MPs call for autism hearing

A cross-party group of MPs, including Robert Buckland, MP for Swindon South and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, as well as several members of the Commons public accounts committee, have called for further hearings into the Government’s progress in implementing the Adult Autism Strategy.

In a letter to Margaret Hodge, Chair of the public accounts committee, the MPs express concern that despite some progress Government commitments regarding local leadership and data collection on adults with autism remain unfulfilled.

Without an improved ability to identify people with autism and a better understanding of autism across the public sector, the MPs warn that the Strategy may not focus effectively on people’s needs and, in turn, waste taxpayers’ money.

One of the signatories, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, said today: “Although the Government has made some progress in delivering commitments contained in its Adult Autism strategy, it is clear that significant challenges remain.

“The National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) most recent report demonstrates that the Government must do more to ensure that autism awareness training is given to Whitehall civil servants and staff conducting community care assessments.

“Until a better understanding of autism is promoted across the public sector, we are at risk of failing to identify people with autism properly – and without this, we are in real danger of wasting money”.

Here is the text of the MPs’ letter to Margaret Hodge:

Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP

Chair, Committee of Public Accounts

House of Commons

LONDON SW1P 3JA

21 December 2012

Dear Margaret

We are writing to you in your capacity as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee to request a hearing on the National Audit Office memorandum 'Progress in implementing the 2010 Adult Autism Strategy'.

As you know, autism is a lifelong, developmental disability affecting one in every hundred people in the country. You will be aware that in 2009 the National Audit Office published a report on the effectiveness of publicly funded support for adults with autism. The report, ‘Supporting people with autism through adulthood’ concluded that not only are a great many adults with autism missing out on essential services to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential, but that this failure to provide support costs the public purse tens of millions of pounds.

The 2009 report pointed out that where people with autism do not have a co-occurring learning disability or mental health problem, they often find themselves 'falling through the gap' between local authorities’ learning disability teams and mental health services. Services for this group, however, can be simple and relatively low-cost - such as befriending services or social skills training - but can have enormous benefit to the individual.

Furthermore, failure to provide these services can have costly consequences for individuals and the state. It can mean that individuals fall into crisis situations, in which costly mental health services or residential care are required. The 2009 NAO report showed that if local services identified and supported just 8% of adults with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome it could save the Government £67 million every year.

Since the 2009 NAO report, the Autism Act 2009 was passed and as a result, the adult autism strategy for England was published in March 2010. The strategy commits the Government to a number of actions and sends a clear message that local authorities and the NHS must improve training for their staff; identification and diagnosis of autism in adults; planning of services for people with autism; and local leadership.

Since the start of this year the NAO has been investigating the Government’s progress on delivering commitments contained in the strategy. The NAO's memorandum, published in July this year, shows that despite some progress, key challenges remain. The NAO report demonstrates for example, that the Government has failed to include autism awareness training in equality schemes for central departments; and to ensure that staff conducting community care assessments receive autism awareness training. The NAO report also highlights unfulfilled commitments with regard to local leadership and data collection on adults with autism. Yet, without an ability to identify people with autism and a better understanding of autism across the public sector, we are at risk of failing to focus effectively on people’s needs and as the 2009 NAO report points out, in danger of wasting money.

The Government has committed to review the implementation of the adult autism strategy in 2013. We believe, therefore, that a PAC hearing on the NAO's findings in the coming months would be extremely beneficial in informing the review and thereby helping to ensure that the strategy is implemented, potentially saving the public purse millions of pounds.

Yours sincerely,

RICHARD BACON MP

Other Signatories:

ROBERT BUCKLAND MP	MEG HILLIER MP
STEPHEN BARCLAY MP	NICK SMITH MP
GUTO BEBB MP	IAN SWALES MP
JUSTIN TOMLINSON MP

28 December 2012

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon’s work on an influential Commons committee was recognised at the parliamentary House Magazine’s annual awards ceremony last night (Wednesday 28 November 2012).

Mr Bacon was voted ‘Select Committee Member of the Year’ by his fellow MPs for his work in holding Whitehall mandarins to account for their use of taxpayers’ money. The citation read: “Forensic, energetic, and committed, Richard Bacon has carved a political niche as the Public Accounts Committee’s most effective performer”.

Mr Bacon said: “Serving on the Public Accounts Committee is a unique privilege and no other Commons committee is quite like it. The Committee examines everything from occupational pensions to the Olympics although our concern is always the same one, which is safeguarding the interests of taxpayers. The Committee commands such respect largely because of its cross-party approach.”

“I am honoured to have been recognised by my fellow MPs. Given that the nation’s finances are in such difficulty, keeping a close eye on how taxpayers’ money is used has never been more important. I am very touched by this accolade, which is also a tribute to the work of my colleagues on the Committee, the steadfast support of the Clerk and his team and the diligent work of the National Audit Office”.

The Public Accounts Committee is Parliament’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office reports to Parliament through the Committee on how wisely government is spending taxpayers’ money, and then the Committee holds public hearings with Whitehall mandarins and others to examine whether the government is delivering its policies effectively, efficiently and economically.

28 November 2012

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has branded Nationwide’s decision to close its Harleston branch as ‘short-sighted’ following a conference call with the building society’s senior managers.

Mr Bacon commented after he joined local business leaders on a conference call with senior Nationwide managers to discuss their plans for the Harleston branch.

Mr Bacon said: “We spent over an hour on a telephone conference call with senior Nationwide managers, who listened carefully to the points we made. However, it became clear that the Nationwide has no intention of reversing its decision.

“I realise that it is not easy for a bank or a building society to make the economics of a small branch work. However, the decision to close the Harleston branch still seems short-sighted, given that the town is set to grow over the coming years.

“Mutual building societies generally have a good record in taking account of the needs of local communities, which does make Nationwide’s decision all the more disappointing. Barclays is now the last financial institution standing in Harleston and I expect that they will pick up a lot more business”.

28 November 2012

This article appeared in The Diss Express on 23 September 2011

It was a pleasure to open ‘Diss on View’ at the Park Hotel recently together with Mayor Mike Bardwell. The Diss Business Forum event showcasing local businesses and services has been running since 2007 and it gets better each year, with companies from as far afield as Ipswich taking part.

There were various stands from accountants, solicitors, estate agents and insurance brokers as well as groups such as Cittaslow and Diss Rugby Club. ‘Diss on View’ is open to the public and also provides an opportunity for businesses to network, which can be especially important in difficult economic times.

When I opened the first Diss on View, I hoped it would become an annual event. Congratulations to Diss Business Forum’s hard work for making that hope come true.

Pylon Threat
I am very concerned about the possibility of new large electricity pylons along the Waveney Valley spoiling this beautiful, tranquil part of South Norfolk and North Suffolk. I wrote to National Grid asking for their assurance thatthe company is looking positively at burying underground any planned transmission cables. National Grid say that details of the connection and its location have yet to be identified and the project is in its early stages but consultations will take place before final decisions are made.

I can assure you that I will be keeping a close eye on progress. Councillor Martin Wilby and I will be meeting local town and parish councillors representing areas along the Waveney Valley next month.

Enterprising Rotary Club
I was delighted to meet members of Diss and District Rotary Club the other day at their weekly event. What an impressive array of activities Rotarians get involved in! In the local community, they support older citizens with very specific needs such as helping with the purchase of a new wheelchair, while also working to boost youngsters’ confidence with everything from mock interviews to placements for leadership training. In international development, Diss and District branch helps with fresh water projects for villages in Zambia and cataract operations in India.

Rotarians also provide a great network for those travelling abroad. One Rotarian visitor from Australia attended the Diss event, bringing greetings from Down Under. If we could only bottle this kind of enterprise and enthusiasm, there would be few problems which would seem quite so insurmountable.

The Rotary Club motto ‘Service Above Self’ has something to tell us all.

Mr Richard Bacon (South Norfolk) (Con): “I join other hon. Members in congratulating my hon. Friend the Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) on his tremendous campaign. It has been a marvellous example of leadership, which is built on his expertise, and we are all in his debt.

“I have been watching the private finance initiative from my position on the Public Accounts Committee for many years. I always had a sneaky suspicion about it, without being able to put my finger on what that was, until I met an investment banker at a private event in 2003. He was a securitisation expert and had been involved in many PFI projects. He said: “I like the PFI. It’s a good source of income and is good for the business, but as a taxpayer it really pisses me off.” That rather woke me up. This was not a trade unionist complaining about costs being cut by worsening the terms and conditions of his members; it was a City fat cat getting fatter on the proceeds.”

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SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has urged a planning inspector to dismiss the appeal against South Norfolk Council's refusal of planning permission for a three-turbine windfarm between Dickleburgh, Rushall, Pulham Market and Pulham St Mary.

Addressing the planning inquiry into the proposals, Mr Bacon said that the Government is an enthusiastic supporter of renewable energy schemes in appropriate locations, but that in this case the public interest would best be served by protecting local amenities from the proposed development.

Mr Bacon said: “All the relevant planning policy guidance states clearly that development, including renewable energy schemes, should only be permitted where the impact that they will inevitably create is considered to be acceptable.

“If the impacts of such schemes are not considered to be acceptable then the guidance is clear: they should be refused.

“The damaging trend towards central control will be reversed and top-down targets and requirements will go. This means that developers will be expected to provide communities with a much clearer understanding of the direct benefits they will receive from development and it will be for communities to decide for themselves whether those benefits are worth the impact on their locality.”

Mr Bacon also told the inquiry that he supported the decision of South Norfolk Council to reject planning permission for the proposed scheme.

Mr Bacon added: “The decision of South Norfolk Council to reject this proposal was taken with clear regard for, and in accordance with, all relevant Government policies.

“It is therefore my view that that the appeal should be dismissed.”

Commenting on the publication of the National Audit Office’s report into how the Ministry of Defence manages the delivery of equipment to military operations, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said:

“ The Ministry of Defence has had problems with the supply chain for military equipment for decades. The MoD naturally wants to get our troops what they need as soon as it can, but it is wasting money by sending too many routine items by air.

“ While the MoD says 80 per cent of supplies should be sent by surface shipping and only 20 per cent by air, in practice most equipment is sent by air, and in Afghanistan the split has been 70/30 in favour of air transport. Many routine items are being flown to Afghanistan and switching just 10 per cent of cargo to surface routes could save £15 million a year.

“ The MoD isn’t collecting enough of the information it needs to manage the supply chain properly, and some of the MoD’s inventory management systems pre-date the fall of the Berlin Wall and are no longer supported by the manufacturers. If these systems fail, the consequences at the front line could be severe.

“ While the military supply chain plainly faces challenges that commercial operations don’t, there is also much that is the same. Too much of the MoD’s supply chain is operating on a wing and a prayer and the Ministry needs to do more to drag its logistics operations into the 21st century. ”

An MP today welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the Norwich Research Park will share in £100 million of investment in science and research facilities. The Park includes the John Innes Centre, one of the world’s leading centres for research in the biological sciences.

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon said:

“ Norfolk MPs have made the case to ministers for the economic growth prospects offered by the county’s internationally renowned cluster of scientific expertise around the Norwich Research Park. I am very pleased that the government has listened.

“ I am delighted that the work of the scientists at the Norwich Research Park has been recognised by the Government. The Park includes the John Innes Centre, one of the world’s leading centres of excellence in biological sciences which by itself contributes over £170 million a year to the UK economy.

“Also based at the Research Park is the Sainsbury Laboratory, internationally renowned for its excellence in the fields of plant and microbial sciences, and the Genome Analysis Centre, which is using its ground-breaking work in genomics technology to tackle global problems in agriculture, sustainable energy, food and nutrition.

“Norwich Research Park’s cutting edge work helps to secure Britain’s place as a world-leader in scientific research, which is vital to our future economic success. This welcome investment will help the Research Park to realise its future plans and strengthen Norfolk’s growing reputation as a dynamic county that can deliver the growth which the economy needs”.

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has written to Julian Brazier, the former SAS reservist and Canterbury MP who has been appointed by the Prime Minister to look at the future of the Reserve Forces alongside Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nick Houghton. In his letter Mr Bacon, a former TA soldier, highlights the need for the Territorial Army to deploy in formed units to get the best out of its people.

Mr Bacon said: “Territorial Army units have served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan. TA members have fought and in some cases died alongside their colleagues from the Regular forces and we are in their debt.

“The TA offer enormous benefits to the country at low cost and its role can be developed and deepened further, offering greater flexibility, even better value for money and also a more fulfilling experience for reservists themselves.

“As part of this, the review should recognise the need to deploy the Territorial Army in formed units. Without such formations the TA will not get the best out of its people, nor attract sufficient numbers of talented TA officers”.

Commenting on the Commons public accounts committee’s report on improving passenger rail capacity, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon, a member of the committee, said:

“ This report does not paint the English rail industry in a flattering light. The Department for Transport doesn’t know enough about who is using the rail network and when, while many passengers struggle to see what the money they pay in exorbitant fares is actually buying them.

“ The Office of Rail Regulation is meant to look out for passengers, yet it does a poor job of holding Network Rail to account. The rail industry as a whole is complicated, cumbersome, bereft of independent scrutiny and slow to drive down its inherently high costs.

“ People paying premium fares for rail services that are still overcrowded have every right to be furious, especially as trains look set to get more crowded, not less. Passengers are being let down across the board and the Department for Transport needs to conduct a thorough review of the UK rail industry before more public money is poured in”.

This article appeared in The Diss Express on 22 October 2010

Three Diss High School students came to see me recently about their Citizenship GCSE course work on the thorny subject of prison sentencing.

Amber Stevenson, James Briddon and Greg Fisher, who are all in Year 11, had obviously been doing their homework, as they came armed with lots of questions.

The three were interested in ensuring prison is both a punishment and a chance for rehabilitation and they have identified a tricky issue, since only if people do something useful in prison will the chance of reoffending go down. The public needs to be protected and we also need to be sure that prison is not just a ‘university of crime’.

Good luck to Amber, James and Greg with their project.

At present, Diss has two fire tenders but there are plans to replace one of them with a four wheel drive vehicle for rural emergencies which carries only 400 litres of water. Fire fighters say that front line fire fighting services are already stretched.

Any further reduction would make their work more difficult as well as endangering lives and property especially in rural areas.

The previous government did not trust local councils to make what it saw as the ‘right’ choices. This Bill changes all that and gives local people the power to determine the future shape of their communities.

I am eager to see what the Localism Bill will mean for Diss and the other towns and villages in South Norfolk. For far too long, Whitehall has been telling local communities what’s good for them, but we will soon have the power to take decisions for ourselves.

Commenting on the Government's decision to dual the remaining single carriage stretch of the A11, South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon said:

“I am absolutely delighted that the Coalition Government has confirmed that the final single-carriageway stretch of the A11 will be dualled at last.

“This decision will put Norfolk in prime position to deliver strong economic growth in the years to come.

“The single-carriage bottleneck between Barton Mills and Thetford has been slowly choking the economic life from our county but the previous government left the job of dualling the A11 unfinished, despite 13 years of massive public expenditure.

“The Government has accepted the overwhelming case for the benefits of dualling the A11 and will finally finish the job”.

This article appeared in The Diss Express on 24 September 2010

I thoroughly enjoyed walking a section of the Waveney Springs Art Trail 2010 recently.

The Trail involves over 30 local artists displaying their work in windows belonging to Diss shops and businesses. Anything which draws prospective customers to Diss has to be good news and this innovative event couldn’t have come at a better time for the shops and businesses in St Nicholas Street who have been enduring disruptive road works.

Anything which draws prospective customers to Diss has to be good news and this innovative event couldn’t have come at a better time for the shops and businesses in St Nicholas Street who have been enduring disruptive road works. We are extremely lucky to have such a wealth of artistic talent in the Diss area. I would encourage anyone who has not yet done the trail to make it a priority this weekend.

I congratulate Waveney Springs Arts on their hard work and in particular the artist Ned Pamphilon whose infectious enthusiasm has been instrumental in putting Diss on the cultural map.

When lanterns come down on farmland, the wire frames can be cut into small pieces by harevsting equipment and pieces of wire end up in animal feed such as silage and hay. This leads to a slow and painful death for the unfortunate animal that eats them. There is also a fire risk, and there have been cases of the burning wick inside the lantern setting valuable crops on fire before they can be harvested

I raised these concerns at Prime Minister’s Questions and was glad to hear that the government is now contacting lantern manufacturers to demand that the lanterns should have full safety instructions and be 100 per cent biodegradable.

I know many people like seeing these lanterns in the sky and nobody wants to be a killjoy, but the potential risks are serious. I am glad to see that action is being taken to reduce some of the potential dangers.

This idea is massively over-ambitious and although it’s true that the PAYE system does need reform, can we really trust HMRC to make this work? I doubt it. They have just admitted that millions of us have underpaid or overpaid due to their mistakes. HMRC has not shown it is in a position to take on such a big new responsibility.

I will be seeing the boss of HMRC soon. You can be sure I will be grilling her about this.

• Over 30 Diss businesses exhibit work by 25 local artists.
• Local MP walks section of Diss Art Trail with councillors, artists and school pupils.

South Norfolk MP Richard Bacon has backed the Waveney Springs Art Trail, a new collaboration between shops in Diss and local artists which aims to promote both the artists' work and the town centre itself.

More than 30 businesses in the town displayed creative works by artists who live in and around Diss.

Mr Bacon walked a section of the trail, entitled ‘The Closer You Get, Diss Appears’, in the company of participating artists, local councillors and art students from Diss High School.

Mr Bacon said: “I thoroughly enjoyed walking the Trail. Anything which draws prospective customers to Diss has got to be good news.

“This innovative event couldn’t have come at a better time for the shops and businesses in St Nicholas Street, who have been enduring disruptive road works for some weeks now.

“We are extremely lucky to have such a wealth of artistic talent in the Diss area and the participation of so many local businesses has been a wonderful thing for Diss and a wonderful thing for local art”.

• Project for new RAF transport and air-to-air refuelling planes is MoD's biggest PFI scheme.
• MoD decided to use PFI in 1997, but only looked at alternatives in 2007.

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has said that the Ministry of Defence should avoid using the Private Finance Initiative to pay for vital military capabilities, as a report on the Ministry of Defence’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project finds that, despite assuming it would use PFI in 1997, the MoD failed to consider any alternatives until 2007.

The Ministry of Defence is unlikely to allow the new aircraft to fly into high-threat environments such as Afghanistan because of the potential impact of fitting the aircraft with the necessary defensive equipment on the costs of the PFI deal.

Mr Bacon, a member of the Commons public accounts committee, said:

“The MoD assumed it would use PFI in 1997 but it took the ministry another decade to check whether PFI actually offered the best value for money. In 2004, the MoD’s own project team recommended scrapping the PFI in favour of conventional procurement but, as this would have meant cancelling another project in its place, the MoD ignored the recommendation, preferring to have its cake and eat it. .

“It is unbelievable that it took the MoD until 2006 to decide that these planes should be able to fly into Afghanistan, five years after British troops were first deployed there. The MoD is still dithering even now over whether it can afford to fit the equipment needed to fly into dangerous environments, but the impact these changes would have on the PFI’s costs will probably keep these aircraft well away from Afghan airspace..

“The MoD has bought helicopters that cannot fly in cloud, radios that won’t fit in tanks or jeeps and warships that sail without weapons. Now it has signed a deal for military transport planes which cannot fly to warzones. Did it never occur to those running this project that the aircraft might be needed in war?

“No other country in the world uses private finance arrangements to buy this type of defence equipment and now we know why. The MoD should avoid using PFI to deliver vital military capabilities”.

Mr Bacon was speaking as a new report on the Ministry of Defence’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) project was published.

In March 2008, the Ministry of Defence signed a 27-year contract worth £10.5 billion with AirTanker Ltd for 14 Airbus A330 aircraft to provide passenger transport and air-to-air refuelling services, the largest Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract the MoD has signed. The report finds that the MoD’s use of PFI to deliver a vital military capability like FSTA was inappropriate.

The report also criticises the MoD for failing to take the decisions necessary to fit the new aircraft with the defensive equipment needed to operate in a high-threat environments such as Afghanistan. In his evidence to the committee, MoD Permanent Secretary Sir Bill Jeffrey told MPs that, had the PFI been scrapped and the FSTA project brought back onto the MoD’s balance sheets, the department would have been immediately faced with affordability issues and would have had to knock something else off in its place if the project was to proceed.

• Lanterns pose risks to crops, buildings and livestock.
• Animals dying slowly and painfully from lantern wires ingested accidentally.

SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon raised the range of risks posed by Chinese lanterns at Prime Minister's Questions.

Mr Bacon told the Commons that the lanterns, which are mostly constructed from bamboo, wire and paper and act like mini hot-air balloons, pose dangers to livestock, buildings and crops.

When lanterns released into the sky in rural areas come down in farmers' fields, their wire frames can be accidentally cut into small pieces by harvesting equipment and then incorporated into animal feed such as hay and silage, potentially causing massive internal injuries to the animal. There is also a risk that the burning wick inside could start fires in crops or buildings. A number of such fires have occurred, in some cases costing farmers thousands of pounds in lost crops.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, standing in for Prime Minister David Cameron, responded that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had been in contact with the manufacturers of the lanterns and has demanded that the lanterns in future should be 100 per cent biodegradable and should have full safety instructions with them.

Mr Bacon said: “Chinese lanterns pose a threat to farmers both because of the fire risk to standing crops when lanterns fall into fields and because the wire frames are cut into small pieces by harvesting equipment so that wire is incorporated into animal feed such as hay and silage, killing farm animals.

“I know that many people take pleasure from seeing these lanterns in the sky and nobody wants to be a killjoy, but the risks currently posed by lanterns are serious and it is good news that the Government is taking action on this issue to reduce some of the potential dangers”.