27/01/2013 Sunday Politics South

In the South... With bad GDP figures out this week, will the

Government's new City Deals scheme power up the economy in places like

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2294 seconds

Welcome to Sunday Politics South. Today... Car have Oxford and

Reading fared in the recession? Will there government's new City

Deals programme help them come out of what looks like it might be a

triple dip? Let's meet the politicians who will

be messed me. Tobias Ellwood is the Conservative MP for Bournemouth

East and the PPS to David Lidlington, the Europe minister.

And also, the Labour MP for Southampton and the PPS to Ed

Miliband. It was the speech we had been waiting for, the referendum on

Europe finally on the cards if David Cameron gets re-elected in

2015 and if negotiations were the way he wants. Do you know how you

will vote? I want to win the next election. I do not think we should

be having one in five years' time. We should not be having all those

IFS. If you are in business, an investor, if you put all of those

questions in a row, including will Britain event be a member of the EU

in five years, that is damaging. David Cameron has really, this week,

said, I'm trying to keep my party together I am not matching the

British interest. You should be putting your cards on the table in

a way that he has. We should say, yes, Europe needs to change and

needs to be more focused on jobs and growth that is at the moment.

There are things like regional policy that need to be changed.

Let's have a government now, not in five years' time, that focuses on

that and 11 sad. Having issued uncertainty of a referendum of in

the distance is a huge gamble with Britain's future and David Cameron

has only done it to try and keep his own party together, not for

British interest. Are you going to tell us how you are going to vote?

At last, the nation gets an opportunity to vote on its

relationship with Europe. Why not now? Because for growth and

employment aspects. The eurozone is still in a quagmire. We have issues

with aspects of the European Union. What you heard from David Cameron

is to say, yes, we want to remain part of the EU and play an

important role of leadership in the same way we do with the G8, UN or

NATO. Let's do the same with the EU. We want to change things, let's

repatriated Paris. Once we have done that, then let's have a

referendum. I think that will be fully supported for the reasons

that John just said. It will be great for business and good for

Britain as a whole. We agree there should not be a referendum now but

it is crazy to say let's have one in five years. David Cameron has

not spelt out what he wants to achieve. He will not say whether to

vote yes, it may. -- come what may. It is a gamble. It was a monumental

speech. Straight away you had the German Chancellor signed, we

understand your concerns, we recognise the unique position of

Britain in Europe and we want to come to terms with the fact that

you want to repeat rate certain powers. Holland, Sweden, Denmark

are sighing, finally, Britain is saying what we have wanted to say.

This is a healthy debate which is long overdue. One person who has

made his mind up is the leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage. He was elected

by voters in the south-east of England. He would rather the

referendum was not five years away. The trouble is, what Cameron has

said is, if I win a general election, which looks unlikely, and

after I have re-negotiated, in five years' time I am going to give you

a vote. This from the same man who previously go with a cast-iron

guarantee on giving us a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Trust, I

think, is an issue and he wants to wait five years to have a say? That

is another �70 billion of UK contributions to be you. How many

more jobseekers and benefits Segers from Eastern Europe will come in at

intervening period? If he thinks he has stopped debate on this issue

until after the next general election he is in for a shock.

have managed to influence major party policies on Europe, maybe

make them think twice, but are you going to take votes and win seats

in the House of Commons at the next election? Let's see how we get on

in the council elections this year. Everything in the south-east is up

for grabs. We have candidates in place for every single seat in

Hampshire and Sussex. We are taking these elections very seriously.

Everyone has forgotten that before the general election, there is a

European election in 2014. There are lots of electoral hurdles to go

over before we get to that. Will this move when votes back that

would have gone to UKIP? This has been a very healthy move just not

just -- for the Conservative Party. We are looking at the balance of

competencies to look at every aspect of the European Union and we

want to ask were balance should be returned. That is why we cannot

have a referendum today, because the report has to be debated in

Parliament in a couple of years. That will be be proved to say, this

is the EU that we want, to be more democratic, accountable, more

focused on a Single Market which will be good for jobs and growth in

Britain. We have had 2.5 years in which the economy has not grown and

a political party obsessed with Europe. I think the British people

are going to say, we need a government that is going to get

things going. We need a party that will produce growth and jobs. David

Cameron, by saying the Tory party is banging on about Europe, has

made a huge mistake. The newly elected Police and Crime

Commissioners have started to make their mark recently, choosing to

constables. There are names in the frame for vacancies at Wiltshire,

Dorset and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. All commissioners are

putting forward their plans, outlining their priorities for the

coming year. Katy Bourne is the police and crime Commissioner for

Sussex and she joins us from our Sussex studio. How are you finding

it? You have got your plan out, is it anything like a manifesto, is it

what you wanted? It is exactly like my manifesto and I have had the

bruv priorities approved two weeks ago. We have four priorities that

are going to fit the pride -- a plan. You did say in your manifesto

that you would have a special constable in every village? No

mention of that. I am delighted, that fits into the public

confidence part of the priorities. The why did you say that? We are

going to recruit 120 specials this April. I am delighted. If why was

it not in a Plan? It is in a planned, in the public confidence

section, which is about increasing trust between the public and police.

We are doing that in a number of ways, one of them being by

increasing volunteering in all aspects of community safety across

Sussex. The police are increasing the number of special constables

and we are doing it as well because we have volunteers to go into our

custody facilities, these are independent custody volunteers who

look at the detainee is why they are in custody and make sure they

are being treated fairly and properly. -- detainees while it

they are in custody. There has been criticism of the document you

produce, the one page draft Revenue document. Are you still finding it

Your feet? Not you, personally, but the role of the Police and Crime

Commissioner. Does that mean that we cannot really scrutinise what is

happening with the police the way it used to be done? The police and

social responsibility Act of 2011 clearly states that the role of the

police and crime panel is to approve the police and crime plan

and to either approve or veto the pre-set -- precept. Their role is

not to scrutinise the Budget. I have a chief financial officer

working closely with the head of finance at our force. They are

drawing up a detailed budget which will be produced, along with the

plan, on 31st March online for all to see. This is happening in Police

and Crime Commissioner offices all around the country. Do you think it

is good bet you are from a major party? There are so many

independents. This is a political role. I have to be Awith ministers

and councillors and I have to make decisions around taxing and

spending. It is not about politicising the police. Policing

is the remit of the Chief Constable. What is the public response? In the

first two weeks in office I had -- we had and 3,500 % increase in

correspondence to the office. I have just come from a life of

Facebook chat with members of the public. I believe I am the first

Police and Crime Commissioner in the country to do that. The public

a really engaging. What have you taken away from that? They have

left me a lot of questions and lots of input into our draft plan, which

is still in draft form. It will not be published until 31st March. We

are hearing the enormously from the public. I am out tonight on an

operation with the police through the night, policing the night-time

economy. I am sure I will hear from more of the police and public

tonight as well. Used to be police minister, didn't

you? What did you think of the way this is working out? The public are

getting Class A! It is early to tell. I have seen no evidence of

any impact in Hampshire whatsoever. He has not made any attempt to

engage with MPs. Is that because he pays an independent? It is not

necessarily a bad thing. I would be more worried if someone had come

and started tearing everything up. Hampshire has a good record on

reducing crime. The jury is out on whether the new commissioners are

going to do anything that justifies the salary and a greater expense.

But you have not got a police authority any more? The elections

cost �100,000, it could have been spent on fighting crime. You have a

former police man in Dorset? Yes, but he is a -- an independent now.

Katy Bourne has illustrated some of the initiatives she is taking

forward. That is happening across the country. What happened before

his two constables answered to the whole office and there was a based

joint between... They did not answer to themselves! There was a

focus on answering to London rather than looking after the economy --

community you work in. The police commissioner is making sure now

that their boat was on what the people want. -- that their focus is

on. People are now at the top of the system. What will we see next?

We are publishing the plan and budget on 31st March. One of my key

priorities, increasing the number of specials. That begins in April.

The other key priority was to freeze the police element of the

council tax and we have done that as well. You have not got long,

have you? You have got to get re- elected. It is 3.5 years, it is an

ice, long time to get started. This is not just about the police, but

also the commissioning and grants that come this way to work on crime

and community safety over a long time in the county.

The latest GDP figures were out on Friday. They certainly did not make

for happy reading. The economy shrank by 0.3% in the three months

up to the end of the year. We could have guessed that by the number of

game -- names of -- high-street names that have gone bust and

Christmas. The government have a City Deals scheme. It does not

involve more government money but makes it easier for local councils

to be private sector did. We have been to Oxford and Reading.

This is a tale of two cities. Well, almost. Oxford is renowned for its

architecture, teaching, research. Reading is home to internet giants.

Oxford and the county is not shy in coming forwards. I wanted to be

competing globally, with places like Shanghai and Silicon Valley.

And what Oxfordshire to lead Britain out of the recession. -- I

want Oxfordshire. If modesty is more your thing, Reading's take on

its economy may be more to your liking. We have invested in a town

in the past and have a vision of the growth we want to see in

Reading. We are convinced that we can help economic recovery over a

much wider area. Just this week a research institute has put them

under the microscope. university is a strength for

Oxbridge but it may mean for Reading in recent years, there have

been more private sector employees coming -- employers coming, and

they have improved their position. Both have applied for what is

called the City Deal scheme. It would make it easier to work with

the private sector. That would help tackle Oxfordshire's chronic

traffic problems. Today, it means buses, cars and traffic jams. Roger

Bannister was the first man to break the four-minute mile. If he

wanted to cover that distance here in a car, it would take you for

minutes and 26 seconds and that is only going to get worse. We know

congestion is an issue in the area. That is an issue when the

government can help the local authorities to unlock some things,

make the most of the strength of the area. For Reading, getting

people with the right skills, not just from a case -- qualifications,

but showing up for work on time, working in teams, but is an issue

many businesses in Reading have said to me they would like to see

increased. That would be a great thing to see. A lack of housing is

also holding Reading back. Acidity would help make developers build

home on -- homes on land rights for developments. The planning process

is not the problem. We have given permission galore, we have got

3,500 units ready to be built. Central government needs to ensure

they are built. Both are already in a strong position, but what if they

do not go on to secure at the deal? My ambition is to grow Oxbridge are

without -- with or without the G- Mac. -- the deal. Improvement will

enhance the area and people will want to come and live and work you.

Reading is already looking at how to make better use of what it has

in case it misses out. We need to see better functioning of the

existing grants from central government so that we make better

use of them for training locally and working with employers, we are

at identifying better ways of making better use of existing

resources. Reading and Oxford Show are two of 20 towns and sittings

are chasing a City Deal. I expect to hear next month if they have got

one. You were very keen on localism?

City Deal is building on stuff we did under a different name. We need

to devolve more power to local never -- level. What will happen in

Portsmouth in Southampton is they will talk about areas of land that

could be opened up. Can I get control over the skills budget, can

there be money from a work programme to close the gap between

poorer areas of Southampton, Portsmouth and the surrounding

area? The acid test will be, will government departments, up with

extra money and let go, let people at local level do it. If it could

be done there is enough leadership and the local business community

and councils to make a difference. You were in those departments. What

is the reluctance, why did they not want to trust local government?

tend to find the local government is convinced, but will the DWP let

go of some of their money? It is empire-building. In their

departments people are saying, that is my job you are talking about.

The labels do not matter. There is probably a cross-party consensus at

national and local level. I hope every page, other government

departments get their pangas -- fingers prised off. It will not

transform the entire economy but in local areas it can make a

difference. A Dorset, the rural economy should not be forgotten.

You have got a Silicon Beach proposal, is that right? Yes, it is

not about creating cities. Bournemouth, Christchurch and prune

in Dorset, it has often retarded and we are not suggesting -- it has

often been touted and we will find it if Reading is successful. One

thing is increasing links from the airport and seaport. Those are two

key areas to promote employment. The Silicon Breige initiative is

about giving the area a label. -- Silicon Beach. That focuses on the

digital economy. The area is known for its tourism and at the

University. More recently, the digital economy is booming in this

area. The right local solution for each place.

Our right to get -- are regular round-up of the political week in

It was a struggle for public transport in the snow this week,

but Oxfordshire has approved plans to make travel easier. Passengers

can buy London's DAI Oyster card to swipe at goal. The council says it

starts next year. It is your cards on the road and a win-win for

everybody. Many are ramping up new technology.

200 business and IT apprentices will study at a new training school.

The technology is being used by the Department of Education to find

parents to adopt children. Southampton council Waghorn debt.

Finding good parents ready to take on that heavy responsibility is

going to help. In red ink they launched a

Community Charter, at council-run code of practice to end tick box

culture. 50 care homes are promising to treat vulnerable

adults as human beings. Isn't that the sort of thing carers

should be doing anyway? Wide you need a charter to treat people like

human beings. Of course they should, but it doesn't always happen. The

initiative is a good one. We have got to ask questions about the

people we asked to do the caring. Often they are paid minimum wage,

they have to buy their own uniform, they have to pay their own travel

and do not get paid for travelling time. We have a right to expect

everybody to treat people with dignity, but we have got to answer

questions about how we treat the people who we asked to do those

caring jobs. Maybe some money needed. Will we get it to work --

will we get to work, when it's no again? What did you think about the

schools closing. I could not believe that health and safety was

preventing children from going to school! One school, they phone up

A-level students to come into do exams but sent everyone else away.