items tagged with Local economy

Today, Bill Cash MP, called for immediate action to be taken to protect voluntary groups – across Stone, Trentham, Cheadle, Hixon, Eccleshall, Madeley, Ashley, Gnosall, and the surrounding villages – from soaring water charges.

 

Charges for surface water drainage are being introduced by some water companies, dubbed the ‘rain tax’. Many churches, scout groups and amateur sports clubs will pay hundreds of pounds more in higher bills, in some cases amounting to a third of their yearly revenue.

 

Bill Cash said, "I am told the new charges could cost the Church of England £15 million a year, and the Scout Association estimate that the changes could cost scout huts £500 a year – an equivalent of 25 to 30 per cent of their yearly income. Such voluntary groups currently have exemptions or discounts for business rates, but this will not extend to water rates."

 

Notes:

 

NEW ‘RAIN TAX’ ON VOLUNTARY GROUPS

 

Surface water charging: Surface water drainage is the charge from water companies for water draining into their sewers from roofs, paths, car parks etc.  It is often billed in conjunction with highways drainage, but if taken separately accounts for around 9 per cent of the average bill (16 per cent if combined with highways drainage).

 

Water quango guidance: In 2003, Ofwat’s head of tariffs wrote to all water companies recommending a move to site-area charging, with specific reference to condition E of their license.  Condition E is the duty that “no undue preference is shown, and that there is no undue discrimination in the fixing…of water and drainage charges”.  Ofwat have contacted all water companies and asked them to review their charging schemes by 2010. 

 

According to Ofwat: “There is no reason why a church or charity should not pay for surface water drainage in the same way as a business as both the church, charity and the business would be making a similar demand on the service.  We believe that charging all non-household premises by site area complies with the Secretary of State's guidance.”

 

 

Impact on churches, Scout and Guide groups and community amateur sports clubs: The Scout Association has launched a campaign to ‘Stop the Rain Tax’ (http://scouts.org.uk/water).  They estimate that the changes could cost scout huts £500 a year, and that the cost for some groups could represent 25-30 per cent of their income.

 

The Don’t Drain Us campaign (www.dontdrainus.org) have estimated that the annual cost to the Church of England of moving to site area charging throughout England  would be £15 million.  This is made up of approximately £10 million for highway drainage and £5 million for surface water. 

Today Bill Cash stated “Since it has come to light that we now have 1,225 unemployed claimants in Stone, I believe it is essential that the Government takes action, wherever it can, to help those who are unemployed get back into work. The Government has so far failed my constituents but action is now crucial.

 

“I do not support Harriet Harman’s comments in Parliament today on falling unemployment and I have written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions so that they can further investigate what can be done to provide assistance to those unemployed in Stone.”

 

Constituency unemployment figures for November 2009 were published at 9.30am today by the Office for National Statistics.

 

The number of unemployed claimants in Stone constituency in November 2009 was 1,225. This represents a rate of 2.9% of the economically active population, the 571st highest of the 646 UK constituencies. The number of claimants is 424 higher than in November 2008 and 12 higher than in October 2009.

Local MP, Bill Cash last night made a speech at the launch of the Staffordshire Credit Union. He praised all the management and the Chief Executive, Kevin Waters, for what he regarded as one of the most exciting developments in recent Staffordshire history, which he had himself originally proposed for Cheadle and Stone and other parts of the constituency.

 

Bill Cash said “Because of the problems of loan sharks against the background of dire economic circumstances and including the problems at Wedgwood and JCB and the dairy farmers and others affected in the rural community, I regard the initiative of the Staffordshire Credit Union as vital to the local communities within my constituency.”

 

Mr. Cash had been pursuing the idea of a credit union which would serve his constituents for many months.

Local MP, Bill Cash is thrilled that Wedgwood Museum has won the £100,000 Art Fund Prize 2009 – the UK’s largest single arts prize – which was announced last night at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.

 

Bill Cash has taken an active interest in the Wedgwood Museum and regards it as “one of the great jewels in the crown of British Museums.”

 

Mr. Cash went on to say: “The Art Fund Prize is there to honour this great original Museum and it is a huge tribute to the vast number of people who made this happen. The Museum only opened last October following the hard work of the Wedgwood Museum Trust who spent so much time and effort in order to raise funds to build it.”