Adrian Sanders

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.”

Government Must Go Green In The Face Of Dwindling Gas Supply

Answers given by the Energy Minister to Torbay MP Adrian Sanders have revealed a dramatic shift in Britain’s energy supplies in recent years, with over a quarter of gas consumed in the country now coming from foreign sources.  Up to only 5 years ago, the UK was self sufficient in its gas supply.

There are now concerns that the reliance on gas from abroad, coupled with a lack of storage facilities in the UK, Britain could be susceptible to energy shortages.  Energy Minister Mike O’Brien stated that there were plans to increase storage facilities but that “if all these projects go ahead GB’s gas storage capacity could increase to some 20 per cent of current annual demand levels by around 2020.”

The Minister also highlighted how future supplies will depend increasingly on countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iraq, with supply routes coming through Turkey.

As well as boosting storage facilities, Mr Sanders has called for the Government to use this opportunity to make a substantial shift to renewable and sustainable forms of electricity generation.  He is calling for more financial incentives for individual households to invest in solar panels and wind turbines-known as microgeneration.

The development of new technologies also throws open the possibility of new jobs and investment, which would be very welcome for areas such as the South West, which are being hit hard by the recession.

Mr Sanders said: “It is inevitable that fossil fuels will be in shorter supply in the future.  If we do not invest in renewables this will push energy prices sky high and reduce Britain’s energy security drastically. 

The Government does provide some money for renewable schemes at a local level but this is not enough and there is not enough information out there to allow individuals, councils and other groups to get involved.

Developing renewable energy solutions could be the next big industrial development in the UK and we must ensure that communities such as Torbay, which are suffering from a lack of skilled employment opportunities, are not left out by this Government.”

Government Should Stand Up to EU Over Financial Mismanagement

MP for Torbay Adrian Sanders has called on the Government to stand firm over the EU’s financial management.

Treasury Minister Ian Pearson admitted to Mr Sanders this week that the Government has not taken up the concerns in a recent National Audit Office report highlighting concerns over financial transparency in the EU budget.

Serious errors were found in EU accounting, similar to recent years with the National Audit Office blaming the complexity of EU schemes and poor implementation at a national level.

Mr Sanders is calling on the Government to use its influence to get the EU to make its budget more transparent and improve its legitimacy and also to engage with the public over how EU money is spent.

Mr Sanders said: “Britain makes a net contribution of over £4billion to the EU every year and it is essential that there is democratic oversight of how this is spent.  The Government must stop avoiding its responsibilities on this issue and take Brussels to task to make sure the EU is fully democratic, has good financial management and works in the interests of voters.” 

Adrian Sanders MP joins Guide Dogs campaign to ‘Say NO to shared streets’

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has experienced a dangerous new street design that puts blind and partially sighted people, disabled and elderly people, and young children in danger, at an event held by Guide Dogs.

Adrian tried out a mock shared surface street whilst blindfolded as part of Guide Dogs ‘Say NO to shared streets’ campaign, at the House of Commons. These streets – when the road and pavement are built at the same level with the kerb removed – force all road users to make ‘eye contact’ to establish who moves first. This obviously undermines the safety, confidence and independence of vulnerable pedestrians.

Wheelchair users have to share their space with intimidating cyclists and vehicles, and young children no longer have a kerb to safely stop, look, and listen at. Adrian also learnt about the importance of safe and accessible towns and high streets for vulnerable pedestrians. 

Adrian and his wife Alison have adopted a retired guide dog, Todd, who lives with them at their Paignton home.

David Cowdrey, Guide Dogs Campaign Manager, commented: “We know that shared surface streets are dangerous and discriminate against the safety and independence of vulnerable pedestrians. If people can’t tell where the road begins and the pavement ends, how can you feel safe?

“We need everyone to get behind our campaign so that they are free to use their town centres and high streets as they wish – instead of them becoming no-go areas.“

The ‘Say NO to shared streets’ campaign is supported by nearly 20 other national disability organisations including MENCAP, Leonard Cheshire Disability, RNID, RNIB and Arthritis Care.

People can find out more about Guide Dogs ‘Say NO to shared streets’ campaign and Take Action at www.guidedogs.org.uk/sharedstreets Simply fill in a few details and concerns about shared surface streets, and a personal message will be sent to their MP. It only takes a minute but gives vital support to the campaign.

Visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/sharedstreets for more information on the campaign.

Sanders concerned about warden reduction

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, is leading a campaign in Parliament to prevent the removal of sheltered housing wardens. 

Adrian is the primary sponsor of Early Day Motion 432, which warns of the detrimental effect the reduction in budgets for wardens could have on vulnerable people and calls on the Government to ensure that no housing schemes have to suffer the loss of their wardens.

The motion is being supported by 41 other MPs and it is hoped that as more sheltered housing schemes become aware of the issues, they will convince their own MPs to support the motion.

Changes in funding structures and shifting spending priorities at a local level have seen many support worker posts come under threat, to be replaced by ‘floating support’ that does not offer a similar level of care.

Adrian said: “There are many vulnerable people living in sheltered housing and it is our duty as a society to ensure that they are looked after.  Taking away this vital support is a desertion of our basic human principles and the Government, if it has any credibility, cannot let this happen.”

“I have met with sheltered housing residents in my constituency and they are very worried.”

Paignton Flooding Needs Multi-Agency Response

Local agencies need to pull together to ensure a permanent solution is found for the Dartmouth Road area which has again been recently hit by flooding. 

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has been in correspondence with South West Water, Torbay Council, Ofwat and the Environment Agency, urging a robust solution.

And there is good news as work is due to commence later this month to upgrade the Station Lane Sewage Pumping Station, which should prevent future flooding.

The upgrading work is due to finish in September this year and, heavy rain permitting, the flooding earlier in June could be the last to affect the area.

Mr Sanders said: “For too long flooding has plagued this area of Paignton.  It has not been a one off, it has been a consistent problem over the years.  Previous works haven’t found a way forward but hopefully in September flooding on Dartmouth Road will be a thing of the past.”

The news comes as the Environment Agency announced research highlighting the need for an extra £1billion investment in flood defences.