Citizens Advice Bureaux (Birmingham)

Debate between Jack Dromey and John Hemming

Wednesday 9th February 2011 Westminster Hall

[John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley) (LD)]

Does the hon. Gentleman not accept that the city council is in fact offering interim funding to maintain the service, and that the CAB had not actually made proposals for any savings whatever?

[Jack Dromey]

rose—

[Jack Dromey]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is proof positive, once again, that the Government are simply out of contact with the consequences of their actions. What is happening in Birmingham is clear beyond any doubt. The question that we will be asking today is what Ministers intend to do about it.

On the point about the council, the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley asked whether the CAB had explored alternatives. It has explored alternatives repeatedly. I have seen the correspondence going backwards and forwards. The CAB has tried to find a way forward, but what has it been met with? Among other things, abuse from the cabinet member concerned, Councillor Ayoub Khan. Just when the CAB was looking for a co-operative approach to try to find a way forward, including making economies consistent with protecting the service to the community, it ran up against a brick wall.

[John Hemming]

Earlier, the hon. Gentleman claimed that there was no proposal for any funding from April onwards. In fact, there is a proposal to make interim funding available. That, to be fair, is something that I have discussed with the CAB.

[Jack Dromey]

There will be a crucial meeting on Monday next week. As things stand, the CAB will have no alternative but to close down its generalist advice services—no alternative. If, as a consequence of today, the Government say, standing by previous statements, that they mean what they say and that CAB should not close, and if the council sees sense, not only will the CAB celebrate, so too will the people of Birmingham.

If there is no change, let us bring home what the consequences will be for the people of Birmingham. All Members who represent Birmingham can give examples—the kinds of problems that my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham) sees as well—but I shall give the House three. First, a quote:

“I didn’t know what sort of help to get regarding family difficulty with breach of custody agreement. I was terrified that I may lose my son to a hostel and wouldn’t know who to go to about my rights as a father if it wasn’t for the CAB.”

That difficult family problem was successfully resolved.

Secondly, a client of the CAB, disabled and living alone in an empty flat on a low income with no furniture, had no idea about the support available—social tariffs for utilities, community care grant or budgeting loans for furniture. Thanks to the CAB, that disabled woman now lives in comfort and is properly supported. Thirdly, there is the case of a client with cancer, who without the help of the CAB would not have been able to challenge successfully a decision not to award her benefits.

The consequences for people like them, and for the people of Birmingham more generally, will be severe indeed. Where will they turn at their time of need, and just at a time when demand is increasing?

--- Later in debate ---

[Jack Dromey]

My hon. Friend speaks from her great experience in Birmingham, Edgbaston. She is absolutely right: these services, including the one for immigration, are vital. The question then arises—Ministers will have to answer it—of where people will go if the fabric of our advice services is torn apart. As I shall say in a moment, it is not just the CAB; a total of 13 services will close in Birmingham.

[John Hemming]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the CAB is a vital service, but does he agree that it should not take an all-or-nothing approach but be willing to compromise with the city council and aim to maintain a service at a lower cost?

[Jack Dromey]

The hon. Gentleman is, to be frank, wrong. The CAB has made it consistently clear that it is prepared to do precisely that, but dialogue with Birmingham city council has proved to be a dialogue with the deaf. If he will speak out today and call on Birmingham city council, and join the Labour MPs of Birmingham in hoping that good sense will break out next Monday, that would be very welcome indeed.

[John Hemming]

I have been working with the city council on funding proposals to maintain a substantial part of the CAB service, so that has been happening.

[Mr Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham, Perry Barr) (Lab)]

Will my hon. Friend give way?