

Barry Gardiner (Brent North) (Lab): Four million families heading for fuel poverty does not constitute affordability; a £200 billion shortfall in infrastructure does not constitute security of supply; and a new dash for gas does not constitute low carbon. The Secretary of State knows, as the Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, the hon. Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry) certainly does, that vertical integration in the big six is the biggest single problem. Why did the Secretary of State not address that in his statement, and when will he do so to break up the monopoly of the big six?

Chris Huhne: I have great respect for the hon. Gentleman's expertise in this area, but slightly less respect for the passion with which he tries to hold this Government to account. Given that no type of electricity-generating plant can be built in less than 18 months—if I am not entirely incorrect, the Government in power 18 months ago were a Labour Government—the idea that any enormous shortfall in infrastructure investment is down to this Government is far-fetched.

2. The White Paper on Electricity Market Reform is available at: http://tinyurl.com/5sfbpe7

On Sunday 12 June 2011, Barry Gardiner MP will host a public meeting on government proposals to change the National Health Service. The meeting will start at 3 PM at Brent Town Hall in Committee Rooms 1-3.

The British Medical Association will be represented by Dr. Chaand Nagpaul. Other speakers will include Dr Ethie Kong, Chair of Brent GP Commissioning consortium, representatives from the Royal College of Nursing and Shadow Health Minister Emily Thornberry MP.

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, said:

"I have convened this meeting because I want local residents to hear from all sides how the proposed changes may affect the future of healthcare here in Brent and their own families."

"The Government proposals are controversial and far-reaching and it is important that during this period of consultation local people should make sure that their voice is heard."

- ENDS -

NOTE TO EDITORS:

1. For information about the event constituents are invited to call Barry Gardiner MP's helpline on 020 7219 4046 or to email Barry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

2. The meeting will start at 3 PM at Brent Town Hall (Committee Rooms 1-3) and finish around 5 PM. The debate will be followed by a Q&A session open to the public.

7 April 2011

Ed Miliband MP, The Leader of the Opposition, has today appointed Barry Gardiner MP as his Special Envoy for Climate Change and Environment.

The Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband MP said:

"I am really pleased that Barry has agreed to this role. He has significant expertise in this area that can help the Party as we set our policy on international climate change in the run up to Durban and beyond."

Mr. Gardiner, a former Minister for Biodiversity and currently Vice President of GLOBE International, said:

"I'm delighted to be taking on this new role. The issue is one that Ed feels deeply about and I look forward to working with him to press forward the international action that is so badly needed."

Residents at Airco Close (London Borough of Brent) will be refunded over £ 150,000 as a result of Barry Gardiner MP's battle with Stadium Housing Association.

Stadium charged residents at a Kingsbury housing estate for water they didn't use in breach of Ofwat rules. Residents were forced to pay an equal charge for water consumption despite having water meters installed in their properties to measure how much each family actually used.

Barry Gardiner organised the first public meeting with residents in 2009. During the following two years Mr Gardiner facilitated meetings between residents and the housing association, representing the rights of over 100 tenants and campaigned for fair compensation.

Stadium has now admitted mishandling the water bill and agreed to refund all historic water charges. Refunds will be paid starting from April 2011. Water billing will be now based on real terms consumption.

Sean Greenan, a leaseholder at Airco Close, said: "Thanks to Barry Gardiner my water bills are now based on what I use and I will be reimbursed by the housing association for all the previous years". It's a massive achievement for which all residents should be grateful to our MP.

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, said: "I am delighted to hear that residents at Airco Close are finally being compensated by Stadium.

"I hope other providers in Brent will observe their obligation to manage their estates fairly and above all listen to their customers".

- ENDS -

NOTE TO EDITORS:

• Barry organised 2 public assemblies and several meetings between residents and Stadium between 2009 and 2010.

• Barry first visited the residents ahead of the first public meeting in 2009 (a video record is available here http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=XtVUiLKc4Ls).

• On 26 June 2010 Barry raised the matter before Parliament:

Barry Gardiner: Does it surprise the hon. Lady to hear of a situation concerning the Stadium housing association in my constituency? It relates to the leaseholders in Airco close, who were billed for an equal sum for their water bills despite the fact that each of the flats had a water meter. When the housing association was challenged about this, it simply informed the leaseholders that, because there was a common tank, they would each have to pay the same amount. I have taken the trouble to point out to it that, under Ofwat regulations, if a meter is fitted, it is illegal to charge on any basis other than that of metered usage. (House of Commons Official Report 26 Jun 2009 : Column 1075)

• News of the Airco Close water charges dispute was first reported by the local press in June 2009 (http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/4453326.Residents_angry_over_water_charges/).

• Mr. Sean Greenan, a representative of residents at Airco Close is available for comment on 07793 838947.