30/06/2013 Sunday Politics West Midlands

digital city but what price Birmingham the media city? As

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1917 seconds

programme makers cleared their I'm Patrick Burns. With us today,

two people who know a thing or two about winning elections in the teeth

of adversity. Valerie Vaz was elected Labour MP

for Walsall South in 2010, just when her party was suffering its heaviest

national defeat in living memory. Philip Atkins is the Conservative

leader of Staffordshire County Council. The Tories came from

nowhere to eclipse Labour in 2009, and confounded most expectations

except his own, by holding-on to office in last month's elections.

A single pot of money, worth billions of pounds, devolved from

Whitehall to local decision-makers, to prime the pumps of economic

regeneration and growth. During a Spending Review otherwise dominated

by austerity measures, the Chancellor was doing his best to

sugar the pill. We also are embarking on major reforms to the

way we spend money locally, through the creation of a single local

growth fund that Lord Heseltine proposed. This will be �2 billion

per year, �10 billion over the next Parliament, and that is something

the local enterprise partnerships can bid for.

But that �2 billion a year fell way short of the grand design projected

by Lord Heseltine in Birmingham Town Hall last November. He'd envisaged a

growth fund "pot" of more like �10 billion a year, to be contested by

the 39 local enterprise partnerships. No wonder Birmingham's

Chamber of Commerce led the general chorus of disappointment.

Philip Atkins, what a let down that was. I think it is about projects

ready to go. I keep telling people, don't look for the money, look for

the projects, so that when the money turns out you can get the project is

completed. We have a range of them within our city. Valerie, this

figure does not as I understand it a further �5 billion of European

regional development funding. That is sounding a bit more like it.

is, but I think Lord Heseltine's figure was something along the lines

of �49 million. This is a cross-party issue, because we want

the West Midlands to grow again. I don't think some of my small

businesses have seen any money coming in. But Andy Street, the

chairman of the local enterprise partnership in Solihull, murmuring

-- wrote mirroring what Philip has just said. It is not about the

amount, it is about a new way of doing these things. But there have

been so many infrastructure projects approved, and only eight have been

started. It is already -- wrote all well to save the money is there and

it is going to happen, the Government should make it happen.

Meanwhile Philip, the infrastructure push from the Chancellor, George

Osborne, the jam tomorrow Chancellor? We have got the M6, the

West Coast Main Line and we have to accept that when infrastructure

projects happen, there is some disruption to traffic. But you have

to have the plans in place. The real issue for councils is which one is

first, you have got to prioritise. You cannot have every plan ready to

go, but make your mind up which is the most important. These are

however all long-term -- was short-term projects.

But the motorway junction we are building has locked up the potential

to have 3,500 jobs. Add to that, there are cuts to local authorities.

Coming up: It's been home to some of our most popular television

programmes. But what now for Birmingham as a creative media

centre? With ITV's old HQ being pulled down, and the BBC's centre

half-empty, we ask if local viewers are getting value for money. Another

argument, perhaps, for "rebalancing the economy", a little later.

Now how's this for a David and Goliath act? In January,

Warwickshire book shop owner Frances Smith started a petition calling on

Amazon to pay more in Corporation Tax. Six months on, she's gathered

tens of thousands of signatures and forced a Commons debate. Kevin Reide

has the details. This book shop has in five months

gathered nearly 5,000 signatures calling for more even tax laws. Last

year Amazon made profits of 4.3 billion, but paid little in

corporation tax. They are using the facilities of this country and yet

claiming they make no profit in this country so they do not pay

corporation tax. The amount of tax being avoided by

big corporations is in the spotlight thanks to clever accountancy,

Google, Starbucks and Amazon are not breaking any laws. But our

politicians prepared to legislate to make them pay more? Through this

creative tax planning, the burden of taxation is shifting onto

individuals and businesses. That do not have the resources to spend on

chrysalis Del mac reducing their tax Bill. There was a call for a change

in the law, but it is an international issue and extremely

complex and some experts believe nigh on impossible to change. For

now, Frances and many other struggling traders can only hope the

Government take decisive action. At least Amazon employ 900 people in

their warehouse, so the economy gets something out of us.

Valerie, the Public accounts committee in the Commons, and

Parliament has raised this issue so we have an interesting situation

where for once Parliament seems to be on the side of public opinion.

The other part of the figures from Amazon is that they actually got 2.5

million in grants from the Government, so although they have

ostensibly paid 2.4 million in tax they got quite a lot of it back. The

worst offender is Vodafone. 294 was their product -- profit margin, and

yet they paid no corporation tax on that whatever. Isn't the onus on the

politicians. If you do not like it, taxation is not a debate issue, you

have to tighten those loopholes and Parliament has to act? The Labour

Party is looking at tax havens and how we can make full disclosure and

all the transactions taking place. If these companies make full

disclosure just like the average citizen is supposed to do, could we

not have a level playing field? Philip, you can understand how

people in small businesses may feel there is one rule for us and another

for the big guys with those first-day accountants and tax

advisers. -- wrote fancy accountants. -- fancier accountants.

Very few people queue in the post office for a tax disc, they do it by

Internet. Maybe there is something in the consumer to think about this.

I quite like browsing in a book shop, it is very easy to go click

but not realise you are damaging another person's business. So you

cannot put the Internet back in Pandora's box. However, we can Del

mac have to make sure these people pay their share. -- make these

people pay their share. I had one advisers say that if you clamp down

on Google and Starbucks, you will bring a bit of taxation into the

Treasury that way, but equally there are British-based businesses that

sell overseas and so you will lose some revenue the other way round.

I think if people go through the proper motions and pay the proper

tax in an open and transparent way, there should not be a problem.

no Government wants to disappoint these big businesses too much. Shot

of having a world Government, nobody wants... It is a moral issue.

should pay the taxes that they should pay, in the place they do

their business. I think there is international pressure on all these

companies to be open about their transactions.

Tiswas, All Creatures, The Cook Report, Top Gear, The Golden Shot,

The Clothes Show. The list of top network television programmes made

in Birmingham down the years goes on and on. Now though, the old ITV

studios are being demolished, and the BBC's high-profile factual

programmes including Countryfile, Coast and Hairy Bikers have all

moved away. What does this say about the Midlands as a creative media

centre? As our WM political reporter Elizabeth Glinka explains, some

campaigners are even calling the The Midlands was once a power house

of TV production. Opened in 1971, the BBC's Pebble Mill studios were

home to live TV and high profile drama, while nearby ATV were

responsible for shows like Tiswas and New Faces.

But times change. Pebble Mill was flattened in 2005, and empty for a

decade, the old ITV studios are now set for demolished. -- demolition.

In 2011. The BBC pulled the remaining factual TV production and

network radio out of its new base at the Mailbox in Birmingham, leaving

these empty desks, and relocating staff to other parts of the country.

That decision has led to a local campaign being set up to protect

regional broadcasting. We have allowed them to get away with it in

a way that Scotland or the North of England or Wales would not, and year

in year out there have been more cutbacks. You will not find

Birmingham or the Midlands on peak-time television any more. The

only time you will see the Midlands is when you see Birmingham on the

weather map. In fact, using BBC figures, the

campaign group says IT estimates that spending per licence fee payer

here in the Midlands is about �12 a head - compared to over �80 in the

north and �65 in the south excluding London. That's despite it being the

biggest region and contributing the most to the licence fee.

Have the big broadcasters simply forgotten the Midlands? Will Trotter

runs the BBC Drama Village in Edgbaston, home to Father Brown and

Doctors. We make 130 hours of television drama per year here. The

talent base is here and it is growing. We develop talent in

production and editorial, we just want more. So is more on its way?

The director-general has put Birmingham on his list of

priorities, and has said, think about ways we can develop a vision

not just for this year but the next decade.

Campaigners will be hoping that the broadcasters can deliver more for a

part of the country that's beginning to feel it's missing out.

We are also joined by one of our top independent programme makers, the

founder and director of Maverick television. He has been based in our

part of the world making dramas and documentary programmes for a range

of media including the BBC. How much does this really matter in terms of

what we are talking about here, the economic value of the media to a

creative industry, creative region? It matters greatly, and economically

the are a vast range of people of talent coming out of all our

colleges and universities who have aspirations to work in the media.

And you are a trustee of an academy in Birmingham, and the signs are

that if the industry contracts your youngsters will have to look

elsewhere in the country? Indeed, that is why we have to ensure we

attract further production to this region. We can do it across drama

factual, and a new industries of the future. David talked about the

future of the BBC, the future is going to be a digital future

including television. We focused there on the big monolithic

structures like the old ITV building. Aren't we moving

increasingly to smaller buildings and smaller enterprises, you do not

need the major channels producing these major set piece series any

more, do you? You do and you don't, we make embarrassing bodies out of

the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, but equally we make

small shows for Google channels which require much smaller

infrastructure but still the talent is required. We heard that argument

that as a publicly funded organisation and there is a

responsibility to plough back into local economies as certain payback

for the licence payer. Is that a fire could -- wrote -- is that a

valid argument? The BBC in the West Midlands is the largest region in

the UK, so �12 per head is rather small, and from a moral position

that should be addressed. Valerie, you are a former BBC network

television producer. There have been questions in the house and motions

tabled on this question, but how much traction do you think this

question has among MPs? I started my broadcasting career in Birmingham,

so I have fond memories. I think my figures are different because 25% of

the licence fee payments comes from the West Midlands, and it is �6 a

head, which if you compare with Wales is �50. All of us, I think you

will remember we have Del debate, and backbenchers spoke up for BBC

Birmingham. If you look at what is happening culturally, Birmingham is

going to be fantastic, the same around the West Midlands. You can

actually give kids a hand up, and they can come out of school and do

all sorts of things. Philip, you are the only person not involved in

broadcasting here. I'll be overstating the economic importance

of it, and the retention of talent question? I value more than anybody

else and probably know the value of how much news, local news, is to

local people. You can help them understand what is going on, and we

have great creative talent. But at the moment there is not much

evidence of anything happening. going to write to Tony Hall, the

director-general. This is public money, and hopefully once you start

bringing commissioning back to Birmingham, it has a kind of ripple

effect and other people come through as well. We want to see ITV back as

well. There is also the question of the portrayal of the Midlands. There

are wider questions here. reputational value of being on

television and having cities reflected on the mainstream channels

and beyond internationally is incredibly important. That helps

economically as well. Reputation of cities is very important in the

global world we are living in now. have challenged you to say what is

going to happen, if I ask you to project a head and say what can a

digital media city like Birmingham be famous for in the future, what

thoughts would you have? The sky is the limit. You have seen how

programmes changed, so I think there is so much creative talent around,

it is for the creative talent to think about where the future lies.

We have a great history, a lot of talent, so programmes around that,

and one thing we are lacking in is a soap. If we had something that

continually was selling the region on the television, that is the sort

of thing. What would you suggest? soap with the lion Del mac young and

diverse community we are might be just the thing. -- the young and

diverse community we are might be just the thing.

Now for our regular round-up of the political week in the Midlands in 60

seconds, brought to us today by our Hereford and Worcester Political

Reporter, Tom Turrell. Old documents about Hillsborough

have been found in the West Midlands Police archive. The force says no

stone will be left unturned in the search for the truth.

Birmingham schools could privatise some services. The council needs to

save �20 million. More academies means they're losing money from

Whitehall. One Labour MP wants Government

departments to stop using 084 and 087 phone numbers. He says they're a

rip-off which hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Some

Government departments have been making money, and it is illogical

and unfair. In my view it cannot continue.

Millions of pounds are to be spent improving the region's motorways.

Part of the cash will be used to build a long-awaited link road. The

cost of HS2 has risen by �10 billion. The news came as the

project cleared another hurdle in parliament, despite nine Midlands

MPs voting against it. And the news that it will cost �10 billion more

to build HS2. Philip, you have been strongly opposed to high-speed veil.

This will embolden all these rebels, would it? Would it sweeten the pill

if you got a station just outside Stoke? If they have the money to put

the extra cost in, surely they can find the money to do compensation

and some mitigation. There has been this remarkable three party

consensus in Westminster, but if we have too many days like this, there

is going to be I think there is a lot of will the jobs it will bring

to the area will be fantastic. you can get from London to

Birmingham in 49 minutes. But didn't the proponents of this -- wrote in

50 years time there will be a problem with capacity, and

high-speed true seems to be an alternative. Will it happen, in a

world? That is for Parliament to decide.

And incidentally, Wrekin's Conservative MP Mark Pritchard will

be taking up Network Rail's decision to block Virgin's plans to serve

Shrewsbury from London with the Transport Secretary on Wednesday.