13/05/2012 Sunday Politics West Midlands

And in the Midlands, we all bailed out the banks and now they are

bailing out of our rural communities. Come MPs reverse the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2000 seconds

exodus from country towns or our Hello again from a Midlands. I am

Patrick Burns. And our guests this week are marked Pawsey, the

Conservative MP for the still Tory town of what could -- Rugby in

Warwickshire -- Mark Pawsey. And Valerie Vaz, the Labour MP for

Walsall South where Labour are hoping to form a minority

administration. The Queen's Speech is still being picked over this

week. The general consensus is that it is very, very thin. Your

government is running out of energy after two years squabbling with the

Liberal Democrats and nothing in there about growth. The Queen

mentioned growth first. And I was delighted by that because there a

lot of things the Government needs to get stuck into in the next

session but nothing is more important than getting the economy

moving and developing jobs and growth back into the system. I talk

about squabbling, the Lords reform is a classic example. The word on

the street of Rugby surely not Lords reform? A I agree but what

was important is about jobs, the economy, getting grave back in

again and that is why I think that will be the single most item of the

Government must focus on. I suppose it is refreshing we have got a

light, legislative prospect here because Labour had this fetish for

legislation which led to things like home information packs and too

much health and safety legislation. We have just come out of two years

of intense legislation. A number of Bills including the Health and

Social Care Act which is a very long act which basically

reorganises the NHS. One of the major things that should have come

out of it apart from growth is what will happen to social care. This is

a huge issue. Fears have been expressed at the whole programme

could be impaled on the hook of Lords reform. Would Labour co-

operate as the Prime Minister hopes all parties might do on this?

think we all need to look at it together. Obviously we as a elected

House of Commons people were summoned to the House of Lords

which we don't really like to do but we like to see them elected. We

think there is room for all people to get together so the electorate

feel that we are not just wasting our time on a minor issue. Coming

up today. First of all it was a village post offices, then pubs and

now banks are turning their backs on rural communities. Can MPs

persuade them to keep their branches in country towns? Don't

bank on it. Let's turn first to our top story this week. The continued

overnight closure of accident and emergency services at Stafford

Hospital. It shut, you will recall, because of patient safety fears and

against the backdrop of have unexpected death rate. And not one

but two public inquiries. Stafford's A&E has been open only

for restricted hours since last December. Now we know that is how

it will remain until October. Here's our health correspondent.

Campaigners hope and expected that after six months of overnight

closures, their A&E department would be working full-time from

next month. But there is to be a third delay, this time to make sure

that new staff have time to bed in. Local GPs insist it is all about

safety. The A&E department is safe but we think the new team need more

time to work together and gel together before extending at what

because we do not want to risk the progress made already. The people

here are becoming increasingly concerned they are being led up the

path. Three months after a consultation on downgrading the

service to an agent -- urgent care centre should end at about the same

time that A&E should reopen. People are confused about the use and in

some instances, this has led to people losing lives. But the GPs

who will pay for the service believe that they for A&E is no

longer sustainable. The trouble for politicians he wants to see fewer

A&Es is that even a place like Stafford which has had at most bad

publicity, 25,000 people still signed a petition to keep it.

fight to fully resuscitate A&E will go on but cannot possibly reopen in

October? At the same time that the public inquiry will report on the

hospital's catastrophic failings? Certainly an interesting accident

of timing. Also with us today is councillor Matthew Ellis, the

Conservative Cabinet member for health in Staffordshire. We keep

getting these reassurances that overnight accident and emergency

will be restored and now the third postponement, what on earth is

going on? I am disappointed it has not open but I am reassured about

the professionals on the ground and clinicians putting the safety and

pragmatism that is needed ahead of pressure that is growing. The worst

thing would be for it to open now and let's be clear, it is on the

edge of being able to open. It is really improved. They is what we

have been hearing for some time. Nearly ready, just a few staffing

issues. I would not want to see it reopen and then find it has to

close again for the same reasons. People are right that they get it

right finally and open it soon. me put to you the point they

Stafford MP made to me the other day. October really is his line in

the sand, if I can put it that way. If it is only a few staffing issues,

it should be ready for October. If not, there are fundamental problems

and he will make a fuss. I agree with that. Jeremy and I talked

about this a few days ago. I am confident it will open in October.

It is right that the clinicians are making sure it is safe and it is

right that they take their time and make it sustainable. But it is not

just about the hospital. That is the whole health care centre. --

health care system. In the longer term, there's talk that Stafford

might get downgraded overnight to what is called an urgent care

centre. Known locally as A&E Light. That is not very reassuring?

think we must get local services right for local people. A

consultation will take place about the future of that. What is

important is there will be 247 activity going forward. -- 24/7.

Mark, you have got one of these urgent care centres in Rugby. How

has that gone down with your constituents? People want to have

services as close to their home as possible and in Rugby we had a A&E

which was downgraded and we have a full consultation about the

possibilities of change. I have lots of representation of people

preferring a full A&E service put it was not able to be the case and

in this case, will politicians listened to clinicians? And often

politicians hide behind clinicians. And now we have an urgent care

centre. The whole point about A&E is that a large people going there

are taken by ambulance services so the knows what to take people. What

has happened over time in Rugby is people know when it is right to go

to A&E and what kind of conditions can be dealt with locally in Rugby.

If Valerie is a member of the local health service committee. We have

seen in the report that 25,000 people signed a petition for round-

the-clock A&E, nothing short of that and yet the clinicians are

talking about something which is lighter than that. Absolutely, I am

quite surprised about this new turn of events because the man a

hospital has... There was an impact when Stafford was closed because

there was an impact on our Manor Hospital and there was a discussion

and we managed to absorb some of the steady increase in patients

that we were taking in our A&E but after discussion. We have got a

social worker who is now based in the manner hospital soap there is

co-operation between the two but at the time, no mention of an urgent

care centre. As far as we were concerned, that A&E would open, we

thought March but now it has been extended until October and that is

when the Frances report comes out. Funny coincidence, that. Is it a

way of hiding bad news? No, this is not. It is pragmatism. We must look

at the whole system as must the rest of the country. We have

developed the biggest community health care trust in the UK and

that will help Stafford Hospital going forward. Nothing underhand

here, at there is a consultation taking place and it will be a real

one, not a rubber stamp. People will have their so but we must be

led by what clinicians advising. And what are they take a dim view

of the idea of a full-scale A&E? Why did they keep going for these

lower versions of it? Cost, saving money? I think we must do what is

right for a particular area. Stafford Hospital is not as busy at

night as it is doing the day. As long as the services are there 24/7,

people can get the care that they need by walking in, not making

appointments, I think that we need to understand what the demand is an

meat that with the best possible services. Politically, hospital

issues are lethal because they cut right to the heart of a local

community. We saw it in where Forest, it did Labour no good in

Staffordshire in the last election. In his right that politicians

listen to what people say but we must have a safe NHS that make sure

that every available proceed is possible. We are moving towards

areas on increased specialisation and it is not possible for every

service to be available at every hospital. In a word, can people be

reassured? No, 25,000 double what the A&E. Thank you and the key to

Matthew for joining us. And to our other big talking point, what price

country life when village pubs and post offices are closing all the

time and now role banks are going as well? The countryside campaign

group tells us 15 Midlands rural communities are down to the last

bank and seven of them are at risk of losing theirs altogether. But

why should loss-making rural branches remain in business? BBC

commentary and Warwickshire reporter looks at it -- BBC

commentary. Will -- will come to Kineton. That

might be a picture postcard, but many places like this are down to

their last bang. And with learning 1030 miles away, that concerns

those who rely on it. It is time to count the church collection at St

Peter's but with only one back to choose from, people worry about

what it would mean if the branch did closes doors. If we have to

change to a different bank, we would have to sort out a load of

work, new accounts, and as well as the inconvenience of travelling so

it is very convenient for us that it is here and we feel blessed.

only bank left in Kineton is HSBC and his says it has no plans to

close the branch but this is because it signed up to a pledge to

promise it will always be here. Meet Mary Wheeldon, she has lived

here for 60 years. This is more than just a bank. The shops will

lose out, the facilities will lose out and it is the heartbeat of the

village. It is a no go, we cannot lose it, that is for sure.

According to Campaign Group, 15 communities in the Midlands

countryside are down to their last bank and another 13 have just two

banks and only eight villages are protected by the pledge that will

not leave them without a bank at all. So why are branches closing?

HSBC and the British Banking Association could not give us an

interview but they insist that branches will only shut if they are

It means that pressure groups will want to see the launch of so-called

community banking where a number of high-street names share a single

building. This branch of Barclays in Bishop's Castle in Shropshire is

about to face the axe and the local MP is concerned. This is very

distressing, the second bank closure in three months that we are

having in the rural part of my constituency. We had an HSBC

closing Craven Arms and now Barclays announce their closure in

June in Bishop's Castle which will leave both towns, just one bank

only left. Back in Kineton, people are praying they do not lose their

only bunch despite more and more of us deciding to back on line. The

Church may have been here since 1315 but how long will it bank

I bet the Church Atlas the bank. Mark, I am sure there is something

in many of us that if the taxpayer has stumped up �15 billion, they

must show some responsibility? not think that governments should

set a mandate for banks. Whether badgers are well supported, they

will remain and I think there is a sense of a use it or lose it. For

many communities, there remain post offices which we fought hard to

keep in rural communities. Pubs are an important part of the community

and libraries are as well and communities and a coming together

to provide some sort of community service. Something like the "big

society"? Yes, communities can come together and decide what is best

for their community. We can have communities building these bodies.

A vote of confidence in the "big society", and that is in nobody's

interest of the banks not to be profitable. No, but they should run

a public service and they have got our money and they should run a

public service for people. If you look at the internet collections,

people say about internet banking is there but it is not that good in

rural areas. And you think of the other people, elderly people for

example, they must get used to it. And rural bus services are being

cut. Yes, but it is more than that. Rural Post Offices are where people

gather and meet. We want more of that. And rural Post Offices,

sometimes integrated with pubs. If that is the case, why not banking?

Let's bring banking into that. Some people fear the loss of communities,

and there would be a serious issue but I do not think that is the case.

I want to see as many facilities remaining in communities as

possible but we inherited the banks and we have got them by default,

those should be returned to the private sector and I do not want to

see government mandating that banks should... And think what can be

done with the Post Office. There is no reason why the Bank cannot sit

alongside the Post Office and have kiosks. You could have two

different tellers from different banks. People can have the choice.

They have choice and competition. I think it is the Royal Bank of

Scotland and Nat West, actually people can facilitate their bank

accounts through the post office. If we will that out across other

rural Post Offices, I think that could really work. And we are

seeing generally the high street is changing dramatically so I suppose

we are seeing the rural communities following that as well? Absolutely,

we must make sure that the people on low incomes who are not used to

using banks currently, elderly people who might not want to use

the internet, have a facility they can use. I know that banks are

working hard on telephone banking. The Government is rolling out �500

million of rural broad band to make certain that those who will use

internet banking can do so effectively. Let's move on for our

round-up of the political week in the Midlands in just 60 seconds.

BBC WM's political reporter Elizabeth Glinka begins with

updates on two stories we've been following.

The Midlands drought has been rained off - for now. Record April

showers and persistent downfalls so far this month have increased river

levels. Staff at Jaguar Land Rover in

Castle Bromwich have rejected plans to change working practices. Indian

owners Tata want to improve productivity with Saturday working

and compulsory alcohol and drugs tests. Workers will be reballoted.

We are confident that we will be able to resolve the situation and

we would get the working proposals agreed and investment into the plan.

The Olympic flame has been lit in Greece ahead of its relay around

the UK. The Birmingham firm that makes the torch's internal burner

is flat out manufacturing parts for 10,000 models.

Ey up, duck! Did you know the family of the new Lord Mayor of the

City of London is from the Potteries? David Wooton says he'll

be talking about the ceramics industry all over the world.

And thousands of Midlands public sector workers went out on strike

in an ongoing row over changes to Seeing there the public sector

workers, Labour did a bit of a twist because it plays badly in

public opinion terms but you cannot distance yourself too far from your

union paymasters. We saw how equivocal Ed Miliband was during

the debate. Public service workers must... Well, unions are your

paymasters. 3% extra they must pay out of their wages. Most public

sector workers including MPs have had a pay freeze so effectively

they have had a pay freeze for the last five years and some of them,

longer. Those on low incomes are protected but people are having to

pay extra for food, fuel, utilities and they will have to find, in some

cases, �200 a month extra. Mark, does your government have no

sympathy for them very hard working public servants to have been forced

to take this action? I think the Government has recognised the

action of hard working people but the country recognises as a whole

that the agenda has moved. The average 16-year-old this 10 years

older than the equivalent person in the 1970s -- the average 16-year-

old. It is not possible for people to have the size of pension -- the

average 60-year-old. Can I give you equip statistic? NHS pensions, �2

billion has accrued from people playing in and the benefit payment

is a lot less than that. Money is there. And people are suffering now

in the public's it as they are in the private.

My thanks to Mark Pawsey and Valerie Vaz. Next Sunday, our