Blogminster » Conservative MP Blogs

'Today, I raised Wycombe Hospital at PMQs' -- Steven Baker (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:42:42 +0000

Today, I asked David Cameron about Wycombe Hospital during Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons. The context is the Better Healthcare in Bucks consultation. On a day when PMQs were dominated by health service reform, I said I had visited the offices of the Bucks Free Press on Monday to see readers’ reactions to the proposed changes…

'Some Parliamentary Questions on HS2' -- David Lidington (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:54:35 +0000

My colleague Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, recently posted the below Parliamentary Questions on HS2 which I thought constituents may be interested to see.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of compensation payments to residents and businesses along the planned High Speed 2 route up to the beginning of train services on the route.

As of September 2011, HS2 Ltd estimated the cost of land acquisition and compensation payments to be £965 million, for the first phase London to West Midlands route. This does not include discretionary or hardship-based acquisitions as these proposals are still under development and will be consulted on in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate she has made of the total cost to her Department of work to prepare, draft and support the passage of the proposed legislation for High Speed 2.

The total funding allocated as part of the spending review to HS2 …

'Three flaws in the Financial Services Bill' -- Steven Baker (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:35:20 +0000

Under the heading, Osborne looks to limit damage of ‘credit busts’, the FT gives a neat summary of the Chancellor’s plans. In particular: He said the FPC would also look out for dangerous linkages in the financial system and identify exotic new instruments that might undermine stability. It would be charged with containing credit booms…

'At last – good news on the economy?' -- Oliver Heald (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:33:07 +0000

This morning I was pleased to read the latest Jobs Report from the recruitment industry body REC. They produce this report monthly with KPMG and this month there was good news with permanent jobs’ placements increasing for the first time in four months. This is the first positive indicator for some time that employers are looking to hire staff. It is particularly encouraging that six out of eight sectors surveyed show growth in demand, including engineering, IT and office professionals.
This Report can be seen to confirm the other good news last Friday with better-than-expected services’ data from the Purchasing Managers’ Index. This suggests strengthening confidence in the UK economy from consumers as well as businesses. I believe that it also ties in with ERSA’s figures showing a good early performance by the Coalition’s Work Programme in helping the long-term unemployed into work.
I have long been concerned that many vacancies are in skill areas where we do not have enough trained workers. The REC Report seems to suggest that …

'Europe and the polls' -- Douglas Carswell (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:15:00 +0000

In December last year, the PM vetoed a new EU treaty. We overtook Labour in the polls and enjoyed the highest popularity ratings since the election.

In January this year, the PM watered down the veto and caved into Euro dealmaking as usual. Labour this morning is apparently back to 5 points ahead in the polls.

How much of an expert political strategist do you have to be not to draw the obvious conclusions? …

'How could Greece exit the Euro legally?' -- John Redwood (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:04:38 +0000

There is no exit in the Consolidated Treaties for countries needing to leave the Euro. There is no provision for a country to organise its own departure, and no provision for a vote of the other members to expel a member state. As the existing members in the Euro wish to remain members, that would seem to be an end to the discussion.

However, the Consolidated Treaties do require Euro members to conform to the convergence criteria and obligations of membership. These include tough targets for debts and deficits which many states do not meet. Those states that are far away from meeting these requirements are the most vulnerable to politcal and legal pressures from within the Union.

In practice, when a member state is no longer able to borrow the money it needs to finance itself in the markets, it is forced into a political negotiation with the rest of the Euro area. Such a member state seeks loans from the Euro area and from the …

'Happy Birthday Charles Dickens' -- Jeremy Hunt (Con)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Yesterday at Cabinet I thought I would personally treat my Cabinet colleagues to a handpicked copy of a Dicken’s classic to celebrate his 200th birthday. Amongst others I gave the Prime Minister ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Great Expectations’, Iain Duncan Smith ‘Oliver Twist’ and William Hague ‘The Uncommercial Traveller’. I assured everyone that my choices were not based on similarities to the characters in the books, even if certain larger than life characters in the cabinet would not be hard to find in the pages of our greatest novellist...

More about this here …

'The Year of the Dragon' -- Robert Halfon (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:14:00 +0000

Harlow has one of the largest Chinese Community Centres outside any major City in the UK. It is not just a meeting place, but a school, a centre of adult learning and also a club for the local Chinese.

On Sunday, I was invited to celebrate Chinese New Year of the Dragon - a very special occasion. Food and special ceremonies abounded.

The pictures give a flavour of what was a very special event.promoted by Russell Perrin on behalf of Robert Halfon all at Harlow Conservatives, Latton Bush centre, Harlow, Essex…

'Crooked Mile speed limit reduction is good news – but more needs to be done' -- Robert Halfon (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:25:00 +0000

A move by Essex County Council to reduce the speed limit on a notorious stretch of Crooked Mile is to be welcomed. It has been the scene of numerous accidents in recent years.

However more needs to be done.

Last week, three people were taken to hospital following a collision on the road which runs between Nazeing and Waltham Abbey.

This week I have launched a petition - SEE HERE… - calling for road safety measures on the Crooked Mile. The county council issued a public notice proposing to reduce the speed limit on nearly 5,000 metres of the road to 50mph.

This is something that I have urged them to do for almost a year.

Last October, for example, I met with a constituent whose grandson and his girlfriend were unfortunately killed on the road in February 2011. I subsequently contacted the highways authority to join the efforts of local councillors on this issue.

Incidents, including the one last week, have only reinforced my view that the current unrestricted speed

'Motions for an “early day”' -- Steven Baker (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:22:51 +0000

Last night’s adjournment debate on Early Day Motions (EDMs) was a welcome push towards reform of this outdated, expensive and ineffective piece of Parliamentary theatre. I found it surprisingly well attended. The Chairman of the Procedure Committee was present and undertook to convey the thrust of debate to the Committee. As many constituents know, I…

'Meeting East Yorkshire Buses To Discuss Route Changes' -- Andrew Percy (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:25 +0000

I recently met Peter Shipp of East Yorkshire Motor Services to discuss the changes to bus services in the Goole area. Residents have been particularly concerned about the changes to the 156/155 bus, with people expressing disappointment of the loss of a direct link to Goole Hospital.

Peter explained the changes to me in some depth and also provided me with the usage numbers for this service, explaining that the the 156/155 route between Goole and South Cave has lost money for some time.

Peter did explain that EYMS responded to this by extending the express services X55 and X56 which does provide a faster link between Goole and Hull, taking in many local villages along the way. I was told that due to timetabling it is not possible for this route to service the Hospital due to the added time that would be needed in the timetable. The extension of the express services is something of a gamble for EYMS and it is therefore important that, …

'English Votes for English Laws' -- Robert Halfon (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:10:00 +0000

Today I asked the Deputy Prime Minister about English Votes for English Laws. This is commonly known as the West Lothian Question.

Please read my question and its response below:

Robert Halfon (Harlow): "Thank you Mr. Speaker. Treasury figures show that every English household, pays £420 in Tax to subsidies Scottish services. This means that Harlow families from my constituency are sending £16million a year to Scotland. Is it not time to readdress the balance and have English votes for English laws."

Nick Clegg (Deputy Prime Minister): "Well Mr Speaker, I'm sure he'll want to take the opportunity to make his views known to the commission. But the commission its self, of course is focused, as my Hon. Friend has just explained on procedures in this House, as they are effected by the process of devolution. So I'm not sure, if his concerns will be directly relevant to the central terms of reference of the commission."

I have spoken about this issue in the House before.

Please click one of the links below to read my other Blog posts on this issue.

Post 1, …

'My iPad is my own!' -- Steven Baker (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:49:51 +0000

A story in The Sun today – MPs vote to have an iPad … in £400k bid to save paper costs - says MPs will be issued with iPads to save paper – at a cost of £400,000 to the taxpayer. Top range iPads are £659 but the Commons would expect a discount for buying in bulk.…

'NEWS: South Swindon MP supports stalking law reform' -- Robert Buckland (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:40:04 +0000

Today Member of Parliament for South Swindon, Robert Buckland, helped launch the ‘Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Stalking Law Reform; Main Findings and Recommendations’ report. The report and recommendations arising from the Independent Parliamentary Inquiry into Stalking Law Reform is [...]…

'Welfare Reform Bill and Benefit Cap' -- Andrew Bingham (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:04:04 +0000

After much publicity the Welfare Reform Bill returned to the Commons this week for consideration of the amendments suggested by the House of Lords.

All Bills go to the House of Lords who debate them in a similar way to the MPs in the House of Commons. They then discuss, propose and vote on amendments they would wish to see to a Bill. Once that is done it returns to MPs who then consider those amendments.

There was much media talk about an amendment championed by the Bishops in the Lords around the proposed benefit cap. The benefit cap would set a limit on the total amount of benefit any family could receive. The proposals are that this limit would be set at the national average wage - currently standing at £26,000 per year. The Bishops wished to see child benefit removed from this calculation.

£26,000 is higher than the average wage in the High Peak by almost £4,000 and someone in employment would have to earn approximately £35,000 to …

'The Power of None' -- Douglas Carswell (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:24:00 +0000

What do UK contributions to Eurozone bailouts, the failure to deport Abu Qatada and wind farms each have in common?

They are, explained my constituent, “the sort of things I voted Conservative to stop. Yet they just seem to happen anyway”.

No one voted to allow industrial-size wind turbines to march across the countryside, changing the English landscape forever. Yet officialdom is actively encouraging it. For all the talk of localism giving people more power, it is often impossible for local people to make more than token objections. Worse, every householder is now forced to pay for wind farms via hidden surcharges on their energy bills.

No one seems quite sure when it was decided that we could no longer deport people we do not want to live in our country. But it just sort of happened - and nothing any politician says about it seems to make any difference.

We thought that we had stayed out of Europe’s single currency. Yet under governments of all three parties, we have somehow been slipped the bill to prop it up. When …

'Cold Weather Payments have been triggered in South Derbyshire' -- Heather Wheeler (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:33:03 +0000

Following on from my post on the 18th of January cold weather payments have now been triggered in the following postcodes in South Derbyshire.

DE1, DE11, DE12, DE13, DE14, DE15, DE2, DE23, DE24, DE3, DE6, DE65, DE7, DE72, DE73, LE6, LE65… This means that the average temperature has been zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days. Cold Weather payments are made from the Social Fund to certain recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit during periods of very cold weather. The payment is a fixed amount of £25. Payments are made automatically to those entitled to them and normally take about three working days to reach the recipient's account. There should be no need to make a claim, but people who think they may be entitled but did not receive a payment should contact the Pension, Disability and Carers Service, or Jobcentre Plus.

'BLOG: Neighbourhood Justice Panels to be piloted in Swindon' -- Robert Buckland (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:02:51 +0000

At the end of last year, I wrote about my support for the idea of Neighbourhood Justice Panels, and said I’d be lobbying hard for Swindon to be part of the government’s pilot project. As you may have read on the front page of yesterday’s Adver, we’ve been successful. I’m delighted that Swindon [...]…

'Greece should leave the Euro' -- John Redwood (Con)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:04:33 +0000

The more I read about the economic disaster in Greece, the more I wish they would let them out of the currency straight jacket that is part of the problem.

Greece has five main economic troubles. Its government has borrowed too much in the past, and wishes to carry on borrowing too much. The economy is declining year after year, as austerity bites with no currency depreciation or easier money to offer some relief. The balance of payments remain out of balance and difficult to finance, as Greece is not competitive with the more successful north of the Euro zone. Greece is mired in high unemployment, increasing its deficit and depressing its tax revenues. The banking system is weak. People afraid of the future are taking money out of Greece to put it into safer havens, doing more damage to activity in Greece.

The official answer to all this is to raise taxes and cut public spending. The aim is to cut the deficit, hoping that the …

'NEWS: Robert Buckland MP hears evidence from Jeremy Clarkson’s ex-wife in Privacy and Injunctions Joint Committee' -- Robert Buckland (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:35:09 +0000

Robert Buckland MP today sat on the 26 member strong Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions. The Committee heard evidence from Alex Hall, ex-wife to Jeremy Clarkson, in relation to an injunction taken out by Clarkson upon gaining knowledge of Hall’s proposed autobiography. In which she would [...]…

'Praise for Essex Police from Home Secretary' -- Robert Halfon (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Today I asked the Home Secretary if she would praise Essex Police for the incredible work they have done, helping to cut serious crime in Harlow.
You can read the question and response below:

Robert Halfon (Harlow): "Thank you Mr Speaker. Following on from my Hon. Friend, who just spoke, is my Rt Hon. Friend also aware that in Harlow crime has fallen since 2010. With 87 fewer burglaries and 63 fewer cases of criminal damage, amongst many others. Does this not show, that community lead policing, with limited resources, does make a difference and will she pay tribute to Essex Police?"

Theresa May (Home Secretary): "I am indeed happy to join my Hon. Friend in paying a tribute to Essex Police and the work that they have been doing in his constituency and others, which are covered by Essex Police. And I think we do indeed see the value of community lead policing and that is why Chief Constables up and down the country, are making every effort to ensure they get Police Officers out of back office posts, and actually …

'Reform human rights? Looks like it was just talk' -- Douglas Carswell (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:17:00 +0000

February 6th 2012: After human rights judges ruled against his deportation, it is announced that Abu Qatada is “to be released within days”.

August 21st 2007: David Cameron on the Human Rights Act; "It has to go. Abolish the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights, which sets out rights and responsibilities. ..... It is a glaring example of what is going wrong in our country.”

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Is it really Clegg and co stopping us from sorting this mess out? I doubt it.

Like so much else about the blunted radicalism of this administration, the Coalition arithmetic in the Commons is cited as the excuse for failing to go far enough. It is seldom the real reason.

In too many policy areas, we are more or less carrying on with what the previous adminstration did not because of Clegg and co, but because we seem only too happy to t ag along with what Sir Humphrey says we should do.

There is, to be blunt, insufficient verve, determination and strategic thinking to drive …

'Not-so-windy wind farms' -- Oliver Heald (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:03 +0000

I am receiving plenty of e-mails about wind farms, as I am one of 105 MPs from the four largest political parties who have written to the Prime Minister urging a reduction in the amount of subsidy given to onshore wind and better provision for local opinion in the planning process. One resident has asked me if I have abandoned my longstanding support for alternative sources of energy and energy efficiency. The answer is that I continue to support diversity of supply and energy efficiency, but I do think that many on-shore wind proposals are ill-judged.
Not only is onshore wind production often inefficient and intermittent, it also increases the price of energy bills to every home and business in my constituency. It is sad to see these great industrial structures – often stationary or barely moving – blighting the landscape and costing us all a fortune.
Locally, we have had a number of battles to save our special countryside and I do believe we need a change of attitude …

'Press Release – 6 February 2012 – Local MP Calls on Businesses to Help Each Other Get Paid on Time' -- Nicky Morgan (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:35:33 +0000

Local MP Calls on Businesses to Help Each Other Get Paid on Time

MP for Loughborough Nicky Morgan has welcomed the latest campaign from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to help business get paid on time.

The government's approach is to set an example, encourage all businesses to adopt best practice particularly through the Prompt Payment Code, and to ensure small businesses have the information and advice they need to minimise the problem.

"Through my direct contact with many of Loughborough's small and large businesses, and with feedback from the Loughborough Constituency Community Business Forum, I know that getting paid promptly is vital to these businesses, especially the smaller suppliers," Mrs Morgan said.

"Latest figures show the Government is setting an example in this regard, paying 80% of invoices within five days, with BIS averaging 95% for 2011".

"I would like to promote the Prompt Payment Code and encourage businesses locally to add to the growing number of over 1,000 already registered businesses at www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk," she said.

In…

'Who are you calling rich?' -- Douglas Carswell (Con)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:21:00 +0000

Countries, like people, are only as rich as the difference between what they own or earn, and what they owe.

Years of Western credit bubble economics cannot change that.

Strip away all that central bank confected credit, and we are a lot less well off than we suppose.

Worse, not only has all that fiscal and monetary stimulus failed to engineer Western wealth creation, it seems to have made things worse.

Perhaps when the bond bubble has burst, and bailout-and-borrow economics has run its deadly course, we might be asking India for some spare rupees, please?…