George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): At the time of the last Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions in March, there was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining, and the Secretary of State set out some important measures on drought. I congratulate her on the wettest month in recent years. Notwithstanding that, groundwater and aquifer levels are still low, posing some threat to farmers and habitats in Norfolk. Will she take this opportunity to encourage families around the country to use water judiciously in the home and house to prevent the risk of drought this summer?
Mrs Spelman: My hon. Friend makes some very helpful points. Although we have had really heavy rainfall this month, that will not be enough to make up for two very dry winters in a row, so it continues to be important that everyone takes responsibility for saving water. The current conditions allow water companies and farmers to top up the reservoirs, which is a good thing, but it is important that we continue to make all the efforts we can to conserve water.
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George said, “North Elmham Community Smallholding is a great example of rural community self-help and an inspiring demonstration of what can happen when a community comes together and involves the wider public in food and farming. At the heart of the Smallholding is The Norfolk Way vision, that we can have a modern, hi-tech, prosperous economy and still retain Norfolk’s special and historic connection with the land. I really enjoyed visiting the Smallholding and I hope it continues to thrive and engage many more local people in its future.”
http://www.northelmhamvillage.org.uk/community-smallholding
George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): I am grateful for this opportunity to speak. While Lotus is in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr Bacon), it is only a mile over our shared boundary and many of the 1,200 employees and the affected families live in Mid Norfolk, particularly around Wymondham. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member on securing this debate and on setting out the arguments so clearly. I am keen to give the Minister as much time as possible to address the important issues, so I shall make just three simple points.
First, the presence of Lotus and its legacy has led to the creation in the area of a world-class cluster of engineering, manifested in both the world-class factory and the expertise around it, and in the Hethel engineering centre—a successful and now full incubator of successful start-up businesses, feeding off and around the centre of excellence around Lotus. A cluster of former Lotus employees, many of them successfully trading and innovating, often from small premises around the area, provide an important part of our local economy.
Secondly, the engineering cluster is central to the Norfolk economy and, indeed, the wider East Anglian innovation economy and to the wider rebalancing mission that I know is central to the mission of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Thirdly, these engineering and manufacturing skills are central to unlocking the full value of the wider innovation economy—in particular, the science we have on the Norwich research park in the form of biomedicine, agriculture and environmental science, and indeed, dare I say it, down the A11, in the innovation corridor in Cambridge. We have huge intellectual property skills in our area. In the past, we have sometimes been weaker in the ability to turn that intellectual property into products that we can sell. The skills in this cluster are central to developing and retaining that value within our Anglian economy.
I am sure I am speaking for other hon. Members across East Anglia, some of whom are in their places and some of whom are not, in urging the Minister to do all he can to ensure that the points raised by my hon. Friend are given all possible attention, and to bring as much pressure to bear as possible to keep this iconic and important business in the UK.
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George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): Will the Chancellor join me in welcoming the announcement by GlaxoSmithKline of a £0.5 billion investment in advanced manufacturing in the north of England? Taken together with the £800 million investment by Tata in Wales and the IMF’s upgrade of our growth forecast by nearly 20%, does this not suggest that the Budget for business is working?
Mr Osborne: My hon. Friend is right to point to the GSK investment. The chief executive of GSK explicitly credited the falls in corporation tax and the patent box for that decision. We have also had the investment from Jaguar Land Rover in the west midlands, the great news of Nissan’s investment in Sunderland and steel-making has returned to Redcar.
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Following George’s long campaign for new thinking on ways to unlock new investment in regional rail to help support sustainable economic recovery in East Anglia, last week saw George’s proposals profiled on ITV Anglia, and receive cross party support in an in-depth studio discussion with Charles Clarke MP, Brandon Lewis MP, and Julian Huppert MP.
The film profiles the fast growing new businesses at the Norwich Research Park and Hethel Engineering Centre, and the development potential around the stations and track in Wymondham, Attleborough and Thetford on the A11 innovation corridor linking Cambridge to Norwich.
George said “I believe fast rail links are essential to unlocking the full potential of Norfolk’s fast growth businesses in a way that is sustainable and doesn’t damage our heritage and beautiful landscape. Wymondham is a perfect example. The town is home to a thriving business community incuding Lotus and an advanced manufacturing ‘cluster’ of ex Lotus and related small businesses, the potential of which is illustrated by the success of the Hethel Engineering Centre and the growing number of fast growth companies based there. Wymondham is also a beautiful market town, with its historic Abbey, market square and cross, and vibrant arts and crafts. Sustainabe transport for visitors in, and commuters out, of the town is absolutely essential to the quality of life of the town, and at the heart of the planning challenge facing the town. New investment in the railway service, tracks, infrastructure, and station are integral to combining growth with heritage and keeping the town’s special identity. Much the same is true of Attleborough down the road. And the Cambridge – Norwich line is integral to the same challenge across East Anglia - planning growth in a way which is sustainable and supports healthy living and strong communities, instead of condemning huge numbers of people to long commutes in gridlocked traffic jams."
George’s call for new thinking on rail investment, including the idea of a single regional rail company controlling both track and trains, with the freedom to unlock development gains and raise private funding for investment is gradually winning support, with this latest cross party endorsement from Charles Clarke (Labour) and Julian Huppert (Liberal Democrat) coming on top of encouragement from the Secretary of State for Transport.
George said “I'm delighted that the importance of the Cambridge to Norwich line, and the need for fresh thinking on regional rail investment and the importance of fast rail to our economic recovery is gaining ground’.
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| Anglia Late Edition (11.35)
| EDP: Transport Secretary Justine Greening backs rail ideas from Norfolk MPs
| George's original article
George asked:
“I’m sure I speak for the whole House in expressing support for entrepreneurship and the creation of new companies. But would my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that service companies set up by Labour politicians to disguise their hypocrisy on tax avoidance is a betrayal of real entrepreneurs up and down the land?”
George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): I am sure that I speak for many across the House in expressing support for entrepreneurship and the creation of new businesses. Does my right hon. Friend agree that service companies set up by Labour politicians to disguise their hypocrisy on tax are a disgraceful betrayal of real entrepreneurs up and down the country?
The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend makes a good point. The Opposition do not want to hear it, but the fact is that the man whom they are putting forward to be Mayor of London has set up a company to funnel all this money into and is potentially paying a lower tax rate than the people who would work for him at the GLA. It is completely disgraceful and even at this late stage I call on the Labour leader to get the Labour candidate to publish all the information so that we can see the tax that he is paying.
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George asked:
“I’m sure I speak for the whole House in expressing support for entrepreneurship and the creation of new companies. But would my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that service companies set up by Labour politicians to disguise their hypocrisy on tax avoidance is a betrayal of real entrepreneurs up and down the land?”
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The Forum also heard from the successful Thursford entrepreneur, John Cushing, who describes how he turned his father’s hobby into the UK’s largest Christmas Show and urged the next generation of entrepreneurs to think big too. There was a panel debate on support for rural enterprise with Emma Finn from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Richard Glinn from Foundation East, and Jeremy Philippi from Anglia Farmers.
George said
"Stewart Bell and John Cushing are inspiring Norfolk entrepreneurs who have successfully turned their dreams into thriving local businesses. The Norfolk Way is about promoting a vibrant rural economy, and our Forums are about bringing together local business men and women of all ages to share their experiences and local knowledge to help fellow entrepreneurs negotiate the challenges of starting a new business."
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George Freeman is backing a local campaign group seeking to make their children's journeys to and from school and church safer. Weasenham Primary School and Pre-school is located along the A1065 between Swaffham and Fakenham. Campaigners want the speed limit near the school reduced from the national speed limit (which for that road is 60mph).
Last year there was a fatality on that stretch of the road and the campaign group fear there will be further accidents unless the speed limit is changed.
George said "Weasenham families should not be expected to walk their children to school along a road with a 60 mph limit. Sometimes the school children need to cross the road to get to St. Peter's Church and it should be safe for them to do so. This is a serious problem across Norfolk and I am hugely sympathetic to the campaign group in their efforts to slow the traffic. I am working with local councillors on this and I will continue to raise in Parliament the need for children to have safer journeys to school."
http://www.weasenham.norfolk.sch.uk/
https://sites.google.com/site/weasenhampreschool/
George said "The new exercise equipment at Gayners Meadow is state of the art and will further enhance Attleborough's excellent sport and recreation facilities. Mayor Karen Pettitt took the initiative to apply for the lottery funding for this equipment and I'm so pleased that her bid was successful. I really enjoyed trying out all the apparatus; the Olympics has inspired me to sign up to Active Norfolk's Pledge 2012 and I'm determined to get back on my bike to get fit this Spring. It's great that this equipment is available to all for free in the great outdoors and I hope many people will also be inspired by the Games and will use this equipment to get fit."
Photo: George visits Gaymers Meadow in Attleborough to try out the new Trim Trail gym equipment with Mayor Karen Pettit
