01/04/2012 Sunday Politics East

Here in the east, well though watered down planning reforms allow

the growth we so desperately need a is it still a developer's's

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1879 seconds

charter? And EU plans to help I think what worries people,

political donations are very big in Of �8 million and 11 years. You get

millions from private health care providers. The fact of the matter

is, I had been our party's spokesman on health for her years

and that no state, in no time, in no way, has anybody secured any

influence of our polity -- our policy by giving donations. Because

you are expanding their business. There is nothing in their

legislation. It is perfectly possible that NHS hospitals

actually are not to stem a -- that are not discriminated against in

the way that Labour debt, are able to get the benefits. NHS hospitals

will be in a stronger place to provide the services that patients

need. Let me ask you two questions about where we go from the best in

terms of legislation. Other be no more major organisation of the NHS?

In my point of view, the legislation is very clear. I am not

asking you about that. Can you give a pledge, I do not think that you

can or want to, that there will be no more legislation? The point of

this legislation was to deal with all of their issues that where

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1879 seconds

Welcome to Sunday politics. After the volcanic ash cloud, more help

from the youth of passengers who were disrupted, delayed or disabled.

Let us meet our guests this week. The Lib Dem MEP for the eastern

region and the Conservative MP for North Essex. Let us begin with a

brief word about a difficult week for the Government, particularly

for the Conservatives. Last week we had the dinners, David Cameron's

funding story. Then we had the pasty saddle which is continuing.

All self-inflicted, is it not? large extent it is. You never quite

know when a storm is going to golf and government and two Cawthray

stance have engulfed it this week. It is very perplexing and you get

very angry with the way things are being handled are not handled, or

mistakes that have obviously been made. A certain amount of it is

hysteria and it remains to be seen whether it has a lasting effect.

Let us talk about the past the gate. There is a serious side to this. It

has shown that this coalition is out of touch with everyone else.

have been asked by people in Brussels to explain... What is a

pasty? That is quite hard. The truth of the tax laws is that they

are chaotic. I think it is absolutely sensible to rationalise

them. It has been a bad week though, and I have to say that I had been

watching with astonishment and to return at the weekend to find

people queuing up for petrol is really quite scandalous. Now to

another area where the coalition has suffered a backlash. After a

series of concessions, this week our revised version of the planning

rule book has been published. It seems to have satisfied to critics

who said that the original was a developer's's charter.

We fear that it will give carte blanche to developers to build in

the countryside, regardless of its impact. It has been retracted and

anything that can Shurton that -- it has been protracted and anything

that can shorten that will be good for businesses. We do need to get

development and growth but we should do that sympathetically not

cause problems to our great heritage. Aim is to make it easier

for companies to grow and for developers to build more houses.

Find -- from now on, it will Creaser big change in the east.

More land has been developed in Colchester in the last 30 years

than in the 2,000 years after the Romans settled and made it their

first capital. In Corby, the population is set to

rise by 9,000, an increase of 19 per cent in eight years. At a time

when we all know that the country death sprit late -- desperately

needs growth, it is time to wrap up the red tape and allow these

serious to start growing. If you look at the countryside around

rocking ham, it used to be a forest. It is not a forest any more, and we

have core be standing on what was that Forest.

Owners of historic properties and English Heritage say that they will

be watching what impact this new legislation has and if safeguards

are not honoured they will be calling on the governments to act.

Joining us from Oxford is the chairman of Northamptonshire's

campaign to protect rural England. What is your reaction to these

changes? I am glad to be able to get them a guarded welcome. Sense

be aimed -- since the aim of our grit is to enhance their beauty and

vitality of the countryside for the benefit of all, we actually think

that what is proposed is simplified the planning framework must be a

good thing. By reducing more than 1,000 pages of guidance to a more

manageable 60, it is now possible to see what the conditions are that

must be met in order to produce the right kind of development for the

county. As we wish to have an economy in the county which is

vibrant, we do except that there has to be development in the

country as well as in the city. Northamptonshire is not fool of

protected sites. They understand what were saying about a vibrant

economy, but is there a school of thought which says that this could

it be county under a lot of extra pressure? The county is already

under great deal of pressure because of its position in what has

been known as Greater Milton Keens. That has been true for some years.

We have a singular difficulty in that there is no land in

Northamptonshire that his death -- that is designated. We have no

green belts, no place is of outstanding natural beauty. All the

land is open to development if the conditions are wrong. What is your

view of how this change has come about by the government, because

there was a backlash, was there not? There is a view that the

government has given way to that. There certainly was a backlash, we

were part of it. I wrote to ministers identifying things that

were wrong with their draft. I am very pleased to say that they seem

to have listened to what has been said. But given the strength of

opposition from all the environmental bodies I am not

altogether surprised, but I am grateful. I think what has been

achieved is something which is very much more manageable and something

which could be a workable -- which could be workable for the future.

Is this a way to make policy? The reaction by the government was to

denounce the opposition as a smear campaign by left-wingers. I think

they are about to become excessively heated. We're dealing

with very controversial matters. The fact is that we produced

something like 50,000 -- we have reduced 50,000 pages of planning

laws to 50 pages. It is to make it easier for people to understand

planning position, to get it if they are entitled to it... But is

it a weight to conduct its business, by enthusing the people of being

left-wingers? I am not accusing people in those terms. I think we

have the right policy now. It has been moderated and we have made the

planning was much simpler. Can I correct one thing, Col Chester has

volunteered for large amount of housing planning. If Colchester

wants to change its planning -- changed his plans and have less

grow -- less growth, they can do so. Did we not need to take up the

planning will be it down to 50? Will thus not get building going?

think that with respect to the process, that he criticised, I

think that this exercise proves that it has worked. There has a

been a consultative period which has worked. I was strongly opposed

to the first plan, where there was an imperative on growth, green

field, a green belt was clearly a risk and the pressure was listened

from brownfield sites in places like Cambridge. In Norwich. I am

pleased that the government has changed its approach. Do you feel

that the safeguards are going to work? Can you do anything if you

are unhappy about the way that things are going? I think that the

safeguards ought to be capable been made to work. Provided that two

things do not happen. First, that we do not get speculative building

without the proper infrastructures, something which we have always felt

very strongly about. We must get the infrastructure in place before

we build houses. Secondly, I am extremely alarmed and

Northamptonshire about the frequency with which the government

is over ruling local planners, to allow the construction of wind

farms in the county. We now have 25 wind farms approved are in the

pipeline and it makes the argument almost small beer.

Plans for any air passenger charter moved a step closer this week after

a vote in the European Parliament. A report was approved which said

that airlines should give more help to passengers whose flights are

delayed or cancelled and the more open about their pricing. The new

charter, which could become law next year, is particularly aimed at

the low-cost airlines. Many which operate from Luton and Stansted

Airport. The world of the air travel has

changed considerably. Low-cost airlines have paid flying within

the reach of everyone. It should have happened many years ago so

that everyone could have taken advantage of it. I would be a bit

dubious about it, with it being that cheek. Ryanair has been

offering a good fair since 1991. We are determined to take the law fair

competition to British Airways. charged extra for anything but

Spock than -- but the essential services. These carriers need to

offer a standard of service, and that is not an unreasonable request

to expectation. The EU's transport and tourism committee think it is

times that of -- think it is time that all of their lines, but

particularly a low-cost airlines need to change. Just because you

have the time Rini are EasyJet does not mean to say that you're happy

to pay 40 quite -- �40 or her �50 to take hand-luggage on a Alter

Abbey King. This is wrong, this is not in their customer's interests.

This is about customer right, not get the right of the airlines to

make more money out of their customers. Most of their passengers

are fine, they do not need help. My mum, for example, would need help

in finding her way attack -- finding her way around. A I suspect

that they will pick the prices up accordingly, but we as with all

things I expect they will pit -- you get what you pay for.

This man was once left on a plane at 1am after his wheelchair was

sent through to baggage reclaim. There are disabled people who just

go there, biting their nails, feeling second their stomach,

because of the fear that if something goes wrong, what will

they do? How will I get out of it, he will listen to me? May King

asserted changes that you want would be very expensive for the

airlines. We are still human beings. Cost will be the main argument

which airlines were used. Ryanair refused to comment, but EasyJet

says it would welcome an even playing field. As for those wet

fares, they said... We have always been fair in our pricing. We picked

our admin fee right at the top of the baking process. As soon as you,

on the website you see it. Detailed legislation is now being drawn up.

The passenger lapel of like -- passenger bill of rights could be

drawn up by next year. Is this something that needed doing,

why is it likely to put prices up both for the airlines and

consumers? A it is always a trade- off. Regulation generally increase

-- increases costs. Transparency and rights of access for disabled

people are important issues. The aviation sector is a fantastic

industry, it has grown enormously and gives people opportunities at a

price... It is fantastic if that is working well. People you are

stranded are needed extra help have rights to... I am all in favour of

regulation if that is really going to improve things. We do not throw

babies out with Bath Watters and create more problems than we are

seeking to resolve. It cannot be right, as you head there, that

people with disabilities are suffering from so much stress.

is quite wrong. I get piles of complaints from passengers,

primarily from the low-cost airlines, but not exclusively. The

present directive is weak and be agreed this week to strengthen it.

The Conservative MEPs either opposed it and -- are abstained and

I have not quite understood why, but I am certain that they have

explanations. What we must now do is to pitch the thing into law as

fast as we can. It is time for her weekly political

round-up. The death of former her sick social

security secretary Lord Newton prompted heartfelt comments this

week. I think we should give a premium

for our students studying maths to the school to enable them to afford

to recruit new maths teachers. you wingspan is larger than your

height, are you going to be a monkey?

It was numbers at the polls on the Green Party's lines now that the

election campaign is under way. Record highs at the pumps did not

dampen drivers's desires to fill up. Maths as certainly teens since my

day. Your recollections of Lord Newton

of, there have of course the many tributes paid to end this week.

was a real battering. He devoted his entire life to public life --

are real veterans. He was a very close friend of John Major and said

that he knew the secret of Edwina Currie throughout their entire term

of John Major's government. What a loyal friend that is to have had.

He was active right to the end. just wanted to touch on the fuel

crisis. Was there any sense in the advice that people have been given

this week? I think it is absolutely scandalous that ministers have said

that people should fill up their tanks. The fact is that there is so

I conciliation process that is now proceeding between the union and

the employers and the emphasis ought to have been on that.

Scaremongering is terribly dangerous and we have had an

experience of it before. They agreed and the selfishness of

people at the petrol pumps, from time to time, is absolutely

outrageous. A comment from year about what has

happened this week. This has taken people's mind of the donors, the

past days, and the government added to the heat on this. There has not