http://timfarron.co.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Tim Farron MP en-GB Tim Farron MP http://timfarron.co.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 Tim Farron MP 2008-05-17T19:29+01:00 United Kingdom http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000422/local_mp_slams_immigration_advisory_charges.html Local MP Tim Farron has criticised the Government over the excessive amount the Immigration Advisory Service is charging for an appointment with an adviser over immigration issues. In the past the Immigration Advisory Service had offered all appointments for free, however since the 1st of April 2004 clients have been required to provide information on their financial situation and will then be assessed accordingly. In some cases people have been charged over £100 per appointment with an adviser. 2008-05-14T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000421/excessive_school_testing_is_bad_for_our_kids__farron.html Local MP Tim Farron is backing the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee report that criticises the national testing regime. Mr Farron is concerned that young pupils are tested far too much and far too early in their school careers and that improved results are being driven by obsessive 'teaching to the test', rather than by actual improvements in education. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000420/farron_chairs_fair_pint_campaign_launch.html Local MP Tim Farron chaired the official launch of the Fair Pint Campaign in the House of Commons this morning. The campaign aims to secure a fairer deal for landlords from large pub chains who until now have been exploiting their position of dominance and charging excessive amounts for rent. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000419/farron_opposes_kendal_test_centre_closure.html Local MP Tim Farron has spoken out against plans to cut the number of motorcycle test centres dramatically. New regulations will come into force at the end of September this year and could result in the closure of Kendal test centre, leaving people wishing to take their test in Kendal having to make a round trip of over a hundred miles to either Carlisle of Blackburn. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000418/post_office_chiefs_agree_to_review_closure_decisions__farron_issues_cautious_welcome.html Local MP Tim Farron has issued a cautious welcome as Post Office bosses have told local campaigners that the decision to close their branches will be reviewed. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000417/dont_let_blue_tongue_vaccination_wreck_this_years_livestock_sales__farron_tells_minister_on_coniston_visit.html Liberal Democrat MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming Tim Farron has warned farming minister Lord Rooker that unless it is administered intelligently, urgently and swiftly, the blue tongue vaccination programme could potentially devastate the incomes of farmers. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000416/mp_calls_for_action_as_high_and_low_newton_businesses_struggle_without_signage_due_to_new_bypass.html The A590 bypass at Low and High Newton has now been open for a month, and already local businesses are struggling as thousands of tourists each day by pass them unawares. Local MP Tim Farron has today called on the County Council and reiterated calls to the Highways Agency and Transport Ministers to provide signage from the by-pass so that visitors can be made aware of the presence of local businesses. 2008-05-13T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000415/farron_fights_for_affordable_housing.html Local MP Tim Farron is to present his idea for creating more affordable housing in the South Lakeland area to the Local Development Framework of South Lakeland District Council this week. First time buyers in the area are struggling to establish themselves and much of the existing housing is swallowed up as second homes. 2008-05-08T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000413/farron_meets_with_guild_over_the_plight_of_pub_owners.html Local MP Tim Farron yesterday met with the Guild of Master Victuallers to discuss the plight of the tenant publican. Pubcos are leaving their lessees in dire financial trouble after charging them extortionately high rent prices and leaving little room for negotiation. During the meeting Farron pledged to write to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ask for a meeting with Secretary of State John Hutton. 2008-05-08T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000414/local_mp_presses_defra_on_hill_farm_allowance_replacement.html Local MP Tim Farron is pressing the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the timetable for the implementation of the successor scheme to the troubled Hill Farm Allowance program. Mr Farron has been urging the Department to ensure a full and proper consultation takes place involving farmers, not just Whitehall executives so that the problems of the HFA can be avoided this time round. 2008-05-08T15:00+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000412/youth_surgeries_a_huge_success_says_local_mp.html Local MP Tim Farron has hailed the youth surgeries held at three estates in Kendal last week as a huge success after meeting with over a hundred young people on the Hallgarth, Kirkbarrow and Sandylands estates. Tim played twelve games of five-a-side football on the multi use games areas with the local youngsters before sitting down to discuss issues of concern. 2008-04-10T10:18+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000411/vince_cable_to_join_tim_farron_in_fight_to_save_post_offices.html This Friday, Vince Cable MP, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor, will be visiting Beetham Post Office from around 9.30am with Tim Farron and a group of children from local schools to show how strong support is for the Post Office. 2008-04-10T10:17+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000410/farron_seeks_commitment_to_restore_northern_rock_arts_and_heritage_funding_to_cumbria.html Local MP Tim Farron has written to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Northern Rock Foundation, Alastair Balls today in an effort to secure guarantees that arts and heritage projects will receive significant backing. Since the bank was fully nationalised last month it has been confirmed that the Foundation will receive a guaranteed minimum of £15m per year. It had been feared that the Foundation's funding would disappear completely - a huge blow for charities in the North West. 2008-04-10T10:17+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000409/farron_praises_community_spirit_in_battle_to_save_leven_valley_post_office.html Local MP Tim Farron has praised the spirit of the members of the Leven Valley community who attended a recent meeting to save their post office in great numbers despite the dispersed nature of their community. The meeting, chaired by Clive Leal and Debbie Harte, - who between them run the post office - was held in response to the news that Leven Valley Post Office had been earmarked for closure and replacement with an inadequate 'outreach' service. Nearly 250 people attended the meeting to back the campaign against closure. 2008-04-10T10:16+01:00 http://timfarron.co.uk/news/000408/save_greenodd_post_office_campaign_moves_to_bypass_opening.html Local MP Tim Farron will respectfully decline an invitation to attend the new £36m A590 High and Low Newton bypass tomorrow in favour of joining a protest, which will take place at the opening, against the closure of Greenodd post office. The branch at Greenodd is slated to be replaced by a so-called 'outreach' service which will involved much-reduced accessibility. 2008-04-10T10:15+01:00