Latest Answers

Does your party agree with the raising of vehicle excise duty on the most polluting cars?

Green Party - 26th Mar, 2009

Click link to view: The flat road tax on vehicle ownership takes no account of road usage, and provides no incentive or reward for making less polluting travel choices. A far fairer alternative would be to scrap it and move the responsibility onto fuel tax.

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In view of the difficult economy, how do you propose to tackle the issue of bureaucracy in farming? A farmer now spends a large proportion of his time filling in forms and generating documents. This doesn’t play to his strengths, compromises his farming business and only serves to inform the TEN overseeing government bodies about what he is farming and why. The forms are then followed up by ten different inspectors conducting ten different audits. This is plainly nonsensical.

Conservatives - 3rd Apr, 2009

Thank you for your email about bureaucracy in farming. I appreciate you raising this with me. Jodie Scheckter is indeed a constituent, and I applaud his initiatives on organic farming. I can only agree, and sympathise with you on this issue. We have reached the point where the costs that these regulations impose on British agriculture have, in many cases, become separated from the benefits they are supposed to deliver. Many of these regulations start life in Europe but often, by the time they reach our farms, have more than a few extra specifications added to them. Unfortunately, we have a very British tendency to implement the regulations coming from Europe to a greater extent than other countries in the EU. That is not to say that all regulations emanate from Europe. Indeed, the cost to farmers of UK regulation has more than tripled since Defra was created in 2001. I recognise that there is a role and requirement for regulation, but equally that Defra has allowed red tape to proliferate, very often at maximum expense for minimal benefit. High standards are important, and must be maintained, but it is the outcomes that matter and as long as they are met, we will let farmers determine the methods that best suit the conditions on their farm. The Conservatives have published a set of proposals, Lifting Burdens Lowering Costs, outlining how we propose to reduce the regulatory burden. Best wishes, The Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP www.sirgeorgeyoung.org.uk

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Why is there still no official, national planning policy attached to supermarkets opening up in local towns (affecting local businesses and local jobs)?

Green Party - 29th Apr, 2009

The Green party believes that our local high streets and shops are dying. Independent shops in the town centre are closing down and taking cinemas, cafes and banks with them. They leave behind deserted high streets and communities which are isolated from essential services. Local food producers are also dying. We lose on average 17,000 farmers per year. These are overwhelmingly the small and family farmers who face such low farm gate prices - often below the cost of production – with the result that they either intensify production or go bankrupt. Both local high streets, and local food producers are being damaged by chains and large out-of-town superstores. These attract customers away from independent shops and overwhelmingly source their produce from abroad, and their services "in house". The net result is that money is being drained out of the local economy and redirected towards just a few large farms or large businesses. We do not think this is progress. Greens believes Real progress is a vibrant local economy, with locally sourced and organic produce being sold in thriving independent shops. We believe that having shops and services within close reach for all isn’t a luxury: it’s a necessity.

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What is your party's response to the scandal over MPs' expenses?

Conservatives - 15th May, 2009

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Does your party support plans to allow police to detain terror suspects for up to 42 days without charge?

Liberal Democrats - 17th Jun, 2009

Click link to view: "No to 42 Days" Campaign

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