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May news releases: page one
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Government cares little for South West's roads, says Heath
David Heath has again raised the issue of a strategic road system in the West Country, especially in his constituency of Somerton and Frome.
During the Whitsun Adjournment Debate in Parliament, Mr. Heath called for safety improvements on the A303, between Sparkford and Ilchester, where the distance from London (resulting in driver tiredness) and carriageway changes lead to mistakes and accidents.
Mr. Heath also voiced his concerns about the lack of north-south routes running through his constituency as alternatives for heavy goods vehicles to the A357, A358 and A359.
David Heath said: “Many people pass through my constituency heading to Devon and Cornwall on holiday but instead of using our over-priced and inefficient railway system, they will be on our overcrowded, inadequate roads.
“The route most often used, the A303, must be the most neglected strategic route in Britain. We have been asking for safety improvements on the stretch between Sparkford and Ilchester for ten years.
“The Government are well aware of the essential safety improvements needed on the A303 but they have placed a moratorium on further road improvements. They have hid behind the funding difficulties faced by the South West Regional Assembly and there will now be no safety improvements until 2016 at the earliest.
“We cannot even get the road resurfaced to reduce noise and discomfort for local people. That was promised four years ago but once again the money has been directed elsewhere."
Commenting further on the lack of north-south routes, Mr. Heath said: “There are also significant problems with unsuitable north-south routes in my constituency being used by heavy goods vehicles. I was there in Templecombe a couple of weeks ago when another lorry became trapped underneath the railway bridge because the driver had been directed along the route by satnav.
“The Government have yet to even think of replacement north-south routes for the A357, A358 and A359, yet alone implement them. No one is prepared to make the essential strategic investment to provide a safe north-south route for heavy goods vehicles that takes them out of villages like Henstridge and Templecombe.
“The Government does not look at the strategic needs of the West Country because it feels it can safely leave them to one side. This has got to stop. The absence of alternative north-south routes reduces the safety of road users, has an environmental cost and destroys the well-being of many people in the West Country.”
Rural communities the losers in post office closures
David Heath has once again spoken out against the Government’s planned closure of 2,500 post offices during the Whitsun Adjournment Debate in Parliament last week.
Mr. Heath spoke on behalf of a number of members who represent rural areas and who are concerned that their constituencies will bear the brunt of the closure programme.
David Heath said: “The Government is asking us to view the closure of 2,500 as some kind of reprieve for the post office network. They do not understand that in the villages of Somerset it is nothing of the kind – it is a crushing blow to communities.
“In the villages that still have post offices, people rely on them. If they close, they can’t simply catch a bus or walk down the road to another post office; often there is no bus and sometimes there is no road.
“People without private transport – the elderly, the disabled and young families where the breadwinners taken the car to work – will struggle to cope without their post office.
“The local post office offers a range of services far wider than the scope or imagination of the Post Office. It is the heartbeat of communities and it saddens me that the Government seem hell-bent on extinguishing that heartbeat in so many of our villages.
“The Government’s consultation ignored the four million signatures raised in petitions against the proposals, as they ignored petitions I presented on behalf of constituents and parish councils.
“The Government’s consultation pretends to listen to the concerns of rural communities but they press ahead with closures anyway. They do not listen to our concerns about public transport; about the six-week limit; about the abolition of Postwatch; or about the damage to communities.
“Rural areas do not ask for much from the Government and we certainly don’t get much, but we do ask for a sub-post office in the village hall. It is a sad day when the Government cares so little for rural communities it won’t even acquiesce to that simple demand. When the post office closes, a little bit of the community will die.”
Government's move on commercial waste long overdue
David Heath has expressed his delight that the Government have finally responded to his persistent calls to make it easier for local councils to recycle small-scale commercial waste.
The Environment Secretary, David Miliband, announced the plans as the Government launched their ‘Waste Strategy’ last Thursday.
Mr. Heath has long campaigned for these changes. He wrote to Mr. Miliband in May and October of 2006, without receiving a reply, and asked Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ben Bradshaw, about it during DEFRA questions in Parliament on 20th July 2006.
David Heath said: “The Government’s announcement about making it easier for local authorities to deal with small-scale commercial waste is long overdue.
“For too long, the Government had a complete blind spot with regard to trade waste, to the extent that there were disincentives for companies to separate their waste at source. For example, the restaurant and bar trade produce huge amounts of recyclable material that simply goes into the normal waste stream.
“I am delighted that the Government are starting to make the same effort to encourage the recycling of commercial waste as they do domestic waste. I look forward to the Government removing the barriers that currently exist and to Mr. Miliband replying to my letter.”
Wasted chance to tackle fly-tipping, says David Heath
David Heath has warned that the Government’s new waste strategy, launched by the Environment Secretary, David Miliband MP, yesterday could lead to an increase in fly-tipping, which is already a serious problem in Somerset.
David Heath said: “Fly-tipping is a serious issue in rural areas and there is a danger that the Government's new waste strategy could increase the problem. There is a very real risk that by creating disincentives for disposing of waste, the Government could encourage fly-tipping.
“Fly-tipping is not only a scar on the countryside but it is a bad news for landowners as well, who are forced to foot the bill. The Government must take steps to improve the deterrents to, and the detection of, fly-tipping.
“A legislative framework must be put into place to allow local councils to investigate fly-tipping more thoroughly. Only then will we see an increase in prosecutions of those who cause this blight to our countryside.
"We have the third worst recycling rate in the EU, and yet ministers are still far too unambitious. What is needed is a right to return excessive packaging at retailers, trials of a plastic bag charge, as well as more prosecutions for excessive waste and fly-tipping.”
Government must stop banks bullying, says Heath
David Heath has hit out at the Government’s disgraceful tax credit record after the Government published records showing they overpaid £2.6 million of tax credits to residents of Somerton and Frome and wrongly paid out over £9 billion across the country.
At the same time they failed to pay over 1,500 Somerton and Frome families the tax credit awards they were entitled to. This amounted to a massive underpayment of £1.1 million.
David Heath said: “The Government’s record on tax credits here in Somerton and Frome is a disgrace. Gordon Brown has presided over a tax credits fiasco that is of his own making.
“Not only have taxpayers in Somerset lost out, but the Government is now trying to claw back money from people on very low incomes – even when it was government mistakes which led to the errors.
“The Government has overpaid residents of Somerton and Frome £2.6 million, and underpaid others £1.1 million.
“The Government’s shambolic tax credit system leads to uncertainty for many families in Somerton and Frome as they have no way of knowing what they will receive. I am campaigning for a simple system of fixed term awards of six months so that families know what they are getting and get what they are entitled to.”
Government's tax credits record disgraceful, says David Heath
David Heath has hit out at the Government’s disgraceful tax credit record after the Government published records showing they overpaid £2.6 million of tax credits to residents of Somerton and Frome and wrongly paid out over £9 billion across the country.
At the same time they failed to pay over 1,500 Somerton and Frome families the tax credit awards they were entitled to. This amounted to a massive underpayment of £1.1 million.
David Heath said: “The Government’s record on tax credits here in Somerton and Frome is a disgrace. Gordon Brown has presided over a tax credits fiasco that is of his own making.
“Not only have taxpayers in Somerset lost out, but the Government is now trying to claw back money from people on very low incomes – even when it was government mistakes which led to the errors.
“The Government has overpaid residents of Somerton and Frome £2.6 million, and underpaid others £1.1 million.
“The Government’s shambolic tax credit system leads to uncertainty for many families in Somerton and Frome as they have no way of knowing what they will receive. I am campaigning for a simple system of fixed term awards of six months so that families know what they are getting and get what they are entitled to.”
Cameron's freedom pledge too little too late, says David Heath
David Heath has slammed the Conservative Party Leader, David Cameron, for not acting sooner over the controversial Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill.
Mr. Cameron said today that Conservatives will try to stop the Bill, which exempts MPs from the original Act, in its current form in the House of Lords.
David Heath said: “If David Cameron’s MPs had not helped to push this Bill through last week there would be no need for him to now be promising to try and stop it.
“Perhaps he should be doing fewer staged photo-calls and paying more attention to what his party is actually doing.
“It is typical of David Cameron to wait and see what the newspaper editorials say before he makes up his mind on an issue.”
Mr. Heath is supporting a national petition launched today by the Liberal Democrats against proposals to exempt MPs from Freedom of Information rules. The petition calls on all political parties (and both Gordon Brown and David Cameron) to back the campaign.
Mr Heath said: “There should not be one law for MPs and one for everyone else. Exempting politicians from Freedom of Information requests only adds to the public perception of Parliament being opaque and clouded in secrecy.
“If Gordon Brown is serious about reforming our democracy this is his first real test. If David Cameron is serious about new politics now is the time to show real leadership rather than grandstanding.”
Brown wastes billions in tax credit shambles, says David Heath
David Heath has backed his colleague David Laws, MP for Yeovil, in his calls for Gordon Brown to ‘listen, learn and act’, after new figures showed that the Government has wrongly paid out around £9bn of tax credits in three years - in overpayments, fraud and error.
Almost £5bn of this money will never be recovered. New figures released today by the Government show overpayments of £1.7bn in 2005/06 bringing the total overpayment since 2003/5 to £5.7bn. The Government is already writing off £1.9bn of this as irrecoverable.
But Liberal Democrat research shows that the Government has also incorrectly paid out around £3.6bn in fraud and error since 2003 - most of which will never be recovered. This means over £9bn has been paid in error, of which up to £5bn will be lost.
David Heath said: “These figures show that the tax credits system is in a colossal mess. Liberal Democrat research, led by my friend and colleague David Laws MP, has revealed that when fraud and error is added to overpayments, £9bn has been wrongly paid out over just three years - and up to £5bn of this will never be recovered.
“This must rank as one of the greatest wastes of public money in recent history. One in every five pounds paid out in tax credits has been overpaid.
“To make matters worse, the Government is trying to claw this money back from some of the poorest people in the country. Families in my constituency are being saddled with huge bills they cannot pay because of the Government’s ineptitude.
“My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are calling for a fundamental reform of the tax credit system to deliver stability for those on low incomes, a fairer policy on recovery of overpayments due to official error, and an independent right of appeal.
“If any normal person oversaw such a monumental debacle in their workplace, they would expect to be sacked. Gordon Brown has been promoted. The Prime Minister in waiting should sort out this mess before he leaves the Treasury.”
Government threatens post office card account, says David Heath
David Heath has expressed his exasperation at the decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to put the contract for the Post Office Card Account out to tender because of EU competition rules.
David Heath said: “I am delighted that the Post Office Card Account is being continued but it is absolutely outrageous that it was even threatened by ministers in the first place.
“This announcement is the last thing the Post Office network needed in what has been an extremely difficult week. The specifics of the tender mean that there is no certainty that this new contract will actually be won by the Post Office. If the contract is awarded to another organisation, it will be another huge blow this Government has dealt to our once proud Post Office network.
“I can state categorically that many of my constituents want to be able to collect their benefits and pensions at their local post office. I don’t think the Government understand what a lifeline Post Offices are to rural communities like ours or how great public anger will be if ministers allow this vital service to go elsewhere.”
Freedom of Information Bill marks black day for Parliament
David Heath spoke at length in Parliament today as part of an attempt by Liberal Democrat MPs and others to defeat a Bill which seeks to exempt MPs and Peers from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, which was defeated by an alliance of Conservative and Labour MPs today.
The Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, a private member's bill, introduced by David Maclean, a Conservative MP, passed its third reading shortly before 2.30pm and will now pass to the House of Lords, where it is likely to face a tough time.
David Heath said: “This has been one of the most shameful days in the history of the House of Commons. MPs should set an example of open government, not apply it to everybody but ourselves.
“This was a black day for Parliament for three reasons. Firstly, because a bad bill which will damage both Freedom of Information and the reputation of Parliament was passed.
“Secondly, because Parliamentary procedure meant that many MPs could not make their voices heard. And thirdly, because the Government has been able to claim that it was neutral on the Bill while cynically doing everything it could to mobilise support for the former Conservative Chief Whip.
“The battle will go on and hopefully the Lords will deliver us from this terrible mistake and in doing so restore some of this Parliament’s reputation.
“I hope the public will make their views very clear to the MPs who supported the Bill and to the next Prime Minister that this is absolutely the wrong direction for open, accountable government.”