Strong Local Voice, Strong Local Champion

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, today welcomed Housing Minister Grant Shapps at a meeting of the APPG on Mobile Homes. The Minister attended the meeting, chaired by Christopher Chope MP, to discuss the current consultation by the Department for Communities and Local Government on Park Homes.

Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke has welcomed commitments in the Queens Speech to secure key aspects of Liberal Democrat policy. The Queen's Speech 2012 included many of the long-term reforms Liberal Democrats have been fighting for, such as reform of the banks, a Green Investment Bank and supporting families and children.

New figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) giving unemployment figures for March 2012 have shown that the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole has fallen by 4.3% in the last month.

743 people were registered unemployed in March 2012, which represents a rate of 1.9% per cent of the working age population in the constituency. This is compared with 775 people registered as unemployed in February 2012.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, has welcomed the publication today of a consultation by the Department for Communities and Local Government on Park Homes.

Annette said: "Having looked through the consultation, I am pleased. There is plenty of scope for people to raise any issues that they feel are not covered adequately.

On 6 April 2012 the Personal Allowance will be raised for the second year in a row, meaning 153,500 people in Dorset will get a £130 Income Tax cut and the number of the lowest paid people who have been lifted out of paying any Income Tax will reach 7,600.

Commenting, Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole said:

Annette Brooke has welcomed today's statement to Parliament by Planning Minister Greg Clark.

The MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat DCLG Policy Committee said:

"During the consultation period, I and my colleagues in the Lib Dem Policy Committee wrote a strong response setting out our worries concerning the document. I am pleased to say that it seems as though the Government has taken on board our concerns, and at first sight the document looks much improved.

Today is World Water Day and to mark it I am putting my support behind international charity WaterAid's Water Works campaign.

In Mid Dorset and North Poole a ready supply of safe water is a necessity that we are lucky enough to take for granted. Preventable diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation are the biggest killer of children in Africa, and illness and hours spent collecting water from distant sources keep children out of school and prevent adults from earning a living. Safe water and sanitation transform lives, improve health and lifts communities out of poverty.

As part of the Budget, the Chancellor has announced that from next year, the Income Tax threshold will be raised further, ensuring that no one pays any income tax on the first £9,205 they earn.

Across Dorset that means 13,470 people will be lifted out of paying Income Tax all together as well as a £220 tax cut for 128,030. This is on top of tax cuts of £200 last year and a further £130 next month.

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, has backed 'The Big Switch' campaign for energy customers to get a cheaper deal.

The Big Switch, launched last month by Which? and 38 Degrees, is a completely new way for people to buy their energy. This will be the first time in the UK that a large number of people will join together as a group to negotiate a deal with energy companies.