Christopher Pincher co-authors foreward in new e-book scrutinising the ECHR

click here to download the e-book, Human Rights, Making Them Work For the People of  the UK by Robert Broadhurst.

MP Statement in response to DfT plans to move forward with HS2

The Department for Transport has announced today plans to press forward with its proposal for a new high speed rail (HS2) link between London and the West Midlands.  The high speed rail concept has cross party support with the last Labour government tabling the original proposals and claiming credit for the route.

I am disappointed with the detail of the announcement made today because, despite HS2’s own admission that considerable attention was given to communities around Hints, Weeford and Drayton Bassett during the consultation process, no meaningful change is proposed to mitigate the impact of the line around Tamworth.  The detailed documentation still falls short of many of my direct questions about the need for local mitigations.  We need to ensure that the next stage of review sees the best mitigations are included.  Moreover, I want to see much more detail on the compensation arrangements the Department will put in place to redress the problem of planning blight.  I am relieved that they at least recognise there is a wider problem than those residents and businesses that have property immediately on the route, but I want to know more about how the proposed “refreshed hardship scheme” will work.  It cannot be right that people are financially penalised for simply living in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I will continue to represent my constituents’ concerns in parliament and will fight for the best possible outcome for them in terms of mitigation and compensation.  And I will continue to question the business case which underpins the entire HS2 proposal.

I have regularly corresponded with many constituents and advocacy groups concerned about these plans and the impact they will have on our community. I do not believe the business case presented by HS2 stacks up and feel that other less intrusive alternatives must still be explored.  Should any reader like to be added to my HS2 mailing list, please email me directly at christopher.pincher.mp@parliament.uk or write to me at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.

I welcome constituents’ views on HS2 and will continue to raise these concerns with ministers. Due to the volume of letters I am currently receiving on this topic, an immediate response may not be possible so do please be patient.

Please be aware that I endeavour to respond to correspondence within 10 working days and letters are addressed in the order that they are received.

Should you wish to contact me about HS2, please either email Christopher.pincher.mp@parliament.uk or post a letter to my Westminster office at the following address:

Christopher Pincher MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

For more detail regarding what I have done in Parliament to represent constituent’s views on HS2, please visit our dedicated HS2 page, here.

Christopher Pincher meets Tamworth Cadets and Reservists in Westminster

Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, met members of his constituency at a Parliamentary Reception held by the West Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association which took place late last year at the House of Commons.

The event was hosted by Gisela Stuart MP and provided a briefing about the Reserve Forces (the Territorial Army, Royal Naval Reserves and RAF Reserve) in the West Midlands and the vital support that they provide to the Armed Forces – and within their local communities.

Mr. Pincher commented:

“I was pleased to meet many reservists from our area and to hear about their roles and responsibilities in the Reserves.    I support the Coalition Government’s proposals to place more emphasis on the Reserves after many years of government neglect.    Reservists provide an essential link between military and civilian life and strengthen our Military Covenant.  I support local residents who join local reserve forces and encourage employers to take advantage of their unique skill sets – one of my staff members has a military background is looking to join up as a regular this year.”

The reception also highlighted the value of the Cadet movement as a youth organisation.

There are 3,000 reservists, 2,000 Cadet Adult Staff and 12,000 Young Cadets in the West Midlands alone, accommodated in 35 Reserve Centres and 200 Cadet Centres throughout the region.

Christopher Pincher MP Urges Calls to the Home Heat Helpline

New figures reveal that in Tamworth 5,500 homes are entitled to some form of assistance with their fuel bills. That help is worth an average of £250 per household and a free helpline is available for more information.

Lending his support to the Home heat Helpline campaign, Christopher Pincher MP said:

“A staggering 14% of homes in Tamworth are entitled to some form of support. Anyone who is concerned about staying warm should call the Home Heat Helpline and seek advice. I would also ask people to look out for neighbours, friends or relatives who may be in difficulty and make sure that they are aware of the Home Heat Helpline.”

The number for the Home Heat Helpline is 0800 33 66 99 or you can visit www.homeheathelpline.org.uk. It is a free service that provides independent advice to people on low incomes on how to get help with their gas and electricity bills as well as other help such as grants for insulation or a new boiler.

As well as supporting the campaign locally, Mr Pincher also heard from Dragon’s Den star Hilary Devey, who is backing the campaign to raise awareness of the Helpline and spoke of her experience of struggling to keep her home warm before she became a successful businesswoman.

Christine McGourty from the Home Heat Helpline also advises people to think about what they can do around the home to reduce their energy consumption:

“As well as calling the Home Heat Helpline to find out what financial assistance is available there are some other simple steps people can take. For example:

•             turn radiators down in rooms which you only use occasionally

•             switch your lights off when you’re not using them

•             turn appliances like TVs and phone chargers off at the wall rather than leaving them on standby when they’re not being used

•             replace normal light bulbs with energy efficient ones

•             regularly defrost your freezer to make sure it’s operating at full efficiency

•             draw curtains over windows at night to provide insulation for the room

•             move furniture away from radiators and heaters to allow heat to circulate around the room

•             open internal doors of any rooms which get more sun than others and let the warm air travel around your home”

Home Heat Helpline: 0800 33 66 99 or www.homeheathelpline.org.uk

Christopher Pincher Supports Tamworth Football Club at Everton

Tamworth’s Member of Parliament, Christopher Pincher, travelled to Goodison Park to show his support for Tamworth Football Club in their FA Cup third round tie against Everton last Saturday.   Mr Pincher said that he was proud of the players and they too should be proud of their performance especially considering the ninety five league places which separate the two clubs.

After the game, Mr Pincher said:

“All of the players and backroom staff should be enormously proud of their efforts in order to reach this stage of FA cup and were doubly rewarded with an opportunity to play a Premier League team for the first time in their history.”

Mr Pincher added:

“Despite the absence of a cup upset it was an emphatic performance by the Lambs players squaring up to a strong Everton starting XI full of international experience.  The five thousand travelling fans also did their bit to rally the team singing loudly for ninety minutes making for a great atmosphere in the stadium.”

“The players worked hard for the entire game playing on a pitch which is much wider and much longer than our own ground and against top flight players.   Everton’s boss David Moyes must also be congratulated by making a point of shaking hands with every Tamworth player as they left the pitch.”

Mr Pincher commiserated the team and wished them luck for the remainder of the season hoping that the end of the current season will not be quite a dramatic as the last.

Local MP welcomes “Keep the cold out this winter” information pack

Christopher Pincher, local Member of Parliament for Tamworth, today welcomed the move by the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) to highlight five cost-saving tips to keep homes in good energy-efficiency order, helping to keep bills down.

HHIC have produced a leaflet giving five safe and simple ways to keep energy bills low this winter. They are only heat the rooms you use most, insulate your home, stop drafts, draw your curtains and use radiator reflectors. They also point to their website which offers impartial advice to people giving real information to real problems.

Mr. Pincher said:

“Rising fuel bills and fuel poverty are a real concern for families in Tamworth.  Residents are worried about how they will pay to keep their homes warm this winter. I am particularly concerned for vulnerable groups, such as pensioners – especially as energy prices have increased so much this year.  With around 25,000 dying each year from cold related causes, there is no room for complacency on this issue.”

“That is why I welcome this initiative by the HHIC who have put together this no nonsense advice in their leaflet. I would urge everyone to look at the HHIC website www.centralheating.co.uk or contact me if they want a copy of the leaflet.”

“Meanwhile, I will continue to raise the issue of energy prices in the House of Commons.”

Chief Executive of the energy trade association SBGI, Mike Foster said:

“Having impartial advice from the energy experts of the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council on how to keep fuel bills down this winter can only be a good thing. Such practical steps can be taken by everyone and I am delighted to see Mr. Pincher highlighting this way of helping people keep warm this winter.”

Christopher Pincher: Backs call for Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Candidates

Christopher Pincher, the Conservative MP for Tamworth, has today backed calls for candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioners elections to be held next year to put themselves forward.

On 15 November 2012 Police and Crime Commissioners will be elected in every police force area across England and Wales, outside of London.

These important roles will herald a new era of policing, putting the power to hold the police to account in the hands of elected representatives. With new powers devolved from Whitehall, Commissioners will have mandates from the public to drive the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.  Therefore, the best potential candidates are needed.

Police and Crime Commissioners will have specific responsibility to:

•             work with the communities in their force area and identify their policing needs

•             set priorities by agreeing a local strategic plan for the force

•             hold the Chief Constable to account for achieving these priorities

•             set the force budget and the policing precept in council tax bills

•             appoint – and, if necessary, remove – the Chief Constable

Commenting, Mr. Pincher said:

“This Government is reforming the police to help them drive the fight against crime and disorder.”

“The Police and Crime Commissioner in Staffordshire will be an important link between the police and the communities they serve. He or she will give people across Tamworth a direct say in how their area is policed.

“As a party, we have already launched consultations with local Associations about candidate selection and I look forward to seeing strong candidates come forward to contest this important position.”

View From the House – Winter

It has been a quite a year – my first full year as Tamworth’s Member of Parliament.  During the last twelve months I have met a great many people from a range of organisations around the town as well as many constituents.  Highlights of 2011 for me include visiting our local schools and seeing the new Landau Forte Academy in Amington rise from a building site to a state-of-the-art school; meeting hi-tec Tamworth businesses such as Alcon and GlobalEyes; touring our fantastic nature reserves with the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and joining in the welcome of our brave local soldiers at the 3 Mercian Home Coming parade in November.

There is no doubt it has been a tough year for our economy, locally as well as nationally.  I think nearly everyone accepts that the debt crisis built up over the last decade has to be tackled and that borrowing our way out of debt is not a credible approach.  Nor is continuing the “something for nothing” society where it pays not to work.  But the continuing problems in the Eurozone have made the road to recovery doubly difficult.  In the coming year I will work with the government to ensure our local businesses are taxed and regulated as little as possible so they have the time and the resources to do what they do best – create jobs and wealth.  Here in Tamworth there are some positive signs – John Lewis has created hundreds of extra work opportunities whilst up the road at Wolverhampton and down the road at Hams Hall, Jaguar Land Rover and BMW have invested in new technology which will bring new jobs.  Rebalancing the economy and sorting out our debt are crucial to getting the country back onto its feet over the next few years.

At Westminster there have also been some striking moments.  David Cameron’s statement on the tabloid hacking scandal set a record for the number of questions asked and answered by a Prime Minister.  His veto of a new EU Treaty earlier this month also saw an electric performance in the House of Commons where he was applauded (and criticised by some) for standing up for our interests.  One of the best speeches I heard was from Labour’s Frank Field speaking about immigration.  He was thoughtful, measured and set exactly the right tone about the need to protect our borders and clamp down on unrestricted immigration.  I believe the government is taking the right steps to meet this challenge by putting limits on migrants and insisting on language requirements as well as by talking about the issue in a calm and sensible way.

Here in Tamworth one of the biggest issues people raise with me is the Child Support Agency.  Any organisation that deals with the welfare of children is important and clearly there are still worries with the CSA which need to be addressed,  so earlier in the autumn I met with its Head of Policy to outline my concerns.  And I am meeting the West Midlands manager in the new year.  If local residents have CSA issues of their own I encourage them to contact me.

Pincher Raises HS2 Concerns with New Transport Secretary

Christopher Pincher, Member of Parliament for Hints, Hopwas and Tamworth, yesterday met with new Transport Secretary Justine Greening to highlight his concerns about HS2.  The meeting, in the historic Committee Room 14 of the House of Commons, of 23 MPs included Lichfield’s Michael Fabricant and Jeremy Wright from Kenilworth and Southam.  All three local MPs spoke up for their communities.  Dan Byles was absent on paternity leave.

Mr. Pincher said:

“I made clear to the Secretary of State that I do no believe the business case made for HS2 does not stack up.  I asked her to use the much more reasonable passenger demand projections included in the latest Passenger Demand Forecasting Handbook which is sitting on her desk awaiting sign-off.  If she does she will find that there are other more innovative and less intrusive solutions to the West Coast Mainline capacity issue than a brand new transport corridor.”

“I also made clear that the mitigations and compensation package on offer are just not good enough because neither address the problem of planning blight which already affects many local communities.”

“I urged Ms Greening to think again, look at the alternatives, and decide against building a brand new transport corridor across virgin countryside.”

The entire transcript of the meeting will be posted on the Department for Transport website in the next few days and will be available for public view.  Committee Room 14 has in the past been the scene of high drama.  It is the meeting place for Conservative MPs and is where, in 1990, Margaret Thatcher learned that she had failed to win re-election as Conservative Party Leader.

Christopher Pincher Supports the Government’s consultation on Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme

On 25 October the Government launched a consultation into whether the protection of potential victims of domestic violence could be improved by disclosing an individual’s history of violence to their partner.

The Home Office consultation is considering whether to introduce a ‘right to ask’ disclosure scheme where someone could ask the police about a person’s previous history of domestic violence or violent acts. An alternative would be a ‘right to know’ scheme where the police would proactively release information in certain circumstances.

Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said that ‘ending violence against women and girls’ was a ‘personal priority’ for her and for the Government.

The Government is already taking a range of action to tackle domestic violence:

•         They published an action plan – “A Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls” – in Spring of 2011 to help prevent violence and provide more support for victims.

•         They have provided £28 million of stable funding to for specialist domestic and sexual violence services across the Spending Review period.

•         They are piloting Domestic Violence Protection Orders which allow the police or magistrates to stop offenders from contacting victims or returning home for up to 28 days.

•         They have enacted Domestic Homicide Reviews which will allow lessons to be learned from domestic homicides with a view to help prevent future homicides and violence.