Adrian Sanders

VAT Rise in January to Hit Torbay Businesses

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay has highlighted concerns from traders in Torbay that the changes to VAT due to come in at the end of the year could cost the UK economy over £90million along with a serious pressure on retail staff.

Adrian has joined the campaign being led by fellow Devon MP Nick Harvey to introduce a four week reprieve for businesses to bring in the new tax rules.

Several businesses have contacted Mr Sanders, concerned that the timing of the changeover, which coincides with holiday trading, will cause significant disruption that can not be afforded in the current economic climate.

Adrian said “The introduction of the lower VAT rate not only cost the taxpayer, it cost retailers who had to hurriedly implement price changes across the board.  The Government has not learnt from this disruption and is planning to repeat the performance.  So little has been done to help businesses through the recession and the least Ministers can do is listen to the wishes of retailers on this case.”

Mayor Must Resign to Ensure a Fair Totnes Election

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders and Watcombe Councillor Steve Darling have raised concerns over the selection of Torbay Elected Mayor Nick Bye for the Totnes Parliamentary primary election.

Concerns have been highlighted over a potential conflict of interest as Brixham, Churston, Galmpton and areas of Paignton currently under the mayor’s jurisdiction are included in the Totnes constituency.  With executive control over Torbay council and its budget, there will be fears that there is the potential for resources to be used in these areas to attempt to influence the outcome of the election.

Adrian said “This is something of an unforeseen problem with the Elected Mayor system.   No one imagined a Mayor would want to become an MP, unlike Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson who resigned as MPs to become elected Mayors. 

“This position is different because in the past when council leaders sought to become MPs they were likely to stand down their leadership role, even if temporarily.  Those who remained could not use their position to influence the election as they were restrained by needing the majority of councillors to ratify decisions.  This does not happen with the elected Mayor system.”

“The proper course to ensure council taxpayers receive the services of the full-time elected Mayor they voted for, and to avoid any temptation to use council resources in a way that could advantage a selection vote or a General Election campaign would be for the candidate to resign as elected Mayor.  It is a case of doing the right thing." 

Councillor Darling added: “There are far too many problems that need the Mayor’s full attention in Torbay.  We have one of the lowest scores for public confidence in a local authority and urgent issues with children’s services, getting more better paid local jobs and improving our local environment.  There is far too great a risk that he will take his eye off the ball.”

Good News as Pensioner Energy Grants Increased

Elderly, disabled and low income families will now get up to £2,000 more to warm their homes, after action by Adrian Sanders in Parliament.

After questions from the Torbay MP the Government has increased how much money Bay residents can gain through the Warm Front Scheme.

Adrian said “I am glad that the government has extended the Warm Front Scheme, increasing the extent to which people can be helped to heat their homes in a cheap and environmentally friendly way.

This is a positive step not just towards eradicating fuel poverty in Torbay, but also towards reducing unnecessary pollution”.

On the 26^th March Adrian Sanders MP told the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change that the government should extend the scheme following complaints from residents that the scheme was bad value for money for applicants and the taxpayer. The government has now agreed that the grant levels will be raised to solve the problem of residents having to contribute their own funds.

Someone who is recommended either a new oil or low carbon system will now receive up to £6,000 (up from £4,000), whilst the standard grant has increased from £2,700 to £3,500. This will remove the need for most people to make a contribution towards making their homes energy-efficient.

Adrian also met representatives from the Warm Front Scheme to discuss local concerns with the scheme, and emphasised ways in which the scheme could be further used to lower carbon emissions, such as by using Solar and Wind power more often in their home improvements.

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.”