Conservative Candidate delighted at Daw Mill Coal Mine Investment

Former soldier Dan Byles, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Warwickshire, who has visited Daw Mill and spent the day below ground with local miners, last year called for increased investment at the site to secure its future.

This week Dan was delighted to learn that UK Coal have announced plans to raise £100 million to invest in a number of sites, Daw Mill included.

The new share deal will allow UK Coal to extend the working life of two deep mines in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, and will allow for investment at Daw Mill to improve output reliability – securing the mine’s future until at least 2028.

Dan said: “I am delighted that the future of Daw Mill looks secure, and that the extra investment needed has been promised by UK Coal. When I visited the site in 2007 there was some uncertainty, but the future now looks good for coal production in North Warwickshire for decades to come.

“With world energy supplies increasingly subject to price volatility and political interference, it is vital for energy security that the UK maintains a diverse energy base. Domestic coal production remains a key part of that diversity.”

Chris White speaks out in support of Warwick Fire Station

Chris White, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Warwick and Leamington, has spoken in support of local firefighters this week following the publication of a report recommending that the County Council reduce the number of operational fire stations across Warwickshire.

The recommended proposal, if implemented, would see seven of the county’s smaller, retained fire stations, including Warwick, put under threat.

Chris White said: “I am firmly against this proposal, and deeply concerned about its consequences for Warwick residents. We all know how congested the roads into Warwick can become, and it is essential that fires in the town can be responded to as quickly as possible.

“It is vital that this is not looked at in isolation. There is currently a consultation under way on future housing development in Warwick District – surely we need to wait to see how many people are going to be living here and where, before making any plans about future fire service provision.”

Dan Byles Opposes Plans to Close Bedworth Fire Station

Former soldier Dan Byles, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, has come down firmly on the side of local firefighters today.

His intervention follows the news that a report has recommended the County Council close or merge a number of fire stations across Warwickshire and reduce the number of retained fire fighters. This could see Bedworth Fire Station moved and merged with Nuneaton Fire Station.

Dan Byles served in the Army for nine years, and in 2004 was responsible for emergency medical and fire response planning for NATO’s Multinational Task Force (North West) in Bosnia.

Dan said: “I am deeply concerned at the possibility that Bedworth Fire Station could be moved and merged with Nuneaton, and that numbers of local retained firefighters might be reduced.

“Clearly this is just a consultation document at this stage, but it is one which I will be firmly opposing. Having been responsible for emergency response planning when I was a soldier, I am only too aware of the need for robust emergency response cover.

“And with the Government planning to impose some 14,000 new houses on Nuneaton & Bedworth against the wishes of local people, it is even more important that the emergency services are properly resourced and located to deal with incidents.

“I will be lobbying the County Council to ensure that any decision made is evidence-based, that local people will be fully consulted, and that nothing will be done to compromise the safety of the people of Bedworth and Nuneaton.”

Solihull rallied to save maternity

Young and old turned out in force in Solihull to show their support for Solihull’s Maternity Services at a rally in Mell Square yesterday before parading to Solihull Hospital to hand over a letter outlining their case to keep full maternity services locally.

Rally organiser, Prospective MP for Solihull, Maggie Throup said: “We have had tremendous support today and the NHS Trust really needs to listen to us.

“We are not prepared to let the hospital be closed by stealth and will fight to the bitter end to ensure Solihull families have the maternity services locally they really deserve.”

The rally was addressed by Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley and local MP Caroline Spelman as well as Ms Throup. Mr Jeremy Rowbotham, retired Hospital Consultant who has delivered over 28,000 babies in Solihull and local pantomime star Malcolm Stent joined the rally and back the campaign.

Rugby Conservatives seeking people’s vie ws on the future of the NHS

Rugby Conservatives are continuing their dialogue with voters in Rugby by holding regular surveys on national and topical issues. The surveys take place on the doorstep, over the telephone and in addition people can respond online at www.markpawsey.org.uk. The current topic is the state of the National Health Service and proposals for its future, with questions focusing on how it should be managed and what direction it’s funding and resources should take.

Mark Pawsey, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Rugby, said: “The National Health Service will be a key priority for a future Conservative Government, and we are absolutely dedicated to ensuring that it continues to provide the service that is so vital for patients. David Cameron has stressed the party’s wholehearted commitment to the NHS and the principle of a healthcare system that is free at the point of use, based on need and not the ability to pay. One of the key challenges will be to make sure that funding reaches the front line, and is not tied up in petty bureaucracy.”

The survey asks:

· Do you believe the Conservatives are committed to the NHS?

· Should the Government be looking to make efficiency savings in the NHS?

· Is it appropriate for some services in the NHS to be provided by private companies?

· Do you believe patients should have more choice in where they are treated?

Mark added: “We have a precious resource here in Rugby in the form of St Cross Hospital. I am committed to ensuring that St Cross continues to provide local services for the people of Rugby. It is essential for patients to be able to be treated locally whenever possible and to have more choice over where they are treated.

“It’s really important for the Country that the NHS is given the time, attention and funding it needs in order to continue to treat those who need it most. Our policies will focus on managing the NHS efficiently, preserving local choice and ensuring that the service is able to meet the many challenges it faces.

“Our survey on the doorstep, on the phone and on the web at www.markpawsey.org.uk, is designed to find out the views held by Rugby people about the future of the health service.”

The survey will take place throughout the month of September.

Harriett Baldwin welcomes Upton Flood Defence plans

Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, this week welcomed the proposal for permanent flood defences for Upton-upon-Severn, outlined at a public meeting last Thursday.

Harriett Baldwin said, “I attended the public meeting last Thursday in Upton Memorial Hall where the plans were unveiled. I would like to thank the Environment Agency and Malvern Hills District Council for all their hard work. They have really listened to the feedback from January’s meeting. I am really pleased to see that the £4.5 million plans now include major landscaping and regeneration of the waterfront. I am delighted that Malvern Hills District Council is considering supporting this scheme with regeneration money from their capital account. It is now up to the people of Upton to give their feedback on the scheme. I have sent in these comments to the consultation.

"I also visited UK Flood Defences in Droitwich last week. The firm is a very promising start-up company with some great products. Their self-raising flood barrier is really innovative. It does have some moving parts and the Environment Agency tell me that the business case for the proposed Upton scheme rests on the fact that it will not require much in the way of ongoing maintenance. However, I am sure they will be looking closely at the firm’s potential to be included in Environment Agency schemes.”

Powercuts on the way ? Labour can’t even keep the lights on, says Dan

Dan Byles, former soldier and Conservative Parliamentary candidate for North Warwickshire & Bedworth, this week warned that homes and businesses across Warwickshire could be facing power cuts within years. For the first time since the three-day week of the 1970s, consumers will be told to prepare for blackouts, since the supply of electricity will fail to meet demand at peak times.

Over the next few years many power stations will reach the end of their lives, or have to shut because of EU law. But the Government has failed to ensure that replacements are available in time. The small print of Whitehall documents reveal that Ministers have pencilled in power cuts of 3,000 Megawatt hours per year by 2017. This is the equivalent of 670,000 people being without electricity for a day – in other words an area greater than the size of Coventry, North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby and Tamworth put together.

In practice the blackouts are most likely to strike at peak times – in the early evening during the winter months – hitting many more people for shorter periods when the need for electricity is greatest. The expected gap of 3,000 Megawatt hours could even mean a simultaneous hour-long power cut for 16 million people simultaneously on a winter evening.

Dan Byles said: “I am extremely concerned that homes and businesses across Warwickshire will face blackouts because the Labour Government put its head in the sand about energy policy for a decade. Ministers have been forced to admit they expect the lights to go out for the first time since the three-day week of the 1970s.

“Conservatives will act quickly to tackle Labour’s energy crisis. We will increase generating capacity, improve energy efficiency by insulating people’s homes, adopt the latest green technology and make Britain’s energy policy a matter of national security.”

Andrew Mitchell MP joins West Midlands Police on the beat

Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Minister for Birmingham, has spent an evening on patrol with officers from West Midlands Police to see firsthand the work carried out by the force on the streets of Birmingham.

Andrew, joined by Sergeant James Hillier, visited several areas of the city and spoke to local residents about the effects of anti-social behaviour on their community and reiterated the Conservative’s pledge to scrap the unnecessary paperwork forced on officers in order to keep them on the streets for longer.
The visit comes after figures released by the Conservative Party revealed the true extent of anti-social behaviour across the region. In 2007-2008, there were:

155,000 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by West Midlands Police, equivalent to more than 400 incidents a day.
Nearly 100,000 reports of rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour
18,000 hoax calls to the emergency services
Andrew said: “It has been most helpful to spend time on patrol with the West Midlands Police looking at the work being carried out on the streets of Birmingham. They are dedicated to making the city a much safer place to be.

“But these figures clearly show that anti-social behaviour is making many people’s lives a misery and highlight the Government’s continuing failure to address the issues that concern the people of Birmingham the most.

“Labour’s approach to policing has left officers like Sergeant Hillier wasting valuable time on endless form filling and reports when they could be out protecting members of the public. David Cameron has already pledged that under a Conservative government these ‘stop and search’ forms will be scrapped and the bureaucracy that’s holding police back from doing their job cut away.”

Shenstone Conservati ves Launch “Pincher Direct”

Christopher Pincher, the Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Shenstone & Stonnall was out and about in Shenstone at the weekend to invite people to a village meeting he is hosting in the village hall this Sunday. He and his team spent a sunny Saturday morning handed over 500 invitations to villagers in their homes.

This local meeting is part of Mr. Pincher’s campaign to meet members of local rural communities and to introduce himself to new members of the community. It also gives local people an opportunity to meet and question their Conservative candidate.

Christopher Pincher said: “I am really pleased to be able to invite people to this meeting in Shenstone. It is a great way of keeping in contact with village communities giving me a chance to hear concerns, listen to opinions, take questions and learn about local issues from those who know most about them – local people.”

The meeting is taking place in Shenstone Village Hall from 3.30pm on Sunday, August 30, with all local residents welcome.

Conservatives will also be conducting “Pincher Direct” meetings in Stonnall, Hopwas, Elford, Bonehill, Drayton Bassett, Clifton Campville, Harlaston, Weeford and Wigginton over the coming months.

Call for Advantage West Midlands to support Tenbury Flood Defences

Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire has this week repeated her call to Advantage West Midlands to support Tenbury’s bid for flood defences.

Following a recent meeting at Advantage West Midlands with Tenbury Mayor Richard Jones, former Tenbury Mayor Bob Martin, County Councillor Ken Pollock, Malvern Hills Portfolio Holder for Finance, Ralph Madden and Harriett Baldwin, a request was made for a partnership contribution from AWM to help build flood defences to support the town’s economy. Separately, AWM recently announced that it had dropped plans to contribute almost £1,000,000 to build a biomass plant on the Tenbury Business Park because of budget cuts at the Agency.

In a comprehensive response to Harriett Baldwin, Mark Pearce, Corporate Director of Economic Generation at Advantage West Midlands, lists a range of contributions made by the Agency in recent years to benefit Tenbury. These include:

· £170,000 to Malvern Hills District Council in 2007 to clean up the town after the 2007 floods.
· £15,000 in grants to Border Film Festival, Tenbury TIC and the charity Speaks Volumes
· £27.500 in grants to convert redundant buildings to retail use
· Over £30,000 to help tourism initiatives, like Applefest and the Mistletoe Festival
· £11,000 for the Tenbury Citizens Advice Bureau

HowHowever, he states that due to budget cuts, "I can offer no prospect of the Agency providing funding for the flooding project in Tenbury in the foreseeable future."

Harriett Baldwin said: “It is disappointing that AWM has given a negative reply to Tenbury at this time. The Environment Agency has worked hard to reduce the indicated cost of the scheme from £5m to £4m. Worcestershire County Council has indicated a willingness to make a contribution to the cost of the scheme. Malvern Hills District Council are making a a significant contribution in kind.

"The economic benefit to Tenbury is calculated to be £7.5m. I have written back to ask AWM to consider their position very carefully, because their mission is to support the region’s economy. In addition, flood defences could mean significant future savings for them in clean up costs.”