Week in Westminster

Commissioners, Bishops and petrol duty – these rather diverse issues seem to have dominated the recent headlines until this last weekend when, once again, Europe reared its head.

Since I’m writing this article on Thursday evening any thoughts on the outcome of this weekend’s EU summit will be for another day though my vote against an increase to the EU budget a couple of weeks ago shows clearly where I stand.  

You’ll recall that the week before last was polling day for the new Police & Crime Commissioner. As an enthusiastic supporter of the idea of an elected representative to ensure democratic oversight of our police I was, of course, disappointed with the low turnout but am confident that the public will come to appreciate the role. It was particularly good to see that Matthew Grove spent his first day in office in Grimsby rather than Hull and I'm looking forward to welcoming him back into my constituency in the near future.

I recognise that many opposed the introduction of elected commissioners believing that it was in some way ‘politicising’ the police. I don’t share that view. The old system of a police authority made up of local councillors and independent members did not amount to anything that could be described as real accountability.

These police authorities were often chaired by councillors; couldn’t that be equally described as political oversight?

The new commissioner will not have any operational responsibility which remains with the chief constable but will set priorities, after proper consultation with the public, allocate resources and have power to hire and fire the chief. In the case of the Humberside force he will set about recruiting a new chief as Tim Hollis will be retiring in the spring. Mr Hollis took over when the force was at a low ebb and has done an excellent job.

I know that there was considerable support for ex-police officers who put themselves forward for election. Without being in anyway critical of them as individuals I feel that an ex-officer is entirely the wrong person for the job. The post is to be the public’s representative and however hard they may try a former officer will tend to view things from the police perspective rather than the public’s.

 Another criticism was that it was introducing another level of bureaucracy and therefore increasing costs. It has been well reported that the Commissioner will receive a salary of £75,000 p.a. but, are you aware that the eighteen members who were members of the old police authority were each entitled to a basic annual allowance of £8,993 (18 x 8993 = 161,874) plus special responsibility allowances. The full details of the Humberside authority’s budget can be seen at  www.humberside-pa.org.uk

Many hard-working, dedicated people have served on police authorities but the time had come for change.

Last Wednesday, in my capacity as Vice-Chairman of Parliament's All-Party Fair Fuel for Motorists Group I spent a few hours taking evidence from various organisations including the RAC, the Road Haulage and Freight Transport Associations and Fair Fuel UK, who have done so much to highlight the impact of high fuel duty on individuals and businesses.

The evidence will be passed to the Treasury ahead of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement. Petrol is already 10p a litre less than had we kept the increases scheduled by Gordon Brown's government in place but our Group are working hard to persuade George Osborne that this issue is even more significant than some of the many others he is considering.

One of the ways of bringing to the attention of the House of Commons an issue that hits the headlines is by way of an urgent question, usually a Government minister will be summoned to reply but on Thursday it was the Second Church Estates Commissioner. This is the MP Tony Baldry who speaks for the Church of England who was facing hostile questions from everyone who spoke.

The C of E as the Established Church is ultimately governed by Parliament. The rejection of proposals to allow women bishops has caused a potential clash between Church and State. Parliament has devolved its powers of governance to the General Synod. Some MPs were suggesting that Parliament should introduce legislation to overule the Synod. I'm a supporter of women bishops and will be following developments with interest.

As a footnote to my opening story and the last is that John Prescott  received more first preference votes but lost and more people at the Synod voted in favour of women bishops than against but lost.

Isn't democracy wonderful. 

Week in Westminster

My week has been dominated by the proposed closure of the Kimberly-Clark factory in Barton-upon-Humber and the hundreds of redundancies that will result. No amount of words from me or anyone else will make those affected feel any better.

I myself was made redundant many years ago when the Richardson & Coppin print factory in Ladysmith Road, of which many older readers will remember, closed and moved its operations to Loughborough. So it’s not a new phenomenon that big companies rationalise their activities. In the case of Kimberly-Clark they are pulling out of, not just the production of their ‘Huggies’ nappies but of their sales operation in Europe, except for some rather strange reason Italy.

 Westminster this week I took part in a debate about the future of Glenfield Children’s Heart Surgery Unit in Leicester and next week there will be another focussing on the Leeds unit. It is the Leeds unit that has featured more in the local media but I have also been approached by constituents whose children or grandchildren have received life-saving treatment at Glenfield.

I have to say that I wasn’t encouraged by the junior Health minister’s reply to the debate though it was to be fair making the case that many of the health professionals put forward and as she said it is now possible to operate on young babies with a heart the size of a walnut and this sort of expertise can only be made available in a limited number of larger units. However this was countered by a masterly summing up by my colleague Edward Garnier who really put the minister on the spot and if and when the final decision is taken ministers, if they do not reprieve at least some of the centres proposed for closure are going to have a very hard time. 

Week in Westminster

The Government is entering that phase in its five year existence when some of the complex pieces of legislation are being hotly debated in the House of Lords. Such was the fate of the Welfare Reform Bill which became law last Wednesday and the Health and Social Care Bill.

Possibly the most reported part of the Welfare Bill is the £26,000 per household a year cap on benefits which equates to £35,000 before deductions. Most constituents that contacted me about it have complained about its generosity and when set against an average wage in this area of around £20,000 you can see why.

At the General Election the two most mentioned subjects on the doorstep were what was repeatedly described as the far too generous benefits system and immigration. The Government has now brought in caps on both.

The Health Bill is still in the Upper House. What matters to most people is not which group of people commission the treatments they require but will it get me better again. Nothing will change in that treatment will still be free. The arguments have become too bogged down in structures rather than in why change is needed and how the proposals will best cater for the challenges that face the NHS over coming years.

I mentioned the House of Lords that the Government is set to reform into a mostly-elected assembly. It's interesting the amount of space this has covered in the press and how much airtime when most of the reports say that it's a subject that most people are not interested in.

Of course it doesn't reckon alongside tax, jobs, energy prices, schools and the Health Service in most people's day-to-day concerns. But, ask your neighbour whether he or she would rather be ruled by an unelected quango such as the European Commission or someone they can vote in and out and I rather suspect the EU commission wouldn't get too many votes.

As you may well have seen from last week’s Government minister, Greg Clark visited North East Lincolnshire. His responsibilities include decentralisation and regeneration – something that is urgently needed in this area. It is something that must be led by the private sector, co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Partnership but it will need Government resources and the minister was able to offer some valuable advice when he met local business leaders on what assistance is on offer and the help that is available from his Department in preparing bids to, for example, the Regional Growth Fund.

We’ve been fortunate in recent months to have a succession of ministerial visits over the last eight or nine months. These can often appear irrelevant and brief and only touching on the area’s problems but it’s only possible to fully appreciate these problems if you can relate to the area. After a drive down Freeman Street and Grimsby/Cleethorpe Roads he can now clearly picture some of the issues facing North East Lincolnshire. Readers may recall that the same minister also visited the Killingholme/East Halton in North Lincolnshire only a few months ago so his knowledge and appreciation of both the problems and possibilities for the area are imprinted on his mind.

Incidentally, he enjoyed a fish and chip lunch in Cleethorpes for which he was full of praise!

Finally just an observation on some of the recent Telegraph correspondence about regeneration that included talk of moving railway stations, Moving both Grimsby and Cleethorpes stations has been talked about over the years. Apart from the fact that neither is feasible because of the costs involved it needs to be recognised that one of the biggest plus points Cleethorpes has is a railway station right in the heart of the Town alongside the beach. What could be better. The resort was developed because the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company extended the line from Grimsby and, in effect, created the resort. They got it right what is needed is to improve the journey into the Town and the area around the station. It’s fanciful to think that finance exists for grandiose schemes. It doesn’t.

Week in Westminster

It's good to see that North East Lincolnshire Council has taken advantage of the Government's offer of additional funding in order to freeze the council tax for another year. This taken in with other commitments to the area such as the reduction in Humber Bridge tolls, Enterprise Zone status, the go-ahead for the Immingham by-pass, successful bids to the Regional Growth Fund and the ability to retain and reinvest some of the income from Business Rates, has provided a much-needed boost.The Council though must take some blame for its lack of support to the Tourism Trade. It's of great importance to the Town and yet NELC's lack of commitment is disappointing. There's been a gradual lessening of involvement over the years and the demise of the Cleethorpes Carnival seems to epitomise this.

Though not a 'Council Event' the Carnival relies on their support and co-operation; Leonor Pidgen and her team have done a tremendous job in recent years but now they feel unable to continue; now the Council should do all it can to ensure the event, which gives a real boost to local traders, continues.  Whilst, after many years as a councillor, I do realise the difficulties in determining spending priorities and balancing the books many constituents have expressed doubts over some recent decisions. Because so much council spending is 'ring-fenced' for funding the Council's statutory responsibilities it does mean that only a few areas of spending are within the Council's discretion.

 The Scottish referendum on independence is again in the headlines and it prompts the question as to whether or not it's a decision entirely for the Scots. If the break up of the Union is damaging surely all citizens of the Union should have a say in its break-up.

It was good to see the Transport Secretary's intention to go along to the Network Rail Annual General Meeting and vote against the directors' bonuses was enough to see them abandon the scheme. More power to her elbow and I hope more ministers follow her example.

During Parliament's recesses I always like to fit in visits to parish council meetings. This week I went to one in the north end of the constituency in New Holland. It's good that so many people are prepared to give up their time to serve on these councils. Good parish councils can make a significant difference to our villages. If you've ever complained about your council at any time --and most of us have - then offer your services to these councils - they need you.

Week in Westminster

As ever Westminster this week was a mixture of political theatre epitomised by Prime Minister’s Questions and serious debate such as Care of the Dying, Access to music venues for deaf and disabled people, Maternity Services, Funding for Tennis, Melanoma, the Daylight Saving Bill, the Northern Railway Hub, and the Prohibition of Keeping Primates as Pets – and that’s just a tiny sample.

The Care of the Dying debate was tucked away in Westminster Hall on a Tuesday morning and, I suspect, has received little national media coverage. The main emphasis was on palliative care and many members took advantage to draw attention to the work of the Hospice Movement. I did just that and acknowledged the wonderful work that our own St. Andrew’s Hospice does.

I visited them just a couple of weeks ago and witnessed some of the love and care that exists there. St. Andrew’s is held in great affection by the local community as is shown by their generosity in support of the many fund-raising events that are necessary to keep it afloat.

The State of our Shopping Centres and High Streets was an important debate that emerged from the Government commissioned Report authored by Shops Queen Mary Portas. I have to say that I was not greatly impressed by it. Having served many years as a councillor I have heard it all before. The Report was really a good-practice guide; a collection of schemes and initiatives that have been tried in towns up and down the country. Some will work others will be complete failures depending on different circumstances.

The High Streets debate was, yet again, another opportunity for members to draw examples from their own constituencies about the successes and failures of town centres and the curses and benefits of out-of-town centres.

In Cleethorpes we are fortunate in having St. Peter’s Avenue and Sea View Street which give a nice mix and attract thousands every week. But only a mile or two away at Hewitt’s Circus there’s the Superstore and some other retailers surrounding it. Have we got it right? It’s not possible to deny that customers flock to these out-of-town centres and to have retained a vibrant traditional high street means we have probably got the mix about right.

Whether this was by accident or design is debatable. The then Cleethorpes Council rejected the Tesco development at Hewitt’s Circus which was approved by a government inspector. Conduct any survey and the result will almost always show a majority against out-of-town centres and massive support for traditional high streets. Where then do the thousands who go to out-of-town centres come from?

Shopping habits have changed and we must recognise this. We certainly need less shop units and need initiatives to rid ourselves of many of the empty units within the many parades of shops that line so many of our streets.

I suspect it will be another Report to line the shelves of councils and government departments. The customer is king; if we collectively shop at the supermarkets and increase internet buying our shops will slowly die.

I concluded my speech by referring to the demise of the Past Times chain of shops:

“Past Times went into administration a day or two ago; we must hope that high streets do not belong to times past.”

Defying Stereotypes

We all have stereotypes in our mind, sometimes, indeed often, completely the opposite of reality.

When asked to describe a typical Conservative MP what comes to mind? Could it be public school, Oxbridge, stockbroker, toff? Perhaps not, straight from state school to work, redundancy and unemployment.

On the Monday before Christmas the House of Commons staged a debate on apprenticeships and skills. Look at these extracts from some of the speeches in that debate and note the political party the speakers represent.

Stuart Andrew (Pudsey) (Conservative): It is a pleasure to take part in this very important debate. Being unemployed is a terrifying experience that I went through a number of years ago. For me, that new year’s eve was not about looking forward to welcoming in the next year and everything that was hoped for, but about receiving my P45 and thinking what the prospect of unemployment would hold for me.

Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Conservative): I am very pleased to have a chance to speak in this debate, which is very timely given the recent focus on youth unemployment. Like my hon. Friends the Members for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew) and for Burton (Andrew Griffiths), I left school with few qualifications. I did not go to university, and I spent a wee while as an unemployed person. That is why I believe that apprenticeships are so important.

Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Conservative): Thank you for inviting me to speak in this debate, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I shall begin by setting out the context to my remarks. I, like many on this side of the fence, did not go to university, and I have always felt slightly ashamed that I did not have the academic qualifications to do that.

Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Conservative): It has been fashionable for Government Members to say that they did not go to university. I went to university at the age of 48 to study politics, and look what happened to me............................. I experienced redundancy. It is not pleasant and we must do everything we can to encourage and support our young people with the training and apprenticeships they need. I congratulate the Government on what they have achieved in the past 18 months.

Study the backgrounds of MPs and it may surprise you that a considerable number across the political spectrum defy the stereotype. The democratic process throws up a varied array of politicians. Like the society they represent some are bad, some good, some indifferent, just what an assembly representative of the community could be expected to produce.

The great thing about democracy is that is injects a vitality and vision into our process of government that rule by experts can never achieve. One of the many reasons that we should be wary of the European Union is that it has forced undemocratic change in two governments.

But I digress (it doesn’t take much to get me to criticise the EU – with good reason!) perhaps we should all take a step back at the beginning of what is likely to be a difficult year ahead and reassess the stereotypes that we can all so easily form in our minds and find rather difficult to shake off.

If you would like to read the full Apprenticeships debate you can do so at

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm111219/debtext/111219-0002.htm#11121912000001