What a difference a year makes...
review
Working for a better Portsmouth Defence, The Economy, Pensions, Animal Welfare, Housing, My Expenses
Mike Hancock MP - Reporting Back Annual Report 2009
I believe that your local MP should be in touch throughout the year and not just at election times. ..
So, I hope that this review gives you a flavour of just some of the work that I have been doing in recent months as your MP. .
Of course the news recently has been dominated by MPs’ expenses. ..You will though, see from this report that my claim on the “second homes allowance” was one of the lowest in the country as by sharing a .....flat with another MP, I have kept costs down. But, frankly the system became a mess and all MPs share responsibility for that happening and I apologise for that. Some progress has been made on reform of Parliament, but much more needs to be done much quicker.
ADVICE
CENTRES
Mondays 6pm - 7pm City of Portsmouth Girls’ School, St Mary’s Road, Fratton (except Bank Holidays) Please Note: These do not take place during the Christmas School Holidays / Bank Holidays.
By appointment (Normally Saturdays) 1A Albert Road, Portsmouth Please ring for an appointment
023 9286 1055 portsmouthldp@cix.co.uk This publication is paid through allowances made available to each MP to assist them in communicating with and representing their constituents. Published and promoted by and on behalf of Mike Hancock, 1A Albert Road, Portsmouth PO5 2SE. Printed by Bishops Printers, Fitzherbert Road, Portsmouth PO6 1RU.
The recession is affecting many local people and both my mailbag and email inbox have grown in size in recent months as constituents have been coming to me with their problems over benefits, housing and financial issues. It is a pleasure to be able to help and often try and get some commonsense to prevail – if not always! If you think I can help with anything or there is any issue you wish to raise with me, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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1. Charity fundraising dinner for hospitals in Bangladesh, 2. Promoting Portsmouth as part of a British tourism campaign, 3. Defence Select Committee, 4. 75 years of Diabetes UK, 5. Volunteering as part of v involved, 6. Meeting Local Business Leaders, 7. Speaking to local pensioners, 8. Campaigning against increases in beer tax, 9. Presenting the petition against the ‘Tenants’ Tax’, 10. Meeting with Gurkhas on return from Afghanistan, 11. Speaking to local students, 12. Raising awareness of racehorse deaths.
Working Local residents joined Mike to present a petition of over 4,500 signatures, to 10 Downing Street. The City’s council tenants were angry with a government system which saw more than £4.6 million taken away from Portsmouth council tenants each year. Mike also raised the issue with the Government in a The money from the rent of council Parliamentary debate. tenants in Portsmouth should be spent
The campaign has already seen some success with the government announcing a full review of the system and in for their benefit. That is only fair! Mike Hancock MP the interim reducing the amount claimed for the next year, leading to a reduction in council rents for local residents.
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Success for Post Office Card Account Campaign The Post Office Card Account has been saved thanks to a concerted local and national campaign by Mike and other MPs. “My thanks go to everyone that took the time to contact me about this. The Post Office Card Account is vital to so many local residents and I am pleased that following the campaign, the Government changed their mind” said Mike Hancock. The card account enables people, especially pensioners and those on low incomes or benefits to operate a basic bank account at their local Post Office and its removal could have led to the closure of 3,000 more Post Office branches.
In Pictures
to raise awareness of as part of the vchallenge local pensioners as part of the high rates of thoroughbred racehorse initiative to bring MPs and young ‘Pensioners Lobby’ of parliament. deaths people together. -
Animal Welfare Campaign Animal welfare is a cause close to local MP, Mike Hancock’s heart and he has a reputation as one of the leading campaigners in Parliament on it.
A FAIR DEAL
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Local pensioners have been amongst the hardest hit by the recent recession and price increases.
He recently helped take what is believed to be the biggest ever petition on animal rights direct to the Prime Minister in Downing Street. It calls for a Mike Hancock MP “roadmap” to end animal experiments. A whopping 1.5 million people across the country backed it. This came about as it was revealed that the number of animal experiments increased to over 3 million last year.
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Research by Lloyds Bank showed that between 1998 and 2008, inflation for pensioners was 11% higher than the average rate. Mike Hancock MP has outlined the action that he would like to see taken to help local pensioners in Portsmouth:
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This would start with an increase in the basic state pension for a pensioner All-party committee on Work & Pensions couple of £2400 a year. Mike also wants the Council Tax Up to scrapped and replaced with a local income tax. Most local pensioners would pay no council tax or other local tax under this of pensioners don’t system saving the average claim all the benefits income pensioner couple around they are entitled to. £400 a year.
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the Government not to members of the Gurkhas raise duty on beer to help protect on their return from active duty in local pubs Afghanistan.
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- Mike Hancock MP
The issues MP backs better equipment for our troops Mike Hancock is campaigning for more helicopters for our troops in Afghanistan. An all-party report by the influential House of Commons Defence Committee of which Mike is a senior member found that there was a lack of air transport. The committee found that this meant that Mike Hancock MP & Nick Clegg MP touring Portsmouth Naval Base. army commanders in Afghanistan had to use ground transport when they would have preferred to use helicopters to both protect troops and also to get better outcomes. Now Mike has launched an online petition in support of his campaign. It can be found online at www.mikehancock.co.uk. .
£135 million investment in social housing
In July, Mike Hancock MP joined local residents and Sir Bob Kerslake, the Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, to celebrate the start of construction of a new kids’ adventure playground in Somerstown. This work is the first step in a £135 million regeneration of the most deprived areas of the City. Mike said: “It is great to see such investment in the local area and particularly as this scheme will see the development of new social housing for local families, building a safe community for our future.”
MP’s survey shows city gripped by recession Earlier this year Mike Hancock launched a survey of over 2,000 small and medium-sized local businesses to assess the effect of the ongoing recession on the local area. Mike also sought the views of local business leaders on the action needed to assist local companies and help protect local jobs. “I am particularly concerned about businesses having to make people redundant as the recession and its effects drag on. In my opinion the Government must do more to get banks lending again to local businesses,” said local MP Mike Hancock.
Meeting local Business Leaders
the total whilst the costs of running Mike’s constituency Mike Hancock has pushed hard office in Portsmouth and of for openness in MPs’ expenses communicating with all of his and for reform of the system. constituents make up the remaining 27%. This includes In 2007/08, the last costs such as rent, service charges year for which and business rates, Ranked accounts have been phone bills, office completed, his total equipment, running costs came stationery and postage. to £142,347 (386th out of all MPs for personal living costs “Unfortunately the amongst all 645 www.theyworkforyou.com MPs). A full system of claiming breakdown of how this was parliamentary expenses has spent is in the graph below. become a mess and all MPs should share responsibility for that. It must The biggest ‘expense’ is the cost be sorted out as a priority,” said of employing staff. These staff Mike Hancock MP help Mike to deal with the Staff Costs hundreds of letters, calls and Office Costs emails received every day, Communications & Postage constituents problems and Accommodation issues and do research for Mike Travel on a range of issues that affect the local area. In the last year 60% 10% 5% 8% 17% Mike and his staff have dealt with over 10,000 enquiries and casework issues. Their salaries are included in the figures.
WHAT IT COSTS
548th
Mike’s accommodation costs for living in London while working in Parliament account for only 8% of the total, £10,859 (548th amongst all 645 MPs). Travel between Portsmouth and Parliament accounts for 5% of
Details of Mike’s expenses can be viewed on his website www.mikehancock.co.uk
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY...
MP’S EXPENSES Mike Hancock ranks low when it comes to claims Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock has been named as one of the MPs who claims the lowest amount for his second home... The Daily Telegraph on Monday said his claims were amongst the lowest in the country. Mr Hancock claimed £10,859 for his second home in London last year – the lowest amount of all our MPs.
- Portsmouth News 26/5/09 Mike Hancock Portsmouth South
>> Although he could have claimed more than £23,000, as many of his colleagues did, Mr Hancock, a former engineer, claimed less than half that sum, £10,859, in 2007-08, mainly because his mortgage repayments were just £235 per month. He also made some claims for food, utilities and repairs to his flat.
- The Telegraph 25/05/09
Mike and David James opening new social housing in Portsmouth.
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EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPED BY MIKE HANCOCK!