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Our policy on trees and how you can steer it

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Trees are often raised with me by local people in Wycombe.  The Conservative Party 2019 manifesto committed us to tree planting: We will invest in nature, helping us to reach our Net Zero target with a £640 million new Nature for Climate fund. Building on our support for creating a Great Northumberland Forest, we will reach an additional 75,000 acres of trees a year by the end of the next Parliament, as well as restoring our peatland. The Conservatives website […]

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Experiencing an electric motorcycle: the Agility Saietta R

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  •   Oct-12-2014
  •   Fun, Politics
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As Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Motorcycling, Motorcycle Action Group recently asked me to experience an electric motorcycle. I was skeptical. Find out how I got on: A review will appear in their magazine shortly. As part of the future of motorcycling, especially in town, electric motorcycles are good news. Related: my article after taking evidence on electric vehicles while I was on the Transport Committee.  

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Today: no global warming for 18 years

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  •   Oct-1-2014
  •   Politics
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Via CNS News.com: The Earth’s temperature has “plateaued” and there has been no global warming for at least the last 18 years, says Dr. John Christy, professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at the University of Alabama/Huntsville. Further, when asked why the UN climate models were all wrong, Dr Christy said, You’re going back to a fundamental question of science that when you understand a system, you are able to predict its behavior. […]

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Underground access – shale gas

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  •   Jun-6-2014
  •   Politics
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The Government is currently running a consultation on proposals to reform the procedures for securing underground access to oil and gas deposits. The consultation aims to find the right balance between the legitimate interests and concerns of landowners, and the benefits to the community and nation at large of permitting development where that development is otherwise acceptable in planning and environmental terms. Several constituents have contacted me about the proposals that were detailed in the Queen’s Speech: it should be […]

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Speech on the “Green Investment Bank”

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A speech in committee on the so-called Green Investment Bank, which appears to have had a greater impact than I had forseen: 4.45 pm Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con): I fear that we are, once again, gathered together to make our constituents poorer and to promote special-interest rent seeking. I am rather surprised that we are gathered together in this Committee. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has pointed out that Opposition Members wish to use direct intervention in the […]

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Protecting the green belt

My question yesterday as a supplementary to an oral question on green belt protection: Steve Baker (Wycombe) (Con):Will my right hon. Friend take steps to diminish planning inspectors’ powers over those who are democratically elected? Mr Pickles: My hon. Friend must have come across some grumpy planning inspectors. By and large, they are there to introduce the national planning policy framework, and to ensure that decisions are made in accordance with it. Local democratically elected representatives have a duty to […]

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The Government’s plan to “decarbonise the transport fleet”

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Following a Transport Committee oral evidence session on Low Carbon Vehicles, I have received a letter from the Minister, Norman Baker MP (no relation). It’s not necessary to reproduce the lot, but I do wonder if car enthusiasts, or indeed drivers generally, realise that: … the Carbon Plan 2011 showed that we need to virtually decarbonise the car fleet by 2050 and new cars by 2040 to meet our 2050 80% GHG reduction target. To have a reasonable chance of […]

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Book review: Popper, All Life is Problem Solving

Karl Popper’s All Life is Problem Solving is a wonderful collection of his speeches and shorter writings in two parts: Questions of natural science and Thoughts on history and politics. I first discovered Popper through The Open Society and its Enemies, a vehement defence of democracy against totalitarianism. Many of the themes he explored there are naturally to be found in this much slimmer book. Two particular ideas are relevant today: the logic and evolution of scientific theory and his […]

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Crony capitalism is so entrenched, we scarcely even spot it

The Transport Committee met today for an evidence session on low carbon vehicles. It illustrated that crony capitalism is now not merely entrenched and passed over, but borne out of the good intentions of a global regulatory elite. In the first session, we learned that “consumer demand is lagging policy”, which I translated as “people don’t want to buy these expensive vehicles” (I’ll link to the transcript later). We learned that electric vehicles are expensive and impractical: £30,000 for a […]

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Arbitrary and capricious power anyone?

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Successive governments have incentivised people to buy ‘greener’ cars which use less fuel. Apart from outrageously high fuel duty with 20% VAT on top, the other tool has been Vehicle Excise Duty graded to promote low CO2 cars. Having herded people down this road, apparently the Government now finds it cannot afford to lose the tax revenue. The Telegraph reports Drivers punished for going green: The Daily Telegraph has learnt that government officials have begun private discussions with the motoring industry […]

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Steve Baker is the Conservative MP for Wycombe.

Steve was first elected to Parliament in 2010. He was previously an RAF engineer officer then a consulting software engineer. Find out more...

Steve holds regular surgeries in High Wycombe. If you would like an appointment, please contact me.

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