REAL PROGRESS FOR NORTH DEVON AND BEYOND
August 5, 2010 12:00 AM
By Nick Harvey in North Devon Journal
By Nick Harvey in North Devon Journal
Last week Parliament broke up for its first recess under the new Coalition Government and, though it may be too early to reflect on our progress thus far, the temptation to do so is irresistible: a quick search online or flick through any newspaper reveals a multitude of robust analyses and critiques. Nevertheless, very few of these offer a review with North Devon specifically in mind.
I am pleased to report there have been many positive developments for us locally. Working together, the Coalition Government has stopped the creation of a Devon Unitary without Exeter. This move has protected front line public services from piecemeal reorganisation, saves the taxpayer £40 million and provides stability to the make up of local government.
During the general election campaign the Liberal Democrats promised to introduce a Pupil Premium to target extra money at disadvantaged children, and last week Lib Dem Children's Minister Sarah Teather announced the first steps towards implementing this policy. The Pupil Premium will provide additional per pupil funding on top of the existing funding provided to schools. Schools will then be free to spend the additional money as they choose to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. This extra money will make a considerable difference to schools in North Devon that for years have hardly received the funding they deserve and need.
On the issue of education, the loss of capital funding formerly provided under Building Schools for the Future has been difficult for North Devon and particularly for Chulmleigh and Ilfracombe colleges. However, the Education Secretary has assured me and I am confident that this Government will create a better funding scheme less bogged down by bureaucracy than BSF. Those school buildings in the most need of repair will indeed get the attention they deserve.
With regard to our local economy, the Agriculture and Food Minister is working to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles local farmers and food producers face. His new Task Force on Farming Regulation will identify unnecessary measures and 'gold-plating' and recommend alternative, simplified approaches. Such a task force is long overdue.
In addition to these developments, the Coalition Government has also made significant progress in a host of other areas. We are rolling back the surveillance state and giving people back their civil liberties, especially through abolishing ID Cards and the biometric database. We are reforming prisons and the NHS, making pensions fairer by restoring the earnings link, introducing measures to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses and finally implementing fair compensation for Equitable Life victims.
Overall I believe the progress this Government has made so far demonstrates a real commitment to change for the better - here in North Devon and across Britain.
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