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jgale | 
29 July 2010 at 08:58 | 51 views
Parliament has now finished for its summer recess. But this year there will be no repeat of the past lengthy “holiday”, which saw Parliament shut down until mid October.
Instead, MPs will return on 6th September, and the parliamentary business agenda is already bursting full with debates and new legislation.
On the very first day back, MPs will debate the new plans to cut the number of MPs and to hold a referendum on a new “Alternative Vote” electoral system. The reduction in the number of MPs will require a “Boundary Review” which will cut out about 60 MPs in areas where the population of the constituency is below the average number for the country as a whole.
Somerset is actually one of the few areas which could end up with an extra MP, as our seats have some of the largest populations of voters in the whole of the United Kingdom. Frankly, it would seem odd to be adding any new constituencies when we are trying to cut numbers, and I would favour Somerset keeping the existing 5 parliamentary seats. But this might need a little more “tolerance” of variance from the “average” seat. We shall see.
There will also be a debate in September on the deployment of UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan. I am pleased that there has recently been more talk from Ministers over the timetable for bringing our troops back from Afghanistan. We have already been in that country for a very long time, and the list of dead and wounded rises every week. It is now clear that we cannot expect to achieve every possible ambition in Afghanistan. Our aim must be to leave a country which has its own army and police force to ensure order, and where there is no safe haven for the Al Qaeda terrorists to re-establish themselves.
What all this could mean is UK force levels peaking in 2010, with a gradual reduction of our commitment from mid 2011 onwards, as the US troop surge is gradually unwound. The aim would then be to train the Afghan army and police (which will still take some time) so that withdrawal can be completed by around 2014-2015. No one can call that a rushed timetable, and many people will want to see a faster pace of troop reduction.
We also now know the business of the House of Commons for mid September. There will be a debate on the Government’s new plan to introduce Fixed Term Parliaments. This will mean General Elections being held on a regular, predictable, cycle in the same way that elections for councils and the devolved parliaments are. No longer will the Prime Minister have the chance to select the date of the next General Election based simply on a calculation of when he or she is most likely to wrong-foot his political opponents.
There will also, on 14th September, be an important debate on the Equitable Life Payments Bill. This will seek to frame the terms of the compensation for those who lost money in the badly regulated Equitable Life. The previous government did nothing to resolve this problem for years, but the Coalition Government is now trying to find a solution. The issue will be how much compensation to pay, not least as the Government currently has very little money to spend in any area!
This is an issue which affects quite a lot of people in our area, and I have already had many letters on the subject.
Last week I held three Advice Centres in our area – one was in Yeovil on Friday, and then there were two on Saturday, the first in Ilminster and the second in Crewkerne. The Ilminster and Crewkerne surgeries were both surprisingly busy, as we do not have a booking system for those two venues. It is therefore impossible to guess how many people will turn up. But I started in Ilminster at about 8.55am and we did not finish in Crewkerne until about 1.15pm.
Finally, I am grateful to many people for continuing kind words of encouragement, either in person or by card, letter or e-mail. This has meant a great deal to me.
Ever,
David.
jgale | 23 July 2010 at 09:34 | 92 views
On Monday this week I flew by helicopter from the heliport in Battersea down to the International Airshow at Farnborough. This is certainly the way to fly in and out of London, as you cruise swiftly above the clogged roads and endless traffic below. Within 15 minutes or so we were touching down in the airfield in Farnborough, and we were soon in a car winding our way through the traffic and people who are attracted to this very prestigious and important event in the aerospace calendar.
I do not usually attend the Farnborough Airshow, indeed this may be the first time I have ever been (certainly since I was a teenager!). But this was a special occasion as AgustaWestland were unveiling a new civil helicopter, which could end up being built in Yeovil. The new helicopter is called the “AW169”. It is designed to be used for a wide range of non-military purposes such as: air ambulance or for law enforcement, firefighting, disaster relief, search and rescue or simply as a commercial helicopter.
When I arrived in Farnborough I met Graham Cole, Westland’s UK Managing Director, and Graham updated me on the latest developments with the new aircraft. Graham and I had already met Vince Cable MP, the Business Secretary, a couple of weeks ago to discuss this issue.
Graham unveiled the new helicopter, just after noon, and in the presence of Vince Cable, who was in Farnborough for the day. Vince has already written to me to say how much his department supports the development of the new aircraft in the UK. Also present for this special occasion were all the “top brass” from Westland’s parent company, Finmeccanica, including the Chief Executive of AgustaWestland, Giuseppi Orsi.
Graham explained that AgustaWestland in Yeovil is going to be involved in the design, development and production of the aircraft, with a real opportunity for a civil helicopter production line in Yeovil in the future, if the aircraft proves to be a success.
There was a very warm reception for the new aircraft in Farnborough, and a distinct view that it fills an obvious gap in the market place. Sales potential is regarded as being as high as 1000 aircraft over 20 years globally, though obviously it is now very early days.
It would be fantastic for AgustaWestland and for Yeovil if we can secure a civil helicopter production line in the UK, as this would help to provide a solid stream of work to complement the ups and downs of the military helicopter order book. Military helicopter sales can come in periods of “feast” followed by “famine” so there is always a worry about keeping good order books in order to sustain jobs and engineering expertise.
AW169 would therefore be a breakthrough for Westland in Yeovil, and a very important support for the business in the future. But there is still a long way to go to get the project going and to start to secure the orders needed – and this will take a lot of work.
However, the aircraft certainly seems to have huge potential, and it includes the latest technology, good environmental characteristics (including reduced noise), and plenty of inside space – with room for up to 8-10 passengers.
My congratulations, therefore, to Graham and to all those involved in a very successful launch. A new team has now been established to exploit the potential of the non-military market in the UK, and to help to secure the diversification of the long established military activities in Yeovil.
There is a long way to go, but this could prove to be an important day in Westland’s future.
After the launch, I chatted with a group of those present and had a swift bite to eat, and then crossed the airfield to take a helicopter ride back to London. It was a beautiful sunny summer’s day, with the “Red Arrows” putting on a display and the “Eurofighter” showing off its potential for the assembled crowds. I would like to have seen more of the Airshow, but duty – and work – was calling me back to Westminster.
Ever,
David.