BLANK
Mark Spencer MP Calls on the Government to Honour PM's Veto (18th January, 2012)
Mark Spencer, Member of Parliament for Sherwood yesterday called on the Foreign Secretary to confirm the Governments commitment to the Prime Ministers recent veto.
Mark asked Can the Minister assure the House that the principles of the Prime Ministers veto will be followed through, and that any attempt by the EU to impose a tax on this countrys financial services will be vigorously resisted?
The Minister of State replied A financial transfer tax would require unanimous agreement by all 27 member states, which is something that the single market Commissioner, Monsieur Barnier, has confirmed to me. The Prime Minister has made it clear that we would not agree to the imposition of such a tax.
Mark said It was important for me to confirm in clear terms the Prime Ministers and the Governments unilateral support for the recent veto. The Prime Ministers recent actions in Europe have been met with a great deal of support here in Sherwood and I have yet to meet a single a constituent who wants a further slippage of powers to Europe.
Blank02
Local MP Mark Spencer Continues Battle to Save Our Highstreets (18th January, 2012)
Member of Parliament for Sherwood Mark Spencer spoke yesterday in the House of Commons in a debate on how to save our highstreets. Having hosted a Heart of Hucknall summit last October which brought together traders and cross party councillors, Mark is calling on local authorities to take some basic steps to support local business.
Mark said: In certain towns it may be possible to convert some properties from retail to residential use and thus shrink the high street, to make a more concentrated area of shops, where we can address their quality, fill the empty ones with shops from the periphery and allow for the residential use of the peripheral properties. That would have the knock-on effect of taking the pressure off the green belt around our towns, and we could include residential areas on our high streets.
Speaking about encouraging new businesses, Mark discussed the problem of landlords charging steep highstreet rentals and called on them to be fairer and more realistic in their demands when they are approached by individual retailers about empty properties, the rent that they want to charge and the length of the lease that they want to offer on shops can sometimes be an enormous challenge to anybody wanting to start a small business.
Consumers must also take responsibility for their highstreet by considering their behaviour: The strapline for this debate should be Use it or lose it.
MP wins Parliamentarian of the Year
Mark Spencer MP Wins Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year (12th January 2012)
Mark Spencer, Member of Parliament for Sherwood was yesterday named Road Safety Parliamentarian of the Year at a ceremony in the House of Commons for his work on road safety throughout 2011. The award, presented by Brake the road safety charity, was given for Marks work to improve the junctions on the A614 and to tackle reckless driving and speeding on the stretch of road which has seen several fatalities.
Mark said: Along with Councillor Richard Jackson, we have successfully campaigned for extra lanes on the Ollerton round about to ease traffic queues which is a good start and brought the Minister Mike Penning to come and see for himself the A614 which has seen several horrific traffic fatalities. The visit was a follow on from a debate I tabled earlier in the year to highlight the poor junctions, particularly at Rose Cottage and Mickledale Lane which have caused so many accidents.
Im pleased to say that statistically we seem to be making progress with improving the safety record of the A614 and a new 50mph speed limit order is in place between Ollerton Roundabout and Leapool Roundabout as a casualty reduction scheme.
The challenge now is to ensure the enforcement of the speed limit and I have spoken with local police about ensuring this. There is still work to be done, particularly at the worst of the junctions, and I will continue to fight for improvements for those at Rose Cottage and Mickledale Lane.
Local MP Backs Egg Prosecutions (10/
Local MP Backs Egg Prosecutions (10th January, 2012)
Member of Parliament for Sherwood, Mark Spencer, has hailed the decision of the EU Commission to start legal proceedings against those egg producing countries failing to comply with new animal welfare legislation as a significant breakthrough for British egg producers.
The Welfare of Laying Hens Directive will bring significant changes to hen cages, making them larger and moving further away from the old battery systems but Mark Spencer, who has been campaigning on this issue since last year, said While we in the UK have committed to upgrading 100% of our cages, there remain over a dozen EU countries (including France and Spain) who have made clear that they will not meet these new conditions in time but will still be exporting to the UK.
The improvements of these cages to higher welfare standards will of course involve financial outlays for UK farmers and will lead to a higher cost of production, while those non-conforming countries will continue to export cheaper eggs produced to much lower welfare standards, undercutting our farmers for doing the right thing. This is outrageous.
Noble Foods in Bilsthorpe is a prime example of the importance of the egg industry to Sherwood as a significant employer in the area and contributor to the local economy and while the news that the EU seems to be taking the issue of non compliance seriously is good, I want to see them follow through and I will continue to call on our own Government to look at ways to protect our producers.
Cameron does the right thing for Bri
Cameron Did The Right Thing For Britain (13/12/2011)
Seeing the Prime Minister stand up to the EU last week was a fantastic spark in the midst of the rather bleak political cloud hanging over Europe at the moment. It was clear from the start that the Prime Minister was heading into a hostile environment last week. The EU must get its house in order, of that there is no doubt, but David Cameron has been clear that it will not do so to the cost of Great Britain.
The Prime Minister said "I said before coming to Brussels that if I couldn't get adequate safeguards for Britain in a new European treaty, then I wouldn't agree to it. What is on offer isn't in Britain's interests, so I didn't agree to it.
"Let me explain why this matters. Of course, we want the Eurozone countries to come together and to solve their problems. But we should only allow that to happen inside the European Union treaties if there are proper protections for the single market and for other key British interests.
"Without those safeguards, it is better not to have a treaty within a treaty, but to have those countries make their arrangements separately. That is what is now going to happen. Britain's interests in the European Union - keeping markets open, free trade, selling our goods and services with rules over which we have a major say - all those things are protected."
This will not leave Britain isolated. We are ensuring that the key decisions that affect us are still made by the 27 EU nations. We have refused to take part in the loss of sovereignty that these countries are being forced into by the Eurozones difficulties.
Britain will still set the pace for the rest of the EU on the agenda of creating jobs in Europe, getting growth going, or what our foreign affairs approach should be to the rest of the world. It is Britain that leads the ideas and that will continue to be the case.
Had David Cameron signed last week, Britain would have seen control over her own markets eroded and further British decision making lost to Europe. He has done the right thing in saying no and I fully support his decision.
MP Announces His Support For Biotech
Mark Spencer MP Announces His Support For Biotechnology and GM (9th November, 2011)
Mark Spencer MP has today announced his support for an open and mature discussion of the role Genetic Modification could play in the future of British Agriculture.
Speaking to the National Farmers Union annual arable conference today (09/11/2011), Mark said It is widely recognised that world population is set to exceed 9 billion by 2050 and Chief Government Scientific Advisor Sir John Beddington has said by 2030 we need to be producing 50% more food. At the same time we will need 50% more energy and 30% more fresh water... Self-sufficiency in food production had dropped from 72% in 1996 to 60% in 2008.
I believe that GM offers real solutions to these problems: yields can increase from between 6% to 30% using the same amount of land; globally, farmers have earned an extra €34 billion since the introduction of biotechnology, 44% of which resulted from substantial yield gains and 56% from a reduction in production costs and there is no credible evidence to suggest that GM crops have a negative impact on the environment.
Support for and interest in British food and Agriculture has never been stronger and we should work with this momentum to move this debate into the 21st century but with a campaign based on clear information and informed decision.
So I suppose this is my intervention! My name is Mark; Im a farmer; I believe in British Agriculture and I support GM. Now that Ive laid my cards on the table, lets push for Government and Europe to do the same. All the pomp and ceremony of Government and politicians will mean nothing if we cant feed our children. Farming is the bedrock of our past and will be the foundation of our future and we must demand action from our representatives. There has never been so much to lose nor so much to gain.
MP Campaigns to Stop War Memorial a
Mark Spencer MP Campaigns to Stop War Memorial and Metal Theft (8th November, 2011)
Mark Spencer MP is supporting a campaign against metal thieves after a spate of high profile crimes including the theft of a war memorial in neighbouring Leicestershire. Mark is calling on constituents to sign an e-petition started by neighbouring MP Andrew Bridgen to take action on the problem, including tougher sentences against thieves who steal war memorials.
As the value of metal goes up Ive been seeing more and more cases of metal theft in Sherwood. Constituents will remember the brand new Multi Use Games Area in Calverton had its gate stolen before wed even officially opened it! Sherwood residents have also been in touch about missing grates and even the churches have been affected Edwinstowe Church seven times. I also met recently with Directly Operated Railways to discuss cable theft on their lines.
In the House, there is a launch planned for a private members bill to tackle this problem for which I am entirely supportive. There are several positive steps we can take to tackle this problem, the obvious one being to stop cash transactions at scrap yards. This would help deal with the problem without being a further onerous regulation on small businesses.
The campaign has received support from the War Memorial Trust, who said: We support any efforts that are made to deter or prevent the theft or damage of war memorials.
A small charity, it is difficult for us to campaign on issues. We have been delighted by the recent media coverage highlighting the threat to war memorials and thank all those, including Mr Bridgen, for raising awareness and taking action.
The Royal British Legion has also offered its support. Chris Simpkins, its Director General, said: War memorials play a very important part in our nations honouring of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us and our freedoms.
As the national Custodian of Remembrance, the Legion would hope that memorials to the fallen are always treated with the care and respect they deserve. The Royal British Legion therefore deplores and condemns the recent spate of acts of desecration and thefts from war memorials.
Constituents wishing to sign the e-petition can do so at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/21524.
CSA (4th November 2011)
CSA (4th November 2011)
When relationships break down things can get complicated and unpleasant and often never more so than when children are involved. More than 3 million children live in separated families, but only around 50% of them benefit from an effective maintenance arrangement. While some couples are able to make arrangements between them, it can be a struggle for others and the child maintenance system was supposed to assist.
The reality is however that the current child maintenance system is failing children and parents. Ive been dealing recently with various constituents who have been struggling with the Child Support Agency (CSA) and one of the consistent themes is that dads trying to do the right thing and who want to contribute are being pursued with a totally misplaced aggression while fathers who are evading contributions are slipping through the net. A cynic would say that the soft targets are the ones being chased.
I have been taking this matter up in Westminster and it seems to me that what we need is for those parents who are capable of coming to their own arrangements to be free to make those decisions independently, while those parents for whom an agreement is impossible need support from Government to come to an arrangement.
Im pleased to see that Maria Miller, the Minister responsible, agrees and the Government have announced a series of proposals to move this forward. Our research also shows that 51% of parents with care (mostly mothers) could make family-based arrangements with the right help and support and around 75% of fathers using the CSA would be likely to make their own arrangements with the right support. The current system also costs 40p for every £1 recovered. It is expensive and it isnt working. We need to change that.
What the Government is proposing is that parents who want to come to a mutual agreement will have access to a free information portal and experts to help them formalise that arrangement while those parents who decide that they cannot or do not want to come to their own arrangement at no cost, they will have access to a heavily subsidised statutory scheme. We will make sure that victims of domestic violence are protected and will not charge them for applying to the statutory scheme.The new system is about encouraging maturity and responsibility when possible but supporting and guiding when it is not.
For those parents who persistently refuse to participate and pay their fair share, if we need to take enforcement against a parent who persistently refuses to pay then we will charge them for that. This will encourage parents to pay when they should as failure to do so will involve much higher costs to them.
I think these changes are a positive and I think they place the right emphasis on responsibility and support. The vast majority of parents are desperate to do the right thing for their children and these changes acknowledge that. If however a relationship has broken down terminally without prospect of communication, no child will be left to bear the brunt and this Government will do everything possible to protect them.
Knife Crime (4th November 2011)
Knife Crime (4th November 2011)
Knife crime is an incredibly emotive issue and it was a Conservative manifesto commitment to tackle it. We have already announced that we are bringing in an automatic prison sentence for any adults who use a knife to threaten and endanger.
We also need to send out a clear message about the seriousness of juvenile knife crime, so we are proposing to extend a suitable equivalent sentence to 16-17 year olds. There is no excuse for carrying a knife and if you are old enough to do so, you are old enough to deal with the consequences.
Prison is only one aspect of tackling this social scourge however and I was pleased to hear that the Home Office has committed £18 million of funding for 2011-2013 to support the police, local agencies and the voluntary sector to tackle knife, gun and gang-related violence and prevent young people entering a cycle of crime.
The funding will support enforcement and prevention work by police in three knife crime hotspot areas. It will sit alongside positive activities for young people and local work to bring about long-term changes in attitudes and behaviours. The money includes up to:
· £4 million for local voluntary organisations across England and Wales working with young people to stop involvement in knife and gang violence - the Communities Against Guns, Gangs and Knives Fund
· £10 million for prevention and diversionary activities and engagement with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime, including knife related violence, through the Positive Futures Programme
· £250,000 for one further year of the Ben Kinsella fund for young people to run anti-knife crime projects in their local area
These are all positive steps which I hope show both that the Government takes knife crime seriously and that we are committed to stopping the misery it brings to our streets.
Solar Power (4th November 2011)
Solar Power (4th November 2011)
The Government announced this week that take up of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels has been so successful that the subsidy used to encourage take up of renewable energy sources Feed in Tariffs (FITs) can now be reduced.
The FITs scheme was brought in to encourage small scale and household take up of renewable energy sources as a kind of stabiliser for these new industries, so it is very exciting to see that Government is now able to reduce these stabilisers as renewables take off.
I am a big believer in the renewables sector, particularly PV and anaerobic digestion and while I am yet to be convinced they constitute an alternative to current arrangements, I do believe they are a cause worthy of support: to my mind it can never be wrong to be able to generate our own energy domestically.
Blank01
Fair Fuel Prices (4th November 2011)
We are all feeling the pinch on fuel prices at the moment and many of you have been in touch to tell me that this increase in household outgoings is the final financial straw for you. I agree that something needs to be done and have signed the Motion tabled by Robert Halfon, following an e-petition, which is as follows:
"I beg to move, That this House welcomes the 1p cut in fuel duty at the 2011 Budget, the abolition of the fuel tax escalator, the establishment of a fair fuel stabiliser, and the Government's understanding that high petrol and diesel prices are a serious problem; notes that in the context of the Governments efforts to tackle the deficit and put the public finances on a sustainable path, that ensuring stable tax revenues is vital for sustainable growth; believes, however, that high fuel prices are causing immense difficulties for small and medium sized enterprises vital to our economic recovery; notes reports that some low paid workers are paying a tenth of their income just to fill up the family car; adds that high fuel prices are particularly damaging for the road freight industry; asks the Government to comment on whether high rates of fuel duty have actually led to lower tax revenues in recent years, after reports from leading motoring organisations suggested that fuel duty revenues were at least £1 billion pounds lower in the first six months of 2011, compared with 2008; finally calls on the Government to consider the effect that increased taxes on fuel will have on the economy, to examine ways of working with industry to ensure that falls in oil prices are passed on to consumers, to consider issues around market competitiveness, and more widely to consider the feasibility of a price stabilisation mechanism that would work alongside the fair fuel stabiliser, to address fluctuations in the pump price."
I hope to speak in the debate and I very much hope the motion generates a positive outcome.
Going for Growth (16th September
Going for Growth (16/09/2011)
The Government has made clear that it is a priority to encourage growth and secure the economic recovery. There have been various suggestions from various quarters about how to fix the economy and keep us on the road to recovery. The fact of the matter is that no one solution will ensure our long term prosperity; a variety of policies must be employed to jump start our growth agenda. Part of the growth agenda are the planning reforms I have mentioned in another article, however these are just one aspect of a wider programme.
We are working to ensure that Britain is the most competitive tax jurisdiction in the modern world. We are lowering corporation tax and simplifying the whole tax system to ensure that businesses and individuals want to start businesses in the UK. The simplification of the tax system also allows us to close loopholes used for tax evasion.
In addition to this new, competitive, tax system the Government is working with banks to get them to loan money to small businesses and new enterprises. Banks have made an additional £76 billion available to businesses. Additionally the government, in conjunction with 5 major UK banks is launching a £2.5 billion Business Growth Fund to support developing businesses.
Finally, the Government is also working to cut red tape and rebalance the economy. 21 Enterprise Zones have already been established and the Government is working tirelessly to promote British exports abroad. In addition to all of this the Government has revised vocational education and is committed to establishing 24 University Technical Colleges to teach vocational skills. The Government is also cutting employment regulation to make it easier for companies to create jobs and help grow the economy.
These measures will ensure that Britain is open for business and better able to face any future economic crisis. Though we cannot put these plans into action overnight, I am convinced they are right for Britain and right for Sherwood.
Planing Reforms
Planning Reforms (16/09/2011)
Planning is an issue that affects our daily lives at a fundamental level but planning policy rarely attracts the headlines. The current proposals to reform the planning system have however attracted a significant amount of attention from both the press and the public. These reforms are an important part of the Governments growth agenda and will ensure that we remain a modern and prosperous country. It has been found that for every £1 spent on house building £1.40 is generated across the wider economy.
Planning reform is the first step to achieving a number of the Governments long term goals. It will allow us to build more houses to alleviate the housing shortage we are facing; it will allow economic growth and let us to develop the countrys infrastructure to face the needs of the 21st century.
This countrys planning law is bureaucratic maze with many pitfalls and unexpected traps. At 1000 pages long, it is imperative that we reduce the burden of regulation on ordinary people who want to improve their house. It is these people, who often cant afford a specialist lawyer, who are worst affected by this overly complex regulation. On top of this, delays in the planning process cost the country £3 Billion a year. This cost comes alongside the delays and uncertainty caused.
We want to put local people in control of planning decisions. For too long the right developments for a local area have been blocked by bureaucracy. These reforms will ensure that there is enough affordable housing for people and will help to create local jobs and support local firms.
I know there is concern that these changes will endanger our countryside but the Green Belt and other protected areas will be safeguarded by our new planning regulations. The new laws will ensure that areas that need protecting will be protected and areas that need development can be developed.
There is always a balance to be struck between protecting the environment and our historic countryside on the one hand and building houses and improving our local areas on the other. In this respect I feel that the government has struck the right balance. Reforming this bureaucratic and unworkable system will ensure that we stay on the road to growth. We must ensure that we get the new investment and jobs that this country needs to ensure our prosperity.
Insurance Premiums for Learner Drive
Insurance Premiums for Learner Drivers (7th September 2011)
When I was preparing for a debate on the A614 earlier this year with particular emphasis on improving safety among younger drivers, I researched some of the premiums for young male drivers and the parents and recent learners among you will have discovered, they are truly eye watering. For example, adding a 17 year old learner driving a 1.1 litre Renault Clio ranges in cost between £2,500 and incredibly £20,500 making their learning and improved motoring development, a major financial commitment for most average families.
While its true that statistically young, male drivers make up a disproportionate percentage of insurance claims, I and various motoring organisations believe that such a premium does not reflect proportionately the risk posed by a supervised learner: insurance companies must make a differentiation between the 17 year old who has just passed and is inclined to show off to his friends of an evening and the 17 year old with him mum in the front seat with a firm eye on the speedometer.
We also need to work out why so many young men are crashing rather than simply accepting the statistics and charging accordingly. I share the belief that the best way to facilitate this is to support the addition of learners to the policies of qualified drivers, usually a parent, to allow them to learn over a longer and more extensive period of time than expensive, often weekly, driving lessons allow.
Current premiums can make this simply impossible for some families, meaning we are often churning out drivers who can pass the test, but who have no meaningful on road experience. The AA has said that Government should work with the insurance industry to review the premiums charged to parents wishing to include their learner driver children on their policies so that premiums follow actuarial risk and I fully agree.
There may be hope for the next wave of young drivers however as changes are being introduced next year under equality legislation which will make it illegal to assess insurance premiums and pension payouts on the basis of a policyholders sex or age. I fear though that this will simply reduce the cost of learning rather than improving the quality and work needs to be done on the test itself.
Young drivers are not trained on the roads most challenging to inexperienced drivers, ie rural single carriageways, often at night and in the wet. I would like to discuss the idea that such roads/conditions should appear in the driving test or in a reformed approach to driver training that encourages young drivers to get as much experience on as wide a range of roads as possible.
For those who have concerns about learners in an urban context for whom the countryside is perhaps half a lesson away, the reality is that inner London drivers are less likely to come a cropper on rural roads than Northampton drivers or Nottingham drivers - and it's perfectly possible to get out of these towns for rural experience. The test could reflect local driving environments - and casualty reasons - rather than being a national exam where instructors all focus on low speed urban car control (reversing round a corner etc) to pass the test. It is worth noting that hardly any casualties result from anything currently tested by the DSA and while that could be a testament to the success of the test, it seems more likely to be a reflection of the unnatural driving environment in a test.
Planning For The Future (7th Septemb
Planning for the Future (7th September 2011)
In all my time serving in Local Government and most recently in Parliament, I have rarely come across a local issue more contentious as planning. Whether windmills, extensions, car parks or solar panels, planning applications have an unparalleled ability to divide a community and the recent controversy at Dale Farm has once again brought the issue to the fore.
There is no doubt that planning reform is key to our economic recovery. Im not accustomed to quoting Ed Balls, but he did share one valuable statistic, that For every poundspent onhouse buildingan estimated £1.40 in gross output is generatedacross the economy and ours is a Government committed to supporting our building industry as well as our first time buyers who are now, on average, already well into their thirties.
With building of course comes planning permission and today, planning delays cost the economy £3 billion a year. It is twice as expensive to get planning permission in Londons West End as in Paris, and 10 times more than in Brussels.
We do however have a responsibility to protect our precious greenbelt and I thought it would be useful to clarify some of the detail behind the Governments planning reform.
The National Planning Policy Framework is the first step towards simplification with the aim to condense down the 1,000 pages of Englands national planning policy with its confusing and contradictory guidance to a succinct 52 page policy document. This has been published by the Government in draft, and is out for public consultation until 17 October 2011.
The draft brings together the policy and principles that guide decisions about how our country should grow and will pave the way for swifter, clearer decisions. In recent years, planning has come to be seen as a tool to say no to growth; as a means to delay and block. This government will change that. Instead of stopping development, we want to support the right development. At the heart of the framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. This means the answers to proposals for responsible, careful growth should be yes, unless there are strong reasons to the contrary.
It has been claimed, falsely, the government is putting the countryside in peril. The Coalition is committed to protecting our natural and historic environment. This new document safeguards valued, national protection such as Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as well as ensuring measures which protect wildlife, biodiversity, cultural heritage and which tackle light pollution. It also proposes a new designation to protect local green spaces in need of special protection, which I believe will be welcomed in our area.
The framework insists on high environmental standards and good design. Poorly-designed and poorly-located development is in no-ones interest and development will not be allowed if it is clearly in conflict with the environmental and other safeguards in the Framework.. Local firms and local communities are currently hindered by a planning system that can be slow, costly and gives them no certainty.
Local communities will be the driving seat by being able to shape the shape of their local communities, supported by the innovation of neighbourhood planning increasing the involvement of local residents across our local area. We are abolishing the old regional strategies and housing targets. Councils will continue to exercise a vital role, drawing up plans for their area.
Reforming a slow and inefficient planning system will be good news for the small business looking to expand; for the young family hoping for more affordable house prices; and for the community wanting to decide on their own future. This is our opportunity to unlock the new investment and new jobs the country needs. We cannot afford to miss it.
Money for Schools
More Money for Schools (22/07/2011)
Last Wednesday the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, announced a plan to expand the rebuilding of schools. Even his Labour opposite number wished him luck in getting coverage of this new as the phone hacking scandal occupied every front page and news bulletin. I think it’s important that we recognise the positivity of this announcement and I am excited to see how it might help Sherwood.
This spending commitment replaces the Building Schools for the Future programme which was called “not fit for purpose”. BSF was found to be over budget, behind schedule and unnecessarily bureaucratic.
This new programme will begin with an appraisal of all the schools in the country to determine which schools are most in need of the money. Currently there is not the data available to find out which schools are in the worst state of disrepair.
Through efficiency savings the Education Secretary has been able to release another £500 million to refurbish or rebuild those schools most in need. In addition to this there will be a privately funded initiative that will refurbish between 100 and 300 schools.
The centrepiece of this announcement however, is the doubling of the basic need provision for additional school places. This will provide an antidote to the drastic shortages in primary school places that are occurring in some parts of the country. Funding has historically been around £400 million; in spite of the current financial limitations the Government has ensured that the figure is now £800 million.
Finally Michael Gove announced that school building would now move towards a standard model of robust and long lasting schools. The previous system of school building created a feeding frenzy of lawyers and architects whose fees diverted money from the very schools that needed the most funding.
I welcome this announcement and believe that this shows how the Government can make savings while maintaining the frontline services upon which people depend. The campaigns to improve Dukeries College and Joseph Whitaker School under the Building Schools for the Future Programme took a disappointing knock last year but I will continue to lobby Michael Gove, Minister for Education on their behalf.
Euro Bailout
A New Eurozone Bailout (22/07/2011)
Like everyone else I have been following the reports of the economic crisis in Greece with interest and concern. I want to be clear from the outset: I do not accept that Britain must pick up the tab for Greece’s financial woes.
While it may be thousands of miles away, it is important to remember that a crisis in Greece affects that whole of Europe and directly impacts on our economic situation; a Eurozone economic crisis is bad for growth in the UK. I worry that we have been blind sighted by other recent events in the press and that this most prescient of issues risks being overlooked.
Europe accounts for 40% of the UK’s trade and so it is vital to ensure that the crisis does not spread into other European economies. It is also important that the Eurozone fixes this problem themselves rather than rely upon other nations to provide money for the bailout. To do so would risk the credibility of the Eurozone to look after its own affairs as well as damaging the public finances of those nations it does turn to.
This is why I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement that Britain will not take part in this bailout. We should be looking at how this crisis can be best resolved for the British national interest. A strong European economic system is vital to our programme for growth but we must ensure that we continue to monitor the situation in the Eurozone to ensure that we are ready for any further potential crises.
It is important to remember that 18 months ago, the economic situation in the UK was being compared to Greece and there was the potential for another economic crisis in this country; the Greek crisis shows the alternative to our strategy of deficit cutting. Over the last year the diverging paths the two economies have taken vindicate the Government’s decision to begin tackling our record deficit. While Greece’s credit rating has fallen to CCC, ours has remained at AAA and our economy has grown stronger as theirs has weakened.
Bovine TB
Bovine TB and Badger Culling (22/07/2011)
The issue of a badger cull is raising its head in the press again and I thought I would address some of the concerns that are being expressed.
As many of you know, badgers are a significant cause of bovine tuberculosis. This disease has led to the slaughter of 25,000 cattle last year at a cost of £90 million to British farming. The Government has committed to ensure that our badger control policy is both carefully managed and science-led.
The Government have been persuaded of the case for a badger cull, but have decided that it shall only take place in areas with a high incidence of bovine TB. In the first year the cull will only take place in two trial areas and will only be extended if it is found to be effective and humane by a panel of independent scientific experts.
While some object to a badger cull on the grounds that it’s inhumane, I have been assured that any shooting of badgers will only be allowed to occur under license in limited areas and that licenses will only be given to those who meet rigorous standards. Shooting will also be piloted before it is initiated and it will be monitored by Natural England.
Farmers across the country know the cost of bovine TB and also know that badger culling is the only viable way of preventing the spread of the disease. Evidence suggests that this policy will reduce the incidence of TB by 16% over the next decade and that to not do so will leave a bill of £1 billion over the same period.
Culling is only part of our policy to prevent bovine TB in the UK. We have also committed to developing a vaccine for cattle and an oral vaccine that can be effectively administered to badgers. While we do currently have a vaccine for badgers it is an injection and it would be impossible to administer this ‘injectable’ vaccine on a scale that would make any difference to the spread of the disease.
So while some of you may have concerns about what is being reported in the press; I am sure that culling is both necessary and humane. Every possible measure has been taken to ensure that we achieve our goal of reducing bovine TB while setting exacting standards for the cull itself.
BskyB
BSkyB Update
Unsurprisingly, many of you contacted me over this week on the subject of BSkyB and I wanted to drop you a quick line following your interest. In recent days, the whole country has been shocked by the revelations about the phone hacking scandal and I was personally sickened by the allegations surounding Milly Dowler's case . Accusations of widespread law-breaking by parts of our press, alleged corruption by some police officers and a failure of our political system over many, many years to tackle a problem that's been getting worse.
Last week the Government set out our intention to establish an independent public inquiry into phone hacking and other illegal practices in the British press. There are two pieces of work to be done. First: a full investigation into wrongdoing in the press and the police, including the failure of the first police investigation. Second: a review of regulation of the press. We would like to get on with both these elements as quickly as possible, while being mindful of the ongoing criminal investigations. So after listening carefully, we have decided the best way to proceed is with one inquiry in two parts.
This Inquiry will be led by one of the most senior judges in the country, Judge Leveson, and be established under the 2005 Inquiries Act, means it will have the power to summon witnesses to give evidence under oath and in public. He will make recommendations for a new, more effective way of regulating the press, and about the future conduct of relations between politicians and the press. This part of the Inquiry will report within 12 months. The second part of the inquiry will examine: the extent of unlawful or improper conduct at the News of the World and other newspapers, and the way in which management failures may have allowed this to happen. This part of the Inquiry will also look into the original police investigation and the issue of corrupt payments to police officers.
Allegations have been made that some corrupt police officers may have taken payments from newspapers. And there are wider concerns that the relationship between the police and the press can be too close. The IPCC's most senior Commissioner has been supervising the Met's work to identify the officers who may have taken these payments. They will go wherever the evidence leads them and have full powers to investigate fully any police wrong doing that they might uncover. The Home Secretary has also today commissioned a report from the IPCC on the IPCC's experience of investigating corruption in the police service and any lessons that can be learnt.
If we are calling for greater transparency, it is only right we provide it in government too. So we will be consulting the Cabinet Secretary on an amendment to the Ministerial Code to require Ministers to record all meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, senior editors and executives - regardless of the nature of the meeting. Permanent Secretaries and Special Advisers will also be required to record such meetings. Alongside the other steps we are taking, this will help make the UK government one of the most transparent in the world.
Future of Coal
Member of Parliament for Sherwood Sets Out Future for Coal
(29/06/2011)
Member of Parliament for Sherwood, Mark Spencer, has secured a 90 minute adjournment debate in Westminster Hall today to discuss the future of coal fired power plants. In his speech, Mark will look at the energy crisis currently facing the UK and the role British coal could play in its solution.
Mark said: “I believe within a generation the lights are going to go out. I simply do not believe that our current energy infrastructure is sufficient to support our growing needs and I believe that there is an urgent need for action.
A report by the Centre for Policy Studies said “The UK has installed electricity capacity of 7GW; it is expected that by 2016, it will face a shortfall of 32 GW as older coal, nuclear and oil plants are closed, and as demand increases” and there isn’t a house in Sherwood unaware of the recent climb in energy prices. All this at a time when we import Russian gas and are laying cables under the Channel to buy French nuclear.
While I believe firmly that as a country we need to constructively debate nuclear power, this is academic when it comes to our immediate needs: we simply wouldn’t get the plants up and running in time. For wind or solar power (currently providing just 0.4% of global energy demand) I fear their role will, at least in the short term, only ever be an auxiliary one.
Coal is plentiful, secure and reliable and clean coal technology is already online and it works. The arguments for clean coal are compelling both for the environment and the economy but most excitingly, for Sherwood. Rekindling the coal industry in the UK using clean coal technology would have major benefits for our area whether directly from employment or indirectly through cheaper electricity.”
A614 Improvements
Improvements to be made on the A614
As many of you know, the A614, which is such an integral part of many people’s daily commute, has been the scene of a number of accidents, some truly horrific, over the years. This is a keenly felt issue throughout the constituency with many of you writing to me about the issue. I have been involved in campaigning to make this road safer both in the constituency as a candidate and, for the last year, in Parliament as your MP.
The county council has made progress bringing down the number of accidents from 163 in 2005 to 127 in 2009. There has been a strong campaign from the public, the council and myself and following a debate I tabled on the subject in January, on Monday I brought Mike Penning, the Minister for Road Safety, to look at the road to see firsthand the terrible junctions at Mickledale Lane and Rose Cottage and to meet with county councillor Richard Jackson, portfolio holder for Highways and local councillors Bruce Laughton, Nora Armstrong and Robert Bradbury. Mike agreed that while there are limited funds available it is important to do all we can to stop preventable accidents.
At last we are beginning to see some action. Last night the County Council announced that they would be introducing new safety measures including safety cameras and that a new speed limit of 50mph would be introduced between Leapool and the Ollerton Roundabout. More significantly in my opinion, the Council is currently investigating the Haywood Oaks junction with a view to a visibility improvement and it would be my hope that they would look again at junctions such as the B6034 Rose Cottage.
There is still work to be done and I will continue to fight for improvements at the junctions at Rose Cottage and Mickledale Lane; however we must applaud the work done by local campaigners, the County Council and all those involved for their hard work in making our journeys safer. I will continue to raise the issue of the A614 both with local authorities and in the House.
Protecting our NHS
Protecting our NHS
11th April,2011
There have been several template campaign emails coming in to the office, not all of them either accurate or particularly helpful and it’s clear that many of you are worried about the proposed changes. I would like to take the opportunity to debunk a couple of the myths.
Our NHS is the country’s greatest asset. It is there for us when we need it most, providing care to us all, free at the point of use and based on need, not on ability to pay. That’s why we need to protect it, for today and for future generations.
We can’t do that without listening to the people who rely on it every day. That’s why we are taking the time to pause, listen, reflect and improve our plans to strengthen the NHS. We want to speak to doctors, nurses, and the public up and down the country as we get the NHS in shape to meet the challenges ahead.
Demands on our NHS grow all the time. With an ageing population and rapidly expanding costs of treatment and drugs, doing nothing is simply not an option.
Over the next four years, we are increasing investment in the NHS by £11.5 million – investment opposed by Labour. But we recognise that money alone is not enough.
Under Labour, the number of managers in the NHS doubled, productivity in hospitals plummeted, and doctors and nurses were tied up in a bloated bureaucracy. If our NHS is to meet the challenges ahead, we need to put patients back at the heart of the service and we need stop the constant interference of politicians and bureaucrats by giving more power and resources to doctors and nurses.
Progress is already being made. Doctors and nurses up and down the country are already responding to the freedoms we are giving them. And the NHS is already benefitting from our cuts in bureaucracy. Since May, the number of managers in the NHS has been cut by 3,000, and the number of doctors has increased by 2,500.
At the same time, we are making the necessary investment to give people better care right now. Through our Cancer Drugs Fund, through better transparency on hospital performance, and through more health visitors, patients are already getting improved care.
Over the next few months, we will be meeting with NHS staff and patients across the country to engage in conversations about our plans to modernise the NHS, and what our plans mean for them. To get involved and send us your thoughts, just go to the Government’s website - www.dh.gov.uk/healthandcare.
This is not an attack on the NHS. The Government is looking at how to protect an overstretched service which we all believe in but that needs help and improvement if it is to thrive in the long term. Please do have a look at the consultation and take part if you feel strongly.
Winter Fuel
The Winter Fuel Allowance
8th April,2011
Several constituents have been in touch regarding the Winter Fuel Allowance and I’d like to be clear on a couple of points. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid exactly as budgeted for by the last Government who only made provision for a temporary increase as a gimmick to coincide with the last General Election.
I can assure you that the Government does recognise that elderly people are amongst the most vulnerable in our society. With this in mind, the Government will continue to protect key support for pensioners including Winter Fuel Payments, free prescriptions, free eye tests and bus passes. The Government has permanently increased the cold weather payment from £8.50 a week to £25 a week which the last Government had not planned to do. Cold weather payments provide real help to those most vulnerable to the cold – older people, disabled adults and children, and families with children under 5 who are in receipt of an income related benefit.
Last year, we ensured that pensioners received an £80 electricity rebate. This winter, subject to regulations going through Parliament, the Government plans that over one million poor pensioners will be entitled to a £120 electricity rebate – real help for pensioners who need it.
Pressure at the pumps
Easing The Pressure At The Pumps
29th March,2011
The Budget was clearly the big topic this week and I think there were a number of announcements which are going to make these difficult times a little easier for families in Sherwood. We still have a long way to go: the national debt more than doubled under Labour and we all know we must tackle the recession if the economy is to recover. However, I think these announcements will be welcome.
I know the cost of fuel is a hot topic and lots of constituents have been getting in touch regarding about it. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all been feeling the pinch at the pumps, particularly those who have to drive to work as so many in Sherwood do and while the announcements this week are not groundbreaking, they are a positive step in the right direction. In summary:
The Chancellor George Osborne has made the following announcements:
· A 1 penny per litre cut in fuel duty is in force and April’s inflation rise has now been delayed until January. This will mean that fuel duty is 6p lower than it would have been under Labour.
· We will also be abolishing Labour’s fuel duty escalator and replacing it with a fair fuel stabiliser that increases tax on North Sea oil when production prices are high, and delaying inflation increases this year and next, helping to cushion the blow of price fluctuations. This won’t transform prices at the pump, but at a time when oil prices round the world are spiking, it should help ordinary motorists.
