15/01/2012 Sunday Politics South East

And in the South East: As commuters face yet another New

Year fare hike, we ask if rail travel is being priced out of the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1692 seconds

Hello, and welcome to the Sunday Politics Show in the South East.

Coming up later in the show: As Kent County Council chalks up

plans for the first new grammar school in the country for 50 years,

we find out if it will really benefit local pupils.

First, let me introduce you to our guests of the day: Lib Dem

Transport Minister Norman Baker, and Conservative MP for Crawley,

Henry Smith. They will be here for the rest of the show with their

comments and views on the issues of the week in this region. Henry

first. The faulty breast implants, where 40,000 women is estimated to

have had them. I have a constituent who is pregnant. She had these

implants Patane, and she is very concerned. -- implants put in.

she get them removed? The medical advice is she need to have them

removed after pregnancy. But a big concern. What is your view on this,

Norman? I think Andrew Lansley has stepped up to the plate and offered

to help, but those who put in these implants should have the

responsibility. It is a very worrying development for women.

has been a big week in the transport department as well.

has been a fantastic week for railways. It will be a

transformation for the country, in terms of helping economic

development and cutting carbon, and dealing with congestion. It will be

quicker to get from Birmingham city centre to London city centre to get

from Piccadilly Circus to Heathrow. We will stick with the issue of

rail. A subject that won't have escaped

Norman's notice - and certainly hasn't escaped commuters' notice -

this week is the rise in train fares. As they returned to work

after the Christmas break, the cost of getting there by rail increased

by an average of almost 6% in the South East, but for some passengers,

the rise was much higher. If fares continue to rise - in line with

Government policy - could the ordinary traveller be priced off

the trains? Let's start with the Transport Minister, Norman Baker. I

know you are going to defend the rise in fares and tell us that it

would have been higher if your department hadn't put a cap on it,

but the Shadow Spokesman that you used to be would have been

complaining as loudly as the commuters have been. I it argued

strongly that we have reverted to the position of the Labour

government. The number of people on railways is higher than it has ever

been. The number of people has doubled. People are clamouring to

get on the railways. We have also got to bear in mind that we have

got a huge rail investment programme, the biggest since the

Victorian era. We have got new railway carriages as well.

Tremendous investment in rail. But it has to be paid for somehow. We

are getting the cost of Network Rail right down as well. I want to

talk about the tax payer. Many commuters, though, who are watching

this programme, they do not feel they are getting those benefits, do

they? Some may not feel that, but it is the inflation rate as well as

up 1%. We hear about the roles that have gone up only. But the return

from Hastings to-, for example, has gone down 16%. Henry, I know you

are in favour of this shift the government wants to make. We have

to get the balance right. The balance has been a little bit out

of kilter in the past, and the government believes those who are

using the service should be contributing. There is a great

local example in my constituency - Gatwick station is being upgraded.

We are beginning to see the results of that investment. You are both

keen to tell us how much your government is putting into the

railways, but the danger is that future. You said you have been able

to keep things down. What we are doing is trading down Network

Rail's cost. Their report said Network Rail's costs could be cut

up to four to be sent without affecting passengers and the

services battle. -- 4%. The problem is the amount of money the system

has got his sucking from the taxpayer and passenger. We have

already taken up steps to eliminate wasteful stop -- waste. Some a

necessary regulations, having no purpose whatsoever, are being swept

away. We are also seeing each train companies are responding far more

to the train passengers. But this RPI plus three, I know you said it

might not happen, but for those who have seen a hike in their affairs,

they may be worried on that long term. At -- their fares. How you

make sure railways are still affordable? Under the Labour

government, welfares went up by 11%. -- rail fares. We need to put it

into perspective and context. People are being squeezed. But that

is partly the consequence of them having to pay down one of the

highest deficits we have ever inherited. I would be uncomfortable

with RPI plus three. RPI plus one is something we are working on at

the moment. Now, Norman here is one of those

who benefited from a grammar school education. Kent, of course, is one

of the few parts of the country which still has that system of

education - and it could be about to build the first new grammar

school in the country in 50 years. At the end of last year, the

Coalition relaxed the laws which banned the building of new grammars,

which means existing schools in Kent can now expand to meet demand.

But if it happens, will local pupils benefit?

Kent has more grammar schools than anywhere else and the country, but

there are none in Sevenoaks. Local parents have been put a check --

petitioning to get one. Until last month, this would not have been

possible, because the government had said no new grammar schools

could be created. But they have altered the rules to allow existing

schools to open a satellite's sides elsewhere. Critics believe the

system is already damaging to other schools. The children who do attend

grammar school, you may be able to increase their performance. We can

also show that in the other schools, where children have failed their 11

plus, they can become demotivated. And as a result, Kent has a higher

proportion than most other authorities of schools which are

failing, and are deemed to be in problems by the government's

inspectors. The reason for that is the selective system. Some say

getting rid of grammar schools would ensure a better mix of pupils.

If you can create comprehensive schools, where all ability children

go, they are good schools, and create social cohesion, and all the

statistical evidence shows that educational outcomes, results, are

in fact improved. So his selection has no merit. -- so's election. It

creates massive stress, and it divides families and communities.

And even of grammar schools to provide the right education, well-

lit stop parents problems? -- whip solve parents' problems? A head

teacher at this school is concerned. Some grammar schools Select, which

means they will take the children of the highest ability. That means

children come from a wide distance, whereas it would seem more sensible

to have a school which serves the town and local villagers, because

we are the ones who have the difficulty. The way to do that

would be to accept children from a long distance. Kent taxpayers may

have to pick up the bill for a school - said to be �20 million.

Part of the problem is that we have enough secondary school places, and

grammar school places in Kent. problem is we have over 250

children who come into our schools from across the border, and in

particular, into West Kents cause. If we were able to stop that, we

would have been up provision. -- into West Kent.

Is expanding be counted's already large number of grammar schools

best for the education system as a whole? Will Kent children get the

places that Kent taxpayers will be funding?

With me in the studio is Mike Whiting from Kent County Council.

Whether Kent children benefit depends on the criteria that the

new school is able to apply. Any Amex to be built would have to have

the same criteria as existing criteria. What influence can you

have? Evaders an academy, we have little power. -- if it is an

academy. If a school in Tunbridge Wells is interesting in opening a

school, could you say to them, we can opened this, but only if you

allow local children as well? formula will have to be worked out.

I have got a meeting coming up, with all of the West Kent Head

Teachers, to judge the measure, temperature if you like, their

willingness to get involved. I think it would be good if we could

get the local people from Sevenoaks, who are calling for this to happen,

to get the. -- together. I would like to see their interests are

best served. There is a problem in the grammar system. You have got

enough places for people in Kent, but not enough for those outside

Kent. We reckon every five young people who apply for a grammar

school place, only four get a place. So there is a need for more places.

We cannot stop people. My job, as a cabinet member for education is

Kent, it is to ensure they are adequate places for young people in

Kent. Grammar schools are single sex. If you were to open one new

school, it would you have to choose boys or girls? We would have to

find two schools willing to open. I would be happy to look for partners,

one Garth School, and one Boys School. -- goal's school.

This all played very well with parents. Choice is a very good

thing. -- this will play a. Even if, some of those children, are coming

from over the border? We need to get away from these arbitrary

boundary lines. We need to provide the best services in pragmatic and

innovative ways. Crawley have benefited from a new school opening,

for example. Norma, -- Norman, grammar-school boy. What do you

think about this? There is an issue where there... I went to a grammar

school, and benefited enormously. But I also saw nine out of 10

children I knew being written off, and being sent to a secondary

modern school, which could not attract good teachers or money.

Tempers cent benefit, while 90% this benefit. -- 10%.

And now time for a round up of the week's events in the region - as

told by our political editor, Louise Stewart, in precidely one

minute! Dover was the dealt a blow with the

announcement that sea France had gone bust. 300 jobs could be saved,

but President Sarkozy says they should be French jobs.

There was a new Battle of Hastings this week, as Labour's energy

secretary turned up the heat on subsidies. Caroline Flint visited

her town to tell ministers that they could stick their changes

where the sun at do not shine at! -- where the sun does not shine.

A newly knighted Sir Roger Gale tried to put the wind up Ed

Miliband, over claims that rail increases are the coalition's fault.

That was our political editor, Louise Stewart. Let's pick up on

some of those stories with our guests of the day. Norman, I want

to ask you about solar panels. Leaving the legal issues aside, are

you happy to be in a Government that is cutting subsidies?

reality is, that demand has increased. The government has to

take some action. I do not think it has been a very well handled. The

government is not cutting back - it is fully committed to solar energy.

But there was a problem with excess benefits. We are looking for

changes underway this has handled? We need stability in the future.

Henry, you were leader of WSCC - what do you think of the scheme?

West Sussex is a great idea for authorities. I think it is a great

scheme that will help get people into housing. Especially affordable

housing. I supported, and congratulate Hastings for working

with Lloyds TSB to introduce that scheme. It is something I am

planning to talk to my local authority about. I think it is a

very interesting scheme. The public and private sector are working

together to deliver more affordable housing. I like it! Perfect!