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Kate’s speech is 1 hour and 44 minutes into the videp.

Labour’s Kate Green gave her maiden speech to Parliament this week with a call for better protection for young people and support for people getting back into work. Green was speaking as part of the Queens Speech debate on Work and Pensions. She opened with a tribute to the work of her predecessor Bev Hughes and went on to describe why she’s so proud to represent Stretford and Urmston in Parliament. Green said her constituency typifies what is best about our country – hard working, neighbourly, people who are determined to do their best for their families and for their community, down to earth, but with ambitions, hopes and dreams. She gave a nod of congratulations to Urmston resident Danielle Hope who was recently chosen as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new Dorothy. She cited the presence of world class attractions in Gorse Hill of the Old Trafford stadiums and Imperial War Museum North.

Turning to the issues at hand during the Queens Speech Debate on the new Tory Lib Dem government’s plans for the Department for Work and Pensions Green highlighted the work the previous Labour Government had done to protect jobs and provide employment for young people as the recession bit.

Kate Green said: “In the thousands of conversations I have had with local people, they have so often repeated the importance of young people getting the skills they need and getting into good jobs as they start out in life. And I was proud to be able to answer that, thanks to Labour’s investment in employment and skills, unemployment  in this recession has up till now been much lower than in the last two recessions, and that our Future Jobs Fund would guarantee every young person training or a job. Now I am deeply concerned that the approach of the present government – axing the Future Jobs Fund and slashing jobs in the public sector – will put millions of livelihoods at risk.”

Kate also challenged the new Government to guarantee there will be adequate support as part of their plans for welfare reform: “My challenge to the Tory Lib Dem Government if they want to ensure work pays is to lead the way in the public sector (where a quarter of low paid workers are employed) with the adoption of a Living Wage. And I challenge them to invest now for the future – cutting university places and the FJF is both shortsighted economically and a betrayal of our young people, and puts another generation at risk. Good jobs, investing in our young people, a sustainable recovery and fairness in the economy are what my constituents want. I am determined that I will always speak out for them here and I hope they will hold me to that.”

Kate Green opened her account in the Commons by championing pilots showing improved outcomes for junior school children on universal free school meals.

Will the Secretary of State confirm that he is aware of some of the successful pilots that have been attempted in recent years to provide free school meals on a universal basis in some of our primary schools? Will he confirm that the educational and health gains that have been seen as a result of those pilots will now be taken forward, and that his Government will commit to continuing the pilots that the previous Government announced?

Michael Gove (Secretary of State, Education; Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her question. I know that in her previous incarnation, in the Child Poverty Action Group, she was a committed fighter for the very poorest children. We are now looking to ensure that we can guarantee that those children most in need receive support with free school meals, and we are examining the evidence that has come in from the pilots that she has mentioned.

As a Gorse Hill councillor, I fully support Kate’s advocacy of improved provision for children. The pilots have shown improved takeup of school meals and I recognise how beneficial that this can be in children’s attainment.

Watch the debate: Kate’s question comes at 16:39

Alex Williams and his wife have got themselves in bother again. They should know better. Planted question at Bolton West. If these are the tricks and deceits that they’re getting up to now, it’s really questionable behaviour that augurs badly should either of them be elected.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for more planted questions from the Conservatives in Stretford and Urmston hustings.

Mike Cordingley

Nearly 12,000 on the waiting list. This excludes all those who’ve self-excluded their chances of obtaining suitable social housing. It leaves so many in overcrowded or unsuitable housing. This is a terrible indictment of Trafford Council.

Trafford’s progress on social housing

Mike Cordingley