09/12/2012 Sunday Politics East

Here in the East, the MP who finally succeeded in getting the

fuel duty escalator scrapped. And, a blight or a blessing? Would

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2134 seconds

Welcome to Sunday Politics, I'm Etolle George.

Later, controversy over planning decisions to build solar farms on

prime agricultural land. The price of localism, which was given to

communities in at the last election, has promised -- has proven to be

but false promise. And George Osborne grunts the wishes of this

MP, and makes the dream of motorists come true. Fuel duty

affects every man and woman in the country because it impacts on food

prices and transport prices. It is a toxic tax, and the Government has

said, we have at Palma de Mallorca rises.

First let's meet our guests, Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge,

Julian Huppert, and Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough.

Let's begin with the news that the boss of the first private company

to run an NHS hospital has stepped down. Ali Parsa founded Circle in

2004. The company took over the running of Hinchingbrooke Hospital

in Huntingdon in February. It has incurred a �4 million deficit in

its first six months. Steve Melton is taking Mr Parsa's place as

interim chief executive. patients expect us to fix the

quality first. Meanwhile, behind the scenes we are working on long-

term sustainable economics. This is a ten-year contract, and we are in

our first year. So we are absolutely focused on getting

quality right first, and then a sustainable hospital in economic

terms second. Julian Huppert, are you reassured, or are there alarm

bells ringing? There are definitely alarm bells.

There have been problems with a hospital for a long time. People

who live there have to face the uncertainty for many years. This

approach of having a private company running it is an

interesting approach. I hope it works out, because what is more

important than any discussion is what sort of health care do people

get when they need it? Peter, what about private companies running it?

The quality is what matters first. Let us but the economics second. It

would have been wrong if they cut the quality of service to make the

books balance. In the NHS, the one thing that seems wrong is that we

broke -- wobbly too much about balancing the books... But don't we

have to think about balancing the books? If you are taking over a

hospital that has not been run very well, met us but the quality right

first. This Chief Executive may have resigned, but he will still

have to go in front of the select committee, so the public accounts

committee will look into that. - is it a time for experimenting?

can understand why three or four years ago the then Government

decided to stay but trying something different. Do you think

it will be followed elsewhere? it works well. If not, we will have

to say that was a mistake and it should not have happened. The key

is the quality, and what happens to patients. The industrialisation of

our countryside is an allegation that levelled at the growing number

of solar farm is in our region. Many have been given the go ahead

without applications being discussed more widely. Opponents

say the Government's determination to make green targets is at the

expense of our countryside. Solar farms, the answer to our

energy woes, or at desecration of the countryside? The height, there

is going to be 40,000 panels over this area. It will absolutely

transform the landscape. 35 years here are coming to an end for Roger

and his family. They are selling up, musing, they say, a quarter of the

value of their farm -- home. this is a rural setting, and it is

being turned into an industrial setting. In at a world where we

cannot feed the people on the planet, we should not be taking

agricultural land out of use. This is driven entirely by subsidies. If

you think about it practically, we do not need energy in the middle of

the summer when it these panels will be producing the main energy,

we need it in the depths of the winter. Be owner of the land

declined to comment, but the Government says that if planning

applications do not adversely impact on the environment, they

should be approved. Proposals for solo farms like this one in Weston

Longville can simply be decided on by his single planning officer.

They do not have to be discussed at council meetings. Once given the

go-ahead, there is not a lot anybody opposed to the plans can go,

unless they are willing to take proceedings to the High Court.

Going to a High Court is extremely expensive, and David Cameron has

recently announced that he is going to become -- it is going to become

more expensive and more difficult. That means that the promise of

localism, which was given to local communities in the run-up to the

last election, has proven to be a false promise, one at that has not

been kept to. The Prime Minister has twisted the localism agenda to

sit other purposes. Lack energy has just got approval for the country's

largest solar farm. Much of what you see in the countryside has been

grown for energy. Solo it is a far more effective use of the land.

Opponents argue Solar farms are expensive, that solar energy cannot

be stored, and that we get it when we need it least. But farmers say

it makes economic sense. We are in it to make a profit, but also there

is a need for food and energy, and water, and farmers have to do the

best they can and diversify. current spate of solar forms take

advantage of a terrace that are expected to change in the spring.

The reason there is a rush to get some of those sold of forms

completed by the end of March is that everybody is aware that the

Government is going to change the support but Solar receives in April.

At the moment we do not know what that support level will be.

level of support Solar Energy receives from the Government may

determine whether this becomes the landscape of the future.

Dunion, is it right that these decisions do not go before for

council? Are unsurprised there is not a role for a planning committee

involvement. In Cambridge City Council, the normal thing would be

that the planning application would go to an area committee. People

should have a say. Having said that, as we panned out from that image,

from further away I thought the solar farm it looked very much like

another farm. Bit is not growing food, though. It is not, and the

world does actually produce enough food to feed everybody, but we do

not produce it in at the right places. We can have a balance

between eight -- energy creation and food grows from. If people are

concerned about having these farms built near by, the only recourse is

going to the High Court. That is completely undemocratic. We said we

were going to bring in that localism, but local councils were

going to decide, and the recent White local councils are proving

these things is that because if they do not approve them, the

development will go to appeal, and the council will have cost awards

did against it. The Government has to do what it said it would do,

have localism. The reason we do not have it is because the Liberal

Democrats are in favour of this wishy-washy climate change rubbish.

Liberal Democrats claimed to be Democrats, but here it they want a

centralised Government, Stalinist control. Beta is wrong on this. We

are keener on that vocalist decision-making. The fact that we

have to generate energy and be in favour of localism. Are you in

favour of letting local councils make decisions? A set at the

beginning that I am keen that local councils should be involved. I want

to come back to our point that you made about the fact that you said

it looked like any other form. Some would say this is building on

greenfield and turning green field into brownfield. I can understand

their concerns about that. I thought the farmer's comment was

good. We have to supply food, and energy. We need to do far more on

energy efficiency, and that is not talked about enough. The best thing

to do is not to build accord plant, a gas plant... A gentleman, what is

to stop these solar farms from popping up all over the place?

does not matter what the local council says. If Gillian it was

right that local councils could turn these damn, that is fine. But

if they turn them down, they are automatically... A I think the key

thing is what level the subsidy is at. I would like to see a gradual

phasing out of subsidies. Hydro- Electric does not require a subsidy

now, because it is a mature technology. Peter Bone, it is your

Government that has brought in at the east terrace. It is the

wretched Liberal Democrats who are forcing us to do it. But am going

to campaign to have Tory values in this, and real localism. We also

have a responsibility to our cells and the planet to make sure we have

somewhere that is worth living in ten, 20 years. If we do not do

something about climate change, our grandchildren will have far worse

things than a solar farm are being built in the countryside. This

week's Autumn Statement. How was it for you? The Chancellor had to

admit that austerity will continue until 2018, and that will mean a

more spending cuts and a squeeze on all our budgets. But there were a

few crumbs of comfort. Super-fast broadband for Cambridge, and that

announcement about fuel duty. From college yards of

Northamptonshire to the isolated villages of the Fens, the rising

price of fuel has become a major issue. In a mini-budget which had

little to shout about, this was the announcement to delight MPs.

typical motorist in Kettering will from January be paying �5 less

every time they fill up at the pump. Can I thank my honourable friend of

my half of my colleagues for putting up the fuel back into the

tank... Be MP for Harlow has spent the last two years leading the

campaign against fuel duty. Finally he says, the Government has got the

message. The fuel duty affects everybody, especially those in

white vans who are trying to go to work. It also affects those taking

buses. But the price of fuel is not coming down. No we also want fuel

duty cuts, but I am happy that they have frozen fuel duty, a permanent

freeze, not just a three-month freeze. Two long awaited road

schemes were approved, one for the Afive in Bedfordshire and another

widening scheme for their M25. Cambridge will get ultra-fast

broadband, but there is also funding for research and biocides.

And extra money for the Regional Growth Fund. All this on top of

funding announced in it earliest -- earlier budgets for the Dr Foster

end of the meat and A14. We have to rebuild an economic model. I am so

excited about our science base, it will not create jobs overnight but

it will build a sustainable future. Do is was also the week when the

Chancellor had to announce further austerity measures, affecting all

of us. There will be less money for policing and local councils, and

benefits will rise less than the rate of inflation. In last week's

programme, we visited the Milton Keynes phone bank. There've -- food

bank. We have had a 20% increase on our demand and services this year,

I can see it being in the same next year if not more. There are people

who really want to try and find work at the moment, there are small

businesses struggling. That is what we should be prioritising, not a

tax cut for millionaires which seems to be George Osborne's out of

touch priority. Next year at bay will start work on a widening to

the A14 in Cambridgeshire. Peter Bone, are you happy about the

fuel announcement? I thought it was a pretty good autumn statement.

Every time you fill your tank, you will be saving �5. That is a real

significance saving for hard- working families. For many people,

especially people on benefits, it was not a good autumn statement.

Benefits are going up. The idea they are being cut in cash terms is

wrong. I listened, and because of the Labour Party we are in this

mess. Given the cards that the Chancellor had, I think it was a

pretty good statement. Why of the best things about the Autumn

Statement was what was not in it. I have been pushing hard against the

idea that David Cameron proposed, I think it would be lucky but much

look lovely that people could live in -- live in a stable family, but

I am pleased we have cut back on the number of cuts. Are you not as

a party claiming a lot of credit for the parts of the Autumn

Statement that are benefiting lower income families? That is not

terribly coalition? There is no surprise that we have different

priorities from the Conservatives. Peter and I disagree on a number of

things. We are very pleased about reducing the amount of money that

is being raided from welfare, we are very pleased we have managed to

go further in terms of lifting poorly paid people out of income

tax. Does that mean you are the good guys and the Conservatives are

the bad guys? He always thinks that! We have a set of things we

try to fight for, and that will continue through future Autumn

Statement. Peter, you said it was a good statement. What about the

gentleman at the food bank, he said a 20% increase in people wanting

help. What about the language of the Chancellor, talking about the

jobless being feckless and workshy? He made it clear that was a

misrepresentation of his views. We are in a complete economic mess,

that is for sure, and it is difficult for everyone. I am not

saying we will not be having food banks in Wellingborough. But the

coalition Government but doing their best to get us out of this

mess in that the most equitable way. To be fair to the Chancellor, I

think the Government have done a pretty good job this time. What

about this ultra-fast broadband for Cambridge? I think that is exciting.

Parts of Cambridge already have good Connectivity, and working

together with the County Council we should be able to roll out better

connections with some of the rural areas. That is a good thing from

the Autumn Statement. The idea of Wi-Fi across Cambridge City means

that people will be able to work anywhere. Then there is the �6

million in the research and innovation budgets. B Tech, a new

road to link the Afive to the M1. When I drove past the huge new link

road to Corby, I bought a serious effort into getting the bypass

built. The Chancellor is recognising that are important

infrastructure projects that are now going ahead which previously

have been stopped. That is a good sign. A I have criticised the

Chancellor before for not putting enough investment into capital, and

it is good that he is making good steps.

By now, it is all up in the air. 60 seconds. A new call for a second

runway to be built at Stansted Airport this week came from the

boss of Gatwick. And then, in due course, to have a second runway at

Stansted. A more traditional form of transport for Matthew Hancock,

named as Sports Parliamentarian of the Year for promoting horse racing.

Welcomed by his fellow Tories, MP Richard Bacon used the ten-minute

rule to argue that it was time to scrap the Human Rights Act.

supranational court can impose its will against ours, and in my view

this is fundamentally undemocratic. Good news for a school in Essex,

nicknamed Shed City by its own head teacher. Does he share my delight

that the Essex County Council has allocated �8.4 million to build a

new school, and may I thank him for his support for that campaign?

bad tidings for 50 disabled workers in Norwich, whose jobs are under

threat after news that the Remploy packaging plant failed to find a

B Tech, what about Stansted Airport? We do welcome a second

runway? We need much more aviation capacity. A second runway, I am not

so sure. I do think we need to increase airport capacity as soon

as possible, as Stansted I am not so sure. Let us see it closer to

capacity before we think about that. Is it any more pie-in-the-sky it

than that Boris Ireland? Stay Unsted simply -- Stansted is

running at half capacity. People don't seem to be, there are other

schemes, but this one is sticking a round. By air is currently space

for 60% increase in passenger numbers around the country without

building any new terminals or runways. It does not make sense to

start building new runways in an airport that is not being used.