0:01:26 > 0:01:30Coming up in half an hour, the Yorkshire teachers who want to
0:01:30 > 0:01:40promote an alternative to the monarchy amid claims that school
0:01:40 > 0:01:40
0:01:40 > 0:30:13Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1713 seconds
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Jubilee celebrations could be Hello, good afternoon. You're
0:30:17 > 0:30:21watching the Sunday Politics for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Today
0:30:21 > 0:30:26we will find out why the cost of funerals he is rising due to a new
0:30:26 > 0:30:30so-called Death Tax. Plus, we will find out why some
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Yorkshire teachers want children to learn about an alternative to their
0:30:32 > 0:30:37monarchy amid claims that school Jubilee celebrations could be
0:30:37 > 0:30:44against the law. Our main to guess today are
0:30:44 > 0:30:52Caroline Flint, the shadow energy secretary. And Andrew Percy,
0:30:52 > 0:30:57Conservative MP for Brigg in goal. You have been on holiday this week.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Have you been working very hard? mixture of working hard in the
0:31:01 > 0:31:05constituency and catching up with casework and doing a few meetings
0:31:05 > 0:31:10you cannot do in Westminster, and having a little bit of time off as
0:31:11 > 0:31:15well. Do you find you get work done in the constituency? I think I am
0:31:15 > 0:31:19100% more effective at home. I am able to speak to people and do
0:31:19 > 0:31:23stuff. When you get to Westminster, you're in a bubble and you feel
0:31:23 > 0:31:29nothing will change. Bring the House of Commons up to you, imagine
0:31:29 > 0:31:33that! We could have it in Sheffield, as long as it is commutable! We are
0:31:33 > 0:31:37going to be talking about the rising cost of dying, amid claims
0:31:37 > 0:31:41the financial squeeze on local councils is being passed on to
0:31:41 > 0:31:46grieving relatives. We find out by local authorities
0:31:46 > 0:31:56are having to spend millions on filtering out highly toxic mercury
0:31:56 > 0:31:59
0:32:00 > 0:32:04emissions, a by-product from cremated fillings in your teeth.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09Up to 11 times a day, six days a week, this cremator in Elland burns
0:32:09 > 0:32:13a body. This is the main screen. That is what the operators will be
0:32:13 > 0:32:18looking at all the time. Most people never normally see the place
0:32:18 > 0:32:22of the it -- the inside of a place like best. This crematorium in
0:32:22 > 0:32:28Calderdale is run by the local council. Like the majority of them
0:32:28 > 0:32:32up and down the country. Prices are rising including here in West
0:32:32 > 0:32:37Yorkshire. There is an added factor that could drive those prices
0:32:37 > 0:32:42higher still. During cremation, Mercury is released from the
0:32:42 > 0:32:47fillings in the teeth of bodies. Unless it is captured, it can be
0:32:47 > 0:32:52carried into the atmosphere. If this is absorbed by fish, it can
0:32:52 > 0:32:56enter the human food chain and that is a concern. Councils have until
0:32:56 > 0:33:03the end of the year to cut mercury emissions from their crematoria by
0:33:03 > 0:33:0850%. Those that fail to do so will have to pay a fine of up to �45 per
0:33:08 > 0:33:12pronation. But at this date of the art facility in Calderdale, one of
0:33:12 > 0:33:17the most modern crematoria in Britain, nor Mercury is allowed to
0:33:17 > 0:33:22escape and this clean technology makes money for the council. It can
0:33:22 > 0:33:28sell credits to a not-for-profit company which in turn, sells them
0:33:28 > 0:33:32on to the councils that will not meet the target. The money we make
0:33:32 > 0:33:37will all of this the offset the 1.6 million pound cost. The reality is
0:33:37 > 0:33:43that we have to pay for this somehow. This will be one way of
0:33:43 > 0:33:46doing it. But it will not be the only way. This year, all five local
0:33:46 > 0:33:51councils in West Yorkshire have increased fees for their
0:33:51 > 0:33:56bereavement services. In Kirk lease, they went up by just 1%, but this
0:33:56 > 0:34:03was after a rise of 7% for last year. There were rises of 5% in
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Leeds and Bradford and in Calderdale that went up by 7%. In
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Wakefield they will rise by 11.5%. Some are calling it attacks on
0:34:12 > 0:34:17death. We all know that what they are doing is regarding burials and
0:34:17 > 0:34:21cremations, at just like parking charges, as an alternative income
0:34:21 > 0:34:25stream. What they should be doing is cutting down their spending and
0:34:25 > 0:34:34waste. They certainly should not be imposing taxes like this on
0:34:34 > 0:34:41bereaved people. A report said that just by increasing these fees could
0:34:41 > 0:34:48see... Did they think people would stop trying?! Completely ridiculous.
0:34:48 > 0:34:54-- dying. With added pressure from the Government for cleaner credit -
0:34:54 > 0:34:59- Crematorium, perhaps it has never been sure that there seems to be no
0:34:59 > 0:35:06escape from death and taxes. I knew neck would not be able to
0:35:06 > 0:35:11resist that old line! Councils being fined �45 per cremation. Is
0:35:11 > 0:35:20this a debt attacks? Know. What they are being asked to do it is a
0:35:20 > 0:35:28tackle these mercury emissions. There is an issue here. I always
0:35:28 > 0:35:33think about this particular airier, for a lot of us, we do not plan for
0:35:34 > 0:35:38a funeral and tell of this is very late. -- until it is very late, and
0:35:38 > 0:35:44people left behind are left with large costs. Some local authorities
0:35:44 > 0:35:53do very good work at helping people keep costs down. They should be
0:35:53 > 0:35:57transparent about the costs that they are charging. Andrew, many
0:35:57 > 0:36:05councillors would argue that they have no choice but to pass this
0:36:05 > 0:36:10charge on to grieving relatives. Is this fair? I would be interested to
0:36:10 > 0:36:15know whether any of the councils are using their income they get
0:36:15 > 0:36:20from this to subsidise other parts of their budget. You cannot avoid
0:36:20 > 0:36:24having to pay these charges. There is an issue with their quality. We
0:36:24 > 0:36:28all agree that we want to have an improved air quality and we know
0:36:28 > 0:36:33that Mercury is very dangerous. I am not sure there is any way we can
0:36:33 > 0:36:38avoid this. Councils are passing on that their charges, but if they are
0:36:39 > 0:36:45using it to subsidise other income schemes -- incomes streams, that is
0:36:45 > 0:36:51unacceptable. It is always the people who can least afford it to
0:36:51 > 0:36:55have to pay these things. That is why, seven years ago, notice was
0:36:55 > 0:36:59given to councils about the need to tackle these emissions. If we look
0:37:00 > 0:37:07at other issues like asbestos and the impact that has had on people,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11if we know the information, and we do not do something, down the road,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15people will say, you knew about this, why did you not do something?
0:37:15 > 0:37:20The notice has been given, councils have to deal with this. I think it
0:37:20 > 0:37:25is about transparency, about what these charges are about. The other
0:37:25 > 0:37:29side of it I think is, helping people. Helping people to prepare
0:37:29 > 0:37:35for those costs when they face a death in the family. For some
0:37:35 > 0:37:42people that is a huge shock. Interesting talking point but we
0:37:42 > 0:37:52must move on. We will catch up with the week's political news in
0:37:52 > 0:37:56
0:37:56 > 0:38:019 Yorkshire Conservative MPs are among 100 calling on the Government
0:38:01 > 0:38:06to reduce subsidies paid to wind farms. They say they are skewing
0:38:06 > 0:38:12the market and spawning a too many times. We would like to see
0:38:13 > 0:38:17taxpayers' money used on renewable technologies that actually work.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22Sheffield Cathedral says it will not demand costs from protesters
0:38:22 > 0:38:29despite them costing around �10,000. They set up a camp outside the
0:38:29 > 0:38:33cathedral for around 1000 -- 100 days.
0:38:33 > 0:38:41Unions at defence giant BAe say ministers should work harder to
0:38:41 > 0:38:47bring defence contracts to East Yorkshire.
0:38:47 > 0:38:53It was announced the number of people in Yorkshire and Humberside
0:38:53 > 0:38:58claiming it tent -- claiming jobseeker's Allowance has fallen.
0:38:58 > 0:39:05Andrew, a growing number of Tory MPs are opposed to onshore wind
0:39:05 > 0:39:09farms. What you say to your colleagues? I have signed a letter
0:39:09 > 0:39:13because I am a big supporter of renewable energy and what we are
0:39:14 > 0:39:18looking at in the Humber is to service the offshore wind industry.
0:39:18 > 0:39:24There is a concern that we are told that there could be up to four-and-
0:39:24 > 0:39:29a-half 1000 new onshore wind mills coming up and in our area we took a
0:39:29 > 0:39:32sensible approach and said we have hit our target, but still the
0:39:32 > 0:39:39planning and -- planning applications are coming in. Have we
0:39:39 > 0:39:46got too many of them? I think the main argument for many Tories is
0:39:46 > 0:39:50the massive subsidies. I think if you want to have energy in the
0:39:50 > 0:39:58future at that is not reliant on oil and gas and coal and the
0:39:58 > 0:40:03emissions that they create, then, as with any industry, it needs to
0:40:03 > 0:40:08be given a kick-start. Whether that is wind or solar, I think that is a
0:40:08 > 0:40:15judgment that is right. We want to create a new, clean energy industry.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20What about biomass? But biomass is one of the areas as well. Any types
0:40:20 > 0:40:26of technology that is cleaner is being supported. The Government is
0:40:26 > 0:40:31seeking to continue this. The worrying thing is that 100 MPs have
0:40:31 > 0:40:35signed this letter and the problem is with the letter, but with -- but
0:40:35 > 0:40:38also with other messages from the Government, against supporting
0:40:38 > 0:40:46green energy in the feature is that we are missing a fantastic
0:40:46 > 0:40:50opportunity. We have a real chance to create new jobs and get new
0:40:50 > 0:40:56investment into this country. In the last to we have gone from a
0:40:56 > 0:41:04third in the world for investment in these things to 13th. We have
0:41:04 > 0:41:12just seen �1 billion going to be invested in cleaner called. We have
0:41:12 > 0:41:20huge investment coming into the Humber. -- coal. In the banding
0:41:20 > 0:41:25review for the subsidy review, we go -- we have gone in the right
0:41:25 > 0:41:30direction. We should be at the centre of the revolution in a wave
0:41:31 > 0:41:35technology in the way that we were not in wind. There is an acceptance,
0:41:35 > 0:41:41a cross-party agreement, on where we want to be going with this.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44have to be word about investment. In terms of investment, we have
0:41:44 > 0:41:49gone from third to 13th in the world. We are behind countries like
0:41:49 > 0:41:53India and China. Let's move on to controversial calls for children in
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to be taught about an alternative to the
0:41:57 > 0:42:03monarchy. Republican campaigners claim that some schools could be
0:42:03 > 0:42:09breaking the law by promoting the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14Here in the East Riding village they are already preparing for
0:42:14 > 0:42:19June's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It follows hot on the heels of a
0:42:19 > 0:42:25party they held to mark last year's royal wedding. It is a very
0:42:25 > 0:42:29historical event and I think that youngsters need to realise the
0:42:29 > 0:42:36history behind all this and that it is quite a record that our present
0:42:36 > 0:42:41Queen has set. But not everyone is getting into the party spirit. A
0:42:41 > 0:42:47group calling itself a republic says it is organising a series of
0:42:47 > 0:42:52anti- monarchy protests in the run- up to the Diamond Jubilee. We do
0:42:52 > 0:42:57not think that the Jubilee is something to celebrate. If you ask
0:42:57 > 0:43:02yourself what the Queen has chat -- done to achieve her position, there
0:43:02 > 0:43:07is no way of removing her. It is not a democratic process. We do not
0:43:07 > 0:43:12think that children should be indoctrinated to think this is OK.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Our permission -- position, in line with the 1996 Education Act, is
0:43:15 > 0:43:21that children should have a balanced view of how our head of
0:43:21 > 0:43:23state should be elected. particular, and to monarchists
0:43:24 > 0:43:29believe a schools cooking competition launched by the Duchess
0:43:29 > 0:43:32of Cornwall could be unlawful because it promotes what
0:43:32 > 0:43:38Republicans Colk uncritical celebrations of the Queen's Diamond
0:43:38 > 0:43:43Jubilee. -- call uncritical celebrations. Some teaching unions
0:43:43 > 0:43:48have sympathy with this. It is not done in an informed way. They do
0:43:48 > 0:43:55not then find out about, up what is monarchy? Why do we have a
0:43:55 > 0:44:02monarchy? What is the history of this? Why do some places, like a
0:44:02 > 0:44:07map like it -- like America, why do they not have a monarchy? This is a
0:44:07 > 0:44:13special year this year. Can you remember? It is a hard word, it is
0:44:13 > 0:44:18a jubilee year. In this corner of East Yorkshire, teachers are being
0:44:18 > 0:44:21encouraged to carry on with the celebrations. This woman believes
0:44:21 > 0:44:26it is important is that her granddaughter it understands the
0:44:26 > 0:44:30relevance of the events. They are tomorrow's generation and they
0:44:31 > 0:44:36should be aware of what a great job she does for us and that she is
0:44:36 > 0:44:43important to us all. We should celebrate all these things. It is
0:44:43 > 0:44:51part of our heritage. Despite opposition from San, -- from some,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54up there is no shortage of people ready to celebrate.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59Republican campaigner Sam Gardner joins us now in the studio. We had
0:44:59 > 0:45:04the royal wedding last year and the Queen's diamond jubilee this year,
0:45:04 > 0:45:07we are in the middle of this period. Haven't you pet an odd time to
0:45:07 > 0:45:15question the future of the monarchy? Absolutely not. I think
0:45:15 > 0:45:18we have chosen the right time. For example, I work in a school and we
0:45:19 > 0:45:24are supposed to teach children that citizenship, we're supposed to
0:45:24 > 0:45:28teach them about equality and democracy, and yet we have these
0:45:28 > 0:45:32royal wedding celebrations that fly in the face of all these things.
0:45:32 > 0:45:37Monarchy is not democratic, it is not accountable, so why do not see
0:45:37 > 0:45:42how all these things can fit together. If we have a celebration,
0:45:42 > 0:45:48we are saying that monarchy is a good thing. Is it a good thing that
0:45:48 > 0:45:58our children will never have a say in who they her head of state will
0:45:58 > 0:46:05
0:46:05 > 0:46:10be? Andrew, you wear a teacher. What do you say to this? It is
0:46:10 > 0:46:14nonsense. Actually, it is democratic. We had something called
0:46:14 > 0:46:18the glorious Revolution. We had a glorious Revolution in which to --
0:46:18 > 0:46:24in which we established the principle of parliamentary
0:46:24 > 0:46:28democracy. We accept a monarch but only with the acceptance of the
0:46:28 > 0:46:34democratic institutions, of which in our case is Parliament. It is
0:46:34 > 0:46:40not true we do not teach kids about other political systems. In history,
0:46:40 > 0:46:45the core of what we used to teach was at the civil war has. I do make
0:46:45 > 0:46:55-- a debate about the power of the monarchy verses a more democratic
0:46:55 > 0:47:00institution. If we were to, you know school councils, how about if
0:47:00 > 0:47:04we were to run at those along the same lines of the monarchy. As ever,
0:47:04 > 0:47:09let us take the richest and put them in charge and not let any of
0:47:09 > 0:47:14their classmates take over. What you are failing to understand is
0:47:14 > 0:47:20that Her Majesty the Queen is not in charge of anything. We live in a
0:47:20 > 0:47:29democracy. Own -- every lot only becomes lot of it is passed through
0:47:29 > 0:47:36the House of Commons. -- law. Queen speaks to David Cameron every
0:47:36 > 0:47:43week. We live in a democracy. We choose in our democracy to have a
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Queen as our head of state. That is a choice. We elected
0:47:46 > 0:47:51parliamentarians and there is no movement in Parliament to get rid
0:47:51 > 0:47:56of the monarchy. Carolyn, how would these views were down in the
0:47:56 > 0:48:01streets of Doncaster. I think around the country, and an showers
0:48:01 > 0:48:06and realises this, I'm sure that if it was put to the vote, the vote
0:48:06 > 0:48:10would go in favour of what we have at the moment. The truth is that
0:48:10 > 0:48:15the public does not stand in elections and so has not tested out
0:48:15 > 0:48:18its own view in this. I think Andrew is right. What we have is
0:48:18 > 0:48:22something that has evolved over centuries and part of that was
0:48:22 > 0:48:28about the power of Parliament and the right way that our laws should
0:48:28 > 0:48:32be set. David Cameron and prime ministers before him to meet with
0:48:32 > 0:48:37the Queen because she is seen as our head of state, but in so far as
0:48:37 > 0:48:43the laws of our land, that is strictly done through the elected
0:48:43 > 0:48:47politicians. Children, as they grow older, can think for themselves.
0:48:47 > 0:48:53You are entitled to your point of view and that is part of hour
0:48:53 > 0:48:58democracy. We are running out of times. You're putting a lot of
0:48:58 > 0:49:03faith in elected politicians. President Cameron! We do not have
0:49:03 > 0:49:07to have a President. We are the masters of our own destiny. We
0:49:07 > 0:49:13could have a sportsman, someone from the arts, we can choose the
0:49:13 > 0:49:18sort of head of state that we want. I would add to that if this system
0:49:18 > 0:49:25of hereditary monarchy is so good, what other areas which to extend
0:49:25 > 0:49:30this principle to? I wouldn't. But the point is that the public...
0:49:30 > 0:49:35just the head of state? The public do not want us to get rid of the
0:49:35 > 0:49:42monarchy. There has never been an opinion poll that shows that and
0:49:42 > 0:49:47you should accept that. Because that is democracy. I would add that
0:49:47 > 0:49:51people except the border -- the royal family to modernise. In my
0:49:51 > 0:49:56lifetime, I have seen the monarchy change and evolve in different ways.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01People do not have unconditional support but they do give support --