The House finished up for the Easter Recess with a succession of statements on a number of important subjects including Libya, NHS reform and changes to the pension system. My thoughts and prayers remain with our brave armed forces on active service in Libya and elsewhere and I welcome both the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister providing the House with regular updates. With respect to the NHS reforms, it is clear from the correspondence I have received that a large number of you feel it is right that we pause and reflect in order to make sure we get this spot on. I therefore support the announcement made by Andrew Lansley that this is what the Government will do. I intend to meet with local NHS officials in the coming weeks in order to listen to what they believe should happen next and I will continue to feed back all suggestions I receive to Ministers. Finally, I am pleased to see vital reform of the pension system moving its way up the agenda as I would much rather see more money in pensioners’ pockets and less spent on administering a complex tiered system.
The last day before recess saw a general debate on humanitarian relief to Libya and a series of short speeches on a number of different subjects made by backbench parliamentarians. Westminster Hall saw local debates on issues relevant for the most part to specific constituencies. I spent part of the final day sitting on an EU Committee on Credit Swaps. This kind of technical economic instrument is not everybody's cup of tea, but they did play a key role in the financial crisis and it is therefore important they are comprehensively reviewed. I was pleased to have an opportunity to play my part in doing so.
Lobbying for change
I was happy this week to offer my support to the APPG on Social Tourism. You may well be saying – what is social tourism? It is the opportunity for key members of society we ask a lot of and the less advantaged to enjoy a holiday. This subject often crops up in relation to whether the state should provide some kind of respite to people such as full time carers. However, I believe it is important to widen the discussion out in order to consider how all this could assist our tourist industry. In other countries, holiday companies and local authorities are asked to provide breaks at no cost to the state to disadvantaged individuals and key members of society. The group has launched a review into what is currently available, what could and should change in this policy area and what role the state should play.
Genesis is an organisation looking how we can make the process of doing businesses easier. I had the opportunity to meet with them this week to talk about the APPG on Micro Business that I am Co-Chair of in order to explain what we are doing and discuss what help they could provide. This was just one of a series of meetings I have had recently to look at micro business issues with a wide range of industry sector groups and think tanks.
I am also delighted to see some success with water charges! It is nice when all the lobbying work we undertake bears fruit. A consultation has just been launched on water charges with a particular focus on the challenges facing the South West. The three options on which the government wants views is enhancing Watersure (a saving of £3 per household), rebalancing sewerage charges (a saving of £11 a year per household), and a government subsidy of some £50m a year (a saving of £50 per household). It is very important as many people as possible respond to this consultation so please have a look at the questions it asks and add your voice by emailing walker.consultation@defra.gsi.gov.uk or writing to Water Charging and Economic Regulation Team, Defra, Area 2C Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AL
Out and About
I was delighted to be a guest of honour as TS Canonteign took delivery of the first of a new class of patrol boat. The sea scouts have had a good year and this marks a highlight for this innovative and inspirational community collaboration project which will see high visibility Community Safety Patrols throughout the tidal reaches of the Teign River estuary. I will continue to support them in any way I can as we move forward.
On Thursday, the Teignbridge Business Buddies held their first surgery in collaboration with Working Links. The focus was on buddies supporting people who are currently unemployed as they prepare to take the plunge and start their own business. The buddies provide invaluable expertise and they help build up the confidence and courage of those who want to run their own business, but who doubt they can successfully do so. I am pleased to have got these surgeries off the ground and I look forward to holding many more in the coming months ahead.
Town Centre development will be key to our success locally and I was glad to meet up with Sally Henley, our Town Centre Manager in Newton Abbot to talk about the Town Development Plan, funding and the Localism Bill. You may not know but Dawlish has been selected as one of the first parts of the country where parts of the Localism Bill are to be tested. Teignbridge District Council bid for Dawlish to be considered and they have been awarded £20,000 to help with the cost of being a pilot area. I also visited PLUSS in order to look at the work they do to assist disabled people in finding employment. I will be doing everything I can to support them in the coming times ahead.
Finally I was invited by Dawlish Hospital League of Friends to talk about the NHS reforms and how they affect the local Dawlish Community. We had a productive discussion about a number of different issues.
Surgeries and Getting Together
My next surgery is in Teignmouth in the Library at 10am on Saturday 30th April. Please phone 01626 368277 for an appointment or for immediate help with issues that can’t wait until the next surgery.