PlanetWestminster

Following an article in this week’s Banbury Cake which ran the headline “Baldry won’t rule out taking pay rise”, North Oxfordshire MP, the Rt. Hon. Sir Tony Baldry, has sent an email to Group Editor of the Oxfordshire Newsquest Group in which he has said that he is “staggered by the lack of professionalism and simple care and courtesy” in the article.

The full text of the email is below:

EMAIL TO SIMON O’NEILL

Dear Simon,

For over thirty years I have had what I hope has been a constructive professional relationship with the Newsquest Oxfordshire Group.

As against that background, I am staggered by the lack of professionalism and simple care and courtesy in the article in the Banbury Cake of Thursday 12 December with the headline:

“Baldry won’t rule out taking pay rise”

I can only assume that the Newsquest Oxfordshire Group either keeps no records at all of previous stories or has a complete lack of any collective memory.

You may recall that this story about IPSA’s recommendations on MPs’ pay first surfaced some several months ago when I made it clear to all the local media that I would not be taking any pay rise and I would give any pay increase to charity.

I could not have been clearer.

You reported that fact at that time.

The Banbury Guardian reported that fact at that time.

The Banbury Guardian remembered that they had reported that fact at that time as is clearly demonstrated by the piece this week on the Banbury Guardian website which makes that point very clear:

http://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/local-news/baldry-comments-on-mps-pay-proposals-1-5737787

I and my team go out of our way to try and respond swiftly and promptly to requests from your journalists for comment frequently on stories which have absolutely nothing to do with my constituency.

There is no longer a dedicated journalist for Banbury or a dedicated journalist for Bicester but that notwithstanding I always, as with every media outlet, do my best to respond promptly.

If I recall correctly, this story broke again on Monday when I immediately compiled a statement to the press and put a copy of that statement on my website and a link to that article on my Twitter account. I also did a radio piece for both BBC Radio Oxford and Banbury Sound in which I made it clear that I wouldn’t take a pay rise.

Moreover, following my interview with BBC Radio Oxford on Monday they sent out a Tweet which I then retweeted and which said “#Banbury MP @TonyBaldry has told @BBCOxford he won’t be accepting an 11% pay rise for MPs.”

Your journalist emailed me at 12.01 on Monday and I went back him almost by return of email with my comments and then reminded him that some months ago I had already made it clear that I would give away any pay increase to charity.

Therefore for you to run a story two days later saying “Baldry won’t rule out taking pay rise” is at best sloppy and unprofessional and at worst straightforwardly disingenuous.

Moreover, in the piece your journalist asserts “Sir Tony would not comment on what he would do with the increase.”

The only reasonable inference from that sentence’s construction is that I had been asked the question and had refused to answer it. That is clearly not true because I could not have asked it more clearly in my email to your journalist.

So for that I would welcome a specific apology because it gives the impression that I was unwilling to address this issue which is simply untrue.

I note that you have invited readers to write or email me at the House of Commons. Can I make it clear that all those who write to me following this article will receive a copy of this email so they can be aware of the complete lack of professionalism of the Newsquest Oxfordshire group?

If your journalist had bothered to go to my website and undertake a search on my website for something like “IPSA” it would have enabled them to see my previous entry on this from July this year which made it abundantly clear that I was going to give any pay increase to charity.

I will look forward to the opportunity of a correction in next week’s Banbury Cake of equal prominence and in the mean time, do not be surprised if for the foreseeable future I and my team are not rushing to respond to emails or requests from your journalists because what is the point if they simply ignore them!

I am copying this email to the Editor of the Banbury Guardian and the News Editor of Banbury Sound and to those at BBC Radio Oxford because I don’t want there to be any scintilla of a suggestion that I have told them one thing and you another.

Sincerely,

Tony Baldry

Last week I went to a meeting with farmers and the police in a barn near Hertford, to hear about the Policing challenges and how the Hertfordshire Police are tackling criminals in the rural area.  It was good to see the Chief Constable and to hear his plans.  He also showed some new equipment.  The Police and Crime Commissioner has suggested that we should have a strong focus on local policing in Hertfordshire and that we should improve central services, but also increase the Police precept by 10p per week, in order to keep and improve this local focus.  David Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner, is asking for public views on this and I would suggest that all constituents might want to respond on this important issue.  David’s website is at www.hertscommissioner.org

 

 

He becomes the youngest Bishop in the country.
I have many tales to tell of Graham's faith, kindness, drive and compassion. I have never talked at length with anyone who has been able to articulate as well his sense of Christian faith; he has been exceptionally helpful to me as a church leader in so many ways. Justin Welby is the only clergyman who has impressed me more than Graham Usher, which is high praise. It has been a great pleasure and a privilege to get to know Graham over these last 5 years and he will be sorely missed in Northumberland.

My abiding memory, however, is finding him at my bedside when in hospital after my operation in. 2011. We talked and prayed together in a small high dependency unit - surrounded by fellow patients,  many of whom were moved to tears by his presence and words. He has been a source of solace for many people in Northumberland at many times. I will miss his counsel and Christian guidance very much. But the people of Dudley and the Black Country are very lucky. I shall be there at the inauguration of Bishop Usher on March 25th. in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Here is how the local Dudley / Black Country paper has reported his appointment:
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2013/12/12/new-bishop-of-dudley-is-named/

I have had the following reply from West Berkshire Council to queries raised on behalf of constituents over road maintenance and standards of road works and road cleaning:

 

(email from West Berks highways)

Reading Rd, Building site next to Tesco

 

Following the trenching works in May 2013, a warning notice was issued in July 2013 informing Thames Water that the temporary reinstatement was failing. A proposal from Thames Water to permanently reinstate the trench was received on the 7 August 2013 and then cancelled on the 8 August 2013. Following a formal defect notice on the 23 October 2013, Thames Water carried out a reinstatement on the same day, however, following a telephone conversation with Thames Water, it was established that the reinstatement they had undertaken was permanent. As the reinstatement was not to the appropriate standard, a second defect notice was issued yesterday and we will continue our dialogue with Thames Water to ensure that this trench is permanently reinstated to the appropriate standard.

 

 

Reading Rd – j/n Hollybush Lane

 

I can confirm that the Reading Road from the Goring Lane double roundabouts to Hawksworth Road and Holybush Lane from Reading Road to the joint near the Leisure Centre is still provisionally programmed for

2014 as detailed in previous emails. Arrangements have also been made for the junction to be inspected and any defects found will be actioned in accordance with Council policy.

 

 

Sweeping of c/way junctions.

Loose material (buckets off it) in every bell mouth

I can confirm that an officer from the Council’s waste team and the Street Cleansing Supervisor from our contractor Veolia conducted a joint visit of the site in question on the 2 December 2013. During their inspection, they found some build up of detritus (e.g. leaves, stones

etc) but nothing that required a sweeper to be deployed to clear prior to the scheduled cleanses over the next fortnight.

 

I can also confirm that the scheduled cleanses will be jointly checked to ensure that they are completed to the appropriate standard and that spot checks will continue to ensure these levels are maintained. 

 

Jaques Lane/Bottom Lane.

 

I can confirm that Jaques Lane from Folly Lane to Bottom Lane is provisionally programmed for 2014 for resurfacing as discussed at the Sulhamstead Parish Council meeting. We will also continue to maintain the slow and uneven road signs and monitor the site on a routine basis to ensure it remains in a safe condition.

 

Philip Hammond, the defence minister, this week abandoned one of his proposals to overhaul defence procurement.

Ironically an attempt t0 bring more choice and competition into the system has been defeated by a lack of choice and competition. Only one bidder came forward to run the procurement process.

I am sorry to see this setback, but am sure it will be just that: a temporary setback.

Britain cannot afford for Hammond not to press ahead with change.

For decades, Whitehall has been monumentally useless at converting billion-pound defence budgets into weapons.

It is not just a case of the MoD not having enough expertise and personnel, or enough bright lawyers. Those are symptoms of the malady, not the disease itself.

The problem with defence procurement lies in the way that successive governments have consolidated the defence sector. Firms were encouraged to merge. Giant consortiums were formed. This might have achieved economies of scale in the defence industry, but it has had one very serious consequence.

In any market, when you restrict supply, the seller sets the terms of trade. This is what has happened in defence.

Defence production costs have soared. Squillions have been spent on second-rate options, delivered late.

Add in some of the protectionist ideas that corporatism inevitably breeds, and you end up with one of the largest defence budgets in the world, but serious shortages of kit. Aircraft carriers without aircraft. Helicopters that cost twice the price of the better alternatives. Loitering munitions programmes that ought to have been wound down. UAVs that contain yesterday's technology, when we have spent enough on them to have today's.

We need to start spending our limited defence budget in the interests of our armed forces, not the contractors. We should certainly never spend the defence budget as a giant job creating scheme.

Hammond is seeking to make many long overdue changes. Off-the-shelf procurement is becoming the default. Various vested interests that have their paws all over defence spending are being reined in. Various parasitical corporate interests must be taken on and broken.

The sooner Hammond presses ahead, the better.

James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con): Unemployment in my constituency is 21% lower than it was at the time of the last election. We have had a 90% increase in apprenticeship start-ups, manufacturing output is up and business activity is at a 32-month high in the west midlands. Does the Prime Minister agree that, due to the hard work of my constituents and people across the country, the Government’s long-term economic plan is working and delivering benefits to every region of the United Kingdom?  read more »

Yesterday, I wrote as follows to the National Planning Casework Unit, copying the Secretary of State, asking for the RAF Daws Hill redevelopment to be called in. The letter should be self-explanatory. Neighbourhood planning is described here. National Planning Casework Unit 5 St Philips Place Colmore Row Birmingham, B3 2PW 12 December 2013 Dear Sir, 13/05799/FULEA – Former RAF site at Daws Hill, Daws Hill Lane, High Wycombe, HP11 1PZ The subject planning application was approved in accordance with the […]

Karen along with Diamond Buses Commercial Graduate Sarah Lewis was delighted to present the Prime Minister, David Cameron, with a copy of the Redditch Monopoly Board and a copy of his favourite music record, sent by Vintage Trax in Redditch.

Karen said:  “I was absolutely delighted to hand the Prime Minister, David Cameron his Christmas present today which was of course the Redditch Monopoly Board. The Prime Minister informed me that his children are huge fans of Monopoly and that this Christmas he will be playing the Redditch version with his young children! The interest generated has just been incredible and I would like to thank all those who have supported this, including Diamond Buses. There has been interest from all over the world, which is just incredible. Redditch is a very proud town and over a 500 copies have been ordered or snapped up already. I also presented the Prime Minister with a copy of his favourite record, by The Jam which was kindly provided by new local start up, Vintage Trax. It is a wonderful way to promote Redditch and it really is fantastic that the Prime Minister is so enthusiastic about it.”

STARTS

During the summer I asked local businesses across Wirral West to let me know their biggest concerns and what they’d like help with so I could tell the chancellor to help shape his Autumn Statement.

Pretty much all asked for support with business rates so I was delighted when George Osborne last week unveiled a package to help small businesses with a focus on reducing business rates.  He has extended the Small Business Rate Relief scheme until April 2015, and provided a new £1000 discount on business rates bills for two years for retail premises with a rateable value of up to £50,000. This will help local shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants.  Those facing bills lower than £1,000 will pay no rates at all.   The Chancellor also capped business rates which were due to increase by 3.2 per cent in 2014/15, to 2 per cent as well as introducing a new reoccupation relief which will see businesses which set up in retail premises that have been empty for a year or more receive a 50% discount on their rates bill for 18 months.

Thanks to everyone who took part in my surveys, the Government listened and responded.  This help for our high street means 8,000 businesses in Wirral will benefit from the overall package.

Local small businesses and individuals also asked for continued support with fuel costs. So I’m delighted that fuel duty rises were also cancelled, and by 2015 petrol will be 20p per litre cheaper than it would be under Labour, saving the average household £300 per year and a small business with a van £1,000.  These latest reductions in taxes will offer support to small businesses and local shops which are so vital for our community.

ENDS

Mark Reckless MP has visited Royal Mail’s Rochester delivery office to pass on Christmas wishes and encouragement to the postmen and women at their busiest time of the year.

Mark was shown round the office by local Delivery Office Manager, Max Seaward, and was introduced to the postmen and women who are working hard sorting and delivering all the cards and parcels in the Rochester area in the run-up to Chrismas.

Speaking after his visit, Mark said:

“It was great to meet the dedicated, hard-working Royal Mail postmen and women at my local delivery office and to see first hand just how much effort they are putting into delivering for people at this time of the year.

Postmen and women do such an important job at this time of the year. I would like to thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best over the busy festive period.”

Max Seaward, Royal Mail Delivery Office Manager at Rochester, said:

“Christmas is the busiest time of the year for Royal Mail. Our people pull out all the stops throughout the year to ensure mail is delivered quickly, but even more so over the busy festive period. We are grateful that Mark Reckless MP came along to see the hard work which goes on behind the scenes.

Our people do a fantastic job at this time of the year to ensure that friends and families stay in touch through their Christmas greetings and gifts. We’d like to remind our customers to post early so that friends and family have longer to enjoy their Christmas greetings!”

For further information on Royal Mail’s Christmas services and last posting dates – Click Here

In November, the Fresh Start Project - backed by over 100 Tory MPs - set out a mandate for reform of the EU, making the case for Britain's relationship to be re-cast on a firmer footing, following the renegotiation pledged by David Cameron.

Fresh Start Project founder, Andrea Leadsom MP, and I have penned a column for the Sunday Times, explaining how we can revise our relationship in a way that is good for both Britain and the EU. You can access the article here.

I've blogged on the Autumn Statement for the Huffington Post. In the recession of 2008/09 we lost 7.2% of our national income, experiencing one of the sharpest contractions of any major economy. By 2010 Labour were borrowing £158billion a year, meaning one pound in every four they spent was raised by issuing debt. This explains why the last few years have been so tough and why many difficult decisions have had to be made. Thankfully the evidence is starting to show that Britain is turning a corner. The Office for Budget Responsibility - which independently monitors government spending - has revised its growth forecast for 2013 up from 0.6% to 1.4% and from 1.8% to 2.4% in 2014. We're now one of the fastest growing advanced economies in the world. Labour said this couldn't be done without growing the deficit too, but the British people have proved them wrong. Thursday's Autumn Statement sets out what more needs to be done to secure that recovery. Real household disposable incomes are on the rise again, but many people are still squeezed between low wage growth and higher prices. The most direct thing government can do to help with the cost of living is to take less of your money in tax, so I'm delighted that the Chancellor announced that council tax and fuel duty will continue to be frozen. Employer national insurance contributions (NICs) are effectively a tax on jobs, so the announcement that NICs will be abolished for under-21s is very welcome news. This will make it easier for employers to take on young people, cutting the cost of hiring an employee on £16,000 a year by £1,000..... Read the full post on The Huffington Post...

There was some great news for hard pressed bill-payers last week when South-West Water announced a price freeze for all households and businesses until April 2015. It will no doubt mean a sigh of relief for all those households in our area concerned about rising utility bills who now have at least some certainty in what to budget for water costs. As winter draws in and energy bills increase, I think this news should be welcomed and especially because it comes with a commitment from the water company to look at keeping prices below inflation all the way through to 2020.

Of course bills are still disproportionately high for households in Cornwall and this historic injustice comes from that fact South West Water looks after water quality over a vast coastline but deals with a relatively small population. That said the £50 rebate that was introduced in April this year has been a very welcome start and for the average Cornish household their bill actually fell this year by 7.3%. The price freeze announced last week is another step in the right direction.

Whilst water is important, we also need to look at other ways to cut the cost of living which everyone agrees is a top priority and when I am out knocking on doors in the constituency the subject is never far away. The scrapping of the fuel duty escalator by the government was vitally important for a county like Cornwall because many people who work cannot rely on public transport and have no option but to use their car and our businesses have to transport their goods hundreds of miles to market which is a major cost. Just filling up can be a worrying cost for families and I have always argued for fuel costs to be as low as possible.

When it comes to the cost of energy the government have also very recently announced a range of measures that will lead to a £50 cut in the average household bill which are coming into effect soon. The recent hikes in energy bills have caused a real shock and this cut is absolutely critical to help people deal with this extra burden. It is difficult because energy prices here are largely controlled by wholesale energy prices around the world but suppliers need to be transparent at how they can keep costs down and the government can work with them on this. Progress has been made but it is clear that for now and in the future new approaches need to be looked at.

George Eustice can be contacted at george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032

Tomorrow sees the Autumn Statement, when the Chancellor makes a series of announcements about the economy.  There’s been much speculation about what George Osborne might say, but we’ll know for sure in 24 hours so I won’t add to the crystal ball-gazing here.  Suffice it to say that the cautious [...]

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North is backing the national campaign to support small businesses on Saturday 7th December, and is bringing Lord David Young, the Prime Minister’s...

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Fireworks go up, as the lights come on

 It's become more traditional than opening your advent calendar; Every year Lee and Paul, the now notorious Brailsford Brothers, light up Christmas for Brentry and Beyond.

Two years ago, they starred in a Channel 4 documentary on Britain's greatest Christmas Lights, and you can read about them this year in our very own Bristol Post.

every year, the Brailsford Bro's add more and more lights!

Very proud. My first Christmas Present. I'm going to wear it in the House of Commons. Shhh...

 I always tell the story of how I  came across Lee in his garage, fiddling around with wires and large snowmen one boiling hot September afternoon, some years ago now, already preparing for Christmas. 

Now the Brailsford Brothers hope to smash the £20,000 mark in raising money for Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.

Gromit's had a big year, this year. But still found time to support @brailsfordxmas

Each year, the spectacle gets bigger and better -this year it was almost hard to get to see the house for the crowds, and as the count-down went off, the fireworks went up. Amazing!  We are also now lucky to have some really brilliant local talent performing to get us all in the festive mood.

This year was a bit special for me- as Lee and Paul gave me my first Christmas present - my very own Brailsford Lights hoodie which I will wear with pride! I've been dared to wear it in the Chamber at the House of Commons. So shhh... watch this space... and don't tell the Speaker...


If you missed the lights - turn-on, don't worry! You can enjoy the festivities again on Christmas Eve, and the lights are on every day until January 3rd between 5-10pm.

You can also donate online at www.brailsfordlights.co.uk 

Or by texting rixy88 and £1, £5 or £10 to 70070.

As I’m sure many of you will have noticed, two weeks ago the Parliamentary Committee on Standards ruled that I had inadvertently failed to register my outside earnings correctly. I apologised on the day that decision was made and immediately began th...

Big news yesterday as my EU (Referendum) Bill passed the last of its House of Commons stages. Many commentators predicted this could never happen. They claimed it would get bogged down by procedure and talked out. Despite the best efforts of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs to do that we were able to battle though.

Conservative MPs gave up a number of Fridays and showed great discipline in not rising to the bait and temptation to speak and drag out debates even further. For my part I sat at Third Reading for three days worth of Friday sessions with minimal contributions – anything I said would simply have drawn things out longer and made it more likely the Bill would run short of time.

Lord Michael Dobbs will now be taking the Bill through the House of Lords, for which support I am extremely grateful. Whatever happens to my Bill in the Lords (and it faces significant challenges) it has played a part in shifting the debate. I believe a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU is now inevitable. Whether it comes sooner (because of this Bill and a Conservative government) or later, I have no doubt it will happen. Whether you believe we should be in, or out, this is good news for democracy.

The BBC coverage is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25156342

 PROOF OF EVIDENCE OF DOMINIC GRIEVE QC MP

 

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Clearing out an old cellar space today and came upon a yellowed copy of The Times from September 16th 1969. A most interesting read. Two front page stories. First there's reports of an EEC summit conference to be held shortly in The Hague to consider terms of UK membership. Bill Cash MP is not quoted. Second story is about Whitehall greeting figures which demonstate that export-led expansion of the economy is finally underway. Amazingly, no politician of any sort is quoted. In Sept 1969, they would all have been enjoying their 4 month recess around the Med or in the West Indies. And then there's a photograph of Liberal Leader, the beautifully besuited Jeremy Thorpe with two handsome young men in swimming trucks on Brighton beach, chatting before a two day Liberal conference on constitutional reform. I promise you I have not made up a single word of this. So over to page 2, and what do we have here. A report about the interests of Wales not being properly represented at Westminster. Sir Goronwy Daniel, a man of fame when I first entered public life, insists that the interests of Wales are not being neglected. Sir Goronwy is of the view that at present the Welsh Office and the Secretary of State are well able to exercise considerable influence on the 'Whitehall and Westminster Gov't'. (No need for too much of this devolution nonsense perhaps). Sir Goronwy accepts the possibility of change and that the Welsh Office could be ready in a year or two to take over functions such as education, Home Office matters and agriculture. Wonder what Home Office matters he had in mind. But he is concerned that too much work would mean that the Secretary of State would not be able to cope, which in turn will mean a danger of Wales being increasingly governed by civil servants. He goes on to say that a reform of local governmnet is needed to reduce numbers of councils and councillors. Rest of report is about Lord Ogmore, a Labour MP who became a Liberal peer advocating a Welsh Assembly with extensive powers. Plaid Cymru are to outline its view tomorrow. What strikes me as interesting is how little has changed in 44 years!

First published by The Observer Parliament talks ceaselessly of “the next generation”. But, in Cumbria, where I’m an MP, voluntary activity and politics are generally driven by people over the age of 55. Every village seems to have a retired engineer attempting to build a community fibre-optic cable network and baffling the most confident civil servant [...]

The post Our culture excludes the old when they have so much to contribute appeared first on Rory Stewart.

Jeremy Hunt cut the ribbon to celebrate the return of Haslemere Hospital’s 16 inpatient beds following its £2.3m revamp. 

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Voting is open for East of England Digital Heroes and I am calling on people to vote for Harlow Talking Newspaper.

Should Harlow Talking Newspaper be one of the 12 UK charities to benefit from£70,000 worth of technology grants from TalkTalk it will spend its grant on new digital recording equipment.

Jenny Lushington, a volunteer at Harlow Talking Newspaper for the blind and partially sighted, is up against two other regional finalists to be named the East of England’s Digital Hero after being nominated by Harlow MP Robert Halfon.

Harlow Talking Newspaper does such great work in the local community and it would be marvellous if they could receive enough support to be awarded the £5,000 grant.

I have twice volunteered at Harlow Talking Newspapers during my Social Action Week and have been amazed at the efforts that go into producing the weekly recordings which are circulated to many people in the local area.

To vote for Harlow Talking Newspaper go to http://www.talktalk.co.uk/digitalheroes/ and follow the links to the regional entries.

Eleven of the Digital Heroes winners will win £5,000 to put towards enhancing their digital project while one overall winner, determined by a judging panel, will receive a grand prize of £10,000.
All 12 winners also get free broadband from TalkTalk for 12 months.

Jenny has been a volunteer at Harlow Talking Newspaper for the blind and partially sighted since the first edition in 1979, and is now vice chairperson.

She organises rotas of volunteers and still reads out stories from the local newspapers, onto memory sticks which are distributed every Friday morning.

Jenny said: "The Harlow Talking Newspaper runs as an efficient team each person contributing to the whole, so in voting for me you would in reality be voting for the whole team of volunteers who regularly give up a few hours of their time year in and year out to provide a sound recording for the blind and partially sighted people of Harlow."
Voting is open until Sunday, November 18.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister launched the Government’s Challenge on Dementia – a new initiative to tackle one of Britain’s most serious health concerns. As Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, I believe that our approach to dementia care in Britain is unsustainable, with the figure of 800,000 people who currently live in the UK projected to rise to 1 million within a decade and 1.7 million by 2051.

Aside from the obvious human tragedy of the condition, which affects one in three people over the age of 65, there are serious financial consequences of dementia. Through increased healthcare costs and other expenses, the condition costs the economy £23bn, compared to £12bn for cancer and £8bn for heart disease which, per patient, means that a single dementia patient will cost the economy £27,000 – four times higher than a cancer patient and five times higher than someone with heart disease.

Despite this, research into the condition receives significantly less funding than research into other diseases. The Government’s announcement that it will double dementia research funding to £66m by 2015 is therefore extremely welcome and represents not only a fantastic opportunity for greater research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of dementia, but a greater recognition from Government that this is an issue that must be addressed.

The Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday was timely as APPG is investigating how to improve the rate of dementia diagnosis. The Group has heard from a range of people involved in the condition, including clinicians, social workers, those with the condition and those working to support them. The Government’s additional commitment to funding an additional £54m to help increase early diagnoses of the condition represents a fundamental appreciation of the importance that early identification of the disease plays in transforming dementia care.

There are important benefits to diagnosing dementia as early as possible and early diagnosis is key to living well with the condition. It means that GPs can work together with patients from an early stage to help plan their care and start treatment to slow down the progression of the disease. This can help to lower the risk of dementia-related accidents and complications, reducing both the probability that a patient will need to go into residential care as well as the overall cost of dementia to the health service.

Despite this, only between thirty and forty percent of those with dementia are diagnosed, with huge variations in diagnosis rates not just across the UK but within counties themselves. In Medway, for example, 44% of those with dementia are diagnosed compared to just 38% in West Kent. Additionally, only five to ten percent of diagnoses are made at an early stage of dementia, meaning that many of the benefits of its early identification are lost.

Some of the evidence that the Group heard suggests that a huge barrier to people coming forward for assessment is that stigma associated with dementia and it is essential that the media plays a role in helping to change the perception of those with the condition. The image of people with dementia on television is one of invalidity and ineptitude while it is often the case that a patient diagnosed early enough can live independently and with a high quality of life for many years. As with many medical conditions in the past, changing the image of dementia in the media to show it in a more realistic light is essential in getting people to visit their GP if they have concerns.

It is also therefore essential that clinicians are appropriately trained in recognising the symptoms of dementia and knowing which services are available to refer patients to. Amazingly, a quarter of GPs say that they do not receive enough training on dementia and it is therefore unsurprising that so many people with dementia slip through the net and get misdiagnosed with other conditions such as depression.

However, we cannot just rely on patients going to see the GP to get diagnosed because they are concerned about symptoms; professionals across a range of fields must work to actively recognise symptoms of dementia when interacting with older people. One of the doctors giving evidence to the Group pointed out that if a patient went into a hospital for an unrelated medical condition, it would be inconceivable for health care professional to notice potential symptoms of cancer and not follow it up, but that is not the case if they spot some early symptoms of dementia. It is only through this kind of proactive approach that we will significantly increase the rate of diagnosis.

While I look forward to the Group’s publication of the report in the summer, it is clear that we must take action to raise awareness about how important early diagnosis is and remove the stigma that stops people going for assessments while ensuring that all our healthcare professionals are properly trained to spot the early signs of dementia. The Prime Minister’s challenge to tackle dementia and improve both diagnoses and care for the condition is extremely welcome and, I hope, represents the turning point in the fight to end the unsustainable dementia status quo.

There are many groups and charities in Kent which can provide support for those with dementia and their carers. For more information, contact my office on 020 7219 2828.

I recently organised a meeting with a number of local residents about the upkeep and maintenance of Kew Bridge Railway Station. I met with representatives from Strand on the Green Association, St George's, Kew Green, The Kew Bridge Society, Express Tavern, West Thames River Group, a disability interest group, Friends of Stile Hall Gardens, Brentford Community Council and Network Rail.
Prior to the meeting, I had already been in touch with Network Rail, to strongly urge them to deal with some of the key issues around the station. Network Rail confirmed at the meeting that, as a result of my request, they had immediate plans in place now to paint the station, address the rodent problem, board up unused windows and clear graffiti They had also requested additional litter bins from Hounslow Council. At the meeting, St George's highlighted the work they had been doing too to clear up graffiti in the local area.
I am very pleased that Network Rail responded so well and are giving Kew Bridge Station a 'facelift,' which will help local residents. It will make the station seem cleaner and safer and I welcome their efforts to improve it for passengers. As a group, we are also in discussion regarding the future of the station building at Kew Bridge. As it is a Listed Building, it is obviously of architectural importance. It would be excellent if it could be restored to its former glory and put to good use.
The group is going to meet again within the next month to review progress and discuss next steps.

Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, has welcomed the Localism Bill published by the Government on 13 December. The Bill will give individuals, groups, and their local councils a much greater say in decisions affecting their local communities.   Maria said: “This new legislation will make a real difference to how local matters are decided. The Community Rights measures, for example, will give new rights to local community and voluntary groups to protect, improve and even run important frontline services that might otherwise close down, such as local shops, pubs and libraries,.”   Maria added: “This Bill offers great opportunities for Basingstoke. Among other things, it will radically reform the planning system so that local people have a greater say and influence over what Basingstoke looks like in the future. Giving local people the opportunity to shape the development of the communities in which they live is something that I have long campaigned for, and I am delighted to see it being enshrined in law.   “The Borough Council’s current consultation on the number of new homes needed in Basingstoke is part of this process of taking local people’s views into consideration in developing a vision for the future. I would urge all residents to let the Council have their views on this before the end of the consultation on 14 January.”

Desperate to prove they are doing something about the rising toll of deaths from guns and knives the government have resorted to the old idea of an "amnesty." This will enable a few aging war veterans who collected a "souvenir" and some farmers who forgot to renew their shotgun licenses to hand over guns that would never have been used for any kind of crime. Some of the younger "wannabe" gansters may also find that their weapons, usually replicas, are handed in by angry mothers.

This will be enough for the amnesty to achieve its real objective - photos of a smiling Minister in front of an impressive looking array of guns claiming that the government have "taken action".

But make no mistake the serious criminals will continue to roam the streets without any fear of being stopped and searched, (human rights) and knowing that even if by some chance they are found in poossession of a gun or knife the sentence will be minimal.

The toll of death will continue to rise.