Cllr Helen Dick, Dundee City Council's Liberal Democrat Vice Convener of Environmental Services and Sustainability, has today (24th January 2006) reinforced the importance of environmental issues to core Liberal Democrat policies.
Last night the House of Lords defeated the Government plans for ID Cards twice to keep any ID Cards voluntary. The Lords backed a move to keep the controversial system voluntary by 186 to 142 and also an amendment that requires a separate Act of Parliament before ID cards could become compulsory was backed by 198 to 140.
The Hawkinge Gazette has been contacted by a reader asking: "Should the public not be made aware that the Conservative Party high command is seeking to tamper with independent surveys?"
At the County Council meeting today the Liberal Democrats opposed proposals to cut services. The proposals were made in a report prepared by consultants for the Business Delivery Review commissioned by the Conservative administration to find £50 million of savings in County Council expenditure. Councillor Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council said: "This Review was supposed to identify savings without cutting frontline services. Unfortunately it has failed. The proposals include closing 15 youth centres and 6 libraries as well as cutting bus services. On top of this, the proposals drastically reduce the number of highways staff, which is likely to worsen the ability of highways to deal with problems promptly.
Surrey County Council's Executive have decided not to proceed with its PFI contract plans to build a new County Hall in Brewery Road, Woking. They announced this last week, but without revealing which other alternative they want to pursue instead. As a result of questions by County Councillor John Doran (Woking, Horsell) at this week's Council meeting it emerged that the Executive have not yet agreed how best to proceed and an announcement about the future should not be expected for some time.
Paul Holmes MP, for Chesterfield, welcomed the Government's commitment to reduce the number of people on incapacity benefit as new welfare reform proposals were announced today.
