We wish all of our athletes the best for the Tokyo games which started this week. As I write, the UK is doing well in the medals table with more than France, Germany and Italy combined. A safe and productive games to all.
After months of lobbying Ministers on behalf of local wine importers such as Hennings, I am delighted that the Government has agreed to cut red tape - saving British wine lovers up to £130m a year. We have removed the old requirement inherited from the EU for VI-1 certificates on all imports of wine into Great Britain, which means substantial savings for consumers and businesses. Industry analysis suggests that this saves 10p for every bottle of imported wine. Although locally produced Sussex wine is taking a growing share of the market, the British wine industry delivers fantastic wines at great value from all around the world. Cutting this needless red tape will place our businesses in a stronger position internationally, as they continue to grow, while consumers can raise a glass to great wine from around the world.
Crime is always high up residents list of concerns in all of my surgeries and my ‘listening to’ neighbourhood meetings. Action to support the law-abiding majority is positive and I welcome the 9,000 extra police officers, more than 440 new prosecutors and 18,000 new prison places that the Government have already delivered. This week we heard about the Beating Crime plan which represents the next step in this far-reaching strategy. Catching criminals is only the first step. Tougher sentences and changes to the release framework will mean that offenders will serve sentences that better reflect the severity of their crimes. There will be more prison places and improved security within prisons. We will also ensure that offenders are seen to clean up neighbourhoods as reparation for their crimes, so that justice is done and seen to be done.
I have been amazed at the response to the Boundary Commission proposals for future parliamentary constituencies that I mentioned last week. Hundreds of readers have emailed via my website to share their concerns about rural communities being separated and paired up with far-flung urban areas ignoring geography and historic ties. Moving Arun valley communities such as Pulborough into Shoreham or pairing the Worthing Borough wards of Salvington and Offington with Littlehampton are just some of the less well thought through proposals. Let me reassure readers that there is still time to comment if you act fast. The details of how to do so are on my website. It is not a party-political issue and it is not too late to influence this.
