Recent News

October 2008

As you may well be aware, the proposals in the Pharmacy White Paper could have a great impact on the future of dispensing doctors. The White Paper proposes changing the distance requirements for the establishment of dispensing practices: currently, it is the distance from a patient’s house to the surgery; in future, it would be the distance from the surgery to the nearest community pharmacy. Read full story

MPs to move out?

October 2008

It recently emerged that MPs could be moved out of the Palace of Westminster for up to three years so that major repairs can be made to the House of Commons. As well as electric cables and water pipes needing to be replaced, there are also concerns about asbestos. Every year between July to October, when Parliament is in recess, essential work is carried out on the estate in order to cause as little disruption as possible. However the scale of the refit is said to be so great that it would take 25 years of working throughout the summer recess to complete work, which could be completed in just three years if MPs were moved out of Parliament and relocated elsewhere. A £250,000 feasibility study has been commissioned to explore the options for relocating the MPs. The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre which is just across Parliament Square from the Palace of Westminster would be a strong contender to set up a temporary Commons chamber. However, MPs do not need to start moving yet, as the work is unlikely to begin until 2012.

Sir Paul pleased with progress

October 2008

Over the last few years Sir Paul Beresford has been actively involved in trying to improve laws relating to the monitoring and prosecution of sex offenders so he was pleased to hear a decision recently relating to an issue that Sir Paul has raised previously. Sir Paul had suggested that offenders convicted of an offence of failing to provide access to encrypted computer files by failing to comply with a notice made under section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, should be made subject to the sex offenders register. Vernon Coaker, the Minister of State for Policing, Security and Crime, has considered this and decided that this offence should be added to Schedule 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This would have the effect that anyone convicted of this offence could be made subject, by a court, to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) if they presented a risk of serious sexual harm. This could make such an offender subject to certain restrictions. Also, anyone subject to a SOPO is automatically subject to the sex offenders register. This change will be made by secondary legislation as soon as it is practicable.

Stand to attention for the EU’s national anthem by Daniel Hannan MEP

October 2008

The European Parliament has voted to reinsert the EU’s national symbols: its flag, anthem, motto and public holiday. You will remember that the deletion of these emblems was the sole alteration made to the European Constitution when it was resurrected as the Lisbon Treaty. Now MEPs have voted to overturn the referendum results and, flicking two fingers at their voters, to give these trappings of statehood more exposure than ever. The national anthem, Beethoven’s Ninth, will now be played whenever the European Parliament meets in solemn session, with MEPs expected to stand to attention. I had been panning to mark the event with a dignified protest: I didn’t want to sit there sulking, or to stalk out. So I had intended, with various pro-referendum MEPs from different countries, to sing La Marseillaise, in homage to that wonderful scene from Casablanca where the café waiters and clients drown out the German marching song with their hymn to freedom. Then again, what with the financial crisis and the general mood of gloom, I didn’t want to be trivial. But I did register my dissent, in the 60 seconds provided under the rules, without hesitation, repetition or deviation. The Treaty of Lisbon must be put to the people: Pactio Olisipiensis Censenda Est.

September 2008

Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) is conducting a survey to discover Surrey residents’ views and experiences of alcohol, in order to plan and develop an effective alcohol strategy across the county. The survey on this very important topic closes on 30 September so make sure you complete the questionnaire in time. Read full story

Sunday Funday Party

September 2008

When Mike Tuke and his team run a summer Sunday anniversary party it takes some beating. Last Sunday, there were 600 guests, funfair daredevil events, football competitions, exotic cars, with food galore and drink to match. Replica Beatles and a very loud disco took turns in stirring the whole event, while real English summer sunshine warmed the day. Mike Tuke is head of Finsbury Orthopaedics in Leatherhead and this was their exceptionally generous celebration of 30 years of an increasingly successful business designing and producing front line cutting edge orthopaedic implants. Staff, ex-staff, and almost anyone associated with the firm along with their families crowded into the grounds at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation in Leatherhead. Paul Beresford joined in time to cut the anniversary cake and pull the lottery ticket for the holiday to Venice.

Clegg’s “irresponsible” Energy Strategy

September 2008

Last month, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg’s energy strategy claims were branded as “wilfully irresponsible” by the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Alan Duncan. Duncan’s comments came after Clegg declared the need for the kind of vision, application and political will behind the Apollo moon mission in order to supply al the UK’s energy needs by 2050. He said that this would be achieved not through reliance on fossil fuels or nuclear energy but through wave, wind, biomass and solar power. Duncan commented, “In the absence of both coal and nuclear, how could the UK power large factories and cope with sudden fluctuations in demand without also needing gas? As that gas would have to be imported, his promise of self-sufficiency becomes indefensible.” Duncan pointed out that much of Clegg’s energy strategy was copied from Conservative policy but that “his overall conclusions defy reality”. He continued, “Setting the energy debate in the context of 2050 instead of the decisions that need to be taken today brand the Lib Dems as a party which cannot be taken seriously on such a compelling area of public policy. Mr Clegg’s reckless claims are wilfully irresponsible.”

Gatwick Airport is to be sold

September 2008

It has been confirmed that Gatwick Airport is to be sold by BAA. Several firms are interested in buying the airport, including Virgin, for an estimated £2bn. The concern for us as residents in the south east region is whether the new buyer will build a second runway. In order to compete with Heathrow it is likely that any firm bidding for Gatwick would want to create a second runway. Both Crawley council and the campaign group No Gatwick Runway (Nogar) want Gatwick to continue to thrive but insist it should remain a single-runway airport. BAA published a draft plan for a second runway at Gatwick in 2005, but a legal ruling prevents any construction work beginning before 2019.

August 2008

As you will remember from last month’s newsletter, Sir Paul has been concerned about the Government’s polyclinic plans and the potential impact of the Pharmacy White Paper. He had the opportunity to raise the subject at an adjournment debate on 22 July. Read full story

South East Business Confidence Survey

August 2008

Lloyds TSB have published regional results of their Business in Britain survey. During the fist half of this year, business confidence fell sharply across the UK. The survey measured regional companies’ expectation of orders, sales and profitability for the next 6 months. The South East had a confidence rating of minus 7 per cent which is down from 16% in the last survey. The number of companies expecting sales growth in the next 6 months is down from 28% in January 2008 to just 2%. The survey also revealed that this lack of confidence will affect recruitment. However, there was a note of optimism that most businesses in the South East are likely to pull through the current financial climate and that the region will face slow growth rather than recession.

Future of Gatwick Airport

August 2008

As many of you will have read with interest, the Competition Commission have been investigating BAA and has just published its report. As predicted, the watchdog has recommended that BAA sell two of its three South East airports, namely Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The forced break-up of BAA’s monopoly should encourage competitiveness between the London airports which should, in theory, improve customer service and reduce delays. The Commission has also criticised BAA for preferring Heathrow and Stansted over Gatwick when deciding on carrying out improvements and making plans for building new runways. It seems likely that BAA will choose to keep Heathrow and sell the other two. BBA branded the regulator’s report as “flawed” whilst airlines supported the findings. The danger to Mole Valley constituents is that a new owner of Gatwick airport is likely to push for a second runway there. A second runway at the airport would have a huge impact on local residents and any plans will be fought by local campaigners and environmentalists. In 1979, BAA and West Sussex Council signed an agreement which ensured that no second runway would be built at Gatwick before 2019. However, the huge worry is that this security could be overturned by Parliament.

July 2008

Recent proposals have been put forward by the Government for the creation of 271 ‘polyclinics’ across England. With the aim of modernising the health service, the proposed ‘one stop shops’ for healthcare would supposedly provide better quality and patient access. Read full story

Wisley Development

July 2008

Many of you will remember the article in the last Westminster Report about the threat of a new Eco-Town being built around a source of energy in Wisley. Sir Paul recently visited the former Wisley Airfield site to meet with representatives from Wharf Land Investments who own the site. The company are about to make an application to Surrey County Council for a 30,000 tonne capacity anaerobic digestion plant for kitchen and garden waste on part of the site put aside in the Surrey Waste Plan for waste usage. The building would be about 12 metres high and there would be a huge amount of HGV movement to and from the site on a daily basis. The developers intend discussing other plans for the site with Guildford Borough Council as the waste plant is only the first project within the mixed use development of the site. Other possible developments include a residential area and a business park. This is green belt land next to a Site of Special Scientific Interest and to the world famous Royal Horticultural Society show case Wisley Gardens. A campaign of heavy resistance is about to be required to help keep Surrey green, or at least this small part.

Westminster Report Survey Results

July 2008

Many of you kindly completed and returned the survey that appeared in the last Westminster Report. Almost two thirds of those who replied disapproved of the increase in flat building in Surrey and over eight in ten think there should be restrictions on the building of new homes on back gardens. Thankfully, most of those who have children have been able to secure a place for them at a school of their choice. However, it is worrying to see that well over a third of you have had difficulty registering with an NHS dentist and you can be assured Sir Paul will be raising this matter with ministers. Many thanks for your varied and detailed comments on anti-social behavior and the provision of new facilities in the constituency; these are all very helpful and Sir Paul will be passing them onto the relevant bodies. He will also be in contact with South West Trains as over 40% of you are not satisfied with the service they provide.

South West Trains Stations

July 2008

South West Trains have been conducting a consultation regarding the reduction of ticket office opening hours at a number of their stations. The Customer Service Director for South West Trains explained in a letter to Sir Paul, “The first phase of consultation into these proposed changes has been with passenger bodies, neighbouring train companies, trades unions and the Department for Transport. Now their initial feedback has been received, a list of the final proposed opening hours will be displayed at those affected stations.” The company has assured passengers that any of the stations where there are proposed changes to ticket office opening hours will benefit from additional ticket vending machines (TVMs) and all affected stations will have at least one TVM. In Mole Valley, the stations facing closure of their ticket offices on Saturdays are Effingham Junction, Clandon and Bookham. All three, plus Horsley station, are threatened with reductions to their weekday opening hours too. The shortened opening hours and lack of staffed stations at weekends is likely to cause inconvenience to some train users but South West Trains defend their plans, stating, “it is vital that we make best use of our resources to enable us to meet the tough financial targets we face over the next 10 years.” The proposals will now be subjected to public consultation between 14th July and 5th August. Passengers are welcome to voice their opinions to PassengerFocus and London TravelWatch.

June 2008

At the start of this month we had already experienced a six week run of record fuel prices, a trend that showed no sign of abating anytime soon. Indeed, unleaded petrol is expected to rise to an astonishing 150p per litre by September this year according to experts. That would mean the average family car would cost £82.50 to fill up on every visit to the petrol station. Read full story

David Davis resigns

June 2008

The big political story of the month has been Shadow Home Secretary David Davis resigning in order to force a by-election on one major issue, namely the “the slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms by this Government.” The vote on whether terror suspects can be held without charge for up to 42 days, which narrowly went Gordon’s way, prompted Davis to take a stand on behalf of all British citizens to defend their civil liberties. Since Labour came to power in 1997, our freedoms have slowly but surely been eroded away, in the shape of ID cards and the huge national database behind it, the ever-increasing DNA database, excessive CCTV and detention without charge. Although Davis’s move was a risky one, which has sparked fierce debate, many will see it as a brave expression of his devotion to the cause of protecting British people from losing their civil liberties entirely.

Give the People of Zimbabwe a Better Future

June 2008

A contact of Sir Paul Beresford sent him this email and we thought it would be worth sharing with you:

“As you hopefully know, there is a Presidential election run-off on June 27th and Robert Mugabe is fighting every inch of the way to stay in office. People are literally being murdered to stop them voting. He cannot be allowed to get away with it again! This is not an election campaign - it is a deliberate policy of Electoral Cleansing - The question is what Britain will do to stop it. Yesterday the South African Sunday Times reported that Mugabe had "declared war on his own people"

Would you be willing to promote the website www.friendsofzim.com to everyone on your email list, and make a donation to help those fighting against the odds to ensure that the people Zimbabwe have the taste of democracy? I have personally checked this organisation out and I can assure you that the money raised is being spent on practical support that will make a difference. I reckon that many of the world's media, the UN and so many others are ignoring much of what is going on there. There are 150 election observers currently in the country but there are 210 constituencies and thousands of polling places to monitor. The situation deteriorates daily as opposition supporters are threatened and attacked. Latest reports are that over 70 people are now dead, with hundreds missing, thousands injured and tens of thousands dispossessed. Mugabe's thugs must not be allowed to get away with this. Inflation is 1,000,000%, unemployment is over 85% and food production in what was once the "bread basket of Africa" is almost non-existent. Please donate if you can and pass on to anyone who you think might help. This could make a world of difference to people who have the courage to fight for a better life.”

Excessive drinking concern

June 2008

The recent local survey in Sir Paul Beresford’s Westminster Report showed a large number of constituents are concerned about excessive and underage drinking in the area. It was only a few months ago that the local area was highlighted in a national hazardous drinking survey, when Surrey was revealed to be the worst offender for excessive drinking in the country. The negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption were clearly seen on 30th May when a ‘tube party’, organised to celebrate the last night of legal drinking on London public transport, got out of hand, with 6 underground stations forced to close, several trains damaged, and at least 12 workers assaulted at one station alone. In 2006 the average consumption of alcohol by young drinkers had doubled from 5.3 units to 11.4 units per week since 1990. The government has sought to impose new policies designed to combat excessive and underage drinking but the measures seem to be too little too late. Tim Loughton MP, Shadow Minister for Children, stressed that underage drinking had “spiralled out of control” due to years of Labour’s dithering.

May 2008

On 8th May, Sir Paul Beresford hosted a celebration at the House of Commons for 200 guests of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Read full story

CCS power station at Kingsnorth?

May 2008

Our carbon dioxide (C02) levels have been the highest now for 650,000 years. Scientists have tried to create ways of limiting the amount of C02 released into our atmosphere, by CCS (carbon capture and storage). This involves removing carbon dioxide from the coal burnt in power stations and storing it safely over long periods of time. The Government will pay millions of pounds to help fund further use of CCS and are currently looking for appropriate plants to install this new technology. Energy company E.ON at Kingsnorth power station in Kent along with 8 other energy companies at different sites are competing to have it installed in their plants first. One of the main objectors to this is the organisation Greenpeace, which believe it will undermine clean energy solutions already available. Also if there is as little as 1% leakage rate, it ends up undermining any sort of climate benefit.

‘Paypal’ fraud risks revealed

May 2008

PayPal is a secure, online payment system, designed to hide your credit card numbers during transactions. More than 40 million customers use PayPal, making it one of the most used transaction systems in use on the internet. However, a recent documentary suggests that “phoney” sites have set up, claiming to sell products, generally at knock-down prices. These websites often ask you to pay through “PayPal” but in fact it is not PayPal that is being used, and so the transaction could in fact be bogus and you could find your card details have been taken by the sites fraudsters. With this in mind it always recommended you should take precautions when purchasing items online. If a price seems too good to be true, then it probably is! If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a merchant you wish to buy from then check them out first at www.fraud.org, Internet Fraud Watch’s website.

Crewe and Nantwich by-election

May 2008

The by-election in Crewe and Nantwich was called after the sudden death of long-standing Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody. There were ten candidates bidding for election glory, ranging from the much-publicised Labour and Conservative candidates to the Official Monster Raving Looney Party’s ‘Flying brick’ and the current Miss Great Britain with her newly formed ‘Beauties for Britain’ party. With a staggering majority of nearly 8000 votes (more that Gwyneth Dunwoody’s previous majority) the Conservative candidate, 34 year old barrister Edward Timpson, won the seat. Acknowledging that this is the Party’s first by-election gain in 26 years, David Cameron has described the government’s defeat as “the end of new Labour”. The by-election received an incredible amount of interest from those in Westminster, with the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich becoming the home of a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the current political elite. David Cameron, who was amongst those campaigning there, criticised Gordon Brown during Prime Minister’s Question Time for his absence during the run up to the by-election.

April 2008

This month we were devastated to hear the news that all seven of the threatened post office branches in Mole Valley will be closed. Only 3 branches out of the 44 proposed for closure in the Surrey, Berkshire and West Sussex area will in fact be saved, leaving a network of 276 branches. Read full story

Local elections looming

April 2008

The Mole Valley District Council Elections are fast approaching. We whole-heartedly support the following Conservative candidates with their local election bids.

Ron Billard	Dorking North
Misbah Mosobbir	Dorking South
James Thomas Friend	Westcott
Chris Quinlan	Holmwoods
Len Wood	Ashtead Common
Chris Reynolds	Ashtead Village
Alex Burrows	Ashtead Park
Clare Margaret Curran	Bookham North
Graham Michael Hems	Bookham South
Emile P. Aboud	Fetcham West
Carolyn Jane Corden	Fetcham East
Kyle Jameson Green	Leatherhead North
Rosemary Margaret Dickson	Leatherhead South

Remember every vote really does count, so please do vote on Thursday MAY 1st 2008.

Research proves Brown is weakest post-war Prime Minister

April 2008

We all knew that Brown has been a spectacular let down so far as Prime Minister, but thanks to recently published evidence he can now be officially called the weakest post-war PM.
Within his first month as Prime Minister, Brown saw Labour MPs rebel a total of nine times. This is four times more than every other post-war prime minister combined!
The two revolts in July 2007 over the Pensions Bill were the largest rebellions in the first month of any Prime Minister’s premiership since 1945.
A grand total of 79 Labour MPs have rebelled against Brown since he became Prime Minister, an astonishing testimony to his lack of authority over his own party.
As Chris Grayling MP, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary explained, "Gordon Brown is shaping up to be one of the worst, if not the very worst, Prime Ministers in the last century."

Women and Children’s services review

April 2008

This month a review has been launched into the Women and Children’s services at Epsom and St. Helier Hospitals. The review has been undertaken in order to assess the needs of the local population and to ensure that these needs are met by any proposals put forward, to help meet the increasingly high standards for care that are being demanded by a number of professional bodies, and to meet challenges posed by the European Working Time Directive which limits the time staff can work.
The Hospitals NHS Trust says they hope this review will ‘help us develop viable options for the future of the services.’ The Trust also assures that a full consultation will be employed should any major changes to this service be proposed.

March 2008

On the 12th March, Chancellor Alistair Darling delivered his first Budget. The presentation was so low key as to be somnambulant. Read full story

New Effingham Train Station

March 2008

There are plans for a new train station at Effingham Junction to replace the old one which is now well past its shelf life. Network Rail has submitted plans to Guildford Borough Council for a smart and environmentally-friendly structure with terracotta coloured cladding and glazing. It follows a new design concept of modular stations where the fabric of the building, the footbridges and the platform shelters are all made off-site and placed into position on-site by a crane. Effingham Junction will be one of the very first places in the UK to receive one of these news modular train stations and despite being brand new should blend comfortably into its surroundings without looking to modern. Sir Paul was keen to discover how much disruption Network Rail’s plans would cause to commuters’ journeys but was reassured that the cranes would only move the new station parts on-site at night and the current station building will remain in place until the new one is fully completed. Disabled access should be much-improved with lift access to platforms and a ramp from the car park. Although Effingham Junction enjoys fairly low levels of vandalism, there will be increased CCTV installed throughout the station including the lifts and the new bicycle racks.

NFU raises awareness in Westminster

March 2008

As an MP for a rural constituency, Sir Paul is always interested in the welfare of the farmers in Mole Valley. He has forged close links with the NFU (National Farmers Union) who he had a lot of contact with during the Foot and Mouth outbreak last year. The NFU recently held an event at the Farmers’ Club in Westminster for MPs’ researchers to celebrate their 100th birthday. The NFU took the opportunity to discuss the problems currently facing the farming community. Economically, the NFU explained that currently in the UK corn is faring better than horn with grain and horticultural farmers enjoying a particularly good period whilst the livestock sectors are experiencing harder times. Bovine TB continues to be of great concern with more and more cattle infected and slaughtered each year, whilst the Government dithers over how to beat this very serious and widespread disease.

Westminster Report 2008

March 2008

We hope that by now you will all have received the 2008 edition of the Westminster Report, sent out by Sir Paul Beresford MP. Last year, we were disappointed to discover that very few residents in Mole Valley received a copy through their letterbox so this year we are keen to ascertain exactly which areas of the constituency have or have not had copies delivered. I would be grateful if you could email mvca@btconnect.com to let us know whether you have received the Westminster Report and please include your name and full address. If you have not received a copy, we will be happy to send you one.

February 2008

In the recent past your MP plus community groups have been successful in saving Fetcham village post office from closure. A new battle is now on as seven Mole Valley Constituency Post Offices are up for closure. Read full story

Hospitals Update

February 2008

Sir Paul is concerned about the huge amount of debt East Surrey Hospital has accumulated over recent years, caused in part by a delay in the transfer of acute services from Crawley to Redhill in 2001. He supports the Member of Parliament for Reigate, Crispin Blunt, who recently used a Westminster Hall debate to urge the Government to write off the Hospital Trust’s debt of £56m. Sadly, the Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is amongst the 17 Trusts in this country classified as “financially challenged.” Sir Paul contributed to the debate, wishing to “emphasise to the Minister that a considerable number of constituencies, including my own, look to that Trust. A number of hospitals serve my constituency and two are under financial threat.”

Leatherhead Bicycle Thefts

February 2008

Surrey Police have recently released bicycle theft figures in the Leatherhead area over the 3 month period from 1st November. They recorded thirteen offences in total, with the most occurring in Bookham where 5 bikes were stolen. The Police are deeply concerned that in eight of the thirteen reported offences there was no security attached to the bikes at all. It was apparent that these were opportunist thefts committed outside shops or restaurants as inattentive owners merely left their bikes for a few moments. The Police are taking every opportunity to challenge owners when they find bicycles left unsecured are also regularly visiting bicycle shops, second-hand shops and car boot fairs to try to locate the stolen items. It is anticipated that Surrey Police will not only continue their monitoring but have some proactive operations in the future to try to deter thieves.

Gatwick Airport Expansion Fear

February 2008

Currently there is a planning agreement which prevents Gatwick Airport from constructing a second runway before 2019, but from 2020 there will be great cause for concern. A second runway would undoubtedly cause excessive noise pollution and traffic congestion in the surrounding area. In a recent Westminster Hall Debate in the House of Commons, questions were raised about the future of Gatwick Airport as a single-runway airport and the fear that expansion at nearby airports such as Stansted and Heathrow would have a negative effect on the economic prosperity of Gatwick. However, Sir Paul argued against expansion of Gatwick Airport on behalf of those in his constituency who do not support a second runway at Gatwick. Few people understand the impact a second runway would have on Gatwick’s surrounding towns and villages. The infrastructure, businesses and people needed to support the expansion would have a huge impact on the area and some commentators have even suggested that the impact would be equivalent to dropping a city the size of Atlanta into the region. It is vital that the land currently safeguarded for the possibility of future construction of a second runway is used instead for new housing, not just to ensure that the second runway never becomes a reality but also to provide much needed housing in the region.

January 2008

On Wednesday 12th December Sir Paul Beresford, MP for Mole Valley, attended a briefing to update Surrey Members of Parliament on the various issues affecting Surrey Police and the initial and long-term measures being considered by the Force and Police Authority to address them. There was particular concern over the threat to the county due to a real term cut in the Government police funding. Read full story