Member of Parliament for Sherwood Mark Spencer has welcomed today’s budget as good news for Sherwood. Mark said “There were several really positive announcements today which I think are going to make these difficult times a little easier for families in Sherwood. We still have a long way to go: the national debt more than doubled under Labour and we all know we must pay off that debt if the economy is to recover. However, I think these announcements will be welcome.
“Lots of constituents have been getting in touch regarding the cost of fuel and I think it’s fair to say that we’ve all been feeling the pinch at the pumps, particularly those who have to drive to work as so many in Sherwood do.
“Regarding fuel duty specifically, the Chancellor George Osborne has made the following announcement:
• There will be a 1 penny per litre cut in fuel duty from 6pm tonight and April’s inflation rise has now been delayed until January. This will mean that fuel duty is 6p lower than it would have been under Labour.
• We will also be abolishing Labour’s fuel duty escalator and replacing it with a fair fuel stabiliser that increases tax on North Sea oil when production prices are high, and delaying inflation increases this year and next, helping to cushion the blow of price fluctuations. This won’t transform prices at the pump, but at a time when oil prices round the world are spiking, it should help ordinary motorists.
• Together with the announcement that the personal allowance will be increased by a further £630 from April 2012 giving low and middle income workers a boost of £326 each every year and taking 83,000 people in the East Midlands out of tax altogether, we will be able to ease some of the pressure being felt in households across the country. This means that just ten minutes into office, this coalition Government has taken 1.1 million low paid people out of tax completely.
Government is also working to help young people. An extra 50,000 apprenticeships are being created for young people – bringing the total to 250,000 in the next four years. Mark said “We all know how important jobs are in Sherwood, particularly for our young school leavers and this announcement is exciting. Parents want to see their children working and settled so I am pleased to hear that first time buyers will also receive help with a new £250 million programme to help 10, 000 people get on the housing ladder.”
For more information or to arrange an interview with Mark Spencer MP, contact:
Madeleine Burns
Email: Madeleine.burns@parliament.uk
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Welfare, Olympics and Fire Services
Making Welfare Fair
I have had several letters and emails recently from constituents concerned by the proposed changes to welfare reform and I want to take the opportunity to clarify the matter.
I have spoken to dozens of constituents who are frustrated and often furious that the previous Government cultivated a subculture of benefit dependency and a situation where oftentimes, it simply did not pay to work. We must not simply abandon an entire section of our society to benefit dependency: it isn’t fair on them and it isn’t fair on the taxpayer.
Whether it’s the failure to offer the right support for people who are desperate to go back into work or whether it is the endless complicated paperwork and the bizarre incentives of the benefits system, the current system simply isn’t working.
The Government recognises the need to change the system to ensure that work always pays and that no one is better off or stuck on benefits. This is why it has introduced the Welfare Reform Bill, which I believe will fundamentally reshape benefits; improve the incentives for people on benefits to work and make Housing Benefit more affordable and fairer to tax payers.
The new Universal Credit will see all the different and often confusing entitlements, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, and Housing Benefit paid as a single lump sum.
Nearly one million people, including 350,000 children will be lifted out of poverty under the Universal Credit system.
We also need to be absolutely committed to getting people back into work or in the case of so many of our school leavers, into work for the first time. The Work Programme, which will be in place this summer, will provide personalised support for those with the greatest barriers to employment. Private and third sector providers will be paid on the basis of the additional benefit savings they secure, which will encourage them to get people into work and deliver net savings for the taxpayer.
We have a proud duty to protect the vulnerable and I want to be absolutely clear that the genuinely sick or disabled have absolutely nothing to fear from the changes to Disability Living Allowance.
The Government has introduced its Welfare Reform Bill, which will reform DLA and replace it with a new Personal Independence Payment. This is an opportunity to improve the support for disabled people and enable them to lead full, active and independent lives. This payment will be delivered in a fairer, more consistent and sustainable manner.
In short, we want to make sure that work pays and that those seeking work have the right kind of support. We must also support those who genuinely need help and make sure that they can access that help easily and quickly.
Getting Ready for 2012!
Yesterday I met with the All Party Parliamentary Group for London 2012 and had a really encouraging conversation with Jonathan Edwards, the triple jump Olympic Champion, and Jeremy Hunt, the Minister in charge of sport about the exciting opportunities that the Olympics are going to bring and the importance of sport in schools.
Sport is so important for young people to build teamwork and confidence and of course to try and curb the disturbing rise in childhood obesity. Locally, I know the proposed closure of the Calverton Leisure Centre was causing massive concern and I’m pleased that after lengthy campaigning and negotiating, this seems to have been put on hold for now.
Thought for Food
On Tuesday I was chairing a conference on food security, hosted by the Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum which discussed a number of issues close to my heart, specifically how we are planning to be produce 50% more food using 50% more energy and 30% more fresh water as former Chief Government Scientific Advisor Sir John Beddington has predicted we will have to.
It is refreshing to see that there is emerging cross party consensus on this subject at last with Labour now agreeing that there is a problem. This is not simply an issue of feeding the world in the long term: food prices are rising very noticeably in this country and families up and down the country need us to take action now.
Protecting our Fire Services
The tragic fire in Clifton this week has highlighted once again how important it is that our fire services are able to respond quickly to emergencies. I know that there are many concerned that as a result of reductions in call out, there are plans to cut pump numbers in the county from 36 to 30. While I’m of course pleased that calls to fires have gone down, we must ensure that the reduction in pumps does not affect response time to our area.
Firefighters and Retained Firefighters are concerned about the changes and I have met with crews from Edwinstowe and Arnold as well as groups of Firefighters and retained Firefighters in Westminster to discuss the matter.
I wrote to the Minister responsible for Fire Services to ask for a more sympathetic settlement for Nottinghamshire and I would like cuts to be directed towards efficiency savings and proper management of assets before hitting pump numbers. The Chief Fire Officer Frank Swann has said that he is happy to continue with public consultation before any changes are made.
Members of the public are able to take part in a Government consultation on funding allocation until April 8th at the following address: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/fireandrescuecontrolservices.
As ever, if you would like to discuss this or any other matter with me, please do not hesitate to get in touch at mark.spencer.mp@parliament.uk or via my constituency on 0115 968 1186.
Friday, 25 February 2011
The Situation in Libya
I stand 100 per cent behind the Libyan people and their right to express their views free from the threat of assassination, beatings, rape and intimidation. At a time of cautious optimism in other parts of the Middle East, Qadhafi's brutality has made him once more a pariah.
The Conservative Party will continue to push for a tough approach. Action is best done on an international basis and we are doing a lot of preparatory work in order to be able to take further measures very soon. In Brussels today we discussed with EU partners what further measures should be taken. These include sanctions such as travel bans and arms embargos.
We are considering the full range of measures at our disposal, bilaterally and with international partners - with our friends in the Arab League, at the EU, with the US and other partners and at the UN.
We are working with the international community to send the united message that there will be 'a day of reckoning for any atrocities and abuses that are committed' so that the unacceptable violence ends. The Libyan authorities should know that the world is not just watching and passing statements, but that we want to make sure that serious abuses of human rights are properly investigated in the future and that those guilty will be held accountable for their actions.
Libyan Evacuation
I am gravely concerned about the situation in Libya, which is a danger to the people of Libya and could have serious implications for the wider region. The situation in Libya is worsening and it remains highly unpredictable.
The security and wellbeing of British Nationals is our absolute priority. We are doing all we can to get them out of Libya, drawing on both military and commercial assets, as well as working with international partners. Of those who had requested evacuation from Tripoli or Benghazi by 24 February, we have now helped evacuate a vast majority of them (approximately 500).
I am deeply concerned about the safety of British Nationals in the desert. Yet I know that we are working intensively on a range of options to secure their safe passage from Libya, working with other countries whose nationals are in the same position.
This morning the Prime Minister will be chairing a meeting of the National Security Council and COBRA.
The PM and the Foreign Secretary have made clear that they are sorry for the distress caused to British Nationals. The Foreign Secretary has ordered a review of procedures for evacuating British Nationals. Rightly, our immediate focus is on making sure BNs can leave Libya. I sincerely hope that all our citizens return safely and that the Libyan people achieve the freedom they so greatly desire.
The Conservative Party will continue to push for a tough approach. Action is best done on an international basis and we are doing a lot of preparatory work in order to be able to take further measures very soon. In Brussels today we discussed with EU partners what further measures should be taken. These include sanctions such as travel bans and arms embargos.
We are considering the full range of measures at our disposal, bilaterally and with international partners - with our friends in the Arab League, at the EU, with the US and other partners and at the UN.
We are working with the international community to send the united message that there will be 'a day of reckoning for any atrocities and abuses that are committed' so that the unacceptable violence ends. The Libyan authorities should know that the world is not just watching and passing statements, but that we want to make sure that serious abuses of human rights are properly investigated in the future and that those guilty will be held accountable for their actions.
Libyan Evacuation
I am gravely concerned about the situation in Libya, which is a danger to the people of Libya and could have serious implications for the wider region. The situation in Libya is worsening and it remains highly unpredictable.
The security and wellbeing of British Nationals is our absolute priority. We are doing all we can to get them out of Libya, drawing on both military and commercial assets, as well as working with international partners. Of those who had requested evacuation from Tripoli or Benghazi by 24 February, we have now helped evacuate a vast majority of them (approximately 500).
I am deeply concerned about the safety of British Nationals in the desert. Yet I know that we are working intensively on a range of options to secure their safe passage from Libya, working with other countries whose nationals are in the same position.
This morning the Prime Minister will be chairing a meeting of the National Security Council and COBRA.
The PM and the Foreign Secretary have made clear that they are sorry for the distress caused to British Nationals. The Foreign Secretary has ordered a review of procedures for evacuating British Nationals. Rightly, our immediate focus is on making sure BNs can leave Libya. I sincerely hope that all our citizens return safely and that the Libyan people achieve the freedom they so greatly desire.
Friday, 18 February 2011
Forestry Update & Newsletter
I would like to thank Caroline Spelman MP, the Minister responsible for the recent consultation on the future of our forests, who today showed that she listened to the people of Sherwood. Having undertaken an extensive consultation on the future of our forests and listened to the views of both the public and various organisations, it was clear to Government that there were serious and widespread concerns about the proposed changes and the consultation has accordingly been brought to an end.
In addition, the Minister announced that the Government will remove the forestry clauses from the Public Bodies Bill which is currently at committee stage and that an independent panel will be established to consider forestry policy in England, due to report in autumn.
Speaking in the Commons today, I thanked the Secretary of State for listening to me and the people of Sherwood over the last month and encouraged her to take no lessons from the Labour party who, whilst in Government, sold of an area of woodland greater than the size of the city of Nottingham. I also asked whether the Minister agreed that this was an opportunity to increase the biodiversity of Nottinghamshire’s woodlands and increase the number of deciduous trees like broad oaks in the coniferous woods that were under consultation.
There is no doubt that this issue has generated a great deal of discussion and I think that’s a good thing. We should never take our woods for granted and I hope the publicity around this will get more people to use our forests.
I believe that the Minister’s decision to call to an end the consultation is a brave one: this was always a genuine discussion with the public and I applaud Caroline for being able to come forward and act on what the public wants. Government’s priority is to secure a sustainable future for our woodlands and forests and we must ensure that this is done in a way the public agrees with. I think there is an obvious comparison to be drawn between this truly interactive consultation and the sham consultation carried out by Labour over the savage Post Office closures.
My recent newsletter can be viewed in full here:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a35565f73e90181bec1a65eb4&id=8491dd3219
Friday, 28 January 2011
Forests - Friday 28 January 2011
I have had a lot of residents contact me about the Government’s plans to improve the way we run our forests.
As a farmer myself I can assure you all that I fully understand the importance of ensuring the future welfare of our forests. I value greatly the ability of current and future generations to have access to one of our country’s greatest natural assets. I have lived in Sherwood all my life and know firsthand how lucky we are to have our local forests.
On hearing the various concerns of constituents, I challenged Caroline Spelman MP, the Minister responsible for forests, before the Environmental Audit Committee to guarantee that Sherwood Forest will be safeguarded and I have been assured that the Government will not compromise the protection of our valuable and biodiverse forests. Full measures will remain in place to preserve the public benefits of woods and forests under any new ownership arrangements.
Furthermore I can assure you that Sherwood Forest is not for sale. Our forest, like the Forest of Dean and the New Forest, as part of our ancient woodland, are not owned by the Forestry Commission and therefore cannot be sold. The County Council is still working hard to promote Robin Hood and Sherwood, recognising them to be among the Crown Jewels of England’s forestry.
When approaching these changes we have to remember that Labour had sold off 25,000 acres of forest with far less stringent protections on public access than those we will introduce and were known to be considering similar proposals themselves. We will ensure woodland used by local communities continues to be available.
Rest assured that this Government, with my full support, will protect our forests better than ever before. Forests will not be tarmaced-over, shopping centres will not be built and private individuals will not be able to restrict access. Instead local communities and individuals who care about our environment will be empowered to look after forests in the way that they see fit whilst being supervised rather than managed by the Government. Yes this will also save money.
The Government’s changes will:
• Offer first refusal to community groups or civil society organisations in sales of local woodland
• Enshrine in law the commitment that no Heritage Forests such as the New Forest or Forest of Dean, can be sold to the private sector
• Guarantee access and benefits in any sales of commercial forests by only selling land on a leasehold basis
• Prevent the sale of any site in which more than 10 per cent are Planted Ancient Woodlands.
The Government has published a consultation paper which sets out a range of options for ownership or management of the forests in England which are currently run by the Forestry Commission. The Commission is currently responsible for a fifth of England’s woodlands. The consultation itself can be found at this web-link www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/forests/index.htm and I would strongly encourage you to take part in this process.
The consultation has been shaped by these over-riding principles:
• To protect and enhance biodiversity
• To maintain public access for recreation and leisure for activities such as horse riding and cycling;
• To ensure the continuing role of the woodlands in climate change mitigation
• To protect nationally important landscapes.
I would strongly encourage you to take part in the consultation process by writing to DEFRA. The Government’s response to this will be published in the summer.
Blog Update Tuesday 7th December 2010
I know its been a while since my last blog I suppose you can take that as a good sign, its been a very busy few weeks!
Over the last few months I have received many emails from lots of you about the Daylight Savings Bill. This issue has split peoples opinions right down the middle. The House of Commons voted today on the Bill and it was passed by 92 votes to 10 meaning that it will now progress to the Committee Stage. The bill requires the government to launch an inquiry into the benefits of moving clocks forward by an hour throughout the year, and has received widespread support from road safety, environmental, tourism and sports groups. Even if the bill passes, however, Scottish opposition could scupper it in the long run, as they have done on previous occasions.
We have now truly entered the festive season I having been to turn on the Christmas lights in Lambley which was a great privilege. It was nice to see the enthusiasm of all those who came especially amongst the younger generations. This event took me back to when I was a youngster watching the lights being turned on which made me all the more proud to be doing it myself now.
The snow has been a nightmare for many of you and Ive been receiving regular snow report updates from the County. The weekend saw a bit of a thaw but I suspect we havent seen the last of it!
Last week I launched a campaign called Heart of Hucknall in order to help support our local shops which have been an important part of the town for generations. Our local shops provide an invaluable service and are a resource we often overlook in favour of the convenience of a supermarket. Hucknalls high street is under constant pressure from large out of town competitors and I think we need to make a real effort to support them.
A good and bustling high street is the heart of a town like ours and if we dont support local shops, cafes and businesses there is no doubt that in these tough economic times, we will lose them forever.That's why I am launching the Heart of Hucknall Campaign to support our local shops. Over the coming weeks Ill be asking the people of Hucknall to nominate their favourite small shop hairdressers, takeaways, grocers anyone you think has contributed an exceptional service to Hucknall. You can nominate by emailing HeartofHucknall@gmail.com.
On Tuesday I attended a session hosted by Energy Fit on helping constituents become more energy efficient, saving energy and money as we approach winter. It is a little known fact that 26% of UK carbon emissions come from the energy we use in our own homes and that we use more energy heating our homes in the UK than in Sweden, even though winter temperatures are much colder there. For those interested I suggest you take a look at the new online tool www.eonenergyfit.com
I very much enjoyed meeting students at West Notts College where I answered questions from students on a range of subjects from tuition fees to increasing job opportunities across the County. It was great to meet the students, whilst the questions where quite a challenge, it was good to discuss a large range of subjects and exchange views about both their careers and the countrys current predicament.
Most families will all be coming together at Christmas but for some coming home isn't an option at the moment. For our brave troops I recorded a Christmas message as part of the Faces for the Forces Campaign organised through Winkball. All our service men and women are doing a sterling job around the world and it was great to see so many of my Westminster colleagues coming together to wish them well.
Well I think that will do for one week but if there's anything you need to discuss or if you need to make an appointment, please do not hesitate to get in touch: 0115-968 1186.
Over the last few months I have received many emails from lots of you about the Daylight Savings Bill. This issue has split peoples opinions right down the middle. The House of Commons voted today on the Bill and it was passed by 92 votes to 10 meaning that it will now progress to the Committee Stage. The bill requires the government to launch an inquiry into the benefits of moving clocks forward by an hour throughout the year, and has received widespread support from road safety, environmental, tourism and sports groups. Even if the bill passes, however, Scottish opposition could scupper it in the long run, as they have done on previous occasions.
We have now truly entered the festive season I having been to turn on the Christmas lights in Lambley which was a great privilege. It was nice to see the enthusiasm of all those who came especially amongst the younger generations. This event took me back to when I was a youngster watching the lights being turned on which made me all the more proud to be doing it myself now.
The snow has been a nightmare for many of you and Ive been receiving regular snow report updates from the County. The weekend saw a bit of a thaw but I suspect we havent seen the last of it!
Last week I launched a campaign called Heart of Hucknall in order to help support our local shops which have been an important part of the town for generations. Our local shops provide an invaluable service and are a resource we often overlook in favour of the convenience of a supermarket. Hucknalls high street is under constant pressure from large out of town competitors and I think we need to make a real effort to support them.
A good and bustling high street is the heart of a town like ours and if we dont support local shops, cafes and businesses there is no doubt that in these tough economic times, we will lose them forever.That's why I am launching the Heart of Hucknall Campaign to support our local shops. Over the coming weeks Ill be asking the people of Hucknall to nominate their favourite small shop hairdressers, takeaways, grocers anyone you think has contributed an exceptional service to Hucknall. You can nominate by emailing HeartofHucknall@gmail.com.
On Tuesday I attended a session hosted by Energy Fit on helping constituents become more energy efficient, saving energy and money as we approach winter. It is a little known fact that 26% of UK carbon emissions come from the energy we use in our own homes and that we use more energy heating our homes in the UK than in Sweden, even though winter temperatures are much colder there. For those interested I suggest you take a look at the new online tool www.eonenergyfit.com
I very much enjoyed meeting students at West Notts College where I answered questions from students on a range of subjects from tuition fees to increasing job opportunities across the County. It was great to meet the students, whilst the questions where quite a challenge, it was good to discuss a large range of subjects and exchange views about both their careers and the countrys current predicament.
Most families will all be coming together at Christmas but for some coming home isn't an option at the moment. For our brave troops I recorded a Christmas message as part of the Faces for the Forces Campaign organised through Winkball. All our service men and women are doing a sterling job around the world and it was great to see so many of my Westminster colleagues coming together to wish them well.
Well I think that will do for one week but if there's anything you need to discuss or if you need to make an appointment, please do not hesitate to get in touch: 0115-968 1186.
Monday, 6 December 2010
I know it’s been a while since my last blog – I suppose you can take that as a good sign, it’s been a very busy few weeks. Over the last few months I have received many emails from lots of you about the Daylight Savings Bill. This issue has split people’s opinions right down the middle. The House of Commons voted today on the Bill and it was passed by 92 votes to 10 meaning that it will now progress to the Committee Stage. The bill requires the government to launch an inquiry into the benefits of moving clocks forward by an hour throughout the year, and has received widespread support from road safety, environmental, tourism and sports groups. Even if the bill passes, however, Scottish opposition could scupper it in the long run, as they have done on previous occasions.
We have now truly entered the festive season I having been to turn on the Christmas lights in Lambley which was a great privilege. It was nice to see the enthusiasm of all those who came especially amongst the younger generations. This event took me back to when I was a youngster watching the lights being turned on which made me all the more proud to be doing it myself now!
The snow has been a nightmare for many of you and I’ve been receiving regular snow report updates from the County. The weekend saw a bit of a thaw but I suspect we haven’t seen the last of it! Last week I launched a campaign called “Heart of Hucknall” in order to help support our local shops which have been an important part of the town for generations. Our local shops provide an invaluable service and are a resource we often overlook in favour of the convenience of a supermarket. Hucknall’s high street is under constant pressure from large out of town competitors and I think we need to make a real effort to support them. A good and bustling high street is the heart of a town like ours and if we don’t support local shops, cafes and businesses there is no doubt that in these tough economic times, we will lose them forever.
That’s why I am launching the Heart of Hucknall Campaign to support our local shops. Over the coming weeks I’ll be asking the people of Hucknall to nominate their favourite small shop – hairdressers, takeaways, grocers – anyone you think has contributed an exceptional service to Hucknall. You can nominate by emailing HeartofHucknall@gmail.com.
On Tuesday I attended a session hosted by Energy Fit on helping constituents become more energy efficient, saving energy and money as we approach winter. It is a little known fact that 26% of UK carbon emissions come from the energy we use in our own homes and that we use more energy heating our homes in the UK than in Sweden, even though winter temperatures are much colder there. For those interested I suggest you take a look at the new online tool www.eonenergyfit.com.
I very much enjoyed meeting students at West Notts College where I answered questions from students on a range of subjects from tuition fees to increasing job opportunities across the County. It was great to meet the students, whilst the questions where quite a challenge, it was good to discuss a large range of subjects and exchange views about both their careers and the country’s current predicament.
Most families will all be coming together at Christmas but for some coming home isn’t an option at the moment. For our brave troops I recorded a Christmas message as part of the Faces for the Forces Campaign organised through Winkball. All our service men and women are doing a sterling job around the world and it was great to see so many of my Westminster colleagues coming together to wish them well.
Well I think that will do for one week but if there’s anything you need to discuss or if you need to make an appointment, please do not hesitate to get in touch: 0115 948 1186.
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