02/12/2012 Sunday Politics South East

And in the South East: Expand and deliver - is a government-backed

boost for East Kent jobs destined for unqualified success or

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2136 seconds

I'm Julia George and this is the Sunday Politics in the South East.

Coming up later: Nearly half the primary schools in Kent are not

outsanding. They're not even good. Simple question - why? We'll put

that one to the leader of Kent Council.

With their take on the big political issues of the day, my

guests this week are Mark Reckless, the Conservative MP for Rochester

and Strood, and Jason Kitcat, the leader of Brighton and Hove City

Council who's from the Green Party. Mark, Jason, welcome. The cost of

alcoholic drinks has been a big story this week. The Government is

looking at a minimum price of 45p a unit. In Sussex, we've just learnt

that 1,200 children have been treated for drink and drug problems

over the last five years. These are potentially the binge drinkers of

the future. Do you think this minimum pricing will make a

difference? It will help. There are other issues. It is often mental

health issues or family problems as well but a beneath this. But

minimum pricing will help, because if people will buy it less alcohol,

they would drink less. We are talking about the most severe cases

here. I spoke to a lady who had drunk a quarter of a bottle of

vodka by 9:45am. Her point was that alcoholics will find the money from

somewhere. I used to work as an economist, and if you put the price

of something up, consumption tends to fall. It will have an impact. I

wonder whether that is what we should do - have a system where we

are more supportive than the pubs, bars and clubs, but have higher

taxes. But the impact of that is that Joe Public cannot afford much,

and automatically, you will punish him. I don't think we should punish

people. If we did it through tax, we can use any extra tax raised to

reduce taxes elsewhere. East Kent has had its fair share of

economic troubles, but will it soon be seen as the place to invest?

Exisiting and new businesses are being loaned Government money to

create new jobs there. And there are also tax incentives for

companies that move to Discovery Park, the home of the old Pfizer

site in Sandwich. Is it enough to After months of preparation, the

Czechs are being signed. Interest free loans are being given to seven

companies that have pledged to create full-time and part-time jobs.

Tonight's event is meant to be a turning point for the fortunes of

east Kent. �35 million is being spent to retract -- attract

companies to invest it. It aims to create �300 million of investment

and 5,000 jobs and three years. But when it work? And all the companies

stick around? Pfizer was the region's largest and highest value

employer. When it pulled out last year, 2,400 jobs were in jeopardy.

But an independent review had a worse news. It predicted the loss

of five so contract work and cuts would lead to over her 1,000 job

losses by 2018. Politicians set up a task force, but progress has been

slow. Initial applications for regional growth fund money and

enterprise zone status were rejected. Now, help has come, but

with seven that loans been made this week from 189 applications, is

it too little too late? There has been criticism that we should be

handing out the money quicker. To begin with, the quality of the

applications was not as good as expectation. There were many

optimists, hoping it would be cheap money to carry out -- help

businesses. A private buyer was found for the old site, and 1,000

jobs were retained, but most buildings remain deserted. �146

million has been spent on an improved access road to motorways

and new flood defences. It is all part of a major sales pitch,

targeted at these four sectors. But not everyone thinks they hold the

key to future prosperity. I see problems for all four Industries.

Everyone wants green, and it is not clear what Kent's advantages are in

that area. Creative, digital - there are already successful

clusters of that in London, and we are already opening up a media park

and Olympics site. Again, it is not clear why you would go to East Kent

to do this. Tourism - I am not sure what they have in mind there.

enterprise zone means companies to move into Discovery Park get a five

year grace period. But these incentives do not stretch beyond

the boundaries of the business park. The site is very limited. It is

just at the Old Fire is a site, so it does not include a private areas

like Dover, like Ramsgate, Thanet. It does not put anything into those

towns, and you cannot have a super- duper business park, sitting there

in isolation, surrounded by other places which should be giving it a

degree of support. That is all to do with this business of making the

thing sustainable. All the money and effort being spent is to

attract private investment. Some say that is not enough. Thanet has

been a poor area of Kent for more than 40 years. The Green Party's

view is that it would be better to put a large civil service

department into Thanet, increase employment, for an indefinite

period. If the private sector gets into difficulties, they may go away.

A with such a bleak economic Outlook, everyone agrees that

something radical must be done to revive the East Kent. But has

government support arrived in time? Will companies that to come here

stay around long term to create sustainable jobs that benefit the

Did the Government act a little bit too slowly? The brain drain start

very quickly when a big organisation moves out. He is, it

does, but the area moves pretty quickly. Begot the enterprise zone

status, there are nearly 1,000 jobs are there now. These things take

time, but I'm confident the companies will flourish and stay.

You are in charge of regional growth fund money. We do have liked

to see happen more quickly? It is up to each bid how Enterprise Zone

status is put forward. It has taken some time to find the applicants

for these loans, but that is now happening. We think 5,000 jobs will

be created, and that is very positive. That is not the only way

the Government is helping - we had been upgrading well services and by

improving flood schemes. million, and of that, 190 bids, but

only seven were awarded. It does not seem they have been that many

high-quality books. It is public money. You cannot just dish out

public money. -- high-quality boots. In the new round of money, in the

third round, I have sent firm up timetables. -- set firmer

timetables. Round one was probably a bit slow. We have a faster

timetable for round three. They are four different types of industries

focused here. Are they the right sectors? He was a bit gloomy,

wasn't he? It is not for ministers to say what the right sectors are.

Given the scientific character of the place, they have got every

prospect of creating businesses there that are long-term and

sustainable and green. This campaign to show British business

why the East Kent is the perfect place, we have been contacted by

businesses that notice you have three years of accounts. The they

are other schemes to help start-ups. There are other schemes that help

people who have a business plan. What is important is that this is

money for small businesses, because they are likely to grow. You must

be delighted that the green industries have been given so much

support here. I wish them well with their endeavours, but there is no

way to learn about these loans and schemes. The professor was right,

actually. Most of the sector's that are targeted have clusters

elsewhere. They will struggle on some of those, but green industries

is a great area. Perhaps they could have gone a bit heavier on that.

the East Kent is so great, why not just let market forces prevail? If

it is that great, business will come up or they won't. Meanwhile,

the Wellins would take people to great jobs in London. -- the rail

links. For the first time, we have the South East benefiting from this

targeted support. When you have a rapid closure in that area, it is

right for government to give that targeted support. With the high-

speed rail link as well, we are really giving their support the

area needs. Why not just leave East Kent to its best efforts? If they

don't go there, the workforce goes to London. You cannot simply leave

it to market forces. In the science field, for example, it is right for

the Government to Hopper. And - -- help.

Nearly half of primary school children in Kent and Medway don't

go to an outstanding primary school. They don't even go to a good one.

Ofsted has 152 local authorities on their list. Kent and Medway come a

shocking ninth and tenth from bottom for primary school

performance. Secondary schools fare much better in both areas. We'll

look at East Sussex and Brighton in just a moment. Paul Carter, leader

of Kent Council Council, joins me now. Susan Gregory said some local

authorities are doing a great job, others are not. Where does Kent

for? This is disastrous! I think the Ofsted annual report is out of

date and does not reflect what is going on. In the last academic year,

we have had the best set of results and a primary schools and secondary

schools that we have ever had before. We have been fighting to

bring key stage 1 Neville's but national averages for 16 years, and

this year, we achieved that. -- Key Stage 1 levels above. You are

giving us of a pat on the back. But Ofsted is doing the opposite.

and have a conversation with us! I can give you all the data which

substantiates exactly what I just said, with trying to make sure we

improve our primary schools. If it was assessed where Ofsted has

categorised all our primary schools, we would not be anywhere near the

bottom 10%. Most importantly, it is delivering good key stage 1 and 2

results. I can give you all the evidence for that will we are, for

the first time, the attainment of young people as above the national

average. That is an excellent result. We have been striving for

that for 16 years. We all you do about the schools that resist

improvement? We still have a number of failing schools and the county.

Is it not time to close the poor schools and expand the good ones?

Or we have taken a tough stance on underperforming schools in Kent,

particularly primary schools. The results are now coming. The recent

Ofsted inspections have shown over 70% a good or outstanding, above

the national average. To tell me what you do with a great school. A

good school has gone from satisfactory to outstanding.

will expand primary schools or where it is possible for them to do.

I would totally agree with Michael Gove that if they have the

potential to expand, a school that my own division agreed to double

the size. We very much try, where there is demand, and where the

school is willing to has the physical ability, we do it. That

trouble is, not that many schools have it. We have a massive crisis

in school places. We have got thousands of children in the county

who were not have a primary school place. No, but when you look at the

number of first choices... Explain to us, how many primary school

places will we need? Thousands. The birth rate has escalated. We have

gone through, district by district, community by community, scoping

what is needed to keep up with that increase. We are doing everything

we possibly can to predict, but it is not an exact science. A your

local authority is made way. Their record is even worse than Kent's.

have raised concerns about our primary schools were now was a

councillor in Medway. I am pleased to say Rodney Chambers has now

brought in a new team to run in the education director at. We are

taking steps to improve things. On Thursday, I opened a primary

Academy in Strood. Fantastic grammar school, which is now

leading a consortium. The Willesden trust is doing fantastic work. --

the Williamson Trust. You have the opposite problem. Perhaps you would

like to give him some advice on how to run excellent primary schools.

We are fortunate. They have been working on a cluster basis,

supporting each other. Secondaries are a challenge. But I have to say,

there is a huge challenge and disparity in what the Government

are doing - they are taking away money some powers from local

councils. They need to make their minds up, either fundus properly...

Do you think academies should be back in local authority control? I

believe that is the right place for read. If they will keep top slicing

up budgets, they cannot then blame The husband's of Helen Grant

resigned after putting her in an embarrassing position to reduce her

sick pay entitlements but not her own.

Nigel Farage has ruled out any deal with the Conservatives unless David

Cameron is replaced. By to none Hove Council announced

plans to tackle a shortfall of more than �20 million. -- Brighton and

Hove. To was more bad news for that --

South East commuters as season tickets is to rise by 6.5% in

January. And this Dover MP welcomed a new MP

for Cardiff South. They never tell you just how busy a tears. The job

their Christmas break is just Let us start with your council tax.

Did not work last time. The other parties are keeping the council to

themselves, but ultimately, the Government said we will see a

reduction enough funds. People want us to protect central services. I

hope there is support from other parties. We will keep every

children's centre open. 43 p a week, but everything adds up, and their

prices are going up. Bad news for a lot of commuters and the South.

is a big mistake for the Greens are not to take the 2.5% last time.

Overall, role prices are going down. -- at rail prices. Some areas will