Thank you for asking me here this evening. Whilst thinking about what to say today my mind went back to when I was first selected as the Conservative candidate for Stratford and I was told I should go to speak to Stratford Voice. "They're the vocal ones", I was warned. Two and a half years later I would rather say that you're the passionate ones. And there is much to be passionate about. Stratford is a very special place. On a daily basis I have to pinch myself that I am the MP for such a wonderful town. On a Monday morning other colleagues, who shall obviously remain nameless, are in the tea room bemoaning their constituencies and how happy they are to be back in LondonI have to hold myself back from showing off about Stratford. And unlike my colleagues, when I travel abroad on parliamentary business there is never any need to spend 15 minutes trying to explain to a foreign dignitary where my constituency is, or what it's famous for. Everyone around the world has heard of Stratford, the birthplace of Shakespeare. As a result I suspect that in 10 days time many an Olympic volunteer will be left a little confused when someone asks them for directions to the birthplace. Of course not every olympic visitor will remain in the wrong Stratford. I'm sure we can expect a boost to visitors in the coming weeks and whilst I know there is often a tension between residents and tourists I do hope they will get a very warm welcome. But we shouldn't forget that tourism isn't Stratford's only business. In and around Stratford are hundreds if not thousands of innovative businesses, all bucking the national trend, expanding, growing and taking on staff. And businesses like these, large and small, are looking for support from Stratford residents to help them grow. It's all too easy to think that the town and the district can survive on tourism alone, but that isn't the case and we have to consider how we can support our other businesses. After all without economic growth a town cannot survive, but at the same time we should never let the uniqueness of our town be lost. And that is what Stratford Voice is good at. In Stratford you are truly the big society in action: A Community; - Volunteering - Representing - Delivering You hold a vital role of holding the powers that be to account. You may not always get exactly what you want, but there is no doubt you are listened to. And this will become an ever more important task in the months and years ahead. Many of you will have heard me talk about localism before. About how important it is that the decisions that affect us are made by those closest to us. If I, or one of the Councillors make a decision you don't like then you'll see us on the street and stop us. If it's made by a faceless bureaucrat in Birmingham or Whitehall you can't do that. It's an important shift in accountability. Across the board this Government is focused on pushing decision making down, closer to those it affects. From schools to planning to Police Commissioners that is already happening. And whilst to date some of you may be disappointed in how localism is working to date, I ask you to bear with us. As a Government we have only been in power for 26 months and the vested interests of centralised control are incredibly strong. The Localism Act was only passed in November last year. Now comes the difficult part, the implementation, because contrary to popular belief legislation alone doesn't change things. Unlike the previous government who were happy to pass a record number of laws but not interested in how they or their policy agenda is implemented this Government has a laser like focus on implementation. Take welfare reform. The successful implementation of Universal Credit is vital to both deficit reduction and our aim to move people from welfare to work. Iain Duncan Smith meets weekly with the 7 staff responsible for its delivery and was recently shocked to find out that he's the first Secretary of State in the history of DWP to monitor such a project so closely or to meet with staff at that operational level. As anyone with even the smallest amount of business experience will tell you it's implementation not intention that matters and changes to the planning system are no different. The speeches have been made, the law has been passed, the national planning policy framework has been published. Now it comes down to the implementation; to the drawing up of neighbourhood plans and, the making of decisions by planners, Councillors and the Planning Inspectorate. Here in Stratford I'm very pleased that the town council has grabbed hold of neighbourhood planning and that so many groups in the town are engaged and involved. The Neighbourhood plan offers a mechanism for real control over development in an area. Some will say that they can't over-ride a Core strategy.... ... Whilst I say they provide a mechanism for a community, such as ours, to take charge of its own destiny and define how development fits in with the local area. The flyer for this event questioned how Stratford's unique status can be protected when all too often it is treated like any other town by national and local policies. The answer to that question is the neighbourhood plan which is why I am so supportive of this new approach. Obviously it would be remiss of me to discuss planning tonight without touching on the proposals for 800 new homes in Shottery. Groups like Stratford Voice, RASE and others have done great work in ensuring that the views of local people are put across. As you know, because of the controversial nature of this application the final decision will be made by the Secretary of State. I have personally lobbied him on your behalf and from those conversations I can tell those of you that have written to Eric that he is very grateful for your views, even if his office has had to set aside a whole filing cabinet for your letters. We won't know his decision until the Autumn, and the decision has to be taken within the policy framework that's in place, but I am hopeful that Localism and the emergent policy will win the day. Shottery certainly won't be the last controversial application for Stratford. A town like this will always have competing priorities and as a result there will always be a place for a group as passionate as Stratford Voice.