Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell Constituency visited Finchampstead, on Sunday 22nd of January 2012, to support a campaign against siting of polytunnels over beautiful landscape, of Manor Farm.
Dr Lee commented: “I fully support the campaign against siting of polytunnels on beautiful landscapes here in Finchampstead.”
Dr Phillip Lee MP for Bracknell is backing the Daylight Saving Bill which receives its Third Reading in the House of Commons this Friday. The bill calls on the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of the costs and benefits of putting clocks forward an hour throughout the UK, resulting in lighter evenings every day of the year.
“The arguments in favour of clock change are compelling. This one simple low-cost policy could bring wide ranging benefits to the whole of the UK including saving lives on our roads, creating much needed jobs in the tourism sector and reducing the fear of crime on dark evenings.” said Dr Lee.
Supporters argue that lighter evenings would save lives on our roads by making more of our busiest evening rush hours occur in daylight, create jobs by boosting the tourism sector, and make many people especially older people feel safer going out in the evenings for longer. Lighter Later, the group coordinating the campaign for change, says support for the cause has never been stronger.
“The Daylight Saving Bill is supported by over 90 national organisations from The AA to SAGA and The FA backing lighter evenings. On the year the Olympics comes to Britain, this would be a brilliant legacy for our young athletes” said Daniel Vockins, campaign manager.
Members of the public can find out more about the move and check if their MP is in support of the move at www.lighterlater.org.
The long parliamentary campaign to bring mobile coverage to rural areas ended in victory today, as OFCOM finally announced proposals to increase broadband coverage to an estimated 98% of the UK population.
Traditionally, up to 6 million people in Britain have been excluded from good mobile coverage, particularly in rural areas. (Mobile phone companies were only obliged to cover 95 % of the population, 90 % of the time). Dr Lee was one of the leaders of the campaign to increase the coverage. He signed a back-bench business committee debate urging OFCOM to increase the coverage to at least 98 % of the population.
Dr Lee then spoke in the debate, in the House of Commons on 19 May 2011 saying: “I represent Bracknell, which is part of the Thames Valley, where 10% of the world’s information technology businesses are based. [...] And yet, until very recently, part of my constituency only six or seven miles away still had dial-up internet. I wonder why that is. [...] There will be a combination of solutions to provide broadband for everybody. It will include wireless and mobile, and fibre optic, but I suggest that for the difficult-to-reach places, space provides the solution. [...]Let us have a system that provides the very best broadband for all our constituents.” The motion was carried unanimously at the end of a 3 hour debate.
In October, the Chancellor of the Exchequer responded to the debate by committing an extra 150 million pounds to build thousands of new mobile phone masts to cover rural areas. In November the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee slammed OFCOM’s coverage target of 95% as ‘unambitious’ and backed Dr Lee’s call for a 98% coverage obligation. In today’s announcement, OFCOM proposes options which should ensure that 98% or more of the population receives 4G mobile broadband coverage. This means that millions who currently do not have a mobile signal will now receive one, and that millions more will have their signal upgraded from a 2G ‘voice’ signal to a 4G signal, capable of carrying broadband data.
This investment will transform the fortunes of thousands of small and medium sized businesses, currently hamstrung by inadequate mobile phone and internet coverage. Hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, farms and businesses will get access to decent mobile and internet coverage for the first time.
Dr Lee commented: “I am delighted to see that our combined efforts have finally been approved and I would like to thank OFCOM, the Chancellor and DCMS for taking action on rural broadband. Investing in a proper rural broadband solution such as satellite will transform our businesses and economy; transform health through telemedicine, and education through distance learning. Finchampstead, in particular, is crying out for better broadband coverage.”
The Great British Pub is part of the community, and Bracknell’s MP supported local pub “The Queen’s Oak” on Friday evening, 13th January 2012. He started his ‘shift’ at 7.00 p.m.
Dr Lee had a lesson in pulling the perfect pint of Brakspear from landlord, Dawn Lay, and spent time serving customers calling in for an end of the week relaxing drink, keeping up the tradition of generations who have used their local pub as an informal meeting place. Pubs like the Queen’s Oak now present an ideal setting for all the family.
This is part of Dr Lee supporting the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s “MPs Behind the Bar” campaign. Last year he started pulling pints behind the bar of various local pubs, which is a great informal way for him to meet local residents and vice versa.
Dr Lee commented: “The pub is great place to meet locals and I will make sure that pubs will continue to thrive at the heart of every community. The Queen’s Oak here in Finchampstead is a great example of how pubs are all about being part of the community. I enjoyed my evening by meeting with the locals and learned how to pull a pint correctly. Pubs are hubs of community life, as important to the local social scene as they are to the local economy here in Bracknell.”
Dr Phillip Lee was pleased to back this year’s London Poppy Day by shaking a bucket at Westminster on Thursday. The Poppy Appeal stands shoulder to shoulder with our brave Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan today, veterans of past conflict, and their families.
Over a 1000 people took part this year across London, covering some 60 tube stations aiming to raise £500,000 for this year’s Poppy Appeal in a single day. The Poppy Appeal makes it possible for the Royal British Legion to help our Armed Forces families in direct welfare support.
The Royal British Legion campaigns raise funds to help and support our wounded heroes and are the custodian of Remembrance, ensuring that sacrifices on behalf of the nation are honoured. Their support is reaching 2.5million school children each year with learning resources on Remembrance – an essential cause to guard British History. Funds will go towards the recovery of our Armed Forces injured in Afghanistan and Iraq and to create the nation’s first Battle Back Centre, which will use sports and adventure training to help our injured heroes recover confidence and ability.
Dr Lee commented: “You can stand shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces as well; simply give generously – and wear your poppy with pride today.”
