Prospective Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy has welcomed the Government’s decision to renew the Post Office contract to handle pension and benefit payment card accounts until 2015.

The Post Office Card Account (POCA) was introduced in 2003 as part of the Government’s aim to phase out all cash payments via order books and giro cheques in favour of direct payment.

The POCA is used by more than 4 million people across the country. It had faced competition for running the Post Office Card Account from a private firm, but ministers have decided to close the bidding process.

Andrew Percy said:

"I am relieved and congratulate the Government on making the right decision. We have repeatedly called on the Government to maintain this account. The loss of POCA would have dealt a further blow to the Post Office network and would have caused another round of Post office closures.

"Many of us have campaigned long and hard for our local post offices and in particular those which serve rural communities. Labour has closed 4,875 post offices since 1997, nearly ten a week. The Government needs to do much more to put them on a healthy financial footing and this decision is a good start."

Prospective MP Andrew Percy has given his backing to a national campaign promoting warmer, better insulated homes. The Warm Homes Campaign is a national campaign that aims to cut the number of excess winter deaths and reduce cold-related illnesses by raising awareness of the help available to people who cannot afford to heat their homes in winter.

Andrew says, “I am delighted to be supporting this campaign as cold, damp homes affect the most vulnerable members of our community such as the elderly and people with disabilities. This is a really valuable campaign which highlights both the issue of fuel poverty whilst at the same time offering practical advice to residents who are struggling.

There is help available out there and I would encourage anyone who thinks they may qualify for assistance to get in touch with the various bodies. There is also a great deal of practical help out there on how people can cut their energy bills. One of the ways suggested is by turning our thermostats down by just one degree which could save up to £65 on our heating bills.

I am also encouraging residents to take up energy saving advice. One bit of advice I have been taking is to turn the heating down by just 1 degree (as modelled in the photo!!!) which can apparently save £65 on our energy bills.”

Further info is available at http://www.nea.org.uk/warm-homes-campaign-200/

What support is available?

Pension Credit – This scheme provides extra financial help for older people on low incomes. To check your entitlement to Pension Credit, telephone (freephone) 0800 99 1234

Warm Front – This scheme offers grants of up to £2,700 (£4,000 where oil-fired heating is installed) for a range of improvements including, loft and cavity wall insulation, heating improvements, draughtproofing and energy advice. For more info contact the Warm Front Team on 0800 316 2805

Winter Fuel Payments – More than 11 million people benefit from this payment and this year the payment is £250 for households aged 60-79 and £400 for households aged 80 or over. To find out if you qualify contact 0800 99 1234

Andrew has teamed up with neighbouring MP David Davis to sign the ‘Fair Deal on the Docks’ petition which is calling on the Government to scrap changes to the way business rates for companies operating on the ports along the Humber are charged. The changes have lead to increased tax bills back-dated for three years, meaning local jobs are being put at risk.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy says; “David and I have both been down to the docks and have also had discussions with some of the affected businesses. The simple fact of the matter is that if local businesses can’t afford to pay these bills then they may be forced to close and that means local jobs will be lost. The Government really needs to pull its finger out and get this issue, which they have now known about for months, resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned.”

The petition is available to sign at http://www.humberbusiness.com/Petition.aspx.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy is demanding that the decision to downgrade Goole Fire Station be revisited following the admission by Humberside Fire Brigade that they are desperately short of retained firefighters at both Howden and Snaith Fire Stations. Goole is presently crewed by two full-time pumps but will be reduced to one full-time and one part-time retained pump.

Andrew Percy says, "I could not believe my eyes when I read that a spokesman for the Fire Brigade had said that the recruitment of retained firefighters was so bad that if there was a fire next to some of the retained stations at the moment, crews would have to come from other areas to fight the fire!

Worse still, we are told that recruitment at Snaith and Howden is especially desperate which is very concerning as these two stations are presently backed-up by the full-time crews at Goole. What will happen if they have similar issues recruiting retained firefighters in Goole for the downgraded second pump.

We could end up with exactly the situation we predicted during the recent consultation on the proposed fire cuts, i.e. the one full-time crew being left to cover the Goole, Howden and Snaith fire areas! When we suggested this during the consultation our concerns were poo-poohed and we were assured this could not happen!

I am frankly astonished that senior fire officers continued to recommend the downgrading of Goole Fire Station when they must have known that the recruitment of retained firefighters was such an issue. I have written to the Chief Fire Officer demanding he revisits the decision to downgrade Goole once again."

Shadow Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Jim Paice MP visited Brigg and Goole last week to discuss flooding issues on the Isle of Axholme. Jim met with Andrew and Isle Councillors John Briggs and Liz Redfern.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy explains, "We met with Jim Paice in Owston Ferry where we discussed concerns over the River Trent Flood Catchment Plan which proposes increasing the flood risk on the Isle of Axholme. The plan has been created by the Enviornment Agency who are working to Government directions which require them to protect urban areas to the detriment of rural areas. I also took the opportunity to express similar concerns about the River Aire Flood Catchment Plan which will increase flooding in the Snaith and Rawcliffe areas.

Jim's visit is the latest in a series by Shadow Ministers who, unlike Labour Ministers, are keen to come our area to hear our concerns."

Shadow Minister Jim Paice MP says, "I was delighted to come to Brigg and Goole to hear how concerned local people are about both of these flood plans. For the Environment to simply turn its back on 100s years of maintaining defences does not make sense. It is contrary to local opinion and illogical. The Government must place flood prevention higher up the agenda."

Following his visit to Owston Ferry, Jim Paice went to meet with local farmers from across North Lincolnshire.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy has officially backed the 'A Toll Too Far' campaign which has been launched jointly by The Scunthorpe Telegraph and the Hull Daily Mail. The campaign is gathering signatures from across the region on a petition which demands Government action to deal with the tolls.

Andrew Percy, who has been campaigning for action on the tolls explains, "I was delighted to sign up for this campaign and would urge as many residents as possible to sign up too.

Having the local media on side is a real boost to our campaign as they are in an excellent position to bring everyone together on this matter and to really provide the publicity we need. The Humber Bridge Tolls Study which reported last week showed that  the cost of the tolls to the local economy over the next 25 years will be in excess of £1 billion.

We really need action from the Government to address this issue and hopefully the Scunthorpe Telegraph's campaign will prove to Ministers just how important this matter is to local people."

Photo: Andrew signs the 'A Toll Too Far' petition.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy took the fight to protect local jobs to the Conservative Party Conference in recently where Andrew raised the issue of recent Government changes to the way businesses operating on the docks in Goole are taxed.

Andrew reports, "As a result of the Labour Government changing the way businesses operating on the docks are taxed, businesses have been left with massive tax bills backdated for three years. I have met with some of the affected businesses who told me that these changes could cause businesses to stop their plans for expansion or, even worse, put some of them out of business.

"This would mean local jobs would be lost and I therefore put my name down to speak at the Conservative Party Conference and was delighted to be called to speak. I explained what impact the changes could have locally and how important it was that local jobs were protected.

"I am therefore delighted that David Cameron has taken this issue up and we must all hope that the Government will see sense and change their minds. We need a Government that supports local jobs, not one that puts them at risk."

Prospective Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy has played an instrumental role in stopping the abolition of the 120 year old Hull and Goole Port Health Authority which is charged with protecting public, animal and environmental health at the Humber Ports. The future of the Authority was under threat following a Best Value Review which considered abolishing the Authority altogether.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Port Health Authority comments, "I was determined that this 120 year old institution should not simply be swept away because of a Government required review. The Port Health Authority has protected local people living near to the ports and wharves of Goole, Hull and North Lincolnshire for decades from the risks of disease and the environmental hazards which accompany international trade.

I was therefore delighted to be able to move against the proposal to abolish the body and I am especially pleased to have won the support of other parties represented on the board. Goole Labour Councillor Keith Moore deserves special mention for the way he spoke in defence of the Port Health Authority too and it was great to be able to work with Keith on this important issue.

There are other threats to the Port Health Authority's continued existence but I hope that these can also be resolved and that this 120 year old body will be allowed to continue working to protect the public health of those people who live near the Humber ports."

Prospective Brigg and Goole MP Andrew Percy has welcomed the recent involvement of local Labour MPs in the campaign to force a re-think of Government changes to the way businesses operating on the docks in Goole are rated. The reassesments of the way in which non-domestic business rates are applied will leave businesses operating on port land with massive bills back-dated for three years! Local jobs will be put at risk.

Andrew Percy explains: "Both David Davis MP and I have been involved in this issue for some time and have been working closely with the Lib Dem Leader of Hull City Council where businesses operating on the ports have already been revalued, leaving many of them with back-dated bills running into millions. The bills for Goole will be sent out shortly and we are extremely concerned at the impact this could have on local jobs.

"On September 5^th I met with David Cameron MP whilst he was visiting the Brigg and Goole constituency and raised this matter with him too. I also arranged for David to meet with two representatives of the businesses affected and as a result they were able to question him on the matter. David agreed to take up this matter and to help apply as much pressure to the Government as possible in the hope that they will stop the retrospective collection of the rates.

"That is why I now welcome the involvement of local Labour MPs who have now agreed to get involved on this issue too. We all need to work together to encourage the Government to stop this harmful revaluation which could put local businesses and jobs at risk.

"It is really positive that Labour MPs have now woken up to this issue and joined the campaign against this unfairness. They are after all the ones who have a direct line to Government Ministers and so we expect them to deliver a u-turn from the Government."

David Davis MP added: "This announcement could not have come at a worse time for the affected local businesses. Many businesses are already struggling to cope with the economic downturn, increased energy and business costs and they will now be hit with a massive tax bill, back dated for three years. If the Government is so determined to bring these changes in they should have made their intentions clear to businesses well in advance so that they could include them in their future business planning."

Photo: Andrew on a previous visit to the Goole Docks with the Shadow Environment Secretary.

Residents in Brigg have been left shocked after learning that the current Labour MP for Brigg and Goole voted in Parliament to support a new law which forces Councils to provide new sites for travellers. As a result of this new legislation, North Lincolnshire's Labour Council has proposed three new traveller sites on Station Road, Brigg.

Prospective MP Andrew Percy has slammed the proposals saying, "This location is totally unacceptable and I am working hard to fight Labour's proposals for three new sites in Brigg. Cllr Nigel Sherwood, myself and Cllr Carl Sherwood (pictured in Brigg) decided that we could not just let Labour slide these proposals through and as such we have started to deliver a leaflet to every house in Brigg informing local people of how they can object to these proposals. As usual, it has been left to the local Conservatives to get out there and tell local people what is going on.

"The site in question is totally inappropriate for this sort of development and we do question why Brigg has been chosen to house three new sites. Although the proposals come from the Labour Council, it is important to remember that they really have very little choice in this matter. Changes introduced by the Government in 2004, supported by our MP, actually require Councils to identify new sites.

"Instead of explaining his decision to support this new legislation, our current Labour MP apparently claims to oppose the proposed sites in Brigg! This is an insult to the intelligence of the residents of Brigg and, just like on Post Office closures, proves that our MP says one thing locally, but does something very differently when at Westminster. This sort of hypocrisy explains why so many people are cynical of politicians.

"Our Labour MP should apologise to the people of Brigg for supporting the very legislation that could result in three new traveller sites in the town at what is a totally inappropriate location.

"Residents at least know that the Conservatives will be honest on this issue and we will continue to oppose the proposal."