As we head towards the summer holidays, there is good news for the Lichfield Parliamentary constituency which includes Burntwood and surrounding towns and villages.

Unemployment has fallen yet again. The rate is now just 2.3%. The number of unemployed claimants in Lichfield constituency in June 2013 was 1,075. This represents a rate of 2.3% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64, the 536th highest of the 650 UK constituencies. (1st = highest rate of unemployment, 650th = lowest rate of unemployment.) The number of claimants is 195 lower than in June 2012 and 41 lower than in May 2013.

And recorded crime is 10% down throughout Staffordshire. Nationally, the independent Crime Survey of England and Wales shows that overall crime fell by 9 per cent – to the lowest level since the survey began in 1981. Police Recorded Crime fell by 7 per cent in the year to the end of March 2013, with crime falling in every police force in England and Wales. The survey shows statistically significant falls in vandalism (down 13 per cent), vehicle-related theft (down 15 per cent) and ‘all acquisitive crime’ (down 9 per cent). Police recorded crime shows falls in violence (down 4 per cent), robbery (down 13 per cent), burglary (down 8 per cent) and possession of weapons offences (down 16 per cent).

Michael Fabricant says “I am pleased that the statistics are heading in the right direction as that translates into a better quality of life for my constituents. Low unemployment and safer streets shows why our area is such a desirable place to live. But there is no complacency: the fight against the proposed route of HS2 continues and there is still more to be done.”