Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker to introduce bill on National Minimum Wage

PAULA Barker MP has announced she will be introducing a bill on National Minimum Wage after being successfully drawn in the Private Member's Bill ballot. 20 lucky MPs were drawn in the ballot which took place in January 2020, and these MPs have spent the past few weeks deciding on which topic they wish to introduce legislation. Paula Barker MP was drawn 6th in the ballot and the bill will be the National Minimum Wage Bill. The 1st opportunity for MPs to debate the bill; known as the 'Second Reading' stage, will be on 26 June 2020. It is up to the Member to decide on the Bill's topic, and Commons clerks may offer advice on drafting. 13 Fridays 2020, in each Parliamentary session are allocated to debating these Bills, although they will need to go through all legislative stages in both Houses of Parliament before they can become law. Priority on debating time is given to those MPs who have appeared near the top of the ballot, although all 20 bills will formally appear on the House of Commons order paper. For a bill to become law (officially known as an 'Act of Parliament'), the following stages; which usually take place over a number of weeks; apply:-

► 1st Reading (the formal presentation of a Bill, no debate)

► 2nd Reading (a debate on the general principles of the Bill, and a vote on whether the Bill should progress any further)

► Committee Stage (a chance for a cross party group of MPs to give line by line scrutiny of the Bill, and a chance for MPs to table amendments)

► Report Stage (a further chance for MPs to amend the Bill and to debate any changes made at Committee stage)

► 3rd Reading (a final and usually quite short debate on the Bill's final contents)

► Once it has gone through these stages in the House of Commons, the process is repeated in the House of Lords. Both Houses must come to an agreement before Royal Assent is granted; this is the formal process of a Bill becoming an Act of Parliament.

For more information about the UK's National Minimum Wage click on here.

Liverpool's Philharmonic Pub becomes Grade I listed

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, on Hope Street, Liverpool, is a Public House (Pub), is now a Grade 1 listed, built from 1898 to 1900, by the Liverpudlian architect Walter W Thomas. Built in an exuberant free style, this iconic building is a striking example of Victorian architecture in the City Centre, which was 1st Grade II* listed in 1966. The 3 storey building has been reassessed and upgraded to Grade I for its outstanding architectural quality and magnificent interior. The exterior features elaborate carvings, Art Nouveau elements including metal gates by the architect and designer Henry Bloomfield Bare, and stone sculptures of musicians and musical instruments in low relief. The interior includes:- rich work in copper, mahogany, plaster and glass. Unusually, the gentlemen's toilet also survives from its original Victorian design and features high quality decoration.

Joining the Philharmonic, 2 further Liverpool Pubs have been reassessed, with their Grade II* and Grade II listings updated to include their important interiors. Walter W Thomas also designed Grade II* listed The Vines (Lime Street). Built in 1907, The Vines' upmarket, Edwardian interior is opulent and decorative, featuring rich, original mahogany woodwork and plasterwork, and a large stained glass dome in the former billiards room. The separate lounge bar, public bar and smoke room survive well, as do a number of striking fireplaces. Peter Kavanagh's (Egerton Street) an eccentric and much loved Grade II listed Pub that was re-designed by its Landlord and inventor of the same name, includes various unique features, including:- carved 'corbels' (wall brackets) thought to be caricatures of the pub's regulars, and original tables designed by Kavanagh, with channels for spilt drinks and in built ash trays.

Originally listed as 18th Century or earlier, the revised entry for the Grade II listed Blue Ship (The Haven, Billingshurst) shows that it was originally a 16th Century cottage that was converted into a Pub in the 1850's, and subsequently remodelled and expanded later in the Century. It serves as a good example of how modest vernacular buildings were converted into licensed Public Houses following the 1830 Beer Act. The Blue Ship is 1 of only eight Pubs in the UK known to have no bar counter. The updated listing now refers to the pub's rare, still surviving tap room 'servery' arrangement from the 1850's.

2 important London Pubs from the Victorian era have had their listings updated to include information about their interiors. The Grade II listed, mid-19th Century Hand and Shears (Middle Street, Smithfield) retains its public, saloon and private bars, and has a range of intact late 19th Century fittings. The Pub also has important historic links; to Bartholomew Fair, 1 of England's most important medieval fairs, and its:- "Pye Poudre Court," a Court of medieval original convened at the Pub to keep order and settle merchants' disputes.

The Grade II listed Coach and Horses (Greek Street, Soho) is famously associated with a regular cast of prominent writers, artists, musicians and actors, including:- Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud, Peter O'Toole and John Hurt, and as a meeting place for The Spectator and Private Eye magazines. The pub's famously debauched atmosphere was captured in Keith Waterhouse's 1989 play 'Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell,' in which its interior was faithfully recreated for the stage of the nearby Apollo Theatre. The pub's listing now includes reference to this recent history, as well as to its historic origins as an early 18th Century Pub of the same name. The present building dates from the 1840's, but had its unusual cast iron columns added in 1889. The interior was remodelled in the 1930's by Taylor, Walker and Co and this survives remarkably well, with bar fittings, signage and the partition screens all retained.

A historic Pub sitting in the City Centre of Salisbury, Wiltshire, the Grade II* listed Haunch of Venison is a well preserved building dating from the 15th Century, though there is evidence of a Pub of the same name at the site since the 1300's. The building retains clear evidence of its evolution from a church house in the 1400's into a Public House, and it was refurbished in around 1909. It has its traditional layout of divided drinking spaces, with a small ladies snug, and still contains fittings from its 1909 refurbishment including:- a rare and elaborate bank of spirit pumps.

The Grade II listed Square and Compass (Worth Matravers, Dorset) is an 18th Century Pub with 19th Century extensions. The layout and arrangements, without a bar counter, and with serving hatches from the rear 'servery,' is now a rare survival, and adds to the building's claims to special interest.

2 Somerset Pubs have had their listings updated to reflect their important interiors. The distinctive and picturesque Grade II listed Rose and Crown (Huish Episcopi) dates from around 1800. Without a bar counter, it instead has a 'servery' area customers can walk into containing shelves and hand pumps. This Pub was also refitted in the interwar period and retains various features from that time. Earlier fabric survives too, including:- flag stone floors, timber joinery and the fireplace. Attached to the rear is a 19th Century skittle alley; a relatively common feature in Somerset, though rare nationally. Grade II listed Tucker's Grave Inn (Radstock) is a Pub thought to be named after the burial site of local farm worker Edward Tucker, who in 1747 is reputed to have taken his life and, according to contemporary practise, was buried at a crossroads nearby. Originally an 18th Century cottage, it was licensed as a Pub by the early 1800's. It has no bar counter, the casks of beer and cider being stacked below the window of the central public bar. It also has hand painted signage to the tap room. Thought to date from the 19th Century, it may be among the earliest known to survive nationally.

The Red Lion (Rugeley, Staffordshire) is Grade II listed 19th Century Pub that originated as a house in the early 1600's. It is an early building within Central Rugeley and is 1 of the last surviving 17th Century buildings on what once was a busy commercial street. The Pub retains substantial fabric from its origins and from the different stages of its development. It also retains an unusual salt safe and elements of an inter war Pub interior, including:- panelling and fireplaces.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England said:- "English Pubs are some of our best loved community buildings and are often threatened with closure so we are delighted to see 11 historic Pubs receiving further protection. We are proud that the Liverpool Philharmonic Pub, a remarkable survival from the Victorian era, has been given a Grade I listing which will help maintain and preserve its outstanding interior fittings and exterior fabric for the future. The 11 Pubs range from the opulent Philharmonic in Liverpool and the picturesque Rose and Crown in Somerset, to a London Pub with links to Bartholomew Fair. All of them fully deserve the protection given by listing."

Paul Ainsworth, Chairman of CAMRA's Pub Heritage Group said:- "So few of England's 40,500 Pubs retain interiors which have not suffered major alterations over the years. CAMRA has identified 280 Pubs whose interiors it considers to be of national historic importance, and we feel it is vital for these precious survivors to be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The majority of these Pubs are listed and the new detailed listing descriptions will enhance their protected status and give the public more information about the delights they contain."

Helen Whately, Heritage Minister said:- "For centuries, the local Pub has been a place for people to come together. The 11 protected today are each original and important in their own way, and their updated listings will help to protect their cultural and historical heritage for years to come."

For more information see:- HistoricEngland.Org.UK.

Advice for parents in Lancashire to help them support their child's wellbeing in everyday family life

THERAPISTS from children's charity Barnardo's have put together some advice for parents for Time to Talk Day and Children's Mental Health Week, to show how they can support their child's wellbeing in everyday family life. In society today, we are seeing a crisis in children's mental health. It's estimated 1 in every 8 children has a diagnosable mental health condition. Early intervention and support are vital to prevent children reaching crisis point, but often it's unfortunately only when a child reaches this point that they can get help. Many parents assume they can't help their child if they start to show signs they are struggling with their mental health, but there are some things parents can do to support their child emotionally and help to rebuild their confidence; these are as follows:-

► Dedicate time every day to play with your child - a 20 minute play session will allow quality bonding time with your child. If your child is older, try to spend 20 minutes each day carrying out a meaningful activity together or talking about things generally. Give quality time to listen to your child and take them seriously, which may encourage them to open up to you about how they are feeling.

► Encourage your child to be active doing an activity or sport that they enjoy and make it part of your life. This could be taking a walk, playing a game of football or cycling. Getting out in nature together has many great benefits for wellbeing.

► Monitor your child's digital life - ensure your child's use of digital technology is moderated, with regular breaks from using phones and tablets. Look at the apps and games they use, and the safety mechanisms being used on those apps. Agree together the levels of parental controls and strategies you will use as a family to keep them safe on all devices used both inside and outside the home. If there is a chat component, ask who they connect with and the nature of their discussions.

► Identify your child's strengths and relay these to them on a regular basis. Praise and value them and tell them you love and care for them. Try not to judge or shame them, but understand them for where they are now in life. Help them to name their feelings.

► Encourage your child to learn new things - learning new skills can give a sense of achievement and a new confidence and can also sometimes include a social aspect too.

► Try to be mindful wherever possible, including being aware of the present moment. Feelings and reactions can be driven by lots of other things happening at the same time, by triggers from previous experiences, or by how you feel generally. Being a mindful parent allows you to stop and think before you react, recognising your child's needs and your own needs. It's important to not just respond to certain behaviours, but to think what might have triggered those behaviours to happen, and respond to what it is the child needs that may be lying behind this.

► Show your child how to be kind to others - even the smallest act can count, whether it's a smile, a thank you or a kind word. Larger acts, such as helping a person in need or volunteering, can improve your mental wellbeing.

► Take time to have meals together as a family and connect with those around you. Identify support for your child both inside the family and within the community.

Lois Wignall, Assistant Director for Barnardo's Emotional Health Services in the North West said:- "Children today are under enormous pressure to be 'perfect' without realising that they are perfect just as they are. We know this can have a really detrimental impact on their mental health. I hope parents find our top tips useful so they can help young people feel confident and proud of who they are. Barnardo's motto is 'incredible things happen when you believe in children,' and a vital part of our work is helping children to believe in themselves. To achieve this, it's important that adults make themselves available to support children and help them get to grips with any challenges they may be facing, both on and offline."

Barnardo's runs services to support children's mental health in locations across the North West area. The services work to tackle the causes of struggles with mental health and focus on prevention and early intervention, as well as helping children and families to deal with the symptoms through counselling and different forms of therapy. If you have concerns about your child's mental health and are worried that they may be struggling to manage, it's important to seek appropriate further help and support. Contact your GP in the 1st instance.  For further details, please visit:- Barnardos.Org.UK.