November 2011

Hear my opinion on the Government’s pension reform on Radio Derby

Submitted by Heather on 30 November 2011 - 6:25pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those that didn’t hear me this morning I was on Radio Derby talking to Phil Trow’s breakfast show.  If you would like to hear my interview please follow the link below - I am on around the 1:10 mark.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00lrmjl

I was also on the East Midlands Politics Show on Sunday the 27th of November. I joined presenter Marie Ashbyand Chris Williamson MP for North Derby to talk about pensions and the decision to strike today. I also had the opportunity to talk about having an elected Peak District National Park Authority. Please follow the link below – my interview is around 45 minutes in.
 
 
I hope you find my comments interesting!
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The Prime Ministers’ visit to South Derbyshire to welcome Toyota and Nestlé’s excellent news

Submitted by Heather on 30 November 2011 - 11:24am

On 24th of November 2011, I was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister David Cameron to South Derbyshire. His visit marked the great news that not one, but two, manufacturers - Toyota and Nestle - will be expanding their businesses, resulting in the creation of 1800 jobs for the area.

I started the day by meeting Mr Cameron at the Toyota plant in Burnaston. Toyota announced that they are investing £100m in their new generation C-segment hatchbacks- including hybrid, petrol, and diesel models at their Burnaston factory making it Toyota’s sole European manufacturing centre.
 
The move will create up to 1,500 additional jobs in the next two years, with the first phase of 500 to be recruited in the middle of 2012.
 
Toyota’s announcement is such great news for the area and is evidence that the motor industry is going from strengh to strength, especially in South Derbyshire.
 
The Prime Minister also told the local media that:
 
"This investment and the jobs it will create provide a terrific boost not just to the local economy but to the whole country, and is a tribute to the great skill, hard work and sheer professionalism shown by the Toyota workforce. Toyota's commitment to the UK shows the growing strength of the UK car industry - it is our great British success story."
 
I couldn’t agree more. Toney Walker, the deputy managing director of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK), also added:
“The decision to bring all production of new generation C-section hatchbacks to Burnaston reflects on the excellent work done by our members in delivering the highest standards in productivity and quality.”
 
After Toyota we took a short trip down the A50 and visited the Nestle factory in expanding Marston Lane, Hatton, where it was announced that Nestle will be investing £110m in this factory, which will create 300 jobs by trebling its production capacity for the manufacture of pods for its branded Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machines with 12 new high-speed production lines.
 
This is another great announcement for South Derbyshire this investment could have gone to Spain, where Nestlé also has a coffee factory. But it came to South Derbyshire and I couldn't be prouder.
 
Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO, Nestlé UK & Ireland said:
 
“Over the past five years we have undertaken a multi-million pound investment programme in the UK, establishing our next generation of world class competitive manufacturing facilities.  This investment in Tutbury will extend our best in class facility, trebling our production capacity for export to over 38 countries across the globe. In order to grow we need to innovate and we are committed to the continued modernisation of our UK manufacturing capability.”
 
“Recruiting the best people for our business is the key to our continued success. Through the Nestlé Academy we will double our number of apprentices, graduates and internships supporting the economy through the training of skilled workers .  We will also provide on the job training which will open academic study to those who otherwise might not feel this is a route open to them.”
 
Mr Cameron said:
 
"This demonstrates what can be achieved by investing in capacity and people as Nestle has done consistently over recent years.  The jobs created by this new investment will benefit both skilled workers and those leaving school who will be able to train in the workplace to become the skilled workers of the future.”
 
It was certainly a long day, but I couldn’t be prouder of all those involved, and I would like to congratulate both Toyota and Nestle and to all those down the supply chain who will benefit from these two incredible announcements. I know both organisations will continue to go from strength to strength over the coming years.
 
In the photo from left to right is Mr Walker, Mr Kojima, Heather, Mr Cameron, and Mr Leroy.
 
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Public Sector Pension Reforms and what they mean for you

Submitted by Heather on 28 November 2011 - 2:16pm

I know that this week pension reform is going to be a hot topic in the news and in the papers. On Wednesday the 30th of November there is a planned strike by public sector workers, which will be costly for our economy. I do not support the strike action as I believe that the Government has compromised and has reached a good proposal which is sustainable. It is important that we get this reform right, and I believe the changes Danny Alexander announced on the 2nd of November will allow our public sector pensions to be sustainable for a generation.

 
proposals means to them can find more information on the Treasury website, please follow the link below:
 
 
Here, particularly if you are a teacher, you can follow the link to the Department of Education website where they have uploaded a comparison pension’s calculator. If you enter in your salary details it will be able to calculate how much pension you would get under the old pensions scheme compared to under the Government’s proposed scheme. I hope that you will see that you will be better off as a pensioner under the Government’s new proposals. Please follow the link below to go directly to the pension’s calculator:
 
 
I can empathise with my readers concerns, but let me reassure you this Government is reforming pensions to take into account the fact that we are living longer, ensuring that our pensions are sustainable and won’t have to be changed in a few years down the line. This is a reform for a generation. If you would like more information on the Government’s proposal, please do not hesitate to contact me via the contact section of my website.
 
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Remember to ‘Make Time for Winter’ when travelling

Submitted by Heather on 17 November 2011 - 12:16pm

This year the Highway’s Agency has launched its Winter Campaign which will run until February next year.

The key theme of the campaign this year is to 'Make Time for Winter,'  which aims to remind drivers about the importance of checking traffic and weather updates before setting off and during their journeys, vehicle preparation and driving with care during the winter period.
 
If you would like more information then please follow the links below. You will see that the Highways agency has four key themes this year:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
I think this is an excellent campaign and I strongly encourage my readers to check out their website. By allowing plenty of time for our journeys, checking the updates before we leave, planning our journeys ahead of time, then hopefully we will all have much better journeys over the winter period and hopefully have a lot less accidents on the road.
 
 
 
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I have supported a Bill on Travellers

Submitted by Heather on 16 November 2011 - 12:11pm
An example of the damaged caused by an illegal traveller encampments in Church Gresley

On the 9th of November I supported a Bill put forward by Simon Kirby, Brighton Kempton MP, calling for the law to be strengthened in relation to dealing with unauthorised traveller encampments.

 

Due my support and that of twelve other MPs, the Bill will now go through to its second reading, where it will be debated and voted on, on the 20th of January 2012.

 

The Bill advocates that clarity be given to the Public Order Act 1994, so that Police have to take action when an unauthorised encampment appears. It also advocates that travellers vans be impounded if the owners do not move on as directed. It also recommends that it should become a requirement for local authorities to maintain an ‘out of hours’ service, so that unauthorised encampments can be addressed on weekends and in the evenings.

 

This Bill is just part of my long campaign to address illegal traveller sites. I think authorities are completely within their right to move on unauthorised travellers encampments quickly and I hope this Bill, when it is passed, will empower communities to do so. For too long now communities have felt powerless to act when illegal travellers have moved in. This has to stop; we need to give clarity to the law and a clear message to the public: if you set up an illegal encampment it will not be tolerated.

 

I will be sure to keep you updated on whether the Travellers Bill gains further support at its second reading, where it will be debated by all parties in the House of Commons.

 

Picture courtesy of the Burton Mail 21.06.10.

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Sports Funding has £10 million available for Local Sports Clubs

Submitted by Heather on 15 November 2011 - 11:41am

Sport’s England funding programme, Protecting Playing Fields (PPF ), is investing £10 million of National Lottery funding in community sports projects over three years from 2011-2014.

The programme is being delivered via five funding rounds with up to £2 million being awarded to projects in each round and I am delighted to tell you that the second round is now open and will be closing at 5pm on the 12th of December 2011.
 
Delivering a mass participation legacy for sport from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a top priority for the Government and Sport England. To help achieve this, PPF will focus on protecting and improving playing fields and developing community sport around the country.
 
The programme will fund capital projects that create, develop and improve playing fields for sporting and community use and offer long term protection of the site for sport. Projects are likely to involve the construction of new natural turf pitches or improvement of existing ones that need leveling or drainage works.
 
If you would like more information and guidance as to how you apply for the valuable funding, then please visit the following website:
 
It would be excellent to see some of our local playing fields in South Derbyshire get hold of this funding. Sports England has already given South Derbyshire £2,170,964 over the last sixteen years in funding for clubs such as Overseal Memorial Bowls Club and the Midway Football Club, so there is every possibility that they will give further funding to local playing fields. If you think your club is eligible, I strongly encourage you to apply.
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There is now a new 101 Police Phone Number for non emergency responses

Submitted by Heather on 14 November 2011 - 3:00pm

Derbyshire Police have launched a new telephone number which will make it easier for people to get in touch with the Police force about issues that do not need an emergency response. 

People can now contact Derbyshire Constabulary by dialling 101, which replaces the former 0345 123 3333 non-emergency number. This new number comes as part of a national drive to make it easier for people to contact police to report crime and disorder, with all forces using the number by the end of this year.
 
While 999 is a well recognised number to report emergencies, the 2010 British Crime Survey found that only 54 per cent of the public know how to contact their local police if they want to talk to them about local policing issues, crime or anti-social behaviour.
 
It is hoped that 101 will reduce the number of inappropriate 999 calls, allowing the force to respond to emergencies more effectively.
 
By calling 101, you will be able to speak to the police force control room of your local police service. Calls from landlines and mobile networks cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day you call or how long you are on the phone.
 
You should use 101 to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response. For example:
 
− if your car has been stolen;
− if your property has been damaged;
− where you suspect drug use or dealing;
− if you want to report a minor traffic collision
− if you want to give the police information about crime in your area
− if you want to speak to your local officers; or
− general enquiries, like how to join the Special Constabulary or how to join Neighbourhood Watch.
 
The 0345 123 3333 number will remain as a way for people to contact Derbyshire Constabulary from overseas and deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired callers can access the service via textphone on 18001 101.
 
Assistant Chief Constable Dee Collins said: “People should only call 999 in a real emergency, that is when a crime is happening, when someone suspected of a crime is nearby or where someone is injured, being threatened or in danger.
 
“For all other matters, such as reporting anti-social behaviour, making a general enquiry or contacting your local officers, 101 is the number you should dial.”
 
Between April 1 and September 30, Derbyshire police answered 462,423 calls. Of these, 70,520 were emergency calls and 391,903 were non-emergency calls.
 
For more information about 101, visit www.derbyshire.police.uk
 
By using the new 101 number for non emergency responses, hopefully the 999 emergency team will be able to help more of those that need immediate attention. I urge you to inform their friends and family of this new change.
 
 
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Weekend Events: How I Spent the Weekend of the 4th to the 6th of November

Submitted by Heather on 10 November 2011 - 4:00pm
I met with the Derby Hospital NHS Trust
Swadlincote Contemporary Art Gallery

Last weekend was certainly a busy one. On Friday the 4th of November I attended a meeting with other local Derbyshire MPs and the Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. I was pleased to hear that our local hospitals are now preparing for winter and have already put in place extensive measures to manage the increased demands created by the cold weather. One thing they have done is to increase the number of beds available to care for older people and those with respiratory conditions. I was also told the good news that Derby Hospitals were one of the trusts visited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and was one of just 45 trusts to be fully compliant in meeting both the essential standards of quality and safety they reviewed.

After my meeting with the Derby Hospitals Trust, I went over to Belmont School in Swadlincote to talk to themabout Parliament. This was part of Parliament Week (this year it ran from the 31st of October till the 4th of November), which aimed to explore the work of Parliament and explain why the House of Commons and the House of Lords matters to everyone. The pupils had lots of questions to ask and I was delighted to tell them all about my life since becoming an MP. They have their own parliamentary team, from the Prime Minister through to an Environment Minister. I was so impressed.
 
On Saturday, I went to see Swadlincote’s new Contemporary Art Gallery for a new exhibition called ‘Hope’. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the opening on Tuesday the 1st of November, as Westminster duties intervened, but I was fortunate to hear all about it from the Leader of the South Derbyshire District Council, my husband, Cllr Wheeler, who officially opened it. People Express launched the opening of the gallery with ‘HOPE’, a visual art exhibition created through artist residencies within a refuge for women and their families. Domestic abuse is a horrific crime and often made worse by too often being suffered in silence, but this exhibition is not about that. It’s about celebrating women and their children during their lives and expressing their hopes for the future. Campaigning against domestic abuse and giving support to the women and children who have suffered from it is a subject close to my heart and I am really proud of this exhibition and the people that contributed to it.
 
In the evening I attended the (as usual) spectacular fireworks display at Newton Solney and spent time with friends and family in a local pub. A lovely way to catch up with news.
 
On Sunday I was delighted to attend the Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara on Stanhope Street, Derby, to see the closing of a three day religious pray ceremony. I was also pleased to hear that Kalwinder Singh Dhindsa, a teacher from Littleover Community School, has designed the country's first Sikh poppy holder to honour the 83,000 Sikhs who died in the First and Second World War. I think this is a great idea, the British Legion already has the Christian cross, the Star of David, the Crescent Moon for Muslims and a remembrance stick for those with no religious affiliation. I hope this new addition will further aid the British Legion in their efforts to raise money for past and present servicemen and their families.
 
As always I will continue to keep you updated on my website as to issues and events which affect us here in South Derbyshire.
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Youth Club in Willington a Huge Success

Submitted by Heather on 10 November 2011 - 2:21pm
Here you can see me playing table footbal with some of the kids. It was great fun!

The Big Society is certainly alive in Willington. A youth club set up by volunteers in the area, to help cut nuisance behaviour, has been so successful it may be extended to other villages.

 
The Willington Action Group set up the weekly after-school group for 10-to-14-year-olds to try to stop youngsters from one day turning to anti-social behaviour. Organisers started the club after rowdy youths began congregating in and around Twyford Road, drinking alcohol and causing damage. Now the group keeps more than 50 youngsters occupied each week and there are plans to start new sessions further afield.
 
When former parish councilor Andy Macpherson first contacted me about the idea I was delighted, this is what the Big Society is all about - people working together to help those in their community. When I visit the youth group at The Old School, Castleway, I really was impressed. Andy’s hard work has paid off. This club is now up and running and is really making a difference and it’s all the result of the work between the district and county councils and a group of selfless volunteers.
 
 
Andy Macpherson said:
 
"We started with just two children and tonight we have more than 50. The idea was that we wanted to give young children activities, friendship and entertainment to integrate them in the community in a way we felt many of the older children causing problems simply weren't."
 
“It has done so well we are hoping to roll out similar clubs in Repton, Findern and Etwall and try and have those clubs run on different nights, so that for the children around the whole area, there is a club on most nights.”
 
At the club, which runs once a week for 90 minutes, children can take part in making papier mâché and pottery as well as baking, board games and sports.
 
To read more about the Willington Youth Group please click on the link below to read the Derby Telegraph’s full report:
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Taxpayers and Business who are having financial difficulties should take advantage of ‘Time to Pay’

Submitted by Heather on 8 November 2011 - 1:03pm

Her Majesty Revenue and Customs helps individuals and businesses with short-term financial difficulties by offering ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements. This allows the taxpayer to spread payments out during difficult times, which both helps the individual or business and ultimately protects tax revenues.

 
Any taxpayer facing difficulties in making tax payments is potentially eligible to apply for ‘Time to Pay,’ but the vast majority of ‘Time to Pay’ arrangements are for businesses, including individual taxpayers who are self-employed. Those who have received an overpayment of tax credits and are unable to make the repayment because of financial difficulties are also eligible to apply.
 
The HMRC looks at every case carefully before making a ‘Time to Pay’ arrangement. Most importantly HMRC has to be satisfied that the applicant is genuinely unable to pay their tax on time. They also need to be sure that the individual can keep up with the payments offered and is able to pay other tax bills as they arise. For example, if a business wants a ‘Time to Pay’ arrangement for last month’s tax bill, HMRC expects that business to be able to pay the following month’s bill when it becomes due.
 
If you would like to know more about ‘Time to Pay,’ please visit the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/payinghmrc/problems/cantpay.htm  or contact the HMRC’s Payment Support Service on 0845 302 1435. This service is available for individuals and businesses who have not yet received a payment demand.
If you have already received a demand or letter about tax that is already overdue, you should contact the HMRC office that issued it immediately.
 
I hope this information is of use and that those who think a ‘Time to Pay’ arrangement will help them or their business will take advantage of this opportunity.
 
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