Thursday, March 21st, 2013
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, has commented on the HS2 Judicial Review announced last week.
A High-Court ruling found the consultation on compensation was conducted unlawfully after hundreds were ‘mis-placed’ and not counted.
Mr Pincher said, “The Government accepts it got the consultation wrong by leaving out too many consultation responses which were mis-placed. The High Court has decided that was unlawful and the consultation will now be re-run. This allows local communities and affected residents a further chance to have their say and be listened to in the continuing battle for the best compensation package.
“I have told ministers this provides them with an excellent opportunity to beef up the compensation package to make it fair and reasonable.”
The current Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation for Phase II, Leeds Link closes on 29th April 2013.
Saturday, March 16th, 2013
I am delighted to present our latest discussion brief on the very hot topic of EUROPE. This will be held on Wednesday 27th March, 7.00pm, at, The Royal British Legion, 11 Aldergate, and Tamworth, B79 7DL. It should be a very interesting discussion! Everyone is welcome so feel free to bring family or friends along if they would like to join the debate.
At the meeting we will review the questions, discuss, and then formulate our views.
The views that we put forward could help shape the way in which our party moves forward in the future with Europe, so your opinions are needed.
Please follow the following link that takes you to the Policy site on the main CPF web page where you will find David Cameron’s comments on Europe.
http://www.conservativepolicyforum.com/sites/www.conservativepolicyforum.com/files/europe_discussion_brief.pdf
Questions to be raised.
- To what extent do you believe that now, as the challenges in the Euro zone drive fundamental change in Europe, is the right time to consider reforming our settlement with the EU?
- How valuable to British business is our membership of the single market? And how important is it that the UK has a seat around the table having a say in what the rules of the single market are?
- What changes does the EU need to make to become more competitive and less bureaucratic?
- The Prime Minister called for a thorough examination of ‘what the EU as a whole should do and should stop doing’. In what specific areas do you believe European co-operation is beneficial and what specific powers currently held at a European level should flow back to national governments?
- What risks and what benefits do you see there being in countries of the EU being able to decide for themselves the level of integration that is right for each?
- What is your response to the Prime Minister’s announcement that the next Conservative Manifesto will ask for a mandate from the British people for a Conservative Government to negotiate a new settlement with our European partners, to be put to the British people in a referendum, within the first half of the next parliament, with a very simple choice: stay in the EU on these new terms or come out altogether?
I hope that this event will be supported and enjoyed.
Our previous topic on Immigration was a good discussion and one that was enjoyed by those that attended; our views were put forward and mirrored by the Immigration Summary that has been sent out. Thus proving that our views are important and can help drive policy.
http://www.conservativepolicyforum.com/policy/immigration-summary-sent-minister
Future discussions to look forward to are Further and Higher Education. This will take place in April.
Cllr Allan Lunn – Conservative Policy Forums Officer
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Chris Pincher signs the petition against parking charges at Sir Robert Peel hospital
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, this week launched a petition calling on patients, relatives and staff of the Sir Robert Peel hospital, together with local residents, to sign a petition against the proposed introduction parking charges at the hospital car park.
Late last month Burton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust announced proposals to charge all users of the car park. Charges will start at 80p for up to half-an-hour, a £2 charge for up to an hour, with payments rising to a maximum of £6 for between 7 and 24 hours.
Mr Pincher said, “The decision by Burton NHS Foundation is very disappointing especially as only eight months ago the Board announced that it had no plans to charge patients and visitors to park. Five years ago I ran a campaign with local councillors to stop any planned charges to use the car park.
“We must now redouble our efforts to persuade the Trust that this is still the wrong decision. That is why I have launched a petition to demonstrate to the Board the strong public feeling about these proposed charges. I have written to the Trust asking them to reconsider. And I encourage all local residents, patients, visitors and staff to do the same and take time to fill out the petition.”
The petition can be signed online at http://www.christopherpincher.com/campaigns/peel-hospital-petition or in person on the many petition sheets which have been circulated to local shops and doctors’ surgeries. People can also write direct to Mr Pincher at the House of Commons or email christopher.pincher.mp@parliament.uk expressing their support for the petition. Signatures will be collated and handed to the Board after Easter.
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Bryan Buckley (Regional Manager of William Hill), Christopher Pincher MP, Mark Carter (William Hill Tamworth shop manager), Lynn Shiel (St Giles Hospice), Tamzin Usher (William Hill shop team)
MP for Tamworth, Christopher Pincher, last week handed over a donation cheque to the Lynn Shiel of St Giles Hospice from Tamworth’s William Hill bookmakers in the town centre.
The donation was made following a survey Mr Pincher undertook in February. All proceeds from the survey go to charity and Mr Pincher nominated St Giles for a £50 donation.
Mr Pincher said, “St Giles’ Hospice does very important local work caring for terminally ill people and helping their families to cope. I am very pleased to nominate the hospice and am grateful to William Hill for their support.”
St Giles Hospice in Whittington was founded in 1983 and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. There will be a service of thanksgiving at Lichfield cathedral to mark the anniversary in April.
St Giles also provides help and support for families in Elford, Hopwas, Harlaston, Clifton Campville and many Lichfield District villages as well as Tamworth borough.
Friday, February 15th, 2013
Yesterday in the House of Commons yesterday, Tamworth’s MP Christopher Pincher, called for a statement on NHS care in Staffordshire.
Staffordshire born Mr Pincher said, “May we have a statement on the approach to care in the Staffordshire NHS cluster? My 22-year-old constituent, Thomas Berry, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, which means that he cannot do very much for himself, but the cluster wants to change his care plan, against his wishes, the wishes of his carers and the advice of his doctor.
“That could have a material impact on his health, yet the cluster is not even able to tell me whether it thinks it might have an impact on his health. May we have a statement so that we can question Staffordshire’s approach to care, including the apparent refusal of the chief executive and the head of continuing care to answer MPs’ questions adequately?”
Andrew Lansley MP, the Leader of the House, replied, “I know that the chief executive of the Staffordshire primary care trust cluster would be very willing to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter, if it would be helpful.
“Obviously I cannot enter into a discussion about his constituent, but the general point he makes is that the whole object of care plans is for them to be agreed between the patient, their family and their clinicians.”
Friday, February 15th, 2013
Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council announced today that they are cutting their share of the council tax for the coming year from April.
At this morning’s meeting of the Full Council, Cllr Philip Atkins, Leader of the Council, said the County Council will be cutting council tax for 2013/14 by 0.1%. The cut follows a freeze in council tax for the last two years in Staffordshire.
Since taking control of the County Council in 2009, the Conservative controlling group have only raised council tax once, in 2009 by 1.4%, compared with an average annual increase of 6.5% over the previous ten years by the Labour Party.
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Volunteers all the way from America are the latest recruits to the knitting campaign to supply Tamworth & Lichfield’s local battalion – 3 Mercian (The Staffords) – with beanie hats for their upcoming tour of Afghanistan.
The North Staffordshire Regiment Living History Association, also known as the “Black Knots” is an American based re-enactment group that works to further understanding of the average British soldier in World War Two.
The organisation is based on the East Coast of the United States with members from Eastern Virginia to Southern Pennsylvania. They are the only group in that part of America to portray an English Infantry Regiment. The Black Knot’s primary re-enactment focus is of the 6th Battalion and 2nd Battalion of the North Staffordshire Regiment.
But the members of the Black Knots now have an additional focus and are busily knitting beanie hats for 3 Mercian.
So far, nearly 400 hats have been generously knitted and donated by individuals and sewing circles to our local troops to wear under their Kevlar helmets during training and deployment. The helmets can be very uncomfortable in high or low temperatures so a knitted beanie hat worn inside the helmet helps enormously.
Tamworth MP, Christopher Pincher, said, “It is wonderful that our beanie hat campaign has “gone global” showing that respect and affection for British troops extends beyond our own shores to those of our ally America. I hope we can show our appreciation as a community for the kind help of our American friends and I will be talking to the Council about that.
“Thank you to everyone already involved in this project. If you would like to help, or know someone else that might, please call my office on 01827 312 778 or they can be collected from the Staffordshire Regiment Museum. We really want to see every deployed soldier receive a hat.”
Curator of the Staffordshire Regiment Museum, Danielle Pritchard, said, “Staff and volunteers here at the museum are very proud to get involved with Chris Pinchers knitting campaign. It would be fantastic to be able to get enough hats for every soldier in 3 Mercian and attached from 4 Mercian, ready for their tour in October. As this will be their last as ‘Staffords’ we here at the museum are keen to get involved with anything which will assist them and show them we are always thinking of them whilst they perform their difficult duties.”
3 Mercian, along with reservists from 4 Mercian, will be deployed to Afghanistan in October 2013. Mr Pincher will take names and addresses of everyone who helps and will invite each to take part in a “big handover” of the beanie hats to commanders of the Mercian Regiment later in 2013.
Sunday, February 10th, 2013
Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has announced body cameras are to be given to more than 1,000 police officers in the county to capture criminal evidence on film.
Matthew Ellis, said about £100,000 would be spent to issue the equipment to all frontline officers. The cameras are the size of a mobile phone and clip on to police vests.
Mr Ellis said, “The cameras will be extremely useful in gathering evidence which can be submitted to court. I think there’s a great advantage in officers having these cameras; it means they are safer and able to capture incidents such as anti-social behaviour.”
He said the cameras would be given to all officers out on patrol, including police community support officers and specials, after a successful trial.
Mr Ellis said he believed the cameras were “good value for money.”
He said, “As police office numbers go down I want to see more individuals patrolling so that we spread officers out more and I think that body cams are an excellent additional means of police officers having some extra protection. This will pay for itself many times over in the future and above all it’s about modernising Staffordshire Police and making the most of technology.”
Saturday, February 9th, 2013
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Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, has commented on the HS2 Judicial Review announced last week.
