The RSPCA received over 20,000 animals in its South East animal centres in 2010. That’s an average of 56 animals being collected, rescued or seized every day across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

2011 rescue figures are yet to be published, however, with abandonment complaints across England and Wales exceeding 28,000 in 2011, it highlights the unacceptable number of animals experiencing suffering at the hands of irresponsible pet owners.

Keith sad ‘It’s very sad to hear about the sheer number of animals being abandoned or seized from cruelty. I applaud the RSPCA’s work to rescue and rehome animals. Over 3000 animals are cared for at the Brighton Animal Centre each year, including dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, reptiles, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, chickens, ferrets and various birds. Animal welfare and protection has been a priority for me since becoming an MEP. In the EU I’m calling for more protection for animals and I’m keen to support animal charities across the South East”.

Stacey Frier, RSPCA Senior Parliament Advisor said “The RSPCA works with many political partners and we welcome Keith taking the time to meet with the RSPCA team. Legislation and improved policies can make a significant difference to animal welfare that will both benefit the animals themselves and concerned members of the public”.

During the day Keith will also be meeting with Stacey Frier and Violet Donohoe from the RSPCAs political team to hear about their lobbying work to improve animal welfare legislation.

Keith continued, “The RSPCA is not government funded and relies on the donations of members of the public. However, UK and EU policies can support the work of all animal rescues charities and I will do all I can to lobby key politicians for stronger legislation to improve animal welfare and protection”.

The RSPCA needs the help of the public and Keith supports its call to:
•       only take on an animal where you are confident you can provide for it
•       neuter your pets to reduce the chances of unwanted litters
•       microchip your pet so if it does go missing it can easily be traced back to you
•       make sure you can afford veterinary treatment before taking on an animal.

Find out more about Keith’s animal protection work.

To read more about the work of the RSPCA visit: www.rspca.org.uk

2010 Animal Rescue figures across the South East MEP region:

Berkshire               1843
Buckinghamshire 1554
East Sussex             2045
Hampshire               4268
Isle of Wight           824
Kent                    4419
Oxfordshire             1556
Surrey                  2496
West Sussex             1783

TOTAL:          20788

Keith said, “At the moment these export costs are being covered by the public purse, despite widespread opposition locally and nationally to the practice of exporting live animals. This means that the public are effectively subsidising an activity that’s inhumane, unnecessary and unjustifiable. I hope that Thanet council will endorse a levy that reflects the true costs of this horrific industry”.

Keith recently detailed his concerns about live exports at a public meeting in Broadstairs, along with local MPs and campaigners. He has previously visited Ramsgate to meet with campaigners who are demanding an end to live animal exports from the port. Keith has written to James Paice MP, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, to ask whether DEFRA is adequately monitoring EU transportation standards and whether these standards are being met at Ramsgate port.

At an EU level Keith has written to European Commissioner Dalli to raise his concerns over live animal exports and to ask him to support an eight hour limit on animal transport times, as a step to banning all live exports.

Keith is urging his constituents in the South East to support a Compassion in World Farming campaign which encourages people to write to Thanet Council requesting an increase in the export levy and an end to the inhumane live animal export trade. The charity has recently worked with actress Joanna Lumley to launch a campaign to end live animal exports in 2012.

Photo: Flickr – kleinmatt66

ACTA is a secretly negotiated trade agreement, created to combat the proliferation of counterfeiting and piracy. Although it may have been negotiated like other trade agreements, it is not simply an agreement on tariffs. Instead it broadens the scope of criminal sanctions for internet distribution and information technology, meaning that individuals could be prosecuted for merely sharing a link to a newspaper article or sharing a video on YouTube.

Keith and his colleagues in the Greens/EFA Group are against ACTA both for its content and the process by which it has been drawn up. It paves the way for extra-judicial measures similar to those of SOPA and PIPA, meaning that internet service providers (ISPs) can take action against alleged infringements, bypassing due process and the right to a fair trial.

Keith has replied today to all of his concerned constituents who have taken the time to contact him with their valid and pertinent concerns. He has published his response so that anyone else who is worried about it can understand the Greens/EFA Group’s opposition to this controversial agreement.

Keith addressed the crowd and echoed SOSA’s call for the government to “increase and improve our housing stock to provide decent affordable homes, with more, not less, government support to build them”, stressing that there is a pressing need for social, education and health facilities to be delivered in conjunction with affordable homes. He highlighted the need for more employment and leisure space, together with a transport infrastructure that “enables and encourages” sustainable travel, saying that people need development which is “primarily focused on people, not developer profit”.

Keith summarised the key impacts of the current proposals, sharing SOSA’s concerns about the loss of the ‘brownfield development first’ policy.  Under the current planning regime, planning authorities are encouraged to support planning applications which would make effective use of previously-developed (brownfield) sites.  But under the NPPF, this fundamental emphasis on promoting brownfield regeneration – which has proved to be an effective means of protecting the countryside – could be removed altogether.  According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), this shift away from the ‘brownfield first’ approach could result in a shocking 75% increase in development on greenfield land.

Keith noted that this highly controversial aspect of the proposed new planning policy could be modified in the final document, in the light of the strong opposition which has been voiced by the Green Party and organisations including SOSA, CPRE and the National Trust.  He explained that the loss of the ‘brownfield first’ policy could have very far-reaching consequences for the Sussex countryside, as around 50% of it is ‘unclassified’, meaning that it does not have any special planning designations, such as the ANOB designation for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).  This means that “if land isn’t classified, it isn’t protected under the new National Planning POlicy Framework”.

Mr Taylor also highlighted that the most damaging feature of the proposed NPPF is its “express support” for development of all kinds, which arises from the document’s presumption in favour of development.  This has led to the NPPF being widely regarded as “a developer’s charter”.  He encouraged SOSA and the general public to keep sending “clear messages” to their MPs and local councillors about the many concerns which the NPPF raises for the future of the Sussex landscape.

Photo credit: flickr – Pikaluk

Keith will join campaigner Vanessa Vine, a member of ‘No Fracking in Sussex’, for a visit to the site where Cuadrilla, an American oil and gas company, plans to carry out exploratory drilling for shale gas. The company has already received planning permission and regulatory approval to carry out these investigations.

Later in the day, at 3pm, Keith will attend a public meeting at the village’s Parish Room to hear their concerns and discuss what action he can take in the European Parliament.

Keith said: “This week Bulgaria followed France’s example and became the second EU member state to ban fracking. These countries are responding
to growing concerns about the use of fracking to extract shale gas. More evidence is emerging about the possible dangers of this practice, such as the contamination of drinking water, and people are right to be concerned about the impact on their environment and their health. Until the UK government has carried out a thorough and independent investigation I’m calling for a moratorium on fracking.”

“The European Parliament’s environment committee has identified loopholes in the current EU legislation that should regulate fracking and is therfore calling for a European framework directive on mining. I’m particularly concerned that the current EU requirements to register harmful chemicals do not apply to fracking and that regulations on the need to conduct environmental impact assessments do not cover shale gas extraction. The parliament’s environment committee is calling for a new law on mining to ensure that fracking is better regulated. Later this year the European Commission has promised to publish a study of the climate related impacts of possible future shale gas developments in Europe. It will also provide recommendations with regard to possible climate related regulatory needs and frameworks for shale gas exploration and production.”

“Energy companies are rushing to exploit the UK’s shale gas as if it’s the answer to our energy needs. But a recent report from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research shows that extracting shale gas could threaten the UK’s ability to meet our carbon reduction targets. Instead our government should be investing in renewable energy which is clean and does not risk wreaking havoc with the environment.”

Last week villagers met with Cuadrilla at a public meeting and expressed their concerns about the impact of fracking on their health and the environment. The risk of minor earthquakes, the use of toxic chemicals, increased traffic and the contamination of drinking water were all raised as issues of concern at the meeting.

Photo credit: flickr – Pikaluk

Letter to defra about the license being used for live exports from Ramsgate port

Letter to Commissioner Dalli about the license being used for live exports from Ramsgate port

Response

Response

Response

Response

Letter to Commissioner Ashton on the execution of Troy Davis and the EU’s regulations on the export of torture and death penalty equipment

Response

Response

Letter to the Tilangiao Prison Warden about the imprisonment of Mr Guo Xiaojun

Response

Letter to the Indian Minister of Home Affairs calling for the release of Irom Sharmila Chanu

Letter to the Indian Minister of Defence calling for the release of Irom Sharmila Chanu

Response

Letter to the European Commission on the re-instatement of a residents permit for Paul McAuley

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/13/uprising-against-fracking-nuisance

Uprising against fracking nuisance

Your report (13 January) of a packed village-hall meeting standing up to the chief executive and PR machine of the US multinational Cuadrilla over its plans to drill for gas clearly exposed the strength of feeling on this issue. The villagers are determined to oppose this oil and gas company’s attempt to expand its dangerous fracking practice from Lancashire to the south of England.

Dear Sir,

I am astonished, but not surprised, that the Government has taken the misguided step of approving the HS2 rail scheme. This is a short-sighted and costly scheme that will take 15 years to complete. The unproved economic and social benefits which the scheme claims to bring do not merit the irreparable environmental damage which will be caused through higher energy consumption, noise, CO2 emissions and biodiversity loss. Creating deep cuttings and tunnels through EU protected wildlife sites is not a price to pay for what is likely to be a rich man’s railway which will only serve four stations.

There is a strong case for enhancing the capacity and performance of Britain’s inter-city rail network, but the HS2 proposals are costly, flawed and a wasted opportunity. It would be far better, and more cost-effective, to spend some of that money on upgrading and improving the existing rail infrastructure. The money saved could be put into investment in jobs and regeneration in the north. HS2 will be a slightly faster, yet very expensive rail service, which will create a two tier rail network in this country.

Last July I was one of 54,909 people to submit a response to the government consultation on HS2 setting out why I am opposed to this scheme. You can read this on my website. In a time of constrained finances, spending over £32 billion of public money on a scheme that won’t improve rail transport for the vast majority of travellers shows me that the government is entirely on the wrong track.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Taylor

Green MEP for South East England

Photo credit: flickr – yewenyi

Welcoming the news, Keith said: “That the 8 hours campaign has reached one million signatures shows the strength of feeling on this issue both in the UK and across the EU. Transporting live animals in terrible conditions for hours on end only to meet an early slaughter is a barbaric, cruel and unnecessary act which should be stopped. A limit of eight hours would help to alleviate some of the suffering inflicted on animals being transported to slaughter. Ultimately I am calling for a total ban on live exports as i don’t believe that there is any public appetite for this kind of cruelty to animals.”

To find out more about the eight hour campaign visit http://www.8hours.eu/

Photo: Flickr – kleinmatt66