A MEMORIAL lecture will be held at the University of Central Lancashire this week in honour of a former Preston MP and campaigner for health.

The Audrey Wise Memorial Lecture will take place on Tuesday at 6pm at the Greenbank Lecture Theatre, Victoria Street, and will be attended by her daughter and former council leader Valerie Wise.

This is the third year the lecture has taken place in memory of the late Labour MP who died in September 2000 of a brain tumour, aged 68.

However, it is the first year that her daughter Valerie, who runs Preston Womens' Refuge, has chosen the speaker.

It was while clearing through her mother's things that she came across details of Alison McFarlane, professor of perinatal health at St Bartholomew's School of Nursing and Midwifery, City University, London.

Valerie said: "I have been sorting through Audrey's things little by little as it is an emotional process and I have to be feeling strong.

"I found a booklet titled Radical Statistics which had Alison's details in. I knew my mother was an admirer of her work and Alison would prepare Parliamentary questions on maternity for Audrey.

"I rang her up and asked if she would be interested in giving a lecture."

Audrey was a Preston MP from 1987 until her death and was vice chairman of the health select committee and proposed changes in childcare and maternity which were passed under the Conservative's rule in the 1990s.

Valerie said: "I'm delighted that Alison is coming up. I've spoken to her but never met her and this was an area of health that my mother was passionate about.

"I feel that in some way I'm continuing with her work as she also sat on a select committee inquiry about battered wives in 1976."