Wyre Forest’s political leaders met this evening to discuss strategy to preserve services at Kidderminster’s hospital. The meeting was called by Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier in response to the joint services review, conducted by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, over the future of the county’s acute hospital provision.
Today, Mark Garnier spoke in a debate condemning the miss-selling of interest swaps. He argued that the sophisticated products are being sold by inadequately trained staff to customers without the necessary expertise to understand what is being sold to them.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust has today announced a number of potential acute healthcare proposals for Worcestershire residents. These vary from a "no change" model, to one which may see further significant downgrades to Kidderminster's hospital.
Mark has welcomed a new online tool which, for the first time, means local people can track what happened after a crime was committed in their neighbourhood.
Mark Garnier welcomes the news that the proposed 20% VAT charge on static caravans has been revised down to just 5%. The news comes just a week after Mark presented a 'No to Caravan Tax' petition to Parliament on behalf of the Wyre Forest caravan industry.
Mark Garnier has formally presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of the leisure industry in the constituency. The petition, signed by local owners and residents, calls for the Government to reverse its decision to levy VAT on static holiday caravans. Mark handed in over 400 signatures to the House of Commons last night. A copy of the petition will now be sent to the Treasury for consideration.
Mark wrote the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 7th May in support of Early Day Motion 31 which calls for the Government to drop the proposed VAT charge on static caravans. Mark, who does not sign EDMs on principle and never has, sent his letter before the motion was even formally announced to Parliament.
Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest, has made a submission to the Treasury consultation on Caravan Tax.
In his submission, sent to David Roberts at HMRC, Mark asks the Treasury to reconsider their proposals to charge VAT on the sale of static caravans. The local MP cites the negative impact on the Wyre Forest tourist industry as one of the mains reasons for dropping the proposals.
Mark welcomes the news that local unemployment figures for April are down by 107 since the month before. Nevertheless, the local MP maintains that figures are still too high.
