Bob Spink in Parliament this week
Thursday, July 17 2008
Bob’s main constituency work this week was his fight for our local post offices with literally thousands of letters and posters sent out to boost his campaign. Bob also drew public attention to Monday’s Canvey Way problems caused by the sheer incompetence of the County Council, and to the planning approval give for a Calor Gas pipeline (from Canvey) by THURROCK THAMES GATEWAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. Bob spent one day on Parliamentary work at Sizewell B nuclear power station this week, dealt with well over a hundred letters from constituents, and also managed the following in the House of Commons, (and much more):
House of Lords Reform
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): Following on from the previous question, does the right hon. Gentleman accept that a case can be made for no whipping of members of the second Chamber in order to protect its independence from the corrupting influence of party politics?
Mr. Straw: I know that the hon. Gentleman has a particular view of the Whips
Bob Spink: Yes.
Mr. Straw: He says yes, but I have a slightly different view. I think that we cannot operate a party system without Whips, however difficult they may be from time to time—and that is an eternal verity. The whipping system in their lordships’ House is already rather loose compared with the system in this House, and that may continue.
Knife Crime
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): Does the Minister recall the “knives or lives” petition signed by 25,000 people and calling for tougher sentences, which I presented to the House last year? Will he accept the congratulations of the mothers who organised that petition on the action that his Government are going to take to toughen sentences?
Mr. Coaker: I thank the hon. Gentleman for that point. I remember the petition that he presented, and he is quite right to highlight the tougher sentences made available to the courts.
The maximum sentence available for possession has increased from two to four years and changes in the presumption to prosecute have been made, as it has been extended to 16 and 17-year-olds. It is quite right to say that tough enforcement of the law is one part of the solution to the problem of knife and other violent crimes, as people have to be made to realise that there will be consequences to their actions.
EU Fishing Policy
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): I thank the right hon. Gentleman and congratulate him on bringing this important subject to the House before it rises for the recess. Like him, I have a small fishing industry in my constituency, which includes a number of very small boats.
Does he share my horror at the fact that more fish are discarded in European waters—thrown back, dead, which does nothing for food production or the environment—than are landed legally every year? When are we going to tackle that?
Sir Alan Beith: I shall indeed talk about the discard problem, because it is a perverse effect of attempts at conservation policy that results in many fish being thrown back into the sea with little or no prospect of survival. The discard policy has many drawbacks, particularly for the under-10m fleet. Much the largest part of my local fishing fleet is in that group.
Electric and Hybrid Cars
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): The vast majority of youngsters in Castle Point are decent, hard-working youngsters who worry about their studies and their future, and they care about the environment.
Two such youngsters in my constituency have compiled a petition as part of a school project. I congratulate them, and all our other decent youngsters in Castle Point, on their initiative and work. The future certainly belongs to them.
The petition states:
The Petition of Andreas Sowa and Sam Lumley of year 9 Castle View school, Canvey Island, residents of Castle Point and others,
Declares that the use of gas-guzzling petrol and diesel vehicles is helping to damage our environment, and that society should switch to electric and hybrid cars since these are less polluting, cause fewer accidents, with less serious consequences of those accidents because of the generally lower speeds of these cars, might encourage people to walk more, therefore reducing the amount of obesity and are more sustainable, since oil is a depleting asset.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to adopt policies to promote the development, production and use of electric and hybrid cars in order to help to protect our environment and for connected matters, particularly given the importance of this issue to the wider community.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Planning and Development (Essex)
Bob Spink: This petition highlights the systematic and inappropriate overdevelopment of Castle Point, which I have raised in this House many times, and it concerns residents and myself very much. I congratulate Brian Keeler and Mr. and Mrs. Patel on organising this petition, and I congratulate all who signed it.
The petition states:
The Petition of Brian Keeler, Mr. and Mrs. Patel, the residents of Castle Point and others,
Declares that they object to the proposed development of the area between Nos. 3 to 7 The Close, Benfleet, to construct a building providing two two-bed flats in a two-storey development, which being on a pedestrian pathway only, has no parking spaces, no refuse collection facilities, no access for the development, in either removing spoil or, delivering materials for the building, as these would have to be craned into the site, either from the High street, over existing properties, or by once again utilising the local School lane car park for builders vehicles and mobile crane, once again putting unacceptable pressure on alternative local public parking facilities, which are increasingly inadequate, and that this development would further spoil the conservation area and create unacceptable stress on the existing infrastructure, including roads, schools, rail, doctors, dentists etc.
Further declares that they urge Councillors to reject this development for these and for many other valid planning reasons, and to ensure that this application is decided by Councillors rather than unelected unaccountable officers, given the importance to the wider community of protecting their unique conservation area.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to press Castle Point borough council, the three Boyce ward councillors and all mainland councillors in particular, to reject this planning application and to substantially protect the unique St Mary’s conservation area.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
Young people: Death on the Roads
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): The hon. Gentleman will be aware that tragically, about 14 young people are killed on our roads every week, and that young people between 17 and 20 years old are 10 times more likely to have a serious injury or be involved in an accident that results in death than him or me. Does he think that the Government should now act, in the way the Select Committee on Transport suggested, to restrict the ability of young drivers in that age group to carry other young passengers at certain times of day? Would not that save many lives each year?
Mr. Prentice: Yes; I am coming on to that. It is true that young people feature disproportionately in accidents….
This whole debate is well worth reading and the link if you wish is:
http://pubs1.tso.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080716/halltext/80716h0001.htm#08071682000001
Belarus
Bob Spink (Castle Point) (UKIP): My hon. Friend is a great champion for the City of London and an assiduous constituency MP, and I am delighted that he has brought this important issue to the House before the recess.
Does he think that non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International also have a part to play in developing the international community’s perception of Belarus’s performance on human rights reforms and the development of democratic institutions? I think it is genuinely trying to do those things, and it needs encouragement to make progress.
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. I mentioned civic society in my introduction, and I shall refer specifically to NGOs later in my speech. I am grateful for that intervention and look forward to responding to that point.
Motions Moved:
Postponement of increase in fuel duty 16.07.2008 Spink, Bob
That this House notes the reasoned arguments made by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) that the two pence tax increase on a litre of fuel should not be implemented; congratulates the Government on its acceptance of the case and its decision to postpone the increase; and further notes that UKIP has repeated its call for the duty to be scrapped altogether.
Welfare of farmed puppies 16.07.2008 Spink, Bob
That this House is concerned by reports of the harm caused by puppy trafficking; congratulates The Kennel Club on its exposure of this problem and its enforcement of strict rules on breeders in the UK; welcomes the caring approach to puppy farming by responsible UK breeders and notes the excellent work undertaken on this issue by the RSPCA, particularly in respect of puppies imported, often from Eire, in a poor state of health and misdescribed in advertisements; and calls on the Government to review policy in this area in order to improve the welfare of farmed puppies and to protect the interests of future puppy owners.
Palm oil and acacia plantations 16.07.2008 Spink, Bob
That this House notes that the expansion of palm oil production threatens rainforests around the tropics;
- further notes that some 3,200,000 hectares of oil palms in Indonesia and Malaysia are grown on peatland;
- further notes that such cultivation on deep peat releases many more times greenhouse emissions than the palm oil can save when used in biodiesel, yet such biodiesel can be labelled as making a carbon saving according to the Department for Transport's carbon and sustainability reporting requirements published in January 2008;
- further notes that EU palm oil imports are being used to replace vegetable oils in for-bioenergy generation;
- further notes also that the expanding cultivation of acacias for woodpulp on peatlands erodes the peat even faster;
- further notes the WWF report which indicates that these industries are causing an alarming decline in Sumatran elephants and tigers, and that most future forest clearances in Sumatra will be on deep peatland;
therefore urges the Government and the international community to press the Indonesian government to rescind all concessions for new plantations on peatland; further urges the Government to end the labelling of biofuels as saving emissions where this is a false statement; and further urges the Government and the EU to take action to stop the destruction of forests and to be honest about the overall impact of their biofuel policy for reducing carbon emissions.
Over 50 Questions were also put by Bob during this week so far.
