Month: June 2013

Westcombe Engineering – Councillor Slams VAT Error

07:22 Monday 17th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: The future of jobs at a Peterborough engineering firm is looking uncertain after a serious accounting error. Westcombe Engineering, which is controlled by the City Council, failed to pay half a million pounds in VAT. The cash has now been repaid in full, but the Council has announced a consultation that puts two posts at risk of redundancy. The workforce there is largely made up of individuals with disabilities. .. Mike Fletcher is the Independent councillor in Peterborough. He’s fought to keep Westcombe Engineering open in the past. Morning Mike.
MIKE FLETCHER: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Are you shocked to learn there could be some redundancies here.
MIKE FLETCHER: It’s very sad news. Making a cock-up like they have done and then wanting to make the most vulnerable disabled people pay for it is absolutely shameful. What I would like to have, and we haven’t got it now, but is the time to talk about the whole core of rottenness that I found surrounded Westcombe.
PAUL STAINTON: Well let’s not get into that right now, because obviously we’d need to go through ..
MIKE FLETCHER: It’s awful.
PAUL STAINTON: … yes let’s not make any accusations that we can’t sustantiate at the moment.
MIKE FLETCHER: I can. I can substantiate it Paul. Continue reading “Westcombe Engineering – Councillor Slams VAT Error”

Peterborough Energy Plans – Government Steps In

07:41 Friday 14th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has warned Peterborough City Council that he will call in plans to build an energy park near Newborough, if they give it the go-ahead at a meeting on Monday. The Council is planning to erect solar panels and wind turbines of course on that farmland in the North of the city. Local residents up in arms, campaigning against it. Earlier this week English Heritage sent a letter to the City Council saying more archeological investigation was needed. So planning officers have now recommended that initial approval for the first part of the project be delayed. Well Conservative MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson has publicly condemned the project, and has written a letter to Eric Pickles voicing his concerns. And Stewart I believe you’ve tabled a Question in Parliament as well, haven’t you?
STEWART JACKSON: Yes. The Question I tabled Paul was whether he was going to call in the application, and he’s answered that Question now for me, without writing back to me, which is fine.
PAUL STAINTON: OK. So even if it’s rubber stamped at this meeting on Monday, or at a further date, he will look at it. And what does that mean? Continue reading “Peterborough Energy Plans – Government Steps In”

Julian Huppert On Bullying In Parliament

17:07 Thursday 13th June 2013
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RONNIE BARBOUR: The question of whether bullying is a problem in the Houses of Parliament has been raised by Cambridge’s MP, who said he’d been a victim. Whenever Julian Huppert rises to speak in the Commons his words are often drowned out by jeers and groans. It’s also been suggested that Speaker John Bercow may heve encouraged the unruly behaviour by referring to Mr Huppert as “The Good Doctor”. Just before we came on air, I spoke to Mr Huppert, and I asked why he’d raised the issue of bullying in Parliament now. Continue reading “Julian Huppert On Bullying In Parliament”

Peterborough Council Solar Plan – Site Investigation Requested

17:12 Wednesday 12th June 2013
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[C]HRIS MANN: A decision on whether the Morris Fen solar farm near Thorney can go ahead has been deferred. English Heritage have urged precaution, and want to investigate the potential for buried remains, the environment in past geological times, and whether changes in hydrology might impact on the preservation of buried remains. Let’s find out what all that means. Nick Harding joins me now. He’s from Peterborough City Council’s Planning Services. Hi Nick.
NICK HARDING: Hello. Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: So we’ve just received the news this evening about this deferrment. So is the Council going cold on it?
NICK HARDING: No, not at all. This is all part of the planning process. Unfortunately we didn’t receive this letter from English Heritage until yesterday evening, so what we’ve done is go through that letter in detail, and have a brief discussion with colleagues at English Heritage. And what we’ve decided to do is to put forward to Committee on Monday a revised recommendation. Originally the recommendation was essentially to approve the development proposal. But in the light of this letter, what we’re asking Committee to do is to formally defer consideration of the application.
CHRIS MANN: And how long might that be for? Continue reading “Peterborough Council Solar Plan – Site Investigation Requested”

NHS Staff Confidential Payments Inquiry

07:38 Wednesday 12th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: An MP for North East Cambridgeshire says the head of the NHS in England has questions to answer over more than 50 confidential payments totalling £2 million to hospital staff over the last five years. Today, the Public Accounts Committee will ask Sir David Nicholson what he knew about the so-called Judicial Mediation Payments made by Hospital Trusts, and whether they were used to gag NHS whistleblowers. A Member of the Committee, Conservative Stephen Barclay is demanding an inquiry into the payments, which evaded Whitehall scrutiny. In a moment we’ll speak to Stephen. First, here’s our reporter Henrietta McMicking with the details of what’s gone on. So what are these Judicial Mediation Payments all about then? Continue reading “NHS Staff Confidential Payments Inquiry”

The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Bid And The Reality of Rail

08:20 Tuesday 11th June 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: A new group launches today, aimed at improving links between Cambridge, London and Stansted Airport. It’s called the London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Consortium, or for short LSCCC. Business leaders and MPs are meeting in London today for the official launch. Steven King is the Deputy Director of the LSCCC. He says better transport links are one of their main aims. (TAPE)
STEVEN KING: One of our first dividends already is the railway line. It’s ridiculous that it takes so long to get from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, and also it’s absolutely ridiculous that there’s only one train an hour between Cambridge and Stansted Airport. So we’ve already extracted from the Mayor of London about £27 miilion to upgrade that line. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: But of course transport doesn’t just mean trains. The group is also looking to improve how Stansted serves the area, meaning possibly introducing more long-haul flight. Jeanette Walker is from the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. She says that would be a big help for many hi-tech companies in the city and beyond. (TAPE)
JEANETTE WALKER: They may be based in Cambridge, but it’s likely that their customers, their investors, perhaps the scientific advisers and collaboraters, will be located overseas. And that’s why having quick and easy access to international airports is crucial. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well listening to all that is George Freeman, MP for Mid-Norfolk. He recently called for Cambridge to receive a £1 billion Government investment now, to ensure its continued growth. George, morning.
GEORGE FREEMAN: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Why so much money for Cambridge? Continue reading “The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor Bid And The Reality of Rail”

Nick Pickles On William Hague and Internet Privacy

17:12 Monday 10th June 2013
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[N]ICK FAIRBAIRN: Let’s bring in Nick Pickles, who’s the Director of Big Brother Watch, who describe themselves as “defending civil liberties and protecting privacy”. Evening to you Nick.
NICK PICKLES: Good evening.
NICK FAIRBAIRN: Just give us your reaction first of all to that statement from William Hague. Continue reading “Nick Pickles On William Hague and Internet Privacy”

Peterborough NHS Monitor Report – MP Meets Minister

17:07 Friday 7th June 2013
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CHRIS MANN: Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust has been told it’s financially unsustainable in its current form. A report from Monitor says the Trust will continue to operate at a deficit of at least £38 million each year for the next five years. It’s also been suggested they would not be able to pay its staff or buy any more medical supplies if the Department of Health does not intervene. Well let’s put this in some context. Here’s our reporter Alex Harris. Alex, tell us what’s been going on.
ALEX HARRIS: Well the new Peterborough Hospital opened three years ago, and was built with Private Finance Initiative money, in a deal signed off by Labour back in 2007. It was a decision given the go ahead by the East of England Strategic Health Authority and Trust bosses, but that decision turned out to be costly. The Trust found itself battling a multi-million pound debt, as it still is, with the failure to shift the old site of the hospital, which remains unsold. Now the Trust has received a number of Government bail-outs, which the taxpayers are paying to keep the Trust afloat. These are to the tune of £2 million a month for the next 30 years or so. Well clinicians and MPs have maintained throughout however that patients care has not suffered, but finances are a different matter, and a report that we will be seeing today compiled by Price Waterhouse Cooper says that while the Hospital is deemed clinically sound, it is financially unstable in its current form. It’s deficit has reduced, and at the end of the 2012 financial year it stood at £45 million. It’s come down to £37 million, but that deficit will continue. And for the next five years, the report says it will rack up a deficit of at least £38 million every year. But perhaps most worryingly is the long term prognosis of the Trust’s finances. The report says that without future bailouts, without more Government intervention, the Trust will not be able to pay staff salaries, and will not be able to pay for medicines.
CHRIS MANN: Alex Harris with that background report. Well let’s find out more about this. Stewart Jackson is the Conservative MP for Peterborough. Hello Stewart.
STEWART JACKSON: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Talk to you in just a moment or two, but first of all, Dr Peter Reading is the Interim Chief Executive of Peterborough and Stamford NHS Trust. Hello Peter.
PETER READING: Good afternoon Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Truly frightening numbers. A massive deficit. What’s the future? Continue reading “Peterborough NHS Monitor Report – MP Meets Minister”