MARK HARPER MP, together with his Conservative colleagues voted against the Government’s new tax on telephone landlines following this week’s Budget debates.

Commenting, Mark said:

“Time and again we have stressed that we don’t need this tax to fund fast broadband for everyone. We have set out in detail our plans to provide the infrastructure and incentives we have seen work in other countries to bring high speed broadband to everyone in the country by 2017, using part of the TV licence fee to ensure this is delivered to rural areas.

A KEY parliamentary committee has very strongly criticised Labour’s regional fire control project, which was overseen by Gloucester’s Labour MP, Parmjit Dhanda, when he served as Fire Minister.

The regional fire control project would see Gloucester’s Waterwell fire control centre closed and 999 calls for fire dealt with be a call centre in Taunton.

The Communities and Local Government committee, which is chaired by a Labour MP, with a majority of Labour members, attacks the project as “inadequately planned, poorly executed and badly managed”.

A LABOUR-dominated Select Committee has today slammed Labour Ministers for their botched plans to regionalise the fire service.

It declares that the project has “been inadequately planned, poorly executed, and badly managed” and a “catalogue of poor judgement and mismanagement”.

In 2004, John Prescott initiated the ‘FireControl’ project to regionalise England’s fire control rooms, which handle emergency calls for the fire services. Mirroring other bloated Government IT projects, it is massively over-budget and behind schedule.

AT LEAST one dangerous terrorist suspect has been forced to move to Gloucestershire by the Government, Conservative research has revealed.

Following comments in the House of Commons, by a Labour MP, that the Government was “parachuting” terrorist suspects subject to control orders into Gloucestershire, the Leader of the County Council, Cllr Barry Dare, submitted an FOI request to the Home Office.

They have now replied, confirming “In the last five years one person subject to a control order has been required to be relocated to Gloucestershire”.

FOREST MP Mark Harper, together with his Conservative colleagues, voted against the Government’s plan to raise cider duty rates by 10 per cent above inflation following this week’s Budget debates.

Commenting, Mark said:

“To whack a 10 per cent inflation busting rate rise on cider is typical of this Government. We said before the Budget that we could understand increased duties on super strength ciders to help curb anti-social behaviour but this will hit everyone who likes a glass every now and again.

A CONSERVATIVE Government would undertake a full and fundamental review of small business taxation, including IR35.

Our aim will be to provide a simpler, clearer and lasting tax regime, so businesses can plan with confidence.

Confirming the news today, Shadow Business Minister Mark Prisk, who is also Shadow Minister for Cornwall said:

COMMENTING on Tuesday’s NAO report on the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

“This NAO report exposes one of the most absurd procurement decisions taken by this Labour Government.

"First, they failed to examine alternative ways of funding the requirement for air-to-air tankers / transport aircraft. The extraordinarily convoluted PFI process means the programme is five years late, leaving the RAF dependent on 40 year old Tri-Stars and VC-10s which have provided our troops with an unreliable service.

A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT Mid Devon District Councillor has joined the Conservatives – becoming the latest of more than 30 Lib Dem councillors across the country to do so since David Cameron became leader.

Clive Eginton, who has been an active Liberal Democrat for more than 31 years and district councillor for nearly seven years, cited the “real progress” made by Conservatives running Mid Devon District Council as one of the reasons behind his decision.

CONCERNS have been raised about the Government's extraordinary decision to implement a massive tax rise on cider. Cider groups are arguing that the new tax could mean a pint of cider rising by some 10p a pint.

Kevin Davis, the Conservative Prospective MP for Yeovil said: "This increase is extraordinary. I can accept that we need to do something about raising taxes for those cheap, powerful ciders that have hardly had an apple come near them, but to raise the taxes on what is for many an artisan industry is ludicrous.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE MP John Penrose has condemned the 10% cider tax increase, implemented from today (Monday 29th March), which “threatens the future of a thriving industry” and attacks a drink which is a “much-loved part of the West Country”.

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced in last week’s Budget (Wednesday 24th March) that he would increase the duty rate on all cider by 10 per cent from midnight on Sunday (28th March).