Adrian Sanders

Adrian Sanders Signs-up to Protect Polar Bears

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay has signed Early Day Motion (EDM) 682, in the House of Commons, which calls on the government to support increased protection for polar bears.

Not only is the survival of the polar bear threatened due to the loss of suitable habitat through climate change, but it is also in danger from the international commercial trade in polar bear products. Although it is currently listed in Appendix II under CITES, polar bear parts and products can still be legally traded internationally.

More than 25,000 polar bear specimens and products (polar bear skin rugs, skins, claws, bodies, trophies, live animals) were traded internationally in the past 10 years, including more than 5,000 for commercial purposes (e.g. polar bear skin rugs) and non-commercial (e.g. trophies) purposes; exports of polar bear specimens for both purposes have increased since the early 1990s.

A proposal has been submitted to the upcoming meeting, in March, of Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), to give the polar bear added protection by moving it up, from Appendix II, to Appendix I.

The UK government can support the proposal and can also encourage its EU counterparts to support it to.

On signing the EDM 682 today, Adrian said:

“I am pleased to sign this motion to give the added protection, so desperately needed, to these magnificent creatures. No only is the polar bear under terrible threat from the loss of its habitat, its numbers are also threatened by trade in its fur and other body parts.  We must do all we can to help protect this iconic species.

“The Motion calls on the government to support the United States’ proposal to list the polar bear on Appendix 1 – I hope it does so as soon as possible.”

The next meeting of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) will be in Doha, Qatar from 13-25 March 2010.

Mark Glover of Respect for Animals, says:  “We very much welcome Adrian’s support for this very important measure.  This situation is extremely serious and the British Government should support efforts to protect polar bears.”

EDM 682 has been introduced to the House of Commons by Paddy Tipping MP.  It is co-sponsored by Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs: David Amess, Norman Baker, Peter Bottomley, Mike Hancock and Nick Palmer.

Bay MP Urges Tax Evasion Crack Down

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, raised the recent announcement of job losses in the Torquay revenue and customs office and criticised Ministers in Parliament over their lacklustre performance in tackling tax avoidance.

Around 20 posts are expected to be made redundant from the HMRC offices in Tor Hill House Torquay that Mr Sanders claims will hamper the Government's efforts to catch tax avoiders.

Torquay tax office provided a key service for local tax matters but most matters will now be dealt with in under-staffed offices in other parts of Devon, producing fears that everyone will receive a slower service as fewer staff deal with more enquiries.

Cutting tax fraud is a major role of the tax office and estimates show that somewhere between £40-80billion is lost to the Treasury every year through tax evasion by businesses and individuals.  This ranges from big banks setting up complicated schemes involving off shore tax havens to self employed people not declaring their full income.  This results in higher taxes for the low paid and smaller budgets for vital frontline services.

While Minister Stephen Timms highlighted a number of amnesties and schemes to recover tax, he was unable to explain how the loss of 25,000 jobs from tax offices in the last 5 years has helped the Treasury investigate tax avoidance cases.

Adrian said, “All the problems Torbay and communities like it face could be helped immensely if the Government got to grips with this problem.  Even in the age of massive bank bailouts the sum lost to tax avoidance is staggering.”

“The inability of the Government to concentrate on this has initially cost jobs in Torbay-if it continues it may well see local people across the Bay paying higher taxes.”

Sanders Supports New Law for Better Homes

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders is sponsoring proposed legislation that would boost funding for social homes.

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (Amendment) Bill, which is being promoted by fellow Lib Dem Simon Hughes MP, will write into law a provision to allow councils to use money they receive from developers to build or improve social housing.

At present councils are restricted to using the money to fund infrastructure projects of community projects-even where infrastructure is already of a high standard.  This restriction has led to some cases where money has been used to finance projects of marginal importance-such as in Tower Hamlets where money was spent on chiropody sessions for local residents.

Across England there is a social housing crisis with too few homes and many of them in a state of disrepair.

The Bill will allow councils to use existing and future streams of income from developers to carry out urgent renovations to local housing stock or to build new homes.

Speaking after the Bill was debated on January 29^th, Adrian said: “There are thousands of people waiting for decent social homes in Torbay.  Poor housing leads to a range of problems from poor health to anti social behaviour.”

“New developments often cause disruption and grief for existing local residents who can’t understand why they often get no help to improve their own housing or to see more new affordable homes built in the local community.  This new law would change this.”

“If the Bill becomes law everyone is a winner.  This Bill will help councils to fund urgent improvements to local housing, and help individuals and families who are waiting for a home or improvement of their home to have the decent housing they need.”

Bay MP Supports Extra Education Cash for Local Schools

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay has welcomed Liberal Democrat plans to invest in Torbay’s schools; providing extra funds for disadvantaged children, being announced today in the South West by leader Nick Clegg MP.

Under Lib Dem proposals, the Pupil Premium would see £7.2million additional funding in Torbay, designed to raise the number of pupils gaining good GCSE grades.

The Pupil Premium provides additional funding based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals and aims to improve social mobility, which has stalled under the Labour Government.  The Premium would be financed by ending tax credit payments for well-off families.

Adrian said, “Education is the key to increasing social mobility and reducing inequality.  Recent reports have made it clear that despite the promises of 1997, Labour have simply continued the inequalities of the 1980s and 90s.  We need radical reforms to how we tackle these problems and a Pupil Premium is just part of a range of policies that will do just that.”

Progress on Lower Water Charges for South West

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has welcomed the response of water Minister Huw Irranca-Davies to his debate in the House of Commons yesterday on South West Water charges.

South West customers have faced higher water bills than the rest of the UK ever since the water industry was privatised in 1989.

The Minister promised to consult on proposals to raise a levy on other water companies to equalise bills, or to provide tax funded assistance.  The disparity in bills stems from the need for South West Water to improve infrastructure for a third of the country’s coastline but only having the revenue from 3% of the UK’s water customers.

The Minister also promised a meeting with Gordon Brown in the near future to resolve the issue.

Adrian said, “Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs from the far South West have been standing up our area by pressing for fairer charges and finally the Prime Minister has responded to the injustice facing thousands of customers.  I am hopeful that a long term solution can be found.”

Help with Energy Costs

At a time when many are finding it difficult to meet their energy requirements while staying within their budget, several organisations are equipped to offer advice and support to those in need. Please find below contact details for a number of these organisations.

The 'here to HELP' initiative offers aid ranging from benefit assessments, home security measures and advice from charitable organisations such as Help the Aged to products designed to increase energy efficiency in households. Please call 0800 072 8339 if you feel any of these services would help you.

The Home Heat Helpline, on 0800 33 66 99, offers direct access to free insulation and may be able to help vulnerable consumers attain lower energy costs from their energy supplier.

Those for whom British Gas is their energy supplier may find it useful to call 0800 072 7100 for help and advice (0800 294 8604 for prepayment customers). British Gas customers over the age of 70 or who are on income-related benefits may be eligible to have their home insulated for free. Clients of British Gas may also benefit from calling the British Gas Energy Trust, a charitable organisation which offers grants and advice to individuals struggling to meet their energy payments, on 01733 421 021.

Adrian Sanders MP puts the spotlight on screening in Torbay

Bay MP Adrian Sanders today met with representatives from Beating Bowel Cancer, at their annual BE LOUD BE CLEAR reception asking Parliamentarians to be loud about bowel cancer and raise awareness of the importance of screening.

Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer. Of the 100 people diagnosed with bowel cancer every day, almost half will die from the condition. Yet over 90% of cases can be treated successfully if diagnosed early enough. Ensuring that people take part in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme is therefore essential in improving outcomes for bowel cancer patients.

All people aged 60-69 in England are invited for screening every two years through the NHS bowel cancer screening programme. Yet, in Torbay only 57% of people have taken part in screening since it was made available. Beating Bowel Cancer is calling for those people eligible to take part in the screening programme, with the goal of screening one million additional people in the UK over the next two years, and ultimately saving over 2,000 lives through early diagnosis of bowel cancer.

Adrian Sanders MP said: ‘I was pleased to learn today that 574,662 people in the southern screening hub have taken part in bowel cancer screening to date. However, too many people are still dying from this curable disease. If 77% of people in the southern screening hub took part in bowel cancer screening, in the next two years, 1633 cancers could be detected. That is why I am being LOUD about the importance of screening to ensure that people in Torbay stay CLEAR of bowel cancer.’

Hilary Whittaker, Chief Executive of Beating Bowel cancer said: ‘We are delighted that Adrian Sanders MP is supporting Beating Bowel Cancer’s call to action on screening. Whilst significant improvements have been made since the start of the programme, we know more lives could be saved if participation in screening increased.                                                                                                                 

That is why Beating Bowel Cancer is calling for policymakers and the NHS to commit to ensuring one million additional people are screened by 2012 and urges the government to extend the age range for screening in England to those in their fifties so that more people at risk of bowel cancer have the opportunity to be screened for, and beat the disease.’

Pledging to Help Bring Back Living Seas

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has pledged to help bring back Living Seas around our coast.  He was supporting The Wildlife Trusts as they launched a document in the House of Commons entitled Living Seas, which sets out their vision for the future.

Adrian said ‘I am delighted to support The Wildlife Trusts’ vision of Living Seas.  It is vital that we return our sea to health, not only for the sake of the UK’s fantastic marine life, but also for the future of our own quality of life.  In the last parliamentary session, I was proud to support the passage of the Marine and Coastal Access Act through Parliament, which fired the starting pistol for politicians to make Living Seas happen.

Adrian continued:  ‘Whilst at the event, I met representatives from Devon Wildlife Trust and pledged to support The Wildlife Trusts in this important work by signing an Early Day Motion which puts pressure on the Government to implement the Marine and Coastal Access Act in a comprehensively, promptly and effectively. Areas such as Lyme Bay will benefit immensely from the work Devon Wildlife Trust is doing.’

Professor Aubrey Manning OBE, President of The Wildlife Trusts, said:  ‘We very much welcome the support we have had from parliamentarians for the Marine and Coastal Access Act.  Now it is time to take this further.  We need an effective and well-managed network of Marine Protected Areas by 2012 which will help us, The Wildlife Trusts, and our partners and supporters, to achieve Living Seas, and within a generation.’

Bay MP Backs Greenpeace Election Manifesto

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders is backing the Greenpeace manifesto to preserve and improve the environment.

The 12 point manifesto carries a range of policies to move the UK’s energy supply to a greener and more secure basis, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and invest in realistic energy conservation schemes.

Adrian said, “There is so much we can do locally and nationally to help our environment. We need to improve our energy security and move away from fossil fuels.  We must invest in the development of reliable renewable energy to create jobs and ultimately reduce the cost of energy.”

“Locally we must make sure people can recycle easily and that it is easy for homes and businesses to save energy.”

NHS Charities’ Independence Under Threat

 Bay MP Adrian Sanders has joined fellow Liberal Democrat MPs in calling for the Government to reverse its decision to merge the funds of health charities with local NHS bodies.  The Association of NHS Charities and the Charity Commission have both raised concerns that such a move would remove the independence of these charities and substantially dissuade people from donating.

There are fears that the changes will also let Government disguise health service cuts and also appropriate charitable funds for other uses.

Across the UK health charities hold around £2billion of assets.  Those with the largest revenues include Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.  Locally organisations such as the South Devon Healthcare Trust Charitable Fund would be affected.

Adrian said: “NHS charities benefit from £300million of public donations every year and they provide many fantastic resources, from specialist equipment to toys for gravely ill children.  It is therefore wholly irresponsible of the Government to endanger this.”