MP Barclay and MEPs pledge support for campaign against planned Wisbech anti-immigration protest
MP STEVE Barclay, two MEPs and councillors from across the political spectrum have pledged their support for the We Are Wisbech community campaign.
We are Wisbech was set up following a meeting called to unite the community in the face of an anti-immigration protest being held in the town next month.
The group has no plans for a counter demonstration but instead is backing the annual International Children's Day 1,000 balloons race event and barbecue that's going ahead at Wisbech's Rosmini Community Centre on May 18, the same day as the protest.
East of England MEP wins baby milk guarantee
EURO-MP Vicky Ford, met leading manufacturer of baby milk Danone, in Brussels yesterday (Tuesday, April 9) and won an assurance the East of England's babies will have enough formula.
The pledge follows yesterday's announcement that major UK retailers are limiting sales of baby milk to two packs per customer.
UK buy-to-let regulation stalled
Britain has made significant ground on gaining exemption from the EU directive aimed at regulating the buy-to-let (BTL) scheme in the same way as residential loans.
The directive on credit agreements, relating to residential property (CARRP), seeks to harmonise mortgage regulation across the member states, though it has been persistently opposed throughout its two years in the legislature pipeline.
The directive had raised concerns in Parliament, as the industry already has to deal with a plethora of regulations which restrict the property market from growing to its pre-2008 status.
East of England MEP Vicky Ford has fought persistently in Brussels to ensure the scheme, which could shackle the growth of the UK property market, doesn't materialise.
Vicky Ford, MEP said: "While there are some problems with buy-to-let mortgages, these should be dealt with by UK not EU legislation. The initial versions of the legalisation would have effectively stopped this type of mortgage altogether."
MEP in Wisbech to talk about immigration
Tomorrow, Friday 4 April, Vicky Ford Conservative MEP for the East of England will be joining local Conservative councillors at a street surgery in Wisbech town centre at 12.30pm for an hour. The group will be interested to hear concerns on local issues and the views of resident on last week's announcements on changes to immigration policy.
Euro-MP backs Linton Zoo's conservation work with lemurs in Madagascar
LINTON Zoo's efforts to save the lemurs of Madagascar have won support from East of England MEP Vicky ford.
The Conservative visited the wildlife park on the Uttlesford border with other animal lovers to learn more about the environmental projects supported by boss Kim Simmons and her team of keepers.
They introduced some of the zoo's most exotic specimens to the guests during a behind the scenes tour. They included red ruffed lemurs and a rare radiated tortoise, all native to the island in the Indian Ocean
MEP pledges action on red tape for region's businesses
EAST of England Euro-MP Vicky Ford has promised the region's businesses her campaign against Brussels bureaucracy and red tape is being stepped up.
The European Commission launched a consultation on the Top 10 Most Burdensome Pieces of EU Legislation for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) late last year and the results of the exercise have now been published and identify broad policy areas as well as specific pieces of legislation which are deemed to be the most trouble.
Top of the list are health and safety, VAT and chemicals laws. However EU waste policy and the Working Time Directive are also on the list.
Conservative Mrs Ford said: "I have consistently been pressuring for a review of red tape in EU legislation. Thank you to all the small businesses who took part in this consultation.
Offshore oil and gas: Vicky Ford
Vicky Ford is parliament's rapporteur on facing the challenge of the safety of offshore oil and gas activities and ECR shadow rapporteur on safety of offshore oil and gas prospection, exploration and production activities
Following the tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, it was right that the EU looked at its approach to the offshore sector – after European energy commissioner Günther Oettinger revised his initial calls for an EU wide moratorium on offshore drilling in the wake of the disaster.
Being from the UK, where we have more offshore oil than the rest of the EU put together, I was naturally concerned at the introduction of new EU legislation in this area given how it could affect the UK both environmentally and economically. The UK takes a site-specific approach to safety, it is not the tick-box culture which was identified as a major contributing factor to the Gulf of Mexico disaster.
The signs they are a changing to help end flood roads misery for travellers through West Norfolk village
ROAD closure misery at Welney is set to be reduced dramatically when new electronic information signs are installed this Autumn.
Three signs will give real time flood status updates on the A1101 so that motorists know immediately if they can pass through safely.
The dot matrix signs, costing £20,000, were agreed during what was described as the "most positive meeting that has ever taken place" between multi agencies in an effort to solve Welney's flood lock problems.
Next on the list is an in-depth economic study into the impact of road closures so councillors can seek European funding for a solution such as building a causeway over the current road which in just three months this year has already been closed for 46 days.
Gathered for the meeting at Welney village hall today were SW Norfolk MP Elizabeth Truss, Conservative Euro MEP Vicky Ford, county council representatives from both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire because Welney sits on the border of two counties, district councillors and borough councillors.
Mrs Ford said: "Welney is a unique part of East Anglia which takes the flooding so that everybody else doesn't have to.
Norfolk MP and and Eastern region MEP in joint talks to try and resolve flooding delays through Welney
The meeting at Welney parish hall has been called by Elizabeth Truss, the MP for South West Norfolk and those attending will be looking for both short term and longer term solutions.
A spokesman for the MP said today that in the short term there was "encouraging news" of funds being made available to introduce better signage warning motorists of when the Welney Washes are closed.
"The closure signs can sometimes be up for ages, even when the road has re-opened," said the spokesman. "Part of the solution in the short term might be the introduction of dot matrix signs and the parish council has funding secured for at least two of these."
Also joining the talks tomorrow will be Vicky Ford, Conservative Euro MEP for the East, and Ms Truss is hopeful European funding might be appropriate for a longer term solution.
Banks win in EU tussle over default time limits
Banks have secured a victory after successfully lobbying against plans to force them to crack down on forbearance by repossessing a borrower if they are more than 90 days in arrears.
In final negotiations over CRD IV earlier this month, ministers, MEPs and European commissioners agreed to define a mortgage default limit of 180 days, doubling initial proposals for a 90-day limit.
Speaking to Mortgage Strategy, Conservative MEP and lead CRDIV negotiator Vicky Ford says a 90-day limit was too low.
Contact Vicky
Vicky Ford MEP UK Office
153 St Neots Road
Hardwick
Cambs
CB23 7QJ
Tel: 01954 211 722
Email: office@vickyford.org
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