Iain Wright MP says "The decision to make tougher targets to cut harmful emissions is the right one, and I'll support it."

The Government has taken action on the threat of climate change. Our Climate Change Bill will set a long-term legal framework for reducing emissions for the first time. The Government believes a global deal will only be possible if Britain plays its part, leading the way with other developed countries.

Iain Wright MP says

"The Bill will make us the first country in the world to put carbon reduction targets into law. And we have shown that action on climate change should have an even stronger voice in Government.

"The appointment of my Colleague Ed Miliband as Britain;s first Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change shows our commitment to taking on one of the greatest challenges the world faces.

But we now want our Climate Chance Bill to go further. This summer the Government looked into the long-term target for Britain’s emissions to see if it would deliver real action. They have now decided to take tougher action.

"Our greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 will not be 60 per cent lower than 1990, but 80 per cent lower. I'm pleased that the government has taken this action and that target will be set in law. I will support this and vote for it in the House of Commons."

I was arrested at the weekend. Somebody had seen me steal a jar of coffee in a shop in Murray Street. I was handcuffed, read my rights, had my shoelaces and my wedding ring taken off me and locked in the cells in Hartlepool Police Station. I was also fingerprinted and had DNA swabs taken. I spent a couple of hours in the cells and was then released on bail.

Thankfully, for me at least, this was not real, but something that the Mayor Stuart Drummond and myself had volunteered for on Sunday morning. We put ourselves through the humiliation and the public jeers (of which more later) to publicise the re-opening of the custody suite at Hartlepool Police Station and the start of the ‘Not in my Neighbourhood’ Week.

It was the first time I had ever been arrested, and I must say it was a horrible experience. I had started the day a bit flippant about it, if I’m honest, telling my kids that I was about to be arrested and enjoying the shocked look on their faces. But, as the process continued, as I was handcuffed and locked in the back of the police van, as I was left in the police cell for even a short period of time, a cell that I thought was too cold – and I never feel the cold – I reflected that freedom and liberty are very precious things and something the vast majority of us often don’t give a moment’s thought to.

The custody suite, where people from the town are detained and questioned after being arrested, has just been revamped. People might think in response to that word revamp that I couldn’t move in my cell for comfortable chairs, plasma TVs and X Boxes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The cell had a toilet, a plastic mattress and a sheet, and that was about it. The heavy cell door, when it slammed, was a genuinely frightening experience, and I knew that I was innocent and was about to go to my mother’s for Sunday dinner. I also was given the opportunity to walk around the exercise yard, and in my naivety thought this might actually be outside with some plants and greenery. The yard is essentially another prison cell, with no roof, metal netting in the ceiling and a small plastic sheet on a quarter of this net in case it rains. It’s certainly, contrary to what people might say, not a holiday, and I couldn’t wait to get out of the place.

During the refurbishment, officers had to take suspects to the cells in other towns, like Middlesbrough or Stockton. This took officers off the streets, often for hours at a time, whilst the arrest procedure took place. Now, police officers’ time off the streets in Hartlepool is minimised.

The vast majority of people will never be arrested and will not be held in a cell. I know that the custody suite will now be in use, but I think it would be useful if people had the opportunity to see the sort of facilities that are in use, not only as a deterrent, but also to seek reassurance that crime is being tackled.

This week is also ‘Not in my Neighbourhood’ week, a campaign sponsored by the Home Office to help inform people of the action that is being taken locally, not only by the Police but by others to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and to make communities in Hartlepool safer. Hopefully this will result in greater knowledge and reassurance, especially as tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is something that I feel particularly passionate about.

To finish, just an illustration of the razor sharp Hartlepool wit at my expense. As I was going through the arrest procedure, towards the end the officer took my handcuffs off. They’re not comfortable things and can chafe the wrists a bit. I shouted out: “They’ve left a mark”, only for somebody to shout back instantly: “More than you’ve ever done for Hartlepool!”