:01:23. > :01:26.And in the South East: Second-class passengers? Why rail
:01:26. > :01:36.commuters in Kent and Sussex face Olympic hurdles getting into London
:01:36. > :01:36.
:01:36. > :35:05.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2009 seconds
:35:05. > :35:09.Hello. This is the Sunday Politics in the south-east. Coming up: can
:35:09. > :35:14.we have our money back? Why local councils want a change in the law
:35:14. > :35:20.to allow them to keep more of the taxes they collect. Joining me is
:35:20. > :35:27.the immigration in Mr Damian Green and the Labour peer Lord Bassam,
:35:27. > :35:33.also known as Steve. This week the mayor of London Boris Johnson given
:35:33. > :35:37.an interview in New York magazine says he wants Supreme powers in
:35:37. > :35:44.England so he can make the airport in the Thames estuary happen. It is
:35:44. > :35:46.not something you are in favour of, Damien. What is the answer?
:35:46. > :35:55.Government will produce a consultation document on airports
:35:55. > :36:02.in the south-east later this summer. I am not attracted to the idea of a
:36:02. > :36:09.brand new Ireland somewhere in the Thames estuary for environmental
:36:09. > :36:13.and practicality reasons. There are a number of airports in Kent you
:36:13. > :36:18.could see contributing to the overall expansion of airport
:36:18. > :36:27.capacity in the south-east but let's try looking at it as a whole
:36:27. > :36:31.rather than picking one solution. Big problem this for the government.
:36:31. > :36:35.It has itself in a whole, it has taken well over two years to make
:36:35. > :36:40.any progress and they have Boris to deal with on the sidelines. Boris
:36:40. > :36:45.Ireland is a bad idea and the environmental impact of it and the
:36:45. > :36:50.cost is enormous. I suspect a lot of pressure within the Tory party
:36:50. > :36:54.to go back to Heathrow and think about the third runway. Not an easy
:36:54. > :37:00.question to sulphur but one we have to solve because both Gatwick and
:37:00. > :37:03.Heathrow are close to capacity and we need extra capacity if we are to
:37:03. > :37:09.continue to thrive economically in the south and our hub is very
:37:09. > :37:13.important to us. We will discuss it more as the summer goes on. We will
:37:13. > :37:19.leave it there for now. When millions of visitors pour into
:37:19. > :37:25.London for the Olympics, many will get to the capital by the South
:37:25. > :37:35.East but are our rail networks equipped? Regular commuters could
:37:35. > :37:39.
:37:39. > :37:43.Four months and now the government has been advising Londoners on how
:37:43. > :37:47.to get a run during the Olympics. Stagger working hours, cycle event.
:37:47. > :37:51.But is it taking the needs of people outside of London E
:37:51. > :37:55.seriously enough? Kent will be particularly busy. With up to a
:37:55. > :38:01.quarter of a million extra people at any given time according to the
:38:01. > :38:05.council, so well this summer be chaos for commuters? Kelly-Marie
:38:05. > :38:10.Blundell clears to London every day from Ashford. The government has
:38:10. > :38:17.not provided any advice down here. Everybody is very worried about
:38:17. > :38:21.troubling. We have a problem with overcrowding so there are 10-15
:38:21. > :38:25.people standing in every carriage. The Olympics will exacerbate that.
:38:25. > :38:29.Hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors to the Olympics will come
:38:30. > :38:35.into the country via the South East, through the port of Dover, the
:38:35. > :38:39.Eurotunnel, Gatwick airport. Some south-east MPs are worried the
:38:39. > :38:44.region has been neglected by the government. Everything has been
:38:44. > :38:48.London centric and for anything outside it is a different story. We
:38:48. > :38:51.need some much stronger message is going out and hopefully the
:38:51. > :38:57.government can help bang heads together when it comes to the rail
:38:57. > :39:00.companies. Transport for London says people should cycle more, but
:39:00. > :39:04.you have well companies saying you cannot take your bikes on the train
:39:04. > :39:09.and that will make it more difficult. The Olympics should be a
:39:09. > :39:16.time when we are celebrating and excited and happy. I fear it will
:39:16. > :39:26.be a time we will get cross. fleet and blue water a designated
:39:26. > :39:27.
:39:27. > :39:32.coach and park sides from Stratford. At the moment, fewer than two. --
:39:32. > :39:37.2,500 people use the station here at Ebbsfleet. Up to 25,000 people
:39:37. > :39:41.use the service between St Pancras Ebbsfleet and Stafford per hour. In
:39:41. > :39:46.order to cater for the demand, South Eastern trains has a new
:39:46. > :39:53.timetable for the Olympic period. It means no high-speed trains
:39:53. > :39:58.running to places including Marks gate, Ramsgate and London. For the
:39:58. > :40:02.London Games, the timetable we are operating has been set up by the
:40:02. > :40:06.Department for Transport and the Olympic delivery authority. It is
:40:06. > :40:10.first and foremost to meet the needs of spectators, people going
:40:10. > :40:15.to the Games. If the timetable changes entirely. They will not be
:40:15. > :40:19.the normal high-speed service and actually main line and metro
:40:19. > :40:24.services alter significantly as well. People are likely not to be
:40:24. > :40:27.able to make the usual journey. While most people are expected to
:40:27. > :40:31.travel to the games on public transport, driving is an unknown
:40:31. > :40:36.quantity. Many are worried about roads in the North Kent especially
:40:36. > :40:39.around the Dartford river crossing. The Dartford tunnel could be pinch
:40:39. > :40:46.points at the best of time. There is more uncertainty about the
:40:46. > :40:49.impact on the road and South Eastern have done the planning on
:40:49. > :40:54.the rail system -- situation but the roads will be busier in some
:40:54. > :40:58.areas but not all. It is unpredictable and we were just need
:40:58. > :41:02.to be prepared. Has the government done everything it could to raise
:41:02. > :41:06.transport issue awareness? There is more to be done. We are getting
:41:06. > :41:11.closer to the Games and that effort needs to be stepped up.
:41:11. > :41:16.Olympics start next month and the Paralympics and in September. Over
:41:16. > :41:19.that time, it is the government giving visitors to the games are a
:41:19. > :41:23.gold medal service while commuters struggle to get out of the starting
:41:23. > :41:30.blocks? Joining us is the Conservative MP
:41:30. > :41:35.for Folkestone and Hythe Damian Collins. From what south-east and
:41:35. > :41:40.said in that report, you have made a decision to prioritise spectators
:41:40. > :41:44.over ordinary commuters. Is that why? I do nothing that is right. In
:41:44. > :41:49.terms of level of awareness, on the committee we have pushed this issue
:41:49. > :41:53.hard with the government and the organisers for some period of time.
:41:53. > :41:57.There is a lot of information out there for the public to look at so
:41:57. > :42:01.they can plan their journeys with more care. It will not be business
:42:01. > :42:07.as normal during the Olympic Games and people will look at how they
:42:07. > :42:11.plan their journeys and accept that for a couple of weeks around the
:42:11. > :42:20.main game as there is likely to be disruption. Because they are not
:42:20. > :42:24.the priority. I think we have to remember the games are taking place
:42:24. > :42:29.during the summer when demand for domestic drops off anyway, people
:42:29. > :42:31.on their holidays, students are not at college or school so it is
:42:31. > :42:36.expected that some of the demand will be satisfied because there
:42:36. > :42:40.will be fewer commuters on the service but what people should look
:42:40. > :42:43.at is what time of day they choose to travel, could they use
:42:43. > :42:49.alternative routes and certainly from Ashford and the rest of the
:42:49. > :42:52.county, there will be a fairly normal well service but for further
:42:53. > :42:58.east, people will have to change trains and planned their journey
:42:58. > :43:03.more carefully. It is only for the two weeks of the main games, then
:43:03. > :43:07.services get back to normal, then amended services for the
:43:07. > :43:15.Paralympics. The core two weeks of the Games will be the greater
:43:15. > :43:20.period of disruption. You say there are alternative routes. But a lot
:43:20. > :43:24.of other people will have jobs to get to that they need to get to.
:43:24. > :43:30.What are they supposed to do? you are coming from the east of the
:43:30. > :43:36.county of Kent, you might have to change trains on the way in. But
:43:36. > :43:43.that will run from Ashford throughout the day back and forth.
:43:43. > :43:47.What if you are beyond Faversham and to take a high-speed train?
:43:47. > :43:52.you look at the times tables, there are good connecting services from
:43:52. > :43:56.the east of the county to pick up the high-speed network. The journey
:43:56. > :44:01.will take longer but the rail services there, people will have to
:44:01. > :44:05.plan their brews and people will have to plan their time but that
:44:05. > :44:12.will be the same for everyone. We have a direct rail service into the
:44:12. > :44:17.Olympic Park. We are talking about other passengers though. What about
:44:17. > :44:23.what was said in the report that there is more to be done to get the
:44:23. > :44:28.message to commuters. A lot of people are not aware perhaps.
:44:28. > :44:32.is a lot of information out there. We get some benefits from the
:44:32. > :44:36.Olympics because we are close to them, a lot of Tests, tourists,
:44:36. > :44:45.will stay in Kent and the games are a great advert for people to come
:44:45. > :44:50.to Britain. Other countries had a great tourism boom after the games.
:44:50. > :44:53.Damian Collins, thank you. Lord Bassam, you can eat regularly up
:44:53. > :44:59.from Brighton. Are you concerned about the situation during the
:44:59. > :45:04.Games? I am a bit concerned because our rail services have been a bit
:45:04. > :45:10.badly disrupted and I am not sure why. I think it will put strains
:45:10. > :45:14.and stresses on the network but as Damien says, it is for the wider
:45:14. > :45:19.economic benefit and there is a long-term pay-off. Our services are
:45:19. > :45:26.fairly fast and frequent but they are subject to a lot of disruption.
:45:26. > :45:30.There are improvements we could make to our local network. What
:45:30. > :45:38.about you, Damian Green? A lot of your constituents will be hit by
:45:38. > :45:43.this. Services from Ashford which are extremely good, 38 minutes into
:45:43. > :45:48.central London, but let's get some perspective former this is the
:45:48. > :45:53.biggest and best global event taking in this country -- taking
:45:53. > :45:58.place in this country. It is taking place in August when there are
:45:58. > :46:02.fewer commuters than at any time of year. Let's celebrate what we are
:46:02. > :46:07.getting out a bit. We can positively endorsed this. We will
:46:07. > :46:11.get a bit of disruption but it will be worth it. Thank you.
:46:11. > :46:17.If you live in Sussex, Kent or Surrey, you are probably paying a
:46:17. > :46:21.lot more council tax and residence in London, up to 66 % more but you
:46:21. > :46:25.also have less money spent on the services you use such as health and
:46:25. > :46:30.transport compared to people in the capital. A group of councillors in
:46:30. > :46:39.the south-east says the system distribution taxes is unfair and
:46:40. > :46:45.they want more control over the more -- money raised. What a change
:46:45. > :46:51.benefit the poorest parts of our region? Joining us is Paul Clark.
:46:51. > :46:56.You are in favour of the current system. What I am in favour of his
:46:56. > :47:02.having a fair system of funding for local authorities across the south-
:47:02. > :47:06.east and across the United Kingdom in general. Anything that gives
:47:06. > :47:12.power to local authorities to retain money, of course on the face
:47:12. > :47:16.of it it looks good but the problem we have got is that the government
:47:16. > :47:20.has to have responsibility in terms of making sure there are resources
:47:20. > :47:25.throughout the country in all areas to meet the demands they Iraq in
:47:25. > :47:31.providing services for older people, whether it is deprivation, helping
:47:31. > :47:35.those unemployed and looking after youngsters that need to be in care
:47:35. > :47:40.and supported in that way or special education needs. It is
:47:40. > :47:45.complicated but it could not be done any other way? It is
:47:45. > :47:50.complicated but the problem we have got is the local government today
:47:50. > :47:55.is facing on average a cut of a fifth in central government funding
:47:55. > :47:58.for services and indeed I know one of the things that is being argued
:47:58. > :48:03.by the south-east councils is more money for a business to keep on
:48:03. > :48:06.business growth. Indeed the regional development agencies that
:48:06. > :48:13.were abolished were in fact putting money into local authorities to
:48:13. > :48:16.help with economic growth. Lord Bassam, you were once leader of
:48:16. > :48:20.Brighton council, one of the councillors who won control of
:48:20. > :48:25.their funding so they can use it more to benefit people in their
:48:25. > :48:33.area more. The truth of the matter is budgets are under pressure and
:48:33. > :48:40.that is why local authorities are pressing for greater local control.
:48:40. > :48:44.The greens will cut budgets by 40 %. The principle of giving the money
:48:44. > :48:49.to the nation to see as the government sees fit, what is wrong
:48:49. > :48:53.with that? Nothing wrong with the principle. But you now need to get
:48:54. > :48:58.the element of localism with getting as sensible and fair
:48:58. > :49:02.distribution that is why these councils have argued that the
:49:02. > :49:07.Distributed System is a quite right and they want a greater degree will
:49:07. > :49:11.of localism. It is something that is difficult to work out. I am
:49:12. > :49:19.sympathetic to where they are coming from. Most people would be
:49:20. > :49:28.as well. What pickles and the Department for local government is
:49:28. > :49:33.trying to do is drive Powell -- power were down to local levels. I
:49:33. > :49:36.think the key to this is to encourage councils through the
:49:36. > :49:40.financial system to promote growth in their own areas so that they
:49:40. > :49:45.will have a bigger and more prosperous tax base and then if
:49:45. > :49:49.they get more control over that, then that will solve the problems
:49:49. > :49:57.because Paul his way to the extent that essentially you do need to
:49:57. > :50:01.ensure that very poor areas do get enough money to spend on services.
:50:01. > :50:07.There will always have to be some we do speak Russian but the more
:50:07. > :50:13.power you double locally, the better. -- Distribution. A billion
:50:13. > :50:20.pounds more taxes is collected and is received in funding in this part
:50:20. > :50:24.of the world. It is unfair but as I say, it is a price you pay for
:50:24. > :50:29.being a more prosperous area than some other parts of the country so
:50:29. > :50:34.on the whole we all benefit from that. Were to have to do a strike
:50:34. > :50:38.the balance between the National redistribution and giving the power
:50:38. > :50:43.to the local councils, and I think the balance has been to national.
:50:43. > :50:50.Poorer cities do seem to lose out in this and with the big cuts they
:50:50. > :50:55.are making locally, it is a big problem. I can understand councils
:50:55. > :50:59.wanting to get more out of the cash. Is that the danger that the
:50:59. > :51:05.disparity get bigger if councils keep that money? That is exactly
:51:05. > :51:10.the danger that happens. Nobody is opposing localism but what happens
:51:10. > :51:14.if you have a predominantly rural areas that cannot generate business
:51:14. > :51:18.in a way that has been proposed. They would then miss out and also I
:51:18. > :51:24.have to say that was local authorities are not in control of
:51:24. > :51:28.the key economic growth indicators that are required, so if you have a
:51:28. > :51:35.backdrop of major cuts, economic decline whether that is a world
:51:35. > :51:41.lead or Number 11 lead, if you are control, you cannot do much as
:51:41. > :51:45.leader of county council. Poorer parts within the South East, how do
:51:45. > :51:51.we make sure if we kept the money that it could get to the bits that
:51:51. > :51:55.need it most? That is very much the responsibilities of the individual
:51:55. > :51:59.councils. From their part they will know where the poor areas are and
:51:59. > :52:03.if they need to spend more money there, they should do so and those
:52:03. > :52:10.are the decisions that are best taken at a local level rather than
:52:10. > :52:13.on the basis of some national formula. That is fine in theory.
:52:13. > :52:18.These poorer councils, if they do not have the money in the first
:52:18. > :52:22.place and they are badly managed, they are making the wrong sorts of
:52:22. > :52:27.decisions, what guarantee that local says and -- will local
:52:27. > :52:37.residents have that they will get services? Thank you. It is time for
:52:37. > :52:38.
:52:38. > :52:43.a round-up of the Week events with our political editor Louise Stuart.
:52:43. > :52:47.Hopes that 2000 jobs could be created in Sheerness were dashed
:52:47. > :52:51.after the wind turbine manufacturer announced it would not open a
:52:51. > :52:56.factory there. It comes after the Chancellor wants to cut green
:52:56. > :53:00.subsidies by 25 %. Two Kent MPs back the fair fuel
:53:00. > :53:04.campaign calling for the Chancellor to scrap the three pence increase
:53:04. > :53:08.in fuel duty during August. There was fighting talk from the
:53:08. > :53:12.Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne. He told ministers he would not stand by
:53:13. > :53:15.while services were cut at his local hospital. I have one of the
:53:16. > :53:21.fastest-growing towns in the south- east and we are determined we will
:53:21. > :53:24.win this. The Canterbury MP called for a change to immigration rules
:53:24. > :53:27.says the government should take a tough line with criminals without
:53:27. > :53:34.making it difficult for a genuine visitors.
:53:34. > :53:38.And true she crouched agreed ministers should not attend year-
:53:38. > :53:48.old editor of matches. Send a minister and they lose, it could be
:53:48. > :53:54.that Beijing's the team. -- jinx the team. It is a shame about the
:53:54. > :53:59.when turbine factory pulling out. It is a commercial decision and the
:53:59. > :54:05.subsidies for the wind industry had got out of hand. They need to be
:54:05. > :54:10.cut back. It is obviously a great shame for the area but there is
:54:10. > :54:20.huge publications about how we get a proper renewable energy strategy.
:54:20. > :54:26.
:54:26. > :54:31.-- complications. You had a fairly Sussex... It is a bit rich coming
:54:31. > :54:35.from the Lib Dems. They are the ones that backed the Health Bill.
:54:36. > :54:41.It is nice to hear campaigning for the local community but they should