EDITOR'S CHOICE RAFT RACE SUCCESS Speedy Sealine crews take race glory ‘Treasures’ bring £292 boost Award winners go ‘the extra mile’ REGENERATING KIDDERMINSTER A town that means business Call for cash to clean up town HARRIERS LATEST Ferrell set to commit Fans played on Aggborough's hallowed turf Ferrell - Follow Bulls' path to promotion SPORT LATEST Frisbee stars earn international call-ups Red-hot Brown sets standard Record partnership lifts Mortimer LETTERS Breaking promise over town schools Minbus parking is safety issue Tree likely to be a danger Cricket club need helping hand LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULT Online poll: Safety first VOTE In a bid to cut congestion on roads, Nottingham City Council is introducing an annual fee for businesses providing staff car parking spaces. Do you think this is a good idea? Yes No GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Frisbee stars earn international call-ups 2 Robbery results in memory loss 3 Samurai dominate championships 4 Fans played on Aggborough's hallowed turf 5 Big turn out in Dudley 6 Horticultural society plant sale 7 Charities get concert cash 8 Cups and down for Ferndale 9 Dedicated blood donors honoured 10 Martin will be greatly missed Today | 7 Days 1 More help from freemasons 2 Pothole ‘victim’ makes list of defective roads 3 ‘We won’t pay parking fines’ 4 Learners facing longer journeys 5 Crackdown on illegal parking 6 New Tesco store reconsidered 7 Anger over diverted flood cash 8 Shortcut speeders put lives at risk 9 Happy to support SVR 10 Bright pupils set up action group

Comment

Part of last week's Viewpoint, owing to deadlines and some unbreakable commitments, was overtaken by events and therefore out of date.

The Prime Minister announced during questions last Wednesday - after I had written my column - that he was going to arrange a packet of compensation for all those disadvantaged by the abolition of the 10p tax band.

This was in response to a threatened rebellion by over 40 backbench Labour MPs. However, it was too late to avoid it being regarded as a u-turn and a sign of weakness.

During a debate on this issue last Monday, speakers attempted to get the Minister responding to list the details of compensation, whether this will be backdated and how soon it will be available.

Although Frank Field, the leader of the potential rebellion, spelt out his understanding of the Prime Minister's undertaking for compensation, the Minister noticeably failed to confirm any of these measures.

So we are left not knowing who will be compensated and how or when. It is an unsatisfactory position, especially for people like a constituent whom I saw last week and whom I mentioned, anonymously, in my contribution to the debate.

This person is on a low income, childless, unmarried and disabled, under the age of 60 and has suffered an annual tax increase of nearly £300.

This is impossible to meet and we have no idea if there will be compensation or when it might come. Perhaps the backbench labour rebellion still hangs over the Prime Minister unless he produces plans for compensation very soon. We will have to wait and see.

I wonder when Mr Brown will realise that to change his mind on the 42-day detention without trial proposal, before a rebellion is threatened, might be seen as a sign of common sense if not of strength.

Other debates I have taken part in recently include one on the future of family doctor services when the Secretary of State for Health implied that no Primary Care Trust (PCT) was being forced to have a polyclinic and the definition of such a clinic became more and more blurred.

On Tuesday there was a debate on the funding of drugs for exceptional patients by PCTs. This came down to looking at the definition of exceptional patients and postcode rationing and sadly reached no helpful solutions.

I attended a reception in London for representatives of the Federation of Small Businesses where we were told the burden of crime is heavy. I promised to arrange a meeting at home with representatives of the federation and the local police to explore ways of helping.

A large number of guests enjoyed themselves at our popular Kidderminster Mayor's Charity Ball. We wait to hear how much has been raised for his charity, the Millbrook Suite, provided by local people 10 years ago, now awaiting refurbishment supported by the Hospital League of Friends aided by this contribution from the Mayor's Charity.

Last Sunday over 1,000 young people, Scouts and Guides of all ages from Rainbows and Cubs to Leaders paraded through our streets after services at three separate churches to mark St George's Day. Amazing and how hopeful for the future!

If readers wish to write to Dr Taylor, they should address correspondence to his constituency office at 137 Franche Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 5AP.

9:36am Wednesday 30th April 2008

Print   Email this   Comment

Add your comment

Please note: to publish your comment you must be registered on this site. If you are already registered, please enter your details below. Not registered?
Email:
Password:

Share this: Digg | del.icio.us | Furl | reddit | Facebook | Yahoo! | What's this?

What are these links for?

If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.

At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.

Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.

More on Digg

More on del.icio.us

More on Furl

More on reddit

More on NowPublic/

More on Yahoo!

Archive