19/05/2013 Sunday Politics Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Coming up in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: We find out why some

of our local councils say they can negotiate cheaper energy bills on

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2147 seconds

Hello. You are watching the Sunday Politics for Yorkshire,

Lincolnshire and the North Midlands. Coming up today: Could we soon see

p end to rip off energy bills. Our local councils say they can

negotiate cheaper gas and electricity prices on our behalf

Phil stop --. Also, we investigate why the number of people IN work is

at a record high in our part of the world, yet unemployment is still

rising. We are going to be taking the temperature of the regional

economy today. The you accept that there is some positive news coming

through on the economy? We have been in the heart of these

difficulties for nearly five years and I think at some point things

will start to get better. There are some positive signs and some not so

good. What we are seeing is that far too little is being done. It is

the longest recovery ever from a recession already. People have been

able to tighten their belts for sure for six months or 12 months

but after five years people are not able to cut much more. We

desperately hope things will get better but our view is that the

Government are not doing nearly enough. Still more austerity to

come? When I am talking to people, particularly businesses come up

what they do not want is people talking down the economy and the

region. We have to be positive about the opportunities. We are

still in the economic crisis that was left by the last Government. If

you look at the figures, there are 92,000 more people in work than

this time last year. We are told there are now more people with jobs

in the Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire than at any time since

records began. And the number working for private companies is

increasing more than in the public sector. That might come as a

surprise to many of us, because we are still being told the economy is

in the doldrums and the latest unemployment figures show the dole

queues are still growing. Len Tingle has been looking at the

conflicting evidence coming out of the job market. Things are on the

up for this manufacturer of steel components for the oil industry.

All these component parts are transported to clients throughout

the world. It has expanded its component staff numbers do 120.

challenge is finding enough skilled people to fill the posts we are

going to be creating. This man is one they have found, 22 years'

experience but being made redundant by his previous employer was still

a real worry. I have got five children. I was concerned I would

not be able to find a job quicker enough. This company is not alone

in taking on workers. Latest Government figures show the number

of people in work in this region by it last spring was 2.4 3 million.

That had gone up to 2.5 one million by this year. It has not made a

dent in those unemployed however. There are an additional 9,000 out

of work between last year and this year in the same quarter. Where

there has been expansion it has taken all the qualified people. It

will take a number of years to get young people especially trained in

be areas where there has been a sustained demand for jobs. This is

a support unit for those looking for jobs. 800 have found work but

that is still or only two out of every five who come here. If the

Government say there are not enough jobs here, that is right in

Barnsley. They are like gold dust. There is not a lot of work out

there. Looking on the job sides there is nothing there at all.

have applied between six and nine per week and I have got knocked

back for Lord's. I do not think there is enough for everybody.

There are concerns over why there are statistically more jobs but the

dole queues are still growing. there are more jobs around that is

very pleasing for the economy and the people who live here. Our

figures that may have research is slightly different. A lot of people

are working under the hours that they want. A lot of people are

working casual and part-time and even at 0 hours contracts. 16 to 24

year-olds are bearing the brunt of the recession. Even with the well-

earned success being demonstrated on shop floors like this one in

Sheffield, there are significant M Wood sent to the jobless figures

but it is likely to take years rather than months. You are the

shadow minister for small business. Surely you expect it is a good

thing that more new jobs are now being treated in the private sector

than the public sector? It is the rate of course. A huge increase in

private sector employment and new businesses being created is what we

want but what we are seeing at the moment when you get down into those

figures is a huge increase in part- time working, a massive increase in

the number of people who are in work but falling into poverty. Lots

of people who are working but working much less hours than they

need. The picture is a very difficult one. The real tragedy is

that this has gone on for a year after year. It is the slowest

recovery ever from a recession. The scale of the challenge that the

country faces was not nearly met by the measures put forward in the

Queen's speech. Record numbers of huge new jobs are being created but

how do you square the circle? I think we went agree is that we

are still in a difficult economic situation. That is inevitable

continuing the scale of the problem that was left do this Government by

the last Labour Government. We have to focus on making every person,

and there are people we heard in that last piece to a in difficult

situations. Rather than politicians simply talking about things

nationally and even regionally, every person is important. We want

to get all those people into work. We have to accept that the

coalition Government is getting it right through youth employment. It

is not just temporary and part-time jobs but people with real skills

who will have couriers for life. The figures nationally as well as

regionally sure that youth unemployment is going down. That is

very positive. Of course the Government is also investing in

infrastructure, in real, something that at the time of the last

economic boom that the last Government should have done and

failed to do. Those are building blocks, they do not happen

overnight, these things will happen and should have happened a long

time ago. Is that a fair point being made? The Government

investing in apprenticeships and infrastructure, what more could

they be doing? It is a ludicrous point. Even Nick Clegg has admitted

that the Government when the initially came in made far too many

cuts to infrastructure. All these sorts of things like regional

development agencies shutting down. What we should have had his back

job for growth. The entire world had been in recession. These steps

this Government took following George Osborne's advice, it has

dampened down the demand and led to three years of a very static

economy. Now we are seeing that the Tories and the Lib Dems decided to

go in with the Conservatives has actually fallen apart so then we

face at Queen's speech, the Lib Dems not letting the Tories do what

they want to do, it is hard to see what the sense of purpose is for

this Government. How worried were you by the comments made that

people do not have the skills needed for many of these new job

opportunities? The skills gap was one of the biggest failures of the

last Labour Government. I would rather be blunt and tell it how it

is. The simple reality is that we had a Labour Government for 30

years which relied on the Square Mile with in the city of London

will stop. This Government will put more investment into the always

than this last Government did in 30 years. It is a priority. We also

have to remember there are people who are finding it tough, all the

workers, particularly those finding it tough, they want extra help.

That is more difficult. The investment infrastructure is

happening. It did not happen under Labour. Why are you supporting

bigger rises in welfare payments? We are not. If there have been

significant cuts to welfare. If you are on �66 per week you cannot

afford to just tighten your belt and find it easy to come out. You

are in poverty already. The Government are saying you are in

poverty already and we are going to make you poorer. Could cheaper gas

and electricity bills be on the way courtesy of your local council?

Some local authorities in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire say they've

negotiated cheaper deals with the big energy suppliers, with the

savings passed on to thousands of households. The government believes

more town halls should be promoting energy-switching schemes. Nick

Morris has the full story. Whenever it was time to pay de energy bill

this woman used to dread what would land on her doormat. Nowadays she

is one of 6.5000 people switched up to a local scheme. The idea is to

make energy companies compete for our business instead of us handing

it to them on a plate. It is a concern that it is going up and up

every month it seems. The other concern is that we seem to have

longer winters so you are having to have your heating and lighting on

for periods of time. My specific savings are going to be �106 per

year. Energy companies must take you? They probably do but we are

here and we want a better deal for our energy so they have got to take

notice of us now. Local authorities are also using the same group

buying system to get energy companies competing. East Riding of

Yorkshire council says it has been overwhelmed by interest. Thousands

of people say the one the local authority to organise a 12 month

fixed price for local gas and electricity supplies. We have been

taken aback by how many people signed up for this scheme.

Somewhere in the region of 15,000 households, one in 10 for the East

Riding area. Over in Leeds the scheme is a lean and mean operation.

Or only to people in this office are actually employed by the

company. The idea is minimum input, maximum power. By helping those who

are elderly, and vulnerable we are helping the as consumers become

more empowered. Is it too soon to start casting off those extra

Willie jumpers? Some customers have actually received higher bills.

that is the first time you have ever switched you might well see

some significant benefit but if you have been switching before you

might well have already got that benefit so I think that is one

point that people need to have a think about. East Riding of

Yorkshire has become the place for local authorities to see the price

will stop. Can people genuinely save money by switching suppliers?

People say that a few months down the line they are paying full price

for their gas and electricity again. What is positive is this selective

switching idea. I pay credit to councils of all colours. They are

all putting these schemes into place. It is a great way of using

their ability to get more bang for your buck, to give consumers a

better deal. That has been an issue that is quite rightly being

addressed. A many people, particularly the elderly are not in

a position to switch supplies, they might not have broadband access or

whatever, do you think the market really works? Not at all. We have a

three-step plan to radically change the energy market. People are sick

and tired at a time they feel ripped off that there is a record

low number of people switching because they have no faith in the

market. What should they be doing? Well this link between people would

generate the electricity and sell it to us has led to a very opaque

system. We are calling for the electricity generating companies to

pool all their resources and put that on the market to encourage

more people onto the market and create proper competition. That is

what we were promised when these were privatised. Also to guarantee

anyone over the age of 75 that they will be on the very best tariff.

That will be real change. It is a welcome initiative but it is

scratching on the surface. It is the responsibility of local

Government to have taken this far more seriously. David Cameron

brought in legislation that energy companies have to provide the

cheapest tariff for consumers, do think that is possible? He failed

to say that the energy bill is going through Parliament to ensure

that consumers are getting a better deal. This is the biggest concern

longer term, that we have a sustainable energy supply that the

last Labour Government did virtually nothing about. We need to

except we do not have a supply. We need more renewables. Wind energy

is expensive. That is why the energy bills as Amex of energy

which is absolutely essential. -- app next. It is disingenuous to say

that renewable means wind farms. We need a clearer but more secure

energy supply. We are reliant on some pretty unsavoury regimes

around the world. Labour have done nothing in 13 years to tackle the

energy crisis. You will not do so by causing higher bills for poorer

people. The contingency was keeping the power on in your years of power.

The answer to a here is that Labour should have done this in 13 years,

that is wearing thin now. People are starting to look at this

Government. Things are happening now we as Labour did nothing about

this. The lights would have gone off. The reality is we need radical

change. The energy market is clearly not working. The energy

bill is bringing forward. All that will do is if people are on their

raids that are no longer offered, they will have to be moved. It does

not actually insists you are on the best tariff. The most significant

thing is this pooling of egg to split up energy generation and

electricity retailing. It will stop when the wholesaling prices go down.

We will get more or in the political news in 60 seconds now.

There trouble for the Tories as 12 Yorkshire and Lincolnshire MPs were

among the rebels who voted against their own Government this week.

They say the referendum on Europe is not good enough. If this was

such an important issue why are we not having a referendum now?

the former TV journalist who became the Police And Crime Commissioner

has come under fire for at getting rid of his own chief constable.

Frankly it was a mess. Now no replacement of the deal between

Government and insurers to provide affordable cover for businesses in

Flood Risk area is. Now the Association of British Insurers

says it will keep it running on an extra month to allow more time to

reach an agreement. Do you think we will eventually seek this much-

needed deal between the insurance companies and the Government to

make sure that flood hit residents are going to be insured? Yes,

absolutely. It is frustrating it is taking the time it is. A deal will

be reached. If not, there will be questions. Let's hope it can be

reached. On the subject of flooding, prevention is better than cure.

That is why I was delighted to be part of a cross-party campaign of

MPs in Leeds to push for flood defences. Now we have had an

announcement that the Government will spend considerable amounts of

money to give the public in Leeds city centre better protection.

had serious floods in Chesterfield in 2007, in Brampton, I am already

confronted by people who feel that their houses are basically

unsaleable because new people coming in will not be able to get

insurance. It is really important we get this deal. I am not entirely

sure how we can do that but it needs to be negotiated. We had a

deal in place with the previous Government. We had to make sure

this Government can get a deal that really protects those people.

the time we have left, you're two parties are the only two parties at

Westminster going into the next election, not promising a

referendum on the EU, is that a vote winner? That is not true. The

Lib Dem position and this became the current Government policy is

that if there is any new treaty in Europe that has any transfer of

powers, there will be a referendum. That is now enshrined. That was the

Lisbon Treaty and it never happened. That is enshrined in law. Of course

there will be a referendum at some stage. It should not be now, I know

that some Conservatives think that, what you have seen is the majority

of the Houses of Commons up to the interest of the economy first. I

would welcome that at the right time. That time is not now. Will Ed

Miliband changed his mind and offer a referendum in Labour's manifesto?

He will decide on what he decides on. I think setting a date a

considerable amount in the future creates tremendous uncertainty for

people like the manufacturer we sob previously who relies on those

exports. We need some real certainty. David Cameron has

created uncertainty with the policy he has got and now his party is not

happy. Euro-sceptics will never be happy. And I want to check, have