Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has criticised the Forest of Dean Labour Party’s plans to increase Council Tax on hard working families.
Earlier this month, Gloucestershire County Council announced plans to invest over £100 million to bring better infrastructure, skills and jobs to the county. This investment, under the title ‘Grow Gloucestershire’, will help shape the local economy and secure the future prosperity of Gloucestershire for years to come.
Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has criticised the decision by Coleford Town Council to increase their Council Tax precept by 63%.
In recent years, the problem of metal theft has been growing both in the Forest of Dean and across our country. In 2010, metal theft was the second most reported crime in the Forest of Dean. Metal theft has a real impact on many people, be it through stripped church roofs, desecrated war memorials or ripped out railway cabling. This week, the House of Commons had a chance to debate the issue.
Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, supports National Apprenticeship Week, which is occurring this week.
The County Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Cllr Jackie Hall, has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, in a move to designed to keep the focus on fair funding for Gloucestershire academies.
The County Council’s budget consultation has revealed very strong support for the Conservative-run authority’s plans to freeze council tax– even among groups who use council services most.
Over recent weeks the so-called ‘West Lothian’ question has been receiving increased attention. The question revolves around whether MPs from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales should be able to vote on matters that only affect England. This includes a number of important policy areas, such as health and education, over which the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament have control in their respective countries.
Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has welcomed a public consultation on the future of the Great Western railway franchise.
Last week, the Coalition Government published a consultation paper on the constitutional future of Scotland and its place in the United Kingdom. I am a Unionist, and believe that the United Kingdom works better together than apart. As such, I support Scotland’s continued existence as part of the United Kingdom, and am playing my own small part in trying to ensure our country remains intact.
