21/11/11 - The Way I See It: Chris Kelly MP writes for the Dudley Chronicle

I recently addressed the Dudley South Ladies’ Luncheon Club at the Kingfisher Hotel and Restaurant in Wall Heath. It was great to be back amongst the ladies for the first time since my election to Parliament last year. I have addressed the club four times in the past five years and it is one of my favourite appointments with such a welcoming audience. The ladies have provided great support to the Conservative Association and helped with various voluntary tasks for my election campaign, for which I am very grateful. 

I have been back out on the streets delivering delivering leaflets and calendars with fellow Conservative Party members. All of our literature is printed and delivered at no cost to the taxpayer (we fundraise to amongst our members to cover our costs). We’ve been very fortunate with such mild weather for delivering leaflets in!

I called into Pensnett Community Centre to support the Christmas fayre. It was good to see Cllr Sue Greenaway manning the refreshments stand with other centre volunteers. I also caught up with the Brierley Hill Musical Theatre Company and made plans to go and see another of their forthcoming shows – see bhmtc.co.uk for dates.

I returned to Stourbridge Arm Canoe Club on the canal in Wordsley to join Councillors Geoff Southall and Glenis Simms to plant hedging plants donated by The Woodland Trust. It was good to catch-up with Mark Harding, Stephen Masters and all of the team at the club. They really are the Big Society in action.

I was due to, once again, attend the Remembrance Sunday parade starting at the Kingswinford Royal British Legion Club followed by the service at St. Mary's Church, Kingswinford but, sadly, on Sunday morning we received news at home of the death of a close family friend. I shall be there again next year, though.

Last week we debated diesel and petrol prices in the Commons. I signed a backbench motion calling on the Government to consider the effect that increased taxes on fuel will have on the economy, to examine ways of working with industry to ensure that falls in oil prices are passed on to consumers, to consider issues around market competitiveness, and more widely to consider the feasibility of a price stabilisation mechanism that would work alongside the fair fuel stabiliser, to address fluctuations in the pump price. Sadly I did not succeed in catching the Speaker's eye but the motion was carried (without a vote).

I also backed calls in the Commons for faster action on amending legislation to outlaw the sale of scrap metal for cash. I am co-sponsoring a 10 Minute Rule Bill which will receive its second reading in the Commons on Friday 20 January 2012. I am hopeful that the Government will make Parliamentary time available to take the Bill forward:

Metal Theft (Prevention): That leave be given to bring in a Bill to introduce a licensing scheme for scrap metal dealers; to enable magistrates’ courts to add restricts to licences to deal in scrap metal; to require that financial transactions in trade in scrap metals be restricted to cashless payments; to give police officers powers to search properties owned by scrap metal dealerships; to provide that scrap metal proven to have been obtained through theft may be classified as criminal assets; to introduce criminal charges for theft of scrap metal which take into account aspects of the crime other than the value of the scrap metal stolen; and for connected purposes.

Additionally I am founding the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Combating Metal theft in order to step-up the campaign within Parliament to suitably amend the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Last weekend I visited Afghanistan with the Ministry of Defence to visit British troops and see first-hand some of the superb work they are doing to create a peaceful and stable Afghanistan in order to protect our national security. It is no exaggeration to say that the quality of our personnel in theatre is superb – our military forces are truly a credit to our nation and deserve our full support in undertaking the difficult and demanding work they are tasked with. We must also remember the many sacrifices made by the families of our personnel serving abroad who are separated for long periods of time from their loved ones. I know that Dudley borough residents proudly back our armed forces.

> Chris Kelly can be contacted on 01384 211 041 or via officeATchriskellympDOTcom. You can also read the latest news & views at chriskellymp.com