Archive for April, 2016
Wednesday, April 20th, 2016
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, spoke in the House of Commons in Monday’s questions on defence.
He tackled the Minister for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne MP, on the level of changes in military spending.
Mr Pincher asked, “What estimate has he made of the likely change in the level of defence spending over the course of this Parliament.”
The Minister responded, “As from this month, the Ministry of Defence’s budget has risen to more than £35 billion, that is an increase of £800 million on the year just ended.
“This is the first real-terms increase in six years, reflecting the priority set out by this Government in the 2015 spending review to increase defence spending by 0.5% above inflation every year to 2020-21.
“This Government have clearly committed this country to meeting the NATO guideline of spending 2% of GDP on defence each and every year of this decade.”
Mr Pincher then asked if we were to opt not to spend the recommended 2%, as advocated by some in the Labour Party, what negative impact that would have on “the morale of our troops, their equipment and our security.”
The Minister responded that a failure to meet this commitment would have a dangerous impact on the United Kingdom’s ability to deliver the capability we need to face foreign threats, and the 2% target is necessary to properly equip our armed forces.
After the debate, Mr Pincher said, “We plugged Labour’s £38 billion black hole in military spending so we can now afford to provide the right level of kit and support for our troops. We must continue to ensure they have what they need to do the job we ask of them as safely as possible.
“Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for our services are summed up by the fact he put Ken Livingstone in charge of Labour’s defence review and he wants nuclear submarines to sail around the world with no nuclear deterrent on board – like toothless tigers. We really cannot trust Mr Corbyn with our security.”
Wednesday, April 13th, 2016
Anthea McIntyre MEP
Conservative MEP Anthea McIntyre has vowed to fight moves to ban an important herbicide.
The European Parliament will vote in Strasbourg tomorrow on a resolution calling on the EU Commission effectively to ban farmers and others from applying the widely used weed killer glyphosate.
Miss McIntyre, Conservative MEP for the West Midlands, said, ”This product is vital for arable and horticulture crops. It is also needed for controlling damaging weeds on hard surfaces such as airport runways.
“We must not go banning it on a whim because of misplaced concerns which are not backed by evidence.”
Scientists at the European Food Safety Authority have researched the substance thoroughly and found that glyphosate poses no unacceptable risk when used appropriately and is unlikely to pose a hazard to humans.
Based on that advice, the EU Commission is proposing to renew authorisation, which is due to expire on June 30. However, MEPs on the Environment Committee passed a resolution objecting to the approval of glyphosate, leading to this week’s vote of the full parliament.
Miss McIntyre added, ”Conservatives will be opposing this attempt to bring in a ban by the back door. The parliament should have no part in this decision to renew the permit.
“We cannot allow a few over-zealous MEPs to side line science. Our famers need these products to protect their crops and put food on our tables. They do not need unwarranted interference from people who care very little for agriculture and even less for science.”
Sunday, April 10th, 2016
Cllr Robert Pritchard, Conservative councillor for Spital ward and Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, has launched a petition allowing local residents to object to the controversial Arkall Farm development.
The petition on change.org is called “Stop Lichfield District Council and Barwood building 1000 houses on Tamworth’s borders.”
In February 2016, an application was re-submitted to Lichfield District Council to build 1000 houses on the Arkall Farm site to the north of Ashby Road (B5493) just outside Tamworth’s boarders. This application was originally submitted in 2014.
Campaigners believe there are many problems with the proposed development, but in short, if permitted it will:
- Create unsustainable levels of traffic into Tamworth, creating massive queues and delays for residents. When the Ashby Road has been temporarily blocked during rush hour in the past, it has caused a queue over 3 miles long within minutes. Capacity reports undertaken by all local councils show the Ashby Road cannot take more houses than those already approved
- Be a building site for 10 years or more, bringing construction traffic, pollution, delays and a visual eyesore to the area
- Cause additional flooding risk to on Syerscote Lane and Tamworth
- Forever change the character of the countryside to the North East of Tamworth for those that already live and work there
This application will have a huge impact on Tamworth but the site is in Lichfield, meaning Tamworth residents have no say in the planning decision.
The developers are doing surveys and assessments to justify their development, but whatever they present to the committee, the decision will be taken void of any local democratic representation.
Cllr Robert Pritchard said, “This is wrong, local people deserve a say on this important issue. We need a huge public outcry against this proposal so the developers and Lichfield District Council know how unpopular this development is.
“Please sign the petition and make it clear to the developers and Lichfield District Council they can’t bulldoze the greenbelt around Tamworth and think they can get away with it.”
Many residents have raised concerns with local councillors about the Arkall Farm development, located just over the border in Lichfield District.
Cllr Pritchard added, “This is just what happened with the recent Browns Lane Development. I remain completely opposed to the Arkall Farm development and I submitted a detailed objection to the development when this saga began. I, my fellow Conservative Cllr John Chesworth, and Tamworth Borough Council remain opposed to this proposal.”
Tamworth Borough Council has since approved its local plan, on evidence checked and approved by the national Planning Inspector. It shows that the “Ashby Road Corridor” cannot take more houses than are already approved without being overwhelmed by traffic. This information is publicly available on the Tamworth Borough Council website in the local plan section.
Click here to sign the petition, which lodges your objection with Lichfield District Council and the developers automatically.
Friday, April 8th, 2016
Voluntary groups and organisations across Tamworth have received a cash boost of almost £3,000 from Conservative run Tamworth Borough Council.
Six groups have each been awarded grants of between £488 and £500 from two funds – the Voluntary and Community Grants scheme and the Arts Grants scheme.
The grants are given to help organisations develop and provide services for the residents of Tamworth.
The latest grants are:
- £500 for the Friends of Wigginton Park to pay for equipment including saws, loppers, spades, forks, a wheelbarrow, litter pickers and a first aid kit. The equipment will be used by the volunteers during the monthly task days
- £500 for Milk Fairies towards the cost of play equipment, DBS checks for volunteers and ID badges. The group organises sessions to supports breastfeeding women and their families in Tamworth
- £500 for the Tamworth Stroke Patients & Carers Group towards the cost of venue hire and specialist transport for a social outing. The group holds monthly meetings for stroke patients and their carers
- £480 for the Tamworth Literary Festival towards the cost of venue hire, author expenses and marketing for the Romancing the Word literacy event, held in Tamworth on June 10 and 11
- £500 for Lottie’s Tots, a baby and toddler group for children aged from 0-4 years. The grant is to fund 10 ‘Tots Make Some Noise’ music sessions, run by a specialist early years music leader
- £500 for Shoebox Theatre towards running costs for the intergenerational group. The open access intergenerational drama workshop group was set up in 2012. It meets each week and puts on at least two performances a year
Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said, “Tamworth Borough Council really values the work of local voluntary groups and we want to help them and support them as much as we can.
“We offer these small grants to local community groups and charities that are trying to make a difference to the local community. If you have a community project, arts scheme or something that will make Tamworth a better place, please get in touch.”
Grants are available to community groups and voluntary organisations, which run across Tamworth to allow them to develop and continue to provide their vital services. To apply for a grant, please contact Karen Clancy at Tamworth Borough Council on 01827 709709. The deadline for applications is June 1, but if more information is required, contact Karen by the middle of May.
Thursday, April 7th, 2016
Funding to help tackle potholes on Staffordshire’s roads has been welcomed by the County’s highways chief.
As part of the national Pothole Action Fund, Conservative run Staffordshire County Council has been awarded just over £1 million to help towards its work in repairing potholes across the county.
Cllr Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Highways and Transport, said, “Maintaining good roads is important to the county council, to local communities and to businesses.
“With a network the sheer size of Staffordshire this is always going to be a significant and costly challenge and, while we want to focus more on preventing potholes in the first place, this annual funding will help our crews fix the potholes which are causing the biggest problems in the county.
“We already repair around 350 potholes per week and over the coming weeks we will be looking at how this funding can be best spent to get the maximum benefits for road users.”
As part of the pothole fund, local authorities in England will receive £50 million a year over the next five years, with allocations based on the size of the network. Staffordshire has around 6,400km of roads to maintain.
Click here to report potholes to Staffordshire County Council for repair.
Thursday, April 7th, 2016
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, has welcomed the biggest reform of the state pension since it was created more than a century ago, alongside a major package of reforms to tax, pensions and savings to help workers, which came into effect yesterday.
From 6th April 2016, eligible people in Tamworth who reach retirement age will receive the new State Pension, with the full rate set at £155.65 per week, or over £8,000 a year.
The new State Pension particularly benefits women reaching pension age over the next decade. In the past, many were unable to build much of the previous earnings-related additional State Pension, from now on, everyone will build up the new State Pension in the same way.
Over 75 per cent of women and over 70 per cent of men will gain in the first 15 years of the new State Pension, and by 2030 over three million women stand to gain an average of over £550 extra per year as a result of these changes – that is more than an extra £10.50 every week.
The new pension is among a number of reforms to taxes, National Insurance allowances and savings that came into effect yesterday to back hard work, support savers and ensure economic security at every stage of life. This includes a new personal savings allowance that means most people will be able to earn up to £1,000 interest a year on their savings without paying tax. Over 18 million are set to benefit, with nearly 17 million taken out of savings tax altogether.
The tax-free personal allowance also increases from £10,600 to £11,000, giving an £80 tax cut to a typical taxpayer in Tamworth while the higher rate threshold rises to £43,000, delivering on the Conservatives commitment that working people will keep more of the money they earn.
An estimated 1,089 low-earners in Tamworth will be taken out of paying income tax altogether, while a massive 42,044 people in the constituency will see their income tax cut. That is nearly 60% of all voters in Tamworth!
Mr Pincher commented, “We are committed to supporting people at every stage of their life, which means helping hardworking people keep more of the money they earn and providing dignity and security in retirement, especially women who have lost out before.
“The new State Pension will provide clarity and confidence for people across Tamworth about what income they will get from the state in their retirement while helping those who have historically lost out under the old system.
“It is also very good news that getting on for two thirds of people in Tamworth will receive an income tax cut today and over one thousand low-earners will be taken out of income tax altogether as we continue to back people who are working hard, saving hard, and doing the right thing. The Conservative Government is delivering on its election promise to help workers and families keep more of their own money to spend or save as they think best.”
Thursday, April 7th, 2016
Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, has welcomed the start of tax reforms that will help businesses across the town to invest more of their money into growing and taking on more staff.
From 6 April 2016, employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 are completed abolished, saving a business employing an apprentice on the National Minimum Wage over £500 a year.
The employment allowance for all businesses and charities is also rising from £2,000 to £3,000 so that a firm can employ up to four people full time on the new National Living Wage and pay no employer National Insurance contributions at all.
Businesses will also benefit today from a cut in Capital Gains Tax, with the higher rate falling from 28 per cent to 20 per cent and the basic rate from 18 per cent to 10 per cent, ensuring they can access the capital they need to grow and create jobs.
Last Friday, 1 April 2016, saw a range of other reforms begin, including the further extension of the doubling of small business rates relief into 2016/17 and the freezing of fuel duty, which will see small businesses with a van save £12 each time they fill their tank compared to the fuel escalator plans left behind by Labour.
Mr Pincher said, “This is great news for businesses big and small across our town making it easier for them to grow, create jobs and help train young people. We have already seen the fastest fall in unemployment of any in the country which is excellent news for local job seekers.
“Policies like these show that the Conservatives are delivering on our commitment to support businesses and train people so they have the skills they need to secure and job and benefit from the security of a regular pay packet.”
Thursday, April 7th, 2016
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, has welcomed proposed improvements to Staffordshire’s local health services which have been promised in a recent report by the National Health Service.
And he has called on the healthcare providers across the county to make sure their commitment to working together for the good of patient care becomes a reality.
NHS England published the Staffordshire Local Health Economy final report on 30th March 2016. The report was commissioned by tri-partite organisations, NHS England, NHS Trust Development Authority, and Monitor, to help the local health system develop its five year strategy plan. The news was circulated by the South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsular Clinical Commissioning Group last week.
The report’s analysis of the health economy has been informed by a locally-led Staffordshire transformation programme, “Together We’re Better” Case for Change. The Report highlights the changes in longevity (there are now 25% more people in Staffordshire over 75 than there were in 2001 and the number is rising) and the challenges of new health problems such as the increase diabetes which is attributed in part to poor eating habits.
It says healthcare must adapt to respond to changes like these. This Report will be subject to public engagement over the next few months, and Mr Pincher has encouraged local people to have their say on public health services during the public engagement process.
Improvements that have already been introduced since the Report include: a new tele-health system in primary care for monitoring conditions such as asthma, hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; a primary care atrial fibrillation project aimed at significantly improving detection and incidence of AF-related strokes; and an acute visiting service to provide rapid response for patients requiring a home visit.
Mr Pincher said, “I am delighted to see that the National Health Service in Staffordshire is improving its level of provision, and its accountability to people through the upcoming public engagement process in which I would absolutely encourage local residents to have their say.
VTamworth is a growing town and it is important that its health care needs, and the wishes of local people, are fully understood. Those needs must have the right level of care provided for them, especially as healthcare needs change and treatments change too.
VThat is one of the reasons why I was in Burton at the end of March to talk to the new clinical leadership at the Burton NHS Hospitals Trust. I am pleased that the report suggests the NHS must be highly responsive to local needs and I encourage all local providers including Burton Trust, HEFT, the CCG and local pharmacies to work together to ensure that it is so.”
