Bath MP Don Foster can reveal that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is considering leaving all of their premises in Bath. Previously, the MoD had admitted that it was planning to move Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) services out of sites in Foxhill and Warminster Road, but it was assumed MoD staff would remain at Ensleigh. Now the MoD is studying the possibility of moving Ensleigh staff to the new site in Abbey Wood.

Bath MP Don Foster has written to the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Defence, Kevan Jones MP, asking for further information and to secure a meeting to discuss the subject. Don said,

This announcement is worrying, as it could see further jobs leaving Bath. Ensleigh has just had a major IT infrastructure upgrade, so I believe it makes sense to keep MoD jobs at the site. Any move would also increase congestion in the area, as Bath-based staff would have to make their way to Abbey Wood.

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Our MP, Don Foster, has called for more police to be out on the street in Bath. Don spoke after the Lib Dems launched our policing manifesto for the 2010 General Election.

Since March 2005, Avon & Somerset Police have lost 99 officers, and is one of 18 of 43 forces to have lost officers in this period. The Conservatives have run the local police authority for this time, and also run two-thirds of the authorities who have shed police since 2005. Labour run the other third. The loss of 99 officers means the force ranks 8th in terms of officers lost since 2005, and in 2009 the force lost 56 officers. Bath MP Don said,

The best way to prevent crime is to catch criminals, and the best way to catch criminals is to have more police officers out on the beat. The Conservative-run police authority has let this area down, by cutting police numbers. The police we have do a superb job, but they cannot make up for the fact that we need more police out on the streets catching criminals. That’s why the Liberal Democrats would scrap Labour’s illiberal ID card scheme, and instead fund 3,000 extra police officers for the nation.

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Bath MP Don Foster has signed up to the Royal British Legion campaign, ‘Time To Do Your Bit’.

The campaign sets out the Legion’s priorities for the next Government to improve conditions for Service Personnel and their families, the bereaved, veterans and dependents. Don Foster commented,

I am delighted to support The Royal British Legion. They have an important role to play in highlighting the needs of the whole Armed Forces family. I have pledged to do my bit, and will continue to work with my colleagues in Parliament to ensure the welfare of our service men and women is a priority.

The Royal British Legion manifesto and further details of the campaign are available at www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk

Liberal Democrats in Bath are “over the moon” following the government’s announcement of new powers for Councils to control ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’ (HMOs). Councillor Shaun McGall and Don Foster MP have been campaigning on this issue for 10 years.

Today’s announcement shows that the government has finally bowed to national public pressure and has given local Councils the much-needed powers to control the spread of high concentrations of shared rented homes. This will allow Councils, such as ours, to tackle pockets of unsafe and substandard accommodation run by bad landlords. Liberal Democrats in the city headed by MP Don Foster had been calling on the Government to speed up action on the subject. Local MP Don Foster said:

I warmly welcome this announcement from the Minister. HMOs play an important role in providing affordable housing, but a dense population can have serious effects on the local community. It is great that the government has finally realised this and changed the law.

This is good for local residents giving control over unregulated profit driven changes to the community. Good for HMO tenants, as it will improve standards and get rid of bad landlords, by providing a mechanism for councils to set up local landlord licensing schemes.

The changes mean that landlords will need to apply for planning permission in order to establish a new HMO with a change of use, for example when the use of a property is altered from a family home to a shared house, with three or more tenants who are not related.

We would like to thank residents from across the city who responded to the Government consultation last year following our campaign.
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All four local Councils have written to Lord Adonis regarding our joint concerns over the lack of clarity on the provision of sufficient rolling stock to cater for passengers using train services in the West of England. A copy of the letter was also sent to Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of First Great Western.

The full text of the letter can be seen below:
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Bath MP Don Foster has written to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government John Denham, asking him to call-in the planning decision to expand Bristol International Airport. In his letter, Don says that,

the expansion of the airport would have significant effects beyond its immediate locality, and has generated a large amount of regional controversy.

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Almost 2,000 pensioners in Bath could be missing out on cold weather payments this winter due to the government’s complicated system.

Cold Weather Payments of £25 a week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit, which goes unclaimed by as many as 1.7m pensioner nationally.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats estimates that 1,955 of eligible Bath pensioners were not claiming Pension Credit in 2007/8 (the most recent year figures are available). Thus, they would not be receiving the Cold Weather Payment.

Bath’s Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster said,

Fuel prices are at an all time high, making Cold Weather Payments all the more important to people already struggling on a poverty pension. Labour has failed pensioners by creating a complicated system that makes it difficult for them to get the help they desperately need.

The Government should be making every effort to identify pensioners who are missing out and get them this extra cash.

Bath MP Don Foster has commented on today’s announcement that the Secretary of State will not be calling in the proposed-Bus Rapid Transit link through Newbridge (along with the Newbridge Park and Ride extension) for his own determination.

Don said,

“I am deeply disappointed with the decision made by the Secretary of State. However, this does not change my view that processes followed by the Council throughout have been seriously flawed.

“I, along with Liberal Democrat colleagues on the Council, will now talk to residents to see if they wish to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.”

Children would be banned from using sunbeds in Wales under new laws to be proposed by the assembly government.

Unstaffed sunbed salons would also be banned under regulations planned by Wales’ Health Minister Edwina Hart.

It follows the case of a 10-year-old girl from Port Talbot who suffered burns after spending 16 minutes on a sunbed at an unsupervised salon.

To read the full story click here.

(first printed at www.bbc.co.uk)

Lib Dem Leader, Nick Clegg today received medals handed to him from Gurkhas who served in the British Army before 1997 and are being denied a full pension and the right to British Citizenship.

Speaking at a protest outside Parliament, Nick Clegg said:

When I told people what you get from the Government in return for the years of brave, loyal, uncomplaining success people simply don’t believe it.

It is quite simply a national disgrace. I am simply saying you should be treated with the respect and honour you deserve as brave soldiers.

I will do everything I can to end this unacceptable and immoral discrimination.

Nick Clegg later tackled Gordon Brown over the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions. He said:

Two hours ago a retired Gurkha soldier handed over this medal to me in protest at the Government’s refusal to grant him British citizenship.

Do you know what it means for a loyal British soldier to give up a medal that he won for his long years of service to this country?

And can you explain to the Gurkhas why on earth you believe that Gurkhas who served in the Army after 1997 are worthy of British citizenship but those who served before that date should be deported?

The Government has given the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear power stations, which is a flawed decision based on a sham consultation - we all know that ministers made up their minds long ago.

The Government has effectively locked us into nuclear power for the best part of a century. By the time they are up and running in the 2020s nuclear power plants may be obsolete given the breathtaking progress in renewable technologies.

The Labour Government Minister, John Hutton MP, was not able to give a cast iron guarantee that taxpayers will not have to subsidise the costs of nuclear in the future. The Government had nothing to say about today’s pressing issue - spiralling fuel prices. The new Energy Bill must include measures to protect the millions of households who are struggling to meet their winter fuel bills.

The UK has an energy crisis now - nuclear power cannot fill the energy gap. Energy conservation and investment in renewables should be our top priorities.

Of course, the year has been dominated by the HMO Consultation. A report on the Consultation should have been published within three months of its ending in August, but it has still not appeared.

Apparently, the response was three times greater than expected - some 900 responses! Hopefully, the majority of these were from local residents, cllrs and MPs - but landlords and students were also campaigning against potential changes in the law. The volume of responses has caused the delay (the government has only one part-time officer dealing with them - Cllr McGall has spoken to her and she hopes to publish by the end of the year).

Meanwhile, we also have a new Minister for Housing & Planning, John Healey MP, who claims he is not well enough briefed as yet to make any decisions. Below is his reply to a question in the Commons, on 8 December 2009: -

Greg Mulholland (Leeds, North-West) (Lib Dem): Landlord licensing is one solution, but the use classes order is far more significant in many areas with concentrations of HMOs. Will the Minister give me an update on the progress of the Government’s examination of that? Does he agree that restrictions on the number of HMOs in such areas will increase the balance of the community and be in the interests of all?

John Healey: Indeed, and that is why our general policy is to promote mixed communities, as they tend to be better balanced and more stable. The hon. Gentleman asked for an update on our examination of whether changes to the use classes might help us pursue our objectives. At present, we are sifting the 900 or so responses that we have received to the consultation, and I hope to be able to update the House on this shortly.

See http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm091208/debtext/91208-0002.htm#09120872000021

Several MPs, including our Don Foster, are lobbying the Minister to take action. The danger is that an early election will sabotage all the progress we have made. If you haven’t already done so, it would be invaluable if you could lobby Don Foster MP, and ask him to put what pressure he can on the Minister to move things along.

Meanwhile, in the hope of a positive outcome in due course…