North Dean Fete

The weather held fair and North Dean looked like one of those idyllic fetes that you see in an opening scene of Midsomer Murders! However, we were spared a body in the bric-a-brac tent and the arrival of DCI Barnaby. In fact it was a true community event: made by the village for the village.

After I’d done the official opening, I was asked to present Mick the postman, who is about to retire, with a bottle of home made sloe gin – part of a gift to him from the villagers for 10 years of service and friendship.

Inside the fabled bric-a-brac tent,  did manage to find an anthology of verse to be read aloud that I hadn’t yet got in my poetry collection and I picked up Pictionary at the tombola. (Better than the shampoo or tin of an obscure brand of baked beans that is normally my lot on such occasions). I fear though that my efforts at skittles will not have proved the champion score by the end of the afternoon.

Back home to dictate letters from yesterday’s surgery.

HS2 – Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) – Ministerial Statement

High Speed 2 (Exceptional Hardship Scheme)

The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Philip Hammond): The Government are committed to the establishment of a high-speed rail network as part of their programme of measures to create a low carbon economy. However, in developing plans for a new high-speed line, both I and my predecessor as Secretary of State for Transport have been mindful of their potential impact on those who live on or close to the proposed line of route.

It was for this reason that the previous Government launched a consultation on a potential exceptional hardship scheme to provide assistance for those who have been most severely and immediately affected by the preferred route option for a new line between London and the

west midlands set out in the recent report by HS2 Ltd. This consultation closed on 17 June. Around 4,500 responses were received. This statement sets out my response.

It is clear from the responses to the consultation that there is overwhelming support for a scheme to be introduced to provide assistance for those most severely affected by HS2 Ltd’s proposed line. I can therefore confirm that an exceptional hardship scheme will be introduced, and that it will be open to applications from Friday 20 August.

The introduction of the scheme recognises the unique nature of the proposed line, which is only the second high-speed rail project to be considered in the UK and which differs significantly from its predecessor in terms of its design, operation and potential market. It should therefore not be taken as setting any precedent for future infrastructure schemes.

Respondents to the consultation also made many suggestions as to how the terms of the scheme might be altered. I have considered these and have made the following changes from the scheme put forward for consultation. First, the scheme will be widened to include owner-occupiers of agricultural units and commercial properties with an annual rateable value not exceeding £34,800; this brings it in line with the blight provisions under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Secondly, the scheme will also be able to cover properties recently inherited following a bereavement and repossessed properties that the original owner urgently requires the bank or other lender to sell to realise some value.

A number of respondents asked for the scheme to be extended to properties over tunnelled sections of the proposed line of route. It is my view, however, that any blighting effects over tunnels are likely to be limited, and this is reinforced by the additional information note on the effects of tunnelling which HS2 Ltd has published on its website today. However, I accept that there is a need to make special provision in relation to properties close to the proposed entrances and exits of tunnels. I have therefore decided to extend the scheme to cover these properties.

Finally, I have decided that the panel which makes recommendations to me on applications to the scheme should have a majority of independent members, although this will not be the case for the shadow panel announced in my written ministerial statement of 27 May 2010, Official Report, column 15WS.

In other respects, the scheme will operate as set out in the consultation document. In particular, the scheme will apply only to properties on or in the vicinity of HS2 Ltd’s route option 3. HS2 Ltd’s report makes a clear recommendation and it is therefore my view that assistance of this kind should be focused on this route, where the blight impacts will be most severe. It is also my conclusion that, to minimise the risk of blight spreading as a result of a scheme of this kind, it should be limited to those who have a pressing need to sell and who would otherwise experience exceptional hardship.

A large proportion of consultation responses also raised issues in relation to longer-term provision to address blight. If a decision is taken following public consultation to proceed with a new high-speed line and to safeguard the route that it would follow, statutory blight arrangements would come into force covering those properties which would have to be acquired in

order to build or operate the new line. However, many respondents suggested that additional provision would be needed to cover those properties which would not have to be acquired but which might still be seriously affected by the construction or operation of the line. Respondents also made a number of proposals for how such provision might be structured. I am aware that provision of this kind has been made in respect of a number of previous schemes in both the public and private sectors.

I am mindful of the importance of appropriate longer-term arrangements to assist those who would be most seriously affected by a new line. I agree that some additional provision over and above the statutory blight regime will be needed to achieve this, and it is therefore my intention that this should be put in place, if and when a decision is taken to safeguard a route.

The specific issues raised in response to the consultation, particularly in respect of the different models for operating such arrangements, are complex and require detailed consideration. I have therefore asked my officials to provide me with further advice on options for the terms and conditions of such additional provision and how it should operate. I will report to Parliament on my proposed way forward in the light of the spending review outcome and before public consultation on the Government’s strategy for high-speed rail and the route of any new high speed line.

I have placed copies of the analysis of responses to the consultation and a list of frequently asked questions about the scheme in the Libraries of both Houses.

END

The Opening of the Robert Mews Workshops

On 9th July, I attended the opening of the Robert Mews Workshops. The workshops are a series of refurnished out buildings that will be used by local artists. To find out about future art events in Buckinghamshire please visit Bucks Open Studios.

Picture from the Bucks Herald

HS2 – Letters

Please find below two letters that I recently received about the proposed high speed rail link. The letters from Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport, and Alison Munro, Chief Executive of HS2, are in response to concerns that I raised on behalf of a constituent.

High speed rail access to Heathrow: a report by Lord Mawhinney

Please find below a link to Lord Mawhinney’s report on high speed rail access to Heathrow. This independent report by Rt Hon the Lord Mawhinney makes recommendations to the Secretary of State for Transport about access to Heathrow Airport by rail.

High speed rail access to Heathrow: a report by Lord Mawhinney

HS2 – Letter to Constituents

As you know, all three parties committed themselves, in their general election manifestos to support in principle for a high speed rail network and that commitment is repeated in the government’s coalition agreement.

The new Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond MP, has only been in office for a short time and has made no public statement yet on his position regarding HS2. However, Mr. Hammond has written to the Chairman of HS2 Ltd setting out the additional work he wants HS2 Ltd to undertake over the next year. This includes assessing the possibility of a link to Heathrow and the options for linking HS1 and HS2, which he has asked to be completed by the end of August. The new government has also asked Lord Mawhinney to continue his work on a possible direct route to Heathrow. Mr. Hammond has also said that he will visit the previous government’s preferred route later this summer to make his own assessment of the environmental impact of that plan.

I have written to Mr. Hammond to make clear to him the strength of opposition among my constituents to route 3 and route 2.5. On 6 July, I met with Rail Minister, Mrs. Theresa Villiers MP, to discuss HS2. I again explained the scale of opposition locally to the proposed route and also spelled out to her the criticisms made by many constituents of the entire principle of a high speed rail network. As you know, I spoke in Parliament about HS2 earlier this year (view here).

Together with Cheryl Gillan MP (Chesham and Amersham), I met representatives of the Chiltern Conservation Board, the Chiltern Society, the Chiltern Countryside Group and the HS2 Action Alliance on 2 July to discuss how best to take forward the campaign against the proposed route and how to put arguments to the relevant Ministers and officials.

Ministers did agree to extend the period of public consultation on the Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) to 17 June, to allow more people (especially in the area affected by the alternative route 2.5) to make representations. Since both the Department of Transport and local councils were not allowed to publicise the EHS during the general election campaign, I think that this was a sensible decision. We are now awaiting the Government’s decision on the scheme

Local groups opposing the route are now coordinating their actions and you may want to take a look at their websites:

www.hs2action.co.uk

www.chilternsociety.org.uk

www.chilternsaonb.org.

In addition to these groups the Department of Transport’s webpage on HS2: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/ and HS2 Ltd’s website: www.hs2.org.uk remain principal sources of information. For anyone wishing to investigate further, the potential routes that HS2 Ltd looked at are detailed in the Route Engineering Study Final Report. Two organisations, Bluespace Thinking Ltd and Transport Watch, have recently published analyse criticising the principle of high speed rail and HS2 Ltd’s proposals.

Please remember to check the HS2 section of my website, which can be acccessed a twww.davidlidington.wordpress.com/category/high-speed-rail for further news and announcements.

Yours sincerely,

David Lidington

Member of Parliament for Aylesbury

Foreign Office Blog

Clicking the link below will take you to my Foreign Office blog. Here you can keep up to date with my work as Minister for Europe.

Foreign Office Blog

The link can also be found in ‘David’s favourites’ on the right hand side of this webpage.

Local MP calls for greater recognition for the UK’s six million carers

Local MP, David Lidington has teamed up with GMTV news reporter and presenter John Stapleton to support this year’s Carers Week (14 – 20 June) and celebrate the contribution made by people in Aylesbury, and throughout the UK, who provide unpaid care for someone who is ill, frail or disabled.

The theme of Carers Week is ‘A Life of My Own’ with calls for greater understanding and support for the army of carers who provide vital care for their families, friends and communities. In doing so, many sacrifice much in their own lives, unable to do the little things that most of us take for granted. All too often, these unsung heroes also suffer ill health.

David met up with John Stapleton at the House of Commons to pay tribute to carers, and to urge that they receive more support in their caring roles. David said:

“A trip to the cinema, or even a full night’s sleep – these are luxuries for many of the thousands of carers in Aylesbury. I am supporting Carers Week and all those helping to raise awareness of carers, and their priceless contribution they make to our local community. I hope that as a result of Carers Week, many more carers will find out about services and support that exist to help them.

John Stapleton, who has cared for both his wife and his mother, said:

“Working without pay and often with little recognition – many carers give up their lives as they once knew them, but never give up on caring. They are not the forgotten few, but the forgotten millions. This Carers Week let’s speak up for carers – let’s not leave them isolated and lonely, financially, physically and emotionally broke. Let’s start caring for the carers, give them back a life of their own.”

Horses Helping People

I spent an hour the other day visiting Horses Helping People, a social enterprise based at a farm just outside Buckland.

It’s quite a new venture. The idea is to bring people  with disabilities, people who have suffered from mental illness and others into contact with horses. The experience of contact with animals can be therapeutic and HHP was able to show me plenty of testimonials from satisfied customers.

If you want to find out more, there’s a web site here.

Help for Heroes at Halton House

I have to confess that I’m not the biggest fan of balck tie dos, but last Friday evening was important. Aylesbury RFC had organised a reception at Halton House (the Rothschild mansion that ow serves as the officers’ mess for RAF Halton) in aid of Help for Heroes, the service charity that raises funds to support injured service men and women.

For me, the most memorable part of the evening was listening to two RAF corporals talk about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, and about what had happened to comrades who had been injured – how young men who were physically fit and active suddenly had to come to terms with wounds that would cripple and disfigure them for the rest of their lives. Overcoming the physical trauma of such injuries must be challenge enough, but we must never forget the mental stress that these men struggle with too. I’m glad that the new Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, has already said that one of his priorities is to improve the quality of mental health services for serving men and for veterans, but there is always more that we can do.

To find out more about Help for Heroes or to make a donation, look here.