That was the question addressed by former energy secretary, Chris Huhne, who shared views not previously heard outside the Cabinet when he gave the fifth Vitacress Conservation Trust Annual Lecture at Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in his Eastleigh constituency.

Illustrating his belief that renewable energies such as wave and wind power have a vital part to play in a portfolio of energy sources, the MP  warned that making a decision between going for green and going for growth is ‘a false choice’.

“Dividing economics from ecology has always been, in my view, deceitful,” he said.

“For the first time in the whole post-war period, energy and commodity prices are unusually high for this point in the global recovery.

“Usually costs fall in real terms for at least two years after recovery begins. That fall boosts real incomes, fuels spending and fuels recovery – but not this time.”

Citing the impact of rapidly increasing consumption in Asian countries and a 63% rise in energy prices since the bottom of the current global recession, Mr Huhne warned that we could be ‘hitting a commodity speed limit’, when high prices will choke off growth.

“We can have green growth, or we can have no growth at all.” he said. “The job of Government is to chart a course which will safeguard the nation, whatever the future may hold, and the obvious policy must be to encourage resource-frugal growth.”

Chris Huhne with Barton Peveril students at the Vitacress Lecture

Commenting on Mr Huhne’s thoughtful insight into what a green future might be like, The Chair of the Vitacress Conservation Trust, Professor Gail Taylor said: “The issues surrounding renewable energy are extremely relevant to us all and we are fortunate to have heard Chris’s well-informed views and broad perspective on the subject at first hand.

“I am particularly delighted that so many Barton Peveril students were in the audience as there are no easy answers to the renewables question and their generation will continue to grapple with the challenging interface between economics and energy resources for many years to come.”

The Vitacress Conservation Trust is a charity set up to preserve and conserve wildlife and habitats associated with watercress and other salad crops For further details visit www.vitacress-conservation.org

Chris Huhne MP at GE Aviation in Hamble, one of the many Hampshire companies involved in the aviation industry

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne has urged the Government to establish the proposed Centre for Aerodynamics in South Hampshire.

In a letter to Business Secretary Vince Cable, Mr Huhne says, ”I am writing to ask that you should consider South Hampshire in general – and Eastleigh in particular – as an excellent location for the proposed Centre for Aerodynamics.

“Hampshire represents one of the hotspots of the aviation industry – both civil and military – and can boast a tradition going back to the pre-eminence of firms like Supermarine who were responsible for the Spitfire.”

There are over 1000 companies in Hampshire involved in aerospace and defence.

“Eastleigh has a fine tradition of aviation, and this continues today with companies like GE Aviation, whose 850 employee plant at Hamble traces its history right back to Folland aviation” said Mr Huhne.

Chris Huhne has welcomed the Lib Dem Pupil Premium, a key Lib Dem manifesto pledge. This is putting an extra £1,283,000 into Eastleigh Schools in the next year!

Chris said: “There is Ofsted evidence that children’s performance can take a dip because of moving from primary to secondary school, and this funding provides £500 per child to help disadvantaged kids make the move. It’s a great idea, and I hope it can be tried out locally”.

This news follows on from the publication of the latest funding figures for the Pupil Premium, a key Lib Dem manifesto pledge. The Pupil Premium gives extra money to schools to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This will mean an extra £1,283,000 going into Eastleigh Schools in the next year. The aim of this funding is to provide disadvantaged children with a better chance of success at school.

Chris Huhne MP with the production team of The Berry Youth Theatre's new production of “Strawberries and Steam”

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne joined the production team of The Berry Youth Theatre to tip their hats to the new production of “Strawberries and Steam” at the Berry Theatre, Hedge End (pictured here).

The play is put on by 24 local cast members from the Berry Youth Theatre and 30 members of the Wildern Community Choir ranging in age from 8 year old Erin Marriner to 91 year old grandmother Beryl McGurran.

Most of the conventional seating has been stripped out of The Berry Theatre to create a large space for audience and cast to celebrate the local history of Hedge End as the strawberry capital of Britain.

The piece by Chris Connaughton tells the story of how Hedge End’s sunny micro-climate made it the world-beating place to grow strawberries for the summer markets of the capital and beyond.

The strawberries were shipped out on trains called “Strawberry Specials”, which gave the author the idea for the title “Strawberries and Steam”.

At one surprise point of the show, a giant strawberry drops on to the stage to dramatize the role of the popular summer fruit. Directors, local theatre company Milk Presents, and the production team are also shown here with Chris and the giant strawberry.

“The Berry Theatre is named after the strawberry, so it is the obvious place to celebrate Hedge End’s fruity past. This is a great example of a production that has galvanised the enthusiasm of lots of local people in the cast, choir and production team and which is going to be educational as well” said Chris.

Milk Presents who directed Strawberries and Steam, said: “The Berry Youth Theatre has done us proud with this production. The theatre is rapidly proving itself as a great addition to the community resource in Hedge End, providing theatre, music, films, work for children and opportunities to get involved for the local community”.

The Lib Dems want to see a fairer tax system where help is provided for those who need it most and where the richest pay their fair share.

As part of the Budget, the Chancellor has announced that from next year, the Income Tax threshold will be raised further, ensuring that no one pays any income tax on the first £9,200 they earn.

In the Southampton and Eastleigh area that means 10,450 people will be lifted out of paying Income Tax all together and a further 135,700 will receive a £220 tax cut. This is on top of tax cuts of £200 last year and a further £130 next month.

Commenting, Chris Huhne MP said:

“The Chancellor has done the right thing in listening to Liberal Democrat calls for the Income Tax threshold to be raised further.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I want to see a fairer tax system where help is provided for those who need it most and where the richest pay their fair share.

“Raising the Income Tax threshold to £9,200 will help average working people in the Southampton and Eastleigh area who have been struggling with bills and higher cost of living.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

“Liberal Democrats have been clear in our priorities for the Budget. We wanted to see a Budget for the millions, not the millionaires.

“The Coalition Government inherited an unfair tax system from Labour, who in their 13 years hit ordinary working families hardest by abolishing the 10p tax rate while letting tycoons get away with shameless tax avoidance.

“Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are doing the right thing to clear up the mess Labour left behind, making sure the wealthiest pay their fair share by clamping down on tax avoidance, introducing a ‘tycoon tax’ and putting an end to stamp duty dodging by the super rich.

“Raising the Income Tax threshold is a key Liberal Democrat commitment that the Coalition Government is implementing. The announcement in the Budget will mean almost 2m people will be taken out of paying Income Tax all together in the UK and give nearly 21m people a £220 tax cut.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Budget includes a number of measures to make the rich pay their fair share. These include a Tycoon Tax to cap tax breaks the wealthy can use; raising the rate of stamp duty to 7% for being who buy £2m mansions; and closing loopholes that allow people to buy houses in company names to avoid Stamp Duty when the property is sold.

2. When the Coalition came to power in 2010 the Personal Tax Allowance was £6,475. Increasing it to £10,000 will mean £700 back in the pockets of working people, or approximately £60 a month.

Chair of Hedge End Town Council Jane Welsh with newly elected Town Councillor Richard Effeny

The Liberal Democrats have secured an overwhelming vote of confidence from Eastleigh Borough residents in a Hedge End by-election that took place yesterday.

Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Effeny secured the seat in the Shamblehurst ward with a total of 263 votes, over 60% of the vote, beating the Conservative candidate who received 96 votes. The Independent and UKIP candidates received just 52 and 22 votes respectively. Labour did not put up a candidate.

The result is an historic low for the Conservatives, and is the party’s worst performance in Hedge End for nearly 20 years.

Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council Keith House said, “This is a very big vote of confidence from Eastleigh Borough residents in the Liberal Democrats. And it is the worst Conservative performance in Hedge End for nearly 20 years when John Major was Prime Minister.”

Chairman of the Eastleigh Liberal Democrats Mike Thornton, said “This shows the continuing faith that Eastleigh Borough residents have in our Liberal Democrat run council.”

There was a 24 per cent turnout for the election.

Chris Huhne MP and the Liberal Democrats are prioritising investment in the Youth Contract to get young people earning or learning

Today [Tuesday] the Liberal Democrats will announce funding of £8,854,098 to get young people in the South East who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), earning or learning again.

As part of the Youth Contract, the Coalition Government will, for the first time, target funding through tailored support on a payment-by-results system to 16 and 17-year-olds with no GCSEs at A* – C who are at the highest risk of long-term disengagement.

Commenting, local Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne said:

“Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are doing the right thing and supporting young people in Hampshire who have had difficulty finding a job or training when they’ve left school.

“Today’s announcement will ensure they receive personal, targeted support from experts to help them develop the confidence and skills that the need to stay in education or find a job.

“Youth unemployment is a slow burn social disaster so it’s right that although money is tight, the Coalition Government is prioritising investment in the Youth Contract to get young people earning or learning.”

Commenting further, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg said:

“Sitting at home with nothing to do when you’re so young can knock the stuffing out of you for years. It is a tragedy for the young people involved and a ticking time bomb for the economy and our society as a whole. This problem isn’t new, but in the current economic climate we urgently need to step up efforts to ensure some of our most troubled teenagers have the skills, confidence and opportunities to succeed.

“Many of them will have complex problems: truancy, teenage pregnancy, a lack of GCSEs and health problems. So helping them onto their feet will not be without challenges and Government cannot do this alone. But we all have a duty to reach out to the young people who can be hardest to reach. That’s why today I am calling on charities and other organisations at the coal face to work with Government to help tens of thousands of lost teenagers onto a brighter path.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. South East defined as South East (B) Local Authorities: Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
2. The Youth Contract, launched last November by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, aims to lift all young people out of unemployment. Key features include:

• Cash payments to encourage employers to recruit young people.
• An extra 250,000 work experience places over the next three years.
• At least 20,000 extra incentive payments worth £1,500 each for employers to take on young people as apprentices.
• Extra support through Jobcentre Plus in the form of weekly, rather than fortnightly, signing-on meetings, more time to talk to an adviser and a National Careers Service interview

For more information on the Youth Contract, visit: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/press-releases/2011/nov-2011/dwp132-11.shtml

3. In England, the Government is making £126m of new money available to give teenagers opportunities to train, work and get their lives on track. Help will focus on at least 55,000 young people – those 16- and 17-year-old NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) with no GCSEs at A* – C at the highest risk of long-term disengagement.

Chris Huhne at GE Aviation in Hamble

New figures reveal that in Eastleigh, 900 people benefitted from an apprenticeship last year, an increase of 62%.

This news comes as the Coalition Government has launched the National Apprenticeships Week, which will seek to build on last year’s success with events in schools and businesses.

Local businesses now offering apprenticeships include the new Genix Dental Clinic in Eastleigh, and GE Aviation in Hamble. Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne, who has long championed local jobs and businesses, has welcomed this good news.

Commenting, local MP Chris Huhne said:

“This dramatic growth in apprentices is welcome news for young people in Eastleigh. I am delighted to see companies like Genix and GE Aviation making such a major commitment to train young people in our area.

“Apprenticeships equip our young people with the skills needed to get jobs and build prosperous careers.

“Our apprentices are putting businesses on stronger ground to be successful and create jobs and growth in our area.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I believe that the Coalition Government is doing the right thing by giving employers even further encouragement to train young people and create opportunities for apprentices.

“They are essential in our efforts to rebalance the economy away from financial speculators in the City of London, as we clear up Labour’s economic mess.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable said:

“National Apprenticeships Week is the time to celebrate the countless achievements of learners and employers, and to call on more firms to hire an apprentice and enjoy the competitive advantage they can bring to a business.

“I am very proud of the fact that at a time of financial constraint this Coalition Government has prioritised investment in apprenticeships. This has led to the creation of record numbers of apprenticeships combined with tough new standards to drive up quality.

“Apprenticeships are at the centre of the Coalition’s skills policy because we know that they work. Not only do they provide individuals with the skills they need for prosperous and rewarding careers, they also boost businesses’ profits and drive growth in the wider economy.

“We are providing extra help to enable small employers to hire their first apprentices. We will also continue to develop new advanced and higher-level apprenticeships to deliver the world-class skills individuals and firms need to get ahead.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

In 2010/11 there was a record number of apprenticeship starts. Nationally, 457.200 apprentices start that year, which is a 63.5% increase on 2009/10.

Chris Huhne MP with Hampshire campaigners Martin Tod and former Romsey MP Sandra Gidley in 2007, handing in a petition to 10 Downing Street to save local post offices from the last Labour government’s closure programme.

Post Offices in Hampshire have been saved by Liberal Democrat Business Minister, Ed Davey.

After ending Labour’s shameful Post Office closure programme, which saw more than 7100 Post Offices disappear in their 13 years in office, Ed Davey has announced a ten-year deal between the Post Office and the Royal Mail has been reached.

The deal gives additional certainty to subpostmasters across the UK and covers the full range of Royal Mail products available at post offices such as first and second class post, parcels, air mail, recorded and special deliveries.

The deal adds to other recent progress for the Post Office, with extra Government cash kicking in, new national and local government contracts won, successful piloting of new models to transform many local post offices and improvements in financial services offered.

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne campaigned vigorously to save Post Offices in Hampshire being closed by the last Labour government, and launched a campaign to stop the wave of Post Office closures across the county in 2007. Mr Huhne was also part of the successful campaign to press ministers to ensure that post offices could keep the post office card account, one of the key parts of their business.

All four proposed Post Office closures in Mr Huhne’s constituency went ahead in 2008 despite a large public protest including a 1000-signature petition. The four post offices in Labour’s closure programme in Eastleigh Borough were in Hamble, Butlocks Heath, Bishopstoke and Chandler’s Ford.

Commenting, Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne said:

“After years of Post Office closures under the Labour Government, it is excellent news that Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing by ensuring that the Post Office has a sustainable future ahead of it through investment and by brokering this deal with Royal Mail.

“Post Offices are a vital part of our communities and are the lynchpin of our towns and villages. More than 20m people visit a Post Office every week to send letters to loved ones, to manage their finances or to renew passports for holidays and hundreds of thousands of pensioners rely on them every day for their pensions.

“Labour left Royal Mail in a terrible mess and it is Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government who have stopped closures and put Royal Mail and the Post Office on a secure footing. Our plans mean that we will never see the kind of planned closures that devastated local communities under the previous Government.

“The 20m people who use the Post Office every week don’t deserve anything less from us.”

Commenting further, Ed Davey said:

“A year ago I set out a radical plan to transform Post Office’s future, with £1.34bn of Government support and investment but without any closure programmes.

“Since then the Post Office has made good progress to become more competitive, building on its strengths.

“While it will take several years to turn round the Post Office’s finances, it’s increasingly clear the reforms are beginning to work.

“The 10-year deal struck between Royal Mail and the Post Office will give subpostmasters and others greater confidence.

“The signs are extremely encouraging for the future of the Post Office.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
1. In November 2010, the Coalition Government published its plans to secure the future of the Post Office. Post offices play a key role in their communities and that is why the Government has committed to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches, building a long-term future for those branches.

2. Under the Labour Government, Post Office numbers fell by more than 7100, or 38%. In March 2010, there were 11,905 post offices in the UK.

 
3. Post Office Ltd remains in 100% public ownership. A new Board has been appointed to oversee the Post Office as an independent business with certainty about its future.

 
4. Post Office Ltd has been developing innovative Government services. The most recent example of success is its appointment as the UK Border Agency’s delivery partner for Biometric Residency Permits. Other examples include providing identity checks for London taxi drivers and a range of ‘front office’ transactions for Westminster Council.

 
5. Significant progress has also been made in developing the Post Office’s financial services business. In September access to RBS accounts over Post Office counters was extended and in November new products like the Junior ISA were introduced.

 
6. Moya Greene, Royal Mail Group’s Chief Executive, today warmly welcomed the new, commercial agreement between the Royal Mail Group and Post Office Ltd:

“I am delighted with this agreement. It provides a firm foundation for the Post Office’s long-term, sustainable future and ensures Royal Mail’s customers continue to get access to postal services in Post Office branches nationwide, the UK’s biggest retail network.

“Royal Mail and the Post Office have reached an agreement that is in the best interests of our customers and both businesses. The Post Office will continue to benefit from the sale of stamps and other delivery services. For Royal Mail, the business retains the current, unrivalled, UK-wide, retail distribution network for its products and services aimed at consumers and small businesses. We look forward to a new chapter in our continuing, close relationship.”

 
7. Paula Vennells, Managing Director of Post office Ltd, said:

“This is a good agreement for the Post Office, for the millions of customers a day who visit our branches and for our subpostmasters.  We are the number one mails’ retailer in the UK and postal business accounts for a third of our income. A long term relationship with Royal Mail ensures we continue to provide the unrivalled access and great customer service in mails and parcels services, which individuals and business customers want from the Post Office.

“This vital agreement, along with our ambitious plans for growth in government services, our branch investment and modernisation programme, and our development of digital services will all help to build a long term and sustainable Post Office.”

Chris Huhne, pictured with Chief Officer John Bonney, is supporting Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s commitment to the environment

At a meeting with Chief Officer John Bonney, Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne was presented with the Service’s polices and plans that outline its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint through a range of new measures. Protecting the environment is one of the Service’s five priority areas.

In April, the Service showed its commitment to the environment, with the opening of its new ‘green’ fire station in Winchester. The new station benefits from some proven eco-friendly technology including; ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting, solar panels for water heating, and photovoltaic panels for power generation.

The Service has also achieved a 30% reduction in the number of fires (compared with its 2008 baseline) which has contributed to reducing its carbon footprint. Fewer fires means less travel, and this means less damage to the environment.

Chris Huhne MP said, “Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have always been good at putting out fires – and hence cutting carbon. Now they are going a step further to cut their emissions while they work.

I’m delighted that the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have taken a lead on this issue. This shows that by prioritising environmental concerns, cutting your carbon footprint and making your organisation more energy efficient, you can save money while going green.”

Chris added, “Not only this, but the service has managed to reduce the number of fires over the last 4 years by nearly a third – a fantastic achievement! Eastleigh and Hampshire can be very proud of its fire and rescue service.”

Chief Officer Bonney said, “Despite the challenging financial climate we currently face, we want to make sure the environment does not suffer and we remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint. The environment remains one of our five priority areas for the next five years and we will look to reduce our carbon footprint through a number of measures. It is important to note that while some of these measures, including the new windows in our buildings across the Service, cost money they will reduce our energy consumption and therefore our outgoing costs. The opening of our ‘green’ Winchester Fire Station is a striking example of our commitment to ‘going green’ and we will continue to look for opportunities like these in the future.”