STEPHEN Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock has given a warm welcome to the news that recorded crime in Essex has fallen over the last twelve months. Latest figures from the independent Office for National Statistics show that recorded crime in Essex fell by 4%.
STEPHEN Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, praised the Chancellor’s budget at a breakfast meeting this morning organised by local accountants, Rickard Keen. Mr Metcalfe, who addressed a group of local business men and women at the post budget business breakfast, said that the budget will help everyone, whether they are low earners, families, motorists or employers in South Basildon and East Thurrock.
STEPHEN Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has organised a rail summit with key stakeholders to discuss some the rail problems affecting local people. The summit, which is to take place this coming Friday will bring together all those with an interest in local rail issues including C2C, Network Rail, DP World’s London Gateway, and local stakeholders including Councillors, residents and Mr Metcalfe himself.
STEPHEN Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has welcomed news that the public will get a clearer picture of how police are tackling crime with the introduction of more detailed crime categories. Under the current system, 70 per cent of crimes are recorded as ‘undetected’, leaving victims and the public concerned that nothing has been done by police. Under the new recording framework a new ‘community resolution’ category will recognise the community penalties that criminals receive, increasing transparency and improving accountability.
Mr Metcalfe commented: “With the world around us changing, we will only succeed in the global race when everyone is given the chance to reach their full potential and apprenticeships are a vital means through which this can be achieved.”
Mr Metcalfe said: ” Does my right hon.Friend agree that we should be cutting taxes for hard-working people in Basildon and Thurrock, rather than taking money away from them only to then return their own money through tax credits?
Mr Metcalfe said: “Does my hon. Friend agree that it is entirely right to make prisoners work, and that the enforced idleness that there has been in prisons has to be reversed because that will lead to prisoners getting gainful employment on release?”
SOUTH BASILDON and East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe has joined 117 other Tory MPs who have written to constituents indicating their opposition to gay marriage proposals reports the Daily Mail. Mr Metcalfe’s opposition comes as the prime minister forges ahead with honouring a commitment he made at Tory party conference last year when he said: “I don’t support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I’m a Conservative.’
SOUTH BASILDON and East Thurrock MP, Stephen Metcalfe rose on the floor of the House to ask the secretary of state for pensions, Iain Duncan-Smith about help to tackle social breakdown. Mr Metcalfe asked: “What steps he is taking to tackle the causes of social breakdown?
SOUTH BASILDON and East Thurrock MP, Stephen Metcalfe rose on the floor of the House of Commons to quiz the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg on his voting intentions towards constituency boundary changes. Stephen Metcalfe: “In light of my right hon. Friend’s answer that he will vote against any boundary changes, will he confirm that he will, therefore, allow Government Ministers to vote against Government policy?
SOUTH BASILDON and East Thurrock MP, Stephen Metcalfe ros eon the floor of the House of Commons to congratulate the Home Secretary on her decision not to grant the USA powers of extradition on respect of Gary MacKinnon. Mr Metcalfe said: “Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to be the last Member here to congratulate my right hon. Friend on her decision and on bringing Gary McKinnon’s 10-year nightmare to an end.
SOUTH BASILDON and East Thurrock MP, Stephen Metcalfe rose on the floor of the House of Commons to debate the controversial subject of assisted deaths.
The vote comes as a bitter blow to policing in Thurrock which is already under severe strain. Thurrock has seen a massive spike in burglaries in areas such as South Ockendon. Council officers have also reported a huge increase in anti-social behaviour and public order in Purfleet and Tilbury.
“As I was saying, the Labour party just loves to spend other people’s money. We all like to spend money: it give us that warm glow inside, but I imagine that the rate at which Labour has spent money, and wants to spend it again, would give a white-hot glow. Labour Members do not even try to hide the fact that they spent all the money. Mr Byrne informed us in his now infamous note that there was no money left. Again, it falls to us to clear up their mess.”
Clare McDougall, head of community and education at npower is delighted with the enthusiastic response by teachers and pupils, saying: “It’s wonderful that the Climate Cops programme is helping schools across the UK to become greener and more sustainable and is inspiring young people to get involved in energy efficiency, themselves.”
One of the worst forms of antisocial behaviour that my constituents tell me about involves people’s lifestyles and actions having a really detrimental effect on their neighbours’ quality of life. What proposals are the Government bringing forward to help the police and local authorities to deal with this problem?
“Encouraging more social action is a key strand of the big society vision, so we are looking at ways to cut some of the red tape that gets in the way and are busy delivering programmes such as Community Organisers, Community First, the national citizen service and the social action fund.
Stephen Metcalfe MP also hopes that the test drive will help support the cause of British industry, saying:
“I was delighted to be invited by Barry Ives of Toomey’s to test drive the new MG and to be able to support Help for Heroes and Macmillan Cancer Support at the same time.
I am often asked by people what the relevance of the Select Committee on Science and Technology is to the people of South Basildon and East Thurrock. I always refer them to our investigation into how the Government use scientific advice and evidence in emergencies. I explain how seriously the Committee and the Government take the need to know how we might keep the lights on,
“I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement, particularly the support he is offering small and medium-sized businesses. As someone whose business has been directly affected, although not disastrously, I know the disruption it is causing. Will the Prime Minister assure me that no business will be lost and no livelihood subsequently lost because of the actions of those thugs and hooligans, and that the £20 million support fund, if deemed not big enough, will be increased to make sure that those things do not happen.”
Stephen Metcalfe: “May I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the leadership that he has shown in establishing such a wide-ranging and robust inquiry? Given that the Motorman investigation revealed details of 305 journalists and 30 newspapers and magazines, why does he think that a similar inquiry was not established following that?”
The church is a few hundred yards from where the murdered schoolgirl, Danielle Jones once lived. The murder of Danielle is set to be re-examined by the police in the light of the phone-hacking allegations against the now defunct News of the World. On the day of its final publication, we asked Mr Metcalfe, if he mourned its passing?
“Existing legislation already requires trade unions contemplating industrial action to ballot their membership and give due notice to the employer. “Government encourages both London Underground (LU) and the trade unions representing LU employees to resolve current disputes as quickly as possible through negotiation”.
Stephen was welcomed to the plant by Nigel Staves, Plant Director for nPower, was given a comprehensive tour and was told all about the conversion plans. He was also shown some of the technical challenges that the plant faces in its conversion, such as moving the two 1100 tonne coal unloading cranes to make way for new cranes capable of unloading the wood chip which the plant will burn.
