David was born in 1950, and educated at Eton College, Mons Officer Cadet School, St John’s College, Oxford (M.Litt), and the Graduate School of Business at Cape Town University (MBA). MP’S HEART TO HEART WITH LOCAL VOLUNTEERS
Posted on 10th November 2011 in to David Tredinnick and Parliament
David Tredinnick MP helped volunteers celebrate a key milestone for a national charity’s Hinckley fundraising outlet.
The British Heart Foundation recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the setting up of its Castle Street shop with the local MP on hand to present certificates and commemorative badges to long-serving volunteers.
David Tredinnick, who serves on the House of Commons Health Select Committee, said, “The British Heart Foundation does a great deal of excellent work in the fight against diseases of the heart and circulation, with a particular emphasis on prevention, in order to reduce the number of premature deaths.
“The volunteers at the Hinckley shop are vital to the success of the British Heart Foundation and I have enormous admiration for their dedication to this very good cause over many years.”
TRIBUTES AFTER LONG SERVING PARISH COUNCILLOR DIES
Posted on 9th November 2011 in to Conservative Association
Ken Turner, one of Burbage’s longest serving parish councillors, has died this week after becoming ill during a holiday in Malta to celebrate his Diamond wedding anniversary, which was on 6th October.
Ken joined Burbage Parish Council soon after it was established, having for many years been of the opinion that the body was needed in order that the village should have greater control over its own local services.
Along with his wife Barbara, Ken lived in Burbage for many years where they were involved in numerous community organisations and both were stalwarts of the local Conservative Association. Ken was a particularly keen golfer and, again with Barbara, also an enthusiastic member of Hinckley Bowling Club and Barwell Indoor Bowling Club.
Ken and Barbara had two daughters, Susan and Sally, and grandchildren.
Local MP David Tredinnick said, “Ken Turner was a passionate campaigner for Burbage and he always worked for the good of the local community. He will be missed by a great many people in the village and beyond. My deepest sympathies go to his wife Barbara, their family and many friends.”
TREDINNICK WELCOMES MIRA’S £19.4 MILLION REGIONAL GROWTH FUND GRANT IN PARLIAMENT
Posted on 1st November 2011 in to David Tredinnick and Parliament
David Tredinnick, MP for Bosworth, has during a Parliamentary debate welcomed the news of the success of MIRA (the advanced engineering, research and testing facility located on the A5 to the north west of Hinckley) in receiving £19.4m from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) established by the Government to boost business growth.
David Tredinnick said, “This fantastic news about the £19.4m RGF award follows on from the Enterprise Zone status MIRA gained in August and I felt it was important that the MPs attending the Parliamentary debate learned of how vitally important this development is for jobs and economic development in the Midlands.
“MIRA have worked very hard to put in place plans for the most advanced technology park in Europe, a major development which is an exciting and economically vital boost for our area and the country as a whole. These proposals have been actively supported by all the local MPs, who have done everything they can to assist with the process, and I fully endorse the Government’s backing for this important development, which will bring many jobs to our area.”
EXTRACT FROM DAVID TREDINNICK’s SPEECH DURING THE REGIONAL GROWTH FUND DEBATE – 1ST NOVEMBER 2011
“I want to address the issue of the regional growth fund and explain why it has been fundamentally important to my Leicestershire constituency, which sits on the boundary of the east and the west midlands. The Government’s decision yesterday to grant regional growth fund second round support to the MIRA technology park will make a huge difference not just in my constituency—my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr Jones) nods his head—but right across the midlands, because it will impact on some of the areas with the greatest problems.
The new MIRA technology park, which desperately needed regional growth fund status, was approved by Her Majesty’s Government in August. This new technology park will attract up to £300 million—perhaps more—in private investment. It is also likely to create and be responsible for up to 5,000 sustainable jobs. We can argue about the numbers—it depends on the catchment area—but it is a massive boost to industry in the heart of England. I represent the heart of England where the Fosse Way crosses Watling Street. We expect 200 jobs to be in place by 2013, largely based in a 43,000 square metre state-of-the art engineering centre, and a 155,000 square metre research and development facility, which will incorporate a new technology park.
I do not want to detain the House for long as many colleagues wish to speak, but I shall refer him to correspondence that I have received from worried constituents and former councillors on transport issues such as not improving the roads, traffic flows that, when measured seem to be too great for the existing roads, and problems on the A444/A5 Red Gate junction. There are also other local issues such as Higham lane roundabout—all concerns about the national highway. With the second round of applications to the regional growth fund, we will solve those problems and all those roundabouts and junctions will be improved. Indeed, the roads must be improved because otherwise heavy vehicles cannot get in safely. As MIRA said, subsequent to the RGF2 bid submission, those improvements will go ahead.
MIRA technology park will receive £20 million from the regional growth fund. I spoke to MIRA’s chief executive yesterday and looked at other aspects of the scheme, and I understand from the Minister’s Department that one or two issues concerning the impact on traffic and traffic changes need to be resolved. I thought that the Department had already dealt with such matters, but I have received reassurances that such problems will not obstruct the bid. I hope that the Minister will address that concern in his response.
The huge knock-on effect of the bid will not be confined to businesses but will have a massive impact on education and apprenticeships. Another leap forward that the Government have made is to improve, invigorate and release more people into the apprenticeship structure. Astonishingly, the Labour Government never really cracked that issue over 13 years. They were always out of kilter; there were never enough plumbers or enough this or that. It was a command economy approach that did not work. We are now freeing up the economy and giving people more responsibility.
Last night representatives from further education colleges visited the House, including Marion Plant from North Warwickshire and Hinckley college. We talked about the importance of developments such as the new Hinckley campus and the studio school that will come on stream in September 2012 with design apprenticeship training, and courses in advanced engineering and health and social care. She told me that there had been 500 applications for nine places. The demand exists, and we are heading in the right direction.
Last Friday I was contacted by Radio Leicester which asked me to do an interview about the increase in the number of apprenticeships in my constituency. I have received one or two other requests in the past, and I accepted that one immediately. There has been a phenomenal increase in apprenticeships in my constituency, which embraces Hinckley and lies adjacent to Nuneaton.
In summary, something is stirring in the heart of England. Under this Government, there are more apprenticeships, and we are allowing institutions such as North Warwickshire and Hinckley college more say about how they run their affairs. There is less top-down government. I have just come from the Health Committee. We will not go into that issue now, but the Government are trying to give more power to doctors, which I welcome. The Government are succeeding in what they are doing, and the regional growth fund is an important part of that. I congratulate the Minister and his colleagues”.
HEALTH SECRETARY LEARNS OF LEICESTERSHIRE’S HEALTH WORK
Posted on 31st October 2011 in to Uncategorised
Local County Councillors and NHS bodies have briefed Secretary of State Andrew Lansley about how they are working together to improve public health.
Mr Lansley visited Leicestershire County Council to meet councillors, public health officials and GPs.
Markfield County Councillor David Sprason with Health Secretary Andrew Lansley MP
Leicestershire County Council has set up a Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board, made up of councillors, GPs and health and care officials, plus representatives of patients and the public.
It aims to improve health services for the public, by:
• Encouraging closer joint working and efficiency savings
• Focussing partners on public health priorities, such as tackling smoking and obesity
• Boosting democratic oversight of the health service.
During his visit to County Hall, Mr Lansley was briefed about the board, public health work in Leicestershire and how GPs are working in new clinical commissioning groups. He also discussed Leicestershire’s response to the Dilnot report on social care.
Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley MP said: “Health and wellbeing boards are an essential part of NHS modernisation – removing divisions between the NHS and local authorities and giving communities greater say in the services needed to provide care for local people.
“I’m impressed with how Leicestershire County Council and its health partners are working together to improve the way services are delivered and to make them more accountable to the public.
Markfield County Councillor David Sprason said: “I’m delighted that the Secretary of State recognises Leicestershire’s work to improve the health of our residents, by working together more effectively. We are making a real impact on people’s health needs locally through a series of successful initiatives.”
LIB DEMS DENY BARWELL AND EARL SHILTON RESIDENTS A SAY IN THEIR FUTURES
Posted on 26th October 2011 in to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough
Lib Dem councillors have rejected a Conservative motion calling for the people of Barwell and Earl Shilton to be given a meaningful say in whether they have to accept the 4,500 houses Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council is planning for the two communities over the next few years.
At Tuesday’s (25th October) meeting Lib Dems were challenged by Conservative councillors to “come clean” with Barwell and Earl Shilton residents who have been promised major regeneration and huge investment in return for accepting so many new homes. Yet when asked about this the Lib Dems were unable to say what this really meant or where the money is coming from. Conservatives also warned that changes in the planning system and in the housing market would mean that the land allocated for the number of houses in Council’s controversial Sustainable Urban Extension policy may now need to be increased by anything between 30-40%, adding to the urban sprawl and leading to the loss of yet more local green fields.
The motion was put forward by Earl Shilton Councillor Janice Richards after Lib Dem attempts to sabotage the move were ruled out of order by the authority’s chief executive. Cllr Richards said, “I have been contacted by many Earl Shilton residents opposed to the expansion plans and they tell me that they do not believe the people of the area have been properly consulted on these proposals so I want every resident of Barwell and Earl Shilton to be given the opportunity to engage in a meaningful consultation on the issue rather than the low-key tick-box exercise previously undertaken by the Council.”
Barwell Councillor Hazel Smith, who seconded the motion, said, “I am disgusted that the two Lib Dem councillors for Barwell failed to stand up for local people who tell me in great numbers that they don’t want these thousands of news houses imposed upon our village. What is so wrong with allowing the people of Barwell and Earl Shilton a chance to share their views, concerns and aspirations for the future of their communities when the Borough Council is planning such a radical change to our area?”
“This massive number of new houses will destroy the character and identity of the two communities and in reality there are no guarantees at all that the Lib Dems’ wild promises about vague improvements at some unspecified time in the future will ever materialise. However, residents can be assured that Conservative councillors will continue fighting for them and we will do everything we can to make sure the voices of the people of Barwell and Earl Shilton are heard loud and clear at the Borough Council.”