This week I launched the “Start-up Hub” national competition for start-up businesses, to give them the chance to exhibit their business idea for free at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. This is the third year that we have organised this competition, and twelve businesses will be given the opportunity to join us at the conference this October. Last year a start up business from Folkestone, called ‘All the Fun of the Children’s Fair’, run by Kay McLoughlin and Katie Bouille, was selected to take part and was one of the daily prize winners at the conference.

The ‘Start-up Hub’ is being supported by the British Venture Capital Association and Fujitsu, and as well as being given the chance to exhibit at the conference, there will be daily prizes for the best business idea on show. The package itself is worth thousands of pounds, but the real value of being selected is the opportunity for the business to show off their work to thousands of delegates, the nation’s media and business leaders from across the country.

The competition is open to any business which has launched in the last three years, and I hope that if you qualify for this you will think of applying, or if not recommending it to a friend who does. We are looking ideally for businesses from a range of different sectors, from the creative and digital, to the retail and practical.

In order to win a chance to appear at the Start-Up Hub, ideas must be submitted to the Conservative Party before June 28h. Application is through the website at www.conservatives.com/startuphub.

Last week I was in the House of Lords to hear The Queen read out her speech setting the government’s programme for the year ahead. There has been considerable debate about what was in the speech and the fact that a Bill to grant the referendum on our membership of the European Union was not. Since then, the Conservative Party has published its Bill to grant this referendum. I think we should pass this Bill as soon as possible so that the date for the referendum is fixed and we know that everyone will have the chance to have their say on whether we stay in, or leave. I believe that the status quo is not an option, and that unless we can negotiate much more favourable terms of membership focused on free trade, we would be better off out.

Overall, the greatest priority for the government is to create sustainable growth in the economy that will provide people with opportunity, work, and security in their retirement. Unemployment in Shepway is continuing to fall, and the £35million government backed Regional Growth Fund for East Kent is investing money now that will create hundreds of new jobs locally. I also welcomed the measures in The Queen’s speech to bring greater fairness to public services, by stopping immigrants accessing them when they are not entitled to and compelling landlords of private housing to check the immigration status of tenants, facing fines if they don’t. The Queen’s speech also included the Care Bill, which will cap care costs and extend the means test threshold for financial assistance to ensure that no-one has to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for residential care. Introducing this Bill supports the pledge I made in my campaign at the last election.

Last week the government approved the planning applications that will allow for the controlled expansion of Lydd Airport. This is excellent news and will I believe provide a considerable boost to the economy of Romney Marsh, creating new jobs and attracting businesses to locate in this area. You can look at the success of other smaller airports like Southend, to see that they can play an important role in the local economy. Southend airport has attracted an investment of over £100 million from its owners, and offers flights to major European hubs, like Amsterdam, and also direct routes to holiday destinations in Spain and Portugal, something that Lydd’s current short runway prevents. Some people have suggested that in Kent we should have to choose between the airports at Lydd and Manston, but I don’t accept this. With modern facilities and transport infrastructure around them, there is no reason why both cannot have a bright future. Lydd can also benefit from its proximity to the high speed rail connection at Ashford, and the development of the airport makes it more likely that there will be investment in improving the links between the two.

Now that the government has approved the planning applications the only grounds for a legal challenge would be if it was felt that the due processes had not been followed correctly. The decision cannot be challenged on policy grounds or to dispute the interpretation given to evidence submitted as part of the planning application or at the public inquiry.

There has of course been lengthy debate about the expansion of Lydd Airport, and the final report from the government, running to over 300 pages goes through the issues in some detail. For me one of the most important points to consider is that we will have more control over the operations of the airport in the future, as under the plans now approved, there will not be night flying. The report also has some helpful comments on the much discussed issue of nuclear safety. The government has never considered that there are any safety issues with the proximity of the airport to Dungeness power station. The report makes clear as well that the expansion of Lydd does not create problems for building a new Dungeness C power station in the future; stating that “there is little evidence that an expansion of operations at Lydd Airport would jeopardise its consideration in the future.”

The report also deals with concerns raised about the bird habitats around the Dungeness reserve, saying that the “RSPB does not say that any significant effects [on habitats] would be likely, which is the threshold under the Regulations… or that there would be harm to the integrity of the [protected area].”

On noise levels the report notes that “on the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s own evidence… Lydd would continue to enjoy a tranquillity score comparable to National Parks.”

There has also been concern raised about whether noise levels would affect the pupils at Greatstone primary school. Here it makes clear that the levels would be safely below the recommendations of the World Health Organisation for noise both indoors and outside. However, in spite of this the airport has agreed to invest £100,000 at the school to ensure high standards of noise insulation are maintained.

I was very sad to hear today of the passing of Baroness Thatcher, our first woman Prime Minister, and the greatest leader that this country has had in peace time. She was and will remain an icon of the twentieth century.

You can read my tribute to her life and career in this article which has been published by the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/damian-collins/margaret-thatcher-leader-yes-we-can_b_3037118.html

Reforms to the NHS to help deliver services designed more closely around the needs of patients and the local community have come into effect this week; following the legislation that we passed in parliament last year. Shortly before the Easter break I met with members of the new South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group, which has taken over the responsibilities for primary care in our area from the Eastern and Coastal Kent primary care trust. What does this mean though in practice for the NHS in our community?

Firstly, it is about a more localised management of the NHS resources. Primary care, which people receive largely through visiting their GP, is being led by a governing body focused on the Shepway, Dover and Deal areas, instead of over an area covering most of Kent east of the Medway. This governing body is also led by local doctors and representatives of patients; our local members are Dr Bruce Cawdron from Dymchurch, Dr Brighton Chireka from Folkestone and Alistair Smith from Littlestone. The management of secondary care, which is the treatment people receive in hospital, will remain the same.

This more local management of the NHS will allow doctors in particular to consider the needs of our community when allocating resources. The Shepway area does not contain a large hospital, and people will frequently travel to Ashford or Canterbury for treatment. It would be more convenient if minor treatments that are currently delivered in hospital could instead be available to patients at their local surgery, or another nearby healthcare provider. Delivering these services in the community can not only be more convenient for patients, and reduce hospital transport costs, but can save the NHS money as well. Under this new commissioning structure, doctors will for example, have the power and resources to invest in local services to reduce the number of occasions when their patients might need to be referred to hospital. I know from meetings I have had with local GPs over the last year, that many are actively looking at how they can offer additional services to their patients through these reforms.

This new structure for our local NHS should also encourage and support more co-operations between health and social services which can lead to better care for some of the most vulnerable patients and can also save money, which can be used to improve treatments for other people. An excellent example of this has been the pioneering ‘Proactive Care Programme’ run by the Folkestone based GP, Dr Tuan Nguyen. The programme was launched in May last year and offered selected high-risk patients and people with long-term conditions 12 weeks of intensive support from a range of community services, led by their GP. This approach encourages closer working together by the different organisations which are already, or have the potential to, support these patients and the result is a care package designed around their needs. The initial assessment of this programme has not only been positive in terms of the care for the patients, but that it could save the NHS £2,000 per patient per year for those involved. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this pioneering approach to health care.

The latest unemployment figures show that more people are finding work
in our area and across the country. Over the last year the overall
rate of unemployment in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency fell by
2.6% and the rate for the young unemployed (18 to 24 year olds) has
fallen by just under 13%. Nationally the economy has created over 1.3
million new jobs in the private sector since 2010. This is good news
but we need to keep working hard locally to make sure these trends
continue. This means getting behind our big local employers and
encouraging them to invest more, as well as supporting smaller
independent businesses and start ups. Positive news on the planning
application for Lydd Airport would certainly be a further boost for
local jobs.

The Government’s £35 million Regional Growth Fund for East Kent and
the new ‘Marsh Million’ fund created by Kent County Council and Magnox
at Dungeness can also both provide investment to help local businesses
grow and create new jobs. In the Budget statement last week, the
Chancellor, George Osborne, also announced new measures that could
provide a boost for job creation. Firstly, the new ‘Employment
Allowance’ will cut the employers national insurance contribution
payments by £2000; this will mean that some small businesses will no
longer have to pay this charge at all. It was also announced that the
tax rate on company profits will be cut to 20%, making it one of the
lowest for any major economy in the world. This will not only mean
that local employers will have more money available to invest back
into their businesses, but this low rate should help us to attract
more entrepreneurs from overseas to come here. In East Kent we are
particularly well placed to benefit from businesses looking to move
away from higher tax economies like France. I was also delighted to
hear the Chancellor rule out any further rises in petrol tax this year
by cancelling the planned increase in September. Fuel prices are too
high and really hit motorists in the pocket, but the Chancellor has
now cut ten pence per litre off of the price of petrol by keeping the
tax rate down.

Having more good quality local housing is one of my top priorities for
our area, and I have highlighted in this column in recent weeks my
concerns about some of the poor standard of accommodation for people
renting from private landlords. The new ‘Help to Buy’ scheme announced
in last week’s budget could be a big help to people looking to buy
their first home, or to move somewhere bigger. Many people currently
have to try to save tens of thousands of pounds to put down a deposit
of 25% of the value of the property. Under George Osborne’s new scheme
the government will be able to offer a deposit of 20% of the value of
a new build property, with the home buyer typically just having to
find the remaining 5%. This deposit loan from the government is only
repayable when the property is eventually sold. This scheme will be
open to anyone, regardless of their income, and for any new property
worth up to £600,000, so should cover most family properties in our
area.

It’s official, according to The Times newspaper, Folkestone is the
fifth “coolest place” to live in Britain. I know what you are
thinking; they’ve marked the town four places to low. Whilst these
kinds of surveys and lists are a bit if fun, it’s great to see our
area receiving some positive national publicity which recognises the
changes that are taking place.

There was more good news last week when we welcomed the Sports
Minister, Hugh Robertson, to officially open the new sports centre at
Cheriton Road in Folkestone; the ‘Three Hills Sports Park’. This
£7million development, which has been supported by the Roger De Haan
Charitable Trust, has created a new home for the Folkestone Cricket
Club and the Folkestone Optimists Hockey Club. As well as providing
state of the art facilities for these sports, the park also includes a
new centre for netball. I hope that people of all ages will benefit
from these fantastic facilities, and enjoy using the stunning new
buildings. These new facilities could also make it possible for Kent
County Cricket club to return to play some of their matches in the
town, something which we would all welcome.

Last Friday I joined the Leader of Kent County Council, Paul Carter,
and the Leader of Shepway Council, Robert Bliss, for a business
meeting held at Lydd Airport and focused on creating new jobs for
Romney Marsh. The event was well attended by local businesses and the
local elected representatives for the area. The announcement was made
at this meeting about the creation of a new fund, called the ‘Marsh
Million’, where the County Council and Magnox, who manage Dungeness A
power station, have made £1milllion available to support businesses
and help create new jobs. Romney Marsh businesses can also benefit
from the £35million regional growth fund for East Kent. You can find
out more about this fund through its website www.growforiteastkent.com
. The fund has already made an interest free loan of over £1million to
HV Wooding’s the engineering firm in Hythe, which will create new jobs
in their expanded production facility.

Tourism is already an important part of the economy, not just for
Romney Marsh, but all of our area, and investment and new ideas to
support this should be welcomed. One such idea is the creation of a
new cycle path along the coast from Folkestone to Dungeness, and
linking up with the existing paths along the Royal Military Canal.
This new path would create a circuit for riders and make it easier for
them to explore the coast and the inland attractions, like the
historic Romney Marsh churches. The Shepway Cycle Form has collected a
petition supporting this proposal and last week I presented it on
their behalf, to representatives from all of our local councils. It
was good to hear of their support and I hope that this is something we
can all work on together to benefit the whole community.

I was also inspired to last week to meet Christian, a former soldier
who is walking anti-clockwise around the coast of Britain to raise
money for ‘Help for Heroes’. He took a break at Hythe Ranges to tell
us about his journey which started in Blackpool, and will take his two
years and 6,500 miles to complete. You can follow him online at
www.christianaroundbritain.co.uk

For centuries fishermen have braved the elements to bring in their
catch from the waters along our coast. In addition to this sea fishing
is a popular local sport and pastime which attracts visitors to our
area. The local businesses selling wet fish straight from the sea
where it was caught, like Folkestone Trawlers, Griggs in Hythe and
Dungeness Fish, are popular with their customers and also supply many
leading restaurants. Taken together these businesses are part of our
local ‘food tourism’ offering, an increasingly important part of the
visitor economy and something which will be celebrated on the weekend
of the 22nd and 23rd June at the Folkestone Fish Festival. Sea fishing
is not only something that is part of the heritage of our area, but it
supports many jobs, alongside those of the trawler men whose
livelihoods depend on it.

There is of course a debate about the conservation of our fishing
stocks, and this has led the government to start a process of
consultation on the creation of Marine Conservation Zones around the
country, and including one for Hythe Bay. First of all though,
fishermen who are reliant for their living on the same local waters,
generation after generation, have the greatest interest in the
conversation of fishing stocks, as without a sustainable supply, they
do not have a business.

Last week I met with a group of local fishermen, led by Ken Thomas, at
Fishermen’s Beach in Hythe, where we were also joined by the Mayor of
Hythe, Cllr David Owen, the town’s County Councillor Chris Capon, and
one of the Shepway District Councillors for Lydd, Tony Hills. We are
all concerned that the consultation on the creation of a Marine
Conservation Zone (MCZ) for Hythe Bay could prevent any fishing
because Natural England has proposed that the MCZ should be designated
as a ‘repair’ area. This means that no fishing would be allowed in
order to let stocks and protected species living in the sand and
shingle to recover. This cannot be allowed to happen and I have taken
this case up with the Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon as part of the
consultation. The local fishermen have requested that the designation
of the MCZ is instead set at ‘maintain’ meaning that stock levels and
conservation targets are monitored, but fishing is allowed to continue
as it currently does. This would not only be best for the fishermen,
but also recognises that Hythe Bay has been a conservation success in
recent years as there has been an 100% increase in protected species
in the sand and waters of over last decade. Hythe Bay is a model for
sustainable fishing and conservation as it is currently stands, and we
must make sure that it stays that way.

Last Friday, I also met with Laura Bennett at the Folkestone Academy
School, along with three students Thomas West, Travis Sharp, and Scott
Broom. They are raising money to buy specially adapted wheelchairs for
the school, suitable for use in sports like wheelchair basketball.
These wheelchairs not only allow students who are not able to walk to
take part in sports like basketball, but also lets them compete on
equal terms with other young people who can also use these chairs.
This is an excellent initiative and I wish them every success with it.

It is three years since Shepway Council approved the planning
application for the controlled expansion of Lydd Airport and it’s time
for us to know where we stand. Following that decision we have had a
planning inquiry and have been waiting over the last year for the
final decision to be made by the Secretaries of State for Transport,
and Communities and Local Government. I have asked the Planning
Minister Nick Boles MP, once again to give us a decision, and I
believe that this must be in favour of allowing the development of the
airport to proceed. I have been told that the Government is treating
this as a priority issue, and I have stressed to them that this should
mean we have a decision as soon as possible; we cannot allow any more
time to be wasted. Let’s get Romney Marsh on the runway to economic
growth.

The owners of Lydd airport have been very patient. They are poised
waiting to spend millions of pounds of their own money; money that is
ready to be invested in this country from overseas. This investment
will create jobs for local people. There will be direct employment in
the new airport facilities, but also jobs created indirectly in the
aviation and logistics businesses that will look to locate in close
proximity to the airport. This kind of business development is common
alongside successful small regional airports. Lydd Airport will also
have the advantage of being just a short distance from the high speed
rail network at Ashford. Indeed, the expansion of the airport will
help us make the case for the re-opening of the rail link from Lydd to
Ashford International station. As residents know, the track is already
in place and the line maintained to rail freight standards to allow it
to be used to supply the power station at Dungeness. Inward investment
into the Romney Marsh area is vital for its long term future.
Traditional businesses in the farming and tourism sectors will always
be important to its economy, but we also need to attract larger
employers as well.

There is another big debate taking shape about the future of the
Romney Marsh, and that is focused on the development of wind turbines.
I believe that allowing large turbines into the middle of the Marsh,
and away from the coast would be completely wrong. These large
turbines, like those proposed for Snave would change the skyline,
towering over the low lying villages and open countryside. There
should be a presumption against this kind of development on the Marsh,
and indeed for any new onshore wind farms in Shepway. The campaigning
organisation against wind farm expansion on the Marsh is called ‘Save
Our Marsh, Block Rural Exploitation’, also known as S.O.M.B.R.E. They
have organised a public meeting at Newchurch Village Hall on Thursday
21st March at 7.30pm, to discuss the wind farm proposals for Snave. I
am all for the development of new, clean and sustainable sources of
energy, but would like to see that come instead from a new generation
nuclear power station at Dungeness.

When there are difficult economic challenges, at home as well as
across Europe we need to be working hard to make sure we are as
competitive as possible. For MPs, the country council and the other
local authorities, that means supporting our business community to try
and bring external investment to our area, rather than see it go
elsewhere. It was in this spirit that I have been working to support
the launch of and promote the East Kent “Grow for it” campaign, which
has been led by Kent County Council to encourage business investment
in our area. It is also working to boost awareness of the
opportunities for firms to receive financial support from the
Government’s £35million Regional Growth Fund for East Kent.

On Tuesday this week I spoke at the London launch of the “Grow for it”
campaign at the London Stock Exchange, alongside the leader of the
county council Paul Carter, and the other East Kent MPs. At 8 0’clock
in the morning we were there to press the button to start that day’s
trading on the stock market, and then to encourage business investors
and leaders to come and bring more of their trade and investment to
our part of the country. I believe it is important that we go out and
bang a drum for our community and show how much we have to offer.

As part of this launch event I chaired a panel discussion looking at
the impact of the Regional Growth Fund, where we heard from East Kent
firms who have already received financing in the form of the interest
free loans it is able to offer. This panel included Karl Dodd from HV
Wooding in Hythe who have received a loan of over £1million to expand
the production lines at their engineering business. Wooding’s already
have some blue chip clients, including aerospace companies and formula
one grand prix teams. This investment in their future will create new
jobs and help their business to grow. They were recently visited by my
fellow Kent MP, the Business Minister Michael Fallon who held them up
as an example of the kind of firm that the Regional Growth Fund has
been set up to support. Loans have been made to many businesses from
different sectors, including tourism, food, creative industries and
green technology. You can find out more about the “Grow for it”
campaign and the Regional Growth Fund by visiting its website
www.growforiteastkent.com. Please also let me know if you would like
any help or advice if you are interested in applying to the Fund.

Last Friday I met with Eurotunnel at their offices in Cheriton to
discuss future investments they are looking to make in the Channel
Tunnel terminal. We know that there is considerable capacity for the
Tunnel to handle more traffic, but this of course requires the
infrastructure and equipment to handle it. As well as being a large
employer locally, the tunnel and the rail link that connects it to
London are a vital part of the infrastructure that supports our area.
I welcome there continued support for our local economy.