Richard has welcomed today’s announcement that disabled people living in residential care will continue to receive the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and its proposed successor, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

The government had proposed to remove the mobility component of DLA from October 2012. Richard, who has campaigned on this issue for over a year, said he was delighted that since he first raised the issue in Parliament in November 2010, the Minister has taken the time to listen and consult to reach this decision, which allows disabled people in residential homes to maintain their independence.

As part of the listening exercise carried out by Maria Miller MP, Minister for Disabled People, Richard arranged for her to meet with a Bedford constituent, who had the chance to discuss the impact the removal of the mobility component would have on her son.  

The Government’s decision sends a signal that it will continue to protect our most vulnerable members of society, despite the difficult economic challenges we face. Richard thanked the Bedford residents that had contacted him, as well as the Minister for meeting with him on several occasions and listening to the strong arguments put forward by his constituents.

The Housing Minister, Grant Shapps MP, has outlined new plans by the Government to make it easier to evict problem tenants from social housing.

The plans, which are now out for consultation, propose to allow previous convictions for anti-social behaviour to be taken into account, so where the situation has not improved, landlords can act swiftly to evict problem tenants. This will shorten the often long and expensive process which requires landlords to prove again the antisocial actions of their tenants.

Richard welcomed the news. Since becoming MP, he has heard from a number of local residents who suffer from anti-social neighbours. These proposals will help to shift the balance back in favour of the law-abiding victims of nightmare neighbours.

It is estimated that the courts make 3,000 eviction orders for anti-social behaviour against social tenants each year and on average, it can take seven months from applying for a possession order to being granted one, often taking much longer if a defendant fails to turn up to court.

Of course eviction should only ever be the last resort – but too often the rights of victims have come second to those of the people making their lives a misery.

More information on the consultation, including how to respond, can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government’s website. The deadline for responses is 5pm on Thursday 27 October.

I was shocked at the highly personal tone taken by Bedford’s MP in his attacks on the Head of BPHA recently.  While I share the concerns at the sudden and sharp increases in utlity charges and service fees for some BPHA customers, I don’t think abusing the head of the organisation will be effective in getting BPHA to amend its policies and do something to help those hardest hit.

I went to see John Cross, the Head of BPHA , to press the case for re-consideration and to see if there was any latitude to reduce or delay the fees increases.  He listened and I felt that I had the opportunity to make the case on behalf of residents more effectively than grandstanding for the press.  Whether my effort will result in a change, we will have to wait and see; but I am hopeful and will continue to make the case as effectively as I can.

The King’s Arms Project held their biennial “Sleep Out” on Friday to raise awareness of the problems for people who have to sleep rough on our streets here in Bedford and Kempston.  On this topic, as on others, The King’s Arms church is dedicated, knowledgeable, caring and inspiring.  Their leadership is providing help and insight to some of the most disadvantaged in our community. 

In her talk, Ali Inwood, CEO of the King’s Arms Project, mentioned how important it was to recognise that every instance of a person sleeping rough is an individual story, with an individual history of events and circumstances that has led that person to the need to sleep rough.

 The volunteers of King’s Arms make a real, positive impact on people’s lives.  I hope the next Government can encourage them to do even more to help.