I have written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to urge him to press on with stronger measures to deal with illegal encampments, particularly the Government review on the ‘Irish model’ which criminalises trespass in certain circumstances. I have written in similar terms to the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary.
I am looking forward to the Spending Statement on Wednesday which should confirm a substantial uplift for local schools. As I and some other MPs have been arguing, there will be an increase in the overall total going to the education budget, and an increased share of the bigger budget for areas like Wokingham and West Berkshire where schools have been at the bottom end of the range of per pupil money. I am wanting them to say there will be a ÂŁ5000 per pupil minimum for a secondary school , with prospects of further rises in funding in the years ahead. We are promised a decent real terms increase giving the schools more spending power for teaching and other important items.
I have received a dozen or so emails from constituents wanting me to oppose a “No Deal” Brexit. I have answered them individually, but as some have used a standard lobby email I thought I would offer my response more widely in case others are thinking of sending the standard one.
Dear Constituent
Thank you for your email. The government has said it would prefer a deal and is seeking one. It is however quite possible no good deal will be on offer, so we would then leave with no Withdrawal Agreement. We will of course leave with many other smaller agreements, covering issues like aviation, customs and haulage so we will carry on trading, under the umbrella of WTO rules. We know this works fine as it is how we currently conduct the majority of our trade which is with non EU countries.
I see Brexit as offering the opportunity of boosting our economy and providing more opportunity and prosperity to my constituents. I have proposed a Brexit budget with better funding for our important public services . It should also boost the general economy through tax cuts on working and enterprise. Our economy is being slowed by a needless fiscal squeeze and by the marked slowdown in the Eurozone currently underway. The first part of my wishes will come true with the government’s Spending statement offering substantial increases for Wokingham and West Berkshire schools, Thames Valley Police, FE Colleges and the NHS.
I have investigated thoroughly the scare stories being put out that we will be short of food and drugs owing to difficulties importing from the EU. I am pleased to assure you that the government has confirmed no major EU suppliers have announced cancellation of their contracts to supply us. The UK authorities have confirmed that they will ensure smooth passage of imports through all our ports of entry and will not need to check every consignment at the port as some seem to think. Calais is as keen as Dover to keep their business and see their port operating smoothly after our exit, whilst Antwerp and other Dutch and Belgian ports would dearly love more business if Calais did stumble. As today most trucks will pass through the borders based on their advance filing of a manifest, with any necessary Excise, VAT, tariff and other adjustments usually taking place electronically through the accounts of the principals or the logistics companies involved. Most Just in time supply chains currently handle both EU and non EU components. It is the duty of the supplier to send the items in good time to arrive on time. Just in time chains have regularly had to handle French strikes, bad road congestion and accidents on both sides of the Channel and train and ferry cancellations. The UK government is exempting components for use in UK factories from tariffs. This not only means no new tariff barrier on EU components but takes off the current tariff barrier on non EU components, helping the assemblers and offering them the prospect of some cheaper supplies from non EU sources.
The UK may well sign Free Trade deals with non EU countries after we have left. There is no need to do any damage to the NHS or to our food standards in order to do so, and there will be a vigilant Parliament that would not allow any UK government to do such damage.
If there are other worries you have about our exit from the EU please let me know and I will do my best to reassure you or to get action to deal with the problem.
Yours sincerely
John Redwood
I went into Wokingham Town Centre this morning to thank those who were collecting signatures on a petition to the Car Park owners of the Euro park in Denmark Street to keep the park open. I support the request to keep the car park. There were plenty of people about in the town enjoying the late August sunshine and the new cafes, restaurants and shops. Many were willing to sing, as the car parks are needed close to the centre to make it easy for shoppers and leisure users of the Town facilities.
Some of the car parks and on street parking is free tomorrow and on other bank holidays and some is not. Do check the complex rules carefully before parking, as Wokingham does enforce parking charges on Bank holidays. Don’t ruin a great day by running up a parking fine.
I have asked the Council about the closure of the Euro car park on Denmark Street. They remind us this is a private car park, and they like some of my constituents are against its closure. They are in discussion with the owners.
The council agrees we need to keep sufficient parking places close to the centre to assist its success. People have many shopping and leisure choices so Wokingham needs to be welcoming to people coming by private vehicle.
I have seen a number of constituents struggling with the new car park pay machines. The ever vigilant Parking attendants are willing to explain the new system to those who want help. You do need to memorise your vehicle registration and type that in first. Then you have to decide between paying by cash through the coin slot or by card.
I was asked about possible delays in Environment Agency representations on this planning application. Wokingham Borough tells me the EA has submitted their objections to the proposal so there is no delay to chase up.
It was a pleasure to talk to almost 100 guests at the latest Lunch Club event organised by Wokingham Conservatives .
I set out a view of the opportunities available to the new government formed under Mr Johnson’s leadership recently. I looked forward to an early budget to increase spending on public service priorities and to reduce taxes to give the economy a welcome boost. I talked about the way we can increase UK domestic food production to cut down food miles and reduce the import bill, and how we could start to rebuild our fishing industry.
There were numerous questions about what might happen in the next few weeks in the run up to our promised exit on 31 October which I tried to answer.
I am particularly keen to see more police in the Wokingham and West Berkshire area from the government pledge to add 20,000 officers nationwide. I also welcome the proposal to increase school money where schools are well below the national average, as most schools in our area are. I am glad the government  has found more cash for the NHS as we need more money to cater for the demands of a growing population in our locality. I have advised the Councils that there may well be more money for congestion busting local roads projects which they should be ready to bid for.
I have received a few letters from residents setting out worries and objections to the planning application at Bridge Farm.   It is most important that all residents who object to this proposal write to the Planning Department at Wokingham Borough Council setting out their objections so their worries can be taken into account. This planning application will be decided by the Council, who have all the necessary planning powers. Objections are most effective when they are related to the relevant planning matters the Council has to take into account, and when they are based on the local plan the Council has set out. You might also like to write to your local Councillors, as they may be able to  represent your view  at the Council prior to  the decision making where they are not themselves members of the planning committee taking the decision.
As MP I have no power over this matter. I do not usually write in about an individual  planning application as the Council does not welcome the MP’s intervention in matters they control. I do usually intervene if and when a planning matter is subject to appeal to the national planning authorities. I usually intervene on the side of the Council reinforcing their reasons for turning down the application when  they decided it and urging the Inspector to uphold the wishes of the local community as expressed in the local plan and decisions of the Council.
I visited the Science Centre on Friday at the company’s request. They showed me their excellent analytical and laboratory facilities to support the  food industry. They can assist with new  recipes and product improvements, and can trace impurities or problems when something goes wrong.
They showed me work on sugar reduction and resistance to melting in hot weather for chocolate. We discussed how more students can be persuaded to study food chemistry, given the need for more qualified people, and how business can use the governments encouragement if STEM subjects and apprenticeship schemes to help business.