Local MP Andrew Percy has welcomed over £3.5 million of Government funding over the next few years for local flood defences.

The funding will be spread across local projects. Funding allocations include £185k for Goole Riverside Flood Project, £3m for Rawcliffe Bridge Embankment repairs, £45k for Goole and Airmyn Internal Drainage Board and an indicative £74k for the Hook and Southfield Supplementary Alleviation Project. In North Lincolnshire there’s an indicative figure of £325k funding for Epworth Turbary and £250k for Haxey Turbary.

Andrew requested an update from the Environment Agency who have confirmed the Goole schemes will likely involve improvements to reduce the risk of surface water flooding. The Rawcliffe Bridge Embankment project will involve repairs to stretches of the River Don as well as investigations to see if further work is necessary.

Andrew Percy MP says, “Many people were affected by the Goole floods last year which were caused by surface water flooding. However, our area is also at risk from river flooding as evidenced in 2000.

That is why I’m pleased the Conservative-led Government is taking flooding seriously in our local area. The newly announced local funding for flood defences totals more than £3.5m between the various projects in the Goole, Rawcliffe Bridge and the Isle of Axholme over the next few years.

The funding for the River Don is to address the risk of seepage during high water levels and follows on from bore hole sampling of the River bank last year.  The Goole and Hook schemes are to address surface water drainage by improving land drainage.  However, the Environment Agency tell me that there is more work to be done yet before the funding is made available.”

East Riding Councillor, Caroline Fox adds, “John, Andrew and I have long campaigned for better flood defences and so this funding is very welcome. The money for Rawcliffe Bridge builds on studies commissioned after the floods of 2000 and should ensure local residents are better protected.

We will continue to push for improvements to our local flood defences and keep residents fully updated.”

Photo: Andrew Percy, Stuart Priestly (Chairman of the Rawcliffe Internal Drainage Board, Cllr Caroline Fox and Cllr John Barrett.

Local MP, Andrew Percy, spent last Friday night working behind the bar at the Percy Arms, in Airmyn. The evening comes as part of a campaign by the pub trade and the All Party Parliamentary Beer and Pub Group to get Parliamentarians behind the bar to gain a better understanding of the pressures facing local pubs.

Andrew Percy says, "I am greatful to Mike the landlord of the Percy for inviting me in to work a shift. As MPs we are often asked to make important decisions affecting large sections of society without really having the experience to judge properly. The pub trade is one of these sectors and that is why I think this is a really great initiative.

Having a Percy work behind the bar at the Percy Arms just seemed to make sense and I really enjoyed myself. I was ably helped on my way by bar staff Sami and Tori who certainly kept me on my toes! Pulling pints was fairly simple but figuring which glass to use for many of the other drinks really needs a degree! Apologies to those drinkers who got their drinks in the wrong glasses.

The pub trade has struggled in recent years as they try to compete against cheaper off-sales and an ever widening choice of alternative leaisure activities. Many villages have lost their pubs altogether and it is really important we all do what we can to support those that remain. The Percy Arms was certainly heaving on Friday and following my shift I now feel a little bit better informed about the trade."

Photo - Landlord Mike Farra, Barmaid, Sami Byrom, and Andrew Percy MP

Yesterday I went to see projects funded by Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN). WREN is a not-for-profit organisation that helps benefit people who live close to landfill sites by awarding funding grants for the community, conservation and heritage projects. Most of WREN’s funding comes from landfill tax.

I visited Whitton Church (pictured above), the MUGA (Multi Use Games Area, pictured below) in South Ferriby and Worlby Village Hall which have all received WREN grants. It was great to see first hand where these funds have been put to use for local communities. 

Local MP Andrew Percy recently met with Adam Higgitt, Head of Government and Parliamentary Business at Ofcom and Graham Louth, Director of Spectrum Markets, to discuss high speed fibre optic broadband and mobile phone coverage. The meeting was particularly important for rural communities who, in many areas, suffer from slow fixed-line Internet speeds and poor mobile phone signal for both voice and Internet use.

Ofcom explained they are set to auction mobile phone spectrum freed up from, amongst other things, the switch from analogue to digital TV. Stipulations attached to the auction would mean at least 98% of the population would be covered by signal from next generation 4G technology, increasing mobile Internet speed and voice coverage.

Ofcom said they were looking at linking these proposals to the Coalition Government’s £150m investment to improve mobile phone signal in the hardest to reach places.

The meeting follows last year’s announcement that the Humber region would get £8.5m of funding for proposals which include 90% of our area having access to super-fast broadband. The proposals mean the remaining 10% should have speeds of at least 2Mbps allowing fast browsing and the use of video streaming services like the BBC’s iPlayer.

Andrew Percy MP said, “For many communities mobile phone and broadband coverage is insufficient. Meeting with Ofcom, it was clear that the roll out of 4G mobile coverage has the potential to increase broadband speeds and coverage to all but the most isolated of communities. With the Government committed to broadband coverage to 90% of homes, much of the remaining 10% could potentially be covered by 4G.

The Internet is becoming an increasing part of peoples home and work lives. A failure to roll out broadband properly puts rural communities at a distinct disadvantage to more urban communities.

Residents can rest assured that I'll continue to push the case for better mobile and broadband coverage.”

Marking National Apprenticeship Week, Andrew Percy has welcomed the 76.1% increase in the number of people starting an apprenticeship in Goole and Brigg constituency last year.

The Government is delivering unprecedented funding for new apprenticeships. In addition, the Prime Minister has announced that from 7 February 2012:

• Businesses and training providers can bid for a share of £6 million from the Higher Apprenticeship Fund, which will support the development of thousands of new Higher Apprenticeships in sectors including aerospace, energy and renewable technologies.

• Small and medium-sized businesses without any apprentices who hire one aged 16-24 are eligible for a £1,500 bonus, with up to 40,000 payments available.

• Businesses can bid for a share of a £250 million fund to boost skills in their workplace, giving employers rather than training providers direct access to funding for training.

Andrew Percy said:

“Apprenticeships are something I have championed since I was elected as I passionately believe we need to restore them to the standing this once had. In recent years, too much focus has been on getting young people to University which is not always the right route for everyone.

National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to congratulate apprentices across our area on the fantastic work they are doing and to highlight the huge benefits apprenticeships bring.

“Apprenticeships allow people to earn and learn at the same time, while significantly increasing their potential future earnings. But the benefits go wider than that – every £1 spent on an apprenticeship returns an estimated benefit of £18 to the economy.

“That’s why it is such great news that 350 more people locally started an apprenticeship last year thanks to the Coalition’s extra investment – a 76.1% increase on the previous year.

“I would urge people of all ages to consider becoming an apprentice and seize the opportunities that this government has opened up.”

Brigg and Goole MP, Andrew Percy, has teamed up with York Central MP, Hugh Bayley, to table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons that calls on the Government to refund to Air Ambulances all the VAT which they pay on the fuel they use. The Early Day Motion has received all party support.

Special provision is made in the EU VAT Directive for the zero-rating of fuel for use by the Lifeboat Service, which provides an essential rescue service often in extremely difficult conditions;  but no provision is made for the Air Ambulance Service’s, which provides life-saving rapid response emergency service to millions of people every year.  EU legislation does not allow individual countries like the UK to unilaterally extend zero rates of VAT to other charities or rescue services.  Andrew Percy is therefore calling on the government to return in the form of grants to Air Ambulance Services providers all the VAT which the Treasury collects from them.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is one of 20 Air Ambulance Service independent charities in the UK providing a service to 5 million people across Yorkshire.  They operate two helicopters in the region, one in North Yorkshire and the other at Leeds Bradford International Airport, which enables them to cover a vast area that includes major cities and motorways, as well as rural and isolated locations.  Their work includes attending road traffic collisions, hospital transfers and other medical emergencies where a road ambulance would have difficulty attending quickly enough.  To keep providing this life saving service the charity needs to raise £7,200 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s Air Ambulances maintained and in the air.  Last year the Yorkshire Air Ambulance purchased around 170,000 litres of fuel and incurred £5,799.06 in VAT costs.  It would be an enormous help to them if the government were to return to them the amount of VAT which is collected.

Andrew Percy MP says:

“The Yorkshire Air Ambulance does a fantastic job for our region but can only survive thanks to donations. To keep their two helicopters in the air and saving lives the charity has to raise £7200 every day, equivalent to £2.65 million every year!

Their paramedics are highly skilled and often have to work in dangerous conditions.  The service they provide is irreplaceable and they have saved many lives by their quick actions.  The Air Ambulance Services are as vital as the Lifeboat Service and would get an enormous benefit by having the VAT they pay for fuel repaid to them.”

Paul Gowland of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance added:

“We are constantly striving to raise the vital finds required to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulances in the air and operational, therefore any reimbursements or donations would be very greatly received by the Charity.”

The text of the Early Day Motion is as follows:

That this House notes that, whilst the Lifeboat Service has been exempt from VAT on fuel costs since 1977, a similar privilege has not been afforded to the Air Ambulance Service;  further notes that the Air Ambulance Service is forced to meet rising fuel prices year on year; recognises that voluntary fundraising and charitable donations from the British public to sustain the Air Ambulance Service have saved successive governments millions of pounds in expenditure;  calls on the government to review this matter in recognition of the valuable service the Air Ambulance Service provides;  and calls on the government to return in the form of grants to Air Ambulance Service providers all the VAT which the Treasury collects from them so that the Air Ambulance Service is in practice exempt from paying VAT in the same way as the Lifeboat Service.

It was tabled with cross-party support from MPs including:  Andrew Percy (Conservative), Hugh Bailey (York Central), Julian Sturdy (Conservative) John Healey (Labour), Kevin Barron (Labour), George Mudie (Labour), and Greg Mulholland (Liberal Democrat).