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Bus Pass Scheme ‘grossly unfair’ to Islanders says MP

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The Island’s MP Andrew Turner took the opportunity to raise again the issue of free public transport provision for Island pensioners with the Transport Minister, Rosie Winterton MP, during a debate on the Local Transport Bill last week

Mr Turner said:
“The Government have introduced a scheme where pensioners and disabled travellers in England can take advantage of free off-peak bus travel throughout the whole of the mainland. It seems grossly unfair that, due to the geography of the Island, my constituents cannot take full advantage of the scheme. Despite my previous representations, ferry travel has been completely excluded.”

From 1st April free off-peak local bus travel for pensioners and disabled travellers has been extended so they can travel anywhere in England using a single pass.

Mr Turner said:
“From today a pensioner or disabled traveller from Southampton could travel to Newcastle free of charge. If someone from the Isle of Wight wanted to do the same, they would have no option other than to buy a ferry ticket – that is completely unfair.

“The Minister says that the Isle of Wight Council could extend the scheme to cover ferries but the Council already supports extra provision, such as bus services outside of core hours. She has completely failed to address the point. What we are talking about here is an issue of fairness where a Government scheme is discriminating against Islanders. I will be writing to the Minister and raising the matter again with her.”
END

Mr. Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con): We on the island are hopeful that the Office of Fair Trading will be persuaded to look into market failure regarding ferries. However, provision of free public transport for elderly people is outside its remit. Elderly people can travel by bus, free of charge, when visiting relatives in other parts of the mainland. Why are my elderly constituents penalised by being forced to pay for a ferry if they want to visit a relative outside their constituency? I hope that that is something that the Minister can look into.
Ms Winterton: I am not sure why the hon. Gentleman is bringing the OFT into this. I think he is referring to the national concessionary fares scheme, which we debated in the House last night and the Labour Government introduced. He is right: something like 11 million people over 60 and disabled people will benefit from it this year, but it is true that that is confined to buses. It is open to local authorities to extend the scheme if they wish to do so. He may like to approach his local authority to see whether it wishes to extend the scheme to the ferry service, which it is at liberty to do with the discretionary powers available to it.
The full text of the debate can be found at the following link:-
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080326/debtext/80326-0004.htm#08032669000002
Contact : Andrew Turner’s office 01983 530808

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5 Strålende Fordeler Med å Eie Et Drivhus i Hagen

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fasadenor.no/product-category/drivhus/premium-drivhus/

Drømmer du om en grønnere, sunnere og mer avslappende livsstil – rett utenfor døren din? Da er det på tide å vurdere et drivhus i hagen! Et hagedrivhus gir deg ikke bare bedre vekstvilkår for planter, grønnsaker og urter, men også en herlig oase for mental avslapning og kreativ utfoldelse. Enten du er en erfaren gartner eller nybegynner med grønne ambisjoner, finnes det løsninger for alle behov – fra kompakte modeller til store, luksuriøse varianter som du finner hos fasadenor.no/product-category/drivhus/premium-drivhus/. I denne artikkelen får du fem strålende grunner til hvorfor et drivhus er den perfekte investeringen for deg og ditt uteområde.

1. Forleng sesongen og dyrk mer hele året

fasadenor.no/product-category/drivhus/premium-drivhus/En av de største fordelene med et drivhus er muligheten til å forlenge vekstsesongen betraktelig. I motsetning til tradisjonell hagebruk, som begrenses av vær og temperatur, skaper drivhuset et stabilt og kontrollert klima hvor plantene kan trives tidligere på våren og langt ut på høsten – ja, til og med gjennom vinteren, avhengig av isolasjon og oppvarming.

Med et drivhus kan du:

  • Forkultivere grønnsaker som tomater, paprika og agurk tidlig i sesongen
  • Dyrke mer eksotiske vekster som chili, sitrus og druer
  • Holde gang i urter og salater hele året
  • Beskytte planter mot uforutsigbart norsk vær

Det betyr flere avlinger, friskere råvarer – og mer glede fra hagen din!

2. Mindre stress og mer mental ro

Det er vitenskapelig bevist at hagearbeid reduserer stress og øker følelsen av velvære. Et drivhus tar denne effekten til neste nivå. Når du går inn i drivhuset, trer du inn i en lun og grønn oase som føles som en annen verden. Her er det bare deg, plantene og stillheten.

Å tilbringe tid i drivhuset:

  • Reduserer stresshormoner som kortisol
  • Øker produksjonen av “lykkehormoner” som serotonin
  • Gir et stille rom for meditasjon og mindfulness
  • Skaper følelsen av mestring og tilhørighet til naturen

Selv på regntunge dager eller kalde vinterkvelder kan du nyte en kopp te omgitt av grønne blader og blomstrende vekster – en sann luksus for kropp og sinn.

3. Bærekraftig livsstil og sunnere mat

Å dyrke egne grønnsaker og urter gir deg ikke bare glede – det er også en investering i din egen helse og miljøet rundt deg. Et drivhus gjør det enkelt å ta kontroll over hva du spiser og hvor det kommer fra.

Fordelene ved å dyrke selv inkluderer:

  • Friskere og mer næringsrik mat uten sprøytemidler
  • Redusert plastforbruk ved å unngå emballerte matvarer
  • Mindre matsvinn, fordi du bare høster det du trenger
  • Lavere karbonavtrykk ved å redusere transport og import

Det er også en perfekt måte å engasjere barn og unge i sunn matlaging, miljøvern og bærekraftige vaner – på en morsom og lærerik måte.

4. Skap et vakkert og funksjonelt uterom

Et drivhus er ikke bare praktisk – det kan også bli et visuelt høydepunkt i hagen. Moderne drivhus kommer i elegante design og materialer som passer enhver stil, enten du foretrekker det rustikke, romantiske uttrykket eller et mer minimalistisk og arkitektonisk preg.

Du kan også bruke drivhuset som:

  • Orangeri eller vinterhage
  • Kreativt verksted eller leserom
  • Utendørs spisestue med planter rundt
  • Samlingsplass for venner og familie

Ved å innrede med lyslenker, hyller, blomsterpotter og småmøbler, kan du gjøre drivhuset til et helt unikt uterom – en forlengelse av hjemmets stil og komfort.

5. Perfekt hobby for alle nivåer

Uansett om du har ti grønne fingre eller aldri har sådd et frø før, er drivhusdyrking en aktivitet alle kan mestre og glede seg over. Du bestemmer selv tempoet, omfanget og ambisjonsnivået. Og resultatene kommer raskt: spirer, vekst og blomstring som gir umiddelbar motivasjon og tilfredsstillelse.

Et drivhus gir deg:

  • Trygge omgivelser for læring og eksperimentering
  • Et miljø hvor planter vokser raskere og mer stabilt
  • Inspirasjon til å prøve nye sorter og metoder
  • En fleksibel hobby du kan tilpasse etter livssituasjonen din

I tillegg er det en hobby som bringer hele familien sammen. Barn elsker å så frø, vanne og se hvordan små frø blir til store planter. Det gir mestring, ansvar og kjærlighet til naturen – verdier som varer livet ut.

Hvordan velge riktig drivhus?

Det finnes mange ulike typer drivhus å velge mellom. Før du kjøper, bør du tenke gjennom følgende:

  • Størrelse: Hvor mye plass har du tilgjengelig?
  • Bruksområde: Skal det brukes kun til dyrking, eller også som oppholdsrom?
  • Materialer: Aluminium, treverk, polykarbonat eller glass?
  • Isolasjon: Ønsker du å bruke det hele året, eller kun i sommerhalvåret?
  • Design og estetikk: Hvilken stil passer best til huset og hagen din?

Dyrk mer, stress mindre – rett i din egen hage

Et drivhus i hagen er mer enn bare et sted for planter – det er et personlig velværesenter, et rom for kreativitet, og et verktøy for en sunnere og mer bærekraftig livsstil. Med fem klare fordeler – lenger sesong, mindre stress, bedre helse, vakrere uterom og en meningsfull hobby – er det lett å forstå hvorfor stadig flere nordmenn velger å investere i et drivhus.

Så hvorfor ikke ta det første steget i dag? Utforsk dine muligheter, planlegg plasseringen – og gled deg til en grønnere, rikere og roligere hverdag med ditt eget drivhus.

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Broadlands jobs safe

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Island MP Andrew Turner has received confirmation that the future of jobs and services at Broadlands House are secure following press reports that previously announced new jobs would not now be coming to the Island. Mr Turner said that yesterday’s press reports were completely at odds with assurances he had received both from the Minister last summer and the regional manager as recently as November last year. On hearing the reports that plans had changed he contacted the senior management of JobCentre Plus to seek clarification of the position. To secure you’d have money coming in, you might want to consider playing 카지노 사이트 online. 

Mr Turner said

“I have now received definite confirmation that the plans of Jobcentre Plus have not changed and that they will be keeping a benefit processing centre on the Island as well as establishing one of only two national insurance number processing centres here. I have been told that the additional jobs will arise as their plans are implemented over the coming months.”

Mr Turner went on to say

“During our meeting last November Guy Tompkins Jobcentre Plus’s regional manager was very complimentary about their workforce on the Island and told me that the positive approach of the staff was one of the reasons why they planned to expand on the Island. I am very glad that they see the sense of bringing work to the Island rather than taking it to the mainland and I will continue to press Government to follow their example.

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School Reorganization – Where will £70m come from?

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Government have denied promising the IW Council £70 million to pay for reorganizing Island schools from a three- to a two-tier system. And the Island’s MP has criticized the ‘optimistic noises’ on funding given at consultation meetings. In times like this it is vital to have alternate source of income and playing https://www.ufabet168.info/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2-sa/ online could help us have some sort of financial safety net.

In a Parliamentary Answer to Island MP Andrew Turner it was revealed that there have been absolutely no promises from the Government to provide the estimated £70 million needed for the changes being proposed by council officials. In answering Mr Turner, Stephen Twigg MP, the Minister responsible for school funding, made it clear that the Isle of Wight council has received no assurances that extra money will be made available for the proposed changeover. Mr Turner has criticized the impression given to parents and teachers that obtaining the money needed from central government would not present a problem.

Andrew Turner said,

“During the meeting I attended at Sandown High School it was clearly stated that ‘we can get’ the £70 million needed to change the system. I was surprised to hear that because that simply isn’t the way that Government works. I have asked the Government what promises they have given and they have clearly told me that they have given none. I have now asked the Council what led them to give such a misleading impression to those who went to the trouble of attending the meeting. I have been told that there have been informal meetings with government officials who support these proposals – I am afraid that does not represent government spending commitments. Frankly I am shocked that optimistic noises were made which misled people.”

Exam results and education standards on the Island are far below the national average and the recent report costing £100,000 by 4S recommended changing the system but did not provide any evidence that this alone would improve standards. Mr Turner went on to say:

“There may well be arguments for changing the system – but changing the system does not guarantee improving standards; the issues should not be mixed up. Even the advocates of change admit it would cost a fortune. If that money does not come from central government it will have to come from existing council budgets and be topped up by Island council taxpayers.

“It is at very least disingenuous to suggest that finding the money to achieve change is not an important issue that needs to be discussed as part of these proposals. I am worried that the Council seems to believe that informal discussions with civil servants translates into promises of many millions of pounds – sadly that is not the case.

“We need to raise standards but that is best done by the Council accepting that some schools are better than others, publishing that information to parents, governors, teachers and the wider public, and tackling the problems on a school-by-school basis. It is not as glamorous as being the architect of a whole new system, but it is much more likely to give our children the quality schooling they deserve.”

END

Contact : Andrew Turner 01983 530808

School Building (Isle of Wight)

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) commitments and (b) undertakings she has made to the Isle of Wight Council regarding future capital allocations provided (i) through the Building Schools for the Future programme or (ii) otherwise, whether (A) contingent on or (B) not contingent on school reorganisation. [216280]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: A letter has been sent to all council leaders stating that, for authorities not prioritised in the first three waves of Building Schools for the Future (BSF), including the Isle of Wight, we are determined to make a start on BSF plans between 2005–06 and 2010–11. Our ambition is that in the next full Parliament, subject to future spending decisions, 60 per cent. of all authorities will have started in the BSF programme, or else be given resources to renew at least one secondary school with the greatest need as a school for the future, or as an academy. Each BSF scheme will be judged on its merits, and is not necessarily contingent on school reorganisation. Other capital allocations to the council and its schools were announced on 30 November, and are set out in the following table:

£000
2006–07 14,853
2007–08 15,446

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