Adrian Sanders

Government Must Take Tourism Seriously

Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Adrian Sanders, is calling for the Department for Culture Media and Sport to take tourism seriously, or give up responsibility for it altogether.

Mr Sanders, a member of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, has tabled a Parliamentary motion calling for funding cuts to Visit Britain’s budget to be reversed and for the Department for Business to take over responsibility for tourism if the DCMS continues to give it such a low priority.

Parliamentary answers from under secretary of state Barbara Follett revealed that only 10 staff are currently working on tourism in the DCMS and records have not been kept of how many were engaged on the policy area in the past.  It was also revealed that little was being done to coordinate transport networks with the needs of the tourist industry and that the Government has not evaluated what effect the cuts to Visit Britain’s budget will have on the industry.

Mr Sanders raised the matter of transferring responsibility for tourism with the Prime Minister but Gordon Brown stated that he has no plans to make the change.

Mr Sanders said: “Tourism is the key industry in Torbay and one of the most vital in the South West and indeed the country as a whole.  For too long the DCMS has treated tourism as an unimportant distraction.  It is seen as an easy target for funding cuts and there is a poor record of coordinating with the wishes of those in the industry as well as key partners such as the transport sector and the wider business community.”

“If the DCMS does not up its game, we need to look at radical options.  With the Olympics ahead and the potential to be one of the drivers for economic recovery, there is so much for the tourist industry to take advantage of but it needs the right support from Government at all levels.”

Bay MP Joins Campaign to Protect War Memorials

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has joined a campaign in Parliament calling for better protection for the nation’s war memorials.

Memorials across the UK have recently come under threat from developers, including proposals in Torbay to build a casino development on Torquay seafront that would require the war memorial to be moved.  Those proposals were dropped but Mr Sanders has raised concerns that memorials are not properly protected and need securing against future potential developments.

The cross party campaign is calling for a national register of war memorials to be set up and the planning laws changed to ensure this vital part of the country’s heritage is protected.

Adrian commented: “As was all too clear when the Mayor proposed moving the war memorial for casino development, war memorials are a very sensitive and highly valued part of our community heritage.  The Government needs to recognise this and do more to protect war memorials.”

Radical Reform to Care System Finally In Sight

The Government’s Green Paper on Adult Social Care is finally due to be released this week following a number of delays.  The Paper will set out a number of options for the future of care services that will affect providers, patients and families across England.

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders, who has been pushing Ministers to publish the paper, is looking forward to a full debate with everyone having their say over how care services should be provided in the future.  Thousands of Torbay residents receive social care in some form and many have to make a contribution from their own savings and income.

Some residential care homes in Torbay have voiced concerns that a renewed focus upon allowing people to remain in their own homes will put some out of business.  Many residents have also highlighted the cost effectiveness of services they pay for and their ability to choose what they need.  Another fundamental problem is the funding of care itself and the debate over if people should have to use their savings and sell their homes is set to continue.

Mr Sanders is hopeful that the Green Paper will look at all of these issues and he is calling for all care users, their families and those working in the industry to contact him with their views and suggestions.

Adrian commented: “Care services in Torbay are a significant part of our local economy and they could undergo the biggest upheaval in recent years following this Green Paper.  Despite the tremendously good work of many in the sector, reform is necessary as we adapt to a longer living population with more complex needs.”

“We also must not forget the key contribution made by families and friends who care for someone, often for very little financial reward.”

“The care debate will look at everything; ideally it will build upon what is being done well and will rectify things that aren’t working.”

Fall in Tourist Numbers Concern

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has called on the Government to revise its approach to the tourist industry after figures revealed a sharp drop in tourist visits to the South West region in the past year.

Figures released today show that in January to March  2008 there were over 3.5 million visitors but this fell to 2.75 million for the same period this year.

This fall, if sustained, is likely to cause considerable damage to several local economies in the South West, including Torbay.

Mr Sanders is advocating greater investment in Visit Britain, which brings over £30 into tourist economies for every £1 spent, as well as a coordinated cross departmental strategy to promote tourism by integrating domestic transport networks and by providing better information across public services.

Adrian said: “The fall in visitor numbers was expected with the deepening recession but the drop is sharper than was anticipated.  In the past few years we have seen severe cuts to the marketing budgets for the tourist industry and the responsibility for this spread around councils, regional quangos and Visit Britain.”

“At a national level there is no co-ordination and dwindling support, which may prove to be devastating to our resort economies.”

Torbay MP fights for the future of local newsagents

Adrian Sanders MP has pledged to fight for the future of newsagents in Torbay.

The commitment came after it was revealed that traditional newsagents are being forced to shut up shop at a rate of more than one every day.

Developments in the news distribution industry – the businesses that deliver newspapers and magazines – have left most newsagents with no choice over who supplies them.

Shop owners fear that the lack of competition will leave them with no alternative supplier and vulnerable to increased costs. Last week almost 800 newsagents delivered a petition to the Office of Fair Trading demanding urgent action to protect competition in the news distribution industry.

Adrian Sanders MP today threw his weight behind the campaign to save Britain’s newsagents.

He said: “Traditional newsagents are the backbone of our community.  They deliver a vital service and are a friendly face that many people rely on every day. It is shocking and unacceptable that so many newsagents face an uphill struggle to survive.  I am happy to pledge my support to newsagents in Torbay and across the UK.”

Torbay MP sponsors new law to aide tourist industry

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders is co-sponsoring a Bill in the House of Commons to improve local roadside information provided about tourist attractions.

The Road Signs (Tourist Destinations and Facilities) Bill, brought in by fellow Lib Dem MP Sir Alan Beith is due to have its Second Reading in Parliament this month.

The Bill, if made law, would ensure councils take the local tourist economy into account and provide adequate signage.

Mr Sanders said: “There has been controversy recently over the sheer number of pointless road signs but ones that actually help the local economy are very welcome.”

“Simple signage in appropriate locations can make tourists aware of attractions and businesses they might otherwise not be aware of.  I’ve had several businesses in Torbay asking for some additional signage, for example for the shops at Wellswood, and this could provide a significant boost to the local economy at minimal cost.”

Local MP calls for an end to airlines’ tax on breathing

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, has lent his support to the British Lung Foundation and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK’s campaign to end the restrictions and charges that airlines place on people with a lung condition.

People with respiratory diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Pulmonary Hypertension often require additional supplementary oxygen due to the low levels of oxygen in their blood.

However, due to the policies set by airline companies, it is both expensive and difficult for people with this disability to plan and use air travel. A recent survey of twenty-two major airlines, conducted by the Pulmonary Hypertension UK, found that just five companies allow people to bring their own oxygen cylinder on to their planes and that only seven companies allow people to bring their own oxygen concentrator on board. Other airlines only allow passengers to use the oxygen that they provide and at an additional cost.

Adrian Sanders showed his support by signing Early Day Motion 1444: Supplementary Charges for Oxygen. This motion has been signed by over 200 MPs from all political parties. It calls on all airlines to allow passengers who need it to carry their own oxygen cylinder or concentrator on board.

Adrian Sanders said: ‘In the coming months many people from Torbay will be going on holiday by plane. I believe that people with lung conditions should have the same opportunities to travel, free from discriminatory charges, as the rest of us. I therefore urge all the airlines that have not already done so, to drop these charges and restrictions.’

People that require supplementary oxygen who want to know more about travelling by plane can find out more by contacting the British Lung Foundation helpline, on 08458 50 50 20.

Iain Armstrong, Chairman of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK stated:  ‘I believe the charging of those with lung conditions for supplementary oxygen is a grossly unfair tax. Disability rights are not about having different rights but equal rights. These individuals should have the same opportunities to travel, free from discriminatory charges, as the rest of us. I therefore urge all the airlines that have not already done so, to drop these charges.’

Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘We are delighted that Adrian Sanders has decided to support our campaign. Supplemental oxygen is as important to people with breathing problems as a wheelchair is to people who have difficulty walking. All airlines should allow people dependent on supplemental oxygen to travel with it free of charge, if they have medical clearance to do so. We need the airlines to act on this with urgency.”

Government research ignores voters, and shows they have less say than ever before

Answers given in the House of Commons to Bay MP Adrian Sanders have revealed that the Government’s changes to how councils work since 2000 have left voters and councillors more divided than ever before. 

Evaluating the impact of the Local Government Act 2000, which brought among other things elected mayors, officials found that less than one in five council officers, councillors or ‘stakeholders’ thought that the changes had improved public involvement in local democracy.  Only 11% of respondents thought that the average councillor had more impact under the new arrangements.

Mr Sanders has condemned the results as a reflection of the Government’s centralised tinkering in local matters which prevents local communities having a say in how they are run.  Indeed, the research had not involved speaking to a single member of the public, concentrating only on the views of councillors, ‘stakeholders’ and council employees.

Mr Sanders said: “The Government really needs to recognise that at a national and local level people’s wishes are being ignored.  That the new council system has obviously failed yet is proclaimed a success by the Government is the worst kind of propaganda.”

Local surveys undertaken by Torbay Council and Mr Sanders both reveal an unprecedented mistrust of the local authority and a deepening disengagement in local politics.

While the raw statistics revealed that there are serious problems with how councils are now run, the Government’s summary report found that ‘new political management arrangements support visible and effective political leadership’ and praised the new system for ‘enhancing democratic legitimacy.’

Mr Sanders added: “What we have now is a very undemocratic system of local government.  It is not intentional but fewer people are interested in becoming councillors and fewer councillors have influence on the council.  It is no wonder that so few people are voting.  We need a total overhaul of how local services are delivered.  At a national level we can give more powers and funding to councils and locally councils must act upon rather than just appearing to listen to people’s views.”

“We have seen the failings of Government policy in Torbay.  What was always a politically unstable council has been further damaged by immense over-centralising of decision making.  This leaves out the say of the public and very often councillors as well.”

Mr Sanders has compiled a list of hidden statistics showing the failure of Government changes to councils:

• Only 18% of officers, councillors and stakeholders felt Mayoral and other ‘strong leader’ systems increased public involvement in local politics.
• 53% thought the speed of decision making was not improved.
• Only 11% felt that non-cabinet member councillors had an improved role.
• 37% of councillors agreed that Overview and Scrutiny Committees were effective at holding local government to account.
• Only 21% felt that the new system encouraged women to become involved in local government.
• Torbay has the second ever lowest turnout for Mayoral elections; on 23.9%, only Mansfield in 2002 experienced more apathy.
• 36% of councillors feel that councils are now better able to deal with ‘cross cutting issues’
• 26% of councillors and officers agree that the new system allows good management of relations in and between party groups and also in responding to concerns raised by non-executive councillors.

Sanders supports campaign to improve disabled children’s health services

Last week, Torbay MP Adrian Sanders attended a Parliamentary reception to show his support for improving disabled children’s health services.

The event was organised by the Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) campaign to launch its new campaign report, ‘Disabled Children and Health’, which highlights the failure of the NHS to meet even the basic needs of disabled children, including those with palliative care needs.

Over 80 MPs attended the event and took the opportunity to talk with disabled children and their families and representatives from Primary Care Trusts, local authorities and voluntary organisations.

Speakers at the event included Lavinia Scott, a disabled young person. Lavinia called on doctors and other health workers to listen to young people and their parents. She said:

‘They don’t always listen when you first say something is wrong! Then they come back to you when it is too late to tell you what you already knew.’

Gilly Golesworthy, parent of Roxanne, who has complex health needs, spoke about the challenges of being caught in the middle of arguments between different agencies such as the education service and health service about meeting her daughter’s complex health needs.

EDCM’s campaign report highlights challenges across a range of health services. Disabled children face barriers accessing universal health services such as GPs and dentists, often due to inappropriate attitudes from health professionals or a lack of training. In the most serious cases, disabled children’s quality of life has been misjudged, leading to tragic outcomes.

Families with disabled children needing specialist health services such as equipment or wheelchairs also face battles. Parents tell of waiting years to receive a wheelchair that meets their child’s needs, with the child having out-grown the chair by the time it is delivered. Entitlement to specialist equipment is described as ‘a complete postcode lottery’.

One parent of a child with a rare and life-limiting condition who requires 24-hour care told the campaign:

‘We repeatedly see local agencies passing the buck when it comes to agreeing care for my son. Social services tell us they can’t provide night care for him because it is medical care, while health tell us they can’t provide it because it is a family support service. Where are the needs of my son in all of this? We haven’t seen any evidence of joined-up working, and we are made to feel like we have to beg to get anything done.’

EDCM will be writing to government Ministers and Primary Care Trusts asking them to respond to the recommendations in Disabled Children and Health.

Everyone who cares about disabled children and their families can sign up support the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign at www.edcm.org.uk

 

South Devon Misses Out on Government Housing Scheme

Figures obtained by Torbay MP Adrian Sanders have revealed the lack of Government support for social housing in South Devon.  The Government announced in May 2008 that several hundreds of millions of pounds would be used to buy empty properties and rented to those on local housing registers.

Despite almost 7,000 families being on the waiting list for homes in Torbay, only 14 properties have been bought through the National Clearing House scheme since it began.  18 were obtained in the South Hams and only 7 in Teignbridge.  Mr Sanders has raised concerns that this compares very unfavourably with other areas in the South West where housing waiting lists are not so high.

In total, 1,769 homes have been bought in the South West, with most other areas receiving more funding.  It is estimated that there are 22,000 families waiting for social housing in Devon, with almost a third living in Torbay and around 6,000 in Plymouth.

Mr Sanders said: “There is an unbelievably acute housing shortage in the Bay and it is ridiculous that other areas, which do not have such needs, are getting more help from the Government. Ministers are hiding behind the structure of the scheme, which places responsibility on housing associations and councils to ‘bid’ for the funding.  It would be far better if the Government stopped wasting time and money on complicated distribution systems and gave the resources fairly to where they are needed most.”