:01:20. > :01:22.And in the South East: Expand and deliver - is a government-backed
:01:22. > :01:32.boost for East Kent jobs destined for unqualified success or
:01:32. > :01:32.
:01:32. > :37:09.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2136 seconds
:37:09. > :37:12.I'm Julia George and this is the Sunday Politics in the South East.
:37:12. > :37:17.Coming up later: Nearly half the primary schools in Kent are not
:37:17. > :37:23.outsanding. They're not even good. Simple question - why? We'll put
:37:23. > :37:26.that one to the leader of Kent Council.
:37:26. > :37:28.With their take on the big political issues of the day, my
:37:28. > :37:31.guests this week are Mark Reckless, the Conservative MP for Rochester
:37:31. > :37:36.and Strood, and Jason Kitcat, the leader of Brighton and Hove City
:37:36. > :37:39.Council who's from the Green Party. Mark, Jason, welcome. The cost of
:37:39. > :37:42.alcoholic drinks has been a big story this week. The Government is
:37:42. > :37:45.looking at a minimum price of 45p a unit. In Sussex, we've just learnt
:37:45. > :37:55.that 1,200 children have been treated for drink and drug problems
:37:55. > :37:55.
:37:55. > :37:59.over the last five years. These are potentially the binge drinkers of
:37:59. > :38:08.the future. Do you think this minimum pricing will make a
:38:08. > :38:12.difference? It will help. There are other issues. It is often mental
:38:12. > :38:18.health issues or family problems as well but a beneath this. But
:38:18. > :38:23.minimum pricing will help, because if people will buy it less alcohol,
:38:23. > :38:33.they would drink less. We are talking about the most severe cases
:38:33. > :38:36.
:38:36. > :38:44.here. I spoke to a lady who had drunk a quarter of a bottle of
:38:44. > :38:49.vodka by 9:45am. Her point was that alcoholics will find the money from
:38:49. > :38:57.somewhere. I used to work as an economist, and if you put the price
:38:57. > :39:01.of something up, consumption tends to fall. It will have an impact. I
:39:01. > :39:07.wonder whether that is what we should do - have a system where we
:39:07. > :39:16.are more supportive than the pubs, bars and clubs, but have higher
:39:16. > :39:22.taxes. But the impact of that is that Joe Public cannot afford much,
:39:22. > :39:29.and automatically, you will punish him. I don't think we should punish
:39:29. > :39:35.people. If we did it through tax, we can use any extra tax raised to
:39:35. > :39:38.reduce taxes elsewhere. East Kent has had its fair share of
:39:38. > :39:41.economic troubles, but will it soon be seen as the place to invest?
:39:41. > :39:44.Exisiting and new businesses are being loaned Government money to
:39:44. > :39:47.create new jobs there. And there are also tax incentives for
:39:47. > :39:57.companies that move to Discovery Park, the home of the old Pfizer
:39:57. > :40:02.
:40:02. > :40:07.site in Sandwich. Is it enough to After months of preparation, the
:40:07. > :40:14.Czechs are being signed. Interest free loans are being given to seven
:40:14. > :40:19.companies that have pledged to create full-time and part-time jobs.
:40:19. > :40:26.Tonight's event is meant to be a turning point for the fortunes of
:40:26. > :40:33.east Kent. �35 million is being spent to retract -- attract
:40:33. > :40:38.companies to invest it. It aims to create �300 million of investment
:40:38. > :40:44.and 5,000 jobs and three years. But when it work? And all the companies
:40:44. > :40:49.stick around? Pfizer was the region's largest and highest value
:40:50. > :40:55.employer. When it pulled out last year, 2,400 jobs were in jeopardy.
:40:55. > :41:05.But an independent review had a worse news. It predicted the loss
:41:05. > :41:07.
:41:08. > :41:14.of five so contract work and cuts would lead to over her 1,000 job
:41:14. > :41:20.losses by 2018. Politicians set up a task force, but progress has been
:41:20. > :41:25.slow. Initial applications for regional growth fund money and
:41:25. > :41:30.enterprise zone status were rejected. Now, help has come, but
:41:30. > :41:35.with seven that loans been made this week from 189 applications, is
:41:35. > :41:40.it too little too late? There has been criticism that we should be
:41:40. > :41:44.handing out the money quicker. To begin with, the quality of the
:41:44. > :41:49.applications was not as good as expectation. There were many
:41:49. > :41:59.optimists, hoping it would be cheap money to carry out -- help
:41:59. > :42:00.
:42:00. > :42:07.businesses. A private buyer was found for the old site, and 1,000
:42:07. > :42:13.jobs were retained, but most buildings remain deserted. �146
:42:13. > :42:17.million has been spent on an improved access road to motorways
:42:17. > :42:22.and new flood defences. It is all part of a major sales pitch,
:42:22. > :42:32.targeted at these four sectors. But not everyone thinks they hold the
:42:32. > :42:33.
:42:33. > :42:39.key to future prosperity. I see problems for all four Industries.
:42:39. > :42:45.Everyone wants green, and it is not clear what Kent's advantages are in
:42:45. > :42:51.that area. Creative, digital - there are already successful
:42:51. > :42:57.clusters of that in London, and we are already opening up a media park
:42:57. > :43:03.and Olympics site. Again, it is not clear why you would go to East Kent
:43:03. > :43:08.to do this. Tourism - I am not sure what they have in mind there.
:43:08. > :43:13.enterprise zone means companies to move into Discovery Park get a five
:43:13. > :43:23.year grace period. But these incentives do not stretch beyond
:43:23. > :43:29.the boundaries of the business park. The site is very limited. It is
:43:29. > :43:39.just at the Old Fire is a site, so it does not include a private areas
:43:39. > :43:45.like Dover, like Ramsgate, Thanet. It does not put anything into those
:43:45. > :43:52.towns, and you cannot have a super- duper business park, sitting there
:43:52. > :43:57.in isolation, surrounded by other places which should be giving it a
:43:57. > :44:02.degree of support. That is all to do with this business of making the
:44:02. > :44:09.thing sustainable. All the money and effort being spent is to
:44:09. > :44:15.attract private investment. Some say that is not enough. Thanet has
:44:15. > :44:20.been a poor area of Kent for more than 40 years. The Green Party's
:44:20. > :44:26.view is that it would be better to put a large civil service
:44:26. > :44:33.department into Thanet, increase employment, for an indefinite
:44:33. > :44:37.period. If the private sector gets into difficulties, they may go away.
:44:37. > :44:42.A with such a bleak economic Outlook, everyone agrees that
:44:42. > :44:49.something radical must be done to revive the East Kent. But has
:44:49. > :44:52.government support arrived in time? Will companies that to come here
:44:52. > :45:02.stay around long term to create sustainable jobs that benefit the
:45:02. > :45:14.
:45:14. > :45:18.Did the Government act a little bit too slowly? The brain drain start
:45:18. > :45:24.very quickly when a big organisation moves out. He is, it
:45:24. > :45:29.does, but the area moves pretty quickly. Begot the enterprise zone
:45:29. > :45:34.status, there are nearly 1,000 jobs are there now. These things take
:45:34. > :45:38.time, but I'm confident the companies will flourish and stay.
:45:39. > :45:48.You are in charge of regional growth fund money. We do have liked
:45:49. > :45:51.
:45:51. > :45:57.to see happen more quickly? It is up to each bid how Enterprise Zone
:45:57. > :46:02.status is put forward. It has taken some time to find the applicants
:46:02. > :46:07.for these loans, but that is now happening. We think 5,000 jobs will
:46:07. > :46:12.be created, and that is very positive. That is not the only way
:46:12. > :46:20.the Government is helping - we had been upgrading well services and by
:46:20. > :46:25.improving flood schemes. million, and of that, 190 bids, but
:46:25. > :46:30.only seven were awarded. It does not seem they have been that many
:46:31. > :46:40.high-quality books. It is public money. You cannot just dish out
:46:40. > :46:50.public money. -- high-quality boots. In the new round of money, in the
:46:50. > :46:50.
:46:50. > :46:56.third round, I have sent firm up timetables. -- set firmer
:46:56. > :47:03.timetables. Round one was probably a bit slow. We have a faster
:47:03. > :47:13.timetable for round three. They are four different types of industries
:47:13. > :47:19.
:47:19. > :47:28.focused here. Are they the right sectors? He was a bit gloomy,
:47:28. > :47:31.wasn't he? It is not for ministers to say what the right sectors are.
:47:31. > :47:35.Given the scientific character of the place, they have got every
:47:35. > :47:45.prospect of creating businesses there that are long-term and
:47:45. > :47:47.
:47:47. > :47:52.sustainable and green. This campaign to show British business
:47:52. > :47:56.why the East Kent is the perfect place, we have been contacted by
:47:56. > :48:06.businesses that notice you have three years of accounts. The they
:48:06. > :48:08.
:48:08. > :48:14.are other schemes to help start-ups. There are other schemes that help
:48:14. > :48:18.people who have a business plan. What is important is that this is
:48:18. > :48:22.money for small businesses, because they are likely to grow. You must
:48:22. > :48:28.be delighted that the green industries have been given so much
:48:28. > :48:34.support here. I wish them well with their endeavours, but there is no
:48:34. > :48:38.way to learn about these loans and schemes. The professor was right,
:48:38. > :48:48.actually. Most of the sector's that are targeted have clusters
:48:48. > :48:49.
:48:49. > :48:59.elsewhere. They will struggle on some of those, but green industries
:48:59. > :49:01.
:49:01. > :49:07.is a great area. Perhaps they could have gone a bit heavier on that.
:49:07. > :49:12.the East Kent is so great, why not just let market forces prevail? If
:49:12. > :49:18.it is that great, business will come up or they won't. Meanwhile,
:49:18. > :49:26.the Wellins would take people to great jobs in London. -- the rail
:49:26. > :49:33.links. For the first time, we have the South East benefiting from this
:49:33. > :49:38.targeted support. When you have a rapid closure in that area, it is
:49:38. > :49:41.right for government to give that targeted support. With the high-
:49:41. > :49:51.speed rail link as well, we are really giving their support the
:49:51. > :49:52.
:49:52. > :50:02.area needs. Why not just leave East Kent to its best efforts? If they
:50:02. > :50:12.
:50:12. > :50:21.don't go there, the workforce goes to London. You cannot simply leave
:50:22. > :50:31.it to market forces. In the science field, for example, it is right for
:50:32. > :50:36.
:50:36. > :50:39.the Government to Hopper. And - -- help.
:50:39. > :50:42.Nearly half of primary school children in Kent and Medway don't
:50:42. > :50:45.go to an outstanding primary school. They don't even go to a good one.
:50:45. > :50:48.Ofsted has 152 local authorities on their list. Kent and Medway come a
:50:48. > :50:50.shocking ninth and tenth from bottom for primary school
:50:50. > :50:53.performance. Secondary schools fare much better in both areas. We'll
:50:54. > :50:56.look at East Sussex and Brighton in just a moment. Paul Carter, leader
:50:56. > :51:04.of Kent Council Council, joins me now. Susan Gregory said some local
:51:04. > :51:11.authorities are doing a great job, others are not. Where does Kent
:51:11. > :51:17.for? This is disastrous! I think the Ofsted annual report is out of
:51:17. > :51:20.date and does not reflect what is going on. In the last academic year,
:51:20. > :51:25.we have had the best set of results and a primary schools and secondary
:51:26. > :51:30.schools that we have ever had before. We have been fighting to
:51:30. > :51:40.bring key stage 1 Neville's but national averages for 16 years, and
:51:40. > :51:55.
:51:55. > :52:05.this year, we achieved that. -- Key Stage 1 levels above. You are
:52:05. > :52:07.
:52:08. > :52:13.giving us of a pat on the back. But Ofsted is doing the opposite.
:52:13. > :52:17.and have a conversation with us! I can give you all the data which
:52:17. > :52:27.substantiates exactly what I just said, with trying to make sure we
:52:27. > :52:33.
:52:33. > :52:37.improve our primary schools. If it was assessed where Ofsted has
:52:37. > :52:44.categorised all our primary schools, we would not be anywhere near the
:52:44. > :52:48.bottom 10%. Most importantly, it is delivering good key stage 1 and 2
:52:48. > :52:53.results. I can give you all the evidence for that will we are, for
:52:53. > :52:59.the first time, the attainment of young people as above the national
:52:59. > :53:04.average. That is an excellent result. We have been striving for
:53:04. > :53:09.that for 16 years. We all you do about the schools that resist
:53:09. > :53:13.improvement? We still have a number of failing schools and the county.
:53:13. > :53:19.Is it not time to close the poor schools and expand the good ones?
:53:19. > :53:25.Or we have taken a tough stance on underperforming schools in Kent,
:53:25. > :53:32.particularly primary schools. The results are now coming. The recent
:53:32. > :53:41.Ofsted inspections have shown over 70% a good or outstanding, above
:53:41. > :53:48.the national average. To tell me what you do with a great school. A
:53:48. > :53:53.good school has gone from satisfactory to outstanding.
:53:53. > :53:57.will expand primary schools or where it is possible for them to do.
:53:57. > :54:04.I would totally agree with Michael Gove that if they have the
:54:04. > :54:10.potential to expand, a school that my own division agreed to double
:54:10. > :54:14.the size. We very much try, where there is demand, and where the
:54:14. > :54:20.school is willing to has the physical ability, we do it. That
:54:20. > :54:25.trouble is, not that many schools have it. We have a massive crisis
:54:25. > :54:31.in school places. We have got thousands of children in the county
:54:31. > :54:36.who were not have a primary school place. No, but when you look at the
:54:36. > :54:46.number of first choices... Explain to us, how many primary school
:54:46. > :54:46.
:54:46. > :54:51.places will we need? Thousands. The birth rate has escalated. We have
:54:51. > :54:58.gone through, district by district, community by community, scoping
:54:58. > :55:05.what is needed to keep up with that increase. We are doing everything
:55:05. > :55:12.we possibly can to predict, but it is not an exact science. A your
:55:12. > :55:16.local authority is made way. Their record is even worse than Kent's.
:55:16. > :55:25.have raised concerns about our primary schools were now was a
:55:25. > :55:32.councillor in Medway. I am pleased to say Rodney Chambers has now
:55:32. > :55:39.brought in a new team to run in the education director at. We are
:55:39. > :55:46.taking steps to improve things. On Thursday, I opened a primary
:55:46. > :55:56.Academy in Strood. Fantastic grammar school, which is now
:55:56. > :56:01.
:56:01. > :56:09.leading a consortium. The Willesden trust is doing fantastic work. --
:56:09. > :56:14.the Williamson Trust. You have the opposite problem. Perhaps you would
:56:14. > :56:19.like to give him some advice on how to run excellent primary schools.
:56:19. > :56:26.We are fortunate. They have been working on a cluster basis,
:56:26. > :56:29.supporting each other. Secondaries are a challenge. But I have to say,
:56:29. > :56:33.there is a huge challenge and disparity in what the Government
:56:33. > :56:40.are doing - they are taking away money some powers from local
:56:40. > :56:46.councils. They need to make their minds up, either fundus properly...
:56:46. > :56:51.Do you think academies should be back in local authority control? I
:56:51. > :57:01.believe that is the right place for read. If they will keep top slicing
:57:01. > :57:16.
:57:16. > :57:23.up budgets, they cannot then blame The husband's of Helen Grant
:57:23. > :57:27.resigned after putting her in an embarrassing position to reduce her
:57:27. > :57:32.sick pay entitlements but not her own.
:57:32. > :57:36.Nigel Farage has ruled out any deal with the Conservatives unless David
:57:36. > :57:42.Cameron is replaced. By to none Hove Council announced
:57:42. > :57:48.plans to tackle a shortfall of more than �20 million. -- Brighton and
:57:48. > :57:54.Hove. To was more bad news for that --
:57:54. > :58:02.South East commuters as season tickets is to rise by 6.5% in
:58:02. > :58:09.January. And this Dover MP welcomed a new MP
:58:09. > :58:19.for Cardiff South. They never tell you just how busy a tears. The job
:58:19. > :58:28.
:58:28. > :58:36.their Christmas break is just Let us start with your council tax.
:58:36. > :58:45.Did not work last time. The other parties are keeping the council to
:58:45. > :58:52.themselves, but ultimately, the Government said we will see a
:58:52. > :58:58.reduction enough funds. People want us to protect central services. I
:58:58. > :59:05.hope there is support from other parties. We will keep every
:59:05. > :59:11.children's centre open. 43 p a week, but everything adds up, and their
:59:11. > :59:21.prices are going up. Bad news for a lot of commuters and the South.
:59:21. > :59:32.
:59:32. > :59:42.is a big mistake for the Greens are not to take the 2.5% last time.
:59:42. > :59:45.
:59:45. > :59:55.Overall, role prices are going down. -- at rail prices. Some areas will
:59:55. > :59:56.