Promotion of SSgt Kiran Gurung

I recently made a visit to the 254 Medical Regiment during one of their training weekends at the Stanford Training Area.  The Regiment is part of the Territorial Army, drawing volunteers from North East Cambridgeshire as well as other local areas.  It provides specialist support to the regular army as well as going on tour itself.

I had the opportunity to meet many of the soldiers as well as experience some of their training first hand.  I was particularly impressed by the professionalism and commitment of everyone involved.

With this in mind it was a privilege to present promotions to Lance Corporal Sally Howard, Lance Corporal Thomas Duffy and Staff Sergeant Kiran Gurung.

The 254 Medical Regiment offers a surprising breadth of opportunities. In addition to employing qualified healthcare professionals, as one would expect, the Regiment needs combat medics, LGV drivers, mechanics, chefs, signallers and clerks to be able to deliver its capability.  Volunteers for these trades require no previous training, (although those with relevant qualifications are very welcome) just willingness and a basic aptitude.

Having seen their work first hand I would strongly encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch with the regiment direct on 01223 275103.

We held a positive partners’ meeting today hosted by the Environment Agency and very ably chaired by Robert Caudwell, Chair of the Regional Flooding Coastal Committee.  There were over 60 people who attended including the Middle Level Commission, representatives of the Whittlesey Consortium of Internal Drainage Boards, local councillors and the local NFU, amongst others. 

The purpose of the meeting was to build on the last partners’ meeting held in January, looking at how we repair the reservoir dam to ensure water does not escape from the reservoir, and to determine which option should go ahead.  Presentations were given by Bryan Woolford from the Environment Agency and Andy Hughes, the All Reservoirs Panel Engineers.

It is clear that considerable progress has been made since our previous meeting, and there is a step change from the approach last year when the community appeared to be being presented with a done deal.  This was in the form of a spillway priced between £3 million and £5 million which was the only funded option available within the legal timescales that applied.  The Environment Agency deserve credit for the work that they have put in over recent months and for the constructive way they are now engaging with local expert groups.

One of the key changes since our last meeting is that Andy Hughes, as Panel Engineer, has carried out a new inspection.  His new report provides greater flexibility regarding the forward timetable.  This Section 10 report as Site Inspector says that work must be commenced within 18 months from the date of the report (Thursday 10^th May) and crucially that the work must be completed in a reasonable time.  He does not define what work must be commenced, and in allowing a reasonable end date as opposed to a fixed time period he has introduced more flexibility.  This is not an open ended time period as he also recommends the reservoir is inspected again within the next three years.

The key issue which remains outstanding is which option is agreed.  In short, whilst there are five potential options, in essence debate focussed on two.  These are what are referred to in the Environment Agency’s documentation as Option 7, costing £18.4 million and protecting against a 1:350 year event, and Option 16 costing £21 million and protecting against a 1:800 year event.  Option 7 involves a spillway which provides a weak point allowing for flooding in a controlled way.  Option 16 involves reinforcing the bank, in essence preserving what we have today but in a way that is fit for the future.

Option 7 would be covered fully by government funding because it relates to safety of water from a reservoir.  However, for approximately another £2.5 million the protection can be more than doubled and it would help guard against an event such as that in Easter 1998 when we experienced flooding to the level of a 1:350 year event.

Option 16, whilst slightly more expensive, offers better protection, although this is not the key criteria for the Environment Agency which considers the scheme from a safety perspective rather than a likelihood of flooding (this is because the protection against flooding is already far higher as a 1:350 year event than normally required.)  The downside to Option 16 is that there is a funding gap between the money the Government would provide for Option 7 and the additional cost which would require a community contribution.  This is an area where further work is still needed and it will be discussed by the Middle Level Commission and the Internal Drainage Boards with the Environment Agency. 

The spillway option has increased significantly in cost from £6 million just six months ago to today’s forecast of £18.4 million.  The Environment Agency explained that this reflected their further work, which identified that the whole of the bank was less stable and therefore doubled the amount of work required.  All the costings, including for both Option 7 and Option 16, include a 30% contingency risk provision and are for whole-of-life costs of the scheme, including maintenance. 

Regardless of the option chosen, £500,000 will be spent by the Environment Agency in the next six months on maintenance separate from the capital scheme.  The need for this was highlighted by the fact that Andy Hughes, the Site Engineer, when carrying out his inspection, managed to get his foot stuck in a rabbit hole!  Whilst conjuring up a funny image, rabbit holes are a serious risk to the bank, given that they allow water to enter and weaken the structure. 

The Environment Agency hope to submit their business case this autumn.  Work now needs to continue on understanding the funding gap between the two main options and addressing remaining concerns, such as what is a reasonable level of protection given climate change and a potential increased likelihood of events occurring.  Overall, progress is being made and it was particularly welcome to hear Robert Caudwell reaffirm his commitment that the eventual option chosen should have community support.

How does a journalist quote at length a confidential letter written on the same day by a top civil servant, and before its recipient has seen the letter?   The official denies leaking it.

Jonathan Stephens, the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport wrote his letter criticising the Public Accounts Committee on 13^th March.  In an unfortunate co-incidence of timing, the Daily Telegraph ran the story so quickly at 6am the following morning that it could only have been written by journalists the previous day – the same day as Mr Stephens.

Mr Stephens told the committee he was mystified as to how the journalists had got hold of his letter instantly.

Here is a copy of Mr Stephen’s letter:

Here is a copy of the Telegraph Story:

Aircraft carriers without aircraft, leaked letters from officials, and efficiency programmes that cost more than they save are just 3 examples of why it sometimes feels in Parliament like I am in a real life version of the comedy ‘Yes Minister’.

But it is real money being wasted. Money that is hard earned in North East Cambridgeshire.  It is no joke.  This is why I spend time focusing on waste. For those who want to learn more about such stories, I have launched a new website – www.therealyesminister.com

This contrast with the reality on the ground, such as my visit to 254 Medical Regiment out on exercise in Thetford Forest in the pouring rain. Real people doing extraordinary things who make you feel proud of our country.

Two of my parliamentary campaigns continued to progress this month, on requiring doctors to speak English and fairer funding for our schools.

It might seem beyond parody to require new rules to require doctors to speak English, but we know from experience with fatal consequences here in Manea that it is not always the case. I raised this issue at Prime Ministers Questions.

Likewise our school children should not receive so much less funding per child than other parts of the country, which is the legacy of the school funding formula left by Labour.  It is going to take time to sort out but Ministers have been left in no doubt of the strength of backbench feeling in shire seats.

Constituency life continues its quick pace, whether supporting the Mary Portas bid, working with council leaders and officials such as on the Wisbech 2020 initiative, attending community events like the arts exhibition at St Mary’s Church in Whittlesey, meetings with local church leaders, and having my blood pressure taken as part of Stroke Awareness week at the Rotary stand.  My mum had a stroke 6 months ago so the importance of raising awareness hits home.

It is my 40th birthday this week, and the whips have kindly booked me in on my birthday to be out campaigning at 9.30am in Croydon, as it is polling day for the London Mayor election. I am hoping to be celebrating a Boris win.

What do you call an aircraft carrier without aircraft?

The Ministry of Defence is currently building two aircraft carriers without knowing which planes will be able to fly from their decks, how many planes will use them, and for how many years there will be no planes using them at all. 

This was the remarkable admission at today’s Public Accounts Committee hearing from the Permanent Secretary of the MoD.

Building work on the carrier started following the signing of the contracts in July 2008.  You might therefore have thought that knowing what type of planes would use the carriers, and how many there would be, was essential when drawing up the specification for the size and features in the design.  Instead, the MoD appears to be continuing to spend money building the carriers, with a plan to then spend more money when specifications need to be changed in the future. 

This builds on the decision to sign the aircraft carriers when officials within the MoD knew there was not enough money to pay for them.  Thinking they would find the money behind the MoD sofa, after just seven months they realised that they still did not have sufficient funds.  As a result, they then delayed building work on the carriers.  This decision according to the independent National Audit Office wasted £1.6 billion.  Such a sum would pay for a lot of youth clubs.

Despite knowing they did not have the money to pay for the aircraft carriers, the Permanent Secretary did not seek a Letter of Direction (where he registers his concern at a Minister’s decision).  This was in breach of the rules that apply to Accounting Officers, as has been subsequently confirmed by Sir Nicholas Macpherson, the top official in the Treasury. 

The decision to go ahead and build the carriers without having sufficient money, without knowing which planes they would take, and without knowing how many planes they would fly, was taken by Gordon Brown in order to secure jobs in his own constituency where the carriers are being built.  Taxpayers now face years of paying the costs of building carriers which, at least for their first nine years, will have no planes on them at all.  Even after this is it likely that most of the hangers will be empty, with the aircraft carriers carrying just a fraction of the number of planes they can fit in their hangars.

Over recent months money has been spent on preparing for larger, more capable F35C fighter jets which require “cats and traps” to enable them to be launched at sea.  However, if the vertical landing F35B planes are now used (as media reports suggest), then this capability will not be required.  Money spent on the “cats and traps will be wasted.  We will also be left with carriers using a less capable aircraft, which is more expensive to maintain, and out of service for longer periods.

Last year the Public Accounts Committee warned that the costs of the aircraft carrier programme was not fully understood, that there was no Senior Responsible Owner, and that there was a risk that short-term budget pressures would drive decision-making, causing greater long-term cost.  Given the lack of information to Parliament from the Permanent Secretary today on what type of planes will fly on the aircraft carriers, from what date, and in what number, I fail to understand how Parliament can scrutinise the value for money of this programme.

Even in the comedy Yes Minister, building aircraft carriers without planes to fly on them would have seemed beyond a joke.

Professor Les Ebdon, Director of Fair Access

Just 0.01% of people who completed apprenticeships in the East of England last year went on to graduate. 

30 or more years ago, figures like Sir John Chisham (Chairman of Kinetic) and Sir Alan Jones (Chief Executive of Toyota UK) completed apprenticeships at Vauxhall which were the springboard for successful business careers, taking them to the top of their industry.

While many people who complete apprenticeships do not want to go onto university, there is a pool of talent - particularly in fields like engineering - where an apprenticeship followed by university could provide the basis for the industry leaders of the future.  We need to set out clear ladders of progression for bright 16-year-olds who have left school, undertaken an apprenticeship, and would benefit from a university course.

I met last night with Professor Les Ebdon, the new Director of Fair Access, to discuss how we can raise aspiration amongst those from family backgrounds which have not previously pursued higher education.  In my constituency of North East Cambridgeshire, 30% fewer students than the national average go to university. Not a single student went to Oxbridge last year, and only four students applied.

Universities are working hard to improve their outreach programmes, as highlighted by the forthcoming visit of the Master of Peterhouse to Sir Harry Smith’s Community College in Whittlesey (see my earlier blog post).  However I believe more can be done to develop a ladder from apprenticeships, such as in engineering, to university courses taking such skills to the next level.

I was very pleased that Professor Ebdon agreed that improving social access applied to pockets of rural deprivation just as much as inner cities, where the debate has focussed to date. I have also discussed this with John Hayes, the Apprenticeships Minister, who has a first class understanding of this issue and is very supportive of establishing the ladder from apprenticeships to university. 

The Coalition Government’s removal of up-front payment for university fees for part-time degrees also offers an opportunity in terms of apprenticeships.  It makes it easier for students to undertake part-time courses which often can be combined with work.

I will be discussing this again with the Minister and will update on it in due course.

Right to left: Cllr Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council; Cllr Nick Clarke, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council; Cllr Chris Seaton, deputy leader of Fenland District Council; and myself.

Well done to officers from Cambridgeshire County Council and Fenland District Council on an excellent project overview paper for the Wisbech 2020 Vision. This paper flows from the County Council Cabinet away day at Wisbech on 6^th March 2012. It also follows my meeting with the leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor Nick Clarke, and the leader of Fenland District Council, Councillor Alan Melton a few days before.

The aim of the 2020 Vision group is to commission and then build upon research by academics from Cambridge University on the business sectors which Wisbech should focus on over the coming years. This will enable us to target our efforts on securing grants in a more focused way and work more closely with the local enterprise partnership without duplicating work in respect of the Alconbury local enterprise zone. It will also help to that ensure housing and infrastructure plans for Wisbech align with the needs of the businesses that will provide local jobs.

It is uplifting to see the County Council and the District Council working so closely together for the benefit of our town. Credit goes to Councillor Clarke and Councillor Melton, and to their officers. I look forward to updating further on the work of this group in the months ahead.

Steve Barclay and John Fish, the representative for Thorney Toll on the Parish Council, when the issue was raised last year

Roads Minister, Mike Penning MP, has confirmed today that a new sign will be installed on the A47 next to Thorney Toll Village Hall.

I am delighted to report the good news, which arrived today in a letter from the Minister (included at the base of this post). The letter confirms that the Highways Agency have been instructed to install the signage at their own cost and that the new sign is to be expected by this time next year. Today’s news follows a number of meetings and letters between myself, the Highways Agency and the roads Minister, Mike Penning MP and is excellent news for the residents of Thorney Toll, who can look forward to a critical improvement to road safety after a year of campaigning.

I am delighted that this particular battle has been won, but I remain concerned about the broader value-for-money issue surrounding the costs involved. Regular readers of my blog will be familiar with the long running saga, set out in earlier blogs of 7th  March, 1st November, 9th September,  and 30th April and may recall that the initial quote for the signage was given at £30,000 (including £12,000 in “design costs”). Given the number of schemes undertaken by the Highways Agency, inflated costs have a significant cumulative impact to the taxpayer and I will be keeping a close interest in the matter.

Officials in the MOD need to come clean on why an urgent operational requirement to deliver precision air drop capabilities for troops in Afghanistan has not been delivered.

Urgent Operational Requirements are where a pressing military need has been identified that is so urgent it is agreed that the normal procedures for procurement can be bypassed.  This, at least in theory, allows troops to receive the kit more quickly.

In this case, the deadline for delivery was agreed for January 2011, allowing 13 months from initial order to implementation.  However, despite twice as long having now passed, commanders on the ground are still left without a precision air drop capacity.

This matters because it means more supply missions are required.  Such missions are amongst the most risky that troops in Afghanistan with road convoys particularly exposed to the threat of roadside bombs.  At least four British service personnel have been killed on such missions, whilst a number of others have been wounded.

I uncovered this scandal during my work on the Public Accounts Committee, and have tabled a number of Parliamentary Questions asking why the equipment has taken so long, why the costs have overrun and why a more complex technical option than required was selected.  I am still awaiting answers.

I will update this blog in due course.

The Daily Telegraph carried this story which can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9179165/Soldiers-risking-death-because-kit-ordered-two-years-ago-never-arrived.html

Beetroot might not be the most likely topic you would expect to read about in an MP’s diary.  But my recent visit  G’s Fresh Beetroot based in March, which processes half the UK’s beetroot crop, highlighted the growth potential for local businesses.  I am keen to see the development of high-tech horticultural manufacturing in the Fens and the robots being used by G’s Fresh Beetroot illustrate the potential we have in this area.

Helping businesses like this to grow was the key theme of the Budget.  Sitting in the Chamber whilst the Chancellor makes his statement gives you a ringside seat.  I was very pleased to hear that personal tax allowances went up and corporation tax came down.  The explanation of the so-called “granny tax” could have been better.  The Budget is also seeking to kick-start major transport infra-structure projects, and together with my neighbouring MP, Jim Paice, I am working hard with officials to progress the Ely Bypass.  This and other transport schemes were discussed with the Prime Minister at No.10 Downing Street this week during a catch-up session with East of England MPs.

A concern regarding drought which I raised in my blog last December has gained wider national prominence in recent weeks.  I discussed this with NFU President Peter Kendall at the Stoke Ferry Agricultural Society Dinner as the consequences could be very severe in the months ahead. 

As your local MP, I try and work closely with a wide range of people from our community.  A flavour of this includes meetings this month with the new Managing Director of Roddons Housing Association, the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, the Chair of NHS Cambridgeshire, and the Principal of Neale-Wade Community College.

The boot was on the other foot, however, when a number of local students came to interview me recently as part of their Citizenship project.  I was greatly impressed by their questions. It highlights the potential we have amongst the young people of the Fens and the importance of delivering a strong economy with local jobs to secure their future.