Jon Cruddas MP today welcomed the news that Atos Healthcare, the private company contracted by the Department of Work and Pensions to undertake Work Capability Assessments of people claiming disability benefits, will be exiting from its contract a year earlier than planned.

Atos have been the target of widespread criticism over the tests which are inhumane and performed by staff who are not medically qualified. The Department of Work and Pensions is now in the process of finding other providers to take over the contract.

Last week the Government announced their budget for the 2014/15 financial year. Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas responded to the budget finding a lack of substance that would help people in Dagenham and Rainham.  

Jon Cruddas MP said “We needed a budget that would tackle the cost –of – living crisis which has left many people in Dagenham and Rainham worse off.  

I hear from my constituents in Dagenham and Rainham every day how they are struggling with increased energy, transport and housing costs.

Jon Cruddas MP visited Chafford School in Rainham to discuss the schools application for a Department for Education grant to rebuild the Chafford Sports Complex.

Chafford Sports Complex is in a state of disrepair and structurally the site is in a very poor condition. The school has applied for a grant from the Capital Academies Fund from the Department for Education. The grant will also be used to fix a very alarming problem with the schools’ electrical supply.

A recent public meeting saw many Rainham residents express their concerns with the continued use of Damyns Hall Aerodrome as a pop concert venue.

Last year saw the site play host to a number of events that effected residents. Numerous complaints were made with the level of noise coming from site during the evening, the number of events that took place annually on the site, the amount of rubbish left on site and on roads surrounding the site, as well as the amount of vehicles that blocked up local roads when an event was taking place.