 As the county faces another cold snap I am aware that some of my constituents may be concerned about staying warm. The Home Heat Helpline is a free, not-for-profit phone line which provides advice to people who are struggling to pay their energy bills and keep warm.
 The organisation Beating Bowel Cancer recently held a parliamentary reception to raise awareness of the disease and launch its latest policy document, ‘Equality & Excellence for Bowel Cancer’. The document sets out a number of key recommendations to improve the outcomes for bowel cancer.
Each year almost 40,000 men and women in the UK are diagnosed with the disease and approximately 16,250 people will die from it. This equates to almost 60 bowel cancer diagnoses and 25 deaths in each parliamentary constituency. Yet in over 90% of cases, bowel cancer can be beaten if patients are diagnosed early and given prompt and appropriate treatment.  This morning I visited the Faircharm Trading Estate on Creekside, Deptford and met with local artists, including painter and Creekside Artists Director Brenda Brown and jewellery designer Herve Boscher (pictured).
It was a great opportunity to meet with the artists and listen to their concerns, as well as to see them at work.  Today I accused the Minister for Employment, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, of ignorance over housing benefit.
During last week's Welfare Reform Bill, I raised the issue of constituents who are obliged to rent properties that entitle them to higher housing benefit, pushing them over the government's cap. The Minister responded that he was "not aware" that Housing Benefit was paid to families earning £35,000 a year.  February is National Heart Month and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is asking people to join in with National Wear Red Day on Friday 24th February 2012 to raise awareness.
During National Heart Month, the BHF is encouraging people to think about their own hearts and the hearts of those around them. The nation's heart charity also needs people across the UK to get involved with National Wear Red Day to help raise vital funds for the charity's life-saving work.  I am supporting the launch of ‘Chance to be a Chancellor’ 2012 and calling on schools and young people in Lewisham Deptford to take up the challenge to learn about, and share their opinions on, the Budget 2012.
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