Discussion About Coalition Plan

Parliamentary Diary: So, the energy industry gets a bit of a kicking for its pricing policy, and shortly after, the industry defends itself by claiming government policy will make matters worse.

Cue the predictable frothing at the mouth over "green agenda", "socialism" etc, etc. -but has anyone attempted to validate the claims made by the consultants who are of course paid for by the energy industry.

Get real people - this has got everything to do with businesses attempting to protect their profits.


Parliamentary Diary: 'More efficient boilers' are not to save the householder money. They are to Save The Planet!
My thirty year old boiler with an efficiency of 78%, works perfectly. I have been offered a new boiler with an estimated life of about ten years and an efficiency of 95%. Because the boiler has to be relocated, the estimated cost is £4000. My gas bill is £1500 per year so my saving will be   £225 per year. It will therefore take  over 17 years to pay off the cost of the replacement before I save one penny. By that time it will probably be worn out anyway.
People are being conned.



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News Updates Discussion

Parliamentary Diary: Look at the incompetent Pickles' changes to the Planning Regs !

He "threw away" (supposedly) 900 pages, but has secretly added back about 100, plus there have been massive quantities of web and e-mail text going around trying to clarify the issues, with legal challenges pending !

I am sure that at the end of the day the regs will be smaller, BUT the process has been a disaster and wasted huge amounts of time and effort, with many ( ? most ? ) planning consultants and planning lawyers predicting many more appeals and judicial reviews.

So Pickles has messed up, and what was predicted has come to pass AND YET Cameron and co wants to continue the farce !

IF one wants to reduce red tape then you have to go back to basics and re-write from the bottom up  -  this government is too incompetent to order that done.

Parliamentary Diary: Strong on words but light on action just about sums this coalition up and Milibands lots no better either.

Pickles is power light, Mays hands are bound by europe and Osbornes in thrall to the city and to top it all Camerons got his weather eye on EU Statesmanship further down the line by selling the UK  down the EU river at the first opportunity.

Most of those in westminster can only efficiently (illegally) fill out their own expences forms to fleece the public still further, so basically its bugger the public at every end and turn and they wonder why were not interested in their PCC policys, green agenda's and whatever other fleece the public scams they've got planned for us dreamed up by news international no doubt and communicated at the bilderberg secret meetings.

A plague on all their houses.

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Information on to Help Retailers

parliamentary information office:

All six measures are good recommendations, but not for retailers who are only going to sell, for the most part, imported goods with huge mark-ups

We probably have far too many retailers, so continuing the sort out is probably a good idea.

Those measures need to be implemented for exporters, only.






parliamentary information office: More continued activities do more for retailers.

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Saluate to Our Warrior

parliamentary information office: British forces have no right to be in several places where they currently are. We kid ourselves if we think that British and US forces are a welcome presence. If the British remove themselves then the Armed forces can be dramatically reduced in size. Britain's place in the world is shrinking quickly and its citizens need to realise this.



parliamentary information office:

It is a VERY dangerous World.

Putin is rearming the Red Army. Putin is emotionally and mentally unstable.

Iran will have a nuclear capability soon and there is NO person of worth in the Western world to stand against the insanity of the mullahs.

Militant Islam is deeply rooted in European society and its hostile intentions are extremely dangerous. A West versus Islam war is already in progress.

A weak and leaderless USA, a socialist and vapid EU and a massively powerful China who has the EU in its pocket.

It is that awful mix of weakness and terrible strength which is the precursor of major conflict.

Cameron the UK needs a strong Defence capability. Yes your French chums have told you to "leave it to them." Yes they want to dominate EU Defence.

You - Cameron are just the idiot seeking a village that they need.




parliamentary information office: The state of our armed forces is fast becoming a national disgrace.  Our myopic, self seeking and incapable politicians fail to see the potential rising threat from the far east.  As we mortgage our future and lower our defences the Chinese are building a massive and increasingly technically capable maritime force.  When American or French aircraft carries ply the waters near our shores we take no notice, they are welcome, our friends.  Will we feel the same in a decade or so when Chinese battle groups are doing the same?  I think not.  By then it will be too late.  Military hardware and the research required to keep us ahead of the curve is not made in a year or two.  The Uk and Europe must be fully aware of the potential threat of a militaristic China, possibly working with Russia and prepare accordingly.  As much as I do not like the EU the pragmatist in me begins to think a common European military may be the only option.




parliamentary information office: We live in a world of diminishing resources and in which the population is rising out of control.

Very soon those without are going to come and try to take it from those who have it. Not because they are warmongers but because they have no alternatives.

As an island nation we need a strong navy and a lot of ships. As it stands we can't even patrol our own waters.

Most people who have not experienced one of the world wars believe that another is impossible. In real terms this is far from the truth. Since 1945 there has not been a world war but virtually every country has been involved with a war against another country. To believe that it is possible to exist with a feeble military is ignorance and sooner rather than later a country with a massive military will decide that life would be much better if it had a lot more land and resources.

For instance, what would we do if China went on the rampage. It already has a navy almost the size of the Americans? Start calling up the reserves I suppose and close all Chinese restaurants.

And as we started to call up our young for military service we would see those originating from foreign lands disappearing back to them in all haste.

Of all the luxuries we have ever had, a strong military has been one of them. Our presence in so many foreign countries ensured plenty of business for our industries and political power.

Today, the only way Cameron can get attention is by giving our money away and even then he never receives a thank you for it.

At the beginning of WWll we were not ready for it and desperately had to start training troops and airman, the latter of which went off to fight experienced German pilots often with less that 15 hours of flying experience. This is one of the reason our losses were so great.

Cuts in the military may be a good thing one day but certainly not in the times we live in.

But who can possibly argue with someone educated at Eton!


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Cameron and Merkel hold 'warm and friendly' EU budget talks

Cameron and Merkel hold 'warm and friendly' EU budget talks

David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel controversial EU budget "open, warm and friendly" talks about is held, Downing Street says.

The said number 10 hours-both teams at the end of the meeting were the same in the end of the long spectrum ".

Mr Cameron said that the EU budget should be frozen or cut, but Mrs Merkel said that will increase.

Officials said that discussions would continue on this point.

Two leaders of a lack of further talks, Mrs. Merkel said that Britain wanted to stay in the European Union.

He was the leader of UKIP Brussels and Britain an "amicable divorce" a call to Nigel Farage responded.

Germany that Britain's argument that the European Union is in need of sympathy to cut costs, but the long-term increase in the budget.

Speaking before a joint press conference with his conversation with Mrs Merkel, Mr Cameron said: "we both believers that European countries the European Union is to live within their means, and I know that we will be discussing that issue tonight.

The European Union's budget, he said: "at best it is a bite a constant."

Mr Cameron said: "I and our membership on the basis of which we will have our discussions tonight the European Union."
"Amazing island"

Before their meeting, Downing Street-spinach and mushroom tart, two leaders in a starter venison and pudding the traditional German cake was for, followed by.

Mrs Merkel said that the EU budget will be shared as the United Kingdom and Germany was "in discussions with European Union loom-net contributors ' interests and both as" Court of public opinion back home "to reach an agreement with other countries to stand in.

He said: "we will not speak tonight, but we in our interest and attention to the spirit of friendship."

To be removed "If the EU wants to leave to decide, this section moved to integration by the European Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski denied the UK just to Polish by.

But the European Parliament, Mrs Merkel before speaking-that "this wonderful island inhabitants"-British people a direct message was telling them: "you are in this world alone, so you won't be happy."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who is Mr Cameron's time in the UK as ' simple ' divorce was completely peaceful runs more and more EU integration promoted by the German leader to let the tide against being a speech feedback.

Mrs. Merkel hit back by saying: "I cannot imagine that the United Kingdom will not be part of Europe."

"I think that it is also to be in Europe is good for the u.k.," the German Chancellor said that, "all" as a good partner "in the UK it will add to the EU.

At least three week EU leaders that he plans to set up a next Brussels Summit will try to work out for a long time to collect.

Middle East Abu Dhabi during his three days in the speaking tour, Mr Cameron forced the European Commission to limit your budget to a system that is a "very strong and robust argument" can be said.

He said: "they totally 100 billion euro increase in the European budget to propose is odd.
' Better deal '

"I have a very difficult results to argue with 27 different people you 27 different opinions that I would never have high hopes for a November agreement table."

The EU budget in a Commons vote last week on this issue since his party was defeated by Conservative MPs, 53 defied.

A Tory amendment to pass words of labor calling for a revolution in 2014 and cost cuts to 2020 is associated with.

Revision was not binding on Ministers, but ahead of EU Summit Europe budget David Cameron's authority was seen as a shock.

A rebel MP Douglas Carswell, but story, BBC News Commons vote will hand the Prime Minister, saying: "we just may be able to get a better deal."

Later this month, EU leaders approve of the Commons to agree to any deal.

Mr Cameron said that any unacceptable, that a deal to move to veto would not be meant to be.

If there is no agreement to 2013 budget next year has reached the end of inflation 2% to take into account increases in 2014.

Tax Status

parliamentary information office: So several thousand will now move into permanent jobs with a very nice BBC pension scheme and complete with good redundancy and relocation packages if ever needed?

parliamentary information office: At the end of the day you can't blame the BBC staff for trying to pay less tax. Are they breaking the law?? No. I think the majority of people would do the same if they could. Some would argue that what they are doing is immoral but again no law is broken Blame must surely lie with the govenment who allowed for this in the first place. In short they did not do their homework when writing the law and regulations. As for BBC they are complicit in this and better clean house


parliamentary information office: Contractors often work through personal companies or under an 'Umbrella' company, moving tax liability from the employer to their self. Its normal for this arrangement to be required.

parliamentary information office: Yet again sloppy reporting and so much ignorance shown by many of those posting on this thread. There is no such entity in law as a "Personal Service Company". The contract will be between BBC and the limited company not the individual. As such the limited company will receive a fee for the services provided not a salary. The individual will be an employee of the company which they own from which they will draw their remuneration. The report quite correctly states that Corporation tax will be paid. What it implies ( and why let the facts get in the way of being able to stir up the envy of those who are ill-informed, which sells more papers) is that Corporation tax is the only tax paid. Corporation tax is paid by companies on profits which is what is left after relevant operating costs are taken out. Amongst these costs will be salary, pension contributions and various taxes including PAYE, NI (employer's and employee's), all of which are conveniently omitted from the report. Unless these companies are operated completely outside of the law, in which case they should be quite rightly pursued for tax evasion, they cannot avoid paying the same taxes and more than those who choose to be "permanent employees" (a misnomer when the main difference between a freelance and "permanent employees" is three weeks notice) pay. The legitimacy of the right to manage tax liability by legal means is enshrined in case law. Lord Clyde gave this famous quote (amongst taxation circles) in the case of Ayrshire Pullman Motor Services v Inland Revenue [1929] 14 Tax Case 754, at 763,764: "No man in the country is under the smallest obligation, moral or other, so to arrange his legal relations to his business or property as to enable the Inland Revenue to put the largest possible shovel in his stores. The Inland Revenue is not slow, and quite rightly, to take every advantage which is open to it under the Taxing Statutes for the purposes of depleting the taxpayer's pocket. And the taxpayer is in like manner entitled to be astute to prevent, so far as he honestly can, the depletion of his means by the Inland Revenue"


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David Cameron attacks 'ludicrous' EU budget increase

David Cameron attacks 'ludicrous' EU budget increase

David Cameron ' ludicrous ' talks in advance of the proposed increase in the budget of the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is under attack with.

Then discuss this issue to leaders at Downing Street.

Mr Cameron has indicated he wants a stable and he actually cut under pressure from his own party for the campaign.

It is sympathy for Britain's argument, but some growth, Germany has indicated.

At least three weeks between the two leaders at which he plans to set up a next Brussels Summit, EU Member States will try to work out the first time to long-term spending.
Continue reading the main story
"The initial bidding

I think I'm there the British taxpayers to fight European taxpayers. "

David Cameron
Hard results

Middle East Abu Dhabi during his three days in the speaking tour, Mr Cameron forced the European Commission to limit your budget to a system that is a "very strong and robust argument" can be said.

He said: "they totally 100 billion euro increase in the European budget to propose is odd.

"I have a very difficult results to argue with 27 different people you 27 different opinions that I would never have high hopes for a November agreement table."

The EU budget in a Commons vote last week on this issue since his party was defeated by Conservative MPs, 53 defied.

A Tory amendment to pass words of labor calling for a revolution in 2014 and cost cuts to 2020 is associated with.

Revision was not binding on Ministers, but ahead of EU Summit Europe budget David Cameron's authority was seen as a shock.
Symptoms of anger

Mr Cameron said: "I think I'm there to fight for British taxpayers to European taxpayers.

"We have a discount, we are keeping the discount, but I the above discount is also a good UK budget would like to see the results."

Berlin, Stephen Evans, BBC correspondent says many in the parliamentary party Angela Merkel they hardcore British show signs of anger as.

Later this month, EU leaders approve of the Commons to agree to any deal.

Mr Cameron said that any unacceptable, that a deal to move to veto would not be meant to be.

If there is no agreement to 2013 budget next year has reached the end of inflation 2% to take into account increases in 2014.

Wind Farm Noise News

parliamentary information office: Because of wind farms, Germany is going flat out to build 16 new coal-fired and 15 new gas-fired power stations by 2020.

Wind farms don't replace carbon sources of energy. If any country relied on wind farms for energy they'd collapse.

The UK just doesn't have the land available to plant the size of wind farms necessary, and if you don't plant them close to areas of consumption you get pylons added to the cost.

For the UK offshore is best but most countries are going off them due to problems and cost of connecting to the grid and maintenance and engineering difficulties. Salt water and metal don't mix well.





parliamentary information office: Why is it, that whenever you drive past a wind farm, half the turbines are not turning? same for small turbine installations you see on the landscape - a significant number arent even turning. If wind farms are so beneficial for the energy economy, why are they still?




parliamentary information office: A few years ago where I live in rural Lancashire, a farm applied for planning permission to have two huge wind turbines erected. The "entire valley" were up in arms about it, and it was rejected at the planning permission stage as it would be a blight on the landscape and reduce the value of the houses (farms bought out by rich townies).
Now, a few years on... most of these rural loving urbanite farm houses have sprouted their own "mini" turbines of 20m in height... funny how these are not a blot on the landscape, nor reduce the value of their homes!
So next time a large wind turbine application comes along... I hope it succeeds.





parliamentary information office: "Wind farm noise does harm sleep and health, say scientists" Which scientists? I recall a scientist at Rice University (Houston USA) that published 'independent research' pushing fracking. Opps the author had a number of grants from the industy and a vested, big money, interest in the process. So follow the money and then tell me who has what ax to sharpen in this publication? Recall you get what you inspect not what you expect

I have friends that have both 'grass hopper' oil pumps and wind generators on their land. Noise does not seem to bother them a bit.

When asked about the noise the responce was 'that's the sound of money in the bank son'. And no there is no perceptible increase in ambient noise level inside their home.

Texas had a cold snap a few years back. Some of the coal fired plants froze (yea makes no sense but bean counters do dump things). In any case wind power picked up the slack and the state made out ok.

We had, for over 20 years, a place in the Appalachian Mountains (E KY/ W NC USA) that was 100% off grid using alternative energy. Break even was ~ 5 years the other 15 years were free/gravy. Need I mention we sold for a premium due to the alternative energy options.

My kids inherited a partial interest in a wind farm. Since then they have paid, on average, $0 for electricity at their homes as the state has a net billing law.

So tell me again exactly how unreliable wind energy is?

BTW ~ 10% of the annual electrical energy use in Texas is generated by wind.

As to 'environmentally destructive' recall the spectacular damage of the BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico? (which is still with us BTW). I ask you what is the sound of a wind energy rig when it craters? If over water ... splash. If over land ... thud. All with no down stream damage or environmental clean up needed.

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Survey on Antarctic

parliamentary information office: We're doomed.  We're on the verge of bunkruptcy, heading for £1.4 trillion in debt.  Someone comes along with a sensible idea for saving money.  Vested interests appear, saying how terrible it will be if this "cut" is made.  Government forced into U turn.



parliamentary information office: When, not if, when the scramble for Antarctica starts in earnest Britain will be glad of the Survey. And the Falklands. Perhaps the idiots in Westminster best start thinking about the Fleet again too....


parliamentary information office: "The Survey’s scientific research is vitally important in finding out how
climate change is affecting the huge Antarctic ice sheets which could raise
global sea levels by several 'metres' if they melt and become destabilised."  I thought the ice sheet in the Antarctic was getting thicker.


parliamentary information office: Cuts in funding for scientific research are almost always the result of a short-term outlook.



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Rail News

parliamentary information office: It is rather clear that this was a mess from the centre of government. Senior ministers with fingerprints all over it. Lets see if they stay in post.

The whole issue raises a deeper question. Is any public body actually capable of running a proper contracting process? Obviously most government bodies can deal with contracts, but can they really handle the complexities of large long term service contracts while keeping the interests of the poor tax payer and service users in focus. I don't think so.

My view is that public tendering for these kinds of deals should be always in the public domain. A kind of crowd sourcing.
This means that when public body X wants to get somebody to provide service Y for Z years, the request for services is made public. After the deadline for bids, all tenders are made fully public. All can then see what is being offered.
The selection criteria, that is publicly known, is applied and results are published. Anybody can raise issues with it, including the competitors.
Any negotiations that change the contract terms after the selection of the winner are to be made public before signing, to ensure that there are no sneaky deals, stupid contract clauses, or changes in prices that are not acceptable. It could also be that there are improvements in the contract texts during this process, that all could see.
In this way, large scale contracts can be more secure as many will have looked at them (not least the loosing competitors)

One additional thing with contracts for things like rail services. It does appear that the UK government is OK for a company that has a contract that is failing to create a new daughter company put the bad contract in that company and then push it out with all the debts, so the government needs to rescue it. The way to stop that is something called a parental guarantee. We may think that service companies are all bad, but it is also the stupidity of government bodies that allows failures in service contracts.






parliamentary information office: I'm pleased that the DfT has now been recognised for the incompetent dysfunctional department that it is. Time and time again, the DfT supplied erroneous information and answers to valid questions and that should have warned the ministers that there was something seriously wrong.

The InterCity Express Programme - new trains to replace the IC125s - have been designed by civil servants and despite a daming report, nothing has changed. Some of the information they supply suggests that thes trains will defy the laws of physics. They were designed to a departmental dogma such that they will be hugely more expensive than necessary (despite the huge electrification programme, many will have diesel engines and electrical power - whereas coupling to diesel locomotives where the wires finish would be much cheaper and quicker overall)

The DfT's rolling stock policy (if indeed there is one) is an utter shambles and should be torn up

The irony is that under privatisation, the UK railway system is actually more closely managed by Government than it ever was in BR days, and spends vastly more money. Franchisees have little or no ability to use their abilities and just get the blame for anything that goes wrong (obviously the credit for the few things that go right is purely due to the DfT).

Either let go and give the private sector long franchises and the responsibility to innovate and invest or take the whole lot back into the public sector and let them do the same, with Government just setting the broad framework for the national system and the local communities specifying what they want and working in partnership with the railways.Whatever they do, stop the clueless DfT micro-managing the railways.

Yearbook of Parliamentary

Public View on Reduce Debt

parliamentary information office

This article refers first to reducing the debt, then later switches the subject to deficit reduction. The two are not the same. It's a small but important distinction.

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The ambiguous, ambivalent and double-barrelled results and
conflicting policy statements given by different party
representatives and appointees of the partnership in the
coalition government, which Peter Oborne showed in his
article, reflect the challenges the Tory side of the Coalition
Government face .

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"Agreement on the economy is vital if the Government is to make it through to 2015".

For one glorious moment, I thought you meant 8:15 tonight!

Reading the headline, I was going to make the point that it is not just the economy, but the article makes that abundantly clear.

At the outset, the Coalition was spun as what the country needed in an economic crisis. The longer it goes on, the more it seems to be about what its constituent parties need.

A plague on both their houses, and equally on Labour! UKIP is the only party to take the country forward.



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Let's have a snap General Election, destroy the treacherous LibDems once and for all, they are doing tremendous damage to the governance of this country, and let the chips fall where they may.


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"The first is the Conservative Party, which is close to ungovernable, as the Commons defeat for the Government showed yet again."

I object to any suggestion of a expectation that my MP should have more loyalty to their party than to their constituents.

I believe it's each MPs job to hold the executive to account on behalf of their constituents.

So I suggest the question should be why the executive could not offer a policy to Parliament on which consensus could be found ?

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