Adrian Sanders

It’s time to wear it pink and help beat breast cancer

Adrian Sanders MP is joining forces with Breast Cancer Campaign to raise awareness of for its award winning fundraising event, wear it pink, on Friday 30 October 2009.

It’s time to beat breast cancer and Adrian is urging residents, young and old to get their pink outfits on. Schools, colleges and businesses throughout the country are encouraged to wear it pink in support of Campaign and donate £2 each to fund innovative world-class breast cancer research.

Last year over one and a half million people took part in wear it pink to help improve survival rates for the one in nine women who experience breast cancer during their lifetime. This recession busting fundraiser is affordable and easy to take part in, giving everyone the chance to help make a difference.

Adrian Sanders MP says ““Every year over 45,500 women and 300 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many others, I know people who have lost friends and family members to breast cancer. I would like to encourage everyone in Torbay and throughout the country to support wear it pink on October 30, to raise valuable funds for breast cancer research.”

To take part in the UK’s original and best pink day. Call freephone 0800 107 3104 or visit www.wearitpink.co.uk and register to receive your free fundraising pack now.

New Figures Highlight Torbay’s Skills Gap

New figures released today by the University and College Union have shown widening gaps in skills and training across the UK.  While many people in the Torbay workforce have basic skills, local MP Adrian Sanders has raised concerns over the low number of highly skilled workers.

Only 20.54% of working age people in the Bay have a degree level qualification or above, compared to 27% in Teignbridge and 33% in the South Hams.

Mr Sanders will be using the figures to argue that the Government should invest more in further and higher education in the South West and rural areas.  Many areas recorded having over 50% of their workforce with degrees with Torbay coming only 490^th out of 628 constituencies studied.

Adrian said: “The local economy could benefit so much from a higher skilled workforce.  With more qualified workers, bigger and better businesses will be attracted to the Bay, especially after the Kingskerswell Bypass is built.”

“The Government refused to fund the full expansion of South Devon College but hopefully these figures will encourage Ministers to invest where resources are needed.  Local young people want to have decent opportunities locally and it would be scandalous if the Government failed to assist them in this aspiration.”

Torbay Council Short-Changing Young People

Figures obtained by Torbay MP Adrian Sanders show that Torbay Council spends less on young people than neighbouring councils.

The figures show that Torbay is only spending a mere £7.47 per person on critical youth services. Plymouth City Council, on the other hand, spends £13.50 per person on services like reducing teenage pregnancy, underage drinking and youth unemployment. This is despite Plymouth receiving about £300 less per person in external grants from the central government than Torbay.

In addition Torbay Council has not managed to spend all the funding allocated for youth services each year since 2006.

For example, in 2007/08 and 2008/09 Torbay under-spent £43,264 and £22,904 respectively of its budget for youth services. In contrast, Plymouth City Council overspent by over £173,000 in 2007/08.

Mr Sanders commented: “The figures I’ve received are disappointing considering the high numbers of youth unemployment, alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy – of which Torbay has the highest in the South West – affecting young people today. We need to be investing in our young people, particularly during these tough economic times.”

Decline in Tourist Numbers Highlights Government Failings

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has called on the Government to up its game on tourism following the release of the latest statistics showing a fall in visitor numbers to the UK from abroad in the past year.

In the 12 months up to June 2009, there were 30.4 million overseas visitors to the UK, a fall of almost 3 million compared to the previous year and in spite of the falling value of the pound.

Adrian has attributed this fall to Government failings to co-ordinate efforts to promote Britain as a tourist destination and will be calling on Ministers to support the British Chamber of Commerce’s recent report, which advocates changes to how the tourist sector is marketed, including a concentration of the role of Visit Britain on marketing and a greater focus in Government on the business rather than cultural aspects of tourism.

Adrian said: “For years the Government has neglected one of Britain’s principal industries.  While Gordon Brown talks of investment now and cuts later, he is actively cutting the budget for marketing the UK abroad.  The Welsh and Scots are able to fund their own campaigns but in the meantime England’s tourist hotspots such as the South West are missing out due to the low investment and a lack of focus in Government.”

Torquay Harbour Action Plan

Please see attached letter regarding the Torquay Harbour Action Plan (Microsoft Word format)

 

Download Torquay Harbour Action Plan

Adrian Sanders MP learns more about the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on people’s working lives

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society member Lynda Hesketh met local MP Adrian Sanders at a World Arthritis Day special event in Westminster to raise awareness of the impact rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has on people’s working lives.

RA is an incredibly painful disease that affects over 580,000 people in England and can cause severe disability. It mainly affects the joints but can impact on other organs. 65% of people with RA have to give up work as a result of their condition.

Adrian commented, ‘Individuals with RA, like Lynda, should have the right to work and contribute to society. Three quarters of people are of working-age when they are diagnosed with RA. It is therefore vital that these individuals have access to the services they need to help them stay in work. We must also raise awareness amongst local employers in Torbay about the importance of creating flexible and accessible workplace environments to assist employees with long-term conditions, such as RA to stay in work.’

42% of people with RA are registered disabled within three years and four fifths are moderately to severely disabled within 20 years of diagnosis. The condition can shorten life expectancy from around 6-10 years and can have a major impact on a person’s life as well as impacting on the rest of the family.

Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive and founder of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society comments: ‘Policymakers must consider the economic burden imposed on individuals, families and society if people with RA are unable to work. Over a lifetime this can result in lost earnings for the individual totalling £287,544. GP education about the signs and symptoms of RA is critical to ensuring individuals are diagnosed early, have access to the most appropriate treatments, rehabilitation and ongoing care so that they can rejoin or be retained in the workforce.’

Rise in Diabetes Shows Need For Healthier Lifestyles

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders, who is Chairman of the cross-party Parliamentary group on Diabetes has today argued for more effort to raise awareness of the dangers of diabetes after figures showed that there are over 10,000 new diabetes patients in the South West today compared to the same time last year.

Last year 201,489 were registered with GPs as diabetics in the region, compared to 212,940 this year.  Over 90% of diabetics in the UK are type 2, which is caused by lifestyle factors such as eating an unhealthy diet or being overweight.

Adrian said: “This steep rise in patients shows the increasingly unhealthy nature of our lifestyles.  Not only must more be done to encourage people to exercise more and enjoy a healthy diet, but more funds are also needed to research a cure for diabetes.”

Adrian Sanders MP backs RNID’s checks for a healthy hearing future

Torbay MP, Adrian Sanders has joined RNID’s call for people to value their hearing and take the charity’s specially developed hearing check.

At the Liberal Democrat party conference in Bournemouth, Adrian Sanders took RNID’s five-minute hearing check, which assesses your ability to hear someone speaking with background noise – similar to being in a crowded room – and helps identify whether you have a hearing loss.

Adrian Sanders MP says: “Many people don’t realise how important their hearing is in their everyday lives, until they start to lose it. I’m lending my voice to RNID’s Hearing Matters campaign, which is encouraging you to look after your hearing by visiting www.rnid.org.uk/hearingmatters or dialling 0844 800 3838 and take immediate action to avoid experiencing unnecessary isolation from friends, family and colleagues.”

RNID’s Chief Executive, Jackie Ballard, says: “On average, people take 15 years to deal with their hearing loss and, in that time, a person’s quality of life can be greatly reduced. We urge people in Torbay to follow Adrian Sanders MP’s example and take our check today, so that you can start addressing any hearing loss and ensure you don’t miss out on leading a fulfilling and active life.”

Torbay MP to Vote Cruelty Free

Adrian Sanders MP has pledged his support for Vote Cruelty Free, a new non-partisan coalition of animal protection organisations working to put animals on the political agenda.

The alliance has sent its manifesto to all candidates announced for the next General Election and asked them to show their support for the issues raised.

Adrian Sanders said: "Animals are sentient beings, capable of experiencing pain and suffering.  We all have a moral responsibility not to harm animals and to recognise that their welfare is an issue of very high importance."

A Vote Cruelty Free spokesperson said, “Animal protection is an issue close to the UK public’s heart but this is often not reflected in current political debate.  It is fantastic that Adrian Sanders has shown he believes in animal protection issues as much as his potential future constituents in Torbay; we are calling on all candidates to follow his lead by pledging their support for Vote Cruelty Free.”

Vote Cruelty Free comprises the BUAV, Compassion in World Farming, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), League Against Cruel Sports and Respect for Animals.  It covers a broad range of animal welfare issues including wild and marine animals, animal experimentation, cruel sports, the fur trade and farming.

Vote Cruelty Free is urging all candidates to pledge their support for the initiative.  Voters can track candidates who have signed up by visiting the website at www.votecrueltyfree.org.

Council Must Be More Lenient With Families Hurt By Recession

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders is calling on councils to be more lenient on hard pressed families as the recession bites.

Figures obtained by Mr Sanders show that Torbay Council called in the bailiffs 10,780 times last year to collect arrears on council tax and other payments.

The Government is asking mortgage lenders to avoid repossessions and the same should apply to councils, who should seek more sympathetic payment plans and make bailiffs a last resort. 

Mr Sanders commented: “When the Government runs out of money, it can defer payments and borrow more.  The general public don’t have this luxury but in times of recession, public bodies should do more to be more lenient to hard pressed families.”

“It is not about writing off debts, but ensuring that they can be repaid with as much sympathy for the current economic climate.”