An Extra Junction (7a) on the M11

Today I spoke in the House of Commons, in a special debate about an extra junction on the M11, north of Harlow.

We desperately need an extra junction, because:

1. Harlow has just one motorway entrance. Basildon has four.
2. Recent roadworks have NOT solved the problem.
3. Congestion causes a huge cost to the local economy.
4. An extra junction (7a) would massively boost jobs in Harlow.
5. The cost of an extra junction is very modest, compared to other schemes.

I was very encouraged by the Government’s reply, because they hinted there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

It was a small step towards victory for local residents, when they said: “Harlow is well placed to benefit from available investment, when the current financial position eases.”

The Government acknowledged the serious congestion in our town, saying: “traffic in and out of Harlow has to traverse a series of mainly single-lane carriageways to reach key destinations such as the town centre and areas of employment.”

They agreed that: 'Frequent congestion is the result. Congestion is seen as a barrier to achieving the town's regeneration and economic growth ambitions.”

I have been campaigning for a new junction since 2007. See http://www.fedupwithharlowtraffic.net/ for more information, or look at the question I asked the Transport Minister a few weeks ago HERE.

UPDATE : view the video HERE.


by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

62 pence

A very long day! As I write it is 0028 on 7 July. We are still in the Commons waiting for the vote on the Budget (known as the Finance Bill). Labour MPs are spinning out the Bill and speaking at great length, in an effort to keep us up all as long as possible. This doesn't achieve much as they will lose the vote, and is more about political posturing than the merits of the Budget.

Nevertheless, waiting for the vote gives me the chance to think about a few items of controversial spending.

Recently, the Queen has come under scrutiny for expenditure on the Royal Household. I agree with the freeze on her Budget, since every Government Department is making significant cuts in order to reduce the huge deficit.

However, it is worth noting that the Queen only costs each taxpayer 62 pence a year and Her Majesty's Budget has gone down by 12.2% in real terms in recent years. This seems to be to be great value for money, especially given the billions of pounds the Queen brings in through tourism and work in supporting British business. I think most reasonable people would agree that it is 62 pence well spent.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

VIDEO : Debate on World Poverty

Last week, I called upon the Government for greater transparency, direct giving, and transfer of skills in International Aid:

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving

I was asked to give an address to the annual Harlow Civic Service at St Paul's Church which took place yesterday. It is the third year if this service, started by Cllr. Tony Hall, when he was Chairman. It is a good thing for Harlow, bringing people together, reminding us all why we are here, and a statement of intent and of pride in our town. My address is below:

Introduction

How does one make a speech about “Thanksgiving”? These were my thoughts when I was first asked to give this address and told the theme.

Despite the title, and the obvious meaning of the word, it is not an easy speech to give.

Of course one immediately thinks of the Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada.

Or even to go back further to the Bible.

The concept of Thanksgiving is prevalent in the Jewish tradition. The Festival of Succoth, also known as the The Tabernacles, was one which Jewish people gave thanks for the Harvest. Jews celebrate Succoth to remember the redemption from slavery in Egypt, to arrival in the land of Israel. To celebrate agriculture and the Harvest.

It is no accident that many of the early Puritans who first arrived in America, saw their new country as the promised land. Many had Old Testament names. Some even viewed their arrival into the United States as akin to the Jewish exodus. Many adopted aspects of Hebraic law and the United States Thanksgiving ceremony grew out of this tradition.

Closely allied to Succoth - as one of the three Pilgrim festivals of the Old Testament, is Shavuot, celebrated in late May or June. Not only does this festival commemorate when Moses was given the ten commandments, but also a time when Jewish farmers would bring fruit to the Temple as gratitude for food that had grown on the field and for G-d’s guidance and support.

The Themes of Thanksgiving

So we have some distinct themes here to thanksgiving: Gratitude for food that has been provided, an acknowledgment of the nature that made it possible, faith in G-d, faith in humanity, a commemoration of the triumph of adversity, of struggle and human endeavour.

But Thanksgiving also symbolises something else. It marks the difference between man and animal. The very act of giving thanks is a form of discipline. It shows that there is something beyond simple instinct. It means we acknowledged something higher than our immediate selves. Less “me, myself and I” but “you, we, others and of course, G-d”.

Civilisation and Barbarians

That is the difference between a society that is civilised and one that is ruled by barbarians.

I remembered this last year when I attended a special event organised by the Harlow Branch of St John's Ambulance. We were assembled to bless two new ambulances, that local members and volunteers had spent months, raising thousands of pounds in order to pay for them.

A local priest, blessed the vehicles and the St Johns Branch - in what I found to be a very moving event. The very act of blessing the St John's new ambulances, showed that they were more than just machines, but vehicles in which dedicated people would look after the sick and vulnerable. In other words, they were the purest emblem of everything that is good about a decent society.

Mr Russell

I want to give you just one other example of how Harlow embodies the very best traditions and ethos of thanksgiving. On Friday evening, I was pleased to be invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Michael Roberts Charitable Trust. Many of you in this Church today, will know of its work: The Foodbank, the Maybury Opendoor club, the work with London Homeless and much more besides.

At one part of the evening a young man came to the front of the room. His name was Russell. This was a man who had suffered signficant mental health difficulties and for a time had been placed in the Derwent Centre. When discharged, he went to live in a room, with no family, no friends around, no TV, no furniture, no possessions, no job, no nothing. He was simply left to his own devices.

Just think for a moment. A man who had been seriously mentally ill, had been sent away from hospital and left to fend for himself.

Unsurprisingly, with no food or any other kind of human comfort, Russell soon became more hungry, more anxious, and began to relapse backwards. One day he passed - by chance- the Harefield Church and walked in. By chance the Maybury Opendoor club was having a Christmas dinner. He was invited in, given tea and biscuits, joined the Christmas dinner. Through the Maybury Centre, Russell found not just food, but a new family, a support network, friends and even posessions. He now has a job, working at another charity, helping those who have suffered in a similar way.

Conclusion

So what is the moral message within this? Not just that this man was given food and friendship. Not even that he had been supported spontaneously by a wonderful community institution - showing Harlow at its very very best.

To me, the message is clear. That to struggle and come through adversity, to fight against the odds - can be recognised by a higher being. That there is a G-d there to help in our hour of need. That thanksgiving must be about faith in G-d and the victory over adversity.

And it why we must give thanks and remember all that is possible and good.

Thank you.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Sunday Update

Well, you have seen what I have been up to in Parliament this week, so I thought I would give you a brief update as to my Harlow activities over the past few days.

Overseas Aid: Following my speech in the House of Commons on World Poverty, it was good to meet with local representatives from RESULTS (the overseas development charity group), to discuss supporting the disabled in the developing world.

Harlow College: I visited a catering course for special needs pupils. It was great to be in the kitchen, chatting to all the students. My only regret was not being able to be able to be there at lunchtime, when I could have tasted all the delicious burgers that everyone was making. I also gave out a second round of award certificates to students who had completed the B.A. Hons with journalism.

Essex Police: In Chelmsford I had an important meeting with the Chief Constable of Essex. I wanted to discuss a range of issues including police resources, high crime rates in Harlow, Special Constables and Government plans for elected police commissioners. It was a productive conversation.

Patient-line: An interview with Heart FM, also in Chelmsford to discuss and push forward my campaign against the high cost of patient lines.

PACT: Travelling back to Harlow, I was really pleased to meet with PACT, to talk about their plans to increase educational provision in Harlow. I hope to work with the parents to help on their ideas of setting up a local school for autistic children.

Berecroft: A meeting with the Berecroft Steering Group, to discuss implementation of the new roofs - to be built by Circle Anglia. There are some difficult issues here, although there is some progress. I will be contacting residents over the next few days to set out details.

Essex Council Transport Team: In my campaign for an extra junction on the M11, I met with a senior officer from Essex Council and Councillor Norman Hume - in advance of my Adjournment Debate on this subject later.

Michael Roberts Charitable Trust: Attended this remarkable charity's AGM and gave a speech. It was good to be at Harefield Church for the event, with so many of the charity's supporters, clients and volunteers.

Harlow Civic Service: This was the third year of a very special service, based on the theme of thanksgiving. I was pleased to have the chance to give an Address, alongside Council Leader Andrew Johnson, Chief Executive Malcolm Morley and Industrial Chaplain, Reverend Robert Findlay. I will post my address on a later blog.

Harlowbury School: This was really great fun. Vanda and I were invited to open their music festival in the school grounds. Surrounded by parents, children, picnics, barbecues, a beer tent, tea stands, and superb bands (all performing free of charge) , it was a superb way to spend an afternoon. I was so touched as I received a wonderful picture from some of the children, which will go proudly on my office wall in the House of Commons.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Global Poverty: Does charity begin at home?

On Thursday, I spoke in a Commons debate on World Poverty. I set out what I perceive to be three principles for overseas development: Bilateral Aid, Know How and Transparency.
My argument was that charity does begin at home, but there were moral boundaries as well as geographical ones.

As I was the last speaker before the closing speeches from the Labour and Government frontbenchers, I only had a few minutes to speak in the debate and thought you might like to see my speech below:

Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con) 1 July 2010 : Column 1095:

Some sceptics say that charity begins at home and use that argument to resist spending on international aid. I agree that charity begins at home, but it depends how one defines the word "home". There are geographic boundaries but there are also moral boundaries, and we are all neighbours. Just because someone lives thousands of miles away does not mean that the moral boundaries are any different. We should be building bridges, not walls. When aid is well spent, it is hugely in the national interest. I know that the Secretary of State is aware of that, as he came to my constituency before the election and met the paralympian Anne Wafula Strike, who does so much work with Africa. However, for aid to work we need three things-more bilateral aid, more know-how and more transparency.

I believe that aid must cut out the middle man. For example, why do we often give aid through the EU, for the EU to distribute? Why do we not give it directly? Why not give more aid directly to schools and other community institutions? The localism for which we yearn here is yearned for abroad as well. As the policy paper "One World Conservatism" states, when aid is well spent, it

"has worked miracles: eliminating smallpox, almost eradicating polio...helping get millions of children into school and saving millions of families from hunger and disease."

The best form of aid is sharing expertise and knowledge-know-how. Many of my hon. Friends spoke about Project Umubano in Rwanda, which I have been privileged to go on for two years to teach English. People are hungry not only for food and work but for knowledge. Voluntary Service Overseas does a huge amount to share concrete practical skills. The Westminster Foundation for Democracy, with which I worked a few years ago in Uganda and Tanzania through the Conservative party, shares knowledge with democratic parties abroad. All the evidence shows that greater democracy means less poverty. By democracy, I mean not just regular elections but the rule of law and property rights. Perhaps in future, as part of the sharing of expertise, businesses could sponsor aid apprentices through their social responsibility initiatives to build up technical capacity overseas.

On transparency, we need a much clearer idea of where our money is going. When Hillary Clinton pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in new aid to Palestine in 2009, she said that it must not benefit Hamas. Why? Because she knew that aid to the Palestinian Authority had ended up in the wrong hands in the past. That is just one of many examples from around the world, but it proves that transparency must be at the heart of what we do and what we demand from our partners.

That is why the revolution in open government is welcome. Taxpayers ought to be able to track overseas aid on the internet from the moment it is allocated to the moment the results are delivered. I also welcome the proposal in "One World Conservatism" for the £40 million "MyAid" fund, which would be controlled by taxpayers, because it would introduce popular competition among aid projects and increase democratic control.

Bilateral aid, know-how and transparency must be our watchwords in reducing global poverty. Now that we are united in our coalition, I should like to conclude by quoting a Liberal. Gladstone said:

"Nothing that is morally wrong can be politically right."

I agree. Helping our neighbours overseas is morally and politically right, and it will ensure that the British Isles continue to be a beacon of light and hope for the most vulnerable in our world.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Time for a democratic revolution at the FA

Some of you will have read my blogpost a few days ago in which I mentioned that I had tabled a Commons Motion calling for the FA to resign following the England World Cup Debacle.

After the FA has spent some £50 million on ten years of "failed managers, failed contracts and failed payout" it is time for a "democratic revolution", led by the fans to transform the organisation

Yesterday I tabled a further Parliamentary Motion calling for a complete overhaul of the way the Football Association is run - one which would make the organisation truly accountable to England fans. No longer can the FA act like a bunch of secret Cardinals at the Vatican with smoke appearing occasionally from the rooftops.

There needs to be a reform of voting rights which would give England supporters the opportunity to have their say over who should be in charge at the FA.

My solution would be the introduction of a subscription system for England fans to exercise voting rights in the FA. It would be in the national interest for England fans to vote for the FA Board and chairman, and to fire them if they do a bad job. Fans would vote for a Board and Chairman for a three or four year term.

Fans should also have a right to decide the spending on grassroots and community football.

Just as the people of this country elect the Government, so the Fans should have some say over the state of our national game. Enough is enough. If England is to succeed, we can't go on as we are.

Click HERE on this weblink to read my Commons Motion.

P.S. My criticism of the Football Association is not new. Last year I spoke out against the way the "flawed organisation" operates after Harlow Town, was docked points for fielding an ineligible player.

At the time I defended the club saying it had been "an innocent mistake" as it had been told by an official that the player was eligible.

The judgement was "stupid" and even then I was calling for a reform of the FA.

I remember saying: "Instead of hammering smaller clubs for minor errors, how about the FA reforming themselves for a change, stop wasting money and ensuring England reaches the finals of the major tournaments".

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

The Surveillance Society

After reports that Google allegedly mapped every single wireless Internet connection in Britain, I have tabled a Parliamentary Motion asking the Government to investigate.

There have also been reports that as many as 30 states in the U.S.A. will investigate Google because of this.

The full text of the Parliamentary Motion (328) is here:

"That this House is concerned by reports that Google allegedly mapped every single wireless internet connection in Britain, including many millions in private homes, for commercial purposes; is further concerned that the firm may have failed to disclose that it was building a massive database of wi-fi networks across the UK without people's consent; notes the reports that BT and other companies are using software to trawl social networking websites such as Facebook to identify anyone making negative comments about them; and therefore calls on the Coalition Government to balance innovation on the internet against individuals' right to privacy and the new threat of a surveillance society."

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

55 MPs support Vocational Qualifications Day

UPDATE:

Just to let you know, 55 Members of Parliament have now signed my Parliamentary Motion in support of Vocational Qualifications day. This is 12% of the House of Commons!

The Hansard link is HERE.


by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com