:01:42. > :01:52.Under lock East: what are the chances of saving five factories
:01:52. > :01:52.
:01:52. > :29:49.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1677 seconds
:29:50. > :29:56.from closer? The latest in half an Welcome to your local park of the
:29:56. > :30:05.show. Ken has worked at Remploy for 30 years but will anybody save his
:30:06. > :30:10.job? We will have the latest on the factories under threat of closure.
:30:10. > :30:16.And we have been closely following the Government's plans for nuclear
:30:16. > :30:26.energy this week. More on that. First, government plans to
:30:26. > :30:31.refurbish or rebuild schools across the region. Long-running campaigns
:30:31. > :30:35.have been rewarded but plenty others have missed out. Labour
:30:35. > :30:39.pointed out than 92 schools in the air lost funding when it was
:30:40. > :30:45.cancelled by the coalition and fewer than one third of that number
:30:45. > :30:54.were successful this time. It has taken a while to get this funding
:30:55. > :31:04.in place but investment is starting to flow. Do you welcome this.
:31:05. > :31:07.
:31:07. > :31:17.was no investment in schools in my constituency. St James? That is an
:31:17. > :31:22.
:31:22. > :31:30.Barrault. -- in Barrow. OK, that was my fault, but still investment
:31:30. > :31:36.in other areas. The coalition have had to scale back and you would
:31:36. > :31:41.have had to scale back. We were clear that there would have been
:31:41. > :31:49.cuts at we had won the election, but not as far and fast as the
:31:49. > :31:57.coalition. As a constituency MP I would have been making the case to
:31:57. > :32:03.retain the funding that I secured for schools in meet in my
:32:03. > :32:06.constituency. I have a good working relationship with the schools. I am
:32:06. > :32:13.bitterly disappointed not to get funding this time around but this
:32:13. > :32:18.is not the end of the road for schools and my constituency. It has
:32:19. > :32:22.taken the best part of two years to come up with this money. And it is
:32:22. > :32:31.only one thought of the schools there were in line for rebuilding
:32:31. > :32:41.of ritually. Not a great move, as it? But it is not the end of the
:32:41. > :32:41.
:32:41. > :32:46.road. What is going to happen which we have announced is that by a
:32:46. > :32:51.autumn of this year all schools in the country will have a Survey,
:32:51. > :32:55.they will be audited to to tear when the estate. Then they will be
:32:55. > :33:04.put into the next spending review for spending and support as we go
:33:04. > :33:09.on. Jamie pointed out that he did not know what the cuts would have
:33:09. > :33:17.been with Labour, it would have been 20% at a minimum. Any
:33:17. > :33:21.government would have faced that. It is unfortunate, but...
:33:21. > :33:31.children appear in court -- taught in worse and worse condition over
:33:31. > :33:31.
:33:31. > :33:37.the next few years. They were promised money, where it they?
:33:37. > :33:42.from a very badly run the programme. Independent auditors noted that it
:33:42. > :33:49.was extremely expensive. Three of the directors of building schools
:33:49. > :33:52.for the future, accounted for �750,000 in salary. It was
:33:52. > :34:01.ridiculous their load of money the programme was wasting on
:34:01. > :34:08.consultants. Any teacher will tell you that. You Shadow Education
:34:08. > :34:13.Secretary admitted mistakes with building schools for the future.
:34:13. > :34:18.was imperfect, that's for sure. But we were dealing with the decades of
:34:18. > :34:22.under investment in our schools. It is still there. Let's not pretend
:34:22. > :34:29.that the latest peace deal announcement will in any way make
:34:29. > :34:35.people jump for joy. Would you come back to put your money in the
:34:35. > :34:39.schools then? I can come back to work night and day for the money my
:34:39. > :34:49.constituents need as long as I am a member of parliament. -- I can come
:34:49. > :34:50.
:34:50. > :34:55.at. Five at Remploy factories will close this summer unless a buyer
:34:55. > :35:05.can step in. As our correspondent reports the time for rescue is fast
:35:05. > :35:05.
:35:05. > :35:10.running out. This has been 10 -- this has been Ken's routine for 30
:35:10. > :35:16.years. He suffers from epilepsy and the crushed foot but continues to
:35:17. > :35:23.work. I am not interested and benefits, I am interested in
:35:23. > :35:30.working. I pay bills like everybody else. It is the pride that comes
:35:30. > :35:36.from being able to do that rather than depend on anybody else.
:35:36. > :35:41.works at a Remploy factory due to close. Ministers say that the
:35:41. > :35:49.�25,000 per year that it costs to keep each employee could be better
:35:49. > :35:58.spent getting them into mainstream employment. 10 is not optimistic. -
:35:58. > :36:08.- 10. I am not interested in another job. And been disabled, it
:36:08. > :36:15.would be difficult to get on. would you do Hajar not work here?
:36:15. > :36:23.It is difficult to contemplate to be honest. I would be with my
:36:24. > :36:29.parents possibly living the life of a vegetable. Buyers have until 26th
:36:29. > :36:36.June to decide if they want to take over the factories. Dublin I say
:36:36. > :36:41.they have had 44 expressions of interest -- Remploy say they have
:36:41. > :36:51.had 44 expressions of interest. There is a mixed picture at the
:36:51. > :36:52.
:36:52. > :37:00.factories across our region. But I understand nor interest has been
:37:00. > :37:05.shown in this site here. Some sources suggest that the site will
:37:05. > :37:15.shut completely. The closures would not, as a shock to this charity
:37:15. > :37:33.
:37:33. > :37:35.which has seen a pattern over the last few years. There should be
:37:35. > :37:39.disabled people working in mainstream employment at they were
:37:39. > :37:46.but just because they are meant that doesn't mean you can close a
:37:46. > :37:54.place like Remploy. Sharon claims that she'll be back when she
:37:54. > :38:01.started with the taxpayer picking up the bill. -- Janet. It costs the
:38:01. > :38:11.charity -- the taxpayer more to keep us in benefits than it does to
:38:11. > :38:16.
:38:16. > :38:20.keep us in work. Cuckoo time is running out for the jobs to be kept.
:38:20. > :38:27.What are the thoughts about the prospects for employees in your
:38:27. > :38:32.constituency? There is always hope but that ministers should consider
:38:32. > :38:38.their position in regard to how this has been handled. If there is
:38:38. > :38:41.no possibility of a reprieve for the factory in all of our
:38:41. > :38:49.attentions will turn to what we need to do with the workforce and
:38:49. > :38:57.getting a move to other employment. This will throw people like came on
:38:57. > :39:01.the scrapheap. Little chance of a new job. But ethos of the
:39:01. > :39:07.Government is to have a review of how we work with people with
:39:07. > :39:11.possibilities. Most charities support the move to integrate
:39:11. > :39:21.people with disabilities into the mainstream workforce. Your point
:39:21. > :39:30.about 10 per is that the money - �25,000 per mark Walker, -- pair
:39:30. > :39:35.Walker., would be better spent... Better spent through access to work.
:39:35. > :39:43.This is part of a thorough review. The government had announced a
:39:43. > :39:50.transition programme. The bottom line is we have to look at whether
:39:50. > :39:53.an organisation created 66 years ago which isolates people with
:39:53. > :39:57.disabilities into a completely artificial environment away from
:39:57. > :40:02.the mainstream workforce, is that right and appropriate? I do not
:40:02. > :40:10.believe that it is. People with disabilities have a right to work
:40:10. > :40:18.alongside every other member of the community. And Labour did close
:40:18. > :40:22.some of these factories themselves. The principle is fine but I think
:40:22. > :40:30.there is a world of difference from taking work in areas where
:40:30. > :40:34.companies are doing well. Of the Remploy factory exists in a
:40:34. > :40:39.different micro environment. -- every. And it will be exceedingly
:40:39. > :40:45.tough to get this work falls into mainstream employment. It is a loud
:40:46. > :40:53.double aim but let's not proclaim that it is easy and announce
:40:53. > :41:03.arbitrary closures. Can you justify �25,000 per employee to keep them
:41:03. > :41:07.in jobs? What came the society do you want this to be? -- what kind
:41:07. > :41:15.of society? This Government knows the price of everything and the
:41:15. > :41:18.value of nothing. We saw in the film at charities that are
:41:18. > :41:21.sympathetic to the aim of integrating disabled workers are to
:41:21. > :41:31.the workforce but saying that it has been done in the wrong way, and
:41:31. > :41:32.
:41:32. > :41:42.too fast. But the majority supported... But it is easy to do
:41:42. > :41:42.
:41:42. > :41:49.this in certain areas but in others it will be very tough. That is why
:41:49. > :41:58.the Government will ring-fence... But if jobs are not in area, what
:41:58. > :42:02.can you do? Ring-fence money for precisely those individuals and for
:42:02. > :42:08.support in those factories that to close. But there is a tapering off,
:42:08. > :42:11.and there will be money going in. But we must accept that it is wrong
:42:11. > :42:21.in the 21st century to have people with disabilities segregated from
:42:21. > :42:26.the rest of the community. It is difficult but we need to do it.
:42:26. > :42:36.Coal-fired power stations are closing. They needed to generate
:42:36. > :42:38.
:42:38. > :42:44.energy in new ways could not be more pressing. But it will come
:42:44. > :42:51.with the hefty price tag. By the Energy Secretary was that Tyneside
:42:51. > :42:58.on Thursday to see insulation work being carried out. The threat of
:42:58. > :43:03.climate change and the need to keep our lights on for our homes and
:43:03. > :43:11.businesses means that we have to look at all law car and
:43:11. > :43:21.technologies - renewables, or nuclear. An opinion poll of 3,000
:43:21. > :43:23.
:43:23. > :43:31.people in Cumbria will go if some encouragement to the government. It
:43:31. > :43:39.said that 68% of people agreed with the approach. Some believe that is
:43:39. > :43:46.a mandate for pressing ahead with the plan. Copeland council was
:43:46. > :43:56.heavily criticised for taking that decision. But this has given us a
:43:56. > :43:57.
:43:57. > :44:04.very clear mandate from the people. As the fact that half of all
:44:04. > :44:09.Cumbrians are in favour of the plan enough to press ahead? The critical
:44:09. > :44:15.factor is the air will a facility would be placed. My constituency,
:44:15. > :44:22.where 70% of people are in favour. That is indicative and instructive.
:44:22. > :44:30.But they do think that the figures across the piece are enough, yes.
:44:30. > :44:40.It does not tell us if it is safe. Day is no question of safety. If
:44:40. > :44:42.
:44:42. > :44:51.there was any doubt whatsoever it would be ruled out entirely. It is
:44:51. > :44:58.in the best interests of the local economy and the whole Cumbria.
:44:58. > :45:04.imposing this levy, it is a subsidy, isn't it? But people must realise
:45:04. > :45:14.we import around 50% of our energy. What price do we pay too insular
:45:14. > :45:17.
:45:17. > :45:21.that we have energy we need? We have got to take radical action.
:45:21. > :45:24.Nuclear as part of the Max but what I will accept as a criticism of the
:45:24. > :45:30.coalition is the we have not taken the necessary steps and building
:45:30. > :45:40.regulations. If we improve building regulations, mandatory solar power,
:45:40. > :45:41.
:45:41. > :45:45.argues say around 75% energy bills for each house in the country.
:45:45. > :45:51.it should consumers pay a levy on their bills to subsidise an
:45:51. > :45:55.industry that you pay for itself? have always been very clear that I
:45:55. > :46:01.support subsidies for Nuclear. It is a difficult debate but must be
:46:01. > :46:07.had. Every Energis also receives a subsidy of some kind from
:46:07. > :46:17.government and the consumer. It must be acknowledged that the days
:46:17. > :46:21.of cheap energy are over. That is a tough message for your constituents.
:46:21. > :46:25.It is a tough message for everybody in the country. But those most
:46:25. > :46:29.vulnerable to high bills should still not be unprotected. There
:46:29. > :46:36.must be work from government to make sure that those least able to
:46:36. > :46:39.pay are protected and do the seats of discounts. Well government plans
:46:39. > :46:46.be enough to see this new generation of power stations come
:46:46. > :46:56.into place? Some developers pulled out. The provision within the draft
:46:56. > :46:58.energy bill to -- is precisely the right thing. It is what we as a
:46:58. > :47:03.government would have done and that is what the industry are calling
:47:03. > :47:08.for. There is hard work ahead to see you nuclear revival but this is
:47:08. > :47:13.certainly a step in the right direction. I expect to see some has
:47:13. > :47:17.significant investment decisions within the next few years.
:47:17. > :47:23.reality is that if we put a lot more effort into saving energy this
:47:23. > :47:30.crisis would not be as bad. Absolutely. That is the point I was
:47:30. > :47:33.making about building regulations. We could make them 75% more fuel-
:47:33. > :47:38.efficient. I do not think any government has done enough on that.
:47:38. > :47:43.We need to be radical. In terms of building speculation, building
:47:43. > :47:51.regulations. We are still building houses, basically, in this country,
:47:51. > :47:57.the same style as 150 years ago. That cannot be good. Any more
:47:57. > :48:03.windfarms? I am on a planning position and that puts me in a
:48:03. > :48:13.difficult position. I am in favour of offshore, in short, I will take
:48:13. > :48:21.
:48:21. > :48:28.each application as it comes. is the week in 60 seconds. Cumbrian
:48:28. > :48:33.Seafoods announced the closure of two factories with loss of 280 jobs.
:48:33. > :48:37.Better news on Teesside, is the Secretary Vince Cable was at a
:48:37. > :48:44.steel plant and said the Return of steelmaking shows the region can
:48:44. > :48:54.return to its glory days. Britain already has a flexible, co-
:48:54. > :48:56.operative labour force. We see that here. A warning for ministers from
:48:56. > :49:02.a four or Paralympian that cuts in disability benefits will prevent
:49:02. > :49:09.disabled people getting into sport. And at Durham MP also had child
:49:09. > :49:19.benefit concerns. This is a real mess and one more aspect of a
:49:19. > :49:24.
:49:24. > :49:29.shambolic budget that must be changed. That is about all from us.