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Resolved,
That this House recognises the passing of the Energy Act 2004 and the positive actions taken by the Government to increase the amount of energy supplied from renewable sources; welcomes the global leadership shown by the Government on climate change and commends actions taken to meet the UK's Kyoto targets; condemns the Official Opposition for opposing the development of renewables while claiming to support them in principle; notes the abject failure of the Official Opposition to provide coherent policy proposals to meet the climate change challenge and its continued opposition to the Climate Change Levy; praises the Government for providing significant resources and support to the development of wind energy, including £117 million for the development of offshore wind energy; further notes that a growing proportion of wind farm developments will occur offshore; supports steps taken by the Government to promote energy efficiency and notes with approval that the planning regime allows for wind farm proposals to be thoroughly considered in terms of their impacts on local communities and environments and their contributions to national energy needs and policies; commends the Government's commitment to diversifying the sources of the UK's energy supply and the related investment in a wide range of renewable technologies including energy crops, £60 million investment for biomass, £31 million towards photovoltaics and £50 million for wave and tidal; and further condemns the Official Opposition's energy policy that would drastically reduce the UK's investment in renewable technologies.
DELEGATED LEGISLATION
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst): With permission, I shall put together the motions relating to delegated legislation.
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),
That the draft Local Authorities (Indemnities for Members and Officers) Order 2004, which was laid before this House on 21st July, be approved.
That the Value Added Tax (Disclosure of Avoidance Schemes) (Designations) Order 2004 (S.I., 2004, No. 1933), dated 22nd July 2004, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22nd July, be approved.
That the Value Added Tax (Groups: eligibility) Order 2004 (S.I., 2004, No. 1931), dated 22nd July 2004, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22nd July, be approved.
That the draft Financial Assistance for Young Farmers (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, which was laid before this House on 15th September, be approved.
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That the draft Primary Medical Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2004, which was laid before this House on 14th September, be approved.
That the draft Damages (Variation of Periodical Payments) Order 2004, which was laid before this House on 16th September, be approved.—[Gillian Merron.]
Question agreed to.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DOCUMENTS
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 119(9)(European Standing Committees),
That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 4156/04 and Addendum 1, Financial Services Committee Report on Financial Integration; and supports the United Kingdom's five priorities for the future approach to financial services in the European Union.—[Gillian Merron.]
Question agreed to.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Ordered,
That, at the sitting on Tuesday 26th October, the Speaker shall put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motions in the name of Mr Peter Hain relating to Programming of Bills, Procedures for Debates, etc., Carry-over of Bills, Deferred Divisions, Short Speeches and Removal of References to Strangers not later than Six o'clock; such Questions shall include the Questions on any Amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved; the Questions may be put after the moment of interruption and the Orders of the House of 28th June 2001 and 6th November 2003 relating to Deferred Divisions shall not apply.—[Gillian Merron.]
PETITION
Incinerators
10.26 pm
Mr. George Osborne (Tatton) (Con): I am very pleased to present this petition against the proposed incinerator near Lostock Gralam, organised by the excellent local councillor, Stuart Russell, and signed by many hundreds of people in Lostock Gralam, Wincham, Northwich and Knutsford.
The Petition of the residents of Wincham and Lostock Gralam, Cheshire, and the surrounding area,
Declares that they oppose the proposals for an incinerator to be built on Griffiths Road between Lostock Gralam and Rudheath, which would have a seriously detrimental impact on the local area and local residents,
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the government to support the campaign to oppose the proposals for an incinerator to be built by doing all in its power to persuade Cheshire County Council to reject these proposals.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
To lie upon the Table.
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Devon NHS Partnership Trust
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Gillian Merron.]
10.27 pm
Mrs. Angela Browning (Tiverton and Honiton): I raise tonight the situation with the Devon partnership trust, a mental health trust that covers not only my constituency, but the greater part of Devon. I know that hon. Members from all parties are in their places for this debate because of our collective concern about what has happened in that trust. I do not exaggerate when I tell the Minister that the trust is in crisis, and I want particular action to help to sort the problem out. In particular, it is essential that outside expertise is brought in, even if for only a short period, to address the trust's specific problems.
We need to cover the management change caused by the sudden resignations of the chief executive and her deputy. As we know from recent reports, the whole trust has experienced a management style and capability that left a lot to be desired. Services need to be improved to bring the trust up to the standards of the national average. That is a matter of urgency. Staff morale is low. There is a culture of bullying of staff and inadequate procedures exist to deal with dispute resolution. Unless somebody is appointed with the expertise to change rapidly the feelings and morale of staff throughout the trust, any further development of delivery of services will be severely hindered. That is at the top of the list.
All levels of service in the trust are in crisis—acute, in-patient, primary care and community—and I shall give just a few examples of case studies that I have received in recent months that give me grave cause for concern. The trust has embarked on proposals to what it calls "modernise and reconfigure" its services, against the backdrop of a £3 million overspend to be repaid over two years. Changes will be implemented not necessarily because they are the right changes, but to deal with a budgetary problem. As I understand it, the trust was started up with a deficit, the backdrop for which must be obvious to everyone.
I am aware of the strategic health authority's role and its responsibilities for trusts, such as the Devon partnership trust. I received a letter only this morning from the SHA, which tells me:
"The performance of the DPT has generally been good. The organisation managed to attain financial balance last year and also hit all of its key targets."
I have to tell the Minister that that statement is risible, in the light of my experience and that of other hon. Members in respect of the delivery of care to patients and support for the professionals who work in the service. The SHA goes on to say that it
"has been working with the Trust on matters concerning the Trust's Service Improvement and Financial Recovery Plan"
"finding possible avenues to deliver financial balance within the current year."
It is jolly good that the trust will meet all those financial targets. We understand that it has to work within a framework, but while it is receiving plaudits from the SHA for doing all that, GPs—I use the plural—are coming to my surgery to ask what I can do to help them
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to deliver a service to their patients that they feel is almost non-existent in many cases. That is unique in my 13 years as an MP. Although I have received letters from GPs and they have raised other issues with me, I have never known them come to my surgery in real despair because they feel that a prescription pad is all that they have left.
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