Browse content similar to 15/01/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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And in the South East: As commuters face yet another New | :01:26. | :01:30. | |
Year fare hike, we ask if rail travel is being priced out of the | :01:30. | :01:40. | |
:01:40. | :01:40. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1692 seconds | :01:40. | :29:52. | |
Hello, and welcome to the Sunday Politics Show in the South East. | :29:52. | :29:55. | |
Coming up later in the show: As Kent County Council chalks up | :29:55. | :29:58. | |
plans for the first new grammar school in the country for 50 years, | :29:58. | :30:02. | |
we find out if it will really benefit local pupils. | :30:02. | :30:07. | |
First, let me introduce you to our guests of the day: Lib Dem | :30:07. | :30:10. | |
Transport Minister Norman Baker, and Conservative MP for Crawley, | :30:10. | :30:13. | |
Henry Smith. They will be here for the rest of the show with their | :30:13. | :30:16. | |
comments and views on the issues of the week in this region. Henry | :30:16. | :30:26. | |
:30:26. | :30:32. | ||
first. The faulty breast implants, where 40,000 women is estimated to | :30:32. | :30:42. | |
:30:42. | :30:43. | ||
have had them. I have a constituent who is pregnant. She had these | :30:43. | :30:52. | |
implants Patane, and she is very concerned. -- implants put in. | :30:52. | :30:58. | |
she get them removed? The medical advice is she need to have them | :30:58. | :31:08. | |
:31:08. | :31:08. | ||
removed after pregnancy. But a big concern. What is your view on this, | :31:08. | :31:15. | |
Norman? I think Andrew Lansley has stepped up to the plate and offered | :31:15. | :31:21. | |
to help, but those who put in these implants should have the | :31:21. | :31:31. | |
responsibility. It is a very worrying development for women. | :31:31. | :31:38. | |
has been a big week in the transport department as well. | :31:38. | :31:48. | |
:31:48. | :31:50. | ||
has been a fantastic week for railways. It will be a | :31:50. | :31:54. | |
transformation for the country, in terms of helping economic | :31:54. | :31:59. | |
development and cutting carbon, and dealing with congestion. It will be | :31:59. | :32:05. | |
quicker to get from Birmingham city centre to London city centre to get | :32:05. | :32:12. | |
from Piccadilly Circus to Heathrow. We will stick with the issue of | :32:12. | :32:14. | |
rail. A subject that won't have escaped | :32:14. | :32:16. | |
Norman's notice - and certainly hasn't escaped commuters' notice - | :32:16. | :32:20. | |
this week is the rise in train fares. As they returned to work | :32:20. | :32:23. | |
after the Christmas break, the cost of getting there by rail increased | :32:23. | :32:26. | |
by an average of almost 6% in the South East, but for some passengers, | :32:26. | :32:30. | |
the rise was much higher. If fares continue to rise - in line with | :32:30. | :32:32. | |
Government policy - could the ordinary traveller be priced off | :32:32. | :32:38. | |
the trains? Let's start with the Transport Minister, Norman Baker. I | :32:38. | :32:42. | |
know you are going to defend the rise in fares and tell us that it | :32:42. | :32:45. | |
would have been higher if your department hadn't put a cap on it, | :32:45. | :32:48. | |
but the Shadow Spokesman that you used to be would have been | :32:48. | :32:50. | |
complaining as loudly as the commuters have been. I it argued | :32:50. | :32:58. | |
strongly that we have reverted to the position of the Labour | :32:58. | :33:05. | |
government. The number of people on railways is higher than it has ever | :33:05. | :33:09. | |
been. The number of people has doubled. People are clamouring to | :33:09. | :33:17. | |
get on the railways. We have also got to bear in mind that we have | :33:17. | :33:20. | |
got a huge rail investment programme, the biggest since the | :33:20. | :33:30. | |
:33:30. | :33:34. | ||
Victorian era. We have got new railway carriages as well. | :33:34. | :33:38. | |
Tremendous investment in rail. But it has to be paid for somehow. We | :33:38. | :33:45. | |
are getting the cost of Network Rail right down as well. I want to | :33:45. | :33:49. | |
talk about the tax payer. Many commuters, though, who are watching | :33:49. | :33:53. | |
this programme, they do not feel they are getting those benefits, do | :33:53. | :34:01. | |
they? Some may not feel that, but it is the inflation rate as well as | :34:01. | :34:09. | |
up 1%. We hear about the roles that have gone up only. But the return | :34:09. | :34:19. | |
from Hastings to-, for example, has gone down 16%. Henry, I know you | :34:19. | :34:27. | |
are in favour of this shift the government wants to make. We have | :34:27. | :34:31. | |
to get the balance right. The balance has been a little bit out | :34:31. | :34:35. | |
of kilter in the past, and the government believes those who are | :34:35. | :34:40. | |
using the service should be contributing. There is a great | :34:40. | :34:50. | |
:34:50. | :35:01. | ||
local example in my constituency - Gatwick station is being upgraded. | :35:01. | :35:06. | |
We are beginning to see the results of that investment. You are both | :35:06. | :35:09. | |
keen to tell us how much your government is putting into the | :35:09. | :35:14. | |
railways, but the danger is that future. You said you have been able | :35:14. | :35:24. | |
:35:24. | :35:24. | ||
to keep things down. What we are doing is trading down Network | :35:24. | :35:33. | |
Rail's cost. Their report said Network Rail's costs could be cut | :35:33. | :35:37. | |
up to four to be sent without affecting passengers and the | :35:37. | :35:46. | |
services battle. -- 4%. The problem is the amount of money the system | :35:46. | :35:56. | |
:35:56. | :35:56. | ||
has got his sucking from the taxpayer and passenger. We have | :35:56. | :36:06. | |
:36:06. | :36:06. | ||
already taken up steps to eliminate wasteful stop -- waste. Some a | :36:06. | :36:11. | |
necessary regulations, having no purpose whatsoever, are being swept | :36:11. | :36:16. | |
away. We are also seeing each train companies are responding far more | :36:16. | :36:21. | |
to the train passengers. But this RPI plus three, I know you said it | :36:21. | :36:26. | |
might not happen, but for those who have seen a hike in their affairs, | :36:26. | :36:33. | |
they may be worried on that long term. At -- their fares. How you | :36:33. | :36:39. | |
make sure railways are still affordable? Under the Labour | :36:39. | :36:49. | |
government, welfares went up by 11%. -- rail fares. We need to put it | :36:49. | :36:54. | |
into perspective and context. People are being squeezed. But that | :36:54. | :36:59. | |
is partly the consequence of them having to pay down one of the | :36:59. | :37:06. | |
highest deficits we have ever inherited. I would be uncomfortable | :37:06. | :37:12. | |
with RPI plus three. RPI plus one is something we are working on at | :37:12. | :37:22. | |
:37:22. | :37:24. | ||
the moment. Now, Norman here is one of those | :37:24. | :37:27. | |
who benefited from a grammar school education. Kent, of course, is one | :37:27. | :37:30. | |
of the few parts of the country which still has that system of | :37:30. | :37:34. | |
education - and it could be about to build the first new grammar | :37:34. | :37:37. | |
school in the country in 50 years. At the end of last year, the | :37:37. | :37:40. | |
Coalition relaxed the laws which banned the building of new grammars, | :37:40. | :37:43. | |
which means existing schools in Kent can now expand to meet demand. | :37:43. | :37:53. | |
:37:53. | :37:54. | ||
But if it happens, will local pupils benefit? | :37:55. | :37:58. | |
Kent has more grammar schools than anywhere else and the country, but | :37:58. | :38:03. | |
there are none in Sevenoaks. Local parents have been put a check -- | :38:03. | :38:12. | |
petitioning to get one. Until last month, this would not have been | :38:12. | :38:16. | |
possible, because the government had said no new grammar schools | :38:16. | :38:21. | |
could be created. But they have altered the rules to allow existing | :38:21. | :38:25. | |
schools to open a satellite's sides elsewhere. Critics believe the | :38:25. | :38:30. | |
system is already damaging to other schools. The children who do attend | :38:30. | :38:36. | |
grammar school, you may be able to increase their performance. We can | :38:36. | :38:41. | |
also show that in the other schools, where children have failed their 11 | :38:41. | :38:47. | |
plus, they can become demotivated. And as a result, Kent has a higher | :38:47. | :38:51. | |
proportion than most other authorities of schools which are | :38:51. | :38:57. | |
failing, and are deemed to be in problems by the government's | :38:57. | :39:02. | |
inspectors. The reason for that is the selective system. Some say | :39:02. | :39:08. | |
getting rid of grammar schools would ensure a better mix of pupils. | :39:08. | :39:12. | |
If you can create comprehensive schools, where all ability children | :39:13. | :39:20. | |
go, they are good schools, and create social cohesion, and all the | :39:20. | :39:25. | |
statistical evidence shows that educational outcomes, results, are | :39:25. | :39:35. | |
:39:35. | :39:37. | ||
in fact improved. So his selection has no merit. -- so's election. It | :39:37. | :39:42. | |
creates massive stress, and it divides families and communities. | :39:42. | :39:48. | |
And even of grammar schools to provide the right education, well- | :39:48. | :39:58. | |
:39:58. | :40:03. | ||
lit stop parents problems? -- whip solve parents' problems? A head | :40:03. | :40:10. | |
teacher at this school is concerned. Some grammar schools Select, which | :40:10. | :40:16. | |
means they will take the children of the highest ability. That means | :40:16. | :40:21. | |
children come from a wide distance, whereas it would seem more sensible | :40:21. | :40:24. | |
to have a school which serves the town and local villagers, because | :40:24. | :40:29. | |
we are the ones who have the difficulty. The way to do that | :40:29. | :40:35. | |
would be to accept children from a long distance. Kent taxpayers may | :40:35. | :40:42. | |
have to pick up the bill for a school - said to be �20 million. | :40:42. | :40:48. | |
Part of the problem is that we have enough secondary school places, and | :40:48. | :40:52. | |
grammar school places in Kent. problem is we have over 250 | :40:53. | :40:56. | |
children who come into our schools from across the border, and in | :40:56. | :41:01. | |
particular, into West Kents cause. If we were able to stop that, we | :41:01. | :41:11. | |
:41:11. | :41:16. | ||
would have been up provision. -- into West Kent. | :41:16. | :41:21. | |
Is expanding be counted's already large number of grammar schools | :41:21. | :41:28. | |
best for the education system as a whole? Will Kent children get the | :41:28. | :41:37. | |
places that Kent taxpayers will be funding? | :41:37. | :41:44. | |
With me in the studio is Mike Whiting from Kent County Council. | :41:44. | :41:49. | |
Whether Kent children benefit depends on the criteria that the | :41:49. | :41:55. | |
new school is able to apply. Any Amex to be built would have to have | :41:55. | :42:02. | |
the same criteria as existing criteria. What influence can you | :42:02. | :42:12. | |
:42:12. | :42:12. | ||
have? Evaders an academy, we have little power. -- if it is an | :42:12. | :42:22. | |
:42:22. | :42:27. | ||
academy. If a school in Tunbridge Wells is interesting in opening a | :42:28. | :42:34. | |
school, could you say to them, we can opened this, but only if you | :42:34. | :42:44. | |
:42:44. | :42:46. | ||
allow local children as well? formula will have to be worked out. | :42:46. | :42:52. | |
I have got a meeting coming up, with all of the West Kent Head | :42:52. | :42:57. | |
Teachers, to judge the measure, temperature if you like, their | :42:57. | :43:04. | |
willingness to get involved. I think it would be good if we could | :43:04. | :43:08. | |
get the local people from Sevenoaks, who are calling for this to happen, | :43:08. | :43:17. | |
to get the. -- together. I would like to see their interests are | :43:17. | :43:23. | |
best served. There is a problem in the grammar system. You have got | :43:23. | :43:29. | |
enough places for people in Kent, but not enough for those outside | :43:29. | :43:34. | |
Kent. We reckon every five young people who apply for a grammar | :43:34. | :43:39. | |
school place, only four get a place. So there is a need for more places. | :43:39. | :43:49. | |
:43:49. | :43:49. | ||
We cannot stop people. My job, as a cabinet member for education is | :43:49. | :43:56. | |
Kent, it is to ensure they are adequate places for young people in | :43:56. | :44:02. | |
Kent. Grammar schools are single sex. If you were to open one new | :44:02. | :44:09. | |
school, it would you have to choose boys or girls? We would have to | :44:09. | :44:19. | |
:44:19. | :44:20. | ||
find two schools willing to open. I would be happy to look for partners, | :44:20. | :44:30. | |
:44:30. | :44:43. | ||
one Garth School, and one Boys School. -- goal's school. | :44:43. | :44:48. | |
This all played very well with parents. Choice is a very good | :44:48. | :44:58. | |
:44:58. | :45:00. | ||
thing. -- this will play a. Even if, some of those children, are coming | :45:00. | :45:08. | |
from over the border? We need to get away from these arbitrary | :45:08. | :45:15. | |
boundary lines. We need to provide the best services in pragmatic and | :45:15. | :45:23. | |
innovative ways. Crawley have benefited from a new school opening, | :45:23. | :45:31. | |
for example. Norma, -- Norman, grammar-school boy. What do you | :45:31. | :45:41. | |
:45:41. | :45:47. | ||
think about this? There is an issue where there... I went to a grammar | :45:47. | :45:57. | |
:45:57. | :45:59. | ||
school, and benefited enormously. But I also saw nine out of 10 | :46:00. | :46:04. | |
children I knew being written off, and being sent to a secondary | :46:04. | :46:12. | |
modern school, which could not attract good teachers or money. | :46:12. | :46:19. | |
Tempers cent benefit, while 90% this benefit. -- 10%. | :46:20. | :46:23. | |
And now time for a round up of the week's events in the region - as | :46:24. | :46:26. | |
told by our political editor, Louise Stewart, in precidely one | :46:26. | :46:36. | |
:46:36. | :46:39. | ||
minute! Dover was the dealt a blow with the | :46:39. | :46:45. | |
announcement that sea France had gone bust. 300 jobs could be saved, | :46:45. | :46:48. | |
but President Sarkozy says they should be French jobs. | :46:49. | :46:55. | |
There was a new Battle of Hastings this week, as Labour's energy | :46:55. | :47:01. | |
secretary turned up the heat on subsidies. Caroline Flint visited | :47:01. | :47:04. | |
her town to tell ministers that they could stick their changes | :47:05. | :47:14. | |
:47:15. | :47:19. | ||
where the sun at do not shine at! -- where the sun does not shine. | :47:19. | :47:24. | |
A newly knighted Sir Roger Gale tried to put the wind up Ed | :47:24. | :47:34. | |
:47:34. | :47:38. | ||
Miliband, over claims that rail increases are the coalition's fault. | :47:38. | :47:41. | |
That was our political editor, Louise Stewart. Let's pick up on | :47:41. | :47:45. | |
some of those stories with our guests of the day. Norman, I want | :47:45. | :47:48. | |
to ask you about solar panels. Leaving the legal issues aside, are | :47:48. | :47:54. | |
you happy to be in a Government that is cutting subsidies? | :47:54. | :48:03. | |
reality is, that demand has increased. The government has to | :48:03. | :48:12. | |
take some action. I do not think it has been a very well handled. The | :48:12. | :48:16. | |
government is not cutting back - it is fully committed to solar energy. | :48:16. | :48:24. | |
But there was a problem with excess benefits. We are looking for | :48:24. | :48:34. | |
:48:34. | :48:38. | ||
changes underway this has handled? We need stability in the future. | :48:38. | :48:48. | |
:48:48. | :48:48. | ||
Henry, you were leader of WSCC - what do you think of the scheme? | :48:48. | :48:56. | |
West Sussex is a great idea for authorities. I think it is a great | :48:56. | :49:03. | |
scheme that will help get people into housing. Especially affordable | :49:03. | :49:08. | |
housing. I supported, and congratulate Hastings for working | :49:08. | :49:11. | |
with Lloyds TSB to introduce that scheme. It is something I am | :49:11. | :49:16. | |
planning to talk to my local authority about. I think it is a | :49:16. | :49:21. | |
very interesting scheme. The public and private sector are working | :49:21. | :49:28. | |
together to deliver more affordable housing. I like it! Perfect! | :49:28. | :49:31. |