This week has been the last week Parliament has been sitting before the Easter recess and the legislative programme has been very light. I've had two oral questions - the first to the Defence Secretary and the second to the Prime Minister.
Barnet Liberal Democrats have condemned the Resources Scrutiny Committee report into the Icelandic Banks fiasco as a whitewash. An all party working group had produced a draft report looking at how Barnet lost £27.4 million pounds in Icelandic Banks. The working party amongst other things uncovered that Barnet had made these investments against the rules of its own treasury management strategy. In fact 89% of all Barnet investments over several years had broken the rules.
A new Grounds Maintenance Contract has been agreed by Spelthorne Council which will save the Council money, but this means that 27 open spaces will not be maintained to the same standard as previously. LibDem Councillors have been deliberately prevented from having any input at every stage of the process and are very concerned about the impact of the change on public open spaces.
Henry Vann has slammed the government for talking out a vital Fuel Poverty Bill proposed by the Liberal Democrats which had support from a number of Conservative and Labour back-benchers as well.
Allnuts Post Office in Epping closed last year despite a big campaign to save it. Many people have missed the local services it has provided.
Liz Lynne, the West Midlands Euro MP and anti- trafficking campaigner, has strongly welcomed news that the European Commission is to draft Europe- wide legislation aimed at tackling the traffic of human beings.