Latest figures show the gap between the rural rich and urban poor in Lancashire carries on widening

Latest figures show the gap between the rural rich and urban poor in Lancashire carries on widening. Whilst the rural rich have seen their incomes in absolute terms rise throughout the recession, and incredibly rise faster in the depths of the recession, incomes in poor urban areas have only stopped falling and are now flatlining.

The gap now between urban poor and rural rich has made rural areas inaccessible to many people poor people in urban areas looking for a better lifestyle.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/office_of_the_chief_executive/lancashireprofile/main/grossincome.asp

This follows last weeks GP tables for East Lancashire which I published showing the best GP services were to be found in rural areas and poorest GP services in urban areas, notably my constituency Hyndburn.

http://hhgrahamjones.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/practice-development-framework-gp.html

All this comes o the back of the Radio 4 discussion on the taxpayer and Lancashire council tax payer subsidy of £32million in a austere times to replace broadband with super fast broadband in rural Lancashire. Questions remain as to the economic advantages the latter will make.

Some of the urban constituencies in Lancashire have had to face some for the deepest cuts in central government funding despite being some of the most deprived with serious social and economic issues.

During the Radio 4 debate Rory Stewart MP (Con) from Cumbria said that in his opinion rural people in Lancashire are poor too and struggle to access decent health care services in Lancashire. Evidentially this is wholly incorrect.

The debate has caused a storm with people from as far as Norfolk and Somerset upset at my comments suggesting poor people live in urban areas in Lancashire and rich people live in rural areas arguing that this is not the case where they live. People in East Lancashire have commented that the comments I made were correct and that it is difficult to see what £32million is adding in terms of employment, healthcare etc...

Clearly Norfolk and Somerset are the inverse to Lancashire in terms of need between urban and rural and extending the debate to those areas is beyond anything I said and unfair.

Two thirds of charities forced to cut frontline services

Jon Trickett MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to New Philanthropy Capital’s report ‘When the Going Gets Tough’, said:

“The effects of the Tory-led Government policies towards the community and voluntary sector have been exposed by this report from New Philanthropy Capital.

“It is clear that the gap between the Government’s ‘Big Society’ rhetoric and the harsh reality of their policies is widening. Time and time again we see new evidence that the Government’s policies are hitting the sector hard and resulting in instability and uncertainty.

“Today’s report reveals that over two thirds of charities are being forced to cut frontline services at a time when many of these services are seeing increased demand. On top of this, almost three quarters of charities are having to make staff redundant, adding to the already soaring number of people out of work under this Government.

“Community and voluntary organisations are showing brilliant and remarkable innovation in the face of cuts that go too far, too fast from the Tory-led Government but the evidence suggests that this will not be enough to prevent serious long term damage to the sector as a result of the Government’s actions.

“The Queen’s Speech was an opportunity to take real action that would benefit voluntary and community organisations but the Government has failed to act.

“The shambles that is the ‘charity tax’ and the failure to support the sector in this year’s Budget has proved they are not serious about working with the sector.”

Lancashire's £32m Rural Broadband Project

UPDATE: Top 20 wealthiest wards In Lancashire (all rural) / Top 20 most deprived (all urban) with tables showing those rural wards increased their income during the recession whilst the the poorest saw their income fall.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/office_of_the_chief_executive/lancashireprofile/main/grossincome_2010.asp

It would seem odd individuals are letting their imagination run away from themselves. Magazines too seem to be writing articles about SFRB and attribute my Lancashire quotes to their area which is misleading. 

Ironically, I am all  in favour of rural broadband but let’s see the private sector deliver it where it can be delivered through TIFs and other private finance leverging.

- Labour introduced free childcare for disadvantaged two year olds and we support its extension

Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Children and Families, responding to announcements on childcare, said:

“Labour introduced free childcare for disadvantaged two year olds and we support its extension - we set out concrete plans to do this at the last election. “But instead of just announcing more pilots, the Government should develop a comprehensive plan for childcare.

“While children’s centres are closing or having their budgets squeezed, ministers must be clear about how they are going to ensure that there is enough well qualified staff and accommodation in order to provide good quality care for an extra 260,000 children.

“There are real concerns for families, as nurseries begin charging top-up fees, children’s centres funding is slashed, and family tax credits are being cut.”

Letter sent today to minister David Gauke MP regarding unfair 'skip tax'

New 'Skip Tax' will dramatically force up skip hire charges

I have begun to receive correspondence from people concerned about, the Government’s imposition of a “skip tax”.
             
On Friday 18 May, thousands of small businesses in the skip disposal industry, employing 20,000 to 30,000 people, were affected by the changing of the tax rate for the disposal of materials from skips from £2.50 a tonne to £64 a tonne. A typical business with dozens of skips now faces bills of tens of thousands of pounds, with many expected to go out of business, damaging the construction industry still further.

The two new changes to the rules governing Landfill Tax came in on Friday 18 May. The move relates to a judgement in the HMRC v Waste Recycling Group (2008) case.

Material used to protect or ‘provide a suitable stable substrate’ at the top of a landfill will now be taxed. In the past, it has not been taxed as it was seen as an engineering material.

As I understand it, rubble and soil are used at night time to provide a cover for daytime domestic/household refuse as part of tip management and were therefore given an exemption (at £2.50 per tonne) as 'engineering waste'. The ruling has removed that exemption.

As a result, disposal sites have increased the charge per skip by hundreds of pounds almost overnight. For instance, Sita in Morden, Surrey, raised their charge for the smallest skip from £144 to £300 on 28 May.

I have every sympathy with skip hire firms and I have now contacted almost every skip hire firm in Hyndburn to listen to their concerns. One Hyndburn firm has stated to me this afternoon that they will have to lay off 18 workers almost immediately. They tell me skip hire prices are going to have rise extortionately and redundancies are expected at other firms. These costs will be passed onto builders and other tradespeople. Hardly encouraging the building industry either.

Why did the government treasury minister responsible, David Gauke MP not see this coming? Questions have to be asked if the treasury were aware that HMRC were pursuing this case and if so what was the treasury's contingency plan for the skip hire industry and connected businesses? At the moment it seems the answer is none.

George Osborne should have been aware that given the adverse reaction to the tax implications in his budget (Pasty Tax, Caravan Tax, Granny Tax, Charities Tax, Churches Tax et al) his reputation was on the line and to be ever more vigilant. A complete #omnishambles if you ask me.

The question now is, what are the government going to do and soon to resolve the problem it has presided over?

The biggest housing crisis in a generation

Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, responding to Grant Shapps' comments on homelessness this morning, said:

“Grant Shapps’ statistics this morning were highly misleading. He talks about wanting to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.

Figures show LCC redundancies hit women three times as hard

Lancashire County Council have released figures showing women have been hit three times as hard when it comes to redundancies.

The number of  employees who have left the employment of the authority from:  4th June 2009 – May 1st 2012 is 10,874. Of these 8,146 are women and 2,782 are men.

It is easy to understand why female votes, often on part time or low wages are turning away from the coalition party's. They are not fair and clearly 'We are not all in it together as George Osborne claimed in the News of the World at the last election.

A ComRes poll in the Independent this morning shows that only 29% of women voters now support the Conservatives, while 45% will vote Labour and 14% Lib Dem. Furthermore, the Tories are ahead among only one age group – those aged 65 and over. Labour leads the Tories across all the social groups of working age.

Of each the directorates at Lancashire County Council, the numbers being made redundant are; Office of Chief Executive 271, Children and Young People 1,069, Schools 6,563, DSO 1,641, Resources 189, Adult and Community Services 1,063, Environment 271.

Labour led Peninne Lancashire secures £9million for empty homes

Congratulations to Pennine Lancashire for their successful bid to the Government for funding for empty homes. It is far smaller than the previous housing grants including HMR.

Regenerate Lancashire have been informed from HCA that they have been awarded £9.479m for their Clusters of Empty Homes Funding bid. This is in addition to the £4.84m Empty Homes Funding announced in March 2012. Around £3million will be spent in Hyndburn.

The major clusters of empty properties in Hyndburn exist in the Woodnook area and I understand this will be added to the recent transitional relief for ex HMR areas to ensure that significant parts are not left behind.

It is great news for the partnership and testament to their commitment to continue to work together to achieve the best for Pennine Lancashire.

Super fast rural broadband to provide just 25 new jobs

UPDATE: Top 20 wealthiest wards In Lancashire (all rural) / Top 20 most deprived (all urban) with tables showing those rural wards increased their income during the recession whilst the the poorest saw their income fall.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/office_of_the_chief_executive/lancashireprofile/main/grossincome_2010.asp


Lancashire County Council and Lancashire LEP are currently spending some £32m on super fast rural broadband for the County.

The investment is part of the UK's £530m push for better broadband in marginal areas, with the funding coming from Broadband Delivery UK (£10.8m), the European Regional Development Fund (£16.5m) and £4.7m coming from from Lancashire County Council.

Lancashire County Council will bring super fast broadband to 97% of the county by 2014 at speeds in excess of 30 Mbps. Superfast broadband is already available to approximately two-thirds of Lancashire - predominantly in the less affluent urban areas.

I raised the matter again in the House of Commons last week. Serious questions have to be asked about this expenditure. What is the basis for this £32m subsidy?

Is is best value for money? Are their other projects this could be spent that will give a greater return? Should the tax payer be subsidising what is essentially a private business? Should the government be cutting funding and police numbers in Lancashire whilst using taxpayer money to fund SFRB? Are their other means of raising capital?

Questions that remain largely unanswered.

Rogue, Amateur and Long Distance Landlords causing housing misery

Rogue, Amateur and Long Distance Landlords causing housing misery. Here's the latest. Typical of PRS.

Ed Balls on this weeks’s revised GDP figures

Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to today’s revised GDP figures, said:

“Our complacent and out of touch Prime Minister and Chancellor have spent the last week claiming their plan is on track, but these figures show that Britain’s double-dip recession is even deeper than first thought.

“What more evidence can David Cameron and George Osborne need that their policies have failed and that they now need a change of course and a plan B for growth and jobs?

Housing in Hyndburn... Whilst reading this weeks Observer...

Whilst reading this weeks Accrington Observer I could not help but remember the heated debates that stifled rented housing in Hyndburn.

As a Councillor the ruling Tory Group refused to accept a viable regeneration plan for Within Grove, Huncoat because it meant building houses that would be rented. The Tory Group were ideological driven by houses for sale. Renting was a 'socialist' scourge that scarred communities and had blighted Hyndburn. That Labour's ideological housing policies had ruined Hyndburn and the Tory Council was determined to have an owner occupier society.

The reality of these policies meant Within Grove could not progress. No house builder would build houses and there was little prospect of sales or a return on any investment. There was a deal to build and rent as this would facilitate development funding with demand for decent rented accommodation so high.

I remember saying as I was then as leader of the Labour Group to the Board members, when there is a Labour Council we will let you build rented accommodation. To the people who voted Labour, that promise is now a reality as Within Grove is now to be redeveloped with new community housing including much needed elderly accommodation.

It's not just there that Labour's housing policies are changing people's lives for the better. In Rishton there has been demolition on Spring Street, in Woodnook private sector investment has been brought in to provide in the first phase 71 new rented homes and the College and the Council are to enter into a joint partnership to refurbish run down properties borough wide starting I believe in Central Ward.

The Tory Group has indicated they would not bring in Landlord Licensing after their half hearted attempt failed last year. Providing there is enough merit, Labour will introduce the largest landlord licensing scheme in Britain this summer.

£2.4m has had to found to finish parts of West Accrington where the Tory Group had signed legally binding contracts and consideration (for rent) is being given to a portfolio of properties in Council ownership abandoned by the Tory Group.

By 2014 there should be 100 new high standard properties for rent and greater quality controls over many properties in the private rented sector.

Voting Labour is making a big difference.

The Jubilee Time Capsule - Your chance to add a memory

The Royal Commonwealth Society is currently working with our partners at the National Express Group to help create the world's largest history project - The Jubilee Time Capsule - and they would really like as many people involved as possible.



The Jubilee Time Capsule is creating a unique online archive that will allow people from across the UK, the Commonwealth and indeed the world to upload their personal memories, photographs and videos from any date during the last 60 years to www.jubileetimecapsule.org.

Proxy Vote Fraud Hyndburn

I realise as the person who made an official complaint about voting irregularities in Barnfield ward I have a target on my back. I have challenged voter fraud for several years and will continue to lead the campaign to clean up politics. At the end of the Police inquiry, people will be shocked at the malicious nature of those involved.

Government kills off opportunity to end legal loan sharking

I am disappointed that last night the Government rejected Labour attempts to protect consumers from the problems caused by payday lending.

In Parliament last night, I voted to support a cross party amendment to the Financial Services Bill which would have allowed the regulator to cap the cost of credit if a financial product was judged to cause ‘consumer detriment’. Despite the support of several Conservative MPs, the Government whipped its MPs to reject the amendment.

They took this action despite the fact that on the very day, new research was published which showed that 98% of MPs and 93% of the public believe there is a problem with payday lending. 66% of MPs and 65% of the public also support a cap on the total cost of credit.

Urgent action needed on the Eurozone

Like many, I’m worried about the impact eurozone problems might have on people in Rossendale and Hyndburn.

This week we found out the eurozone has actually avoided recession making it clear that our double dip was a recession made by David Cameron and George Osborne in Downing Street.

Sometimes listening to David Cameron, he’s like a man watching events. He’s the Prime Minister, he should be getting in there and getting things sorted, rather than sitting on the sidelines.

Part of Europe’s problem is that we haven’t got a proper growth plan for Europe as a whole, which is absolutely necessary alongside a deficit reduction plan. David Cameron has completely failed to make this case to other European leaders.

Britain needs real change now

It’s now nearly two years since David Cameron promised change for Britain, but things are getting worse not better. He promised a recovery but delivered a recession. And he promised that we are all in this together. But his Budget asked millions to pay more so millionaires could pay less.

I’m deeply worried about the impact that cuts which go too far too fast are having on services like health, policing and social care in Hyndburn. The cuts are deeply unfair to ordinary people when those at the very top are getting a tax cut.

Practice Development Framework: GP Scorecard for 2010/11

In response to several enquiries in Hyndburn about GP's, the PCT and soon to be Clinical Commissioning Group have published online GP scorecards for East Lancashire rating each GP practice.

Please find below the final headline version of the Practice Development Framework: GP Scorecard for 2010/11. The Scorecard can be viewed as a full document (follow link below) covering all GP practices within NHS East Lancashire. Alternatively, the Scorecard can be viewed by the following localities:

Link
http://www.eastlancspct.nhs.uk/about-us/publications/gp-scorecard/

Obviously it is disappointing that Hyndburn GP's have lower scores and I have raised this matter on several occasions with the PCT and now the new GP's CCG. They assure me much is being done to raise standards including GP's moving into better facilities in the Acorn and Accrington Pals centres.

	Constituency	Practice	2009/10	2010/11	improvement
1	Ribble Valley	Sabden & Whalley Medical Centre	90	95	105.6%
2	Ribble Valley	Pendleside Medical Practice	87.5	93	106.3%
3	Burnley	Yorkshire Street Medical Centre	87.5	92	105.1%
4	Burnley	Drs Barsby & Kallarackel	82.5	92	111.5%
5	Pendle	Earby Surgery	80	92	115.0%
6	Burnley	Parkside Surgery	80	89	111.3%
7	Burnley	Oxford Road Medical Centre	82.5	88	106.7%
8	Pendle	Colne Corner Surgery	77.5	88	113.5%
9	Burnley	Thursby Surgery	82.5	86	104.2%
10	Ribble Valley	Slaidburn Country Practice	80	86	107.5%
11	Hyndburn	Dr Agarwal	80	85	106.3%
12	Ribble Valley	Castle Medical Practice	87.5	85	97.1%
13	Burnley	Ightenhill Medical Centre	67.5	83	123.0%
14	Hyndburn	Kusum Medical Centre	67.5	83	123.0%
15	Pendle	Whitefield Health Care	67.5	83	123.0%
16	Rossendale	Waterfoot Group of Doctors	75	83	110.7%
17	Ribble Valley	Berry Lane Medical Centre	82.5	82	99.4%
18	Rossendale	Dr Rishton & Partners	75	82	109.3%
19	Burnley	Rosegrove Surgery	80	81	101.3%
20	Rossendale	Whitworth Medical Centre	62.5	80	128.0%
21	Rossendale	Drs Moujaes & Mannan	55	80	145.5%
22	Rossendale	St James Medical Centre	75	79	105.3%
23	Burnley	Rosehill Surgery	80	78	97.5%
24	Rossendale	Rossendale Valley Medical Practice	60	78	130.0%
25	Burnley	Briercliffe Surgery	62.5	77	123.2%
26	Rossendale	Irwell Medical Practice	70	76	108.6%
27	Burnley	Colne Road Surgery	60	74	123.3%
28	Pendle	Dr Jehangir	60	74	123.3%
29	Ribble Valley	Stonebridge Surgery	70	74	105.7%
30	Burnley	Burnley Wood Medical Centre	57.5	73	127.0%
31	Hyndburn	Great Harwood Medical Group	65	73	112.3%
32	Pendle	Dr Jha	70	73	104.3%
33	Burnley	Manchester Road Surgery	60	72	120.0%
34	Burnley	Padiham Group Practice	50	72	144.0%
35	Pendle	Harambee Surgery	65	72	110.8%
36	Hyndburn	Myrtle House	52.5	71	135.2%
37	Pendle	Pendle View Medical Centre	45	71	157.8%
38	Hyndburn	Dr Joseph	55	70	127.3%
39	Hyndburn	The Cabin Surgery	70	70	100.0%
40	Pendle	Reedyford Health Care Group	60	69	115.0%
41	Burnley	Ruskin Health Care	67.5	68	100.7%
42	Hyndburn	Oswald Medical Centre	57.5	68	118.3%
43	Hyndburn	King Street Medical Centre	60	68	113.3%
44	Pendle	Pendle Valley Practice	55	68	123.6%
45	Pendle	Horsfield Practice	70	68	97.1%
46	Rossendale	Fairmore Medical Practice	N/A	68	#VALUE!
47	Burnley	St Nicholas Group Practice	57.5	66	114.8%
48	Hyndburn	Dr Kapenda	37.5	65	173.3%
49	Pendle	Drs Malik & Umar	42.5	65	152.9%
50	Rossendale	Ilex View Medical Practice	62.5	65	104.0%
51	Hyndburn	Dr Royle	70	64	91.4%
52	Pendle	Barnoldswick Medical Centre	70	64	91.4%
53	Hyndburn	Clayton Medical Centre	40	62	155.0%
54	Hyndburn	Peel House Medical Practice	50	60	120.0%
55	Pendle	Millside Surgery	57.5	60	104.3%
56	Pendle	Barrowford Surgery	65	58	89.2%
57	Pendle	Brierfield Health Centre	57.5	56	97.4%
58	Hyndburn	Dr Bhat	55	52	94.5%
59	Hyndburn	Eagle Medical Practice	45	51	113.3%
60	Hyndburn	Richmond Medical Centre	42.5	50	117.6%
61	Hyndburn	Dr Ahmed	52.5	50	95.2%
62	Hyndburn	Accrington Victoria HAC	N/A	49	#VALUE!
63	Pendle	Richmond Court Group Practice	45	49	108.9%
64	Burnley	Daneshouse Medical Centre	40	47	117.5%
65	Pendle	The Hill Top Surgery	47.5	47	98.9%
66	Hyndburn	Dr Motupalli	50	44	88.0%
67	Hyndburn	Drs Valluri	40	41	102.5%