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9.13 pm
Jacqui Smith (Redditch): Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to make my maiden speech in this important debate on the first Budget of a new Labour Government.
It is an additional honour when one can claim to be the first Member of Parliament for a new constituency, but I shall pay tribute to the hon. Members who previously represented my constituents. The town of Redditch was previously part of the Mid-Worcestershire constituency and was therefore represented by the current right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth). It has been said that, with 101 women Members on Government Benches, they will become far more colourful; however all hon. Members would agree that the former right hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire played a significant part in bringing colour to these Benches as a Minister in the Conservative Government, with both his speeches and his ties. I am sure that he will continue to express his forthright views from the Opposition Benches.
The villages of Inkberrow and Cookhill were previously part of the constituency of Worcester and were represented by the current hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff). He is an enthusiastic and lively Member and I know that people in Inkberrow and Cookhill appreciated his interest in their communities and related issues. I am sure that he will continue to speak up for Worcestershire.
I pay a special tribute to my most recent Labour predecessor in Redditch, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis). He won an historic by-election in the seat of Redditch and Bromsgrove in 1971. During our campaign, we were fortunate to have my hon. Friend coming to help us on several occasions. He is still widely recognised in the town and it was a particular honour for me when a gentleman we met described me as "the new Terry Davis". My aim as the new Member of Parliament for Redditch is to serve local people as diligently and effectively as my hon. Friend did--a tall order for any Member, new or old.
It will also be my duty and pleasure to put Redditch and the surrounding villages of Inkberrow, Cookhill and Feckenham firmly on the map. Although Redditch was designated as a new town in 1964, it already had a population of 29,000. That figure has more than doubled since that time to the present day, but people and buildings from the old Redditch remain. The mix of old and new gives a sense of history, linked to a vibrant and forward-looking town. Having welcomed so many newcomers, the people of Redditch are friendly and tolerant. We shall stand up for our town and its interests, but we shall embrace the opportunities offered by the new Government with enthusiasm.
I hope that hon. Members will visit Redditch, especially the site of Bordesley abbey where, in the 12th century, Cistercian monks set up home. Nearby, the Arrow brook flows through a layer of red clay, thereby giving the early derivation of the name--red ditch. Hon. Members could also visit the Forge Mill national needle museum, which tracks the development of industry in Redditch through needle-making and the production of fish hooks to spring manufacture. That is still an important industry in the town today.
The town's industry has not depended on past successes. Through the hard work and skills of local people, the innovative work of Redditch borough council in economic development and the continuing support of Redditch and Bromsgrove business link, local industry has diversified. The Chancellor's announcements on corporation tax and capital allowances will reassure the Redditch business community that the new Government will support and encourage its efforts.
In Redditch, we combine an entrepreneurial spirit with a social conscience. The town boasts two credit unions, supported by the borough council and run by volunteers. The town is also launching an innovative mutual guarantee scheme for small and medium-sized businesses, which will provide guarantees for business loans on a co-operative basis. I am sure that such initiatives will be supported by the new Government, who believe that social justice and economic prosperity are integrally linked, as we have clearly seen in the Chancellor's statement today.
As a new town, Redditch has a young population--more than one in three people are under 25. Those young people are the future of our town and our local economy. But 561 of them are without a job or training. That is a waste of lives and talents. They will form a wasted generation unless they can work and train. Those young people will welcome the announcement in the Chancellor's Budget statement that the windfall levy will be used to provide real opportunities to work and train. Young people to whom I speak in Redditch want the
chance to make something of their lives. Today, they have been offered that chance. The Chancellor has announced four high-quality options for work and training.
That is not just another scheme or an attempt to massage the unemployment figures. Those opportunities, and the personal support and guidance that will accompany them, will offer young people a real choice. Young people voted Labour in large numbers on 1 May in Redditch and throughout the country, and today the Chancellor is repaying their trust.
I am also honoured to represent the villages of Inkberrow, Feckenham and Cookhill. Those are excellent communities where local people often work hard to support their villages. Those areas are not always, however, a rural paradise for the people who live in them. There are important issues, to do with housing, transport, jobs and business, and the fear of crime, which I will make it my job to raise in the House. I was particularly pleased to learn that Wychavon district council, which covers the rural part of my constituency and is under new political control, is implementing an anti-poverty strategy. There is real poverty in rural areas and we must not allow it to continue to be hidden.
Hon. Members may also be interested to learn that some people believe that Inkberrow village is the model for Ambridge in "The Archers". I was intrigued to read a letter in the Radio Times the other week, complaining that Pat Archer had greeted the election of a new Labour Government with such delight. While I cannot vouch for the support for new Labour of Jack Woolley or Brian Aldridge, and I am sure that we would positively discourage any support from Simon Pemberton, I can assure hon. Members that there are many people in rural areas who welcome the election of a new, truly one-nation Government, urban and rural. It will be my pleasure to represent the common interests of all my constituents, while also recognising their distinct communities and needs.
The Chancellor has spelt out clearly the new Government's taxation principles. A tax system should encourage work and long-term investment, and should be fair and based on ability to pay. The most unfair tax imposed by the previous Government was VAT on fuel. That tax fell on 2.5 per cent. of the disposable income of the most well-off families, but it fell on 12 per cent. of the disposable income of the poorest families--a clearly regressive tax which caused distress and fear among poorer families. It would now be imposed at 17.5 per cent. were it not for the work of my hon. Friends in the previous Parliament, and the good sense of the electors of Redditch. The Chancellor's announcement today on that tax is another clear sign that the new Government will promote fair taxes.
Some people try to justify the tax on environmental grounds, but for an elderly person or a family with young children, heating the home is not a luxury which they can or should cut down on to save money. One reason why we spend so much on heating our homes is the poor state of much of our housing and insulation. How much better it is to give young people opportunities to work in the environmental task force, and local councils the opportunity to repair and insulate homes through the use of capital receipts. That is the proper way to ensure fuel efficiency--not freezing our elderly and our young families with regressive taxation measures.
Mr. David Amess (Southend, West):
It is an honour to follow any maiden speech, but it was a special honour to follow the excellent maiden speech of the hon. Member for Redditch (Jacqui Smith). She spoke with great fluency and warmth about her constituents and showed good humour. I am sure that I speak for hon. Members on both sides of the House when I say that we wish her well in the years--at least until the next general election--during which she will serve Redditch.
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