Lincoln Conservative Association

The Government’s victory in passing the Welfare Reform Bill, ensuring that no family can receive more in benefits than the average working family earns, has been welcomed by Karl M^cCartney, Member of Parliament for the City of Lincoln.

Under the reforms, the benefit payments that a household on ‘out of work benefits’ receives will be capped at  £26,000 per year so that work always pays. Under Labour, households were able to receive up to £104,000 per year in Housing Benefit alone.

Labour have opposed this fair cap on benefits, voting to maintain a ‘something for nothing’ culture whereby some families who don’t work receive thousands of pounds more in welfare handouts than the average working family earns.

Commenting, Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Today marks an historic step in the biggest welfare revolution in over 60 years. This Government has taken bold action to make work pay, while protecting the vulnerable.  Past governments have talked about reform, while watching the benefits bill sky rocket and generations languish on the dole and dependency. This Government is delivering it. Our new law will mark the end of the culture that said a life on benefits was an acceptable alternative to work.”

Mr M^cCartney commented, “In the City of Lincoln the average person would have to pay tax for 34 years to pay for one household to receive £104,000 in benefits a year, which could happen if Labour had their way.  Why should hard working people in my Constituency have to pay taxes that allows those on benefits who are not willing to work to receive more than them?  That is not fair and I am pleased that my Government have taken positive steps to ensure we live in a fairer and responsible society.

“This benefit cap shows that Conservatives are the party of fairness, standing up for hard working taxpayers. By voting against it, Labour have once again shown they are the party of something for nothing, willing to try and defend the indefensible.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk 

Notes 

·         We are implementing an overall benefit cap to incentivise work. The cap, linked to weekly average earnings, will limit the amount a household can receive in benefits to £26,000 a year. On introduction, we estimate that the cap will be set at £500 per week for couple and single parent households – this is the same as £35,000 a year before tax; £26,000 after. We estimate that the cap for single adult households will be £350 per week.

·         The cap is set at a fair amount. The Benefit Cap is set at £26,000 per year, this is the equivalent of a household earning £35,000 before tax. This is more than enough in benefits for households affected to find alternative accommodation if they find that they are over the cap.

·         The most vulnerable are already exempt from the cap. All households where someone is receiving DLA, Attendance Allowance, PIP, or Constant Attendance Allowance will be exempt from the cap. War widows and widowers are also exempt. 

·         The cap provides an incentive to work by exempting households where someone gets Working Tax Credit. If anyone in a household is entitled to Working Tax Credit the household will be exempt from the benefit cap. 

·         Measures are in place to protect families during transition. Throughout the year, the Government will work intensively with families who may be affected by the cap before its introduction to help them move into work or to change their circumstances so that they are not affected. The Government is looking at ways of easing the transition for families and providing assistance in hard cases.

·         Under Labour, households could receive up to £104,000 per year in Housing Benefit alone. In June 2010 the maximum local housing allowance rate rose to £2,000 a week which would be equivalent to receiving £104,000 a year in housing benefit assuming the individual remains in receipt of the same level of benefit for 52 continuous weeks: ‘In June 2010 the maximum local housing allowance rate rose to £2,000 a week which would be equivalent to receiving £104,000 a year in housing benefit assuming the individual remains in receipt of the same level of benefit for 52 continuous weeks. Information on housing benefit awards in June will be available in September 2010’ (Hansard, 6 September 2010, Col. 80WA).

·         Someone on average earnings in the UK would have to work for 28 years to pay enough tax to cover the overall benefits of that family.

o   Average UK earnings are £26,036. According to the ONS, median earnings for someone in full-time employment are £26,036 (ONS, ASHE, 23 November 2011, link).

o   Someone on average earnings pays £3,712 in income tax. Based on a personal allowance of £7,475 and a tax rate of 20 per cent, someone earning £26,036 would pay £3,712 in income tax (HMRC, link).

o   So it would take 28 years for someone on average earnings to pay enough tax to cover a the benefit bill of what some families got under Labour.  £104,000/£3,712 = 28 years.

·         Ed Miliband talked tough on welfare and fiscal responsibility…

o   ‘I do think there need to be big changes in welfare and I think the most important thing is that we restore greater sense of responsibility to the, to the system… it means anybody who can work should work’ (BBC Radio 4, Today, 10 January 2012).

o   ‘Spending more on one thing means finding the money from somewhere else’ (London Citizens’ speech, 10 January 2012)

·         …But Labour MPs voted to oppose the £26,000 benefit cap. Labour MPs voted against the Government’s plans to cap benefits at £26,000. They voted against overturning a Lords’ amendment which would have effectively wrecked the cap (Hansard, 1 February 2012, Col. 902, link).

The figures viewed by Constituency can be seen here Constituency Figures

Big Local, the Big Lottery Fund’s significant England-wide community programme, will see Birchwood, in Karl M^cCartney’s Lincoln constituency, receive an investment of approximately £1million over at least the next ten years.

A launch event for the investment in London will take place on 29 February 2012 at 4pm – 6pm, at Astley Cooper Tenants Hall, Wessex House, 375 Old Kent Road, London SE1 5JQ which is in an area previously announced as benefiting from Big Local. The event will showcase three existing Big Local areas and their progress and include the announcement of Big Local’s investment decisions for the next wave of Big Local areas.

Birchwood is one of 50 areas that have been identified in the second wave of Big Local areas. The first 50 areas were announced in July 2010, and are now making good progress.

Big Local aims to help people in overlooked communities meet their needs.  The investment will fit with the strategies and policies of others both locally and nationally; Big Local aim to share intelligence, learning and insight with the government, and other funders and stakeholders, to ensure that their approaches complement each other.  They have selected areas with high levels of deprivation, which may have been overlooked for funding in the past, particularly funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Big Local have also aimed to select communities from across the region, both in urban and rural areas. 

Funding and support to the Birchwood area will be delivered by Local Trust, a new organisation managing the £200 million endowment given by the Big Lottery Fund and delivering Big Local. Local Trusts have been established by the Community Development Foundation working in partnership with Capacity Global, CCLA, Institute for Voluntary Action Research, the National Association for Neighbourhood Management, Renaisi and UnLtd.

At the launch event Local Trust will illustrate how they support residents by helping them develop the skills and confidence to identify what matters most to them, and to take action to change things for the better. Local Trust will also set out their plan to work closely with residents in each of the 50 Big Local areas to decide how best to use the funding.

Big Local is a groundbreaking long-term programme to achieve lasting change in 150 small areas across England. It puts people locally in the driving seat, and encourages them to work together to form a shared vision of their local area, to make decisions about how to use the funding to make their area a even better place to live. Areas can use the funds to provide a mixture of grants, social investments and support. Using social investment means that some of the money can be reused in the area again and again.

Big Local understand that areas with low social capital need to build steadily in order to make much needed progress. Big Local allows each area at least 10 years to spend their £1 million investment. This approach extends to the innovative investment model that has been developed to maximise funding and impact. Local areas will use a combination of grants and social investments (loans, micro-finance, etc) to transform their community for the better.

City Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney, said, “This investment in Birchwood in Lincoln – some £1million over the next ten years – is truly magnificent.  The money will greatly enhance the hard work of our local ward councillors, Cllrs John Metcalfe, Jane Clark and Eddie Strengiel, to help ensure that the Birchwood area is an even better place to live, now and in the future.”

- ENDS -

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

Please find below a statement from Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney, regarding the news that G4S and Lincolnshire Police are to join forces in a historic partnership:

“With the Lincolnshire Police Authority, Lincolnshire Police have been leading our Country in a process that has now identified a successful private sector business partner, G4S, to work with them over the next decade to help transform policing in Britain.  I believe this model will be the standard for the Country, and Lincoln and Lincolnshire will benefit greatly from this forward position.  There may well be fewer police officers in future, but everything Lincolnshire Police are doing is designed to ensure that the front line service they provide does not suffer, and that every penny from taxpayers is spent wisely.”

Please find below City Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney’s statement on the recently announced news that a new £100,000 research laboratory specialising in the study of blood disorders and bowel cancer is set to open at Pilgrim Hospital:

“I am happy to welcome the new £100,000 research Laboratory at Pilgrim Hospital recently announced by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. However, I am intrigued why this particular location was chosen when, not so long ago, the Trust closed the microbiology Laboratory at Lincoln County Hospital, so creating various issues for patients, and their doctors and consultants, and those also undergoing operations as well as the experienced and skilled staff who worked at the facility.

“United Lincolnshire were only too keen to move the work of the microbiology Laboratory in Lincoln to Scunthorpe and elsewhere away from their County Hospital and now, a short time later, they have found £100,000 for a new research Laboratory in Boston.

“Whilst I am pleased overall that this new research facility and service at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston is at least in Lincolnshire, I wish that the Trust had been more forward looking and had spent the money on building  an additional or new research laboratory alongside Lincoln’s former microbiology laboratory, perhaps with the prospect of working with the University of Lincoln in the future to fully utilise the facilities and offer a better service to patients both in Lincoln and across Lincolnshire.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

Marking National Apprenticeship Week, City Member of Parliament, Karl M^cCartney, has welcomed the 38.9% increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship in Lincoln last year.

The Government is delivering unprecedented funding for new apprenticeships. In addition, the Prime Minister has announced that from 7 February 2012:

·         Businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6 million from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

·         Small and medium-sized businesses without any apprentices who hire one aged 16-24 are eligible for a £1,500 bonus, with up to 40,000 payments available.

·         Businesses can bid for a share of a £250 million fund to boost skills in their workplace, giving employers rather than training providers direct access to funding for training.

Karl M^cCartney said, “National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to congratulate apprentices across my Constituency on the fantastic work they are doing and to highlight the huge benefits apprenticeships bring.  Apprenticeships allow people to earn and learn at the same time, while significantly increasing their potential future earnings. But the benefits go wider than that – every £1 spent on an apprenticeship returns an estimated benefit of £18 to the economy.  That’s why it is such great news that 280 more people in our City started an apprenticeships last year thanks to the Coalition’s extra investment – a 38.9% increase on the previous year.

“I would urge people of all ages to consider becoming an apprentice and seize the opportunities that this Government has opened up.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

Notes 

Details of the government’s announcements on 7 February 2012 can be found here: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=423171&NewsAreaID=2

Apprenticeship Week

·         Biggest ever Apprenticeship Week. The week is on track to be the biggest Apprenticeship Week to-date, with over 500 events across the country celebrating the countless achievements of learners and employers. Apprenticeship Week is supported by a huge range of organisations including: employers, apprentices, media, business and sector organisations, learning providers, colleges and schools (BIS Press Release, 6 February 2012, link).

Government policy

·         Funding 250,000 more apprenticeships than Labour planned. This Government has prioritised apprenticeships. Despite having to deal with the terrible fiscal mess Labour left behind, we have found funding to provide 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years than Labour planned (Hansard, 23 March 2011, Col. 961).

·         Cash bonuses for taking on young apprentices. The Government will offer employers with 50 employees or fewer up to £1,500 for taking on an apprentice aged between 16 and 24. This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in 2012/13 (BIS Press Release, 16 November 2011, link).

·         Making it quicker and easier for employers to take on an apprentice. The National Apprenticeships Service and training providers will be required to ensure that every employer is able to advertise a vacancy within one month of deciding to take on an apprentice (BIS Press Release, 16 November 2011, link).

·         Targeting apprenticeships where they are needed. We are renewing the programme’s focus on younger adults, new employees, higher level qualifications and particular sectors where apprenticeships can make the greatest impact (BIS Press Release, 16 November 2011, link).

·         Equipping apprentices with basic skills. Apprenticeship providers will be required to offer all apprentices teaching in English and Maths up to the standard of a good GCSE (BIS Press Release, 16 November 2011, link).

·         Ensuring high standards. We will launch a review into the standards and quality of apprenticeships, undertaken by a leading employer and reporting in the Spring (BIS Press Release, 16 November 2011, link).

·         Cutting bureaucracy. Coalition measures to cut red tape for employers taking on apprentices include: piloting a ‘payment by outcomes’ system to eliminate a number of data returns and audit requirements; providing an online plain-English toolkit for employers; streamlining contracting arrangements; committing to no ‘in year’ changes to contracting arrangements, introducing a more proportionate approach to audit and inspection, reducing preparation time for employers; greater use of electronic information to reduce paperwork; and a more streamlined certification process (BIS Press Release, 6 September 2011, link).

National picture

·         177,000 more apprenticeships in just one year. Between the academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11, the number of people starting an apprenticeship in England increased from 279,700 to 457,200 – a rise of 177,000, or 63 per cent. Advanced, or Level 3, apprenticeships saw the biggest growth, with a 75 per cent increase. All age groups saw an increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship: 14,900 more under-19s, 29,600 more 19-24 year-olds and 133,000 more 25-and-overs (The Data Service, Post-16 Education & Skills: Learner Participation, Outcomes and Level of Highest Qualification Held, 31 January 2012, link).

·         £18 benefit for every £1 invested. A report by the National Audit Office in February 2012 found: ‘Overall, adult apprenticeships offer a good return for the public spending involved: our model suggests a return of around £18 to £1 of government spending’ (National Audit Office, Adult Apprenticeships, 1 February 2012, link).

Karl M^cCartney, Member of Parliament for the City of Lincoln, has welcomed Government funding to build more affordable homes in Lincoln. Through the New Homes Bonus, the City of Lincoln Council has been granted £1,020,885 this year to build much-needed housing in the local area.

The New Homes Bonus is a multi-billion pound programme that rewards communities when they accept more housebuilding in their area. The Bonus includes an extra reward for building new affordable homes, and for getting long-term empty homes back into use.

Building on the flagship Housing Strategy, the Government has today this week unveiled a range of measures to help first time buyers onto the housing ladder, provide support for millions who have been left languishing on social housing waiting lists and get construction on the move.

Mr M^cCartney said, “Labour led Britain into a housing crisis – the number of affordable homes fell, waiting lists almost doubled and first-time buyer numbers collapsed to their lowest level for a generation.

“Housebuilding is already up a quarter under the Coalition Government, but there is more to do.

“I am delighted to welcome this funding for new homes in our City. The Government’s actions will help local people onto the housing ladder, provide more affordable housing and create local jobs”.

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

-Notes 

NEW HOMES BONUS 

·         The New Homes Bonus is a multi-billion pound programme that rewards communities when they accept more housebuilding in their area. The Bonus includes an extra reward for building new affordable homes, and for getting long-term empty homes back into use (DCLG Press Release, 3 November 2010).

 ·         On 1 February 2012, the Government announced the grant allocation (detail in the attached pdf) for each council around the country  (DCLG Press Release, 1 February 2012). 

HOUSING MINISTER’S UPDATE FOLLOWING HOUSING STRATEGY LAUNCH 

On 1 February 2012, Housing Minister Grant Shapps highlighted how the Government’s action to get Britain building again will play a vital and central role in getting the country’s economy on the road to recovery. Among the range of measures to get the homes the country needs built, the Minister announced:

·         That he has already identified enough Government land to build 80,000 homes, and is now working with organisations including the BBC and Royal Mail to find even more unused sites for housebuilding – meaning Ministers are on course to release enough land for 100,000 homes by 2015;

·         Details of the NewBuy Guarantee scheme to help those aspiring to buy newly-built properties to do so with just a fraction of the deposit that’s normally required; and

·         That he is devolving power from Whitehall to Town Halls, ending a long-standing ‘tax on tenants’ in a £19 billion deal enabling councils to keep the rents they collect and invest the money in their homes (DCLG Press Release, 1 February 2012). 

HOUSING STRATEGY LAUNCH

·         On 21 November 2011, Housing Minister Grant Shapps published Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England. This Strategy sets out the Government’s plans to support social mobility and get the housing market – and in particular new housebuilding – moving again (Hansard, 21 November 2011, Col.5WS).

·         At the Housing Strategy launch the Prime Minister said: ‘When first-time buyers on a good salary cannot get a reasonable mortgage, the whole market grinds to a halt…affecting builders, retailers, plumbers – all the people that depend on a housing market that is moving. If we don’t do something like this we are not going to get this vital market moving…We will restart the housing market and get Britain building again’ (BBC News, 21 November 2011). 

HOUSING STRATEGY – OTHER KEY MEASURES

·         Supporting builders with ‘buy now, pay later’ deals. The Build Now, Pay Later deals on the table will help to support builders who are struggling to get finance upfront. We are freeing up formerly used public sector land with capacity to deliver up to 100,000 new homes.

·         Boost for larger-scale new development. We will be providing more support for local areas that want to deliver larger-scale new development to meet the needs of their growing communities.

·         Incentivising housing growth. We are putting in place strong, new incentives for housing growth through the New Homes Bonus, Community Infrastructure Levy and the proposals for local business rates retention.

·         Encouraging a ‘self build revolution’. We are encouraging a self-build revolution which will be facilitated through a Custom Build Homes programme to support and encourage more individuals and communities to build their own homes. This includes making available up to £30 million of new funding to support provision of short-term project finance on a repayable basis. 

·         Making better use of existing stock, bringing more empty homes and buildings back into use. The Housing Strategy sets out our Strategy for tackling empty homes, including £100 million funding to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing and changes to council tax to help tackle empty homes and bring them back into productive use, and an additional £50 million of funding to tackle some of the worst concentrations of empty homes (DCLG Press Release, 21 November 2011).

LABOUR’S HOUSING FAILURE

·         Lowest number of first-time buyers since 1970s. The number of first-time buyers across the UK fell from 501,500 in 1997 to 185,000 in 2009 (Hansard, 11 November 2009, col. 526WA; Halifax Press Release, 3 January 2010). This was its lowest rate since such records began in 1974 (Council of Mortgage Lenders Press Release, Survey of Mortgage Lenders, March 2003, Table 2).

·         Housebuilding plummeted under Labour. Housebuilding in England under Labour fell to its lowest levels since 1946, with just 113,670 completions in 2009-10 (DCLG, House Building: December Quarter 2010, February 2011; DCLG, Live Tables: Table 244, House building, November 2010). This became the lowest peacetime rate of housebuilding across England and Wales since 1923-24 (just 86,000 homes were built in England and Wales, and 137,000 were built in 1924-25) (Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, Historical Statistics of Housing in Britain, 2005, p.45).

·         Waiting lists almost doubled cent under Labour. Local authority housing waiting lists rose from 1.0 million in April 1997 to 1.8 million in April 2010 (DCLG, Live Table 600, November 2010).

·         Fewer affordable homes under Labour. There was a net reduction of 200,000 affordable homes under Labour, with the total number of dwellings falling from 1997 to 2010 (Lords Hansard, 10 November 2010, Col. 84WA).

·         Labour slashed Right to Buy. Labour made a succession of cuts to Right to Buy, cutting the level of the discounts and eligibility criteria for council housing tenants. Discounts also failed to be increased to reflect rising property prices. The average Right to Buy discount, as a percentage of the market value of the property, fell from 50 per cent in 1998-99 to 24 per cent in 2008-09. In London, the figure fell from 53 per cent to 10 per cent (Hansard, 25 March 2010, Col. 560WA).

·         Labour’s broken promises on home ownership. Labour promised in their 2005 manifesto that: ‘By the end of our third term we aim for it [home ownership] to have risen by another million to two million’ (Labour Party, Britain forward not back, 2005, p.78). Yet total home ownership across England fell from 14,791,000 owner occupiers in 2005 to 14,525,000 in 2009-10 (DCLG, English Housing Survey Headline Report 2009-10, February 2010).

Karl M^cCartney, Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, today attended a Supporters Direct reception in Parliament, sponsored by Jessica Lee MP, Member of Parliament for Erewash.

The event promoted Supporters Direct’s ‘Key principles for Football Club Licensing in England’, which aim to ensure greater financial and social responsibility in the game.  Supporter’s Direct proposes a licensing system to be established in response to the recommendations in the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Report on Football Governance.  The licensing framework should be aimed at securing: the sustainable development of English football and its clubs; and supporter and community engagement in the running of football clubs.

Karl said, “I gladly attended Supporters Direct’s reception in Parliament earlier today and join them in arguing that the licensing system should protect football as a whole from the instability and lack of sustainability it has experienced and continues to experience.   The licensing system should embed the involvement of responsible, democratically elected supporters in the governance of clubs.  I am very aware of the very active role my constituents as supporters of ‘The Imps’ – Lincoln City FC – have played in our Club’s history, in both very turbulent financial times and still continue to do so today.”

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk or go to http://www.supporters-direct.org/ .

Karl M^cCartney MP welcomes the upgrade to the website police.uk introduced on 30 January 2012. These improvements give the public an even more detailed picture of crime and anti-social behaviour in the City of Lincoln.

The website now includes incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour recorded at all train stations and railway networks. Soon incidents occurring at or near significant local sites like shopping areas, nightclubs, parks, airports, universities, car parks and hospitals will be added too.

In addition, the website now has more specific detail on the precise location of incidents – while still protecting anonymity.

>From May this year police.uk will show the action taken by the police or the justice outcome after a crime.

Commenting, Karl M^cCartney, Member of Parliament for Lincoln, said, “Police.uk gives everyone in our City information on just what crime and anti-social behaviour is happening right on their street.  In the year since its launch the website has received an astonishing 453 million hits and this upgrade will make even more detail available.  I’m pleased the Home Office is listening to the public’s demand for even more information on crime in their neighbourhood ahead of the election this November of our Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire.

For further information, please contact Karl M^cCartney MP at karl.mccartney.mp@parliament.uk

Notes 

• The police.uk website was launched in January 2011 and since then developments have provided even more detailed information on a range of new crime categories. Local police force performance data is also available.

• Commenting on the developments on 30 January 2012 the British Transport Police Chief Constable Andy Trotter said: ‘This is a positive step forward. It is important people have access to crime data, and I am pleased that details of crime and antisocial behaviour on the rail network will now be included on the crime mapping website’. 

• And the Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on crime information, Deputy Chief Constable Neil Rhodes, said on 30 January 2012: ‘Providing crime mapping information to members of the public assists awareness of how the police service is working to reduce crime and disorder in communities. It also helps reduce the fear of crime and, in areas where crime is occurring, provides encouragement to the public to support the police with information, and remain watchful when appropriate.’

• Until 30 January 2012 crimes were mapped on police.uk to an anonymous point on a street with 12 or more postal addresses. To improve the public’s access to more detailed and accurate information this threshold has been lowered to eight or more postal addresses. Information will also be provided information about incidents recorded at all railway stations.

From 30 January 2012 a process has begun to map crimes on or near: airports/airfields, bus/coach stations, ferry terminals, motorway service stations, petrol stations, nightclubs, police stations, sports/recreation areas, race tracks, theme/adventure parks, parking areas, pedestrian subways, further/higher education buildings, shopping areas, supermarkets, theatre/concert halls, conference/exhibition centres, hospitals, prisons, and parks/open spaces.

• The Home Office, National Policing Improvement Agency and the Ministry of Justice are also working to use police.uk to show what happens after a crime has occurred in terms of a police action or a justice outcome.