Foreign Office minister Mark Simmonds represents Boston and Skegness, where the UK Independence Party won a number of council seats in the 2013 local elections.

Some commentators suggest the UKIP leader may be tempted to stand in the Lincolnshire constituency in the 2015 general election.

Immigration is a concern for some voters in Boston and Skegness, due to the large number of migrant workers from EU countries who have come to the area in recent years.

In an interview for the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mark Simmonds said: "I would be delighted if Nigel chose to fight Boston and Skegness, because it would a real opportunity for some of the challenges we face here to be put into the national domain."

'I'd now be MP'

Nigel Farage unsuccessfully stood against the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow in his Buckingham constituency in 2010.

UKIP activists say they are unaware of any plans to parachute Mr Farage into Boston and Skegness.

The constituency already has a UKIP candidate in place. Councillor Chris Pain said: "If you look at the figures from the county council elections, it's obvious that I would now be the MP for Boston and Skegness."

The local elections on 2 May resulted in UKIP gaining 16 seats on Lincolnshire County Council, making it the official opposition,

The result saw the Conservatives lose their overall majority on the Lincoln-based authority after 16 years in control.

Lincolnshire County Council is now governed by a coalition between the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and independent councillors.

From 6 April, VAT will be charged on static caravans at a rate of 5%.

The so-called 'caravan tax' caused controversy when it was first unveiled in the 2012 Budget at a rate of 20%.

Treasury officials said the measure was designed to address a 'tax anomaly' - which meant VAT was levied on touring caravans, but not on static caravans.

The caravan industry lobbied against the introduction of VAT on static models and the rate was eventually reduced from 20% to 5%.

Andrew Percy was one of a number of Conservative MPs to oppose the 'caravan tax'.

The MP for Brigg and Goole said: "Obviously it would be better if it was 0%, but the industry was perfectly clear at the time that 5% would have a limited impact, if any."

The British caravan industry is centred on Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, where 95% of models are produced.

The managing director of Victory Leisure Homes, Peter Nevitt, claimed it would be difficult for manufacturers to absorb the extra cost of introducing VAT.

Mr Nevitt said: "Anything that increases the retail selling price of the caravans is hard to take. The 5% VAT is something we could have done without."

Thousands of static caravans are bought and sold at holiday parks in coastal towns across the UK.

Park bosses fear the introduction of VAT could deter many static caravan owners from trading in their old models.

The manager of Skegness Water Leisure Park, John Chappell, said: "If you buy a new caravan and decide later you want to sell it, then there will be VAT payable on the used caravan as well as on new sales."

The caravan industry was hoping for a last-minute bounce in sales before the introduction of VAT.

However, many holiday parks claim the freezing spring weather deterred would-be buyers from purchasing new static caravans over the Easter holidays.

Victoria Ayling said she had lost confidence in David Cameron and believed the government was not doing enough to tackle immigration.

Mrs Ayling is councillor with East Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire.

In an interview with the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Victoria Ayling said: "David Cameron claims to have reduced immigration in real terms, which is untrue, when 29m Romanians and Bulgarians can come to this country from January."

Victoria Ayling was seen by some as a rising star of the Conservative Party.

In 2010 she came close to causing a general election upset when she reduced Labour MP Austin Mitchell's majority in Great Grimsby to just 714 votes.

Austin Mitchell, who is a critic of the EU, said: "I've got a lot in common with UKIP and Victoria, you consider my views on Europe. But I don't think UKIP will have enough impact to break the two party system."

Threatening to defect

Victoria Ayling claims she was brushed aside by an angry David Cameron when she told him personally of her decision to leave the Conservatives at the party's recent spring forum in Central London.

Mrs Ayling also claims she has been contacted by a number of Tories who are considering jumping ship to UKIP.

She said: "I've had councillors 'phoning me up, offering support and threatening to defect. I will not name names, but they will announce it in their own time."

Lincolnshire Conservatives say they're sorry that Victoria Ayling has decided to leave the party, but a spokesmen said they were 'relaxed' about her decision to defect to UKIP.

The scene is now set for a bitter fight in many areas between the Tories and UKIP in the run-up to local elections on 2 May.

Many patients in northern Lincolnshire have little choice but to use the bridge to access medical treatment at hospitals in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Humber Bridge tolls were cut by half in April 2012 - from £3 each way for cars to £1.50 per crossing.

Despite the reduction, campaigners say cancer sufferers who need regular chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions are being hit in the pocket by the £3 return toll charge.

Proposed new legislation would give the Humber Bridge Board greater financial freedom and could pave the way for toll-free crossings for hospital patients.

A bill was introduced to parliament in January, but its passage was delayed after the Tory MP and former Transport Minister Christopher Chope shouted "Object" in the House of Commons.

The MP for Christchurch in Dorset said: "I have got a legitimate interest in saying that legislation that may impact upon the national taxpayer should be discussed in parliament."

MP's anger

Mr Chope's actions caused dismay among some of his Conservative colleagues representing Humber constituencies.

Speaking to BBC Look North, Andrew Percy, the Tory MP for Brigg and Goole, said: "I'm very annoyed. Chris Chope knows nothing about the Humber Bridge.

"I tried to stop him, I tried to sit next to him to stop him shouting 'Object', but he does this to everything and there's no reasoning with him."

The Humber Bridge opened to traffic in 1981 and has often been at the centre of political controversy over the rising cost of tolls, which have been blamed on the legacy of spiralling debt from its construction.

The Humber Bridge Bill is now at the second reading stage in the House of Commons and is expected to pass through the various stages of parliament over the next six months.

With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child due in July, ministers want to scrap the historic rules which favour male heirs to the throne.

If William and Kate's baby is a girl, she would be expected to become monarch ahead of any younger male siblings.

However, the MP for Louth and Horncastle Sir Peter Tapsell has warned of the dangers of breaking with centuries of tradition.

Speaking in the Commons, the Father of the House said: "But for our law of male primogeniture, the German Kaiser would have become King of England, which would have produced almost as interesting a coalition as the present one."

A quick check on the history books confirms that if the male bias towards royal succession had not been in place a century or so ago, Queen Victoria's daughter - also called Victoria - would have acceded to the throne ahead of her younger brother Edward VII.

Her son became Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany.

But few MPs share Sir Peter Tapsell's scepticism of what many regard as an historical act of discrimination.

The new bill would also allow the heir to the throne to marry a Catholic.

Following the recent news that all Commonwealth governments had agreed to the change in the law, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "I'm delighted that all of the Queen's realms have agreed to this historic piece of legislation.

"It will enact in law what we agreed back in 2011 - that if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a baby girl, she can one day be our Queen even if she has younger brothers."

Mr Clegg said the government would introduce the Succession to the Crown Bill to the Commons "as soon as possible".

Lincolnshire MP Edward Leigh is one of the leading opponents of plans to allow religious institutions to hold 'gay marriage' ceremonies.

The Conservative MP for Gainsborough has accused the government of performing a U-turn - claiming the initial consultation on same-sex marriage applied only to civil ceremonies.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Leigh said: "The change of policy greatly increases the chance of human rights litigation to force churches to have same-sex marriages against their will.

"The state has no right to redefine people's marriages."

More than 100 Conservative MPs oppose legislation to allow same-sex marriage.

The Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell, Alec Shelbrooke, also expressed his concerns.

Speaking to the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mr Shelbrooke said: "What I find upsetting about this entire conversation is that if you vote against this you're homophobic. I am not homophobic.

"I certainly believe that people should be able to have equal partnerships. This is a religious discussion for me and one which personally I feel has gone totally in the wrong direction."

The government says churches would be allowed to 'opt-in' to the new rules and no religious groups would be forced to carry out same-sex ceremonies.

The Church of England and Church in Wales would be excluded from any new law.

The Equalities Minister Maria Miller has said the government is committed to a "quadruple lock" package of safeguards to protect religious freedom.

That would include amending the 2010 Equality Act to ensure no discrimination claim can be brought against religious organisations or individual ministers for refusing to marry a same-sex couple.

David Cameron has said he does not want gay people "excluded from a great institution".

A number of leading Conservatives are in favour of same-sex marriage, including Education Secretary Michael Gove and London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The former deputy prime minister said negative newspaper coverage had overshadowed much of his campaign.

In an interview with the Hull Daily Mail Lord Prescott said: "I had the most damaging attacks by the national press during the campaign. I can't think of another candidate that had the nationals lining up against them.

"Only one didn't give me a kicking. Thank God for the regionals is all I can say."

Lord Prescott has been critical of the supplementary vote system used in the PCC elections in England and Wales.

In the Humberside force area, he secured the most first preference votes of the seven PCC candidates.

However, when second preference votes were taken into account the Labour peer lost to Conservative Matthew Grove by 42,164 votes to 39,933.

Mr Grove has defended the voting system which secured his victory against the man who represented Hull East in Parliament for 40 years.

Speaking to the BBC Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mr Grove said: "If it had been the first-past-the-post system, then some people would have voted differently.

"We had the electoral system that was presented to us and the people decided."

Turnout in Humberside was the second highest in the PCC elections at 19.2%.

Lord Prescott has said he is unlikely to stand for election again, but insisted he would "not be sitting around in my slippers".

The Labour veteran has a large following on Twitter and has campaigned for tighter press regulation in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry.

A leading bookmaker has suggested the former deputy prime minister is odds-on to appear in a reality TV show before the end of next year.

John Prescott's spokesman responded: "John will never appear on 'I'm a Celebrity'. The only jungle he is interested in is the political one."

The Prime Minister said welfare reform would encourage more British-born workers to compete with EU nationals in the labour market.

Mr Cameron was responding to concerns raised in a report on the impact of migration on the Lincolnshire town of Boston.

Recent years have seen a large number of migrant workers settle in Lincolnshire and surrounding counties to serve the food production industry.

Some claim the arrival of families from Eastern Europe has put pressure on public services and excluded British people from many jobs.

In an interview with BBC Look North, David Cameron said: "If we have a welfare system that encourages and pays people to go out to work, rather than stay at home, there'll be more British people in those jobs and fewer people coming from Europe to do those jobs.

"But I don't want us to leave the European Union because we are a trading nation. We need those markets open."

At the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, David Cameron suggested there could be a referendum on the UK's future in the EU.

The Prime Minister told the BBC that a public vote would be the "cleanest, neatest, simplest, most sensible" way to resolve the issue.

Some would argue that our future role in the EU (or lack of it) cannot be properly assessed until the financial uncertainty in the Eurozone is settled.

However, many of Mr Cameron's own MPs are urging him to commit to a timescale for a referendum.

Speaking to the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, the Conservative MP for Cleethorpes Martin Vickers said: "I'd like to see the government put forward a clear timetable towards a referendum.

"I don't think the issue will be settled until the British people have had a chance to vote on it."

Whether David Cameron likes it or not, the many issues surrounding Europe are firmly back on the main agenda of British politics.

Nick Clegg admitted the level of unemployment in northern cities like Hull was "depressing".

But he said the government would provide subsidies to companies which invest in the offshore wind industry on the Humber.

Latest figures suggest that in parts of Hull up to 38 people are chasing every job vacancy.

In an interview for BBC Look North, Nick Clegg said: "My heart goes out to those people who've lost their job and I wish we had a magic wand solution to the deep seated economic problems we inherited."

In his keynote speech to the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, Nick Clegg urged delegates to show "courage and vision" in making the coalition work.

It's been another difficult year for the party.

May's local elections saw the Lib Dems lose more council seats to Labour in Hull - a city they controlled until last year's meltdown at the polls.

Mr Clegg said the government was working "flat out" to ensure the engineering giant Siemens goes ahead with a proposed new wind turbine factory in Hull.

He added: "To keep bills lower than they would be, it's right now to take the long term view to provide the subsidies, to provide the incentives as a government to make sure that companies like Siemens create jobs in places like Hull to create new offshore wind capacity."

But Labour MPs have criticised the Deputy Prime Minister's comments.

Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "On the basis of a few phone calls, Nick Clegg tries to claim credit for the hard graft done by many in Hull over the past few years to bring Siemens to Hull - notably in the Hull business community and the local authority."

Following his much publicised apology over his broken promise on increasing student tuition fees, Nick Clegg's critics believe his future actions must speak louder than words.

Councillors in Lincolnshire claim that leading retailers are typically charging more for petrol and diesel at supermarkets in rural areas, compared with stores in larger towns and cities.

The environment portfolio holder for East Lindsey District Council, Tony Bridges, believes motorists in his part of Lincolnshire pay more for their supermarket fuel than drivers in other parts of the county.

Cllr Bridges said: "I fine it quite extraordinary that household food such as bread and milk cost exactly the same in most supermarkets, but when you get to fuel prices they are vastly different. It's like a postcode lottery."

The major supermarkets have long used discounted fuel as a way to attract shoppers.

But prices at the pumps can vary dramatically depending on where drivers fill-up.

At the time of writing, Tesco was charging 3p a litre more for petrol and diesel at its filling station in Cleethorpes, compared with one of its supermarkets in Lincoln, less than 40 miles away.

A spokesman for the supermarket giant said: "As is the case with all other petrol retailers in the UK, Tesco does not operate with one national price.

"Our clear goal for customers is to endeavour to be competitive on petrol and diesel in the local catchment area for each store."

Most other supermarket chains appear to operate a similar policy, although a spokeswoman for Asda said: "We always set a maximum national price cap, whereas our competition charges higher prices from town to town."

Critics of the big supermarkets have accused them of selling petrol and diesel at below cost price to attract customers to their stores.

Speaking to BBC Look North, the chairman of RMI Petrol Retailers' Association, Brian Maddison, said: "We have said to the Office of Fair Trading and to the government that this is crippling the whole retail industry for forecourts in the UK."

The latest survey from the AA revealed that petrol was cheapest in Yorkshire and Humberside and most expensive in Northern Ireland.

The government recently announced it had postponed its 3p a litre rise in fuel duty from August until January 2013.

The Conservative MP for Cleethorpes, Martin Vickers, was speaking ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the Soham murders.

However, Mr Vickers said he did not support the return of the death penalty.

Speaking to BBC Look North, Martin Vickers said: "I do believe that people like Huntley should be in jail for life and it should be a spartan regime while they are there.

"In regards to the death penalty, my fear is that if we have juries that are making decisions over life and death it will make them more reluctant to convict and there will be more dangerous murderers on the streets than there are now."

Ian Huntley is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were both 10 years old.

In 2005, a High Court judge ordered that Huntley must serve at least 40 years in prison.

Although there is little chance of capital punishment being restored in the UK - it is currently illegal under EU law - a number of MPs still support the death penalty.

Conservative MP Philip Davies recently travelled to Florida, where 73 people have been executed since the death penalty was reintroduced in the US state in 1979.

Lethal injection is now the main method of execution in the 'Sunshine State'.

Speaking to BBC Sunday Politics on his visit to the USA, Mr Davies said: "I am confident this is the right system of justice.

"When the backlash does come, it is not inconceivable that the UK does decide to bring back the death penalty."

Recent online petitions have called for the return of the death penalty, but there are currently no plans to debate the subject in Parliament.

MPs voted to suspend capital punishment in 1965 and it was abolished altogether for most crimes in 1969.

Various attempts to restore the death penalty in subsequent years have been defeated in the House of Commons.

A number of MPs from all sides have signed a Commons early day motion calling for a ban on the use of stray cats and dogs in experiments to remain in place.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) claims a European Union directive, due to be implemented in 2013, could allow the removal of the ban in some cases.

The BUAV's director of policy, Dr Nick Palmer, said: "Britain has the option to say no we'll stick to the current ban, but for some reason the government has said we'll adopt a less restrictive wording and allow it in some circumstances."

Nic Dakin, Labour MP for Scunthorpe, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experimentation, is seeking clarification.

Speaking to the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mr Dakin said: "In some parts of Europe stray animals are used for experiments, the argument being you don't have to breed animals for experiments. I don't agree with it, but that is the argument.

"In the UK that has not been the case and I very much hope the government takes steps to ensure that cannot be the case in the future."

The government insists that certain types of scientific research using animals is essential in the development of new drugs and the advancement of medical technology.

Animal testing is licensed by the Home Office.

A Home Office spokesman stated EU rules "prohibit the use of feral animals in research and the possibility of exemption is extremely narrow and unlikely".

While the likelihood of stray pets being used in experiments may seem remote, campaigners are calling for a House of Commons debate to discuss an issue they believe will be of concern to a nation of animal lovers.

Toll charges have been reduced from £3 to £1.50 each way for cars.

Motorcycle tolls have now been scrapped.

The lower tolls come as a result of the government writing down almost half the £330 million debt still outstanding on the Humber Bridge.

In an interview with BBC Look North, George Osborne said: "The evidence we have is that the cut in the tolls will boost the local economy by £250 million over the next generation.

"It is really good for jobs, people will be able to find work on the other side of the estuary if they haven't got it now."

In a poll commissioned by BBC Look North and carried out by GfK/NOP - 500 people were asked what impact the lower toll charges would have on the economy of East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire:

Humber Bridge users watched with envy as bridge tolls in Scotland were abolished four years ago.

However, opinion is divided over the economic benefits of lower tolls.

Professor Tom Rye from the Transport Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University said: "I think the tolls will have a marginal impact.

"If you want to improve the economy of the area you have to look at the things that are the real constraints on the economy of that area, and they are unlikely to be bridge tolls."

It seems that most drivers welcome a cut in tolls after three decades of paying a high price for crossing the Humber.

It follows claims by anti-monarchy campaigners that schools are promoting "uncritical celebration" of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Members of Republic say they are considering mounting legal challenges to some activities, arguing they breach the Education Act's requirement to provide balance on political issues.

Activists have raised particular concern about a school cookery competition devised by the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Cook for the Queen competition aims to encourage children to create a new dish to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

Teacher Sam Gardner, who represents Republic in Yorkshire, said: "We don't think that the Jubilee is something to celebrate.

"If you ask yourself what the Queen has done to achieve her position and how she has managed to stay in that position. There is no way of removing her, it's not a democratic process."

Mr Gardner's views are echoed by Celia Foote, who is a national executive committee member of the NASUWT.

Ms Foote told the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: "It's not done in an informed way. You don't find out what is monarchy. Why do we have a monarchy? What's the history?

"Why don't some places, like America, why don't they have a monarchy? So it's just left in isolation."

"Why don't some places, like America, why don't they have a monarchy? So it's just left in isolation."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "The law is designed to stop children being indoctrinated by biased and unbalanced political views, not from joining in a national celebration with millions of others.

"It's down to individual schools to decide how to mark the event.

"It is impossible to see how a cooking competition could possibly be construed as inherently unbalanced.

"The National Curriculum expressly sets out that classes should teach about all aspects of our political system."

However, despite opposition from some, there appears to be no shortage of people in Yorkshire ready to dig out the bunting to celebrate the Queen's 60 years on the throne.

Launching his campaign in Hull, Lord Prescott said: "I feel that after proudly serving as a local MP for 40 years and as a cabinet minister for 10 years, I have the experience to listen to the public and help be their strong voice in supporting the police and holding them to account."

Although he did not formally endorse John Prescott's bid, the Labour leader paid tribute to the former Deputy Prime Minister.

In an interview for the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Ed Miliband said: "As always in these things, we are going to have a vote in the Labour Party as to who the best candidates are for police commissioner.

"But John Prescott is an unstoppable force and I'm sure he'd be a great police commissioner."

Elections for the new commissioners in 41 police force areas across England and Wales will take place in November, when the current police authorities will be scrapped.

They will have the power to hire and fire chief constables, hold them to account and set the force's budget.

Humberside's Police and Crime Commissioner is expected to earn an annual salary of £75,000.

Reaction to John Prescott's decision to stand for the post was mixed on the streets of Hull.

"He's got plenty of fight in him"...was how one woman reacted to the news.

References to the infamous punch - thrown at an egg-throwing protestor in 2001 - continue to dog the man formally known as Baron Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull.

The Labour nomination for Humberside's Police and Crime Commissioner will also be contested by Colin Inglis, a former leader of Hull City Council, and Keith Hunter, a former chief superintendent with Humberside Police.

Diana Wallis announced last week she would be stepping down as a Lib Dem MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Stewart Arnold was the party's second choice candidate in the region at the time of the last European elections in 2009, which would have entitled him to take over his wife's job.

The potential handover of power - without a single vote being cast - provoked accusations of nepotism from the couple's political opponents and from some in their own party.

However in a statement, Mr Arnold confirmed he would not be stepping into his wife's shoes.

Stewart Arnold said: "After a full consideration, I have made the decision not to take up the post of MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber.

"One of the contributory factors of Diana's resignation was her illness (as outlined in her letter of resignation) and I decided in the short term to give her the support she needs and not to take up the seat which would inevitably involve long periods away from home."

The seat vacated by Diana Wallis is expected to be taken by 36-year-old Rebecca Taylor from Todmorden in West Yorkshire, who was third on the Liberal Democrat party list in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2009.

Diana Wallis has attracted criticism, following her decision to step down as a Liberal Democrat MEP for the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Under current rules, her seat will be taken by the Lib Dems' second choice candidate in the region at the time of the 2009 European elections.

He is Stewart Arnold - otherwise known as Diana Wallis' husband.

I spoke to Diana Wallis at her home in east Yorkshire where she defended the process, which could see her shoes filled by Mr Arnold, without a single vote being cast.

Ms Wallis said: "There was a selection within my party and there was a public election. It is now up to the person who is second on the list to decide what he wants to do."

Asked if her husband would make a good MEP, Diana Wallis said: "I think he would make an excellent MEP, but then again I am biased."

Her actions have prompted sharp words from political enemies and fellow Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies has resigned as a Lib Dem whip in the European Parliament in protest.

Mr Davies said: "This may be within the party's rules but many people will think it doesn't sound right and some will say that it stinks. I would agree with them.

"This would be a gift to eurosceptics who accuse MEPs of being out of touch and interested only in feathering their own nests, and we will all be tainted as a result."

Stewart Arnold has yet to formally confirm whether he intends to take his wife's job.

Diana Wallis' resignation appears to have been prompted by her unsuccessful campaign to be elected as President of the European Parliament.

Ms Wallis is a former solicitor, who later became a Liberal Democrat councillor on Humberside County Council and on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

She became an MEP in 1999 and has served as a vice-president of the European Parliament.

Diana Wallis says she remains a committed pro-European Liberal Democrat and hopes to continue serving the party.

But in this era of coalition politics the spotlight is on a political marriage of a different kind.

Proposals to end the practice of national pay bargaining have prompted fears that some workers will find themselves on the wrong side of a North-South divide.

Ministers believe public sector salaries should be more closely linked to average wages in the local labour market.

In Kingston-upon-Thames, workers in the private sector earn on average more than twice as much as staff in its northern namesake - Kingston-upon-Hull.

Although many London-based staff receive a weighting allowance, most public sector staff are subject to the same rates of pay whether they work in the north or the south.

The Chancellor has announced that the government is looking at salaries being negotiated at a local, rather than national level.

Speaking in Leeds, George Osborne said: "What we're trying to do is make sure that pay is fair and that it is right for the local economy.

"We've already introduced it in the courts service, they already have local rates of pay, so we'll be asking the independent review bodies whether this is the right thing to introduce more widely in the public sector."

However, the move is opposed by teachers such as Emma Hardy, who works in a primary school in East Yorkshire.

Speaking to the Sunday Politics in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Ms Hardy said: "George Osborne has already said there is no extra money to fund this.

"What instead he must be doing, if there is no more money, is either putting a pay freeze on people who live in poorer areas or giving us a pay cut."

The Public Pay Review bodies will now look at the options for making wages more responsive to local labour markets, with a report due in July.

Following the recent strikes over pensions, the proposed scrapping of national pay bargaining could spark round two in a fight between the public sector unions and the government.

The star of The Office and Extras is supporting a campaign by the anti-vivisection group, BUAV, which is trying to prevent the expansion of a centre in the village of Grimston.

Plans to extend the site owned by B&K Universal were originally rejected by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in June.

The company has appealed against the planning verdict, and the matter now rests with the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, with a decision due in the next few weeks.

In a statement released by the BUAV, Ricky Gervais said: "I am disgusted to learn of these plans to breed beagles for experiments. It is unacceptable that these gentle and trusting dogs should be treated as commodities.

"If B&K's plans go ahead, thousands of dogs will be born to spend the rest of their short lives in a laboratory cage, where they will suffer in cruel experiments."

An online petition against the proposals has attracted more than 28,000 signatures.

The BUAV chief executive, Michelle Thew, said: "We are delighted to receive the support of Ricky Gervais on this important issue."

She added: "There are a range of modern, humane, non-animal research techniques available to scientists which should be used instead of inflicting suffering on dogs and other animals in laboratories."

B&K Universal has not commented directly on the latest proposals to build a dog breeding facility, but on the company's website it states:

"B&K Universal strongly believes in the promotion of environmental enrichment for the well-being of laboratory animals and will always continue to set standards of best practice in the pursuit of this objective."

The use of dogs in medical research remains controversial.

According to government figures, in 2005 more than 7,400 beagles were used in experiments - less than half of 1% of the total number of animals used in scientific procedures.

The last minute boom follows the government's decision to slash the subsidy available to those who generate their own solar power.

From December 12, the feed-in tariff for residents who install solar panels will be reduced from 43p for each kilowatt-hour generated to 21p per kWh.

The timing of the move has been criticised by environmental campaigners and the green energy industry, with claims the decision will cost thousands of jobs.

Poultry farmer Robert Borrill took out a £150,000 loan to install solar panels on his farm in North Lincolnshire.

He signed the contract and paid for planning permission, but was told he would not be eligible for the higher tariff due to the reduction, which many did not expect until 2012.

Speaking to the Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mr Borrill said: I am absolutely livid. All the warning signs were that the tariff would change next April, which would have given us time to prepare.

"We've paid the money, we've signed the contract and out of the blue a decision like this comes through to cut the tariff now."

Ministers claim the feed-in tariff was simply unaffordable at the previous level and argue the cost of photovoltaic panels have fallen since the scheme was launched.

The solar subsidy scheme, worth £867m, is funded by a charge on consumer energy bills.

In November, two of Britain's biggest solar panel installers and the environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth launched a High Court bid to prevent the tariffs being cut by the government.

Figures released by the energy regulator Ofgem reveal the amount of solar power generated by the domestic market has increased more than ten-fold since the subsidy began in 2010.