South West Euro-MP for the Liberal Democrats Sir Graham Watson has welcomed new European rules which have come into force for airline passengers.

Under new rules set out by the European Commission, clarification has been made to “exceptional circumstances” such as mechanical faults where until now, airlines did not have to pay out compensation to airline passengers.  Previously, some airlines challenged rulings in court under this measure, resulting in passengers having to go through expensive legal challenges in order to receive a refund.

A number of rights already exist to passengers, who can claim for accommodation and refreshments if a flight is severely delayed or cancelled due to severe weather or a strike.

Sir Graham, who has assisted dozens of stranded constituents with disputed cases, commented,

“I welcome the new rules which will stop airlines from using mechanical faults as an excuse and instead oblige them to live up to their full responsibilities as carriers of passengers.

“Your rights to accommodation, food and a free transfer to a later flight when a commercial flight is delayed or cancelled are some of the great benefits you enjoy as a citizen of the European Union. But all too often, consumers are not aware of their rights and some airlines have, on occasion, chosen to exploit this.

“Whilst most airlines play by the rules, others choose to flout them. I urge any of my constituents who feels that their rights have been ridden roughshod over by an airline on a flight within the EU or whose final destination or departure is within the EU, to contact me.

“I now hope this week’s clarification of the rules will help ensure that airlines are more transparent and more responsible. The European Parliament has worked to protect passengers and we will continue to ensure no one is left out of pocket when a flight is cancelled or severely delayed.”

Stephen Gilbert, MP for Mid Cornwall, has said Cornwall Council ‘must get a grip’ after it emerged they had let off housing developers over affordable housing targets.

Developers, according to the Council’s own information, have been allowed to build all over Cornwall with the majority of sites having less affordable housing than the Council’s own policy.

The news has emerged alongside worries that housing developers are now seeking to lower affordable housing targets even further.

Recent housing projects across Cornwall have often been sold to local communities on the back of affordable housing promises by developers but Mr Gilbert said evidence from across Cornwall ‘makes a mockery’ of those claims.

In one example, the Council’s policy in a development North of St Austell stated a 40% target for affordable homes but developers are getting away with building just 22%.

Mid Cornwall MP Stephen Gilbert said:

“At the end of the day local need must come before developer’s greed. We need to see more affordable housing where communities need it and not where developers think they can make the fastest buck.

“Since becoming an MP I have seen time and time again how developers have sweet talked Councillors with hollow promises on affordable homes or threats of appeal.

“The Council needs to put an immediate stop to developers hiding behind pitiful affordable housing commitments that are designed only to boost profits in areas that frankly often don’t need more houses and don’t want them either.”

Cornwall Councillor for Bude South Nigel Pearce added:

“Cornwall council allowing developers to reduce affordable housing numbers is shocking and is it any wonder we have so many young people leaving Cornwall. Everyone should have the home they need at a price they can afford.”

South West MEP for the Liberal Democrats, Sir Graham Watson, has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament today to reform the patent system across Europe, making it easier for inventors and entrepreneurs to register their products across the single market.

Under the previous rules, patents typically cost 18 times more than their equivalent in the United States. This is due to a patent having to be registered in every one of the 27 EU Member States, costing on average £25,000 a time to ensure a product was protected in the single market. Now, thanks to today’s vote, the cost will tumble to around £4,000 as part of a ‘one size fits all’ package.

Both the Greens and UKIP opposed the move, which Watson has condemned as ‘shamefully blocking growth and innovation’

“I hope business parks across the South West will welcome today’s vote, which will make it easier and cheaper for the Dysons of tomorrow to register and protect their products. This is part of a series of measures by the EU to cut red tape, demolish the hurdles to growth and get people back into work. The South West has always been a powerhouse for innovation. From Babbage to Brunel, the Westcountry has championed new industry and long may it continue.”

“When so much of our trade -almost 50%- is with our EU partners, having a patent system which means that you can protect your ideas with one set of forms, rather than 27 makes life a lot easier. Businesses can now spend more time developing products rather than endlessly filling out paperwork.

“Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet that will ensure a return to strong economic growth. What is a required are a series of measures such as these which can make life easier for businesses to grow and flourish. It is therefore a shame that the Greens and UKIP chose to shamefully block such moves towards increasing growth and innovation.

The Coalition Government today announced that they will be providing the funding to upgrade the A30 between Temple and Higher Carblake to dual carriageway.

The decision was announced in today’s Autumn Statement and is part of a £5 billion investment in infrastructure projects. The scheme on the 2.8 mile section of the A30 will be delivered by Cornwall Council with the Coalition Government’s support.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Dan Rogerson has been campaigning to get the infamous bottleneck on Bodmin Moor dualled for years, and has secured a series of meetings this year with government ministers in the Department for Transport and the Treasury to make the case for the project going ahead.

Commenting, Dan Rogerson MP said:

“I have campaigned to get this stretch of the A30m dualled since before my election as MP in 2005. We refused to let things drop and with hard work, an excellent business case, together with a listening government, we will now see the scheme delivered.

“I’d like to thank Mick Martin and the local Temple to Bodmin A30 Action Group and of course all those officers at Cornwall Council who worked on this more efficient and less costly design.

“This fantastic news will make the road safer, will be good for business and good for local communities, particularly during this tough economic period.

“Under the previous two Governments this scheme languished undelivered, and I am therefore delighted that this Coalition Government has given it the green light.”

Cornwall Councillors today backed a Liberal Democrat motion opposing a plan by the Tory-led council to cut the amount paid in council tax benefits to some of the poorest families in Cornwall. The Corporate Resources committee was discussing the council’s plan of how to replace the current council tax benefit scheme, responsibility for which is being passed to local authorities.

“The Conservative proposal was to force non-pensioner households who currently get council tax benefit to pay at least 25% of the bill in future,” said Cllr Alex Folkes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Cornwall Council. “This could cost some of the poorest families in Cornwall many hundreds of pounds a year. Council tax benefit is a means tested benefit which is only given to the least well off households. Most people in receipt of this benefit just don’t have the means to pay and will simply rack up more and more debt. This would hit poor families but also create additional problems for the council as it sought to get money from people who just don’t have any.”

“The Conservatives also planned to cap council tax benefit at Band D. This would lead to the social cleansing of poorer families from areas with higher property prices.”

“At today’s meeting I made the proposal to abandon the cap at Band D and to retain the existing system of council tax benefit. The council is about to get around £4.5 million of new income from ending second home council tax discount and cutting the council tax holiday for empty homes. I proposed that this money should be used to maintain the current council tax benefit system.”

“Liberal Democrats believe that the Council should be doing all it can to protect the poorest families from unnecessary hardship. I’m delighted that the majority of Councillors at the committee agreed with me and I hope that the Cabinet will take notice when putting together their budget.”

Commenting on the day when the last helicopter will fly between the Isles of Scilly and Penzance, local MP, Andrew George, said:

“This is a very say day indeed both for Penzance and the Isles of Scilly. This iconic service is one which I know many may have simply taken for granted over the last nearly 50 years. It is one whose hardy perennial services, which have depended upon the remarkably ever-lasting Sikorsky helicopters, have provided an essential lifeline between Scilly and the mainland.

“There will be a very big impact on the staff at BIH and my thoughts are with them at this very difficult time. But also with Scillonians who will obviously be very concerned about the impact this may have on their ability to travel to and from the mainland.

“I don’t want to raise expectations irresponsibly, but some of us are still making sure that no stone is left unturned in our attempt to explore the possibility of a replacement service next year. It will be a tough call, but we haven’t given up yet.”

South East Cornwall Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision by the Boundary Commission to support keeping the constituency name ‘South East Cornwall’ – recognising the equal importance of all the town and villages in the area. Constituency Chairman Jim Candy said “It would have been wrong to just name the constituency after one town – we supported keeping the name that people know, and welcome the decision to support our view”.

Whilst welcoming the decision to also recommend that all of South East Cornwall remains within a constituency wholly inside Cornwall, Lib Dems have also called for all local MPs to oppose any cross border seat. Saltash Town Councillor Adam Killeya, who fought on the boundary issue as part of the ‘Keep Cornwall Whole’ campaign said “It is still very important that Cornish Constituencies remain wholly Cornish: this is what we have always supported, and we call on all Cornish MPs, including ours, to oppose any proposal to have a cross border constituency – not just in words but in Parliament”.

South West of England Euro-MP and President of the European Liberal Democrats Sir Graham Watson has today warned Tories that they threaten British security as Home Secretary Theresa May is due to announce that the UK government will look to opt-out of a number of EU Justice and Home Affairs policies.

If the proposal goes ahead, the UK will opt-out of policies such as the European Arrest Warrant, an important tool used to capture and bring back to the UK failed 21/7 bomber Hussein Osman and the killer of Wiltshire girl Hayley Richards, Hugo Quintas. Britain will also opt out of the Eurojust and Europol initiatives, the later of which helped to bust one of Europe’s largest ever paedophile rings last year, leading to the arrest in the UK of 121 suspected sex offenders. The operation is said to have protected 60 vulnerable young children in Britain.

Watson, who piloted the European Arrest Warrant through the European Parliament over ten years ago commented,

“Who would the public rather listen to: 13 former senior Police chiefs and the former head of Mi5 or a Tory politician? A recent YouGov poll stated that 77% of the public supported co-operation with the EU to tackle cross border crime and terrorism. David Cameron’s attempt to appease his backbenchers threatens the safety of us all.

“These tools help to reduce bureaucracy, cut crime and most importantly return criminals back to the country where they committed their crime in order to face justice. Thanks to the European Arrest Warrant, extradition hearings now last an average of 43 days, down from 9 months. Runaway school teacher Jeremy Forrest returned to the UK within two weeks of a European Arrest Warrant being issued.

“Even Crimestoppers, founded by influential Tory donor Lord Ashcroft has used the European Arrest Warrant over 50 times to bring fugitive criminals back to the UK from Spain and Cyprus. Will he be supporting the Home Secretaries plans?

“We should be concentrating on how we can improve these powers, not on how to get rid of them. I agree that the European Arrest Warrant requires some reform in the UK, due to the failure of the last Labour government to implement the legislation into law effectively. But to withdraw completely flies in the face of our Police forces, who comprehensively agree on the importance such tools have in combating cross border crime.

“Once again the Tories are blinded by their dogma. Their blinkered vision on Europe will put an end once and for all to the notion that the Conservatives are the party of law and order. Liberal Democrats in government and in the European Parliament will fight to keep the tools that have helped arrest human traffickers, drug barons and paedophile gangs before they reach our borders.

“Criminals do not recognise national borders. We need robust policies to bring our police forces together.

European energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger appeared before the European Parliament to answer questions from MEPs about the liberalisation of the EU energy market.

South West Euro-MP Sir Graham Watson, who is also the Chairman of a cross party global network of MPs and MEPs campaigning to increase government investment in renewable energy and electricity supergrids called the Climate Parliament, pressed Commissioner Oettinger on how committed he really was to renewables.

Sir Graham said:

“We need to start thinking ahead to the next step. There are too few interconnections between European countries’ energy markets for a EU market to function, and to make the green energy switch a reality. The South West could become a continental champion in this process, bringing further investment and jobs to the region.”

“We need to be able to share the South West’s huge wind, tidal and wave resources with the rest of Europe and be able to plug in to the solar power in the South – but in order to do that we need the power lines. Conservatives who bang on about wind subsidies fail to mention the millions of British taxpayers’ money used to subsidise oil and gas companies each year, despite making billions in profits and raising wholesale prices. We must look to the future and pump investment into renewables that will see a real return on our investment here in the South West.”

“Renewable energy output in Devon doubled in the past year. Thousands of green jobs have been created across the Westcountry. Just think of what could be achieved if we could open up the energy market to Europe through the use of cross channel electricity cables to sell the South West’s unused electricity to new markets.

Liberal Democrat Councillors at Cornwall Council have called on the Conservative-led Cabinet to bring wide-reaching privatisation proposals before Full Council.

On Monday the Council’s ten-member Cabinet will decide whether to invite bids for the outsourcing of a number of key services, including Libraries, contact centres and IT provision. The NHS in Cornwall are also expected to become involved in this process. Once a decision has been taken there is unlikely to be any further involvement from elected representatives and, due to complex ‘evaluation criteria’ there will be no democratic choice over who is awarded the contract.

Jeremy Rowe, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said: “This is the most important decision this authority will take over the remaining months of the Council. Once key services are privatised in this way there will be no turning back.”

“There are far too many unanswered questions. How answerable will the new venture be to the people of Cornwall? Why has the Tory-led administration failed to explore other ways of working with the Health sector to save money, such as joining up IT? How much will this ultimately cost the taxpayer?”

“Regrettably it doesn’t seem that the Council’s Cabinet have answers to any of these questions, yet they seem set to push ahead and make a decision. We think it’s vital that these proposals are placed in front of the whole Council, not just the ten Members hand-picked by the Leader.”

Liberal Democrat Finance spokesman, Ann Kerridge added: “Times are changing very fast, the origins of these proposals were in selling the services of Cornwall’s skilled Housing Benefit advisers to other councils. This week councillors were briefed that the government no longer wants councils to administer Housing Benefit at all. How can we be sure that this contract, which will run for at least ten years, will not similarly be swiftly overtaken?”

Cllr Alex Folkes, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat group said: “With the recent transfer of waste and recycling collection to a new service provider, Cornwall’s Conservative leadership proved incapable of getting basic services right. This proposal is far more complex and would be catastrophic if it went wrong. Residents will be concerned about their ability to get it right.”

“We are particularly concerned about the future of library and face to face services. Cornwall’s Conservative leadership, which considered closing all but nine libraries just over a year ago, now wants a private company to run them as some sort of ‘loss leader’. We cannot see anything but a bleak future under this privatisation proposal for a service we should be proud of.”