:01:27. > :01:37.And in the south-east, as water companies warned of a serious long-
:01:37. > :01:37.
:01:37. > :31:10.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1773 seconds
:31:10. > :31:14.term shortages, are households I'm Julia George and this is the
:31:14. > :31:17.Sunday Politics in the South East. Coming up in the next twenty
:31:17. > :31:21.minutes: The future for our energy supply or
:31:21. > :31:25.just a blight on the landscape? Are you happy to subsidise wind farms
:31:25. > :31:28.across the region? With me in the studio today is the
:31:29. > :31:31.woman who wants to be the next MP for Hastings and Rye, Labour's
:31:31. > :31:41.prospective candidate Sarah Owen, and Conservative MP for Folkestone
:31:41. > :31:41.
:31:41. > :31:44.and Hythe Damian Collins. The cost of petrol and diesel is a
:31:44. > :31:49.big story with Kent and Sussex prices higher than the record
:31:49. > :31:55.national average. This week, one Kent filling station was charging a
:31:55. > :32:04.massive 146.9 pence a litre for unleaded. Damien Collins, how much
:32:04. > :32:09.more can people take? It is a big impact on the cost of living so
:32:09. > :32:13.that is why it is so serious and that is why a number of MPs were
:32:14. > :32:19.against any increase in their duty in January. It is something serious
:32:19. > :32:24.for the Chancellor to think about. Is a car becoming a luxury for
:32:24. > :32:28.people? People still rely on cars and businesses are being affected
:32:28. > :32:32.by this. The haulage companies in particular are finding this very
:32:33. > :32:38.difficult and I would be looking to the Chancellor to reduce VAT at
:32:38. > :32:44.this point and perhaps save motorists three pence per litre.
:32:44. > :32:50.Are we going to see major protests? It is something that really affects
:32:50. > :32:57.people's lives but you have got to look at it against a number of
:32:57. > :33:02.costs as well. For motorists, it is a big part of their monthly spend.
:33:02. > :33:05.Is it time to start rationing our water use? The South East is
:33:05. > :33:09.officially in drought after two dry winters, and yet every day we
:33:09. > :33:12.continue to use 15 litres more water per person than the rest of
:33:12. > :33:14.the country. At a drought summit, the Environment Secretary Caroline
:33:14. > :33:19.Spelman said, "Iit's not just the responsibility of Government, water
:33:19. > :33:23.companies and businesses to act against drought. We are asking for
:33:23. > :33:27.the help of everyone by urging them to use less water and to start now".
:33:27. > :33:32.How long do you spend in the shower? Do you bath your kids every
:33:32. > :33:42.night? Do you flush every time you use the loo? Should it be voluntary
:33:42. > :33:47.
:33:47. > :33:51.or should we be forced to use less This reservoir is on the Kent and
:33:51. > :33:56.Sussex border. It is usually around 90 % fall at this year put it is
:33:56. > :34:00.currently at half of that Act. The south-east is officially in drug.
:34:00. > :34:05.But are we taking enough responsibility for our water used?
:34:05. > :34:12.Already, the South East has the highest water usage per person in
:34:12. > :34:18.Europe at around 165 litres per day. The UK average is 150 litres I.
:34:18. > :34:23.Household usage is predicted to live -- rise, particularly in the
:34:23. > :34:27.affluent South East. But when rainfall is low, this is a problem.
:34:27. > :34:33.Together with the Environment Agency, the Government department
:34:33. > :34:36.told us daily water awareness and decide on a meter installation at
:34:36. > :34:41.to the water companies are. It already happens in most other
:34:41. > :34:46.European countries and while the UK is behind, some countries in the
:34:46. > :34:50.south-east are changing that. have put in half a million metres.
:34:50. > :34:54.We are trying to give customers tips about how to save water so we
:34:54. > :34:58.are working hard on that front. the message does not seem to be
:34:58. > :35:05.getting through. How much do you think about the water you use at
:35:05. > :35:11.home? I think about it at times, not very often. Do you do things to
:35:11. > :35:17.save water? No. I don't use the running water when I am cleaning my
:35:17. > :35:22.teeth. Relatively small changes in water usage can have a big impact.
:35:22. > :35:26.For starters, watering your garden using a hosepipe uses a lot of
:35:26. > :35:31.water whereas at filling a pay packet is far more efficient. And a
:35:31. > :35:37.bath takes a whopping 80 litres of water whereas a five minute shower
:35:37. > :35:47.uses around a third of that. If you are a bath lover, you could follow
:35:47. > :35:48.
:35:48. > :35:57.the example set by East Sussex residents. I saved my bath water,
:35:57. > :36:02.then I put it in a bucket and then I flush the toilet with it. That
:36:02. > :36:07.means that not only have you use less water, you have had a bath as
:36:07. > :36:11.well. This helps reduce how much refreshed. It announced lower
:36:11. > :36:16.single biggest use of domestic water. Flushing less often would
:36:16. > :36:22.help us all to save water, although it is not the most popular idea.
:36:22. > :36:26.What about rushing when you go to the toilet? I always flushed. It
:36:26. > :36:31.order to raise awareness, some say the Government needs to be more
:36:31. > :36:35.hands on. It is a balance between action by water companies, and
:36:35. > :36:39.individuals. We would like to see a firmer stance taken by the
:36:40. > :36:43.Government, saying that there is a long-term issue and we need to
:36:43. > :36:50.promote water efficiency, and this is what we would like to see you
:36:50. > :36:53.doing. Water companies are very good at delivering. So should the
:36:53. > :36:57.Government intervene in order to make us save more water and, in
:36:57. > :37:07.turn, make sure this valuable resource does not vanish down the
:37:07. > :37:15.Helen Drew reporting. Joining me from our studio in Hastings is
:37:15. > :37:22.Conservative MP for Hastings and Rye Amber Rudd. Nice to have you
:37:22. > :37:27.with us. How serious is the problem? And how seriously are you
:37:27. > :37:30.taking it? If the Government is taking it very seriously indeed.
:37:30. > :37:34.The first responsibility of a government is the security of the
:37:35. > :37:40.people and that includes food and water responsibility. We need to be
:37:40. > :37:45.much more careful with water. don't you just bite the bullet and
:37:46. > :37:50.a mandate of water meters? I think that would be difficult to execute
:37:50. > :37:53.straight away. As we heard earlier, water meters are being introduced
:37:54. > :37:57.throughout the South East and I think that is a really good move
:37:57. > :38:02.forward. If we can measure it, people are much more likely to be
:38:02. > :38:06.careful about how much water they use. Apparently, water usage goes
:38:06. > :38:11.down by around 10 % when people have a metres so I am delighted
:38:11. > :38:14.they are delivering those metres to all households around here. Has is
:38:14. > :38:19.very proper Government's strategy here or are you hoping it is going
:38:19. > :38:24.to rain non-stop for the next three months? We hope we get this right
:38:24. > :38:28.and together with the consumers and the water companies, and above all
:38:28. > :38:32.with the Environment Agency, we get the message across to reduce water
:38:32. > :38:37.and take the action we need to take to make sure water is preserved for
:38:37. > :38:40.the populations. Does it seem a bit strange that we are giving the
:38:40. > :38:43.water companies the biggest responsibility for reducing our use
:38:43. > :38:51.of water. They are the ones who make money out of selling water to
:38:51. > :38:55.us. But look at their record. Their record is very good for fixing the
:38:55. > :38:59.problems with the infrastructure they have been working on, for
:38:59. > :39:04.introducing meters. They have been set these targets and they are
:39:04. > :39:08.delivering on them. I am interested in outcomes. What do we need to do
:39:08. > :39:14.in terms of getting the message out there? Do we need a leaflet
:39:14. > :39:19.campaign, adverts on the radio? think people are beginning to know
:39:19. > :39:26.about it. I am delighted the BBC is covering it. I think the message is
:39:26. > :39:36.getting across. The later we'll deal with this, the bigger the
:39:36. > :39:38.
:39:39. > :39:43.impact will be on what life as well. -- wildlife. Isn't it better to
:39:43. > :39:47.tackling it now? Have we are tackling it now. We are taking
:39:47. > :39:53.action now. There is likely to be a hosepipe ban and people are
:39:53. > :39:57.responding very well. Don't underestimate the way people are
:39:57. > :40:01.responding. They are responding very well and I think the water
:40:01. > :40:04.companies will continue to get a message across. I hope the
:40:04. > :40:14.reduction of water usage will continue so we can replenish those
:40:14. > :40:17.reservoirs. What should our water policy be in this country? I am
:40:17. > :40:21.very pleased to hear they are taking this situation very
:40:21. > :40:26.seriously because in the South East, we are looking at something we have
:40:26. > :40:32.not seen before. We are going to be seeing people relying on standpipes.
:40:32. > :40:35.The Government has chosen to help people in the south-west with a �50
:40:35. > :40:40.rebate because why should people be paying for water they are not
:40:40. > :40:47.getting? We have got to South East MPs here and I want to know why
:40:48. > :40:52.that is. We talked about water meters. They were introduced in my
:40:52. > :40:56.constituency a couple of years ago and it has had a positive impact.
:40:56. > :40:59.It has worked very well. It would be difficult just to legislate to
:40:59. > :41:05.bring in water meters across the whole region overnight. I don't
:41:06. > :41:11.think that would be practical. It is about the consumer having the
:41:11. > :41:15.message, being responsible. Also, looking at water sources as well,
:41:16. > :41:23.the Government is working with water companies to incentive eyes
:41:23. > :41:27.them. -- in cent devised them. Another issue which is very
:41:27. > :41:31.important, why is the insurance industry threatening residents with
:41:31. > :41:37.losing plug cover for their homes when we up being told we live in a
:41:37. > :41:47.crowded area. A lot of people will find that very confusing. -- a
:41:47. > :41:55.drought area. Why do we use so much more water in the South East? Are
:41:55. > :41:59.we more selfish? His I would not describe any more -- of and my
:41:59. > :42:09.constituents as a selfish. I want people to be more careful with
:42:09. > :42:12.
:42:12. > :42:15.their water. Wind farms have been blowing up a
:42:15. > :42:18.political storm in recent weeks. Our guest Damian Collins was one of
:42:18. > :42:20.the one hundred MPs who signed a letter to the Prime Minister
:42:20. > :42:23.criticising the onshore wind power industry for being inefficient and
:42:23. > :42:25.ugly. An ICM/Guardian poll out last Thursday shows that local
:42:25. > :42:28.opposition to wind farms has tripled since 2010. And David
:42:28. > :42:31.Cameron has promised to cut public subsidies for the companies
:42:31. > :42:33.operating the giant wind turbines. We currently have two onshore wind
:42:33. > :42:36.farms in the South East, one of them in Damien Collin's
:42:36. > :42:39.constituency, the other near Lewes in East Sussex. Another two have
:42:39. > :42:42.been approved but not built yet on the Isle of Sheppey. And, Damien
:42:42. > :42:51.Collins, there are early plans for another five wind turbines at
:42:51. > :42:54.another site in your patch aren't there? That is at a pre-
:42:54. > :43:00.application stage but it is something that has been discussed
:43:00. > :43:04.and residents have been concerned about it. What the letter was about
:43:04. > :43:07.is the fact that consumers are paying through the subsidy for wind
:43:07. > :43:11.farms and they feel their voice is not being heard in the planning
:43:11. > :43:15.system we have inherited. We need to do something about that. There
:43:15. > :43:19.is an issue we flat up which is that sometimes the planets might
:43:19. > :43:25.think because there is a target for renewable energy, they are almost
:43:25. > :43:30.duty-bound to approve any application. Let's find out your
:43:30. > :43:34.absolute position. Are you against onshore wind farms per se? Would
:43:34. > :43:38.you rather it there were none in your constituency or anywhere else
:43:38. > :43:43.in the South East? He I would rather see them offshore because
:43:43. > :43:46.that is where I feel they can do a better job. We are where we are in
:43:46. > :43:50.my constituency. I would not say to other communities around the
:43:50. > :43:55.country, you cannot have them, but the local community should have a
:43:55. > :44:00.much bigger say on whether they want them. To deliver the scale we
:44:00. > :44:04.need, they need to be big offshore wind farms. Her in terms of your
:44:04. > :44:08.onshore wind farms put you slightly at odds with the Prime Minister, he
:44:08. > :44:13.has also made it clear there are perfectly hard-headed reasons for
:44:14. > :44:17.building will wind farms. And I think of sure is the best base for
:44:17. > :44:27.them to go. Communities might look at a wind farm and say they are
:44:27. > :44:29.
:44:29. > :44:33.happy to have it there. That is something that communities need to
:44:33. > :44:37.have a debate about. We communities have been frustrated is that they
:44:37. > :44:41.don't feel they have a voice in this process at all. It is
:44:41. > :44:47.impossible to stop planning application. Fast-forward a few
:44:47. > :44:56.years, if you do make it to be the next MP, would you back wind farms
:44:56. > :45:01.on short in your constituency? think we have got to look at the
:45:01. > :45:05.much bigger picture here. Onshore wind farms are not going to be
:45:05. > :45:10.right everywhere. But when you're talking about the subsidies they
:45:10. > :45:16.actually get, we are looking at �3.6 billion being subsidised for
:45:16. > :45:19.the company's but only 0.7 % -- 01 �7 billion going on wind farm
:45:20. > :45:24.subsidies. There is a massive difference there. If you are
:45:24. > :45:30.talking about people being squeezed at the moment in terms of finding
:45:30. > :45:35.fuel bills higher, looking at renewable sources of energy is the
:45:35. > :45:40.way to go. Half there is also a figure here, published in the
:45:40. > :45:44.Guardian a couple of days ago, a British Science Association poll
:45:44. > :45:50.said that people were willing to pay an extra �3.64 per month to
:45:50. > :45:56.make sure they energy comes from renewal. The public is quite happy
:45:56. > :45:59.to pay. But onshore wind is by no means the only source of renewable
:45:59. > :46:02.energy. One of the reasons that people have complaints about
:46:02. > :46:07.renewable energy is that you cannot always predict when the wind is
:46:07. > :46:15.going to blow. You need back-up systems, which is why we need to
:46:15. > :46:19.invest in major generation capacity. But you are pro-nuclear and you
:46:19. > :46:26.want a new nuclear power station. We need nuclear power stations and
:46:26. > :46:29.we need renewables. The idea that we can be reliant on wind is absurd.
:46:29. > :46:33.We need power stations which you can turn on and off and you know
:46:33. > :46:41.you're going to get a constant supply. Has what about the nuclear
:46:41. > :46:44.argument, Sarah. This government has an appalling renewable energy
:46:44. > :46:49.policy. For you to say we are backing some forms on renewable
:46:49. > :46:54.energy is a joke, considering what you have done with the solar feed
:46:54. > :46:58.in tariffs. High I went to visit a solar panel we house and they were
:46:58. > :47:03.just on the cusp of expanding, they were going higher in terms of
:47:03. > :47:07.levels of staff, they were about to expand, and that was a German
:47:07. > :47:14.company coming to invest in the UK. Because of your cuts, they and a
:47:14. > :47:20.scaling back. Are they going to damage another industry, pulling
:47:20. > :47:24.back on the public subsidies, or are foreign companies having a
:47:24. > :47:34.laugh at the taxpayers' expense? Half this is having a direct impact
:47:34. > :47:39.
:47:39. > :47:42.on my constituents. The system we inherited from the last
:47:42. > :47:46.Government's was one which had a finite amount of money allocated to
:47:46. > :47:51.it. We could have had a system which benefited FA people buy a
:47:51. > :47:59.huge amount or helped everyone to a much fairer to grief. The money has
:47:59. > :48:07.not been cut at the rate at which not been cut at the rate at which
:48:07. > :48:10.not been cut at the rate at which you pay back has been changed.
:48:10. > :48:16.And now a round up of the week's events in the region with our
:48:16. > :48:22.political reporter Alan Soady. As this this this man face trial in
:48:22. > :48:25.America, his wife told MPs his extradition was wrong. Shouldn't it
:48:25. > :48:31.be a basic requirement that a proper case be made out against
:48:31. > :48:36.Chris in a UK court? Suspected drug dealers were targeted in the area
:48:36. > :48:40.by police. Her we have a first- class police force working in
:48:40. > :48:44.partnership with a local authority and the residents have to make our
:48:44. > :48:49.towns a safer place. If Mike Weatherley so next week Badger and
:48:49. > :48:53.that person dressed as Bill Oddi. They were campaigning against --
:48:53. > :49:00.government plans to license badger culling. And amber Rudd talks
:49:00. > :49:03.family values, telling David Cameron it was lead day when women
:49:03. > :49:07.proposed two men. If I was wondering where the honourable lady
:49:07. > :49:17.was going with that. The Prime Minister went red but no green
:49:17. > :49:19.
:49:19. > :49:22.light. Shall we pick up on Christopher
:49:22. > :49:29.tapping and the extradition? There has been so much discuss and on
:49:29. > :49:34.this. What does it tell you about our extradition treaty with
:49:34. > :49:40.America? Hearts it is a complete disgrace. We have a businessman who
:49:40. > :49:44.was a very arms-length compared to the charge levelled against him. He
:49:44. > :49:47.has been extradited to the US where he will have to spend some time
:49:47. > :49:54.before his case is heard. I don't know why these cases can't be
:49:54. > :49:58.initiated here. You wanted to pick up on one of the other stories. A
:49:58. > :50:04.serious issue on licensing badger culls. Are I don't think it is time
:50:04. > :50:14.for that. If we are talking about a 16 % drop in TB cases and we are
:50:14. > :50:18.unsure about the result, I don't think it is time to go they yet.
:50:18. > :50:25.What is your most embarrassing moment so far? Had I don't think I
:50:25. > :50:34.could pick one but it was some light-hearted fun in the chamber.
:50:34. > :50:38.Sarah? Like the badger, I was dressed as a fox for a campaign.