| |
 |
For the latest news from Labour
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Welcome to the website of
Gwyn Prosser MP
Labour Member of Parliament for Dover & Deal
** WHAT'S NEW **
10p TAX RATE
UPDATE
Over the course of the last twelve months I have had discussions with Ministers and made written representations to the Chancellor in which I’ve expressed my objections to the unfair effect of the abolition of the 10p tax rate on those of my constituents who are least able to afford a cut in their net income.
A growing number of my Labour colleagues on the back benches have been similarly involved for many months and we were of the opinion that the Government would respond to our lobbying pressure and find a way of correcting or ameliorating the damage during the 2008 Budget in March.
Unfortunately, no improvement was forthcoming and after raising our continuing concerns directly with the Prime Minister last month and having failed to solicit a favourable response, we tabled Early Day Motion No 1308 in Parliament which was effective in re-opening the debate.
Since then I have had lots of further discussions with Ministers and Labour Whips and I gave them notice that I would oppose the Government’s Finance Bill and vote for any appropriate amendment that required the Chancellor to redress the low earners issue.
Many of my Labour colleagues did likewise and I’m pleased that the Government have now listened to our complaints and to your concerns and have reacted in a helpful way.
On the 23rd April the Chancellor made a statement explaining some of the background to the changes and outlines a package of compensation for pensioners and young people who have lost money as a result of the abolition of the 10p tax rate. He said he will assess the loss to pensioners aged 60-64 and childless people and produce remedies in the autumn - with the money backdated to April of this year.
I hope you will agree that this represents a major breakthrough in our campaign. These assurances have allowed me to support the Finance Bill but I will want to see the measures implemented in a fair and expedient manner. Ministers know that there will be further opportunities for backbenchers like me to apply pressure if the conciliatory spirit of the Chancellor’s statement is not translated into practical measures to help low earners.
GWYN PUBLISHES HIS PARLIAMENTARY EXPENSES
The investigation into the abuse of the Parliamentary Allowances system by Derek Conway who allegedly used his Staffing Allowance to pay members of his family salaries and bonuses for services which could not be corroborated has attracted much-justified critical comment and given rise to MPs, the media and the public calling for more transparency and disclosure.
I support these calls and I have put on record my wish to see the whole of the staffing, allowances and expense system radically reformed.
My allowances and expenses
By far the biggest proportion of my allowances pay for the employment of three permanent members of staff, the rent and upkeep of my constituency office and the provision of computers, printers, IT communication services and all the other necessities of running a busy professional office system. These monies pass directly from the Parliamentary Finance Department to the suppliers of office services and to my staff’s salaries and do not pass through my hands. None of my staff are related to me in any way.
In the interests of transparency I am publishing below all the expenses and allowances I have called down since 2001 along the ranking order of each claim.
(In the currently Parliament of 646 Members – a ranking of ‘1st ‘ would represent the highest claimant and a ranking of ‘646’ would be the lowest spender.)
|
Type |
2006/07 (ranking out of 645) |
2005/06 |
2004/05 (ranking out of 659) |
2003/04 (ranking out of 658) |
2002/03 (ranking out of 657) |
2001/02 (ranking out of 657) |
|
Additional Costs Allowance |
£17,713 (454th) |
£20,707 |
£18,397 (382nd) |
£20,035 (250th) |
£13,010 (561st) |
£12,328 (506th) |
|
London Supplement |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
Incidental Expenses Provision |
£24,435 (108th) |
£20,390 |
£16,592 (427th) |
£18,799 (joint 13th) |
£18,131 (323rd) |
£13,610 (392nd) |
|
Staffing Allowance |
£72,711 (578th) |
£77,789 |
£72,236 (248th) |
£68,125 (222nd) |
£62,231 (393rd) |
£43,632 (421st) |
|
Members' Travel |
£4,520 (492nd)* |
£4,195 |
£4,704 (545th) |
£6,043 (479th) |
£5,975 (488th) |
£4,814 (480th) |
|
Members' Staff Travel |
£71 (joint 394th) |
£118 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£29 (joint 453rd) |
|
Centrally Purchased Stationery |
£832 (joint 349th) |
£812 |
£1,296 (209th) |
£1,113 (joint 215th) |
£1,721 (123rd) |
£2,700 (27th) |
|
Stationery: Associated Postage Costs |
£1,516 (joint 494th) |
£1,129 |
£3,335 (232nd) |
£2,312 (joint 354th) |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Centrally Provided Computer Equipment |
£1,105 (236th) |
£0 |
£2,000 (joint 67th) |
£2,000 (joint 60th) |
£2,000 (joint 60th) |
£2,000 (joint 59th) |
|
Other Costs |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
|
Total |
£122,903 (530th) |
£125,140 |
£118,560 (431st) |
£118,427 (344th) |
£103,068 (511th) |
£79,113 (joint 497th) |
* Car £4,098 (228th). Rail £422 (486th).
MP Opens New Teen Cafe at Dover Discovery Centre
Sport Relief 2008
MP Calls for New Bank Holiday
MP Spreads the Word that Screening Matters
Dover MP Opens New Construction Training Facility
MP Marks Holocaust Day
"Pull Your Finger Out" Says Dover MP
MP Takes A258 Campaigners to Downing Street
MP Raises Insurance Injustice of Wounded Soldier in Parliament
MP Backs Energy Saving Week
MP Invites Everyone to Wear it Pink!
MP LEADS HIGH LEVEL TRANSPORT DELEGATION TO WESTMINSTER
back row l-r - Nadeem Aziz, Chief Executive Dover District Council; Superintendent Roy Cottam, Deputy Area Commander, Kent Police; Chief Superintendent Steve Harris, Area Commander, Kent Police; Howard Holt, Director of Corporate Affairs, Port of Dover. Front row l-r - Cllr Ben Bano, Labour Group Leader, Dover District Council; Cllr Nigel Collor, Portfolio Holder for Access & Property Management, Dover District Council; Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State for Transport; Gwyn Prosser MP
Dover & Deal MP, Gwyn Prosser , led a high level delegation of stakeholders to Westminster for a meeting with the Transport Minister, the Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP, to discuss Dover’s plans for expansion and the need to improve its transport links.
Following the meeting Gwyn said:
“I’ve had a number of informal one-to-one meetings with the Minister since she took up her post and I’ve spelled out Dover’s ambitious growth plans and explained some of our transport concerns.
“At our delegate meeting in Westminster we briefed Ms Winterton on all the regeneration work that’s starting in Dover and Deal and told her about the Port of Dover’s expansion plans for Western Docks.
“We acknowledged the importance of the Government’s decision to run High Speed Trains into Dover but said it was now essential to upgrade the A2 and A20 approach roads if we are to deal with congestion and meet the needs of the townspeople and the expanding ferry trade”
The Minister said that she appreciated the importance of improving Dover’s infrastructure but , unfortunately, the Regional Transport Board has still not designated projects such as the dualling of the A2 as a priority for funding and this meant there was little likelihood of it going ahead in the near future.
However, she agreed to ask her officials to look at other ways of improving the road links to the port by taking advantage of Dover Harbour Board’s plans to expand the port and Dover District Council’s proposals for housing growth at Whitfield.
After the discussions Gwyn said:
“It’s very frustrating that priority decisions made by the Tory controlled South East Regional Assembly in Guilford continue to stand in the way of Dover’s road proposals but I believe we have made good progress towards finding alternative solutions. Shortly, the Ports Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick , will be visiting Dover to continue our discussions on infrastructure”
LOCAL TORIES ARE FAILING DOVER
The Tory administration at Whitfield is failing the electorate in Dover & Deal and their abysmal record on recycling epitomises their inablility to get their act together.
"At a time when other Authorities have moved to 100% kerbside recycling and widening people's options, Dover District Council is stuggling to meet its minimum government targets and 20% of the District has no kerbside recycling at all.
As if this wasn’t bad enough, their Conservative colleagues in County Hall have now abandoned plastic recycling at our local tips so my constituents have absolutely no practical means of disposing of all their plastic bottles etc.
At my street stall at the Town Hall on Saturday, Labour Councillors demonstrated the Tories' failings by opening their own plastics recycling service and have promised to deliver their plastics to one of the authorities which has effective recycling facilities."
THIRTEEN THOUSAND SAY
"HANDS OFF BUCKLAND HOSPITAL"
Gwyn and hospital campaigner, Pauline Major were at the door of No 10 Downing Street yesterday to present petitions containing the names of over 13,000 local people who want East Kent health bosses to keep their hands off Dover’s Buckland Hospital.
"Our health and hospital trusts have spent a lot of money asking the good people of Dover how they want their health services provided and it’s clear to everyone that the management want to farm out services to GPs' surgeries and private nursing homes. This would allow them to shut down Buckland Hospital, sell off the land to the developers and raise big bucks to help pay off their massive debts.
"Dover is fed up with Dover always having to bear the brunt of the Trust’s planning and financial failures and that’s why a massive 13,000 people have expressed the true voice of Dover by saying "Hands off Buckland Hospital."
In the absence of Tony Blair, Pauline and Gwyn handed the petitions to an official at No 10 who said that he would ensure they were brought to the Prime Minister’s attention when he returned.
Gwyn paid tribute to everyone who had contributed to the campaign to save Buckland and in particular the sterling work done by Pauline Major who has been working incessantly to rally support for our local hospital.
DOVER GETS ITS HIGH SPEED RAIL LINK
"Nothing short of monumental !" says MP
"Make no mistake about it – the Government’s positive decision that High Speed Channel Tunnel Trains will be running in and out of Dover within three years is nothing short of monumental, this is great news for everyone in the District and I know it will be heartily welcomed right across the constituency.
"Linking up one of the busiest cities in the country to the busiest ferry port in the world provides us with the biggest single boost to our plans for regeneration and job creation for more than a generation. And the success of the long lobby exercise was the result of the enthusiastic engagement of all the partners and the willingness of Ministers and South Eastern Railways to go the extra mile for Dover.
Obtaining a high speed link for Dover has been Gwyn’s number one priority and his lobbying started way back in 1987 when Mr Prosser took time off from his duties as a Cross Channel Chief Engineer and made representations to the Parliamentary Committee that was considering the Channel Tunnel and the proposed High Speed Rail Link.
When Gwyn entered Parliament in 1997 he used his Maiden Speech to emphasise the importance of improving Dover’s rail links and since then he continued to lobby for the CTRL Domestic services to be brought to his constituency.
Speaking to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) last year Gwyn said:
"We have argued the case for extending the high speed trains into Dover long and hard. We have spelled out the regeneration benefits; we have explained the social need and we have demonstrated the value of linking the busiest city in the country to the busiest ferry port in the world ….."
Working with the strategic partners Gwyn provided input to the CTRL Consultation meetings, held House of Commons meetings with SRA executives, made innumerable written and oral representations to the Secretary of State and introduced his own Adjournment Debate in Parliament entitled Dover and the CTRL.
More recently our MP has arranged ministerial visits to the constituency and taken high powered delegations representing Dover Harbour Board and the District Council to meet with the Minister of State for Transport in Westminster and right up until last week Gwyn continued meeting with Ministers and making written representations.
|
|
|
|
