Tory-led Surrey County Council voted today to keep the freeze on youth service recruitment, despite the obvious damage it is causing to youth services throughout Surrey. Liberal Democrat Councillor Diana Smith (Knaphill) put forward a motion calling for an immediate end to the recruitment freeze, put in place in December 2007. But the ruling Tory group voted to keep the status quo.
In the run up to the 60th anniversary of the NHS, Nick Clegg has set out his vision for a people's health service
An estimated 18,500 police officers are marching in central London today in a protest over pay. Officers are angry that a 2.5% pay rise has been backdated to only 1 December for officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Home Office said it had a responsibility to make sure pay rises were in line with government policy. Liberal Democrats London Mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, a former Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner, has taken part in the march.
Having seen many of south lakelands roads - especially the A6 at Heversham - under water, and experienced at first hand the impact of flooding on our rail network, local MP Tim Farron is today seeking reassurance from the Department for Communities and Local Government that there are effective strategies in place to cope with the increasing threat of flooding to our communities. The Environment Agency has responsibility for protecting homes from flooding, but it is up to the highways authorities, education authorities, Network Rail and the utility companies to ensure that they protect people from flood risk in each of their areas.
Local MP Tim Farron has expressed his concern that although ambulance drivers and paramedics perform a magnificent service, they should not be considered as an alternative to the Coronary Care Unit at Westmorland General Hospital. Cumbria Primary Care Trust and the University Hospitals Trust of Morecambe Bay have stated that increased ambulance journey times would not present a problem because of paramedics on ambulances being able to administer life-saving 'clot busting' drugs to someone suffering a heart attack.
Local MP Tim Farron has expressed concern at the news that Baycall, an NHS-provided service providing out-of-hours GP medical care may be scrapped in favour of a private sector provider. Mr Farron fears that if Baycall is indeed scrapped, with some sources suggesting it may happen by April, it will be replaced by an inferior service provider, compromising quality.