Edward Davey MP - Press releases

Issued by: Edward Davey MP
Embargo: Immediate, 14/7/99

"Exam Boards are taking "1066 and all that" too literally!"

MPs call to restore Anglo-Saxon to the A-level history syllabus

Liberal Democrat MPs reacted angrily today to the news that the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board plan to remove the study of Anglo-Saxon history from the A-level syllabus. Edward Davey MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton has today tabled a motion in the House urging the Exam Board to rescind their decision, and he won immediate support from fellow MPs, Dr.Jenny Tonge, Mark Oaten and Mike Hancock. Commenting on the examination board’s decision, Mr.Davey said:

"The Oxford and Cambridge Board have taken the spoof history textbook "1066 and All That" rather too literally. Why shouldn’t sixteen and seventeen year olds be able to study Alfred the Great, the Viking invasions and the spread of Christianity across Britain?

"It’s vital that our children have some knowledge of British history before the Norman Conquest, and quite ludicrous that A-level history students be deprived of the choice of studying the Anglo-Saxon period.

"Anglo-Saxon history gives a unique opportunity to develop critical faculties, mainly because of the particular type of historical evidence. During this period there were key developments in our country’s political, religious and legal institutions and culture which still effect the lives of our citizens today. We should be encouraging the study of Anglo-Saxons not abolishing it.

"I took an A-level in medieval history back in 1984, and found studying the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings to be the most enjoyable and intellectually demanding part of my school studies. If history is supposed to fire the imagination, I can’t think of a better period to study.

"I should declare another interest! According to the most authoritative sources, the crowning place of Anglo-Saxon Kings is in my constituency of Kingston and Surbiton - where they crossed the Thames before entering the capital. With my colleague Mark Oaten, MP for Winchester, representing the capital of Wessex, we are determined to fight for people’s right to study Britain’s great history."

Note to Editors: Copy of Early Day Motion Tabled in Commons attached

Edward Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton)
Mark Oaten MP (Winchester)
Jenny Tonge MP (Richmond Park)
Mike Hancock MP (Portsmouth South)

The Study of Anglo-Saxon History

This House deplores the decision by the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board to remove the study of the Anglo-Saxon period from their A-level History syllabus; believes that the study of this period can provide a unique opportunity for History students to develop critical faculties and foster imagination given the challenges posed by the type of historical evidence that is available to scholars on the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings; acknowledges that during this period there were key developments in our country’s political, religious and legal institutions and culture which still effect the lives of our citizens today; and urges the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board to rescind this decision immediately.

Welfare and Pensions

Issued by: Edward Davey MP
Embargo: Immediate, 12/7/99

"Kingston’s Widows Worse Off Under Labour" - Says Edward Davey MP

New Welfare & Pensions Reform Bill set to take £500m away from widows

Local Lib Dem MP, Edward Davey today criticised the Government for removing over half a billion pounds from widows which will leave them much worse off under the current Labour Government. The Government have introduced a range of policies which will penalise all widows. This includes removing the tax allowance designed to help widows cope with financial strains following bereavement, and the abolition of the widows pension, a weekly allowance based on the contributions of the deceased husband.

The Government was forced to make changes to bereavement benefits under a threatened European Court ruling, but has chosen to make money while they make changes, instead of introducing reforms in a cost neutral fashion.

Speaking after the Lib Dems held a recent debate in the Commons on the issue, Edward Davey said;

"This Government seems insistent on removing money from many of the most vulnerable in our society. The cumulative effect of their reforms will remove over half a billion pounds of money from widows."

"Widows are now set to face a triple whammy- losing their widows pension, loss of the Bereavement Tax allowance, and all that on top of the Tory measure coming into force next April to halve their SERPS pension."

"Many of their deceased spouses will have made contributions over their lifetime in the expectation that the state will then help look after their surviving spouse. Yet the Government are set to break this promise."

"I have had widows contact me for help because they often don’t know which way to turn when this crisis hits. In the vast majority of cases, they are reliant upon this financial help to get them back on their feet and I am fearful of what will happen now this support is being withdrawn."

"When my mother was widowed, with my two brothers and I under ten, her widow’s pension was a vital help. Surely a decent society ought to protect the vulnerable, especially when unforeseeable crisis hit."

"What makes me so angry is the fact that this reform is concerned more for the welfare of the Treasury coffers, than for the people involved. In my opinion, the Government’s actions are cowardly. Once again we see them target vulnerable groups in the hope that they will not kick up a fuss."

Edward and his fellow Lib Dem MPs have continuously campaigned to make the Government’s reforms fairer for widows. In order to keep up the pressure, they have tabled an Early Day Motion for fellow MPs to show their concern at the Government’s proposals.

ENDS.

Hydrocarbon Technology

Issued by: Edward Davey MP
Embargo: Immediate, 12/7/99

MP urges Government to, "Cool Us Down without Warming us Up!"

Edward Davey demands support for businesses embracing green technology

In response to Met Office forecaster Helen Young’s recent warning that climate change is getting worse and urgent action needs to be taken now, Kingston & Surbiton’s MP, Edward Davey is pushing the Government to back hydrocarbons refrigerant technology that does not damage the atmosphere.

The size of the problem is highlighted by the fact that an enormous three-quarters of all refrigerant gases sold in Britain each year leak
into the atmosphere. They then join with carbon dioxide to form a blanket around the earth that is causing global warming. Even worse, one common refrigerant (known as HFCs) is a greenhouse gas over 2,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

One major way to combat this problem is through the use of Hydrocarbon technology. Although in common use in Europe, it is virtually unheard of in Britain. One obvious example of the use of this technology being ignored in the UK is with the fridges being used and sold here. There are over 30 million hydrocarbon fridges in use on the continent, but in Britain only Candy and LEC supply them for the UK market.

Other organisations are becoming more aware of the problem and Barclays, London Transport and the National Trust have adopted hydrocarbons. Their efforts are supported by High Street retailer, Iceland Frozen Food, who is changing over completely to hydrocarbons.

Edward Davey has recently signed an Early Day Motion on the topic in the House of Commons calling for the Government to take action to encourage more firms to switch. After recently dropping his signed EDM in to the Commons’ Table Office, Edward said:

"It’s a real catch-22, because the more the earth warms up, the more we’ll be cooling everything down and the more refrigerant we’ll be using. What many people don’t realise is, if it’s HCFs, we’ll be making global warming worse.

"More use of hydrocarbons makes sense for the Government, too. It will help Britain meet its targets for limiting global warming"

Greenpeace UK is backing Edward Davey MPs move. Dr. Douglas Parr, Campaign Director said:

"We’re right behind hydrocarbons, and it’s time the Government took notice and supported it before more damage is done."

Edward thinks that given better information and a choice, people would go for the greener option. He said:

"It’s great that we can now buy green fridges made in Britain. We should look for the Eco-label and be sure that our fridges are CFC and HFC free."

ENDS.

Notes to Editors:
1. Iceland has over 700 Stores.
2. Hydrocarbons are also used in air-conditioning systems.
3. Other ‘household’ names using hydrocarbons include Tesco, Jet and Esso.
4. The kitchen of Prince Charles’ Highgrove House has a hydrocarbon fridge.

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