Claire Perry MP Backs Child Neglect Campaign

On 24 January, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency, attended the Parliamentary launch of Action for Children's report into child neglect. Claire added her name to the charity's petition, signed by over 16,000 members of the public, calling on the Government to intervene early to prevent and tackle child neglect.

Following the launch, Claire said:

"Action for Children's report presents a worrying outlook of the tragic circumstances facing neglected children today and I know the Government is working hard to give social workers more time and space for better quality assessments. I welcome the Government's approach to help children's services, the Police and the NHS work together and focus on early identification of problems before they escalate so we can move towards a more coordinated and local approach to combat this issue".

Claire Perry Digs for Data on Ambulance Response Times

Claire Perry MP has asked the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) for detailed information on ambulance response times for the different parts of the Devizes Constituency.

Commenting, Claire said:

"Many of my constituents, especially those living in the south-east part of the Constituency in Tidworth and Ludgershall, are concerned that ambulance response times to these areas are slower than the norm. We saw the impact of one such incident in December which was followed by the tragic death of Mrs. Doreen Wignall. I have asked the GWAS for response times by individual postcodes so that we can fully understand the situation and get on top of any systematic problems. This will also be the first time we have been able to see this data".

Claire Perry MP welcomes the Opening of new Rushall Footpath

On 21 January 2012, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency, welcomed the official opening of a new footpath in Rushall which means that pupils of the local Primary School can walk to school more safely. The footpath was opened by Wiltshire Councillors on behalf of the Community Transport Group and the Pewsey Area Board.

Commenting, Claire said:

"Like many parents, I think walking to school is a good habit for children and families. But it can be difficult to walk safely along busy country roads. That is why I am delighted that this new footpath is now opened and can be used by school children and residents of Rushall alike. Congratulations to Councillors Jerry Kunkler and Robert Hall, the Rushall Parish Council and local residents for all the hard work that has gone into creating this very simple but essential solution."

Claire Perry and Parliamentary Anglers urge swift action to help the struggling River Kennet

On 14th January 2012, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency, took the current and former Chairmen of the Parliamentary All Party Angling group to see the unprecedentedly low water levels on the River Kennet. The group met representatives from Action for the River Kennet (ARK) and local residents at Manton near Marlborough to inspect the dry river bed and discuss solutions.

Commenting, Claire Perry said:

"Rainfall has been low for the last 18 months but it is the abstraction of water from the Kennet by Thames Water that is the real concern. I welcome the Government's commitment to reforming abstraction tariffs in their recent White Paper and we know that Thames Water are working hard to educate people on the need for water conservation with their "Care for the Kennet" campaign. Ultimately, though, we need to get the relief pipeline built for Swindon as this is the only thing that will protect the Kennet long term. By working with my Parliamentary colleagues including those here today we can keep the pressure up on Thames Water, Ofwat and on Ministers to get this urgent project underway".

Charles Walker MP, current chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Angling Group said:

"As much as I enjoyed visiting Claire's constituency, I was horrified at the tragic state of the River Kennet. As a passionate fisherman and in my capacity as the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Angling, I will fully support Claire and the ARK's Campaign to restore flows to this beautiful river. The Angling group will be lobbying the Government." 

(Photograph courtesy of Marlborough News Online)

Heropreneurs

On the 17th January 2012, I met the enterprising founders of "Heropreneurs" – a charity which provides ex-Armed Forces personnel with a package of funding and business support to help get a sustainable business idea of the ground. This innovative idea is based on the sound principles of how Forces Personnel learn valuable skills while serving, such as leadership and discipline, which are ideal traits for starting a business. Heropreneurs also run a mentoring programme and are constantly looking for people who have run their own business to help pass on their experience and know-how. I was very interested to hear of the important work the charity is doing and if you would like more information on Heropreneurs, you can visit their website: www.heropreneurs.co.uk/.

Castledown Business Lunch

On 9th January 2012, I attended a Business Lunch at Castledown Business Centre in Ludgershall to speak about the opportunities for businesses in Wiltshire. This Government continues to propose and implement effective policies to support small and medium businesses and help them grow which I am confident will benefit many business owners across the county. I relished the opportunity to meet representatives from local businesses, Chambers of Commerce and other stakeholders and discuss this important issue with them as it will be small businesses that help the economy to grow and create jobs.

Adopters' Charter

On 6 January 2012, I met with Wiltshire Council representatives from Children Services to discuss children in care and the adoption process. This followed the Prime Minister's announcement during Conference to focus on the serious issue facing children in care and prospective parents struggling to adopt. In the past year, of the 3,660 children in care under the age of one year, only 60 were placed for adoption and I have corresponded with several constituents about their struggle to pass through the laborious adoption process. I am therefore very supportive by the Government's proactive approach to reversing this worrying trend; such as the publishing of an Adopters' Charter which sets out what adopters and prospective adopters can expect from adoption agencies. My meeting with Wiltshire Council was to ensure that they will follow the Government's example in this area and I was strongly reassured that this would be the case - starting with their commitment to sign up to the Adopters' Charter.

New Minibus Launch for Oare Primary School

On a very cold December 16th, I visited Oare Primary School to help launch their new minibus to transport pupils to and from the school to help reduce traffic in the catchment area. It was a very festive event with mince pies and carols around the Christmas tree and I was very pleased to see a school work hard to reduce the impact of traffic in the area which I am sure will be warmly welcome by many parents.

Prospect Hospice Light Up a Life Service

Perhaps the most poignant event I attended in December was Prospect Hospice's Light Up a Life service held at St John's School, Marlborough on 15 December 2011. Christmas is a time for reflection and remembrance as much as celebration and this service is held every year to allow the community to remember those who are no longer with us. Prospect Hospice do fantastic work to care and support terminally ill patients and their families and friends through and I was honoured to be asked to say a reading at the service. The service was a truly special occasion and I am sure did a lot of good in comforting those who attended. More information on Prospect Hospice can be found at: www.prospect-hospice.net/.

Claire Perry MP Welcome's the Government's consultation on criminalising Forced Marriage

Claire Perry, the Conservative MP for the Devizes Constituency, welcomed the launch of a Government consultation on the criminalisation of Forced Marriage.

This follows the announcement on 10 October 2011 by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, that the Government would criminalise the breach of Forced Marriage Prevention Orders. These orders block forced marriages from going ahead and protect potential victims.

Commenting, Claire said:

'I am delighted that the Coalition Government is examining how we can criminalise forced marriage. We have tolerated this unacceptable crime for far too long and it must be stopped.'

'I fully support the tough stance of David Cameron and Theresa May are taking against forced marriage'.

Opening of the Applied Learning Centre at Wellington Academy

On 9 December 2011, I met representatives from Wellington Academy at Castledown Business Park to officially open the Academy's Applied Learning Centre. The Centre will provide students studying for a diploma in constr uction, the training they need to become the next generation of builders and joiners. I was encouraged to see a lot of students working hard to learn the building trade and, as Governor of the Academy, I was thrilled to see the latest example of Wellington continuing to provide exceptional teaching and guidance to their students.

Zouch School visit

After a busy week in Westminster and a late trip home from Question Time, I spent a happy Friday morning at Zouch Primary School where I was given an excellent reception by staff and pupils alike. Following a very good tour given by some of the pupils, I was then very lucky to see several presentations at a special School Assembly which were all very enjoyable. I was then overwhelmed to receive a plethora of gifts from pupils which included very creative cards and fantastic drawings of myself and Parliament – all of I am very proud to have decorated around my office.

BBC Question Time

On 8th December 2011, I went to Stoke-on-Trent to take part in BBC's Question Time to take part in a debate which covered a range of issues from the EU, benefits, the Olympics and Sports Personality of the Year.  Programmes such as Question Time give MPs and the general public the opportunity to openly debate the hot political topics of the week and it made for an interesting experience to discuss issues in a completely different part of the country.

Claire Visits Devizes Delivery Office

Claire Perry MP has visited Royal Mail's Devizes Delivery Office to pass on best Christmas wishes and encouragement to the postmen and women at their busiest time of year.

Ms Perry was shown round the Delivery Office by local Delivery Office manager Mark Wyncoll and was introduced to all the postmen and women who are working hard doing their bit to sort and deliver the estimated total Christmas postbag in the Thames Valley area of over 162 million items.

Claire Perry MP said: "It was great to meet the hard-working Royal Mail postmen and women at Devizes Delivery Office and to see at first hand just how much effort they put into delivering for people at this time of year. It was particularly fascinating to see my own post being sorted for delivery, as well as meeting my postman, who was very entertaining!

"Posties do such an important job at this time of year and I like to thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best over the busy festive period."

Mark Wyncoll, Royal Mail Delivery Office Manager at Devizes said: "Christmas is the busiest time of year, and our people really do pull out all the stops throughout the year to ensure mail is delivered quickly but even more so over the busy festive period. So we are pleased that Claire Perry MP came along to witness the hard work that goes on behind the scenes."

Mr Wyncoll added: "The postal staff do a fantastic job at this time of year to ensure that friends and families stay in touch through their Christmas greetings and gifts. And as usual, we urge our customers to post early so that friends and family have longer to enjoy their Christmas greetings!"

The last posting dates for mail to arrive before Christmas are:

• Tuesday 20 December for 1st Class items
• Saturday 17 December for 2nd Class items
• Thursday 22 December for Special Delivery items
• Monday 12 December for airmail items to Western Europe
• Friday 9 December for Eastern Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan
• Monday 5 December for mail to the rest of the world

Opening of New Facility at First Water

On Friday 2 December 2011, I visited Ramsbury to cut the ribbon to open a new facility for First Water; a fantastic local manufacturing business with a focus on advanced wound dressings. I have been extremely impressed with the expansion programme undertaken by First Water and they have set a fantastic example for manufacturing businesses both in Wiltshire and around the country. Their enterprise is very encouraging and I am sure they will continue to grow from strength to strength this year.

Devizes School Christmas Photo Competition

Near the end of 2011, I launched a photo competition at Devizes School for Photography A-Level students to submit their photos to be used on my Christmas card. I launched a similar competition last year for Netheravon Primary School and it was just as difficult to decide a winner with Devizes School's students whose photos were of a high quality and professional standard. In the end, I chose Lauren Howse's lovely close-up of leaves covered in frost which I thought would be the perfect Christmas image for my card to grace the mantelpiece of Constituents and colleagues. I want to thank Lauren, the runners-up; Shannon and Ellie as well as all students who participated in the competition

Afghan Women's Rights

I recently participated in an event organised by the Afghan Women's Network to promote women's rights in Afghanistan. I was surrounded by hundreds of kites, the symbol of the campaign chosen because although kite flying is a popular pastime in the country, women and girls are only allowed to make kites, not fly them. I was happy to show my support as it made me think hard about the things we take for granted in this great country and the fundamental importance of strengthening the position of women in Afghan society to bring about peace in that country.

Visit from Local Association

This week, over sixty people from the constituency came to visit me following a tour of the Palace of Westminster. They were able to see the magnificent architecture and paintings and hear the fascinating history of this place. Following their tour, it was great to meet and greet all of the visiting constituents over a very British afternoon tea with scones, clotted cream and jam.

Claire Perry welcomes the creation of almost 2,000 Apprenticeships in the Devizes Constituency

New data shows that 1,840 Apprenticeships were delivered in the Devizes Constituency in the 2010/11 academic year, an increase of 16% on 2009/10.

Commenting Claire Perry MP said:

'This is great news for the businesses and young people in the Devizes Constituency. Nationally, a record rise in apprenticeship numbers, particularly in Advanced 'A' level equivalent qualifications shows the Government's commitment to helping employers train the skilled workers they need to build a stronger economy and sustainable growth.'

Skills Minister John Hayes said:

"This Government is putting practical learning at the centre of our national life, restoring the purposeful pride that builds successful careers, drives prosperity and forges strong communities.

"But I am determined to do more, by stripping away bureaucracy for small firms, continuing to drive up standards and working with firms to create even more apprenticeship opportunities in coming years. And to help young people who currently lack basic skills make the grade for an apprenticeship, our Access to Apprenticeships programme will provide 10,000 work experience and training opportunities every year."

Devizes Remembrance Service

I attended a remembrance service at St John's Church in Devizes on Sunday. This was preceded by a long and thoughtful debate in the House of Commons last Thursday that focused on the sacrifices made by so many over the last century, and whilst there was some political disagreement, one item was raised which politicians from all sides of the House supported – that the Government must do all it can to stop the desecration of war memorials across the country by people intent on stealing a few pounds worth of metal. As I laid my wreath at the base of magnificent memorial in Devizes, I could not have agreed more strongly.

Remembrance at the Cenotaph

In my new role as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence, I represented Philip Hammond at a service of remembrance with the War Widows Association at the Cenotaph on Saturday. The service was very moving and the weather being dry and sunny helped to lift spirits despite the emotion of the occasion.

Planning

Over the course of the last month I have had several meetings with the Minister for Planning, and also with Wiltshire Council's leadership team and various development officers, to investigate the ongoing issues relating to the National Planning Policy Framework.

I spoke to Wiltshire Council about the timing of their plans and was told that they expect to have the Core Strategy in place by the end of next year; I was assured by the Minister that there will be no opportunity for developers to force through developments during a transition period.

I also set out that there are parts of Wiltshire that would welcome additional housing and others, particularly around Devizes, where there is a sense that the town has had too much housing and now needs more focus on infrastructure. I was told that the Council is now in receipt of £6.8 million of Regional Growth Funding, which will mean that important infrastructure upgrades can be made.

There are however ongoing questions, particularly around allocation of land, with the "five-year plus twenty percent" land supply being of concern, and also over how we actually get funding into the system in order to build the affordable housing that we know we so badly lack. Only the week before the meetings half the constituents that had attended my weekly surgery had come because they had completely inadequate housing for their families' needs.

We all appear to agree that if the plans are done correctly and we have an accepted Core Strategy that is then verified through robust neighbourhood planning, then we will end up with a system where localism determines the sort of development that happens. Overall I think this was a productive series of meetings and I will continue to reflect the issues raised both up to the Ministers and out to Wiltshire council.

Meeting with Nerissa Vaughan

Last Friday I had a meeting at the Great Western Hospital with Nerissa Vaughan, the new Chief Executive. She was already aware of the loss of local services at Devizes and Savernake hospitals and had many interesting ideas as to how community hospitals can support the "acute" hospitals such as Great Western, with step-down beds, clinics and other services. She has kindly agreed to come to a Health Seminar that I am organising in Devizes to review future health plans for the town. This event is timely given that X-ray services in Devizes have been suspended and I have written to the Primary Care Trust to ask how long it will take before we can expect to see this clinic back in action.

Claire Perry welcomes a strengthening of Women's Voices in politics

The publication of a consultation into how the Government can better connect with women has been welcomed by Devizes MP Claire Perry.

The Strengthening Women's Consultation was aimed at discovering the challenges and priorities facing women today, and identifying how the Government could better engage with women on these issues.

The top priorities identified included:

• issues relating to the workplace, and women's experience of work
• tackling violence against women and girls
• access to leadership positions in politics and in business
• more engagement including with senior women in business and women entrepreneurs.

Commenting Claire Perry said:

'Women still face barriers which stop some from achieving their full potential. The conclusions of this consultation show just how bad this is; if as many women as men started businesses we would have an extra 150,000 start-ups each year.

'With more female Conservative MPs than ever before, we have made an important leap but it's still a long way off from a parliament that better represents our country.

'It is vital that Government keeps open a proper dialogue so that women's voices are heard in business and in Government.'

Holding the Olympic Torch

Some constituents will know that I have taken up running (very slowly), and my dreams of breaking a 10 minute mile were briefly fired when I had the chance to hold an Olympic torch in Parliament this week. One of these will be carried through Marlborough, Tidworth and Ludgershall in the run-up to next year and I have been lobbying for the route to make a special loop past Tedworth House. I will keep you informed of progress. We are now waiting to hear who will be given the honour of carrying the flame, and with so many active and engaged people in the Constituency, this will be a hard choice.

Meeting with Thames Water

I recently held a meeting with Thames Water to review the current abstraction and licensing regime that is contributing to the stress being put on the River Kennet. This meeting came about after my latest visit to the river – which is running at low levels not seen for decades. I was reassured to hear that plans for a relief tunnel to transport water from Swindon reservoirs may be close to approval, and this can't come quickly enough for the wildlife of the Kennet.

Claire Perry MP: backs Government plans to back female entrepreneurs.

Claire Perry MP for the Devizes Constituency welcomed the Government's plans to support women's enterprise.

On Friday 4 November 2011 the Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, Theresa May, announced that funding will be provided for 5,000 mentors to support new and existing female entrepreneurs. Currently women are only half as likely as men to become entrepreneurs. Specifically trained mentors will be able to address particular concerns of female entrepreneurs such as access to finance, building confidence, achieving a work life balance and working from home.

In a speech on Women and the Economy Theresa May said:

'if we fully used the skills and qualifications of women who are currently out of work, it could deliver economic benefits of fifteen to twenty one billion pounds per year. That's more than double the value of all our annual exports to China''If women started businesses at the same rate as men, there would be an additional 150,000 extra start-ups each year in the UK'.'And if the UK had the same level of female entrepreneurship as the US, there would be approximately 600,000 extra women-owned businesses, contributing an extra £42 billion to the economy'.

Alongside the mentors for entrepreneurs, the Government is taking other important action to back women in work:

establishing a Women's Business Council to provide advice to Government on action to maximise women's contribution to economic growth.extending flexible working to all employees and allowing mothers and father to choose how they want to share parental leave after having a baby.protecting the lowest paid public sector workers, 78 per cent of whom are women, from the pay freeze.lifting more than a million of the lowest paid workers out of income tax altogether, more than half of whom are women.

Commenting Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency said:

'Unleashing women's entrepreneurial abilities could add billions of pounds to our economy every year.

'We just can't afford to overlook the talents, skills and experience of women across the Devizes Constituency any longer – that's why it's important that the Government takes action like this'.

Mass White Horse Opera

I attended a wonderful Festive Mass, featuring music from the White Horse Opera, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception, which gave me another opportunity to review local concerns whilst munching excellent sausage rolls after the service.

Wiltshire Victim Support Centre

Earlier this month, a visit to the Wiltshire Victim Support Centre gave me the chance to discuss the new and welcome approach to dealing with domestic violence being piloted by Wiltshire police and also to hear that funding for these invaluable services has been put on a sustainable basis so the organisation can plan for the future.

Barnado's 5th birthday party event

In Devizes, I helped the local Barnado's shop celebrate their 5th Birthday in the Wine Street location on National "Make a Difference" Day. I had the privilege of meeting the brilliant team and also cutting the shop's milestone birthday cake.

BUILD: APPG Connecting Communities

Marlborough's longstanding twinned relationship with the Gunjar, and the benefits of those contacts to schools were vividly described by members of Marlborough's BUILD group at the All Party Group on Connecting Communities which I chaired this week.

Government reduces Red Tape

Great news! Have learnt from a response to a Parliamentary Question that BIS have already removed or simplified 220 regulations as part of the Government's Red Tape Challenge.

- Claire Perry (Devizes, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent progress he has made in reducing the burden of regulation on businesses through the Red Tape Challenge.

- Vincent Cable (Secretary of State, Business, Innovation and Skills; Twickenham, Liberal Democrat)

While some regulation is necessary, excessive regulation creates an unacceptable burden, on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in particular. The Government are tackling this problem through the Red Tape Challenge. So far this exercise has looked at 378 regulations relating to the retail and hospitality sectors and we have already announced plans to remove or simplify 220 of these—that's over half. All regulations affecting business will be featured on the website on a rolling basis.

Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 27 October 2011, c355W)

3 Commando Brigade Returning from Afghanistan

My military commitments both locally and nationally continue apace and a highlight at the end of October, was the Homecoming Parade of 3 Commando Brigade at the Houses of Parliament. These events are the brainchild of my northerly neighbour, James Gray MP, who chairs the All Party Group for the Armed Forces, and they are an excellent way for parliamentarians to discuss the details of recent tours, share a beer or a cup of tea with the service personnel, and say a big thank you on behalf of our constituents

Presentation of Burbage Award to John Powell

I joined a packed Burbage Village Hall where most of the village seemed to have turned out to see John and Mary Powell honoured for their decades of unstinting work for the local community, and where I presented John with an innovative new honour that makes him Honorary Freeman of the Parish. I don't know if people like the Powells are born or made, but I wish we could somehow clone their energy and public spirit and distribute thousands more like them in less well-served parts of the country.

Meeting the Bag4Sport Team

That same afternoon, I met the great team at local social enterprise, Bag4Sport, at the launch of their new charitable foundation.

Bag4Sport started off helping grassroots clubs raise funds through its textile recycling programme. More recently they have been working with Wiltshire-based Shelley Rudman, Silver Medal winner in the Winter Olympics of Skelton Bob, and Wiltshire-based Stephanie Millward Para-Olympian swimmer hoping to compete in 5 individual events and 2 relays, Stephanie has already won 3 Gold Medals and 2 Silver.

Burbage Mobile Library Visit

In October, I helped out on the Wiltshire Mobile Library as it did its local rounds in Burbage. The Library is greeted by bands of eager book lovers wherever it goes and brings good literature, conversation and companionship to our villages. These libraries are part of the often-unseen rural fabric of our county, quietly parking up in our villages, and bringing good books to those who can't travel frequently to the larger centres. Wiltshire has kept all of the mobile libraries on the road and all of our libraries open, for which I am very thankful.

Claire Perry MP: Protecting female public sector workers, while dealing with the deficit

New figures published today reveal that nearly 80 per cent of those expected to benefit from the Government's protections for the lowest paid public sector workers will be women.

An HM Treasury response to a Parliamentary Question reveals that 78 per cent of public sector workers earning less than £21,000 are female. As part of the Government's deficit reduction plan, public sector pay is being frozen for two years from 2011-12 for those earning over £21,000. But for those earning under £21,000, pay will be increased by at least £250 in each year.

Commenting, Claire Perry, MP for Devizes said:

'It's vital to deal with the deficit in a way that is fair and protects the lowest paid, the majority of which are women. It is right therefore that nearly 80 per cent of the workers set to benefit from our protections from the public sector pay freeze are women.'

Exciting News!

The final news of the week was an unexpected promotion to become Parliamentary Private Secretary to Philip Hammond, the new Secretary of State for Defence. I am very much looking forward to the challenge.

Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection

In September and October I chaired the evidence sessions of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection. We questioned a wide range of witnesses on the extent to which children access adult content via the Internet and whether there is evidence that this is harmful. We are now drafting our report and will report to the Prime Minister next month.

Online Child Protection Inquiry Announces Witnesses

A cross-party group of more than sixty Members of the Houses of Parliament announced the formation of a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection in August. The Inquiry has been taking evidence from parents, child protection experts, Internet experts and Chief Executives of many of Britain's largest Internet Service Providers. The group will report to Ministers in November. The second public evidence session will now take place on:

Tuesday 18th October

Committee Room 8

14:00-16:00

The Inquiry would like to announce the following witnesses for this session:

14:00 – 14:30

• John Carr OBE - UK Children's Charities' Coalition for Internet Safety Professor 
• Andy Phippen – Representing the Open Rights Group who oppose website filtering schemes

14:30 – 15:00

• David Austin, Assistant Director - British Board of Film Classification
• Martin Large, CEO of ISP Tibboh – Tibboh's familiar U, PG, 12, 15, and 18 classifications have been developed with the BBFC
• Christopher Woolard, Ofcom - Group Director Content, International and Regulatory Development

15:00 – 16:00

• Dido Harding- Chief Executive of TalkTalk
• Kip Meek – Senior Public Policy Advisor, Everything Everywhere (Orange & T-mobile)
• Jonny Shipp - Head of Digital Confidence at Telefonica O2 Europe Nicholas Lansman- Secretary General of Internet Service Providers Association
• Matt Lambert, Director of Corporate Affairs and Citizenship, Microsoft

Commenting, Inquiry Chair Claire Perry MP said:

"Parents are understandably worried about the ease with which their children can view pornographic content on the Internet and this Inquiry will provide the ideal platform for all interested parties to discuss how best we can protect our children online."

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said:

"The Internet is a powerful tool for education and entertainment but there is material online that is not suitable for children. Parents need to have the right tools to be able to protect their children from inappropriate content. I look forward to receiving the Inquiry's report and seeing their conclusions."

Notes:

Terms of Reference: Over the course of two evidence sessions, this inquiry will seek:

1. To understand better the extent to which children access on-line pornography and the potential for harm that this may cause
2. To determine what British Internet Service Providers have done to date to protect children online and the extent and possible impact of their future plans in this area
3. To determine what additional tools parents require to protect children from inappropriate content
4. To establish the arguments for and against network level filtering of content that would require an 18 rating in other forms of media
5. To recommend to Government the possible form of regulation required if ISPs fail to meet Recommendation no.5 from the Bailey Review.

The session will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis as seating is limited and there is no system of tickets or advance booking. Please advise security staff that you are attending a committee meeting and they will direct you. You should allow at least 20 minutes to go through security.

Opening the Caen Hill Marina

I had one of possibly the most exciting ribbon-cuttings so far in my MP career – the official opening of the new Caen Hill Marina with the scissors wielded from the deck of a moving canal boat. This is a great new development, which could bring all sorts of local business opportunities.

Tesco Equipment for Schools Presentation

Education continued to be high on the local agenda last Friday as I visited the Tesco store in Marlborough to present St Mary's Infant School, Preshute Primary School, St Peters C of E Junior School and Kennet Valley School with sports equipment funded through voucher collection. To continue my day in education, I also opened the new pre-school at St. Mary's Infants in Marlborough where I was pleased that I still knew all the words to "The Wheels on the Bus" and finally headed to Burbage Primary School to officially open their wonderful sensory garden and eat most of the fairy cakes prepared by the Cookery Club. Delicious!

Money Management at Southbroom School

Last Friday morning, I joined representatives from Barclays Bank at Southbroom School in Devizes, to help with a Year 6 money-management workshop. The workshop was great fun for all involved and it was also educational.

Army Cadet Force Visit

I visited the impressive Wiltshire Army Cadet Force at Larkhill in October where the polish and commitment of the young cadets was exemplary. An inspiring sight to behold!

Claire Perry: This is great news for women on pensions

Claire Perry has today welcomed the government announcement that women who would have seen a two year increase to their state pension age will have their wait reduced to 18 months.

The Pensions Bill currently going through Parliament will be amended from the current timetable to cap the increase at a maximum of 18 months.

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency said:

'This is great news for the 245,000 women around the country who will benefit from this change. It shows that the government has listened to the concerns of women and me who would have been worst affected by the increase in the state pension age. This means that nobody will have to wait more than 18 months longer to receive their state pension.'

BBC News

On the October 11th the Prime Minister and Children's Minister, Sarah Teather, announced that they were seeking to implement the recommendations of the Bailey Review to tackle the commercialisation and sexualisation of children. I appeared on the news to discuss these plans. I welcome the creation of the new Parentport website and the commitment by the British Internet industry to face new customers with a choice to implement child protection software or not. I believe this is a good first step; however, much more needs to be done.

Claire Perry: Today's Announcement on Internet Porn is a Good First Step

Today, four leading Internet Service Providers, TalkTalk, Sky, BT and Virgin Media announced that they will work together to make it easier for families to block access to internet porn. By October 2012 these companies will offer all new internet customers a service called Active Choice where subscribers must choose whether to restrict the web content that their computers can receive. All of the companies already offer this filtering technology but currently subscribers do not have to choose whether to install it. The group will also sponsor a media campaign to encourage existing customers to install the technology.

Commenting on the news, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency who is leading a cross-party Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection said:

"I really welcome today's announcement as it shows the British Internet industry are finally taking seriously the problem of children accessing adult content on the Internet. But, there are three very important questions for the ISPs to answer.

As 77 per cent of British households already have access to the internet, how will the companies roll out the product to existing clients? TalkTalk is the only company that has a solution that to allow one-click protection for all internet-enabled devices in the home. When will the other companies introduce this facility?The implementation timetable seems slow given that this is existing technology. Given that 83 per cent of people say that the easy availability of internet porn is damaging to children, shouldn't this be rolled out more quickly?

The only way to fully protect our children is to introduce an Opt-In system but in the meantime, today's announcement is a good first step"

Notes

• On 24th August, over 60 Parliamentarians launched a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection, chaired by Claire Perry MP. The inquiry is holding two evidence sessions on Thursday 8th September and Tuesday 18th and will report to No.10 and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in November

• 77 per cent of households already have Internet access (ONS Internet Usage August 2011)

• In a YouGov Poll conducted on 2nd – 3rd February 2011, 93% of Women and 73% Men (83% total) believe that the easy availability of pornographic content on the internet is damaging to children.

• On 23rd November 2010 Claire Perry MP held an Adjournment Debate calling for Internet Service Providers to work together to provide as a default a "clean" internet service, and then ask users to "Opt In" to access pornography on the internet. Hansard source HC Adj, 23 Nov 2010 : Column 235

Claire Perry: Childcare reform will help support parents

Today the Government has announced £300 million of additional childcare support to make work pay for parents.

The Coalition have pledged that under the Universal Credit parents will be able to claim for childcare support no matter how many hours they work – ending the current criteria that they must work for at least 16 hours a week. This move will especially benefit single parents and those parents on low incomes.

Commenting, Claire Perry, MP for Devizes said:

'The Government knows how hard these times are for mothers and fathers across the country so this is brilliant news for the 80,000 families who will benefit. It is right that the Government is not only supporting families, but also supporting families get back to work.'

Notes:

• The Government has announced new childcare reform under Universal Credit. The Government has announced £300 million of additional childcare support to make work pay for parents. Currently, parents must work for at least 16 hours per week to be able to claim for childcare support through tax credits. This requirement stops many parents from entering the workplace. But under the new Universal Credit, parents will be able to claim for childcare support no matter how many hours they work. This will boost the incentive to work for 80,000 extra families. Families will continue to be able to recover childcare costs at 70 per cent – up to £175 for one child or £300 for two or more children per week. Universal Credit is on track to begin in 2013 (DWP Press Release, 7 October 2011).
• Parents must work at least 16 hours per week to be eligible for childcare support – this is a barrier to work. Working parents can only claim to recover childcare costs – through the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit – if they work for at least 16 hours per week (HMRC). Parents working for fewer hours than this could face very high effective tax rates after tax, after benefits are taken away and once childcare costs are taken into account. This means they would be worse off in work than out of work (DWP, Universal Credit, p. 57). Supporting these families is crucial to boosting the incentive to work.
• Around half a million families currently receive childcare support. There are around 500,000 families who currently receive the childcare element of tax credits. Lone parents and couples where both parents work for at least 16 hours per week can claim 70 per cent of childcare costs of up to £175 per week for one child and up to £300 per week for more than two children. The average amount claimed is around £95 a week (HMRC, Child and Working Tax Credit Statistics, April 2011).
• To give working parents more flexibility – they can claim monthly, not weekly costs. Currently parents' claims for childcare costs under the Working Tax Credit are set at weekly maximum limits. This will be changed to monthly limits to provide working parents with more flexible support. Some weeks for parents are more expensive than others – for example during the school holidays, some weeks are more expensive than others. So, under Universal Credit, parents will be able to recover childcare costs of 70 per cent of up to £760 per month for one child or £1,300 per month for two or more children – this would allow a parent to buy up to 40 hours of childcare per week if they chose to do so.
• Transitional protection for families moving from tax credits to Universal Credit. Transitional protection will ensure families moving from tax credits, where circumstances have not otherwise changed, receive at least the same level of overall support under Universal Credit. Many families will receive a higher net payment under Universal Credit, as we know that families with children are more likely to gain overall than households without children.
• Support for childcare plans from Save the Children. Gareth Jenkins, Save the Children: 'Today's announcement is good news for parents on low incomes who are working less than 16 hours a week. And it's good news for the fight to tackle child poverty too because when this help comes in it will mean more income going into those families and also it will mean that those parents who are out of work are more likely to be able to take up work because they will be getting more help with their childcare costs' (BBC News, 6 October 2011).

Newsnight and Radio 4 Women's Hour

Conservative Party Conference

I was in Manchester for our annual conference. I arrived in the downpour on Sunday morning and went straight to appear on the Daily Politics show. Thus began 5 days of non-stop go! You may have seen me recently in my first Newsnight appearance with Jeremy Paxman at the Conference discussing the women's vote and I was also on Woman Hour on Radio 4 the next day discussing similar issues.

I am appalled that in this day and age some still refer to the 'women's vote' as if 30 million people vote as one. This sort of talk makes politics seem old fashioned and politicians look out of touch.

Claire Perry meets Defra Minister, ARK Chairman and WWF to review the state of the River Kennet

On Friday morning, Claire met with Under-secretary of State at Defra, Richard Benyon, Chairman of Action for the River Kennet (ARK), Geoffrey Findlay, and representatives of the WWF, to discuss the continuing problems over abstraction and to review the Kennet water flow levels.

The Kennet has run dry in the grounds of Marlborough College and ARK is concerned over the damage abstraction is causing to the river's ecology. The government is currently drafting its Water White Paper and ARK is working with the WWF to ensure this opportunity is taken to change water licencing rules to protect chalk streams like the Kennet.

In her most recent column for the Gazette and Herald, Claire states: "We must have a more realistic licensing and abstraction charging scheme in place as soon as possible."

Following the meeting, Minister Benyon, thanked those involved for "a really useful chat over a very worrying river."

Claire Perry MP at the Conservative Party Conference 2011

Claire Perry MP is looking forward to packed conference schedule which will see her participate in the following events:

 Sunday 2nd October

Howard League for Penal Reform

On the panel: "Conservative Future: The challenges for penal reform"

Location: Manchester Central 8, 5.30pm - 7pm

Women On...

Speaking at event: "Women and Enterprise"

Location: Manchester Central 7, 7.30pm – 8.30pm

Monday 3rd October

Policy Exchange

On the panel: "Rising Stars, "Class of 2010" - The future of the Conservative Party"

Location: Chetham Room, Novotel Centre, 2.15pm – 3.15pm

Demos

On the panel: "Taxing Times – Is there anything wrong with tax avoidance?"

Location: Manchester Central, Room 7, 5.30pm – 7.00pm

Tuesday 4th October

Policy Exchange

Speaking at event: "Do the rights of victims really matter to this Government?"

Location: Rylands Room, Novotel, 10.00am – 11.00am

TalkTalk

On the panel: "Who will protect children in the internet age?"

Location: Harty Suite, Radisson Edwardian 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Devizes Canoe Club Presentation Evening

On 29th September, I was invited to a Presentation Evening for Devizes Canoe Club on the K and A Canal. There, the Club's members demonstrated their very impressive on-the-water skills and all against the lovely backdrop of a gorgeous sunset over the Kennet and Avon Canal.

The Devizes Canoe Club had become the 100th British Canoe Union Club to attain a national standard that recognises their commitment to young people and the sport of canoeing.

I felt privileged to attend this celebration of the Club's award of the Sport England Clubmark; just acknowledgement of the Club's work and the fact that I am not the only Devizes to Westminster link! I was also able to test my "paddling power" on the Boating Alliance stand at the Conservative Party Conference.

Fun Day with the District Guides and Brownies

Also in September, I went to the District Guides and Brownies Fun Day in Coate near Devizes and saw how uniforms and activities have changed since I was a Sixer. I had a great time and I am keen to let you all know that both groups would welcome new members. The Guides, in particular, really need new adult Leaders to help the organisation grow. The commitment takes no more than 5 hours a week and the rewards are immense.

Meeting with the Devizes Women's Institute

In September I met the ladies (and a few gentlemen) of the Devizes Women's Institute. I shared stories of my life in Westminster so far, and also took the opportunity to pick up some cooking tips - My future attempts at making jam will succeed!

Claire Perry MP strongly supports No.10's ideas for Women

News today revealed that the No.10 Policy Unit had been discussing ideas for new policies that would particularly benefit women across the country.

Commenting Claire Perry MP said:

"Along with many MPs, I have been lobbying No. 10 to focus very hard on women in Britain today and the list that has been "leaked" would, if implemented be a very good set of policies. Forget the politics- if these changes were implemented they would have a meaningful impact on women's lives across the country."

Notes:

A full copy of No.10's proposals can be accessed via: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/interactive/2011/sep/13/leaked-memo-women-coalition-government

MYTHBUSTER: National Planning Policy Framework

Myth: Change is not needed / planning isn't the problem

Fact: Planning is acting as a serious brake on growth, slowing the delivery of much needed new jobs and new business. There is a broad recognition that the system is slow, complex, bureaucratic and unresponsive. Reform is imperative for our economic recovery.

The average first-time buyer is already well over thirty. House building has slumped to its lowest level since 1924 and planning is a significant factor. Combining all national planning policies into one concise document will improve clarity and unblock the system.

But this isn't a green light for any development, anywhere. The Framework retains strong protections for the environment and heritage that we cherish.

Myth: This is a developer's charter

Fact: Not true. From the birth of modern planning in 1947 there was a presumption in favour of development. This was turned into a plan-led approach in 1991. The presumption in favour of sustainable development carries forward this emphasis on positive planning, while reinforcing the primacy of the democratically produced local plan. Where plans are not up-to-date, the strong national policies we have set out provide a robust framework for making decisions, safeguarding the things that matter like the Green Belt and areas at risk of flooding.

Myth: This isn't localism - the Framework takes control away from local communities

Fact: Not true. The Framework puts local people in the driving seat of decision making in the planning system. Communities will have the power to decide the areas they wish to see developed and those to be protected, through their Local Plan. Once a local plan is in place which has the support of the local community that is what will drive decision making.

Legislation will abolish the old regional strategies and top down housing targets. It will no longer be possible for Inspectors to enforce changes to local plans and new neighbourhood planning powers will give real control to local people.

Myth: The presumption in favour of sustainable development will mean that every application has to be accepted

Fact: Not true. The presumption is not a green light for development. All proposals will need to demonstrate their sustainability and be in line with the strict protections in the draft Framework. Strong environmental safeguards remain as part of the planning system, including protecting communities and the environment from unacceptable proposals.

The Presumption is principally about good plan making. Once a local plan is put in place local decisions should be made in line with it.

Myth: Communities won't be able to protect green spaces or countryside

Fact: Not true. Green Belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other designated land will retain the protections they enjoy today. In addition communities will be given a new power to protect locally important green spaces which are a vital part of residents' quality of life.

Rather than imposing targets or blueprints from above, this Government is changing things so local people and their councils decide for themselves where to locate development and how they want their local area to grow. Development will need to be sustainable and not in breach of the framework's environmental protections

Myth: The Green Belt will be concreted over

Fact: Not true. The new framework re-affirms the Government's commitment to maintaining Green Belt protections that prevent urban sprawl. Inappropriate development, harmful to the Green Belt, should not be approved. Legislation will also remove the top down pressure on councils to build on the Green Belt.

Myth: Not only will there be more development, it will ugly and uncontrolled

Fact: As with key environmental protections, our historic environment, archaeological sites, ancient woodland and civic conservation areas all continue to be protected. The Framework also emphasises the importance of good design. It is in no-ones interests to see ugly and uncontrolled development. This is about building homes which future generations can be proud of.

Myth: These proposals were written by developers, for developers

Fact: Not true. All views were considered when drafting the framework and ministers meet a range of organisations including environmental, countryside and cultural groups. This document is about doing the right thing for Britain's future prosperity and wellbeing. There is a strong consensus across many different interest groups that the planning system needs reform.

Myth: You are trying to bribe communities rather than addressing the real problem

Fact: In the past, communities haven't shared the benefits of growth. This was wrong. Councils that choose growth will receive extra New Homes Bonus funding. And people will be able to say how a proportion of the Community Infrastructure Levy, money raised from development, is spent in their area. That is not a bribe, it is a sensible recognition of the benefits that growth can and should bring to communities.

Myth: There are already hundreds of thousands of planning permissions granted for homes that aren't being built

Fact: These changes are about meeting the long term needs of this country. Even if every one of these houses was built, it would only represent the number of homes that we need to build each year if we are to meet housing need.

Myth: Will this allow wind farms to spring up in the wrong places

Fact: Strong environmental safeguards remain part of the planning system. Onshore wind is an important part of our national energy security and our low-carbon goals. But the presumption in favour of sustainable development is not a green light for wind turbines everywhere.

Myth: This is a sham consultation. You have already instructed planning inspectors to make decisions in accordance with the Framework

Fact: Not true. We have not instructed the Planning Inspectorate to do anything. As a matter of standard practice, the Planning Inspectorate issues guidance to Inspectors to ensure that they take a consistent approach when draft policies are issued.

Online Child Protection Inquiry Announces Witnesses

A cross-party group of more than sixty Members of the Houses of Parliament announced the formation of a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection in August. Over the next few months the inquiry will take evidence from parents, child protection experts, Internet experts and Chief Executives of many of Britain's largest Internet Service Providers. The group will report to Ministers in November. The first public evidence session will now take place on:

Thursday 8th September

Committee Room 8

14:00-16:00

The Inquiry has confirmed the following witnesses for this session:

14:00-15:00

• The Sun's Agony Aunt, Deidre Sanders, an active campaigner in this area
• The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, former Home Secretary and producer of BBC investigation into porn
• Jerry Barnett, MD of UKs largest on demand online pornography website, Strictly Broadband
• Justine Roberts, Founder Mumsnet
• Julie Bentley, Chief Executive, Family Planning Association
• Will Gardner, Chief Executive Officer, Childnet International

15:00-16:00

• Professor Sonia Livingstone, Professor of Social Psychology, LSE, author of EU Kids Online
• Donald Findlater, Director of Research and Development, Lucy Faithful Foundation.
• Fleur Dorrell, Head of Policy, The Mother's Union
• Lucie Russell, Director of Campaigns, Policy and Participation, YoungMinds
• Tink Palmer, Marie Collins Foundation

Commenting, Inquiry Chair Claire Perry MP said:

"Parents are understandably worried about the ease with which their children can view pornographic content on the Internet and this Inquiry will provide the ideal platform for all interested parties to discuss how best we can protect our children online."

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said:

"The Internet is a powerful tool for education and entertainment but there is material online that is not suitable for children. Parents need to have the right tools to be able to protect their children from inappropriate content. I look forward to receiving the Inquiry's report and seeing their conclusions."

Notes:

Terms of Reference: Over the course of two evidence sessions, this inquiry will seek:

1. To understand better the extent to which children access on-line pornography and the potential for harm that this may cause
2. To determine what British Internet Service Providers have done to date to protect children online and the extent and possible impact of their future plans in this area
3. To determine what additional tools parents require to protect children from inappropriate content
4. To establish the arguments for and against network level filtering of content that would require an 18 rating in other forms of media
5. To recommend to Government the possible form of regulation required if ISPs fail to meet Recommendation no.5 from the Bailey Review.

The session will be open to the public on a first come, first served basis as seating is limited and there is no system of tickets or advance booking. Please advise security staff that you are attending a committee meeting and they will direct you. You should allow at least 20 minutes to go through security.

Witness Biographies:

Session A - 14:00-15:00:

Deidre Sanders – The Sun

Deidre Sanders is the country's longest-serving agony aunt, who has written the 'Dear Deidre' advice column for The Sun for over 30 years. During this time she has answered over 6 million calls for help, written over 200 advice booklets and responds to over 1000 readers every week. She is a Patron of the National Association of People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and of the Family and Parenting Institute, an honorary member of the NSPCC and was a member of the National Commission of Enquiry into the Prevention of Child Abuse. She was also closely involved with the social work reform programme 'Building a safe, confident future' developed by the Social Work Taskforce as a response to the Peter Connelly ('Baby P') case and accepted by the Government in 2009.

The Rt. Hon Jacqui Smith

The Rt. Hon Jacqui Smith is a member of the Labour Party, former Labour MP and former Home Secretary. She left Parliament in 2010 and currently works as a broadcaster, consultant and advisor. She had a 10-year ministerial career spanning 1997 – 2007 during which she served as Minister of State at the Department of Health, Minister for Industry and the Regions, Minister for Equality and Minister for Schools. In 2006 she was appointed to Tony Blair's Cabinet as Chief Whip and in 2007 she became Home Secretary, the first woman in Britain to hold this position. As Home Secretary she dealt with matters including terrorism, police powers and prostitution; she was also instrumental in changing the law to criminalise possession of violent or extreme pornographic images. Following up this concern further, in March 2011 she produced a documentary on pornography, 'Porn Again', for BBC Radio 5 Live, in which she attempted to understand more about this issue by interviewing people involved in the production of pornography. She has expressed concern about the availability of unregulated pornographic material to people of all ages and has called for the pornography industry to fund 'real sex education' in schools.

Jerry Barnett – Online Pornographer

Jerry Barnett, online pornographer and Managing Director of the UK's largest on demand online pornography website, Strictly Broadband.

Justine Roberts – Mumsnet

Justine Roberts is Co-Founder and CEO of Mumsnet; an online community of parents sharing advice, support and product recommendations. Over the last ten years it has grown into the UK's busiest social network for parents with over four million visits a month and 25,000 posts a day. Mumsnet now hosts over 200 local websites, a network of bloggers, and regularly campaigns on issues including support for families with SEN, improvements in miscarriage care and freedom of speech on the Internet. Before Mumsnet, Justine wrote about football and cricket for the Daily Telegraph and the Times and before that was an economist and strategist for SG Warburg.

Julie Bentley – Family Planning Association

Julie has been the FPA Chief Executive since 2008. She has over 17 years of experience in the charity sector, including working in the fields of young people, substance misuse, homelessness, personal safety and sexual health. The FPA is an organisation that advocates making sexual health a priority public health issue in the UK. Their vision is of a country where talking sense about sex is the norm not the exception. The FPA educate and inform thousands of people about sexual health each year and campaign to improve sexual health services.

Will Gardner - Childnet

Will Gardner is the CEO of Childnet International, which works in three main areas of internet safety: Access, Awareness and Protection and Policy. Access and promoting quality content: helping children and young people to use the internet constructively; Awareness and advice: helping children and young people to acquire digital literacy; advising parents, teachers, organisations and industry about e-safety; Protection and policy: Working with other bodies to help protect children and young people from online abuse and exploitation; initiating and responding to policy changes. Childnet's scope is focused on informing children and adults about internet risks and safety rather than lobbying ISPs to change. It has produced the awareness-raising software programmes 'Know IT All', an award-winning suite of educational resources for young people, parents and teachers on safe and positive internet use, and 'Kidsmart', an internet safety programme run in schools in the UK and internationally.

Session B - 15:00-16:00

Professor Sonia Livingstone

Professor Sonia Livingstone is Professor of Social Psychology and Head of the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. She is a researcher, author and editor in her specialist subject of children's and young people's use of the internet and digital media. She has written or edited fourteen books including 'Kids Online: Opportunities and Risks for Children' (2009). Since 2006, Professor Livingstone has directed the 25-country network EU Kids Online for the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme which has conducted multinational European research on 9 – 19-year-olds' internet use, risks and safety. In 2009, she worked on the ESRC-funded project 'UK Children Go Online'. She has served on numerous boards and taskforces related to digital literacy and safety, has advised Ofcom, the Home Office, the Byron Review, the BBC and the DfE as well as currently serving as Evidence Champion on the Executive Board of the UK's Council for Child Internet Safety.

Donald Findlater – Lucy Faithful Foundation

Donald Findlater is Director of Research and Development at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection charity that aims to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse both on and offline through work with perpetrators, victims and families. The Foundation provides assessments, interventions and treatment for known offenders, case-specific advice and support for victims and educational programmes, courses and workshops for schools which address online risks and safety in many areas including cyberbullying. The Foundation believes that the availability of pornography to people of all ages is an issue that needs to be stringently addressed; that the pornography industry must take greater responsibility for controlling access to this material; that sound and practical advice should be made available to parents and carers as a matter of priority and that internet safety is a community issue. The Foundation recommends that many more community hubs including schools, faith communities and retail outlets need to take responsibility for providing e-safety education to parents.

Fleur Dorrell – The Mother's Union

Fleur Dorrell is Head of Faith and Policy at the Mothers' Union, a 4-million strong Christian-based family care organisation that works in 83 countries to provide families with practical and emotional support, tackle poverty and challenge injustice. Reg Bailey, the CEO, is the author of the Bailey Review into the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood (2011), which expresses concerns that sexualised imagery is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society to the point of becoming 'wallpaper' to children's lives. The review is careful to point out the distinction between images of a sexual nature within a meaningful context such as a drama or film and these images taken out of any context and used in advertising. The Mothers' Union is calling for: 'an active choice [for adults] whether to view adult content online, rather than receiving it automatically and having to set up filters to remove it'; for the government to take decisive action to tackle the use of sexualised content in goods and services and particularly in the marketing of goods to children; to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the 9 p.m. television watershed and for advertising to be subject to certain extra regulations.

Lucie Russell – YoungMinds

Lucie Russell is Director of Campaigns, Policy and Participation at YoungMinds, the UK's only national charity specifically committed to improving the mental health and emotional wellbeing of all young people. Her role is to raise the profile of YoungMinds, promote the importance of young people's emotional wellbeing and tackle the stigma often associated with mental illness. She has been involved with the development of high-profile campaigns influencing policy and government strategy, working with the media and directing a national participation project enabling young people to raise awareness of emotional problems and mental health and to campaign for and influence local and national mental health provision.

YoungMinds is concerned that 12 to 17-year-olds, the most frequent viewers of internet pornography, are at risk of normalising unhealthy, violent and degrading attitudes to sex and relationships as a result of this exposure and developing mental health issues around sexual behaviour as a consequence. There are also concerns about more general mental health issues relating to excessive internet use.

Tink Palmer – Marie Collins Foundation

Tink Palmer is a clinical and forensic practitioner, manager, trainer, policymaker and strategist in the field of online child abuse and exploitation awareness, prevention and victim recovery. She has been in social work practice since 1973 and has worked with children abused online since 1999. She has written many reports in her particular areas of expertise, including 'Just One Click!' for Barnardo's (2004) and 'Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of Children Online' for the World Congress III in 2008. In 2010 she worked with UNICEF to produce the report 'Sexual abuse and exploitation in the converged online/offline environments – referral services and rehabilitation'. She is an expert court witness for the criminal justice and care systems and as a member of numerous governmental steering groups, committees and boards dedicated to enhancing public awareness, improving service provision and ensuring best practice both nationally and internationally. She currently chairs the Boards of Trustees of Childnet International and ECPAT UK, a member of UKCCIS and CEO of the Marie Collins Foundation, an NGO supporting young people affected by online abuse.

Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection

Thursday 8th September, Committee Room 8 14:00-16:00

Today I am chairing a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection, set up by a cross-party group of more than sixty Members of both Houses of Parliament. We are concerned at how easy it is for children and young people to access adult content on the Internet and we want to understand both the extent of the problem and what the Internet Service Providers are planning to do to improve protection.

Almost three-quarters of British households now have access to the Internet and over half of UK children use the internet alone in their bedroom making it very difficult for parents to effectively monitor their activity. As a result, a growing number are able to access pornographic images – and in many cases these can be violent or degrading. Current protection relies entirely on parental involvement and consumers are asked to install and maintain filters to block or filter websites. But we know that only 54% of parents use parental controls. We don't accept this situation with any other forms of media distribution. Adult content on TV is regulated by OfCom, films are given ratings and billboards are subject to regulation. With the Internet increasingly becoming a mainstream media distribution channel and with technical convergence bringing the Internet directly to our televisions, it is time to change. Many of us feel that an "Opt-In" solution, where households have to choose to receive adult content, would provide more protection than the current system.

At today's session we will question a wide range of witnesses on the extent to which children access adult content via the Internet and whether there is evidence that this is harmful.

Our witnesses today include: the Rt. Hon Jacqui Smith, former Home Secretary and producer of a BBC investigation into porn; The Sun's "Agony Aunt" Deidre Sanders; child protection experts; representatives of the Family Planning Association and child protection charities; Professor Sonia Livingstone, Professor of Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and author of "EU Kids Online" and Jerry Barnett, Managing Director of the UK's largest on demand online pornography website, Strictly Broadband.

Donating books to Devizes Library

In August I donated books to Devizes Library in support of the Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge. I'm a great reader myself and I was delighted to support this initiative: anything that gets our children reading is a great idea and research shows that those who use libraries for pleasure get better jobs than those that don't.

The Summer Reading Challenge has a proven impact on children's literacy and enjoyment of reading and is a pivot for developing better joint literacy work between libraries and schools.

Claire Perry donates books to Devizes library

Today, Claire Perry MP has presented Devizes library with free books as part of the Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge.

Created and run by The Reading Agency Charity, this year's Summer Reading Challenge encourages children to read six books over the summer holidays and participate in the social activities. Every child completing the Challenge receives a certificate or medal.

97 per cent of UK library authorities are participating and over 760,000 children are joining in the challenge. The Summer Reading Challenge has a proven impact on children's literacy and enjoyment of reading and is a pivot for developing better joint literacy work between libraries and schools. This year's circus-themed initiative focuses on reading for pleasure as a means of building literacy skills.

Commenting Claire Perry said:

"I'm a great reader myself and am delighted to support this initiative: anything that gets our children reading is a great idea and research shows that those who use libraries for pleasure get better jobs than those that don't.[1] I therefore fully support the Campaign and am delighted to be donating books to Devizes library."

Notes

• The Reading Agency is an independent charity working to inspire more people to read more. It specialises in helping libraries make more social impact through reading. It is funded by the Arts Council and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
• 97% of UK library authorities are taking part in this year's Summer Reading Challenge. See www.summerreaddingchallenge.org.uk for professional support materials. For more information about Summer Reading Challenge volunteering opportunities for young people, please visit www.readingagency.org.uk/young/volunteering
• Resources: the Circus Stars website for children supports the Challenge with the games, author blogs, children's message board and live "book choice help" from real librarians: www.cicusstars.org.uk. There are also large print Summer Reading Challenge materials available for visually impaired children, thanks to the support of the RNIB National Library Service. Also available in a variety of languages are special "family leaflets" full of advice and support on how to take part over the summer.

[1] Reading for pleasure linked to better job prospects, Mark Taylor, University of Oxford, 2010

MPs launch Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection

Today, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency and a cross-party group of more than sixty Members of the Houses of Parliament announced the formation of a Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Child Protection. The inquiry will take evidence over the next few months from parents, child protection experts, Internet experts and Chief Executives or senior managers of many of Britain's largest Internet Service Providers. The group will report to Ministers in November.

Commenting, Claire Perry MP for the Devizes Constituency said:

"Parents are understandably worried about the ease with which their children can view pornographic content on the Internet and this Inquiry will provide the ideal platform for all interested parties to discuss how best we can protect our children online."

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said:

"The Internet is a powerful tool for education and entertainment but there is material online that is not suitable for children. Parents need to have the right tools to be able to protect their children from inappropriate content. I look forward to receiving the Inquiry's report and seeing their conclusions."

Notes:

Evidence sessions will take place in public in Committee Room 7 of the House of Commons on Thursday 8th September from 14:00-16:00 and Tuesday 18th October from 14:00-16:00

Online Child Protection Inquiry - Terms of Reference:

Over the course of two evidence sessions, this inquiry will seek to:

1) To understand better the extent to which children access on-line pornography and the potential for harm that this may cause

2) To determine what British Internet Service Providers have done to date to protect children online and the extent and possible impact of their future plans in this area

3) To determine what additional tools parents require to protect children from inappropriate content

4) To establish the arguments for and against network level filtering of content that would require an 18 rating in other forms of media

5) To recommend to Government the possible form of regulation required if ISPs fail to meet Recommendation no.5 from the Bailey Review.

Claire Perry: Ed Miliband's union changes are so feeble even John Prescott supports them

John Prescott yesterday gave his support to Ed Miliband's proposed changes to union voting rights within the Labour party, saying "[Ed] has only been in the job for 12 months, but he has made some headway."

Claire Perry MP said:

"Ed Miliband knew he couldn't take on his union paymasters. His proposed changes are so feeble that even trade union stalwart John Prescott supports them.

"If Miliband was serious about taking on the unions, he would deal with the Warwick process which means that unions provide 90p in every pound of Labour's funding in return for huge influence over the Party's policies."

Notes

• Since Ed Miliband became leader 87 per cent of Labour's donations have come from trade unions. In Q4 2010 and Q1 2011, the two full quarters since Ed Miliband became Labour leader, the Party received a total of £5,428,375 in donations. £4,739,114, or 87 per cent of these, came from trade unions (Calculations from Electoral Commission Website).
• Labour's proposal for party funding reform would make it more reliant on union funding. The Labour Party's written submission to the Committee on Standards in Public Life's inquiry into political finance proposed no changes to the way in which the unions fund the Labour Party and in fact, by limiting scope for individual donations, would have led to the Party increasing its dependence on trade union money (Submission from Labour Party General Secretary, Ray Collins, to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, 29 October 2010).
• 37 per cent of Labour's donations came from just one trade union, Unite. In Q1 2011 £1,068,075, or 37 per cent of total donations, came from the Unite trade union (ibid.).
• In the same period last year, just 51 per cent of donations came from trade unions. In Q4 2009 and Q1 2010 £4,825,463.90, or 51 per cent, out of a total 39,532,155.68 in donations came from trade unions (ibid.).
• Even under Gordon Brown Labour were only reliant on the trade unions for 56 per cent of their donations. From Q3 2007 to Q2 2010 Labour received a total £60,319,074.77 in donations, of which £33,767569.18, only 56 per cent, came from trade unions (ibid.).

The Labour Government's Warwick Agreement formalised the process whereby Labour agreed to policy concessions in return for union donations. At its National Policy Forum in July 2004 Labour struck a deal to secure funding from trade unions in the run-up to the 2005 general election. In return, the Labour leadership granted unions wide-ranging concessions. These included:

• ­ Guaranteed real terms increases in the Trade Union Learning Fund each year until at least 2008 (Britain is Working, NPF Report, September 2004, p.129);
• ­ An extension of the eight-week rule on strike action to 12 weeks with no limit for employers who do not fully comply with conciliation moves (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ Moving towards pensions becoming a collective bargaining issue (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ The promise of a training levy if employers fail to meet the challenge of improving the skills of working people (Amicus Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ Making the charitable status of private schools dependent upon demonstrating clear public benefit (Britain is Working, National Policy Forum Report, 26-30 September 2004, p.159);
• ­ Review the right of specialist technology schools to admit some of their intake by aptitude (Britain is Working, National Policy Forum Report, p.159);
• ­ New sector forums bringing together unions and employers in low-paid sectors (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ A threefold increase in the number of trade union 'learning representatives' to 20,000 (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ Working with the TUC to develop the concept of a trade union academy (Britain is Working, NPF Report, September 2004, p.129);
• ­ UK Government backing for the Agency Workers' European Directive (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ A whole host of safeguards to ensure equality of funding between PFI and conventional public spending (TGWU Press Release, 25 July 2004);
• ­ The strengthening and development of the European social dimension (Britain is Working, NPF Report, September 2004, p.21);
• ­ Making it easier and more attractive for local authorities to gain greater control over local bus networks (Ibid, p.78);
• ­ 'A commitment to work in partnership with strong, modern trade unions to help unions grow' (TULO guide to the Warwick Agreement, 24 April 2006).

In all, 108 pledges were made to the unions. As of 2008, the Unite union reported that 65 per cent of these had been implemented or seen significant progress (Unite, Report to Unite Executive Committee, July 2008).

Visit to Regular Armoured Regiment, Tidworth

Also in July, I paid a visit to the Regular Armoured Regiment in Tidworth and I met officers and soldiers from the Kings Royal Hussars and the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers who maintain all of the equipment. I heard all about the responsibilities the units are tasked with, as well as the current challenges they face and what their daily routine is like. Very excitingly, I also saw a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank in action, up close.

Claire Perry appears on BBC Wiltshire to discuss Bovine TB

Whilst carrying on with local casework and meetings, I have become increasingly aware about the on-going misery caused to our local farmers by the bovine TB epidemic that is raging in Wiltshire and I appeared on BBC Wiltshire to discuss the issue. TB cases are up more than 50 per cent in the last six months and farmers from the Avebury area eastwards have told us that they expect their herds to be infected if they are not already. Not only does the TB testing, culling and compensation programme cost the taxpayer over sixty million pounds a year, but the impact on a family farm with a pedigree herd can be devastating. In my view it is time to get on with the programme of controlled, humane, badger culling that has bought the disease under control in the Republic of Ireland so we can have healthy wildlife, healthy cattle and a thriving local dairy farming industry.

Rushall Village Fete with Prospect House

After the medals ceremony I visited the Rushall fete where all sorts of activities including a china-smashing stall (so tempting!) were in full swing, raising money for the Prospect Hospice in Swindon. I had been able to visit the Hospice and hear about the amazing work that is done both within the peaceful buildings and with the home-based network of volunteers and staff. It truly is an oasis of calm and I am joining the Big Bike Ride on July 17th to raise more funds for such a worthy local cause.

Marlborough Jazz Festival

In July, I attended the opening of the excellent Marlborough Jazz Festival. I really think that it is a great way to showcase Marlborough and its versatility and vibrancy as it turns into a mini New Orleans. Thankfully the rain held off and the event was a great success.

Claire Perry Asks Ministers to Review Savernake Hospital

On Tuesday 12 July, during Health Questions in Parliament, Claire Perry MP raised the issue of the PFI contract for Savernake Hospital near Marlborough. Speaking after the Parliamentary session, Claire said:

"Tax payers are now shelling out almost one million pounds a year in PFI unitary charges for the Savernake redevelopment and yet we have seen a big reduction in our local services including the loss of our Minor Injuries Unit. The future for hospitals like Savernake is quite uncertain given the size of their PFI commitments and I am delighted that the Minister for Health, Simon Burns, has agreed to meet me to look at all aspects of the Savernake contract. I am determined to get local services back in our local hospitals and we need to get them on a sound financial footing for this to happen"

Notes:

• Claire Perry's Question to the Minister: "Under the last government, Savernake Hospital in my Constituency of Devizes was redeveloped. As a result tax payers got stuck with nearly a million pounds a year in PFI unitary charges and local services offered were cut drastically. Will the minister undertake to look at all hospitals labouring under an uneconomic PFI burden and will he meet with me to discuss the Savernake situation specifically?"
• Simon Burns MP's response: "I'm very grateful to my honourable friend because she has been campaigning on this issue for over a year now and rightly so. Can I tell the honourable lady that work is going on the whole issue of PFI and the NHS to ensure value for money and given her concern, if she'd like to come and see me about this particular case, I'd be more than happy to see her.
• From 2005/6, Savernake Hospital's PFI Provider Unitary Charge was £768,000 which has risen by 20% to an estimated £925,000 for 2011/12.

Claire Perry: UK's support for UN Women is the right thing to do

The Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell has today announced the UK's support for UN Women, a new agency established earlier this year to tackle gender inequality and help millions of the poorest girls and women around the world.

The Department has pledged £10 million annually to UN Women over the next two years, from its aid budget. Britain will be the second largest donor to the agency, allowing it to take a strong leadership in ensuring it operates as effectively as possible. Andrew Mitchell will require the agency to match the Government's high expectations for the funding. He will review its support over the initial two year period in order to ensure the agency meets the value for money criteria now required by the Department for International Development.

Claire Perry MP, member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for UN Women, said:

"Along with other Conservative Members both male and female, I strongly welcome Andrew Mitchell's decision to pledge Britain's support for UN Women and am confident that the Secretary of State will make certain the money is spent in the most productive way. When two thirds of the world's people who cannot read or write are women, it is clear that we need to target our aid efficiently. The UK's support for UN Women is the right thing to do."

Notes:

• UN Women was established in July 2010. The new agency was established to improve the UN's ability to tackle gender inequality and help millions of the poorest girls and women escape chronic poverty (United Nations, UN Women – Link).
• Tacking poverty. Girls and women still make up six out of ten of the world's poorest people. Two thirds of people who cannot read or write are women. (UN Development Programme – Link)
• Britain's funding announcement. Britain has now pledged to provide £10 million each year to UN Women over the next two years. This will place the UK as the second largest donor to the agency.
• DFID funding based on the results of the Aid Review. The UK's own rigorous review of UN and other aid agencies found that there was a chronic gap in the UN's ability to tackle poverty amongst girls and women. Funding of the agency will be subject to further regular reviews (DFID website, Multilateral Aid Review, 1 March 2011 - Link).
• UN Women has pledged to be effective. The new agency has promised to:
• Be Effective. UN Women has promised to ensure UN agencies improve the effectiveness and efficiency of aid programmes which support women. A failure to work properly across other organisation has led to duplication, waste and delay.
• Tackle domestic violence. Help 15 countries adopt legislation to tackle domestic violence.
• Improve health Education for women. Design effective programme to improve the health, education and future chance of millions of girls and women in the developing world, such tackling violence against them by increasing their access to justice and working with boys and men to change their attitudes.
• Help empower women. Support efforts to allow women to participate in political decision-making in 25 more countries.
• Hold Governments to account. UN Women has promised to hold governments to account on gender equality, highlighting when a country falls short of international standards (UN Women, Introductory Statement by by Michelle Bachelet at the Annual Session of the UN Women Executive Board, 27 June 2011 - Link)

Claire Perry supports renewable sources of energy

On Friday 1st July Sarsen Energy opened their new warehouse in Collingbourne Ducis. Claire Perry MP celebrated this occasion and performed the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Commenting, Claire said:

"I am delighted to officially open the Sarsen Energy wood burning centre in Collingbourne Ducis with its wide range of wood burners and boilers. This expansion is perfect as the Government is committed to producing 15% of the UK's energy from renewable sources such as wood by 2020.

The new Renewable Heat Initiative scheme will provide long-term support for the sort of products sold by Sarsen Energy. As a committed wood burner user I am pleased to see this great local company succeed."

John Barber-Starkey, MD of Sarsen Energy Ltd commented:

"The new Government grant scheme for wood fuelled central heating coupled with rising energy prices means that a lot of customers will be interested in replacing their oil, coal, gas or electric systems with wood. We find that more and more customers are now turning to the ancient fuel of wood which is now the fuel of the future as it is renewable, efficient and clean."

Notes:

• From left to right the photograph is of John Barber-Starkey (Director of Sarsen Energy), Claire Perry MP and Annie Barber-Starkey (Director of Sarsen Energy).
• There will be two Open days at the Sarsen Wood Burning Centre on 29th and 30th July for domestic and commercial customers to view the latest designer appliances, kitchen ranges and log burners.
• Current energy policy means that homeowners who install an accredited biomass boiler can receive substantial payments from the Government RHI scheme for up to 20 years.
• Under the Government's Green Energy Policy all households that install an accredited biomass boiler will be eligible for tariff payments know as the RHI Premium Payment (RHIPP). This will mean that for a typical house the customer will receive a payment in line with the size of their boiler output for up to 20 years.

Claire Perry meets with church leaders

My Opt-in to internet porn campaign received yet more support in July, first at a round table meeting at the Guardian newspaper and then from a delegation of church leaders on 4th July. A cross party group of 59 MPs are really keen to see this change made and the campaign will continue during recess.

Claire Perry MP attends 2nd Royal Tank Regiment's Medals Parade

On Saturday 2nd July I attended another heart-warming event, the Operation Herrick medals ceremony and Regimental Open Day for the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, in Tidworth where it was hard not to be moved by the bravery of the small group of injured men who marched up separately to receive their medals, to rapturous cheers from friends and families all round the parade ground.

Prime Minister backs Claire Perry on the reform of MPs pensions

Yesterday during Prime Minister's Questions, Claire Perry MP asked the Prime Minister whether he agreed that MPs should be in the vanguard of the debate on public sector pension reform by speeding up the reform of their own pensions. The Prime Minister agreed and stated that MPs should be subject to exactly the same changes as the Public Sector.

Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, Claire Perry said:

"Given the tough choices the Government is having to make on public-sector pensions I think that Members of Parliament should lead by example and reform their own final-salary pension arrangements as soon as possible.

I am aware that Ministers have been consulting with ISPA on the proposals but the process is taking far too long. I have also written to the Leader of the House, Sir George Young to urge him to accelerate these reforms."

Notes:

1) In Prime Minister's Questions on 29th June Claire Perry asked:

"The Prime Minister alluded earlier to the contract between taxpayers and public servants, but there is also a contract between taxpayers and MPs. Does he agree that MPs should be in the vanguard of reforming pensions by reforming our own, so that we can look our public sector constituents in the face?"

The Prime Minister replied:

"I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Members of the House are public sector workers too, and we should be subject to exactly the same changes that we are asking others to take on. Therefore, the increase in contributions should apply to the MP system, even though we already pay in quite a lot. We are saying that right across the board, the increase in pension contributions is right to create a healthier long-term system."

Source: Hansard HC Deb, 29 June 2011, c956

2) Under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the new expenses watchdog, IPSA, can be given responsibility for MPs' pensions - but that has not yet happened.

3) In the Budget 2011 the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne stated:

"I confirm today that the Government accept Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, unions and others. There should be no cherry-picking on either side. I believe that this House should also recommend similar changes to the pensions of MPs.

Source: Hansard HC Deb, 23 March 2011, c961 and HM Treasury, Budget 2011, para 1.132

Claire Perry opens the Army Recovery Centre at Tedworth House

There are over 10,000 members of the Armed Forces, and at least the same number of spouses and dependents and several thousand MoD civil servants living in our Constituency. I am always pleased to support the government in its attempts to strengthen the military covenant, especially in providing long-term support for those who are injured while serving. I was therefore delighted to go to the opening of the Army Recovery Centre on 29th June, located in beautiful Tedworth House in Tidworth. This is supported by both the MoD and military charities and is a vibrant place that will help service personnel with their rehabilitation and recovery, both now and in the future. The bravery, common sense and dignity displayed by the "Band of Brothers" who have been helped so far was amazing and while chatting to one soldier who had suffered serious facial injuries, I became mesmerized by what looked like a tiny logo in his eye. "Oh yes" he said in response to my question, "This is my Help for Heroes glass eye. I've got twelve others. Want to see them?" Amazing.

Claire Perry proposes Remembrance Day Bank Holiday

Claire Perry MP has introduced a 10 Minute Rule Bill proposing a Remembrance Day Bank Holiday.

Speaking after presenting her Bill Claire Perry said:

"Having one national bank holiday to pay tribute to our Armed Forces would be the best way to bring together the people of the United Kingdom to support the military now and in the future. Many other major countries recognise the contributions of their current and former service personnel in this way and I think it is time that we did too."

Notes:

The text of the Bill reads:

Remembrance Day (Bank Holiday)

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to designate the Monday after Remembrance Sunday as an annual bank holiday in the United Kingdom with effect from 2012; and for connected purposes.

• The Second Reading of the Bill will occur on Friday 21st October 2011.
• To read Claire's Ten Minute Rule Bill speech click here.
• MPs adding their names to the Bill include: Andrew Rosindell, Bob Stewart, Julian Brazier, Kwasi Kwarteng, James Gray, Michael Mccann, Dominic Raab, Chris Heaton Harris, Charlie Elphicke, Dan Jarvis and John Glen.
• Many other countries pay tribute to their Armed Forces with a national holiday including the United States, Canada, Russia, France and Israel. Among the five countries spending most on their military it is only Britain and China that do not have a national holiday to commemorate their service personnel –and in China soldiers get a half day off.
• More than two-thirds (68%) of adults in the UK think it would be appropriate for the UK to have another bank holiday each year, and Remembrance Day was one of the top choices for such an occasion (21% of the vote, with St. George's Day on 22%) (Source: YouGov Poll, December 2010).

Claire Perry calls for greater recognition for the UK's six million carers

Claire Perry has teamed up with TV presenter Angela Rippon to support this year's Carers Week (13-19 June) and recognise the contribution made by those people in the Devizes constituency and throughout the UK who provide unpaid care for someone who is ill, frail or disabled.

The theme for Carers Week 2011 is 'The True Face of Carers'. It calls for greater recognition for the diverse range of people who have caring responsibilities. The work they carry out is vital for their families and friends, and for their communities.

Claire Perry and Angela have joined together to pay tribute to carers, and to urge that they receive more support in their caring roles.

Commenting Claire Perry said:

"Thousands of people in the Devizes constituency sacrifice not only their time, but also their money and their health in order to care for a loved one. Together they save this country an incredible £119 billion every year. They deserve to be recognised for their contribution to both our local community and to wider society.

I am taking part in Carers Week to show my respect and appreciation for our carers. I also want to let them know that there are services out there to help them. Caring can be so incredibly demanding. It's important that carers know that they don't have to struggle on alone."

Other celebrities supporting this campaign include Dame Judi Dench, Sir David Jason OBE, Jack Charlton OBE and Martin Lewis.

Carers Week is organised by a partnership of 9 national charities: Age UK, Carers UK, Counsel & Care, Crossroads Care, Dementia UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson's UK, and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

For more information about local events and activities taking place as part of Carers Week, visit www.carersweek.org.

The Big Society Forum

Another uplifting event in June was the Big Society Forum with Nick Hurd, the Minister for Civil Society, that we held in the Devizes Corn Exchange last week. Despite the stress of having the Minister arrive well after the posted kick-off time due to late-running business in the House of Commons (although for once it was nice not to be the person running late) we were able to have an insightful and wide-ranging discussion of the overall idea, the local examples that we see all around us and the actions the government is taking to give local organisations even more support. Nick has promised to give a personal reply to questions from those unable to stay for the whole event so do please send them to me and I will get them on to his desk.

Claire Perry attends meeting with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe

On Tuesday 7th June the UK delegation to the Council of Europe met the Secretary General of the Council and one positive piece of information to emerge from the meeting with Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland (a practical Norwegian with a strong resemblance to my father-in-law) is that Britain will chair the European Court of Human Rights from this November which gives us an opportunity to impose some sanity and order on this institution.

Claire Perry attends first meeting of the Energy Bill Committee

The next few weeks following the 7th June have been dominated by my participation in the Energy Bill Committee. Every piece of legislation goes through this scrutiny process where a group of MPs reviews every part of the Bill and debates and amends the legislation as appropriate – with "mini votes" taking place in the Committee rooms if consensus can't be reached. Luckily the Energy Bill has strong cross party support and will mean for the first time that it will both make economic sense and be very easy for every household in Britain to install energy saving measures as part of the new Green Deal – although I would like more to be done to make water saving measures part of the package.

Energy Bill Update

The Energy Bill Committee continues to occupy most of my Westminster time but it is an oddly uplifting experience. Give or take the odd outbreak of truncheon waving, the group of MPs on the Committee has put "Punch and Judy" politics on hold while we focus on getting this important legislation right. The Minister is listening, members are contributing based on knowledge or interests rather than party affiliation and I think we will have a very good Bill as a result. If only all politics could be this way...

Claire Perry visits Armed Forces in Larkhill and Andover

The Whitsun recess ended on a high note for me as I was able to spend a full day with our local Armed Forces in Larkhill and Andover and see, first hand, how our brave men and women are training for imminent deployment to Afghanistan and how the Army is planning for new challenges – including the security demands of next year's Olympics. Olympic matters generally are on my mind at the moment as I have been asked to nominate local Torch Bearers to carry the flame while it is in Wiltshire so if you have someone in mind that you think should be considered for this honour, please do let me know.

Claire Perry welcomes Bailey Review recommendations on the Sexualisation of Childhood

Today, the Department for Education published a six-month review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. The Review calls on businesses and broadcasters to play their part and protect children from the increasingly sexualised 'wallpaper' that surrounds them.

Commenting Claire Perry said:

"I strongly support all of the measures proposed in today's Bailey Review on Child Sexualisation, especially the support for an Opt -In model to access adult material on the Internet. When I first proposed this measure last year it was clear that families wanted internet companies to do more to help keep children safe and I hope the report today will speed up the introduction of an industry wide approach to opt-in."

• Claire Perry called last November for an Opt In Model to Internet porn in a Parliamentary debate: To read the debate in full click here.
• Since then Ed Vaizey the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries has held two roundtable meetings on 7th February 2011 and the 18th May 2011, with internet service providers, parliamentarians, civil servants, children's charity representatives and other stakeholders to review the opt-in idea and other means of protecting children.
• The Bailey Review says parents should be able to buy computers, devices or internet services with adult content already blocked, rather than having to impose controls themselves. To read the review in full click here.

Claire Perry attends High Sheriff Reception

On Friday 3rd June I went to a reception at the home of the new High Sheriff of Wiltshire where he paid tribute to the excellent work done by the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust which provides a home security service for elderly, vulnerable and disadvantaged people throughout the county and then to Figheldean to open the new Community Rooms and celebrate the work of John Chant who ran the youth club locally for over 40 years.

Claire Perry attends and presents awards at the Durrington Award and Devizes Festival

On Saturday 28 May I was in Durrington presenting a Quality Council Award to the Town Council and the same week I also formally opened the wonderful Devizes Festival, now in its 30th year. As ever I was impressed by the line-up of entertainment and information assembled for the Pearl Anniversary of this much-loved event. One of the features is an evening with famous political cartoonist Martin Rowson and I am pleased to say that so far, I have escaped the particular cruelties of his pen; however it is a slightly depressing fact that some MPs of all political colours continue to provide much fodder for commentators and cartoonists alike with the on-going saga of prosecution for expenses fraud. Like many new MPs I have pledged to be completely open and transparent about any claims I make and these are all published on my website but fundamentally, I believe that like all public sector employees, MPs should never forget that they are spending taxpayers' money and especially at a time of public spending restraint we should always be looking for ways to claim even less than is "allowed".

Claire Perry visits Collingbourne Primary School

On Friday 27th May I joined pupils at Collingbourne Ducis Primary School for a fascinating science day featuring an inflatable space Discovery Dome operated by a former teacher from Devizes who is now running his own business, teaching children across the country about the Final Frontier. It was heartening to hear how many children wanted to be scientists and space engineers and perhaps if we had technology like that while I was at Grove County Junior School, I might not be so terrible at physics!

Wiltshire part of package to receive 50 million funding for next wave of rural broadband

Homes and businesses across Wiltshire, Norfolk and Devon & Somerset will have access to superfast broadband connections as the Government's drive to connect rural areas moves into the next phase. Each area will receive a multi-million pound package, part of the Government's £530m fund earmarked to support the roll-out of superfast broadband to areas that the market alone will not reach. The Government is committed to providing the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015.

Commenting Claire Perry MP said:

"It is vital that rural communities and businesses have access to effective and affordable broadband if the digital divide is not to grow even wider and rural economies are going to grow and prosper. Along with many others locally I have been lobbying hard for Wiltshire to be among the first in the queue for more funding. Today I am delighted to announce that our efforts have paid off and Wiltshire will be among the areas receiving the next £50 million allocated for rural broadband. This will open up new ways of conducting business and allow more people will be able to work remotely from rural locations. We are moving towards having a living and working countryside"

Today's announcement adds three new areas to the existing superfast broadband pilots currently being set up in North Yorkshire, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Cumbria and the Herefordshire borders. Local authorities and their delivery partners were invited to bid for a slice of the £530m funding allocated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in October's Comprehensive Spending Review.

A total of 18 bids were received and it is anticipated that all will receive funding during the current Parliament as their proposals evolve.

The three successful areas, which will be allocated a share of £50m funding, will also receive financial support from their local authorities and private investors.

The next steps are for each local authority to tender for contractors to carry out the work. Work will begin on upgrading the broadband infrastructure in the three areas following this procurement process and it is hoped that suppliers will start rolling out upgraded infrastructure within a year. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will then use these networks to offer affordable services to homes and businesses.

It is anticipated that a mix of technologies will be used including mobile, satellite and fibre connections to hubs in the heart of communities. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will be working with all the authorities that submitted local broadband plans over the coming weeks with a view to supporting all local broadband plans at the earliest opportunity.

Claire Perry MP attends Pewsey Open Meeting

Whilst on the Whitsun Parliamentary recess I went out and about across the Devizes Constituency. The Thursday's open meeting in Pewsey focused on CRB checks, cuts to the Probate service, speeding in villages, the Defence budget and the Localism Bill. These meetings are an invaluable way for me to hear constituent concerns first-hand and my next event will be in Ludgershall Memorial Hall on June 30th so please do come along.

Claire Perry: We've already cut tax for 1,990,000 in South West

New figures show that the Government has cut income tax for 1,990,000 people across the South West, resulting in 71,000 of the lowest paid being taken out of tax altogether. Across the country, 22.6 million people have had an income tax cut worth £200 this year, and 830,000 have been taken out of tax.

The increase in the income tax personal allowance of £1,000, announced at the June 2010 Budget, came into effect last month and means that basic rate taxpayers are £200 a year better off. And next year's personal allowance increase of £630, will benefit a further 2,170,000 people in the South West by £126 a year, and take a further 24,000 people in the region out of tax.

Commenting, Claire Perry MP said:

"I welcome the fact that this year alone, thanks to Government action, 1,990,000 people in the South West are paying £200 less income tax this year, and 71,000 of the lowest paid in this region have been taken out of tax altogether.

We know that times are tough for families across the country, and so it is also important to lift people out of the income tax system and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money."

Claire Perry MP attends briefing sessions about the future of Castledown Business Centre

Locally I attended a briefing session about the future of the Castledown Business Park in Ludgershall on the 20 May. The local community is brimming with ideas about how to use this valuable asset to provide jobs and services locally but all are adamant that the proposal for a waste transfer station sitting smack between the Business Park and the newly-invigorated Wellington Academy is a daft idea – a conclusion that I heartily support. I have made my views known to Wiltshire Council and encourage all Constituents to do the same before the consultation ends on August 8th.

Claire Perry MP visits River Kennet with WWF-UK and members of Action for River Kennet

On Friday 20th May Claire Perry MP met with members of the Action for River Kennet group and WWF-UK on the banks of the Kennet near Malborough to see the improvements they had made and to discuss issues threatening the future of the river such as over abstraction. WWF-UK is working on solutions to help reduce over abstraction and help people reduce their water consumption. The Government is currently drawing a Water White Paper to look at what needs to be changed in this area and this is expected to be published later this year.

Commenting Claire said:

"I am very happy to have had the opportunity to see the great work being done by Action for the River Kennet members to help improve and protect this important local river. With the recent dry weather we have been experiencing and the ongoing abstraction issue I am keen for action to be taken quickly to properly protect the river. I recently met with the Water Minister, Richard Benyon MP, and urged him to address the of issue overabstraction in the current reforms that he is considering."

Military Covenant

On the 17th May, I attended Defence Questions in the House of Commons to listen to the Secretary of State for Defence introduce the Governments plans to enshrine the Military Covenant into law. I asked the Minister, to consider that the future supply of prosthetics, wheelchairs and mobility aids be included in any review of the Covenant. I mentioned one of my constituents Sergeant Gavin Harvey, who two years ago lost his legs in a land mine incident but has now become a brilliant ambassador for the ABF Soldiers' Charity. We should never forget to support such brave people in the Armed Forces and I wholeheartedly endorse proposals to put the Military Covenant into law.

Claire Perry MP supports "Block Porn" Protest

Today Claire Perry MP attended a rally organised by Mediawatch UK and Charity Safermedia calling on British Telecom to make access to internet porn an "Opt –In" option. The groups erected a 10 foot high message asking BT to block porn and also handed in a letter to Chief Executive, Ian Livingstone, asking BT to make access to internet porn an opt-in option.

Commenting Claire Perry said:

"One third of today's 10 year olds have been exposed to online pornography and eighty-three percent of people think easy access to internet porn is damaging to children. We don't want censorship but we do want Britain's Internet Service providers to give their customers a choice and I am supporting this campaign to get BT, the largest ISP in the UK, to make internet porn an Opt –In option"

Notes

11% of children in UK have seen sexual content on websites and 24% have seen sexual content online or offline[1]. Whilst further small-scale studies have found that almost one-third of 14-16 years olds first looked at sexual images online when they were aged 10 or younger and that 81% of children aged 14 to 16 look at online porn at home[2].

A recent YouGov survey found that 93% of Women and 73% Men (83% total) believe that the easy availability of pornographic content on the internet is damaging to children and 85% of women and 58% of men (73% total) believe that the easy availability of extreme pornographic content on the internet is damaging to society[3].

An opt-in model operated by the Internet Service Providers would mean that people who wanted full access to adult material would be able to opt-in to access pornography but households with children could choose to no longer have this material readily available as the default setting.

• [1] Livingstone, S, Risks and safety on the internet: the UK report. LSE, 2011
• [2] Psychologies Magazine, July 2010
• [3] YouGov Poll, 2nd – 3rd February 2011

Claire Perry visits the working windmill at Wilton

On Saturday 14 May I visited another favourite local institution - the working windmill at Wilton. While the re-opening of the Brixton windmill in London was all over the news last week, our own local gem has been turning its sails since 1976. On Saturday it provided a backdrop for the annual Wilton food fair; a packed festival celebrating local products including the bread made from wheat grown in the next-door field, ground at the windmill and baked in Great Bedwyn. Almost zero food miles and deliciously slathered with Wiltshire honey!

Wellington Academy buildings open in Ludgershall

In a week which was relentlessly packed full of big and exciting local events, I attended another; the opening of the new Wellington Academy buildings in Ludgershall on 13 May. We were privileged to welcome Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education and Lord Adonis, the original architect of the Academy scheme to the school last week and it was absolutely wonderful as a Governor to see the new site and talk to pupils about how proud and motivated they feel. With the new boarding facilities opening in September, a huge turnaround in exam results and plans to get the school working closely with the Castledown Business Park, the Wellington Academy is going from strength to strength.

Claire Perry takes part in Cancer Research UK's Race for Life

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency has given her full support for Cancer Research UK by signing up to complete the Race for Life. The race takes place on 18th May in Battersea Park. The race aims to raise money for Cancer Research which is committed to funding research into the causes of cancer and how to prevent the disease developing in the first place. Claire is encouraging people to join in the Race for Life and donate what they can for this great charity.

Supporting the event, Claire said:

"You don't need to be an athlete to take part in Race for Life; you just need bags of enthusiasm (which I hope will be enough as my training has been woefully limited). I am really excited to be part of something that pulls women together for such a worthwhile cause. Cancer Research UK is constantly finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, but they can only maintain doing that through our continued support. Over 4,000 doctors, nurses and scientists across the UK are supported by Cancer Research UK who work tirelessly to investigate new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease. It is so important that we continue to support the work of not only those who conduct research, but also those who help patients and their families get the vital information they need to understand cancer. I am really looking forward to taking part in the Race for Life on Wednesday 18th May. Please sponsor me through my JustGiving page at: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/claireperrymp"

Notes:

1. Claire's JustGiving page for Cancer Research UK can be found at: www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/claireperrymp
2. The Race for Life will take place in Battersea Park, London starting at 7pm.
3. The race is 5 kilometres long.
4. The event's fundraising target is £804,494
5. They hope that one million women throughout the country will take part.
6. Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with Cancer.
7. Cancer Research UK funded the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses across the UK.
8. If you would like to know more about Cancer Research UK then visit www.cancerhelp.org.uk
9. People wanting more information about or to sign up for the Race for Life should visit www.raceforlife.org or call 0871 641 1111.

Chancellors Speech to the Institute of Directors

If you have the time read the Chancellor's speech to the Institute of Directors on 11th May. In it the Chancellor outlined how we are recovering from the biggest banking crisis our country has ever seen and dealing with the largest budget deficit in our peacetime history. Whilst we must remain realistic about the challenges, the Chancellor was also careful to outline why we can be optimistic about the future:

• 400,000 private sector jobs have been created.

• 89,000 people have come off unemployment rolls.

• Manufacturing up almost 5%.

• Business investment is up 11%.

• Export volumes are up 16%.

• Indeed the latest figures for the Devizes Constituency shows that unemployment has fallen 22 per cent in the last year and we now rank 623rd out of 650 constituencies with our unemployment rate.

To read the speech in full visit: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_47_11.htm

New Devizes Office

Team Perry did have a small celebration on Wednesday 10 May but it was to mark the opening of my new office in Devizes. I will still be in close contact with the Conservative Association offices in Marlborough but now also have a dedicated space for my local team at Renelec House, 46 New Park Street, Devizes. The phone number is 01380 729358 to book for advice surgeries.

Claire Perry opens the "Wiltshire Open for Business" event

Unusually, on Tuesday 10 May I was able to get down to Devizes during a parliamentary work day for a Wessex Chamber of Commerce breakfast, to open the "Wiltshire Open for Business" event at the Corn Exchange and to celebrate the new Hayden's venture in Devizes. It is always so useful to hear firsthand about local business conditions and things appear to be reasonably healthy with many firms reporting increased order books and staff numbers. Indeed unemployment in the Devizes Constituency has fallen 22 per cent in the last year and we now rank 623rd out of 650 constituencies with our unemployment rate. However, the high cost of fuel continues to be a drag on business growth both locally and nationally, which I raised with the Chancellor later on Tuesday during Treasury questions.

Claire Perry: Ed Balls slapped down by the European Commission

Ed Balls' flagship policy at the Budget, a cut in VAT on fuel, has been slapped down as unworkable and illegal by the European Commission. Mr Balls had suggested a cut in VAT on fuel as an alternative to the coalition government's scrapping of Labour's fuel duty escalator.

In a letter to Claire Perry MP, the European Commissioner responsible for taxation has said that Ed Balls' proposal for reducing VAT on fuel would likely be illegal under EU law.

He said that 'derogations are only possible in very specific cases' and that 'it is difficult to see how a reduced rate for motoring fuel is compatible with these requirements.'

Commenting, Claire Perry MP said:

'Ed Balls' credibility lies in tatters. His flagship policy at the Budget was a cut in VAT on fuel, but now the EU itself has said that his policy wouldn't work. Will he finally get out of the world of economic fantasy and support the Government's decision to cut fuel duty for millions?'

Notes:

To view the Commissioner's letter click here

Ed Balls' flagship policy at the Budget was a cut in VAT on fuel

• 'In the budget he has a choice to make about fuel duty, when we were in government we often didn't go ahead with fuel rises if the world oil price was high but I think he should act immediately on VAT. This was an own goal, he didn't have to do it' (Ed Balls, Murnaghan, Sky News, 13 March 2011).

Ed Balls claimed that we could get a derogation from the EU, like the French had for restaurants

• 'When we have only one reduced rate, but Italy, France and Poland have three reduced rates, and when the French President secured a VAT rate cut for French restaurants, is the hon. Lady really saying that she is going to hide behind European law and fail to stand up for the British motorist? Is that really what she is saying?' (Ed Balls, Hansard, 16 March 2011, col. 324).

The European Commissioner for tax has said that Ed Balls' policy would not be compatible with EU law

• Algirdas Semeta, the European Commissioner responsible for taxation and customs said that 'derogations are only possible in very specific cases' and that 'it it difficult to see how a reduced rate for motoring fuel is compatible with these requirements' (Algirdas Semeta, Letter to Claire Perry MP, 4 May 2011).

• He also wrote that Ed Balls was mistaken in his argument that France had gained a derogation on restaurants. He said that the reduced VAT rates on restaurant services 'are not based on a derogation but rather because these services have been added to the permanent list of goods and services eligible for a reduced VAT rate.'

Fuel duty is 6p lower than it would have been under Labour

• Under Labour fuel duty would have risen by 5p on April 1. Labour's March 2010 Budget said that:

'Fuel duty will also rise by one penny per litre in real terms on 1 April each year from 2011 to 2014' (HM Treasury, Budget March 2010, p. 8).

As the Chancellor said at the Budget, this would amount to a roughly 5p increase in fuel duty:

'The third step on the escalator is due to come into effect next week, and that would add almost another 5p to the price of a litre of petrol' (George Osborne, Budget Statement, 23 March 2011, link).

• The March 2011 Budget announced that the fuel duty escalator is being abolished, and that the inflation increases are being deferred:

'The Government will abolish the fuel duty escalator and replace it with a fair fuel stabiliser... In addition, to ease the burden on motorists, the 2011-12 inflation-only increase in fuel duty will be deferred to 1 January 2012. The 2012-13 increase in fuel duty will be implemented on 1 August 2012' (HM Treasury, Budget 2011, 23 March 2011, p. 8).

This means that there was no increase in fuel duty on April 1.

• The Budget also announced an immediate 1p cut in fuel duty:

'In recognition of high current oil prices, fuel duty will be cut by 1 penny per litre from 6pm today' (HM Treasury, Budget 2011, 23 March 2011, p. 8).

Combined with Labour's plan to increase fuel duty by 5p on April 1, this 1p cut means that tax on fuel is 6p lower than under Labour's plans. Even after taking account of the rise in VAT, tax on fuel will be 3p per litre lower than under Labour's plans. 

Claire Perry MP Welcomes Talk Talk's new HomeSafe Service

Today, the TalkTalk group launched a HomeSafe service for its UK internet customers that will provide people with network level control filters that can block out inappropriate content and allow them to protect all internet-enabled devices in their homes at once,

Commenting on the news Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency said:

"When I started campaigning to make access to internet pornography an "Opt-in", many industry experts said it was technologically impossible to provide a network-level filter. Today, TalkTalk have announced a service that does just that. Their HomeSafe service allows users to set controls for all devices connected to a home network that block out inappropriate content. This is a very significant step forward in our efforts to make internet access safer and I commend TalkTalk for making the service available, free of charge to all of their customers"

Notes:

TalkTalk have today launched HomeSafe, a new service offering a home network level filter that will enable people to block access to certain types of content, such as pornography, drugs or gambling.

You can find out more about HomeSafe on their website at http://www.talktalk.co.uk/security/ and there is also an interactive demo of HomeSafe available at http://www.talktalk.co.uk/security/homesafe-demo.html so you can see how it works.

A recent YouGov survey found that 93% of Women and 73% Men (83% total) believe that the easy availability of pornographic content on the internet is damaging to children and 85% of women and 58% of men (73% total) believe that the easy availability of extreme pornographic content on the internet is damaging to society. (YouGov Poll, 2nd – 3rd February 2011)

Claire Perry visits Woodborough Garden Centre

On the 7th May, I visited the Woodborough Garden Centre, a member of the Horticultural Trades Association. As a keen gardener, I really enjoyed having a look at all the fantastic plants on offer and also talking to the owner, Claire Rourke, about the issues facing the horticulture industry. I have also had similar conversations with the HTA about important horticultural topics, such as the current R&D funding problems for ornamentals. These conversations certainly gave me a wider appreciation for the issues of the horticulture and gardening industry and I will continue to follow them with interest.

Claire Perry opens Woodborough School fete

On the 7th May I met Woodborough School again to open their fete for which part of the proceeds were going to the Finlay Connor Trust, a charity in remembrance of Finlay Connor, a pupil at Woodborough, who died tragically after being hit by a bus on his way to school. The fete was a fantastic success with a variety of stalls; from The Human Fruit Machine to the classic Splat the Rat! In addition to opening the fete, I also judged the Fancy Dress competition which turned out to a very difficult job thanks to the brilliant and imaginative costumes.

AV Referendum Results

I would like to say thank you to all those who got involved and contributed to our great success in the AV referendum on Thursday 5th May. As I am sure you know, the Wiltshire AV turnout was 45.6% even without council elections and delivered a resounding 71% victory for the Nos. I really appreciate all those who campaigned. With that constitutional question settled for the next few years, there still remains plenty to do to change the tired political system and I would personally like to see even more transparency and openness from MPs; new powers being given to voters to sack failing politicians between elections and more local and national questions put to the electorate via referenda.

Claire Perry visits St. Katherine's School for mock Parliamentary vote

On Friday 6 May I visited St. Katherine's school in Savernake where we held a mock Parliamentary vote and roundly defeated the motion that fruit eating should be mandatory! Then I spent some time at Lavington School where I discussed the AV referendum and other political matters with the extremely well-informed student council. On Saturday I spoke at the AGM of the Wiltshire Village Halls Association and then opened the fete at Woodborough School where I was enthralled by the human fruit machine! I was also able to see the closed play parks on Cossor Road, Pewsey and have pressed both Wiltshire Council and Bloor Homes to get their act together and open the parks for half-term.

British Pig Meeting

Following my attendance at the "Pigs Are Still Worth It" rally in London, with local farmer Cameron Naughton, I wrote to all the major supermarkets and to the MoD to ask what they are doing to help British Pork Farmers. On Tuesday 3rd May I arranged to meet representatives from the National Farmers Union and National Pig Association in order to discuss how best to take the campaign forward. My constituency of Devizes in Wiltshire used to be world famous for pig breeding and processing but now down to only a handful of commercial pig farmers. A report by the BPEX, The Impact of Feed Costs on the English Pig Industry, reveals that the sustainability of the English pig industry is under severe threat as a result of escalating feed grain prices (up by 30%) and a consistent fall in the price paid for a finished pig. 80% of pig farmers are struggling to realize a profit on production and 70% say they will have to quit from keeping pigs if the situation does not improve in the next 24 months.

Houses of Parliament tour for pupils from Woodborough Junior School

On the 3rd May, I arranged a tour of the Houses of Parliament for a group of pupils from Woodborough Junior School. These pupils were also members of the student council where they hold elections, fundraise and decide where the money should be spent. The Council was a fantastic idea to get children interested in politics and democracy and I was surprised to see that they have already raised an astonishing amount of money and were showing great skill as to how to spend it – hopefully Parliament can follow their example! After the tour, we had a Q&A session and I was very impressed to see children at such a young age ask insightful questions and I wish their Council the best of luck for the rest of the school year.

Claire Perry MP asks Ministers: Help Protect the River Kennet

Today, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency met, Richard Benyon, Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries and pressed him to provide more protection for vulnerable chalk streams such as the River Kennet as he prepares the Water White Paper, due for publication later this year.

Speaking after the meeting Claire said:

"Today I met Richard Benyon to discuss the content of the Water White Paper due out later this year. I am very keen that any new policies address problems like over-abstraction that are really harming the Kennet – a valuable but vulnerable chalk stream. The current drought is only one of the problems this special habitat is facing and it is imperative that we sort out our long term usage of these wonderful assets. I am pleased that Richard, who also has part of the River Kennet in his Constituency of Newbury, promised to look at all options to help protect our chalk streams and rivers."

Claire Perry welcomes extra 19 million pounds for NHS in Wiltshire

This financial year the NHS in Wiltshire will enjoy an extra £19 million, to support key Government priorities such as the Cancer Drugs Fund, investment in talking therapies for those with mental health conditions, 4,200 extra health visitors, and support for carers' breaks.  Spending on healthcare in our local area this year will total £676 million overall.

The increase follows the decision by the Coalition Government to protect NHS investment over the next four years – investment vigorously opposed by Labour.

Across England as a whole, over £89 billion will now be spent on doctors, nurses and frontline services in the NHS – an increase of more than £2.6 billion over the year before.

Welcoming the increases in NHS funding, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency said:

'We recognise just how important the NHS is to this country - and to patients here in. That's why the Coalition Government is protecting the NHS not just today, but for future generations.

'Next year alone, our constituency will benefit from an extra £19 million of investment going straight to doctors, nurses and other frontline services.

'Under Labour, billions of extra spending was swallowed up as the number of managers increased at five times the rate the number of nurses. Their plans would have meant cutting the NHS, denying patients the improved services we are putting in place.

'We have got to keep fighting to get our local services back in the Devizes Constituency and the protected funding should help us in that fight.'

Notes:

• The decision by the Coalition Government to protect NHS spending was set out in the Coalition Agreement and honoured in the Spending Review and 2011 Budget (HM Treasury, Budget 2011, 23 March 2011, p. 48, link).
• The Coalition Government's decision stands in mark contrast to the Labour Party, which consistently campaigned against increases in investment. For example, they said:
• 'It is irresponsible to increase NHS spending in real terms' (Andy Burnham, The Guardian, 16 June 2010).
• 'There is no logic, sense or rationality to it at all in the current economic climate, and it will do great damage to other parts of the public sector. You can make savings in the NHS and you can ensure those savings go into frontline care' (Alan Johnson, Sunday Times, 27 June 2010).
• 'It is incredible that the present Government believe that international development, health and, to a certain extent, education must be prioritised, and that they are more important than crime and policing. Quite frankly, I can say as a former Health Secretary that we did not commit to increase the health budget above the rate of inflation' (Alan Johnson, Hansard, Col. 345, 8 September 2010).
• Labour's plans in Government confirmed that they would have cut the NHS budget:
• Labour were only committed to 'a package to ensure that, in 2011-12 and 2012-13, NHS front-line spending – the 95 per cent of spending that supports patient care – rises in line with inflation' (HMT, Pre-Budget Report 2009, p. 97).
• Regional PCT allocations (Department of Health, NHS Allocations, 8 March 2011, link)

Claire Perry visits the Devizes Canoe Club ahead of the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency visited the Devizes Canoe Club on Friday 8th April to see their preparations for the 63rd annual Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race and to hear about the local charities that the Club team are supporting: Stepping Stones Nursery in Trowbridge and the Jay Ryles-Jenkins Trust fund.

After her trip, Claire said:

"Within minutes of arriving at Devizes Wharf I was floating on the Kennet and Avon canal in a double kayak with a special paddle for left-handers. Although I have never tried my hand at canoeing before, the coaches and enthusiastic club members made it very easy to start paddling and it is clearly a wonderful way to get fit and see the Constituency from a different perspective. I wish all the participants in this weekend's race the very best of luck"

Notes:

• The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race takes place every Easter. The next race will take place on 22nd – 25th April 2011.
• The Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race is one of the ultimate tests of endurance. The competitors will travel for 125 miles in kayak or canoe from Devizes to Westminster.
• For more information on the race please visit www.dwrace.org.ukPeople wanting more information about the Devizes Canoe Club should email info@devizescanoeclub.co.uk or visit www.devizescanoeclub.co.uk.
• Stepping Stones Nursery is an Opportunity group for children with special needs. "Special Needs" is the term they use to identify children who will benefit from specific therapy and support to help meet their potential. Children from birth to five, with varying levels of need, attend the group.For more information on Stepping Stones Nursery in Trowbridge please visit www.steppingstones-online.co.uk or email barabara@steppingstones.plus.com or telephone 01225 350003 or 350015
• The Jay Ryles-Jenkins Trust Fund has been set up to help pay for the care and rehabilitation of Jay (a close friend of one of the team) who during a school rugby match in March 2009 suffered a severe head injury. Jay's home has been adapted so that he can return home (as seen on the BBC programme DIY SOS recently).

Claire Perry visits Hills Waste Management

This was followed by an extremely informative visit to the Hills waste management company based in Marlborough where I saw firsthand the success of local re-cycling initiatives and as a keen composter was fascinated to see how they produce tonnes of high quality compost from Wiltshire's green waste.

Claire Perry visit Richard Hannon's stables

In advance of the Royal Wedding our monarch's love of horses came up in conversation on the 18 April when I visited the racing stables of local Champion trainer Richard Hannon to discuss the future of the racing industry, which employs hundreds of people in the Devizes Constituency.

Claire Perry attends Honeyfest

I also attended Honeyfest at the refurbished Barge Inn at Honeystreet on Saturday. I was impressed both with the organization of the event and the work that has taken place since the village came together to buy and run the pub. It is a fascinating example of local involvement in community assets and could prove a good model for other local pubs and facilities.

Claire Perry welcomes the Wiltshire LEP initiative

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency has enthusiastically given her support to the Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership; a venture led by the private sector in conjunction with the public sector aimed at stimulating business and economic growth in the county.

Supporting the proposals, Claire said:

"The Government has long argued that, in order to generate economic growth, the private sector must take the lead and work closer with the public sector and I am delighted to see the Wiltshire LEP take the lead. Their objectives are ambitious and aim to create new private sector jobs, I am especially glad to see a focus on the provision of superfast broadband, which is currently a major stumbling block to businesses in the county. I am also very encouraged by the plans for the "Military Civilian Integration" programme which recognises how important the Armed Forces and their families are to the regional economy.

"I fully endorse the Partnership and its aim to drive economic growth, improve productivity and encourage business and job creation. I believe enterprises such as the Wiltshire LEP can unlock the vast potential that exists in the south-west and I look forward to future developments of the project with great interest and anticipation."

Notes:

1. The Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a steering group, led by Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership (WESP), of private and public partners including Wiltshire Council and the South West of England Regional Development Agency

2. The Wiltshire LEP will be based on the County boundaries, covering a population of 0.5 million and 21,300 businesses.

3. The LEP has approved a draft proposal setting out proposed priorities, governance arrangements and an action plan for the next 100 days.

4. On the 31st March 2011 the Wiltshire Strategic Economic Partnership (WSEP) submitted their proposal to government Ministers at the Departments for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and Communities and Local Government (CLG) for a LEP for Wiltshire.

5. Chairman of the WSEP, Steve Stone said: "This proposal comes from an extensive dialogue that we've had with both businesses and public sector organisations. There's a very strong consensus that 'Local' should mean 'Local' and if businesses are to relate to this initiative it needs to be relevant to their needs. Everyone wants to see a stronger Wiltshire economy, that builds on our strengths and creates growth, new market opportunities – and jobs"

6. The main objectives of the LEP are; to create 6000 New Private Sector jobs, safeguard a further 8000 jobs within their business base, 85% area coverage by superfast Broadband, using new powers to build a supportive economic environment and identification, allocation and preparation of Strategic employment land sites.

7. The LEP aims to use the Military Civilian Integration programme to optimise the economic opportunities that flow from the Army's presence – and expansion – on Salisbury Plain. This work is recognised as a national pathfinder. Through it the LEP will mitigate the impact of the closure of RAF Lyneham in December 2012.

8. For more information about the Wiltshire LEP, click here. To see the full draft proposal, click here.

Claire launches PinPoint Perry on her website

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency has launched a new application on her website which allows constituents to highlight and debate any local issues or concerns they might have in the constituency. PinPoint Perry is an interactive map which allows users to start a discussion by placing a Perry Point on their map; other users can then add their comments.

On the launch of PinPoint Perry, Claire said:

"PinPoint Perry is an exciting opportunity for constituents who wish to interact directly with me and their community. The interactive map is not intended to replace the letters and emails that I already receive from constituents but act as an additional tool for people to have direct access to their MP.

"Perry Points can be placed on the interactive map and can be about anything; whether its parking issues, a construction proposal or an idea on how to improve local services. I can then reply directly on the website allowing me to better serve the constituents of Devizes."

To visit PinPoint Perry, click here

Visit to Self Unlimited, Rowde

Claire visited the very impressive Self Unlimited "village" in Rowde on Friday 8th April and met many residents and staff. Self Unlimited provides homes and support for life for people with learning disabilities. SU, formerly CARE, assists people to live as independently as possible and Claire said she 'was fascinated by the work going on in Rowde which is clearly making a huge difference to the lives of the people living there. I have bought SU products many times and it was lovely to meet the residents and see the range of opportunities on offer.'

North Wessex Training Meeting

On Friday 8th April, Claire had a meeting with Joy Townley, Managing Director of North Wessex Training to discuss the new Work Programme. North Wessex Training is Wiltshire's leading provider of training courses designed to get people working and the Work Programme will create a structure that treats people as individuals and allows providers greater freedom to tailor the right support to the individual needs of each customer. It will replace much of the confusing array of existing programmes for unemployed people and ensure good value for money by basing payments largely on results and paying providers from the benefits saved from the people getting into work.

Meeting with Mark Avoth - Principal of Avon Valley College

On Thursday 7th April Claire met Mark Avoth, the new Principal of Avon Valley College in Durrington who took her on a tour of the school and briefed her on the school's exciting plans for the future.  Claire said 'Avon Valley have an impressive strategy to extend provision at Post-16 and drive up standards at level 2 and I was impressed by their vision and also the refurbishment work that has been recently carried out.'

"I value our natural heritage", pledges Claire Perry MP

Claire Perry MP for the Devizes constituency pledged to "value our natural heritage" meeting local nature conservation organisation Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) at the House of Commons last week. The event was held to highlight the value of funding nature and its recovery. It showcased a number of Wildlife Trust projects funded by HLF around the UK.

Claire Perry MP said "It was great to hear how HLF funded Wildlife Trust projects have brought benefits to local wildlife and people. This shows what can be done if a body invests in and values the natural environment. I look forward to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund continuing to work together to protect and restore nature and to help people engage with the natural world."

Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "We warmly welcome the support that HLF has given to The Wildlife Trusts over 16 years. And we welcome the support shown by parliamentarians. With an uncertain economic future, we look forward to funding streams that protect and restore nature continuing.

"We are at a pivotal moment for nature which is vital to our lives and well-being. The Government has committed to producing a Natural Environment White Paper in May. We hope this will provide the right policy framework so that nature can thrive and recover. We urge parliamentarians to ensure the Government delivers an ambitious and visionary Natural Environment White Paper in May."

Carole Souter CBE, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Over the past 16 years the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded around £100million towards Wildlife Trust projects. This forms part of our wider commitment of £390million to more than 3,000 projects which support nature conservation across the UK. Our funding has made it possible to help people learn about, conserve and protect our incredible natural heritage.

"We are now consulting on the future of Lottery funding for heritage, asking people to tell us what they think our priorities should be, what we should continue to do, and what we should do differently. Over the next few years the amount of money we will have available for heritage will increase to around £300million and we want to know how people think we should use it."

Visit www.hlf.org.uk/consultation2011 by 26 April to register your views.

Notes

• The event was held on 30 March 2011 at Portcullis House, Westminster.

• The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) www.wildlifetrusts.org There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts covering the whole of the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. All are working for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. They have more than 800,000 members including 150,000 members of our junior branch Wildlife Watch. TWT's vision is to create A Living Landscape and secure Living Seas. They manage around 2,300 nature reserves and every year we advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. We also run marine conservation projects around the UK, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating our amazing marine wildlife. Every year we work with thousands of schools and our nature reserves and visitor centres receive millions of visitors. Each Wildlife Trust is working within its local communities to inspire people about the future of their area: their own Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

• The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) www.hlf.org.uk Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, HLF invests in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 30,000 projects allocating £4.5billion across the UK. Please visit www.hlf.org.uk/consultation2011 by 26 April to let HLF know your views. Consultation is to inform HLF's strategy for 2013–2019.
  

Claire Perry launches local No2AV campaign

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency today helped launch the local No2AV campaign in Marlborough. With the country set to go the polls on 5th May, Claire has set out a clear message to her constituents to vote against the introduction of the Alternative Voting system in favour of the present first-past-the-post (FPTP) system.

Following the launch of the campaign, Claire said:

"AV is an unfair, untenable and unpredictable voting alternative to our present system that we have used for hundreds of years. AV treats someone's fifth or sixth choice as having the same importance as someone else's first preference which would see, in the words of Winston Churchill, the "most worthless votes given for the most worthless candidates". Only three countries in the world use AV and it is even discredited by the man responsible for calling the referendum, Nick Clegg, who called it "a miserable little compromise".

"AV would cost an additional £250 million to councils who are already facing a tough economic climate and more money would have to be spent just to explain the voting system to prevent a fall in turn-out at elections. The FPTP system is as effective as it is simple and the idea of One Person, One Vote is the staple of most democracies. I will be voting "No" on May 5th and it is my goal to persuade my constituents to follow suit."

Notes:

• As per the Coalition Agreement, a referendum on the introduction of AV will be held on 5th May 2011 which, in the event of a positive result in the referendum, would be passed into law before the next general election.
• Under AV, the voters rank candidates in order of preference and anyone getting more than 50 per cent in the first round is elected. If that doesn't happen, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their second choices are allocated to the remaining candidates. If no candidate at the second stage has a majority of votes, the next lowest candidate is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. This process keeps on occurring until a winner emerges.
• FPTP is used by 2.4 billion people in 50 countries around the world. Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea are the only countries who use AV. In Australia six out of ten people want to go back to FPTP and Fiji have made plans to scrap the system.
• The independent commission chaired by the senior Liberal Democrat Roy Jenkins in 1998 concluded that AV was 'even less proportional' than our existing system, and warned that it was 'disturbingly unpredictable'.
• AV does not necessarily mean that MPs would need 50 per cent of the vote to be elected. According to Rallings and Thrasher, Professors from the University of Plymouth, "more than 4 out of every 10 MPs would still be elected with the endorsement of less than 50 per cent of the voters in their constituency". (Source: http://bit.ly/hcSfir)
• In Australia the election preceding the use of AV produced a turnout of 78%. In the first election under AV, this fell to 72%, and then fell further to 59% in the second AV election. As a result of this fall, Australia made voting compulsory.

Centre for Social Justice Voting Panel

Claire acted as  a judge for the Centre for Social Justice charity awards on Monday 4th April. The CSJ looks to reward voluntary organisations tackling some of the most intractable social problems in Britian today and she was thrilled that two local organisations, abandofbrothers from Dorset and the Amber Foundation from Melksham, made it in to the final. The winner will be announced in July and being on the panel was a chance for Claire to see some truly innovative and dedicated organisations in action.

House Magazine Bio

On the Tuesday 29 March Claire was interviewed for the cover of The House, a weekly Parliamentary Magazine, about her rather unorthodox journey to becoming an MP. She spoke about my decision to enter the political arena when David Cameron was elected as the Conservative Party's leader, her work in George Osborne's office and her first year working in Parliament.

To read the full interview, click: http://www.epolitix.com/house-magazine/housemag-article/newsarticle/convert-to-the-cause/

Claire Perry Calls for Continued Childcare Support for Working Mothers

On the 28 March 2011, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency asked the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan-Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for his assurances that support for childcare costs will be provided through the proposed Universal Credit in the Welfare Reform Bill.

Speaking after the parliamentary session, Claire said:

"There are many working mothers in my constituency of Devizes who are concerned that the introduction of the Universal Credit will include the removal of their working tax credit and therefore access to childcare support. I am very encouraged by the Secretary of State's response that this will not be the case.

"I was also very pleased to hear statements today that both men and women will see significant improvements in their incentives to work and that lone parents will also greatly benefit under the new system. The reforms show the Government's commitment to simplify a very complicated welfare system while also ensuring gender equality and fairer benefits for working parents.

Notes

1. The Government has introduced its Welfare Reform Bill, which will gradually replace the current system of means-tested working-age benefits and tax credits with an integrated payment, the Universal Credit.

2. As announced by the Secretary of State, the Equality Impact Assessment published earlier this month shows that "the effect of the Universal Credit measures in the Welfare Reform Bill on gender equality is approximately equal".

3. To read the Equality Impact Assessment on Universal Credit, visit: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-universal-credit-wr2011.pdf

4. To read Claire's question and the Secretary of State's response, visit: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/claire_perry/devizes

BBC Five Live John Pienaar Show

On the 27th March, Claire appeared on Pienaar's Politics on BBC R5 Live to discuss the Coalition, the economy, the recent protest march and Libya with John Pienaar and Ed Milliband's Parliamentary Private Secretary, Chuka Umunna MP.

As Claire mentioned in the interview, 'there seems to be a compulsion by some elements of the media and the Labour party to take any opportunity available to show splits in the Coalition Government. The reality is that we are in a tough situation and we have got big decisions to take for the country and ministers from both parties are working close together to reach these decisions.' They also debated Ed Miliband's speech at the March for the Alternative where Claire raised the question of just what "alternatives" the Labour party are proposing. Claire states that the country needs a sensible debate on the economy yet the Labour party chooses to focus more on political opportunism rather than proposing genuine alternatives to the Government's plans in cutting a deficit which has led to us paying over £120 million per day in interest.

To listen to the full interview, click: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/pienaar/pienaar_20110327-2020b.mp3

Plain and Avon Trail

On the 26th March, I spent a wonderful Saturday walking part of the Plain and Avon Trail that will hopefully form part of the Great Stones Way route between the World Heritage Sites at Avebury and Stonehenge. The trail uses existing footpaths and rights of way and is supported by the Friends of The Ridgeway who have worked to raise funding to improve signage, install disability access gates, repair the path surface in places and produce a guide-book.

Daily Politics

On Thursday 24th March, Claire appeared on the BBC's Daily Politics to discuss the 2011 Budget with Labour MP Rachel Reeves and Liberal Democrat MP Duncan Hames. The debt crisis in Portugal has reinforced the case for last year's Emergency Budget which was about rescuing the nation's finances and paying for Labour's mistakes. This Budget was about two things: reforming the economy to ensure jobs and growth for the future, and doing what we can to help families with the cost of living.

Claire believes the Government are helping families struggling with the cost of living by cutting income tax for millions of people; cutting fuel duty immediately; postponing Labour's planned increase this April; and taxing oil companies more to stop future above inflation rises in duty. The Government are boosting manufacturing, growth and jobs by cutting tax for businesses and entrepreneurs; scrapping burdensome regulations; radically reforming the planning system; investing in science and innovation; and providing more support for young people with an additional 50,000 apprenticeships and 100,000 work experience places. These plans are backed by the IMF, OECD and every major business body in Britain – to put the public finances back on track after Labour maxed out the nation's credit card. The fiscal plan is unchanged. Claire believes that the Government cannot go on spending £120 million a day on debt interest – more than they spend on schools or defence.

Wessex Reserve Forces & Cadets Association Reception

On the afternoon of 24th March, Claire attended a Parliamentary Reception held by the Wessex Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (RFCA). Claire believes Britain's Reserve Forces deserve so much support for what they contribute to the defence of our country. In addition to being a strategic reserve to our Armed Forces, they are increasingly more involved in military operations. In fact, over the last five years, the Reserves have played a vital part in the Army's ability to mount and sustain operations.

Topics discussed at the reception included the ongoing Future Reserves 2020 Study (FR20) which is aiming to align the Reserves with the new strategic defence policy, ensuring they are correctly structured, supported and resourced to meet the challenges of the future.

Claire Perry Welcomes The Green Investment Bank

On the 24 March 2011, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency asked Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if the Chancellors' announcements during the budget yesterday on the capitalisation and scope of the Green Investment Bank, would help Britain achieve its carbon emissions reduction targets

Speaking after the parliamentary session, Claire said:

"I was very encouraged to hear the Secretary of State heartily endorse yesterday's Budget announcement of the creation and capitalisation of a Green Investment Bank that will begin operations next year. He agreed with me that this would do much to inspire confidence in Britain's ability to cut its own carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. With this bank we will be able to invest sooner in green infrastructure, create green jobs, wean ourselves off foreign oil and gas and improve our environment"

Notes:

1. In the budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £2 billion pounds extra for the Green Investment Bank, giving it £3 billion of capital and enabling it to start operation in 2012 – a year early. Government investment alongside private finance should mean that there is £18 billion of investment in green infrastructure. The GIB will have borrowing powers from 2015-16.

2. Chris Huhne's response to Claire's question on the GIB was that it was "one of the most important announcements" of the Budget and that "the fact that the bank will begin to borrow and lend before the big amount of energy investment in offshore wind is very crucial".

Claire Perry welcomes a Budget for Growth, Jobs and Families

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency, welcomed the Government's Budget which will reform the economy to support jobs and growth and help families with the cost of living – including an immediate cut in fuel duty.

Key measures in the Budget to boost growth include:

• Tax cuts for businesses and entrepreneurs
• Scrapping burdensome regulations and red tape
• Radical reform of the planning system
• New investment in science and innovation
• Lots more real support for young people with additional apprenticeships and work experience

To help families facing the rising cost of living, the Budget also will:

• Immediately cut fuel duty by 1 pence per litre and delay April's inflation rise in duty to next January. This means fuel duty will be 6 pence less by the end of next week than it would have been under Labour.
• Introduce a Fair Fuel Stabiliser that taxes oil companies more to stop rises in fuel duty
• Increase the Personal Allowance from by a further £630 from April 2012. That's another real increase of £48 extra per year, or £126 in cash terms. Together with this year's rise, that means a total of £326 extra each year for those working hard to support their families. And it means, just ten months into office, this Coalition Government has taken 1.1 million low paid people out of tax altogether.

Welcoming the Budget, Claire Perry MP said:

"Last year's Emergency Budget brought Britain back from the brink of bankruptcy. The Government is right to stick to the plan to get Britain living within her means and this year's Budget sets out plans to back enterprise and get Britain making things again. By cutting fuel duty immediately and cutting income tax for millions, the Chancellor has done what he can to help families now. This Budget has put fuel into the tank of our economy."

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions

On the afternoon of Thursday 17th March, in the House of Commons, Claire questioned James Paice, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, on the Government's support for British pig farmers. Claire has been actively involved in trying to press government departments as well as supermarkets to support British produce. In her question, she highlighted the lack of British produce in provisions for the Armed Forces as requisitioned by the previous Government.  Claire believes this trend must be reversed to save an industry that is already suffering and intends to continue to represent pig farmers in her constituency.

To see Claire's question to the Minister and his response, click here

Claire Perry MP helps present 10,000 pounds to Scotty's Little Soldiers

On 17th March 2011, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency was present as Red Lions Foods donated £10,000 to a local Wiltshire charity, Scotty's Little Soldiers at Sainsbury's head office in London.

After the presentation, Claire said:

"Last summer I attended the launch of Scotty's Little Soldiers in Tidworth. The charity was started by Nicola Scott, wife of Corporal Lee "Scotty" Scott of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan last year after she saw the impact of their father's tragic death on her own children. The charity raises funds to provide treats, birthday presents and holidays for the children of fallen soldiers. I think it is fantastic that Red Lions Foods have donated such a generous amount and I hope that the donations keep rolling in."

For more information on Scott's Little Soldiers, click here

For more information on Red Lions Foods, click here

Claire Perry condemns Labour's hypocrisy on petrol costs

On the 16th March, speaking in the Opposition Day debate on the cost of fuel, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency condemned the Labour motion calling on the Government to cut VAT on fuel as cynical, muddled and financially incoherent.

During her speech Claire questioned the Opposition's recent "Damascene conversion" to supporting rural motorists and challenged the financial and legal viability behind the Labour proposals but asked that the Chancellor consider the plight of motorists in the Devizes Constituency when he presents his budget this Wednesday.

After the debate, Claire said:

"There is a real problem with fuel competition in the rural areas outside London such as my constituency of Devizes, and we face high fuel costs as a consequence. However Labour's cynical motion is as muddling as it is financially illiterate. The previous government consistently penalised rural motorists for 13 years with twelve rises in fuel duty -four in their last 16 months in office. They also planned, as part of their scorched earth economic policy before the election, six further rises to come into effect over four years after they left power so their cynicism in presenting this motion is breathtaking. A change in VAT just for petrol would also be illegal under European law.

"However, I am calling on the Chancellor to provide some help for rural motorists in the budget this week. In my Constituency of Devizes we have to use our cars to go about our everyday business and the current high cost of petrol is causing real financial hardship."

To read Claire's full speech, click here

Notes:

1. The motion was proposed on the Opposition Day debate, "Fuel Prices and the Cost of Living" (16th March 2011)

2. The Labour proposal moved to "reverse January's VAT rise on road fuels, using the extra £800 million from the bank levy and securing the appropriate EU derogation, in order to provide relief to hard-pressed motorists"

3. The EU directive on VAT states: "Member State may apply either one or two reduced rates...The reduced rates shall apply only to supplies of goods or services in the categories set out in Annex III". Annex III does not list road fuel and other amending articles do not permit a reduced rate or an exemption to be applied to transport fuel, as such the Labour proposals are illegal under EU Law.

4. The motion was defeated by 301 to 236

Assembly at St Francis School

Claire started the week of the 14th March with a visit to St Francis School in Pewsey where she spoke at an Assembly and answered some of the pupil's questions.

After the visit, Claire said "St Francis is a wonderful school which is idyllically situated along the Kennet & Avon Canal.  I was very impressed with the pupils who fielded challenging and unorthodox questions, such as "Why is the sky blue?" Fortunately, with a degree in Geography, I was able to answer this question without too much trouble!"

Devizes Conservative Association

On Friday evening Claire went to the AGM for the Devizes Constituency Conservative Association and she was delighted to see such a strong turn-out. More pleasing, however, was how successful the DCCA had been over the past year.  Considering the tough economic climate of the past year Claire was very pleased to see that the DCCA was well organised and in good financial shape – something which the Conservatives are trying to achieve in this Government! Claire held a Q&A session at the meeting where she was impressed by some of the very intelligent and pertinent questions from her constituents.

TA Bath Trip

Friday, 11th March was another day where Claire got to learn more about the fantastic work of Britain's military by visiting the TA Centre in Bath. The trip was an intriguing experience and she was given a tour of the whole centre and met some of the Squadron personnel. The week before Claire had attended the APPG meeting for Reserves & Cadets which confirmed her impression that the quality of our Reserve Forces was first rate.

The Importance of the Local Beer and Pub Industry

On Thursday morning, 10th March Claire went to a Breakfast Roundtable, hosted by the British Beer and Pub Association. She was among around 30 MPs who attended to discuss the beer and pub industry and listen to the opinions of Bob Neill MP, Minister for Pubs, and Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive of Shepherd Neame, who spoke on behalf of the industry.

The meeting also revealed the BBPA's recent analysis of the economic impact the industry has in every parliamentary constituency. The report, which was collected and published by an economist from Oxford Economics, was very informative and confirmed the important role breweries and pubs play for the Devizes constituency, to see the report click here.

For the BBPA interactive map on the local jobs and economy report, click here

You can see what Claire is doing for Devizes' pubs on the Campaigns page of her website.

Claire welcomes launch of UN Women

On the 10th March Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes constituency spoke at a House of Commons debate on UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women. Claire called for more action against regimes that oppress women and for the continued government funding and support of UN Women. Claire also highlighted local charity the Marlborough Brandt Group as a great example of how strong links between women in the UK and women in the developing world can benefit both communities.

Speaking at the debate, Claire Perry said:

"Women and men want an end to discrimination and injustice in this country and globally, which is why I strongly support the launch of the UN Women initiative, which will work collectively to address some of the problems we have heard about today-for instance, the fact that 70% of the world's poorest people are women, and that women generate only 10% of the world's gross domestic product.

The Marlborough Brandt Group, which was set up in the wake of the Brandt report, has worked to build exchanges, linkages and transfers between leafy Marlborough and a Muslim community called the Gunjur in south-east Gambia. One of the interesting and unexpected results of those linkages has been the enormous solidarity that has built up between the young women of both communities".

Notes:

To read Claire's speech in full, click here.

For more information about UN Women click here.

To visit The Marlborough Brandt Group's website, click here.

Various Events for International Women's Day

The middle of Tuesday on the 8th March was mainly dominated by the various events celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. There were a series of talks on women and Parliament; including one by the first female Serjeant at Arms, Jill Pay, who is witnessing an ever-growing number of women joining her team.

There was also a presentation about the work of the Suffragette movement, as represented in Parliament's historic collections which was a timely reminder of how much women suffered for the fundamental right to vote - one that is still not experienced all over the world.

And finally, Jo Swinson MP for East Dumbartonshire raised the issue of gender balance and the importance of increasing the number of women MPs.  It is still an evident and unfortunate fact that gender inequality remains in many workplaces across the country, with 18 FTSE 100 companies having no female directors at all and nearly half of all FTSE 250 companies not having a woman in the boardroom. 

After the events of International Women's Day Claire said "along with my female colleagues, I believe that the gender imbalance in the House of Commons is slowly beginning to level but it is still far from equal and I believe we should be actively encouraging more women to join public office. There is still a lot of work to be done to solve the problems of gender inequality but I am glad that we are least moving in the right direction."

Claire Perry MP calls for Less Red Tape for Local Police

On the 7 March, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency called for a reduction in the number of needless central inspections of local police forces.

Speaking during Home Office Questions, Claire asked the Home Secretary if she was aware that the Wiltshire Police Force has had 4 separate inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in the last 14 months which have lasted three working weeks, cost the Force an estimated £50,000-£60,000 and not resulted in any meaningful recommendations and whether the government planned to reform this box-ticking regime.

Speaking after the parliamentary session Claire said:

"I was pleased to hear the Home Secretary's commitment to tackling the red tape that hampers the work of our police. She confirmed that the Policing Minister is working to reduce the bureaucratic burdens of the inspection regime. We all want our police visible and available to the public, out on the streets, not stuck behind a desk filling out Whitehall forms."

Opening the Fair Trade Fair in Devizes

On Saturday 5th March I officially opened the Fair Trade Fair in Devizes Corn Exchange. The Fair had many stalls selling Fairtrade and locally produced clothes, crafts and food; the latter being very timely considering my involvement in the "Yes! Yes! Yes! To British Pork" campaign. I had a wonderful time and I especially enjoyed watching the Fairtrade Cookery demonstrations. The Fair was very well organised and I'm sure people left with a reminder of how important it is to buy Fairtrade as well as locally sourced products.

Avebury Tourist Information Centre and Chapel

On the afternoon of the 4th of March I went to visit the Avebury Chapel Tourist Information Centre to hear about the negotiations taking place to retain and fund the Centre. The Centre is important to Avebury considering its World Heritage Site status and I was impressed with the drive and determination the staff had in searching for funding. The Chapel itself was very charming and idyllic as was "The Quiet Garden" which is designed for peaceful contemplation – an idea which I think would be very welcome in the House of Commons!

Salisbury Army Recruiting Office

The 4th March started bright and early with a visit to the Army Careers Information Office in Salisbury. A career in the Army is such a brave and selfless service and it was fascinating learning how new candidates are recruited. I follow any government proposals involving our armed forces closely and in the Commons on 2nd March asked for the Defence Secretary's assurance that those who are injured in the line of duty will not be in the first line for redundancies, and secondly, that we will do all we can to support those who leave the armed forces in moving into other roles, particularly in teaching and in mentoring young children

Claire Perry MP Open Meetings

Claire Perry MP backs British Pork

Claire is showing her support for British pig farmers. Today Claire attended the "Pigs Are Still Worth It" rally in London and signed a petition later presented to No.10 Downing Street. Speaking after the rally Claire said:

"My constituency of Devizes in Wiltshire used to be world famous for pig breeding and processing but now down to only a handful of commercial pig farmers. I'm supporting the "Yes! Yes! Yes! T o British Pork" campaign which calls on retailers to pay a fair price to farmers and I have also written to the heads of all major supermarkets asking them to reveal how much British pork they are selling"

A report by the BPEX, The Impact of Feed Costs on the English Pig Industry, reveals that the sustainability of the English pig industry is under severe threat as a result of escalating feed grain prices (up by 30%) and a consistent fall in the price paid for a finished pig.

Women2Win

On the 25th February I visited Amesbury to speak at the first event of the political networking group, "women2win" in Amesbury. Women2win campaigns to promote the best and brightest women in politics and business. I was speaking a day after the publication of the Davies report "Women on Boards" which recommended that FTSE 100 companies aim for a minimum of 25% female representation by 2015. I believe more organisations like women2win are needed to help smash the glass ceilings that still exist in top-level industries and I was honoured to be their first speaker.

Visiting Local Farmers

On Wednesday 23rd February I visited farmers in Alton Barnes to discuss planning issues, new farming technology and the urgent need for consumers to buy British produce. Our wonderful county used to be known for pork breeding and processing (the Wiltshire ham cure, of course, is world famous) but we now have just a handful of commercial pig farmers and processors. This is why I am backing the "Yes Yes Yes to British Pork" campaign and have written to the Ministry of Defence to ask what proportion of bacon and pork products served to our service personnel is of British origin (last time I checked, it was zero) and to the heads of all the major supermarkets to ask what they are doing to promote British pork. I also attended the "Pigs Are Still Worth It" rally in London which presented a petition to Downing Street highlighting the difficulties British pig farmers are facing in this country with the average pig farmer losing around £20 per pig produced.

NACRO Charity

On the evening of 16 February I sponsored dinner with the representatives from the charity Nacro along with fellow Conservative MPs; Ben Hummer, Lorraine Fullbrook and Robert Buckland. Nacro aims to help reduce crime by supporting comprehensive preventive and resettlement services thereby tackling the social causes of crime. I was delighted to be able to sponsor the event and have always been impressed with the way NACRO helps offenders transform their lives and participate positively in society.

Justice Select Committee Visit

On the 15 February I, along with other members of the Justice Select Committee, visited the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester. I had long wanted to visit this institution as its purposeful, strict but compassionate regime delivers real results and low re-offending rates. The ethos at the Centre is to give people a fresh start in their lives and many former detainees have gone on to have extremely successful Service careers - indeed "Andy McNab", who I met recently, told me he had made multiple visits to the facility!

Wellington Academy Sixth Formers

On the 11th February I visited Wellington Academy in Ludgershall where I was quizzed on government policy by 6th form students before attending a Governors meeting. I was faced with very intelligent and challenging questions by an obviously very bright group of students and I enjoyed discussing and hearing their thoughts and opinions. There are some fantastic new school buildings nearing completion in the Academy and I am confident the Academy will, like Clarendon Junior School, benefit from more funding from the government for every child who receives free school meals or is from a service family. These "pupil premiums" are an excellent idea and I know they have been as welcomed by other schools as they have at Wellington.

Claire Perry questions the European Courts Ruling on Prisoner Votes

Speaking in the House of Commons debate on prisoner votes Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency, questioned the recent European Court of Human Rights ruling that the UK ban on prisoner voting was unlawful.

Speaking after the debate, Claire said:

"While I can see very valid reasons to give some prisoners the right to vote as part of the rehabilitation process I think this is a matter for the British Parliament to decide. With these sorts of judgements the European Court is getting too political and too involved in things that are not part of its mandate. I think that the Commons vote yesterday will send a strong message to the court."

For more detail click here

Daily Telegraph

On the 10th February The Daily Telegraph published a piece I wrote on internet pornography, further detailing my proposals for ISPs to develop a home network level "opt-in" filter for internet porn as a default setting. I also highlighted the findings from a YouGov survey, including the statistic that only half of parents use the client device filters we are supposed to install to block pornographic images. The growing media interest, accompanied with the Government's support, is propelling this issue further onto the national agenda and I am encouraged by the support I have received from my constituents and the general public. To read my article, visit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8314648/Internet-porn-regulation-could-be-the-only-answer.html

BBC Radio 4 - The Today Programme

Also on Thursday I appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme to outline my views on the European Court of Human Rights ruling that the UK ban on prisoner voting was unlawful. Later in the day I participated in the House of Commons debate on the ruling. As I argued in the debate, while I recognise the valid reasons for giving prisoners the vote (such as being part of their rehabilitation process), I believe that this is an issue for the British Parliament to decide on and not the European Court, which is becoming too involved in matters that extend beyond its mandate. I was delighted that the motion opposing the plans to give prisoners the vote was passed by an overwhelming majority and I believe it clearly expresses the country's opposition to the European Court. For more on my speech please visit: http://www.claireperry.org.uk/claire's-news/news-items-_-further-detail

BBC Wiltshire Interview 125th Anniversary of Wadworths

On Thursday morning, 10th February, I was interviewed by BBC Wiltshire about the future of the beer industry and to celebrate Wadworth brewery's 125th anniversary. There are 89 Wadworth pubs in Wiltshire with 45 of those in my constituency, so I am well aware of the contribution Wadworth's makes to the county and why so many local communities appreciate the brewery. The beer industry has voiced concerns about their future and I was able to confirm the Government's commitment to maintaining the wellbeing of the industry. The Government is already showing this by announcing a range of policies. One such example is the ban on the sale of alcohol below cost price – thereby protecting pubs from the discounted prices of some supermarkets. The local pub adds a great deal of character to any village or town and I strongly believe that this should be maintained.

BBC Wiltshire Interview - Safer Internet Day

On the 8th February I was interviewed by BBC Wiltshire to talk further about my campaign for an "opt-in" system to internet pornography as well as talk about Safer Internet Day, organised by InSafe. The day is intended to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world. It is a day which is commemorated through over 500 events in 65 countries all over the world and one which carries extra relevance considering the ongoing debate surrounding my campaign. For more information on Safer Internet Day visit: http://www.saferinternet.org/web/guest/safer-internet-day

Department of Culture Media and Sport Roundtable

On the 7th February I attended a roundtable meeting between the ISP industry, a cross-party group of MPs and the Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey. There were a wide range of arguments put across but the highlights of the meeting were the strong support the Government gave to the proposals as well as a strong message from the Head of Ofcom that given the technological convergence, if the ISP industry does not come up with a workable opt-in solution, regulation may be the only answer.

BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour

On Monday the 7th February I appeared on Woman's Hour to talk about the campaign for an "opt-in" system on internet pornography along with Mike Galvin, Managing Director of Research and Technology for BT and a board member of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). It was a lively and interesting debate; one which I believe helped to raise more awareness of the issue and clarified the proposals that I am suggesting. To listen to the broadcast, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y5hth

Service to celebrate The Rule of Law

On the Sunday afternoon of the 6th February I attended a wonderful service at St. Johns Devizes to celebrate the Rule of Law. This traditional event is led by High Sheriff of Wiltshire (Dame Elizabeth Neville this year) and attended by neighbouring High Sheriffs, the Mayor, councillors, representatives of our local public services and local judges with many splendidly arrayed in red robes, gold chains of office, hats, wigs and feathers. There were several awards given for outstanding local service and many rousing hymns were sung making the ceremony very enjoyable and a very welcome finish to the weekend.

Grafton Parish Council Defibrillator Scheme

On the 5th February I formally opened the Grafton Parish Council defibrillator scheme. In less than two years the council have raised enough money to install these life-saving machines in each of their five hamlets. This amazing achievement is a testament to the Council and the community as a whole, who have put so much effort and support into the scheme. It was really heartening to see a packed training session led by the Community Heartbeat Trust which typified how committed local residents are to the project.

Wiltshire Police Foot Patrol

I spent the rest of Friday with Wiltshire police and went on a foot patrol in Devizes. I also met the teams in the "triple 9" and contact centre control rooms and travelled with the response squad in one of the Police cars. I was extremely impressed by the professionalism and commitment shown by all and as a Wiltshire resident I feel that our safety and security is in good hands. Every time I visit the local Fire and Police services I am reminded of what a tough job they have and am grateful for everything they do for our community. Accompanying the men and women on patrol was very interesting and I certainly learned a lot about the day-to-day lives of these remarkable Police officers.

Interview on Spire FM

After the opening of the gym I was interviewed by Spire FM about Durrington Town Council and why I believe it is a good example of the Big Society in action. Visiting Durrington recently, I was amazed at the number of local organisations and impressed by the drive and enthusiasm of the Town Council. As I mentioned in the interview, it is a brilliant example of what can be done if people come together for the sake of their local community and I wish we could see this same spirit of co-operation at a national level as we work to repay our country's debts

Opening of Curves Gym Marlborough

On Friday 4th February I was delighted to be invited to open a new Curves gym in Marlborough. Curves are a fitness franchise which caters specifically for women and the new Marlborough gym is currently the eighth one in Wiltshire. Curves gyms focus on women who are uncomfortable exercising in conventional gyms and prefer to have a gym designed specifically for their needs. I was very impressed by the facilities and I only wish the gym in the House of Commons was the same!

Islam TV

On the 3rd February I was on the panel for "A Week in Parliament", a weekly political discussion show, on the Islam Channel. The Islam Channel is the most watched Muslim TV Station in the UK but it focuses on both Muslims and non-Muslims alike and this particular show aims to build bridges between Britain's Muslim communities and Westminster. I was joined by Mike Gapes MP and Lord Qurban Hussain and we had varied discussions on the main talking points of the day, including; Egypt, the Chilcot Enquiry, prisoner votes and the European Union Bill. It was an energetic debate and an interesting opportunity to approach subjects from a different angle.

APPG Connecting Communities Health

On Tuesday 1st February I chaired another meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, "Connecting Communities". The APPG is intended to encourage twinning partnerships between schools, hospitals, community groups, local authorities and faith groups with counterpart communities and groups in developing countries. This meeting was focused on raising the awareness of MPs and Peers about the growing number of health partnerships between health care institutions in the UK with counterparts in the developing world. It was a very informative meeting, which included a talk by a representative from the Department of Health, and I was encouraged by the number of MPs that attended which I hope will continue its rising trend for the next meeting.

Meeting with Jo Collinge a Parkinsons Sufferer and Debbie Moss of Parkinsons UK

On the 31st January I had a meeting with Jo Collinge, a Parkinsons sufferer, who had requested to meet me to discuss her concerns about the proposed changes to the Disabled Living Allowance (DLA). Jo, a mother of two, talked to me about how she was coping with the disease and how she is reliant on her DLA for many vital reasons, such as; taking her children to school and spending quality time with her family. Her story is very moving and her determined resolve to live a full life, despite the disease, was greatly inspiring. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope she came away from it with some encouragement as to how the Government will continue to help her and I wish her, and her family, all the best for the future. If you want to read Jo's blog please visit: http://www.wobblywilliams.com/collinge.html

Claire Perry MP Condemns Labours Borrowing Bonanza

January 2011 official figures have revealed that the national debt has risen above £2 trillion for the first time in our history.

According to the Office for National Statistics the national debt, including the cost of bailing out the banks, now stands at £2,323,000,000,000. That works out at over £37,600 for every man, woman and child in the country.

This terrible debt is Labour's legacy. They thought that they had abolished boom and bust and so ran large deficits even before the financial crisis.

Because of this, we are currently paying £43 billion per year, over £120 million per day, in debt interest. This is money that could otherwise be spent on frontline services like schools and hospitals. The average earner in Devizes has to work for 154 days just to pay the interest on Labour's debts.

Commenting, Claire Perry MP said:

'These are shocking figures. Labour maxed out the nation's credit card with over £1 trillion of government debt. The longer it is left the worse it will get. If we don't take steps now to live within our means we'll end up paying higher taxes and face deeper cuts just to pay off our debt'

For more detail follow this link

Claire Perry travels to the Council of Europe

The Prime Minister has asked me to be part of the cross party delegation that represents the UK Parliament at the Council of Europe. The Council was started in 1948 at the behest of Winston Churchill who believed that a pan-European organisation designed to guarantee peace, democracy and human rights throughout the continent but which maintained the sovereignty of individual states was the best way to guard against another European War. It is headquartered in Strasbourg, which is a highly symbolic location given that the city changed hands between France and Germany three times in the 20th Century. The Council is not the same as the European Union and has almost 50 counties as members including Russia and most Eastern European countries and it is the mother organisation for the European Court of Human Rights, which accounts for one third of the total CE budget. Given the steady encroachment by this organisation on UK law and custom I was keen to speak up during the session to reinforce the principle of state sovereignty. I did so during a debate on Wednesday when I argued that the recent European Court decision over-ruling the UK ban on votes for prisoners was wrong-headed and contrary to the sovereign principles under which the Court was founded.

Visit to Erlestoke Prison

During the afternoon of 21st January, I met Andy Rodgers, the Governor of HMP Erlestoke, a Category C prison with 470 inmates in my Constituency. We discussed the current plans for Erlestoke, including the new 124 bed residential treatment unit; the successful rehabilitation and education programmes already in place and the new government policies for reducing reoffending.

In Depth Visit to Durrington and Larkhill

On 21st January, I spent the morning visiting Durrington. The Town Councillors and Clark had done a magnificent job in setting up a series of meetings and I was able to see the Millennium Park, two pre-schools, the Day Centre and the Post point as well as many other places.

We also visited the new Green Tree Cafe in Larkhill and overall I left with a better understanding of the facilities and services available. Durrington is a perfect example of a community already putting the government's Big Society plans into action and I promised to mention their work to Ministers.

Claire Perry MP speaks at the debate on the horseracing levy

Claire Perry (Devizes) (Con): I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing a debate that is hugely important in my constituency, where we have a lovely combination of free-draining soil, chalk and turf that does not freeze very easily, hence our important training and racing industry. Exchange transactions are frequently concerned with how many goals will be scored in a football match or whether a player will show up, and other things that do not have a cost associated with them and have almost no benefit to the rural economies we are so proud to represent. Does he agree that part of the reason for securing a change to the levy is so that the industries that employ thousands of people and have a material benefit in our rural communities-they are hugely important-can be adequately supported?

For the full debate follow this link

St John’s Sixth Form Student Visit to Westminster

On 19th January, I was pleased to welcome sixth form students from St. Johns School to Westminster. After a tour, I met them to answer questions on how Parliament works and my job as the MP and then left them watching Prime Minister's Questions on a large screen TV we had specially organised for their meeting room.

Claire Perry MP to launch political discussion group Women2Win

Claire Perry, Conservative MP for Devizes is to be the first speaker at a new women's political networking group - Women2Win - the first event of its kind in Wiltshire. This event is open to all women and aims to be a forum for women to discuss the political issues that impact on their success in the workplace.

The idea was the brainchild of Selaine Saxby, founder of LessBounce.com who are based in Netheravon in Claire's constituency. Selaine explained

"I wanted a forum where women could discuss the political issues that impact on them in their working lives. And I particularly wanted it to be a group whose voice could be heard – and we are therefore delighted that Claire Perry is going to be our first speaker."

Claire, will cover the topic of equal results - the notion that government should legislate to ensure that women are represented equally in society and business. Claire said of the venture

"I am excited by the prospect of addressing a forum aimed at women who wish to debate political issues and how they affect their workplace. Such debate is essential for the health of democracy in this country and I am looking forward to meeting, listening and debating with the women of Wiltshire."

The event takes place at the Holiday Inn, Solstice Park, Amesbury on Friday 25th February at 6pm. Tickets are £5 per person followed by an optional dinner at 7.30pm for £16 per head. Anyone interested should contact Selaine Saxby on 07801 427358. For more information please contact Selaine Saxby 07801 427358 or email: selainesaxby@hotmail.co.uk

The Showman's Guild of Great Britain Parliamentary Dinner

After the reception on 17th January, I dined with the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain who are responsible for fairs and events all over the country. Here I reviewed plans for this year's Marlborough Mop which has been a tradition since 1204 and large crowds continue to turn out for the festivities. I left the meeting already looking forward to this year's fair and strongly encourage all to attend in October!

Regional Reception for Conservative MPs at No.10 Downing Street

During the evening of 17th January, I attended a Regional Reception for MPs from the South West at No.10 Downing Street where the whole Cameron family was present. Like all children with partying parents, the little Cameron's were desperate to get at the cocktail sausages and so they slipped in, clad in pyjamas, to raid the buffet while Dad was addressing the crowd.

Visit to Nursteed Community Primary School

Straight after the radio interview, I met the Year 6 pupils at Nursteed Community Primary School to talk about government funding for school sports and to receive their petition, asking to save their local sports partnership. It was very encouraging to see such young children take an active involvement in politics and I was impressed with the passion with which they put their views across. The tour of the school was the icing on the cake of what was a very enjoyable visit. I have written a letter to Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for the Department of Education, relaying the pupils' concerns.

BBC Wiltshire Breakfast Show

On 17th January, I started the day with a BBC Radio Wiltshire interview on the importance of Community shops which are an excellent way to bring retail services back into our villages. We are lucky to have excellent examples in this Constituency at Rowde, All Cannings, Avebury and Urchfont and later that morning I dropped in at the Avebury s hop to meet Wendy and her team and discuss the challenges of serving the needs of local people and tourists alike.

Opening Pewsey Children's Centre

On 15th January, I was delighted to officially open the new Children's Centre in Pewsey. Not only was I able to tour the well-designed new building and meet the enthusiastic staff, but I was also able to cuddle some of the youngest visitors. Politicians, like Actors, are told to be wary of photos with children and animals but I have to say that Pewsey babies are impeccably behaved (despite their desire to eat the shiny buttons on my coat). I also met staff from the new Library in Pewsey.

Visit to Wiltshire Medical Services

On 14th January, I visited the offices of Wiltshire Medical Services, Chippenham to discuss their current "out of hours" doctor services and plans for the future under the government's new commissioning model. I made a strong plea for future facilities to be located at Savernake and/or Devizes hospitals.

Visit to Wiltshire Emergency Control Centre

 On 14th January, I spent the morning with the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service. I started in Potterne at the HQ and heard about the services overall strategy and planning from Chief Fire Officer, Andy Gove and Councillor Robert Hall, and then visited the Fire Station in Devizes to meet some of the team and review the latest equipment - the new mobile command unit was particularly impressive.

We then saw the tri-service control centre in Devizes where emergency calls to the Police, Fire and Ambulance service are handled by personnel working together and finally visited the training facility for new fire-fighters, also in Devizes. I left with a greater understanding of the work done by the Service and even more respect for these dedicated people working to keep us safe.

Claire Perry meets representative from the Young Federation

On Thursday 13th January, Claire Perry met Neil Reeder from the Young Foundation to discuss the ongoing trial of social impact bonds at Peterborough Prison. The Young Foundation provide advice and consulting services on this new sort of instrument and it is being used for the first time in the UK in a trial at Peterborough Prison. The bond attracts investment from third party investments and only pays out if the desired result is achieved, in this case a reduction in reoffending after prisoners have left jail. Claire said that "it is an innovative way to get true payment by results and I am interested given my work on the Justice Select Committee".

St John's College, Marlborough Applies for Academy Status

On Wednesday 12th January Claire Perry joined the Headmaster, Head of Governors and Business Manager from St. John's school in Marlborough at a meeting with Lord Hill to discuss the Academy application. As a Governor of the school, Claire whole-heartedly supports the move; believing it will ensure extra funding and freedom to build on the already excellent education the school is providing.

Claire Perry attends the opening of Rowde Village Shop

On Monday 3rd January, Claire Perry attended the formal opening of the Rowde Village Shop. Rowde had been without a village shop for seven years but thanks to the perseverance and community spirit in the village there is now a wonderful shop with many volunteers to help. It was a very proud moment for Rowde and has brought the community together. It is a perfect example of what small villages can achieve and Claire wishes the shop tremendous success for the future.

Claire visits Aerocan Ltd and Wiltshire Waste Recycling

On Friday 7th January, Claire Perry visited Aerocan Ltd. and got to see first hand what the company does and was impressed to discover that Aerocan of Devizes is 1 of only 2 companies in the UK that fills the aerosol cans we use everyday!
This tour was closely followed by a meeting at Wiltshire Waste (Recycling Ltd); one of several well established businesses ran by The Grist Group of Devizes. Claire was excited to see the cutting edge waste and recycling technology the company uses. During both visits Claire was able to discuss each company's trading outlook and was heartened to hear of a busy start to 2011 and strong order books.

Claire meets with the team of Wiltshire Blind Association

On Friday, Claire went to a meeting with the team at the Wiltshire Blind Association in Devizes and heard how important their "talking books" library is to those with visual impairments living locally. Any donations of unwanted tapes or CDs to expand the titles offered by the Association who are located in Commercial Road would be very welcome.

BBC Panorama interviews Claire Perry MP about her campaign for an "Opt in Model" for accessing internet pornography.

On Monday 10th January, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency will appear on current affairs documentary programme, BBC Panorama. The programme "Too Much Too Young" examines the growing concern about the sexualisation of children in the UK. Claire was asked to talk about her campaign for an opt-in system for accessing pornography on the internet which would require all UK-based Internet Service Providers to restrict universal access to pornographic content by implementing an opt-in system that requires verification that a user is over 18 for access to such material.

Speaking ahead of the BBC's Panorama's broadcast tonight, Claire said:

"I am pleased that BBC Panorama has decided to examine the growing concerns relating to childhood sexualisation. As a mother with three children I know how difficult it is to keep children from seeing inappropriate material on the Internet. We already successfully regulate British TV channels, cinema screens, high street hoardings and newsagent shelves to stop children seeing inappropriate images and mobile phone companies are able to restrict access to adult material so why should the Internet be any different? British Internet Service Providers should share the responsibility to keep our children safe so I am calling for ISP's to offer an "Opt In" system that uses age verification to access pornographic material."

To watch 'Panorama: Too Much Too Young' click here

Notes:

1. To read Claire's debate in full including the Minister's response click here.

2. To watch Claire's debate in full including the Minister's response click here.

Claire Perry Speaks at AV Meeting

In the evening of Friday 7th January, Claire attended an open meeting to speak in support for the No2AV campaign (opposing implementation of the Alternative Vote in May's referendum). The excellent turn out of people were treated to drinks and nibbles in Market Lavington's Community Hall and participated in a lively discussion of the proposed AV system in comparison to our current First Past The Post system and other types of proportional representation.

Claire Perry Visits Holy Trinity Primary School

On Friday 7th January Claire Perry visited Holy Trinity School in Great Cheverell for a lively assembly to talk to the school about her role as an MP in Parliament, what the job encompasses and also a MPs role within the community. This was followed by a very interesting tour around their wonderful school.

Claire Perry supports St John's Marlborough in Academy School Bid

On Wednesday 5th January, Claire Perry attended a Governors meeting at St. John's school, Marlborough where they unanimously agreed to support the school's Academy application and this week the school leaders and Claire met with Lord Hill at the Department for Education to discuss the details of the proposal.

The Sunday Times covers Claire Perry's campaign for an opt-in system to protect children accessing internet pornography

The Sunday Times' front page and magazine cover story featured the issue of children's access to pornography and the debate in the House of Commons led by Claire Perry MP about an opt-in sustem that requires verification that a user is over 18 for access to pornographic material.

For The Sunday Times Magazine article click here.

To read the debate in full including the Minister's response click here.

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency led a debate in the House of Commons, on the 23rd November, calling for a change in regulations to require all UK-based Internet Service Providers to restrict universal access to pornographic content by implementing an opt-in system that requires verification that a user is over 18 for access to such material.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Claire said:

"As a mother with three children I know how difficult it is to keep children from seeing inappropriate material on the Internet. We already successfully regulate British TV channels, cinema screens, high street hoardings and newsagent shelves to stop children seeing inappropriate images and mobile phone companies are able to restrict access to adult material so why should the Internet be any different? British Internet Service Providers should share the responsibility to keep our children safe so I am calling for ISP's to offer an "Opt In" system that uses age verification to access pornographic material"

Notes:

A recent study reported that one in three children aged ten have viewed pornography on the internet, while four in every five children aged 14 to 16 admitted to regularly accessing explicit photographs and footage on their home computers[1].According to the Office of National Statistics 73% of British households now have access to the Internet[2] while Ofcom reports that 99 per cent of 12-15 year olds, 93 per cent of 8-11 year olds, and 75 per cent of 5-7 year olds use the Internet regularly. 12 per cent of 8-11 year olds and 31 per cent of 12-15 year olds have internet access in their bedrooms[3].There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of sexually explicit material and attitudes towards sex such as respect for women and understanding of sex as related to love[4].

The top six UK ISP providers (all UK based) account for over 90% of market share[5] and there are already clear guidelines from Ofcom as to what constitutes adult sexual content[6] The mobile phones industry has adopted a self-regulatory model using an "adult bar" to restrict access to inappropriate content[7]

[1] Psychologies Magazine, July 2010

[2] ONS - Internet Access, August 2010

[3] Ofcom, March 2010

[4] Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review 2008 pg 51

[5] House of Commons Library, September 2010

[6] Ofcom: UK code of practice for the self-regulation of new forms of content on mobiles, August 2008

[7] Ibid

Claire Perry MP takes pupils to Downing Street.

Today, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency met children and parents from Netheravon Primary School. Claire launched a competition for pupils from the School in Wiltshire to design the artwork for her first Christmas Card as an MP. The winning painting was created by Hannah Mason, aged 9 entitled 'Santa on Manoeuvers'. However, Claire was so impressed by 5 other designs that she decided to include these on the rear of the card.

As a thank you to the winners, the winning artists accompanied by siblings, teachers and parents were invited up to London for a tour of the Houses of Parliament followed by a tour of Downing Street. Here they met the Chancellor, the Rt Hon George Osborne and posed for photographs in front of a tree donated by one of Claire's constituents a Mr Anthony Willman of Upavon who obtained the tree from a local grower in Rushall. Mr Willman decided to offer a tree to the Chancellor after hearing that the Treasury would not be buying one this year in a bid to save money for the taxpayer.

Speaking ahead of their visit, Claire said:

"I really wanted my first Christmas Card as an MP to be special and the designs submitted by All Saints Primary School did not disappoint. The response was amazing and I was inundated with some very talented entries. I am looking forward to welcoming all the winners to Parliament next week where they will be going on a Tour and seeing the Christmas Tree at No.11 Downing Street. My hope is to hold a new competition each year in a different school in the constituency."

Claire Perry MP meets Liz Bryant - Conservative Candidate for Bromham, Rowde and Potterne

Liz Bryant is standing as the Conservative candidate in the forthcoming Wiltshire Council By-Election. Liz is someone who is already heavily involved in local rural issues and assists many small businesses in the area; she also opposes any local sand extraction proposals. I believe she is an excellent candidate for Bromham, Rowde and Potterne. To learn more about Liz's campaign please visit: http://www.lizbryant.org

Aldbourne Youth Council win Philip Lawrence Award

On Tuesday 7th December Aldbourne Youth Council received their second Philip Lawrence Award for their CAN project, an internet cafe they have set up in a redundant part of the village's public toilets teaching villagers, many of them elderly, how to use computers. In 2006 the youth council won its first Philip Lawrence Award, given to recognise outstanding achievement by young people aged 11-18 for setting up a BMX track in Aldbourne with very little help from grown-ups for youngsters to use. I was delighted to meet them after they had received their latest award at the BAFTA Princess Anne Theatre for a spot of lunch and to hear all about the CAN project. I encourage you to have a look at their website for more info: www.aldbourneyouthcouncil.co.uk

Claire Perry visits Larkhill Christmas Fair

On Saturday 4th December, I attended the Larkhill Christmas Fair at the Sharpe Hall in Larkhill. I had a very enjoyable time and the fair itself was not short on festive spirit; with wonderful stalls, a raffle and fantastic choral music. All the proceeds from the fair were in aid of the Larkhill Play Park Project, which consists of a group of parents raising funds for a redeveloped play park for children, and Help for Heroes, a charity which I am always keen to follow and help out. I felt the fair was a resounding success and it certainly put me in the mood for Christmas!

(From the Fair Poster, see: http://towncouncil.durringtonwilts.co.uk/pdfs/XmasFairFlyer.pdf)

Facts and Figures on Tuition Fees

Over the last few weeks, I have been contacted by many constituents about the government's tuition fees proposals and also had some very articulate young people from a local school make a dignified protest about the proposals at my Marlborough Office (in welcome contrast to the pointless and counter-productive violent demos in Westminster).   I therefore thought it was worth posting some detailed information about the proposals on my website which you can access by clicking on the link below.   I hope that this answers any questions you may have but as always feel free to contact me if I can help with more detail.   http://claireperry.org.uk/working-for-you/campaigns

Christmas Card Competition

In my first year as an MP I had to think hard about the design of my first Christmas Card, so I decided to launch a competition for pupils at All Saints Primary School in Netheravon to design the picture for my card. I was inundated with entries but settled on a winning picture called 'Santa on Manouevers' by Hannah Mason, aged 9. However, I was so impressed by five other entries that I also included their designs on the rear of my card! My hope is to ask a different school each year to hold a competition for the design.

World AIDS Day

On the eve of World AIDS Day on the 30th November I boarded the Stop AIDS Campaign bus outside Parliament to show my support for the effort to bring an end to children being born with HIV by 2015. I met with campaigners from the Stop AIDS Campaign and joined them in their call for Britain to lead the world in the effort to deliver an AIDS-free generation. The Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria has saved nearly six million lives since its creation in 2002 and could ensure virtually all babies are born HIV free by 2015.

Claire Perry cuts the ribbon on Shalbourne School's new defibrillator

On Friday 26th November I attended the Shalbourne School Assembly and cut the ribbon on the new school defibrillator which had been provided by the Community HeartBeat Trust - a national charity focussed on provision of life saving defibrillation services to local communities . The defibrillator being fitted was a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. I was then given a fantastic tour of the school by Headteacher Mrs Ruth Mathews and it was clear that the school had developed a caring working environment for the children.

Claire Perry helps celebrate the 200th Birthday of the Kennet and Avon Canal

On Friday November 26th, Claire Perry helped celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Together with Mike Rodd, the head of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust and Mark Stephens, waterways manager for British Waterways, Claire heard from 'John Rennie', the engineer given the forbidding task of bringing the canal up Caen Hill, who explained how the 29 locks and side ponds were the solution to the problem. After the meeting Claire said 'The Kennet and Avon Canal is one of the jewels in the crown of this wonderful Constituency. The Caen Hill flight represents the pluck and determination of the townspeople of Devizes who wanted the canal brought up to the top of the hill - and the wonderful locks and ponds we today are part of our industrial heritage'.

St Peter's Junior School Tour of Parliament

On Wednesday 24th November I was delighted to welcome pupils from St Peter's Junior School. Accompanied by their teacher, Mrs Katherine Moore, the group were given a Tour of Parliament and visited the Royal Gallery, the Queen's Robing Room, Westminster Hall, Central Lobby and the main chambers in the House of Lords and House of Commons. I am always happy to have any school group visit Parliament. If you are a group who would like to do so please do write to us here at the House of Commons or via my email address claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk

Claire joins the World's First Online March to Help Beat Bullying

Over 800,000 people have joined forces to hold the world's first ever virtual march organised by Beatbullying, Britain's leading anti-bullying charity to mark the start of Anti-Bullying Week. The march is streaming through dozens of supporter websites including claireperry.org.uk and will culminate at 10 Downing Street. The Beatbullying campaign is calling on the Government to do more to protect children from bullying, violence and harassment, which can have a devastating impact on young lives.

Commenting, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency said:

"My online avatar is proudly marching today along with hundreds of thousands of others across the internet to demonstrate my support for the Beatbullying campaign. Bullying can devastate young lives and more than 30 per cent of children have been bullied in the last year. I am calling on the Coalition government to do all it can to implement long-term solutions to bullying."

Notes

To mark the launch of Anti-Bullying Week 2010 on Monday, 15th November, The Big March has of thousands of avatars of children, parents, teachers and celebrities marching across the computer screens via more than fifty partners' homepages to take a stand against bullying. The march is crossing Claire Perry's own website; www.claireperry.org.uk More information about the March can be found at http://www.beatbullying.org/bigmarchAccording to Beatbullying figures:

• 30 per cent of children and young people report being bullied at school in the last year. 26 per cent of children and young people report being bullied outside of school in the last year.
• 1 in 3 to 16 year olds have been deliberately cyber bullied. For a quarter of these, the experience was ongoing, meaning that 1 in 13 children were persistently cyber bullied.
• In 2007/8, 15.7 per cent of all permanent exclusions of children from primary, secondary, and special schools were as a result of physically assaulting another pupil.
• 36 per cent of school absences were caused by bullying in the UK in 2006.
• 44 per cent of suicides committed by young people in the UK are associated with experiences of bullying.

Claire Perry MP Writes an Article for the House Magazine about Service Accommodation

Over ten thousand service personnel live in and around the Army bases of Tidworth, Netheravon, Bulford, Larkhill and Upavon in my Constituency of Devizes, accompanied by thousands of dependent spouses and children. Living in decent accommodation both on and off the base should be automatic, but for too many years successive governments have tolerated substandard housing conditions for service families.

The reasons are many and varied - a MoD focus on equipment spending over "home comforts", a constantly shifting population and perhaps most under-valued of all, the tendency of Army spouses to make the best of a bad quarter, to think that making a fuss about housing would be unacceptable when their spouse has a dangerous posting and to tolerate constant moves (as one former Field Marshall's wife told, me, 32 postings in 34 years - "made us dammed good at packing" interjected the FM).

With 49,000 houses and 150,000 single bedrooms, the MoD is the biggest property manager in Britain but it has historically neglected its estate. British military housing has been described as "disgraceful" by the all-party Commons Defence Committee and "frankly shaming" by Gen Sir Mike Jackson, the former head of the Army. In 2007, the MoD admitted that 60% of single-room accommodation for soldiers was "sub-standard"; a definition that ignored the fact that prisoners are housed in better conditions than many soldiers. Families fare even worse with 68% of the family estate falling below the MoD's definition of high quality accommodation. Having visited a lot of military housing in my Constituency during the Election I can tell first-hand what poor quality looks like - cramped, crumbling, jerry built and damp.

To their credit, the last government belatedly woke up to the problem and increased spending on housing refurbishment and reconstruction. They also entered into one of the longest and largest PFI deals the MoD has ever signed; a 35 year, £8 billion contract with Aspire Defence to regenerate many aspects of the Defence estate including delivering 11,500 single en-suite bedspaces. I visited the Tidworth site in July this year and was shown around by resident soldiers who were pleased with the quality of the new rooms, the maintenance of the estate and the services provided. However, this contract does not include any construction or improvement of service family accommodation and I was therefore delighted to hear that investment in SFA housing remains a priority for the Coalition government, despite the spending cuts that have to be made to deal with the last government's disastrous economic legacy.

Liam Fox confirmed at our Party Conference that almost £50 million would be spent providing new SFA units in Bulford and that ongoing efficiency savings from the MoD would be re-invested in upgrading housing. This is part of the Government's wider commitment to restore the military covenant, broaden the support for the whole military family and ensure that care and support continues beyond the point at which someone leaves the Services. Indeed, the issue of housing inaccessibility for veterans is one more thing that has been all but ignored for the last 13 years - but one that I trust this government will prioritise.

Supporting local Pubs

The first week of November was British Pub Week 2010 and as a keen supporter of our local pubs I popped into the Triple Crown in Marden with my casework team to enjoy a drink and some lunch.

British Pub Week 2010 was a chance to celebrate the vital role that the British Pub plays in community life and in shaping our cultural traditions. Pubs are more than just social meeting spots, they are also valued community resources, which provide venues for charity events promote the arts and generally bring communities together.

Stone Circle to Arctic Circle

Avebury Stone Circle to the Arctic Circle In aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance

In May 2011 Butch Hardman & Neil Berrett will be motorcycling 6000 kms to Nordkapp, the furthest point of mainland Europe and back again.

Our aim is to raise £10,000 in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance which relies on donations from the public to keep flying and saving lives. Please support us in any way you can. Any donation, however small, is gratefully received.

 It is so important that the Wiltshire Air Ambulance stays flying, please have a look at their website www.circle2circle.co.uk and support them on their expedition.

Claire Perry MP pledges to "do her bit" for British Armed Forces

Claire Perry MP pledges to "do her bit" for British Armed Forces

Claire Perry MP for the Devizes Constituency has pledged to do her bit for the British Armed Forces family.

Claire made the pledge on The Royal British Legion's campaign website, www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk.

The website also features the charity's general election manifesto, which sets out priorities for the Government to improve conditions for Service Personnel and their families, the bereaved, veterans and dependants. Following the general election, the manifesto became a programme for action, which the Legion wants to see implemented during the lifetime of this parliament.

Claire said, "I was delighted to support The Royal British Legion. They have an important role to play in highlighting the needs of the whole Armed Forces family. My constituency is home to more than 11,000 soldiers as well as at least the same number of dependants, not to mention the several thousand Ministry of Defence civil servants. That is why I am so proud to support the armed forces. I have pledged to do my bit and would encourage everyone to visit the website - www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk - to find out how they can get involved in the campaign."

Kevin Shinkwin, the Legion's Head of Public Affairs, said, "We're really grateful to Claire Perry MP for pledging to do her bit. The whole Armed Forces family needs the support of politicians from all parties, and our ‘Time to do your bit' campaign outlines practical ways the Coalition Government can help. We hope all the parties will give it serious consideration and that every MP will pledge to do their bit".

New caseworker in the constituency office

I am delighted to say as of Monday October 25th, our local office in Marlborough is now fully staffed with two extremely competent case workers and is therefore ready to continue dealing with any constituency issues you might be facing. They can be reached on 01672 519198 or claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk

Claire Perry MP meets with Christian Aid activists and the Reverend Jesse Jackson

Wednesday 20th October was a very busy day in Parliament given the publication of the Comprehensive Spending Review but I was able to nip out in the cold and meet the Christian Aid activists and also the Reverend Jesse Jackson who had come to thank the Government for protecting the aid budget but continue to press for specific action on international tax laws and climate change.

Claire Perry MP Comments on the Comprehensive Spending Review

Today, George Osborne, the Chancellor presented the Comprehensive Spending Review to the House of Commons. During his presentation, he made the point that last year; Britain's deficit was the largest in peacetime history. The government currently has to borrow one pound in every four that it spends, and every day it costs almost £120 million just to pay the interest on the nation's debts. The consequences of not acting now are serious: all regions across England would be faced with higher interest rates, business failures, rising unemployment and even potentially the end of the recovery. The Chancellor also said that this Spending Review promotes long-term economic growth, improves fairness by supporting the most vulnerable, and gives people the freedom to better themselves and their families in the future.

The Government today showed that it is committed to rebalancing the economy. In particular, it is determined to remove barriers and provide focused support to ensure that all places can realise their growth potential by:

• Supporting appropriate infrastructure;
• Stimulating private sector growth in all regions; and
• Providing local areas with incentives and powers through devolution.

Claire Perry MP for Devizes attended the Comprehensive Spending Review today in the House of Commons. Commenting on the announcements. Claire said:

"Today we heard a plan to get Britain back on the path to fairness and prosperity. With the biggest deficit in the developed world we had to have realistic and honest spending plans for sorting out the British economy and we now have them. But it was not all gloom and doom - we also heard about plans for more spending on the NHS, schools and international development; a plan for the accelerated roll-out of the high speed broadband that we so desperately need in our Constituency and details on simplifying the welfare system and cracking down on tax and benefit cheats. I was also delighted to hear that vital benefits for older people like Winter Fuel Allowances and free bus passes are to stay. We will have to wait for more detail to see exactly how these plans will affect us in the Devizes Constituency but today I spoke to Jane Scott OBE, Leader of Wiltshire Council and Brian Moore, Chief Constable of Wiltshire to discuss these plans and know that they are well-prepared to deliver these savings. My job now is to get as much detail on the impact of the changes for us locally."

Notes:
More detail on the CSR can be found here: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_index.htm

The key CSR announcements:
• There will be an average four-year cut of 19% in departmental spending budgets
• The structural deficit (the gap between taxes and spending) is to be eliminated by 2015/2016
• The overseas development budget will increase to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) from 2013, in line with the UK's international commitment to help the very poorest
• To ensure dignity in retirement, the Government will uprate the basic State Pension by a triple guarantee of earnings, prices, or 2.5 per cent - whichever is highest.
• There will be real growth in NHS budget every year, rising from £103.8 billion to £114.4 billion in real-terms by 2014/15, with total spending growing by 0.4 per cent over the Spending Review period
• Real terms protection for schools - schools budgets will grow by 0.1% real in each year of the Spending Review
• The Spending Review secures investment of £530 million over the spending review period to help ensure the roll out of superfast broadband across all areas of the UK
• The state pension age for men and women will reach 66 by the year 2020. This will involve a gradual increase in the State Pension Age from 65 to 66, starting in 2018. And it will mean an acceleration of the increase in the female pension age already underway since this April.
• The Government will also keep the universal benefits for pensioners, in recognition of the fact many have worked hard and saved all their lives, including: free eye tests; free prescription charges; free bus passes; free TV licenses for the over 75s; and Winter Fuel Payments will remain exactly as budgeted for by the previous Government - as promised. The Chancellor is also turning the temporary increase in the Cold Weather Payments introduced by the last government into a permanent increase.
• While the HM Revenue and Customs budget will be expected to find resource savings of 15% through the better use of new technology, greater efficiency and better IT contracts - it will be spending £900 million more on targeting tax evasion and fraud. This additional £900 million is expected to help collect a missing £7 billion in tax revenues.

Claire Perry MP meets with local trade union members and Chairs the new APPG on Connecting Communities

Ahead of the spending review I welcomed some local trade union members to my office to discuss its impact and the importance of building flexibility into negotiations with the public sector work force. Prior to this meeting, I chaired the inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Connecting Communities. This group strives to work with a coalition of some 45 agencies which believe in the power of twinning partnerships between communities of all kinds (towns, local authorities, schools, universities hospitals and medical and nursing schools, faith, youth, sports and cultural groups) here in UK with counterparts in the developing world.

My hope is that the APPG will provide an opportunity for these agencies to work with senior politicians and government departments to promote the effectiveness of these community-based partnerships. As Chair of the APPG I was delighted to invite our first guest speaker of this Parliament, Stephen O'Brien, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development who fully endorsed what was a very positive initial meeting.

Following this I dashed over to the parliamentary sessions on the Strategic Defence and Security Review. In the debate that followed I asked the Prime Minister when the Government planned to alleviate uncertainty for soldiers and families in the MOD and announce the underlying details of specific issues like the review about the boarding school allowances and the Army recovery centre at Tidworth. The Prime Minister stated that the Review is exploring various ways to seek savings, but has ultimately been forced to make some difficult decisions. He did however offer one bit of reassurance that with 20,000 of the Army coming back from Germany, the £250 million a year currently spent on allowances for those troops will inevitably allow for changes in the cost structure to some of the allowances at home.

Later in the evening I had a meeting with the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP and his team to talk about the Strategic Defence and Security Review in more detail. The army, which has such great importance in our constituency, will be maintained at current strength in Afghanistan. There will be some reductions in jobs over the next four years, hopefully to occur by natural attrition over time. However, the further details on the impacts on our constituency are to be released in the next few weeks.

Claire Perry MP questions the Prime Minister at the Strategic Defence and Security Review

At 15:30 today the Prime Minister delivered the Strategic Defence and Security Review and this was followed by a briefing session for MPs with Dr. Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence. After questioning the Prime Minister and Dr. Fox, Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency commented:

"Today we heard how Britain's Armed Forces will be shaped going forward and how the overspend left by the last government will be tackled. There was much to welcome, including the better-than-expected financial settlement for the Ministry of Defence, the Government's determination to ensure that our troops serving in Afghanistan receive all that they need in terms of equipment and support (including a doubling of operational allowances) and the retention of all 36 Infantry Battalions. However, after my questions to both the PM and the Secretary of State, it is clear that we need to know more detail the on spending cuts, such as the plans for civil servant redundancies and the changes to Armed Forces allowances before we can assess the full local impact of the decisions. I can confirm, however, that local capital projects, including the Tidworth Recovery Centre, will be delivered as promised."

Key SDSR Announcements:
1.The previous government left a "black hole" of over £38 billion over the next 10 years in the Defence budget.
2.Labour's legacy ensured that the top 15 equipment programmes are £8.8 billion over budget and have a cumulative delay of 32 years
3.Defence spending will be cut by 7.5%, lower than expected relative to other government departments
4.All 36 Infantry Battalions will be kept
5.There is no change planned to Army Units deployed in Afghanistan
6.A Defence Reform Review is being carried out to restructure the MoD and overhaul the procurement process, and the Government plans to cut civil servant numbers by 25,000 (out of 82,000) by 2015

Constituency Visits: Boscombe Down and Devizes Chamber of Commerce

On Wednesday 15th, I had a fascinating discussion with Chief Inspector Howarth and Inspector Andy Noble who cover the southern half of my constituency including Marlborough and Pewsey. We talked about the potential impact of spending reductions on policing and also the desirability of getting more people involved in reducing anti-social behaviour across the constituency.

Following this I had an extremely interesting visit to Boscombe Down where I was able to see first-hand many aspects of its operations which, whilst it lies just outside of my constituency, still employs several hundred constituents.

I rounded off an exciting day with extremely well attended meeting at the Bear Hotel with members of the Devizes Chamber of Commerce to discuss the importance of small business in our market towns and what we need to do to continue to have business growing and thriving. The discussion also included the need to cut red tape, the need to get banks lending again, and the critical importance of affordable parking in our market towns.

Parliament

Back in Parliament I have had several meetings around the Justice Agenda including taking evidence from people currently under the supervision of the probation service. I also attended a very vigorous Treasury Questions event in the House of Commons and was also able to ask Andrew Mitchell MP Secretary of State for International Development a question in the chamber concerning the appalling loss of life suffered globally as a consequence of the eminently preventable disease of Malaria.

With the Comprehensive Spending Review coming up next Wednesday it promises to be an action packed next week

Tell Me What You Think

As your MP,  I want to make sure that my work reflects your priorities.  I am therefore asking people in the Constituency for their views on the most important issues at a local and national level.  Many people will receive a paper survey from me for return by post but if you would prefer to tell me what you think via the web then you can fill out the survey by clicking here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tellclaire

Claire Perry MP meets with the Directors of Forces Select

On Tuesday 12th October I attended Treasury Questions and participated in the debate. Following this I was fortunate enough to have dinner with Andy McNab. Andy served in the British Army for eighteen years spending eight years as an infantry soldier and ten years in the 22 Special Air Service. He is now a Director of Forces Select a specialist recruitment consultancy for service leavers and ex-service personnel. We discussed the recruitment issues facing service personnel who leave the armed forces, something which I am very keen to improve.

Constituency Visits: Healthy Life Company

Back in the constituency I have made a number of visits including a visit to the Healthy Life Company in Devizes. Here I met with Justina Petifer and Sue Croft to talk about the EU supplements directive. This piece of legislation has been around since 2002 and potentially represents a real threat to makers and retailers of food supplements across the UK. I was able to discuss the matter briefing with Andrew Lansley MP in the lobby this week where he assured me that he had no plans to fully implement the EU directive in its entirety. I will keep readers informed with what happens with this important piece of legislation.

Marlborough Mop

On Saturday 9th October I was privileged to be asked by the Showman's Guild of Great Britain to help open the Marlborough MOP. The MOP fairs have been held in Marlborough High Street since 1204 and there is still a huge sense of good old fashioned excitement around the fair. I managed to demonstrate my complete lack of aim on the ball and tin stall and was very happy to ride on the Ladybird Ride with three two year olds, and very much enjoyed the dodgems. I am sorry to say that I didn't have the stomach for some of the faster and higher rides but will work on my bravery for next year!

Conference and Harry Beckhough

Another highlight of the Conference was the opportunity to introduce my constituent, 97 year old Harry Beckhough to the Prime Minister. I talked to David Cameron previously about how I thought Harry was the perfect example of Conservative Party members - he has been a party member for over 80 years - and David decided to thank Harry in his speech which closed the party conference. Harry was delighted to be recognised and seems to have gone on to carve out a bit of a media political career for himself!

3rd – 6th October: Conservative Party Conference

Before the Conference Season I continued my local meetings with various GPs and hospitals to discuss healthcare provision in the Devizes Constituency. Whilst we were at the Conference I attended a number of fringe events, the main focus being the fringe event held by the National Farmers Union. This focused on rural and farming issues including broadband, cloning, countryside management and poultry welfare. I chaired a distinguished panel which included all of the ministers from our DEFRA department and the NFU President Peter Kendall. The mood in the room was extremely positive and it really felt as if both the DEFRA team and the farmers were for once marching in the same direction.

Conservative Party Conference - 3rd - 6th October

I am looking forward to a packed party conference schedule. Some of the events I will be speaking at are listed below:

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Howard League for Penal Reform
On the panel - Take Action 2010: Real Work in Prison
Sunday 3rd October: 17:45 pm - 19:00 pm
Location: Executive Room 1, ICC

StartHere Fringe Event
On the panel: Empowering communities: local information to help people help themselves.
Monday 4th October 8:00 - 9:30
Marquee 4, ICC

Chair - NFU Fringe Meeting
Monday 4th October 18:30 - 20:30
Location: Crowne Plaza, Central Square, Birmingham, B1 1HH

Speaking at the CSJ Fringe Meeting on Social Return on Investment
Tuesday 5th October 18:00 - 19:00
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham

On the Panel - ResPublica Event: Reinventing and Commissioning: Launch of a ResPublica/Social Investment Business.
Tuesday 5th October 8:30 - 22:00
Location: tbc

Speaking at DEMOS: Public Service Reform in an Age of Cuts: Where Next?
Wednesday 6th October 12:30 - 14:00
Location: Hall 11B, The ICC

Update on Healthcare Meetings

One of Claire's  local priorities is to get local healthcare services back in the Devizes Constituency and she has been meeting with local hospitals, doctors, healthcare professionals and interest groups over the last two weeks to assess the current situation.  Her current findings can be found on the Facebook page, Campaign for an MIU or she would be happy to email or send them to anyone who is interested -just contact her via the London office. 

Gunjar Exchange Program

The theme of international development continued through to Tuesday 23rd September when I went to an outstanding presentation from this year's crop of graduates from the BUILD charities Gunjar exchange program. The graduates spoke about what they had done during their month visiting the Gunjar village in the Gambia. It was quite an extraordinary presentation, given by young people from the Marlborough community, who described how they had managed to refurbish a school building, the same school that Dr Nick Maurice had built on his very first visit to the Gambia 25 years ago. We also heard how the team managed to lose 9 nil at football to the locals!

Visit to Devizes' Sainsbury's

Finally I visited the Sainsbury's in Devizes to have coffee with the store manager and some of the staff. We talked about plans for the town centre and what the shop does to support local community groups.

Visit to the National Archives of the WRVS

On Wednesday 22nd September I visited the archives of the Woman's Royal Voluntary Service in Devizes. The Service had recently won a UNESCO award for the incredible narratives that they keep at the archives. Matthew McMurray WRVS Archivist and Alice Cleland a Collection Volunteer (pictured) showed me around all the fascinating artefacts and told me about the work that the group is still doing to support elderly people across the country.

Meeting with Chief Inspector Owen Gillard

On Tuesday I met with Chief Inspector Owen Gillard to discuss local Policing matters in the community and what we might do to tackle the problem of anti social behaviour. This is an issue that has been handled very effectively in some parts of the constituency by partnering local volunteers and the Police.

Visit to Haine and Smith

On Wednesday 20th September I concentrated on a number of meetings in Marlborough and Devizes. One of these was a visit to Haine and Smith one of our largest local opticians. We talked about the importance for families to get regular eye checks and I made a promise to return for a test!

Pewsey Carnival

The Parliamentary Conference Recess has provided me with the opportunity to catch up on local meetings. On Saturday 18th I visited the Pewsey Carnival, a not to be missed annual extravaganza of floats, music, fantastic beef burgers and great sense of community spirit. I watched the procession from the upstairs window of the Moonrakers Pub whilst being plied with Marshals Lardy Cake and local Cider. A fantastic evening was had by all!

‘Send a Cow' Charity

I had a fascinating meeting at the ‘Send a Cow' charity on Friday 17th September. The charity exists to help farmers in developing countries develop a sustainable agricultural sector. I have recently restarted the All Party Parliamentary Group ‘Connecting Communities' and have asked the Revd. Osborne, who heads up the ‘Send a Cow' charity, to come and talk to the group in Parliament.

Visit to St Peter's CEVC Junior School

On Monday September 13th I attended an assembly at St Peter's Junior School in Marlborough. The pupils were gearing up for their school council elections so it was a perfect opportunity to talk about politics and the importance of electing sensible and thoughtful representatives. We also conducted a mock vote on whether vegetable eating should be made compulsory for children! I'm afraid the Noes had it. I also toured the school and discussed the capital funding requirements for the new project to link the school with the St Mary's CEVC with the Headteacher Mrs. Spindlow.

Meeting Young Volunteers

Last Friday I was delighted to attend the Southbroom Development Centre in Devizes to meet Damien Hassjes of Wiltshire Council, John Rich and his youth development team, young mentors, among them Dan and Martin; the V talent coordinators from Wiltshire Council and Ellie Vesey-Thompson, the Wiltshire Representative for the UK Youth Parliament. Over tea I heard how the V talent programme had provided real training opportunities and we discussed the problems that young people from across the Devizes Constituency have in accessing services and activities. I was particularly impressed with the articulate way in which the young mentors explained their activities and what they had learnt from the programme and there are clearly lessons here for our National Citizenship Service, due to be rolled out in the coming months.

Devizes Carnival on Bank Holiday Monday

On Bank Holiday Monday, Claire took her youngest daughter with her to enjoy the fun at the Devizes International Street Festival. A key part of the Devizes Carnival which runs until 4th September, the Festival featured fairground rides, rousing brass bands, soulful blues music, performance art of all description (including the Gran tourismos- rogue Grannies in charge of motorised shopping trolleys!) all taking place in and around the Market Place in Devizes. Armed with a strong coffee from Col. Grumpy's Coffee Bus and with the sun shining, it was a memorable afternoon in Devizes.

Scotty's Little Soldiers

Claire Perry, MP for the Devizes Constituency attended the launch party for Scottys Little Soldiers in Tidworth on Saturday. The charity was started by Nicola Scott, wife of Corporal Lee "Scotty" Scott of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment who was killed in Afghanistan last year after she saw the impact of their father's tragic death on her own children.
The charity raises funds to provide treats, birthday presents and holidays for the children of fallen soldiers and on Saturday Nicola, her family and a tireless team of helpers organized a party outside the Community Centre in Tidworth, followed by a disco and live band. Claire Perry said, "I was so honoured to be invited to the launch of Scotty's Little Soldiers and to meet Nicola and her wonderful children, Kai and Brooke. I have written to Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for Defence to see if there is any thing our government can do give it support and in the meantime, I will wear my "Scotty's" wristband with pride and hope that the donations keep rolling in".
Donations can now be made at the charity's website, http://www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk/

Photo: John Robinson (Nichola's Father), Claire Perry, Nichola Scott and Trevor Hopkins who served with Cpl. Scott in Afganistan

Martin Houlden

Last week I met up with Martin Houlden. Martin stood as an exceptional independent candidate at the General Election and is someone who is very committed to the town of Marlborough. We met to discuss his upcoming election challenge of becoming a Marlborough town councillor and also to discuss the current traffic congestion problems in the town. Martin's is proud of the town and wants to ensure it continues as a vibrant and caring community. To learn more about Martin's campaign please visit: http://www.martin4marlborough.com

Justice Select Committee

On Tuesday 13th July I attended the first meeting of the Justice Select Committee to discuss the Ministry of Justice's review of the Coroners and Justice Act and to organise the future programme of the Committee.

We are also in preparing for our first sitting later this week which will question the Secretary of State for Justice the Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP on a range of topical issues within the Ministry of Justice's remit.

Claire's Westminster Hall Debate on Minor Injury Service Provision in the Constituency of Devizes

On Tuesday 13th July Claire secured an Adjournment Debate in Westminster Hall on the lack of a Minor Injuries Unit in the constituency of Devizes. Simon Burns MP Minister of State for Health Services attended.

NHS Wiltshire closed the minor injury units at Devizes and Savernake in September 2007. Claire launched a campaign on Thursday 1st July to get an MIU back in the constituency.

The constituency of Devizes is in the top 20 of constituencies with the lowest density of populations. Out of those 20 only one other constituency has no MIU. Constituencies with similar densities such as North Devon have as many as 4 MIUs. (Source: House of Commons Library 29/06/10)

For the full text of her speech please click here

For the full text of the debate, including the Health Minister response please click here

Barbury International and the Wiltshire County Fair

On Sunday July 11th I visited the 6th year of the Barbury International horse trials which has grown to be one of the most popular UK Summer events featuring many of the world's best horses and riders as they prepare for the world championships and ultimately the Olympics in London.

This year the event was combined with the first Wiltshire County Show for 40 years. I was delighted to be supporting this event which focused on the important role played by farming and the Army in our county. However, my main role was to judge an animal show called ‘farm factor'. The winners, pictured here, were from Burbage Primary School who made a stunning scale model illustrating their ideas on farming - including an amazing dry stone wall! Well done year 6!

Marlborough Jazz Festival

On Friday 9th July I felt privileged to be opening the Marlborough Jazz Festival with a speech outside the Castle and Ball Hotel, preceded by a Sting medley from the St John's School Jazz Band.

The Festival was founded in 1986 and features on Tower Records' list of the top events of its kind in the British Isles. As well as individual concerts, I found out that a major feature of the event is called the "Stroller". These are tickets that enable the holder to see almost 100 bands in over 20 locations. Bands range from famous touring stars - and many of the home-grown variety - to young and up-and-coming groups. It was amazing to see the town of Marlborough come alive with the sound of jazz! I was particularly pleased to welcome the Marlborough New Zealand Chamber of Commerce to the event and sample some of their fine wine with my kiwi husband and mother-in-law in attendance. I hope our visitors felt at home.

Royal British Legion

On Wednesday the 7th July I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group reception for the Royal British Legion. The Legion does an amazing job of looking out for the welfare, interests and memory of those who are serving or who have served in the Armed Forces. It is one of the UK's largest membership organisations and recognised as custodians of Remembrance and the annual Poppy Appeal.

At the event the Legion showed us a film outlining one way in which they support the Armed Forces family through their new Independent Inquest Advice (IIA) Service. The IIA is a free, confidential and professional service, which will be available for the first time to bereaved Service families throughout the UK. It will provide high quality, timely and independent advice to bereaved families during the investigation into in-Service deaths, including the Service Inquiry and Inquest. I hope that this will prove an invaluable resource for any constituents who need support through the Service Inquiry and Inquest process at what can be a desperately sad and difficult time for them.

Traffic problems in Marlborough - an End in Sight?

I have been very keen to sort out the current traffic problems in Marlborough. On Friday 3rd September I met with representatives from Marlborough Town Council, Wiltshire Council and Marlborough Retail Forum to discuss the situation.

Following our meeting we made our way to Pewsey Road Bridge to meet with contractors. I have been impressed with everyone's willingness to work together for the sake of the town and we should know in the next few weeks if it is possible to get the bridge at least partially open before Christmas.

There was also an agreement that signage would be further improved and an existing member of staff at St. Peter's School would act as a lollipop person at peak times on the London Road zebra crossing to alleviate the additional congestion caused by the constant flow of children crossing to and from the school. This follows the news that things should improve with the completion of the Kingsbury Street work, and Marlborough Town Council are to provide free parking on a section of the common.

I think this is imperative to give our local shops a decent trading environment in these crucial few weeks and to alleviate the road congestion for local residents. I will be looking to work with all parties in the run-up to Christmas to try and improve a difficult situation.

Devizes Beer Festival

On the morning of Saturday 3rd July I attended the sold-out 11th Devizes Beer Festival. This is a fantastic family orientated event based mostly outdoors at the Wharf. The festival hosts a variety of entertainments including live music and activities for children. Sadly I was driving and had to be careful which of the 50 real ales, cider and food I sampled! Don and Alan very kindly showed me round and the highlight was the tasting of a truly wonderful tasting cider, the Little Thornton Cider, made locally in Seend by Nigel, Nick and Mark.

Barge Inn Project

On the morning of 2nd July I made a visit to the Barge Inn Project. The Barge Inn Honey Street is an internationally renowned historic canalside public house and camping site. It is also hailed as the 'official site for the discerning Crop Circle Investigator!'

The pub has been and remains an integral part of the community whether they are locals, canal boaters or the international crop circle communities and a local group has received a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery SOS project to secure a loan on the pub and develop it as a community asset.

The Project wishes to expand the site to offer new services such as a village shop and post office, activity holidays and the creation of an organic garden. Upon hearing the latter I instantly offered to don the Marigolds and lend a hand! I urge you to visit their website and get involved: www.bargeinncommunityproject.com

Wadworth Brewery

I was delighted to visit the Wadworth Brewery in Devizes on Friday 2nd July. I have been a long-standing supporter of low rates of beer tax and firmly believe pubs play an essential role within local communities, so I was very excited by the opportunity to visit such a historic brewery. During my visit I spent some time going round the excellent visitor's centre where one can sample the delights of Wadworth's beers and discover the history and heritage of Wadworth brewing - I highly recommend you make the time to visit! Following my tour I was able to talk to some of the management team about the issues they were facing as an industry and the importance of campaigns which encourage people to drink responsibly. An excellent lunch was provided by the local Crown Inn.

Devizes Healthcare Meeting

On the evening of Thursday 1st July I spoke at a public meeting on Healthcare in the Devizes Town Hall organised by the Devizes Health Matters group. The meeting was well attended by a variety of individuals and interest groups and served as an excellent forum for discussion about the provision of healthcare in the constituency. The change of government has provided a unique opportunity for rural communities to participate in the reform of the way their healthcare is provided.

Before the town hall meeting I met with the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP. I followed up this meeting with a discussion with Jeff James the Chief Executive of the Wiltshire Primary Care Trust. Not only did we discuss the future of healthcare in Devizes but also the lack of any Minor Injuries Unit. I have therefore launched a campaign to get an MIU back in the constituency of Devizes. If you wish to join this campaign please show your support in three ways:

• You can write to me at the House of Commons
• You can email: claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk
• If you have a facebook account you can join an online group by following this link:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/create.php#!/group.php?gid=129096493793102

Later this month Mr Lansley is planning a white paper outlining the reform of the NHS followed by a bill in the autumn. I am looking forward to taking forward the views and ideas expressed in the Town Hall meeting.

Campaign for an MIU

Claire has started a campaign to get a Minor Injuries Unit in the constituency. You can show your support in three ways:

•You can write to Claire at the House of Commons

•You can email: claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk

•If you have a facebook account you can join an online group by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/create.php#!/group.php?gid=129096493793102

Claire will also be speaking at a public meeting on lost health services in the constituency. This is to be held on the 1st July in the Devizes Town Hall.

Claire Perry's Business Lunch

On Friday 25th I continued one of the finest local traditions established by Michael Ancram MP, his annual Business Lunch.

This gave over 80 business people in the Constituency the chance to get together and share views, to ask questions about what was happening of relevance to business locally, to renew friendships - but above all to have an enjoyable interlude in our busy lives.

Lloyd Grossman was a wonderfully multi-faceted character and an entertaining speaker. He kept us all amused recounting the tales of the development of his sauces. Apparently these were actually first started as a joke with a friend! And it seems the food industry were quick to gear his efforts solely towards production, changing the olive oil in his recipes for water in order to stop the machines clogging up! The event was a great success and also served as an great fundraising opportunity.

Royal Military Police

On Wednesday, 16 June 2010 I had the honour of welcoming over 20 members of the Royal Military Police (RMP)  to the Houses of Parliament. It is always a privilege to meet members of the Armed Forces, past or present. My staff and I took the members of the RMP for a tour around the Houses of Parliament where they had tickets to the gallery to watch a debate on industry. Afterwards we went onto the House of Commons' terrace with its spectacular view of the Thames. Over tea and cake I had the pleasure of being able to discuss the issues affecting those who serve in the Armed Forces and their families, who make up such an important part of the Devizes constituency. In these meetings I am always humbled by the courage, dedication, and hard work shown by our serving men and women.

Aldbourne Youth Council

On Saturday 12th June I was privileged to be a guest speaker at the Aldbourne Youth Council's ‘Any Questions' debate in Aldbourne Memorial Hall. Questions were submitted beforehand with the option for a follow-up and tackled a wide range of issues from how to improve schools to the problems faced by rural constituencies. However, one audience member did ask me if I would follow in Michael Ancram's footsteps and perform in a concert supporting the Youth Council - unfortunately I had to explain that due to my considerable inadequacies in this area I would only be able to provide the food!

I also met individual members of the Aldbourne Youth Council after the event at their project called the CAN (an internet cafe set up by AYC in the village). In a bid to encourage more young people to engage with politics those 18 and under were given a free soft drink upon entry. Other panellists included: Richard Clewer from the Youth and Skills department at Wiltshire Council, Richard Pitts the Marlborough Town Councillor, Elli Vesey-Thompson Wiltshire Association youth member for Marlborough and member of the UK Youth Parliament and Audrey Gilligan an Aldbourne Resident.

Welcoming the 11th Light Brigade Home

On Monday June 7 I had the honour of attending a formal "March In" and Reception in Parliament to welcome the 11th Light Brigade home to the UK. For the last 6 months, this group has been the lead British Army formation in Afghanistan and it has suffered 61 losses and numerous casualties. The Brigade includes soldiers from 1 Royal Horse Artillery based in the Devizes Constituency (Bulford) and I was proud to be part of the welcoming group. The soldiers marched from Wellington Barracks, down Birdcage Walk, through Parliament Square, and finally through the Carriage Gates into the House of Commons, led by the Band of the Queen's Division. The March-Ins are a new idea, implemented by James Grey my MP neighbour in North Wiltshire and I think that they are an excellent opportunity for us to say "thank you" to those fighting so bravely for our safety.  I was able to take some of the troops on a tour of the Houses of Parliament and answer their questions - and they answered mine.  In particular, I was encouraged to hear their reports of making so much progress on the ground and their work can only hasten the day when we can welcome home all of  our troops. 

Thank You.

In the early hours of Friday, May 7th I became the next Member of Parliament for the Devizes Constituency.    I was elected with over 55% of the vote, giving me a majority of over 13,000 (slightly up on the 2005 result adjusted for the substantial boundary changes at this election).  This was a wonderful and unexpected result and one for which I must thank many people.

First, "thank you" to all the people in this wonderful Constituency who took the trouble to vote in last week's election. Turnout rose both locally (up more than three percentage points to 68.9%) and nationally proving that democracy in Britain is very much alive and that this was an election that really mattered.  Second, "thank you" to my predecessor, Michael Ancram, who has lived here for the last 20 years (and will continue to do so) and who has represented the Constituency to great effect even while occupying the heights of political office.  The third "thank you" is to the organizers of the election locally, who managed the process very efficiently and allowed us to be the second constituency in Wiltshire to declare our vote (at 4am) and also to the other candidates who stood at this election and who fought a very good fight.  And last, a huge "THANK YOU" goes to my Association and all of the volunteers who worked so tirelessly over the Campaign period.  We visited almost every village in this very large constituency and canvassed almost daily in the towns - and with our new musical choices on the Battlebus, there was never a dull moment!

I came up to Westminster last week to begin the process of representing you in Parliament and have been going through very useful training and also meeting the large number of new Conservative MPs. 

Our Party looks, sounds and feels very different after this election with a more diverse group of MPs and much more representation of urban constituencies.  This, together with the economic and policy decisions that can now be taken given the coalition we have formed with the Liberal Democrats, will mean that we should be able to look forward to a long period in Government.  

I will start local surgeries next week and our family will shortly move to the Constituency.  I look forward to working with my Constituents over the days, months and years ahead and I would like to say, once again, that I am honoured to be your next Member of Parliament for the Devizes Constituency.

The Flag is Down: General Election called for May 6

Gordon Brown has finally made a decision and called the General Election for May 6th and my election campaign has begun. I have lived in Wiltshire for almost 10 years and I have seen, first hand, the damage that this urban-minded Labour government has done to our rural services and our rural way of life.  I want to be elected as your MP for the Devizes Constituency so that I put our ruralinterests back on the political agenda and I will fight to get services back at Savernake and Devizes hospitals and to help our local businesses to grow and campaign for proper support for our soldiers and their families. You have a huge choice at this election. You can vote Labour, Liberal or anything else and get five more years of Gordon Brown.   Or you can vote Conservative and get a government with the determination, ideas and values to get Britain's economy off life support and this great country back on her feet. It's your choice -and I hope you choose me, Claire Perry, as the next MP for the Devizes Constituency.

From Devizes to Westminster By Paddle Power

Today I stood at the Devizes Wharf and cheered the dozens of canoeists who are heroically undertaking the annual Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. Despite the freezing conditions, they set off in good heart despite facing a grueling 125 paddle down the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames. It's a great event to support (with many paddling for charity) and both Clayton and I are keen to have a go ourselves next year.  For now, I'm hoping that on May 6th I can also be heading from Devizes to Westminster to represent this Constituency but travelling more prosaically on the train.

Visiting the Kennet and Avon Canal

Claire visited the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust at the Wharf in Devizes, learning about this unique piece of industrial archaeology that has now been restored thanks to the efforts of local volunteers and is now "in water" for over 90 miles. Devizes has the world famous Caen Hill lock "flight" with 16 locks in total, while Crofton (near Hungerford) is the location for the oldest in situ working steam engines in the world, still capable of carrying out their original job of pumping water to the summit of the canal. Claire said after the visit "we are so lucky to have this amazing example of our industrial heritage on our doorsteps and I'm looking forward to working with the Trust and other organisations if I am elected as the MP for the Devizes Constituency".

Opening the Savernake Hospital Shop

Last week saw the opening of a new shop in  Savernake Hospital that provides a very wide range of useful products in a small space and is run entirely by volunteers.  This is the brainchild of the Friends of Savernake Hospital.

Claire Perry, who was present at the official opening and who will be one of the volunteers said:

"I really support the Savernake Hospital Shop as I think it will add so much to the amenities of the hospital and it is once again a chance for the very active Friends group and the local community to demonstrate how much Savernake means to Marlborough. I was very impressed today with the thoughtful range of items provided. I have joined the list of volunteers and hope to be able to do my bit when time allows."

Local Survey

At the next election, the villages of  Bulford, Durrington and Larkhill will move into the Devizes Constituency.  Last weekend I wrote to all residents of this area explaining the boundary changes and introducing me as their Conservative Candidate.  I also sent out a survey so that I can hear what people think.  The survey can also be completed online by clicking on the link below and only takes about 2 minutes to complete.  Thanks.   http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/claireperrytellmewhatyouthink

Claire Perry visits Help for Heroes in Tidworth

Also inspiring this week was a visit to the main operational HQ of Help For Heroes.

The office is based in Tidworth, and is notable both for its uplifting atmosphere and lean organization. Started in 2007 by Bryn and Emma Parry, the charity has now raised over £40 million to help the rehabilitation and support of wounded soldiers serving in the current conflicts - and given that it relies almost entirely on volunteers, and operates a very successful online shop, every pound donated to the charity is worth £1.08 when it is spent on the ground.

One incredibly nice touch is that all photos or letters sent in are displayed all over the office, with binoculars to help the "vertically challenged!"

There are potential plans for H4H to be involved in turning Tedworth House, currently a gently crumbling officers mess, into a local rehabilitation centre and that would be a huge boost for the local garrison.  More information on ways to help the charity can be found at http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Claire Perry attends the HMP Erlstoke Hustings

On Wednesday I went to a Hustings at HMP Erlstoke. Erlstoke is a Category C Prison for 470 men in the south of the Constituency. 

The only word to describe the event is "extraordinary".  The quality of the questions sent to us in advance (all submitted by the inmates)  was of such a high standard that I had to spent hours researching the answers, the event was chaired by a serving prisoner and attended by dozens more who contributed to a real discussion of critical issues on the table.   

As part of my work with the Shadow Treasury team, I helped to produce our comprehensive Conservative policy for prison reform, Prisons with a Purpose but this was my first time "behind the wire."  Never have I been more convinced that we need a reform of the prison system in this country, where we solve the overcrowding problems creatively, focus on improving accountability and stop the cycle of reoffending with more intensive, joined-up intervention and far more help with resettlement.

Visiting the Wellington Academy

I visited the Wellington Academy this week together with the Councillor for Tidworth, Mark Connolly (who is also a Governor and parent at the school) to see the complete transformation that is happening in Ludgershall.  This is the first Academy in Wiltshire and not only will the incredible new buildings open next year, but the new Head, Andy Schofield and his team are already transforming the ethos and work of the school community.   I was particularly interested to see how the thinking behind the new build reflects its close links with the surrounding military community - up to 40% of the pupils are from military families which makes new ideas like the Combined Cadet Force centre and boarding facilities even more relevant.  This is a very significant development and a great step forward for the area.

Engaging with the Army: Understanding the Super Garrison

On January 21st I spent the morning "behind the wire" in Tidworth, meeting with the local Military: Civilian integration team and the Head of the Salisbury Plain "HIVE" organizations. We then visited the Tidworth HIVE, ably run by Nicole (pictured with me and Cllr. John Smale formerly of the Royal Engineers).

The Salisbury Plain area, much of which falls into the Devizes Constituency, is becoming a Super-Garrison with over 12,000 military personnel stationed here by 2012 accompanied by almost the same number of dependents. I am keen to help this large group of potential constituents in any way that I can, especially in areas of education and support for families.

The MCI team also outlined some of the fascinating opportunities for the local communities and the local Army garrisons to work jointly on welfare issues, manage community assets better and improve value for money. If I am elected I am looking forward to working closely with this team and others across the Constituency.

Campaign Intern Programme

On December 14th last year, I was invited to the new look St. John's school in Marlborough to present achievement awards at the Sixth Form Certificate evening. I was extremely impressed both by the amazing new buildings and the achievements shown by the pupils of the school across such a wide range of subjects. Both are a testament to the hard work and commitment of the school governors, staff and students alike.

During the evening I launched my Campaign Intern Programme. This offers young people work experience opportunities working on the upcoming political campaign in the Devizes Constituency. For more information, see the programme here.

Meet Claire at a

Claire Perry will be holding fourteen "Perry Direct" meetings across the Devizes Constituency in January and February. These will give all voters a chance to meet me and to ask me questions on any subject. Click here for a schedule of meeting dates and locations.

The Year for Change

David Cameron has kicked off the Conservatives Campaign for Change by telling the country that he will cut the budget deficit and not the NHS. This focuses exactly on what we need to do when we form the next Government-restore our great country to economic health and protect and invest in our precious public services.

Of course this does not mean there shouldn't be change and reform in the NHS -as we know all too well from our experiences in Devizes and Marlborough, the current service is run by unelectable, unaccountable quangos who do not listen to local voices. But it does mean that voters know the NHS is safe in our hands.

The upcoming election is not just one that it would be nice to win. It's an election for the sake of our broken economy, our broken society and our damaged politics. We all know that we can't go on like this - we must win.