I told you that I went to see my MP Louise Mensch a little while ago and she said that she would write to the Treasury asking for the evidence that the Habitats Regulations are a brake on the UK economy and to Defra asking about implementation of the Birds Directive (given the decline in farmland birds, the lack of hen harriers in the English uplands, and the lack of designation of marine conservation areas).
Ms Mensch’s two letters, the first to Chloe Smith (Economic Secretary to the Treasury) and the second to Caroline Spelman (Secretary of State at Defra), arrived with me the other day.
I like the idea that I can relax over Christmas and two government departments are working overtime to write back to me.
Happy Christmas!
PS In an earlier blog I referred to Ms Mensch as feisty, which according to this definition she most certainly is. But I heard on the radio the other day, in the programme of this book, that the origin of feisty is to do with something that happens if you overdose on Brussels sprouts – which is interesting, but not what I intended at all.
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I too wrote to my MP, Mark about the iniquitous comment by Mr Osborne in his autumn budget statement about the Habitats Directive. I asked my MP to forward my letter through to Mr Osborne, which he has confirmed to me he has done. So we know that at lees too letters have been sent to Mr Osborne and his team and I believe quite a lot more have also be sent by other people.
Hello Mark,
Will you publish the letters to and from the MP’s? I think it would be in the public interest to read what our elected representatives have to say about this!
Happy New Year
Finn