Red tape blitz to boost business

Government will exempt many businesses from health and safety inspections and will scrap or overhaul over 3,000 regulations in order to boost UK business.

 

In these tough times, businesses need to focus on creating jobs and growth without being tied up in unnecessary red tape.

We've listened to business’s concerns and are determined to put common sense back into areas like health and safety to reduce the costs and fear of burdensome inspections.

Today, Conservative Business Minister Michael Fallon is announcing that shops, offices, pubs and clubs will no longer face burdensome health and safety inspections. From April 2013, binding new rules on both the Health & Safety Executive and local authorities will exempt hundreds of thousands of businesses from burdensome health and safety inspections. In the future, only businesses which operate in high-risk areas, or have a poor record, will be inspected.

In addition, from next month, the Government will change the law so companies will only be liable for civil damages in health and safety cases if they have shown to be negligent. This constitutes a welcome change to the current law that businesses can automatically be liable for damages, if there is a workplace accident, even if they are not proven to be negligent.

Conservatives in Government are also taking radical action on red tape in a further measure to boost economic growth. We are systematically examining some 6,500 substantive regulations that we inherited through the Red Tape Challenge and are committed to abolishing or substantially reducing at least 3,000 of these regulations. Complete identification of the regulations to be scrapped or overhauled will be complete by December 2013.

Business Minister Michael Fallon said:
“Cutting red tape shows the Government is serious about helping business to flourish. We’re getting out of the way by bringing common sense back to health and safety.”

Message from Grant Shapps MP, new Chairman of the Conservative Party

ON WEDNESDAY afternoon, I sat at the Cabinet table for the first time as Conservative Party Chairman.

 

 

 

People have been asking me what exactly the Cabinet reshuffle was all about. They want to know: why does it matter?

I tell them this reshuffle is about one thing — rolling up our sleeves to deliver the reforms we’ve brought in and getting Britain back on its feet.

This Government means business, and we’ve got the right team to deliver. Our task is enormous, but we’re making significant progress. We’re putting in a proper plan to bring down the deficit.

We’re lending a hand to people who work hard by cutting tax — and taking two million people out of tax altogether. We’re reforming our schools so that our children have the skills to compete — and we’re supporting the industries of the future so that we can create proper, well-paid jobs.

Most importantly, we’re going all out for growth by reforming our economy.

Blueprint ... Tory plans for Britain

We didn’t hesitate to chuck out Labour’s tax on jobs and scrap laws that prevented small firms from taking on new people. But there’s more to do. We’re reforming the planning system so that you can add a reasonable size extension, perhaps a conservatory, without having to ask anyone for permission. We’re speeding up access to the superfast broadband our businesses need.
And we’re slashing the red-tape that holds firms back and prevents them from creating even more jobs.

Most importantly, we’re making sure that work always pays.

When I was setting up my own business in my early 20s I’d get up early and work every hour I could stay awake. I know many Sun readers have picked up their paper after a hard week at work, putting in the extra hours and maybe facing the daily commute.

While you’re at work, people across the road are sat in front of the TV, getting enough money from benefits to stay at home. To live off your taxes.

And it’s just not fair.

So I’m proud to say that Conservatives in government are tackling it head on. We want a country that rewards effort and where work pays. We’re capping welfare so that it doesn’t pay to sit at home.
Thanks to our reforms, no household will get more in benefits than the average family earns by working.

The something-for-nothing culture will be gone forever. Welfare’s just one of the problems Labour failed to tackle when they were in government. And now, unbelievably, they’ve actually voted against our plans to cap benefits.

It’s the same story with immigration — the system was in chaos under Labour, yet now they oppose our plans to cap it.

And wait — there’s a pattern emerging.

Labour failed to improve our education system when they had the chance and now — and this one’s really nuts — they oppose our plans to create more good schools for our kids. But never mind all this knee-jerk opposition. People are still asking themselves: just what does the Labour Party actually stand for?

The truth is that they’re headed for their third year in opposition without even a single policy.
I remember when the Conservatives were in opposition, we were starting to set out our platform by this stage of the parliament.

Ed Miliband claimed he had a “blank page” of policy when he became leader, but he’s been so busy arguing with his shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, that he’s still not put pen to paper. This week I thought they’d finally come up with something. To great fanfare, they announced their big flagship idea — “pre-distribution”.

Sounds good, but what does it mean? I’m sure Sun readers were as confused as I was. Take a closer look and it turns out to be the same old Labour policy in a new wrapper — more spending, more borrowing and more debt. Exactly the same “something for nothing” plan that got us into this mess in the first place.

The truth is, Labour stand for nothing. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.

Don’t forget that Ed Miliband and Ed Balls were Gordon Brown’s right-hand men. They haven’t learnt a thing from their mistakes in government. They still want to borrow more, create more debt and pass the problem to our children and grandchildren.

Like all parents, I want to give my kids the best start in life. This week, I saw my son off for his first day at secondary school. I don’t want him and his schoolmates still to be paying for the mistakes of the last Labour Government when they are my age.

That’s the kind of thing that motivates me in public life. For the sake of my children’s generation, I know that we have to see through our reforms. We’ll stay the course on the economy — and we’ll keep at it until we’ve balanced the books.

The best news yet is that our plan to deal with the debt is starting to work. We’ve now cleared a quarter of the deficit left by Labour.

Businesses have created nearly a million jobs since we took office. Unemployment is actually falling, mortgage rates are low and inflation is down.

But there’s much more to do.

As Chairman of the Conservatives it’s my job to make sure that we deliver on our promises as a party. We will never stick our heads in the sand and say it’s not our problem. We’ll never shy away from the tough decisions we need to create real jobs and growth. We’ll always focus on creating a society where people who work hard and want to get on in life are rewarded.

I’m not saying that it’s all plain sailing. We’re weathering a global economic storm, centred on Europe, and it won’t end overnight. Our decisions won’t always be universally popular either — we don’t expect people who refuse to work to thank us for taking their cushy number away. But delaying would just pass this generation’s debt on to our children, stall economic recovery and cost us even more.

That’s just plain wrong.

Around the Cabinet table this week we set out our plans in more detail. We’ll continue to bring down the deficit, but we also want to do more to help working families. We want to build the homes and create the jobs that mean we can have a better, more flexible economy and secure future for our kids.
I’m already planning my visits up and down the country, knocking on doors and spreading the word.

If you want to help ensure work always pays, that we don’t leave our debts to our children to repay and that Britain has a bright and prosperous future, then come and join us and together we’ll build a better future.


Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4528359/Conservative-Party-Chairman-Grant-Shapps-MP-writes-about-the-Cabinet-reshuffle.html#ixzz2669GmXPn

UK broadband aided by planning permission rule changes

The government is changing planning permission rules to aid the rollout of faster internet speeds across the UK.

This includes permission for firms to install broadband cabinets and other related infrastructure on public land without local councils' permission in England.

It is also consulting about ways to shorten the time it takes to agree approval for cables and cabinet installation on private land UK-wide.

It builds on a previous £680m pledge.

The commitment includes £150m to create 10 "super-connected" cities offering download speeds of at least 80Mbps (megabits per second) by 2015, and £530m from the BBC licence fee to help boost speeds in the countryside.

The overall aim is to offer speeds of at least 24Mbps to more than 90% of the UK to become the "fastest in Europe" within three years.

At that speed it would take 15 minutes to download a 90-minute high definition programme via iPlayer.

Bypassing councils Culture Secretary Maria Miller described the latest moves as "sweeping away the red tape" that would otherwise hold the country back.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller: plans are vital to "kick-start the economy"

They are designed to make it easier for BT and others to install 1.4m (4ft 7in) tall cabinets, and retrofit existing ones with new outer shells without running the risk that they will be opposed by the public.

The government said that English councils would only retain the right to object if plans affected a site of special scientific interest.

Internet providers have also been told that they will "face less cost and bureaucracy in laying cables in streets" in England and Wales once officials have found a way to simplify current permit schemes.
Planning row
BT ran into problems earlier this year when London's Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea rejected 96 of its 108 applications for street cabinets needed to offer its fibre optic cabling service, leading to the plans being withdrawn.

"BT is already rolling out fibre broadband at record pace but there are a variety of issues that can sometimes slow us down and cause frustration for those consumers and businesses who are keen to get fibre broadband," a spokesman said.

"We are pleased that the government acknowledges those barriers and also that they share our ambition that as many people as possible can benefit from the high speed fibre revolution."

BT said it typically took between 28 and 56 days to be granted council permission to install its cabinets

Virgin Media also welcomed the move, but added that it thought the steps were "overdue".

That view was supported by the editor of the Thinkbroadband news site.

"If this announcement had been made in 2010, when firms were getting under way to make bids for BDUK work, then we may have actually had more firms left in the final bidding, rather than the choice of just two, BT and Fujitsu," said Andrew Ferguson.

"While these rule changes will affect [BT's] Openreach most, they will also benefit others like C&W, Hyperoptic, Geo, FibreCity, Virgin Media and other operators who are rolling out fibre.

"The question really is whether a backlash to a new range of street furniture in the market towns will result."

Justine Greening wants to do more for less with international aid budget

 

"Miss Greening is understood to harbour doubts about the Prime Minister’s pledge to increase foreign aid by 34 per cent to more than £12billion, even as domestic spending is slashed." - Daily Mail

Daily Mail leader: "Miss Greening is an aid sceptic – believing the country has a duty to achieve more from its aid budget while spending less. There is every reason to hope she will recognise the madness of the plan to enshrine in law Mr Cameron’s aid commitment and kill the idea stone dead."
Express leader: "Ms Greening was moved to the aid portfolio primarily to get her out of the Department for Transport because of her opposition to a third runway at Heathrow Airport. But if someone who puts the national interest above political vanity has taken the reins at the Department for International Development then the British public will breathe a huge sigh of relief."

The Sun Says: "Downing Street is flying in the face of public opinion by setting in stone an annual aid handout of £12billion. We are not a mean country. We have a proud history of generosity to the suffering. But when Brits are struggling so badly at home, why are we sending fortunes to booming nations like India — rich enough to have its own space industry? It is arrogance for No10 to ignore the views of the nation."

...but the FT (£) pours cold water on the idea of a change to policy: "Downing Street has insisted it will stand by its commitment to raise international aid to 0.7 per cent of British output by next year, despite concerns that the new development secretary could back away from the policy."

My view: It sounds like this could have been one of the best moves of the reshuffle. I've lost count of the number people that have expressed concern to me about the amount of overseas aid that is spent by the Government when so much needs doing here at home to put right the mess the Government inherited. I believe that if the Government focusses its attention on repairing the damage to our economy, imbedding solid growth and getting people back to work and less reliant on state support our nation will have a far stronger base from which to be a force for good in the world!

Watchdog to investigate judge's 'burglary takes courage' remarks

A judge who described a drug-addicted serial thief as "courageous" is to be investigated by the judicial watchdog. Although it may not surprise those who know me to hear that I think that in this case the Judge is potty, I am firmly of the belief that Judge's should be able to hand out very stiff penalties and if the criminal has the misfortune to be caught in the act within someone's property, property owners should have the full right to take whatever steps they consider necessary to protect themselves and their belongings!

 

 

Judge Peter Bowers reportedly made the remark while sentencing 26-year-old Richard Rochford for burglary.

The Teesside Crown Court judge also said he thought prison did criminals "little good".

His remarks sparked criticism and Prime Minister David Cameron said burglars were "cowards" whose "hateful crime" violated victims.

Rochford, of Westbourne Grove, Redcar, admitted two burglaries and asked for one more burglary and one attempted burglary to be taken into account.

He was given a two-year supervision order with drug rehabilitation and 200 hours' unpaid work, with a one-year driving ban.
'Not bravery'
The judge reportedly told the offender on Tuesday: "It takes a huge amount of courage, as far as I can see, for somebody to burgle somebody's house. I wouldn't have the nerve."

He added that he "might get pilloried" for his decision, but claimed jail would not do much good in this case and said: "I'm going to take a chance on you."

A spokesperson for the Office for Judicial Complaints said it had "received a number of complaints in relation to comments that His Honour Judge Bowers made in relation to a case in Teesside Crown Court on 4 September 2012".

David Cameron on ITV Daybreak: "Burglars should be sent to jail"

"Those complaints will be considered under the Judicial Discipline Regulations in the usual way. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage," the spokesperson said.

Speaking to ITV's Daybreak programme, Mr Cameron said: "I haven't seen the specific case.

"Judges sometimes say things that, you have to read the full context and the rest of it.

"But I'm very clear; burglary is not bravery, burglary is cowardice, burglary is a hateful crime.

"People sometimes say it is not a violent crime but, actually, if you've been burgled, you do feel it was violent, breaking into your home.

"That's why this government is actually changing the law to toughen the rules on self-defence towards burglars."
'Too lenient'
One of Rochford's victims, Mark Clayton, of Lingdale, North Yorkshire, condemned Judge Bowers' comments.

He said: "How can a man who is burgling houses be told it takes courage and be let off? He hasn't learnt anything from his mistakes.

"What is courage? I did 22 years with Her Majesty's forces. I've done a lot of things that took immense courage.

Richard Rochford will undergo a drug rehabilitation course

"The judge has been too lenient towards this guy's mental state. It's hardly fair.

"I don't know anything about the prison service but I'm sure it's all about rehabilitating people. That's why it's there."

Mr Clayton said Rochford had broken into his house in the early hours, ransacked it and taken laptops, televisions and items of sentimental value.

He added: "I thought Rochford would get some sentence. He has to learn from what he's done. He can't just be let off for the crimes he's committed."

Javed Khan, chief executive of the national charity Victim Support, said burglars should be brought to justice because of the impact of their actions on victims.

"Burglary can be a traumatic experience for victims and leave long lasting scars," he said.

"It is therefore disappointing to see it being taken lightly by anyone - not least someone whose role it is to make sure offenders are brought to justice."

A Ministry of Justice Spokeswoman said: "Sentencing is purely a matter for the courts, as only they have the full facts of a case before them."

Full list of Ministerial appointments following PM's reshuffle

Her Majesty has been pleased to approve the following Ministerial appointments:
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
Rt Hon David Cameron MP

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council (with special responsibility for political and constitutional reform)
Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs – Rt Hon William Hague MP
Senior Minister of State – Rt Hon Baroness Warsi (jointly with the
Department for Communities and Local Government)
Minister of State – Rt Hon David Lidington MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP
Minister of State (Trade and Investment) – Lord Green of
Hurstpierpoint (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills)*
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Mark Simmonds MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Alistair Burt MP

HM Treasury

Chancellor of the Exchequer – Rt Hon George Osborne MP
Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP
Financial Secretary – Rt Hon Greg Clark MP
Exchequer Secretary – David Gauke MP†
Economic Secretary – Sajid Javid MP†
Commercial Secretary – Lord Sassoon *
Good to see Tunbridge Wells MP, Greg Clark promoted. He'll have his work cut out but if the Treasury Team can work with Ken Clarke and improve communication of their efforts, things could improve!

Home Office

Secretary of State for the Home Department – Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Minister of State (Immigration) – Mark Harper MP
Minister of State (Policing) – Damian Green MP (jointly with the
Ministry of Justice)
Minister of State – Jeremy Browne MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – James Brokenshire MP
Good to see Damien Green promoted but a shame to see Arundel MP, Nick Herbert asked to resign, especially given the forthcoming PCC elections which he had been leading on prior to the reshuffle.

Ministry of Defence

Secretary of State for Defence – Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Andrew Robathan MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Mark Francois MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Dr Andrew Murrison MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Philip Dunne MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Astor of Hever DL*

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills; and President
of the Board of Trade – Rt Hon Dr Vincent Cable MP
Minister of State (Universities and Science) – Rt Hon David Willetts MP**
Minister of State – Michael Fallon MP
Minister of State (Trade and Investment) – Lord Green of
Hurstpierpoint (jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)*
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Marland *
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Jo Swinson MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Matthew Hancock MP (jointly
with the Department for Education)
Can't believe that Vince Cable remains in post, if he'd been removed I think business would be making better progress!

Department for Work and Pensions

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP
Minister of State – Mark Hoban MP
Minister of State – Steve Webb MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Welfare Reform) – Lord Freud*
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Esther McVey MP

Ministry of Justice

Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice – Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Lord McNally (and Deputy Leader of the
House of Lords)
Minister of State – Damian Green MP (jointly with the Home Office)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Helen Grant MP (jointly with
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Jeremy Wright MP
Good to see Chris Grayling and Maidstone MP, Helen Grant promoted here, lets hope they turn the screws on criminals and make life more difficult for them!

Department for Education

Secretary of State for Education – Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon David Laws MP (jointly with the Cabinet Office**)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Hill of Oareford CBE
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Matthew Hancock MP (jointly
with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Edward Timpson MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Elizabeth Truss MP
I didn't expect to see David Laws crop up here, he seemed to have demonstrated a better understanding of the economy before but it is good to see Edward Timpson promoted.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government – Rt Hon Eric
Pickles MP
Senior Minister of State (Faith and Communities) – Rt Hon Baroness
Warsi ** (jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
Minister of State (Housing) – Mark Prisk MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Planning) - Nicholas Boles MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Rt Hon Don Foster MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Brandon Lewis MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Hanham CBE*

Department of Health

Secretary of State for Health – Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP
Minister of State – Norman Lamb MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Anna Soubry MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Daniel Poulter MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Earl Howe
This had to be one of the biggest surprises of the reshuffle but I will be very interested to see if he can make the NHS reforms more popular.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Rt Hon
Owen Paterson MP
Minister of State – David Heath CBE MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Richard Benyon MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE

Department for International Development

Secretary of State for International Development – Rt Hon Justine Greening MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Alan Duncan MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lynne Featherstone MP

Scotland Office

Secretary of State for Scotland – Rt Hon Michael Moore MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Rt Hon David Mundell MP

Department of Energy and Climate Change

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change – Rt Hon Edward Davey MP
Minister of State – Gregory Barker MP
Minister of State – John Hayes MP


Department for Transport

Secretary of State for Transport – Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP
Minister of State – Rt Hon Simon Burns MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Norman Baker MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Stephen Hammond MP
Absolutely gutted that Lewes MP and Roadblock to an improved A27, Norman Baker remains in post. Hopefully an oversight that will be addressed in the near future Prime Minister along with vital improvements to our A27 so we can unlock the business and tourism potential in our wonderful town!


Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; and Minister for
Women and Equalities – Maria Miller MP
Minister of State – Hugh Robertson MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Hon Ed Vaizey MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Women and Equalities) – Helen
Grant MP (jointly with the Ministry of Justice)

Northern Ireland Office

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP
Minister of State – Mike Penning MP

Wales Office

Secretary of State for Wales – David Jones MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Stephen Crabb MP* (jointly as
a paid Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury (Whip) – House of Commons)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Randerson*

Office of the Leader of the House of Lords

Leader of the House of Lords, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster –
Rt Hon Lord Strathclyde
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords – Rt Hon Lord McNally (and
Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice)

Office of the Leader of the Commons

Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal – Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP**
Parliamentary Secretary (Deputy Leader) – Rt Hon Tom Brake MP*

Ministers without Portfolio (Minister of State)

Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP **
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP* & ** (and Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party)
Possibly one of the most universally appreciated political appointments of the reshuffle, Grant Shapps is an excellent communicator and is ideally placed to get the Conservative message across to the electorate for the next general election.

Cabinet Office

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Paymaster General – Rt Hon Francis Maude MP**
Minister for Government Policy – Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP**
Minister of State – Rt Hon David Laws MP** (jointly with the
Department for Education)
Parliamentary Secretary – Nick Hurd MP
Parliamentary Secretary – Chloe Smith MP

Law Officers

Attorney General – Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP***
Solicitor General – Oliver Heald MP
Advocate General for Scotland – Rt Hon Lord Wallace of Tankerness QC

Whips – House of Commons

Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury) – Rt Hon Andrew
Mitchell MP**
Deputy Chief Whip (Treasurer of HM Household) – Rt Hon John Randall MP
Deputy Chief Whip (Comptroller of HM Household) – Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP
Government Whip (Vice Chamberlain of HM Household) – Rt Hon Greg Knight MP

Junior Lords of the Treasury

Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – Rt Hon Desmond Swayne MP
Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – Anne Milton MP
Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – Stephen Crabb MP
(jointly as an unpaid Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the
Wales Office)
Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – David Evennett MP*
Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – Robert Goodwill MP
Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury) – Mark Lancaster MP

Assistant Whips

Assistant Government Whip – Greg Hands MP
Assistant Government Whip – Karen Bradley MP
Assistant Government Whip – Jo Johnson MP
Assistant Government Whip – Nicky Morgan MP
Assistant Government Whip – Robert Syms MP
Assistant Government Whip – Mark Hunter MP
Assistant Government Whip – Jenny Willott MP


Whips – House of Lords

Lords Chief Whip (Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at
Arms) – Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE
Deputy Chief Whip (Captain of The Queen’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of
the Guard) – Lord Newby OBE

Baronesses and Lords in Waiting

Baroness in Waiting – Baroness Garden*
Baroness in Waiting – Baroness Northover*
Baroness in Waiting – Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Baroness in Waiting – Baroness Verma
Lord in Waiting – Earl Attlee
Lord in Waiting – Lord De Mauley TD
Lord in Waiting – Lord Wallace of Saltaire*
Lord in Waiting – Viscount Younger of Leckie

* unpaid
** attends Cabinet
*** attends Cabinet when Ministerial responsibilities are on the agenda
† paid as a Parliamentary Secretary

Her Majesty has been pleased to signify Her intention of conferring a
peerage of the United Kingdom for life on:

Paul Deighton

The following will be sworn in to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council:

Maria Miller MP
David Jones MP
Gregory Barker MP
Paul Burstow MP
Damian Green MP
Michael Fallon
Hugh Robertson MP
Andrew Stunell OBE MP
Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Lord Ashcroft KCMG
Congratulations to all but especially local MP for Bexhill, Battle & Pevensey, Greg Barker!


The Prime Minister will recommend to The Queen that the Rt Hon Sir
George Young Bt MP be appointed to the Order of the Companions of
Honour. But the freedom Sir George now enjoys will ensure he is ideally placed to run for Speaker of the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity so we can be free of the ridiculous Bercow's!

The Prime Minister will recommend to The Queen that knighthoods be
conferred upon the following:

Rt Hon James Paice MP
Edward Garnier QC MP
Nick Harvey MP
Gerald Howarth MP


In addition the Prime Minister has appointed Sam Gyimah MP to be his
Parliamentary Private Secretary.
The following Ministers have resigned from Her Majesty’s Government

Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP
Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan MP
Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP
Rt Hon Lord Howell of Guildford
Rt Hon Nick Herbert MP
Rt Hon James Paice MP
Paul Burstow MP
Nick Gibb MP
Nick Harvey MP
Charles Hendry MP
Lord Henley
Henry Bellingham MP
Crispin Blunt MP
Jonathan Djanogly MP
Gerald Howarth MP
Tim Loughton MP
Peter Luff MP
Bob Neill MP
Stephen O’Brien MP
John Penrose MP
Andrew Stunell OBE MP
Sarah Teather MP
Baroness Wilcox
Edward Garnier QC MP
James Duddridge MP
Michael Fabricant MP
Brooks Newmark MP
Angela Watkinson MP
Bill Wiggin MP
Very sorry to see local MP's Tim Loughton, Charles Hendry and Nick Herbert resign. They all have been well recognised for doing a good job so hopefully when we are able to see a wholly Conservative Government elected, they can come back!


Lord Sassoon will leave the Government in January 2013 at which time
he will be succeeded by Paul Deighton.

Major housing and planning boost for economy

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have announced a major housing and planning package to boost the economy.

This includes a series of measures aimed at supporting businesses, developers and first-time buyers, while slashing unnecessary red tape across the planning system.
The package will help deliver:

• Up to 70,000 new homes, including affordable housing and opportunities for first-time buyers to get onto the housing ladder
• 140,000 jobs and a boost to the construction sector
• A £40bn guarantee for major infrastructure projects and £10bn for new homes

The measures include:

• Removing restrictions on house builders to help unlock 75,000 homes currently stalled due to sites being commercially unviable. Developers who can prove that councils’ costly affordable housing requirements make the project unviable will see them removed.
• New legislation for Government guarantees of up to £40bn worth of major infrastructure projects and up to £10bn of new homes. The Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill will include guaranteeing the debt of Housing Associations and private sector developers.
• Up to 15,000 affordable homes and bringing 5,000 empty homes back into use, using new capital funding of £300m and the infrastructure guarantee.
• An additional 5,000 homes built for rent at market rates in line with proposals outlined in Sir Adrian Montague’s report to Government on boosting the private rented sector.
• Thousands of big commercial and residential applications to be directed to a major infrastructure fast track. Where councils are poor, developers can opt to have their decision taken by the Planning Inspectorate.
• Calling time on poor performing town hall planning departments, putting the worst into ‘special measures’ if they have failed to improve the speed and quality of their work and allowing developers to bypass councils. More applications also will go into a fast track appeal process.
• 16,500 first-time buyers helped with a £280m extension of the successful ‘FirstBuy’ scheme, which offers aspiring homeowners a much-needed deposit and a crucial first step on the housing ladder.
• For a time limited period, slashing planning red tape, including sweeping away the rules and bureaucracy that prevent families and businesses from making improvements to their properties, helping tens of thousands of home owners and companies.

The Prime Minister said:
“The measures announced today show this Government is serious about rolling its sleeves up and doing it all it can to kick-start the economy.
“Some of the proposals are controversial; others have been a long time in coming. But along with our Housing Strategy, they provide a comprehensive plan to unleash one of the biggest homebuilding programmes this country has seen in a generation.
“That means more investment around the county; more jobs for our people; and more young families able to realise their dreams and get on the housing ladder.”