Online voting opens on Monday 26 November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk. Lorraine Kelly will be championing Sustrans' Connect2 on an ITV1 show on Tuesday 4 December. Telephone voting will begin on Friday 7 December.
A new report from the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB), which advises Government on renewable energy issues, provides the first in depth analysis of the role of on site energy generation in the delivery of the Government's policy of ensuring that all new homes are zero carbon from 2016. Amongst it findings is the conclusion that the policy could drive a market for on-site renewable worth £2.3 billion a year from 2016.
Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable has urged ministers to say where "the buck stops" over the loss of 25 million child benefit records. He told the Commons that HM Customs and Revenue chairman Paul Gray had resigned as a "matter of honour" but ministers had "declined to do so". He accused Gordon Brown of creating "dysfunctional organisation and systems" when chancellor.
Commenting on the news today that HM Revenue and Customs has lost the financial details of more than 20 million people, local MP Tim Farron drew attention to the fact that at this time the Treasury should be looking towards consistency, rather than consolidation of offices. Mr Farron has uncovered suggestions that the HMRC office in Kendal will be consolidated into a large regional office, meaning significant job losses and inconvenience for people using the existing office.
Tim Farron MP has written today to the Office of Fair Trading in the wake of the price fixing charges levelled at major supermarkets and dairy processors in the aftermath of the foot and mouth outbreak. Mr Farron, who recently backed the idea proposed by the Competition Commission of having a Supermarket Ombudsman, wrote to both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Trade and Consumer Affairs and the Chief Executive of the OFT.
Local MP Tim Farron today attended a parliamentary ceremony to mark the passing into law of the Sustainable Communities Act. The Act, which was supported enthusiastically by the Tim Farron throughout its passage, was given Royal Assent recently.