:01:20. > :01:22.Here in the East, the end of council tenants having a home for
:01:22. > :01:32.life, as fixed term tenancies are introduced.
:01:32. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :43:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2541 seconds
:43:54. > :43:57.And MPs renewing calls for banks to Hello and happy new year to you all.
:43:57. > :44:02.Welcome back to Sunday Politics East. I'm Etholle George. Coming
:44:02. > :44:05.up... Your house, but not your home? An end to lifetime tenancies
:44:05. > :44:09.will mean families in the future could be moved after only a few
:44:09. > :44:16.years at the same address. We think it is important for tenants to move
:44:16. > :44:18.into their homes securely and knowing this is their home or light.
:44:18. > :44:21.-- for life. And MPs get bankers and businesses
:44:21. > :44:27.together to see why so many firms are still struggling for funds.
:44:27. > :44:31.cannot imagine how a start-up would get finance it looking to a bank.
:44:31. > :44:35.But first, let us meet our guests for this week. Dr Therese Coffey,
:44:35. > :44:39.the Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal. And Tom Beattie, the
:44:39. > :44:45.Labour leader of Corby Council. Let us start with news of that annual
:44:45. > :44:52.price hike to rail fares. Above inflation for the 10th consecutive
:44:52. > :44:57.year. Tom Beattie, the highest rise in the region is 4.7% in
:44:57. > :45:07.Northamptonshire. I think it is difficult to justify them, putting
:45:07. > :45:09.
:45:09. > :45:15.a bigger burden on people travelling to work. I think it is a
:45:15. > :45:20.significant amounts of money for someone to have from their salary.
:45:20. > :45:23.I pick it is difficult to justify that. Therese Coffey, not all bad
:45:23. > :45:28.news, though. �10 billion worth of investment for rail across the
:45:28. > :45:33.region covering the period up to 2019. 1.4 billion will improve one
:45:33. > :45:38.of the services. That is absolutely vital. We have seen increases in
:45:38. > :45:42.people using the trains. But the track is not always standing up to
:45:42. > :45:49.the stream. And also improving across the counties, which is to be
:45:49. > :45:53.welcomed. Other important its infrastructure improvement on
:45:53. > :46:00.Northamptonshire? I absolutely vital. The opening of the new
:46:00. > :46:05.railway station really helped with economic regeneration plans. We
:46:05. > :46:11.welcome particularly the proposal to elect replied that section of
:46:11. > :46:15.the line between Kettering and Corby and also to have two rats.
:46:15. > :46:20.Those infrastructure improvements will be vital to the success of
:46:20. > :46:25.regeneration projects. Now to one of the biggest changes
:46:25. > :46:28.for council tenants in generations. Next week is the deadline for our
:46:28. > :46:31.local authorities to decide whether to end lifetime tenancies and
:46:31. > :46:36.replace them with fixed terms. We can reveal a split among local
:46:36. > :46:38.authorities in our region along political lines. We have found that
:46:38. > :46:43.Labour-run councils are to retain lifetime tenancies for their own
:46:43. > :46:47.housing stock. Only Tory-run Waveney will join them. While
:46:47. > :46:51.Conservative and Lib Dem councils plan to move to five or even two
:46:51. > :46:54.year tenancies. The Government hopes the change will free up more
:46:54. > :47:02.homes for those on the housing register. But critics say the move
:47:02. > :47:06.could create problem neighbourhoods in the future.
:47:06. > :47:11.I had let years since my daughter was seven and she is denied that
:47:11. > :47:14.the two. -- I have lived here. Maureen Connolly brought up her
:47:14. > :47:19.family in this three-bedroomed Norwich house. She now has plenty
:47:19. > :47:26.of space for visitors and grand children. I would Heat 2 move. But
:47:26. > :47:29.I have said the only way I would leave his in a box, beat bards. --
:47:29. > :47:33.and would not like to move. Maureen's tenancy with Norwich City
:47:33. > :47:36.Council means she can comfortably see out her days in this house, if
:47:36. > :47:39.she chooses to. But soon new tenants in other areas will no
:47:39. > :47:44.longer have the right to a home for life. We think it is important for
:47:44. > :47:48.tenants to move into homes securely and knowing this is their home for
:47:48. > :47:54.life. It is more than a political stance. We believe people should
:47:54. > :47:58.have the same rights to be able to live securely and make a life for
:47:58. > :48:08.themselves and their families in a community around them. That is our
:48:08. > :48:14.
:48:14. > :48:18.priority. Orwell Housing, based in Suffolk, was among the first in the
:48:18. > :48:21.UK to introduce Affordable Rent Tenures a year ago. Alex Fitton and
:48:21. > :48:25.his partner Sapphira moved in three months ago. That was after a two
:48:25. > :48:28.and a half year wait for their own flat. They're on a yearlong starter
:48:28. > :48:33.tenancy which, all being well, should be extended for five more
:48:33. > :48:39.years. Allied time Kinsey would not make a difference. We would not be
:48:39. > :48:43.looking to stay. -- a lifetime tenancy. We would probably want to
:48:43. > :48:53.move to a bigger house at some point. That's exactly the kind of
:48:53. > :48:55.
:48:55. > :49:02.move Orwell Housing says the shorter tenancy should prompt. It
:49:02. > :49:06.is said that shorter tenses could cost more in the Long Run. Every
:49:06. > :49:13.time you in the tenancy, you have to deal with administrative costs
:49:13. > :49:21.and the loss of rent that inevitably occurrence -- at an
:49:21. > :49:24.inevitably happen. That can cost over �2,500 on a very time we have
:49:24. > :49:27.to let again. This month, councils are required to publish new tenancy
:49:27. > :49:30.strategies as guidance for social landlords. Research by the Sunday
:49:30. > :49:32.Politics shows Labour councils in the East favouring lifetime
:49:32. > :49:37.tenancies. Conservative and Lib Dem authorities are likely to move to
:49:37. > :49:42.the five year deal. What a lot of us, we have to think about job
:49:42. > :49:47.prospects, we are we are going and it might add that somebody not
:49:47. > :49:52.staying in a school for a full term, but children adapt and can change
:49:52. > :49:56.and we have to change. Can you give guarantees to people they would not
:49:56. > :50:03.be to work out that they did not want to go? They would be given
:50:03. > :50:08.every support. It depends on every individual case. Or Maureen and all
:50:08. > :50:12.existing social housing tenants, the changes will have no impact.
:50:12. > :50:16.But for future generations, a rented home or like could be a
:50:16. > :50:20.thing of the past. Well, earlier this week, political
:50:20. > :50:23.correspondent Andrew Sinclair spoke to Brandon Lewis. He is Communities
:50:23. > :50:29.and Local Government Minister and a Great Yarmouth MP. He defended the
:50:29. > :50:33.changes. It gives an opportunity to make sure people have more
:50:33. > :50:37.opportunity on appropriate housing. We do not want areas blog, giving
:50:37. > :50:42.people the chance to move on to something more suitable. But you
:50:42. > :50:47.are talking about people who want to move. The trouble with this
:50:47. > :50:51.fixed tenancy is you will have to make people move. First of all,
:50:52. > :50:57.people in a property at the moment are protected. This is for people
:50:57. > :51:02.new to properties after April. every four or five years, made to
:51:02. > :51:07.move? Not necessarily. It is giving flexibility on a local authority to
:51:07. > :51:11.look at things, making sure people have the right housing. That does
:51:11. > :51:20.not mean making people move every for five years. The landlord and
:51:20. > :51:26.his fight to get a longer tenancy. -- the landlord can decide. It a
:51:26. > :51:30.family of four meat at home, that is still needed. What will change
:51:30. > :51:37.potentially its, its someone goes into a property as a family of four,
:51:37. > :51:43.and then down the line, it their needs change, we can then make sure
:51:43. > :51:48.that authority as the flexibility to get them into appropriate forms.
:51:49. > :51:54.But isn't this going to undermine people's security. It can be
:51:54. > :51:59.difficult to put down roots knowing you might be moved. There are a lot
:51:59. > :52:07.of people in private accommodation move quite regularly. But choosing
:52:07. > :52:11.to do that. A understand. We Assington local authorities that --
:52:11. > :52:16.I understand that. We are saying to local authorities that people's
:52:16. > :52:20.circumstances change. And people might be less inclined to get
:52:20. > :52:26.involved in community activities because of the possibility of
:52:26. > :52:36.moving. I do not think so. People doing that want to be involved in
:52:36. > :52:36.
:52:36. > :52:41.their communities. People who want to be part of their humanity will
:52:41. > :52:47.always do that. People who move home rejoice are getting older will
:52:47. > :52:52.still take a choice about getting involved and usually do. Shelter is
:52:52. > :52:58.very critical of this, saying short-term finances could
:52:58. > :53:03.destabilise communities. I just do not accept that. People want to be
:53:03. > :53:09.part of their humanity. People can still be choose to be part of the
:53:09. > :53:15.community and get involved. I am not sure that us that end of impact.
:53:15. > :53:20.What about the argument that this causes more -- that this cost more
:53:21. > :53:25.when looking at the negotiating and letting properties out again?
:53:25. > :53:31.not buy into that. We need to make sure we use housing stock to the
:53:31. > :53:37.best ability for residents. Tom Beattie, why are you not
:53:37. > :53:42.changing things? We believe that tenants require security and that
:53:42. > :53:46.is widely countenances are the best. I also take the point about
:53:47. > :53:55.destabilising communities that stop people stewed up the choice to move
:53:55. > :54:02.and began of a bat. -- people should have the choice. These
:54:02. > :54:08.changes an increase in security. People feel insecure in their jobs.
:54:09. > :54:12.What about this will show fabric of these communities? I think a point
:54:12. > :54:16.was well made by Brandon Lewis that people do want to be involved get
:54:16. > :54:21.involved anyway. If you were guaranteed somewhere to live for
:54:21. > :54:27.five years, that does not stop you becoming a school governor of
:54:27. > :54:30.becoming involved with local schools. But if you are only there
:54:30. > :54:37.for a couple of years, but you key in as much about the property and
:54:37. > :54:42.maintaining it? -- what you care as much. I know one council is
:54:42. > :54:47.proposing a two-year tenancy bring young people under the age of 25. I
:54:47. > :54:52.think that is sensible. When I do not agree with Tom is there are
:54:53. > :54:56.waiting lists. I think it is right that councils and housing
:54:56. > :55:00.associations have the appropriate tools we have there is an
:55:00. > :55:05.assumption people will stay in their homes. But when you no longer
:55:05. > :55:12.need three bedrooms, I think it is fair to say that we need this
:55:12. > :55:21.family home for a family that is growing. What about children moving
:55:21. > :55:29.schools. Is it be at the she did that? I think that is unlikely.
:55:30. > :55:33.is it fair that children should add that? I know in London there is a
:55:33. > :55:38.member of parliament it is in social housing. That is quite a
:55:38. > :55:46.change. He has been an MP for quite a long time. Should the council be
:55:46. > :55:51.able to say to him it is time to move? That will not up and on that
:55:51. > :55:56.individual, or the people in the film, being existing tenants, but
:55:56. > :56:03.it will change for new or tenants. What about being up much-needed
:56:03. > :56:08.social housing stock? I be there is the need for more housing. That is
:56:08. > :56:13.a demand for more housing. Rather than attempt to moving people on
:56:13. > :56:18.against their will. The notion of social housing only been available
:56:18. > :56:24.to people with low ink comes or vulnerable its dangerous. I grew up
:56:24. > :56:27.on a council estate. Those were very mixed communities back then.
:56:27. > :56:34.You could be up at any work and living next door to a school
:56:34. > :56:40.teacher. -- you could be a factory worker. This drives communities
:56:40. > :56:46.into nothing more than sink estates. I do not agree. We have seen how
:56:46. > :56:52.social housing has changed. What you want to see from councils,
:56:52. > :57:00.working with housing developers, is a greater mixture of housing.
:57:00. > :57:05.Surely this will cost more? Administration? And on local-
:57:05. > :57:09.authority reviewing every two years will cost a lot of money?
:57:09. > :57:14.necessarily. Some people could be in unsuitable accommodation at the
:57:14. > :57:19.moment. These are balanced. I do not think the reason for having to
:57:19. > :57:25.sign a new tenancy agreement of the five years is a reason not to have
:57:25. > :57:29.this policy. What about it children have moved on, should people still
:57:29. > :57:34.live in a family-sized house? can do things to encourage people
:57:34. > :57:40.to downsize and already do that, but it is someone's choice and we
:57:40. > :57:45.have to recognise and respect that choice. Use of the woman in Norwich
:57:45. > :57:50.who has lived in that house for probably most of her life. She is
:57:50. > :57:54.probably comfortable there. It seems harsh to ask her to move.
:57:54. > :57:59.Isn't it localism that has given you as accounts of the chance to go
:57:59. > :58:08.your own way? Yes. We were asked if he wanted to make changes to
:58:08. > :58:12.housing strategy and if we wanted to adopt lits -- adopt fixed and
:58:12. > :58:20.penances and be said no. We want to provide tenants with the security
:58:20. > :58:26.wanted. I respect the decisions for councils to make these decisions.
:58:26. > :58:30.Those will be voted on by the public. I have a lot of people
:58:30. > :58:36.asking why bother saving to buy their house when they could have
:58:36. > :58:41.just got a council house. My answer is you have the choice of where you
:58:41. > :58:47.live. Often, when the state provides for you, ultimately you
:58:47. > :58:52.end up losing choices. This is not tended to be punitive, but about
:58:52. > :58:59.saying we do need to make sure housing stock is used to its
:58:59. > :59:02.maximum capacity. We shall leave it there and stay with finances. In a
:59:02. > :59:06.bit of a groundhog day moment, MPs from Norfolk and Suffolk have been
:59:06. > :59:09.holding their second annual banking summit. They met with senior
:59:09. > :59:12.figures from the banking industry, and more than 100 business people,
:59:12. > :59:15.to try to help kick-start the economy of this region. Despite new
:59:15. > :59:20.figures showing a small increase in lending, many firms are finding it
:59:20. > :59:24.tough to get affordable finance. A similar conference was held last
:59:24. > :59:28.year. But small businesses, across the region, like this one in Harlow,
:59:28. > :59:34.still insist that banks aren't doing enough to help.
:59:34. > :59:43.We make bespoke kitchens, furniture, fitted furniture and various other
:59:43. > :59:51.things. We started in 2006. It was just my partner and myself. The
:59:51. > :59:56.group from a small workshop to this place. We have about five employees.
:59:56. > :00:01.We decided to refinancing and looked around for a bank loan. We
:00:01. > :00:08.then discovered that the banks were not lending money easily and look
:00:08. > :00:11.elsewhere and bound Foundation Easts. That is a not-for-profit
:00:11. > :00:19.organisation in this region that lends money to small businesses.
:00:19. > :00:25.The rate was higher than the banks, but the banks were not interested.
:00:25. > :00:33.At best, it was difficult. At worst, it was downright obstructive. The
:00:33. > :00:40.banks are looking for a sure bet, not a safe bet or good lane -- plan.
:00:40. > :00:44.They are looking for something so 100%, why would I want to borrow
:00:44. > :00:48.money it by did not need to borrow it? I was looking to borrow to
:00:49. > :00:53.expand rather than prop up a business. I would dread to think
:00:53. > :01:00.about it would be on a start-up business. I was established, trying
:01:00. > :01:07.to borrow to expand. I cannot imagine how a start-up would get
:01:07. > :01:11.financing it looking to a bank. Therese Coffey, you would hosting
:01:11. > :01:17.this summit. What did it hoped to achieve? It was about bringing
:01:17. > :01:22.accountability, everything together to talk about problems. We also had
:01:22. > :01:27.success stories. I think it was a positive day. Undoubtedly, there
:01:27. > :01:35.are still issues in terms of making sure that businesses get access to
:01:35. > :01:40.appropriate finance to stop that you had to have a second one?
:01:40. > :01:44.rather sad you had to have a second one? I think it was successful and
:01:44. > :01:50.we are planning another one next year. Foundation East, amongst
:01:50. > :01:54.others, are getting equity. There are also start-up schemes,
:01:54. > :02:01.particularly for young people. The latest one has been extended to
:02:01. > :02:06.their peak. What about Corby, anything you can do? We try to work
:02:06. > :02:10.its closely with businesses. The whole approach as a council is
:02:10. > :02:15.about economic development. That runs like a thread through all the
:02:15. > :02:20.stuff we do. We do not have a specific development department,
:02:20. > :02:26.but make sure that economic development and access to finance
:02:26. > :02:33.is taken seriously. At a practical level, how can you help that?
:02:33. > :02:41.can work with developers to make available land. We are not a bank
:02:41. > :02:46.and cannot lend money. I have come from a meeting with my local
:02:46. > :02:52.strategic partnership where we were talking about this issue. That was
:02:52. > :02:57.in relation to the Northamptonshire Chambers of Commerce to have called
:02:57. > :03:02.on a business bank. It is the difficulty here that businesses are
:03:02. > :03:12.not getting access to needed money. Those tend to be small businesses
:03:12. > :03:18.generally. The big companies have money and find it easier. There is
:03:18. > :03:22.a lot of positive action, but not much happening. Net lending is up
:03:22. > :03:32.in the region, which is good news, are being used to help companies
:03:32. > :03:33.
:03:33. > :03:36.grow. There is still more we want to do and try to do it was that are
:03:36. > :03:44.aspects -- and try to do. One thing to do is help with business
:03:44. > :03:50.planning. You are not blaming the businesses or lack of lending?
:03:50. > :03:54.businesses are operating in their overdraft. Others are nervous about
:03:54. > :03:57.investing when they could get finance. We shall leave it there.
:03:57. > :04:01.Now, just time for our political round-up. Commuting by train
:04:01. > :04:08.resumed for many of us this week. But not, it seems, for the Rail
:04:08. > :04:11.Minister. Deborah McGurran reveals in 60 seconds.
:04:11. > :04:21.A special BBC investigation by Inside Out found hundreds of cases
:04:21. > :04:22.
:04:22. > :04:26.of abuse against elderly people in care homes. It is intolerable and
:04:26. > :04:29.we should all feel confident when a loved one goes into a care home
:04:29. > :04:31.that they should be safe and well looked after.
:04:31. > :04:36.And Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, finds it intolerable
:04:36. > :04:39.that the county's funding per pupil is one of the lowest in the country.
:04:39. > :04:42.Cambridgeshire school children will suffer from underfunding fought
:04:42. > :04:45.even longer unless action is taken now.
:04:45. > :04:51.Now the Corby by-election is over, cross party consensus breaks out
:04:51. > :04:54.over the future of Kettering Hospital. We want to keep the vital
:04:54. > :04:57.acute health services in the north and Northamptonshire.
:04:57. > :05:01.Rail Minister Simon Burns faced criticism for using a ministerial
:05:01. > :05:04.car to get to London instead of travelling by train.
:05:04. > :05:07.And Derek Murphy, the leader of Norfolk County Council, is stepping
:05:07. > :05:12.down temporarily to face his critics. It is while he's
:05:12. > :05:21.investigated by the council's standards committee. I have to put
:05:21. > :05:26.forward a very effective case to defend my position.
:05:27. > :05:31.More shortfalls in elderly care. What more needs to be done?
:05:31. > :05:38.Care Quality Commission was criticised for being unclear about
:05:38. > :05:43.their remit. I think they are clear. Care should be of the best quality.
:05:43. > :05:48.I welcome their instant inspections. I am meeting them next month,
:05:48. > :05:53.because there are some homes in my part of the region that a not doing
:05:53. > :05:56.what they should be. I am also following up with the county
:05:56. > :06:04.council to see how be an inspecting. Vital that people in Kear need to
:06:04. > :06:09.be looked after properly. -- care. It is terrible people in care are
:06:09. > :06:14.being treated this way? Absolutely. You would expect you are elderly
:06:14. > :06:19.relatives, when going into care, to be looked after well. The elderly
:06:19. > :06:24.and very young are the two most vulnerable groups and will deserve
:06:24. > :06:28.the best. We need to do what we can to make sure that happens. We shall
:06:28. > :06:32.come back to this on another day. Thank you both very much for
:06:32. > :06:36.joining us. That's all for now. Keep in touch