Steve Beasant

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting 3,000 more police on the street,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne. 

Commenting on Government figures which show that spending on overtime for police officers went up by nearly 50% in just five years, Chris Huhne said: “Spurious and unnecessary overtime must end but not at the expense of frontline policing.

“Three quarters of forces have made it clear that large overtime expenditure is due to a lack of police.

“That is why the Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to putting 3,000 more police on the street.”

  “Every party wants to provide the best possible care for those who need it, but making promises to vulnerable people that you can’t deliver is grossly irresponsible,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb. 

  Responding to Andy Burnham’s comments on the social care system, Norman Lamb said: “It is increasingly clear that the Government’s plans on care for the elderly are in disarray.

“Labour’s pledge on personal care at home is going to cost much more than they claim and will not provide the long-term solution people need.

“Every party wants to provide the best possible care for those who need it, but making promises to vulnerable people that you can’t deliver is grossly irresponsible.

“This issue is far too important to be used as a political football. The Liberal Democrats want to see a cross-party agreement on social care to sort this problem out once for all.”

“There were failures in the past but the resignation of Hector Sants will plunge the FSA into a great deal of uncertainty,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable. 

Commenting on the resignation of Hector Sants, Chief Executive of the Financial Services Authority, Vince Cable said: “We are still in the middle of a crisis and the FSA has an important part to play in effecting far reaching and lasting change. 

“There were failures in the past but the resignation of Hector Sants will plunge the FSA into a great deal of uncertainty.  

“We don’t know if this decision is a direct result of the Tories’ stance on the FSA’s future but what we can say is that their proposals are creating uncertainty for an organisation that has a vital role to play.”

Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Clement-Jones’s Live Music Bill has its third reading in the House of Lords today after which it goes to the Commons. It has sailed through previous stages in the Lords with no amendments. 

The Bill proposes that schools, hospitals, colleges, and small venues up to a capacity of 200 should not need a licence for a live music performance, and that the “two-in-a-bar” exemption should be reinstated.

The Government’s 2003 Licensing Act means live musical performances must have a licence or the organisers risk criminal prosecution.

Lord Clement-Jones said: “The Government’s stubborn refusal to accept the recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee that licensing be relaxed for live music is short-sighted and illiberal.

“Live music used to be at the core of our society. But it’s harder for someone to play the piano in a bar now than it was in 1899.

“We should be supporting small venues not strangling them with red tape. More live music in our pubs would mean more punters and fewer pubs closing.

“My Bill is the only chance to change the law before the general election and breathe new life in to the live music scene. I challenge the Government to explain why they will not support it.”

  “We need a public body to look at the BBC’s full accounts to see if the public interest is being best served,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster. 

  Commenting on the BBC’s disclosure that it paid £229m to performers, Don Foster said: “These are eye-watering figures. Licence fee payers have a right to know if they represent good value for money.

“We need a public body to look at the BBC’s full accounts to see if the public interest is being best served. Scrutiny of this kind is a job for the National Audit Office, not commercial accountants.

“While we all want to know how much stars are being paid, public disclosure is likely to be ruled illegal. It could also lead to a bidding war, pushing salaries and hence BBC costs up, not down.”

“The benefits system needs to be much simpler, not least so officials can understand it properly,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb. 

Commenting on today’s Work and Pensions Select Committee report, Steve Webb said: “The Government’s failure to get to grips with the over-complex benefits system is appalling, especially when so much is down to official error.

“It is staggeringly unfair that the taxpayer is forced to stump up almost £1bn just because officials are unable to administer a system of their own creation.

“These blunders cause hardship and stress for many vulnerable people.

“The benefits system needs to be much simpler, not least so officials can understand it properly.”

The Liberal Democrats will today seek to change the question to offer the choice of a more proportional system - the single transferable vote - instead of AV. 

They also want to bring forward the last date of the referendum to May next year, and close what they say is a loophole that would allow an incoming Conservative administration to abandon the vote without the need for fresh primary legislation. 

  Speaking on Sky News earlier today, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said that whilst the proposals are not a true proportional system this move “is a baby step in the right direction.” 

  However, Chris Huhne said that the alternative vote does not in his view “give people the real choice that I think voters want” namely, supporting the candidate rather than the party. 

Chris Huhne ended by saying if the Liberal Democrats own amendments were not passed “we will support the government proposals.” 

Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: it is “unacceptable that Labour’s amendments would make it childishly easy for the next Government to kill a referendum without further legislation”. 

David Howarth added: “By acting purely out of naked self-interest, the Conservative Party has long been a roadblock to electoral reform.”

Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale, Paul Rowen is supporting this year’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day which takes place on 12 February; it is a national campaign that aims to highlight the effects of living in a cold home on people’s health.

The country is still in the grip of the most severe winter in over 30 years, and there is still more severe weather forecast. The campaign aims to draw attention to the health problems caused by living in a cold, damp home and urges vulnerable people to keep their heating on until winter ends and temperatures start to warm up.

Government statistics have shown that during the winter of 2008/9, there was a 49% rise in excess winter death across England. In Rochdale, 13.6% of households are living in fuel poverty and National Energy Action estimate that the average number of excess winter deaths in Rochdale over the last 5 years is 60.

Last winter temperatures remained as low as minus 6 degrees well into March, leading to concerns that people may have been risking their health by turning their heating off too early in order to save money on their fuel bills.

Paul Rowen in support of the Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, said: “Living in a cold damp home can lead to extremely poor health, especially in those who are vulnerable such as older people, young children whose immune system has not yet fully developed and those with long terms sickness and disabilities.

“It is important that people in Rochdale know that there are schemes in place to help them, and to ensure they are keeping warm and healthy throughout the winter period and for as long as the cold weather lasts. Fuel Poverty Awareness day is about acknowledging the issues, helping people to understand the links between fuel poverty and poor health, and making them aware of the help that is available to ensue they are kept warm and well.

“The most important message is that there is help out there for vulnerable households. I urge everyone who is concerned about their fuel bill to contact their energy supplier or to call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to access help and advice on staying warm when it is cold without the fear of fuel debt and ill health.”

A “stop before your op” initiative has been introduced by North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Pus. The policy, endorsed by the Department of Health, has been introduced to encourage smokers to quit their habit before they have surgery.

Research has shown that smoking is a major cause of post-operative complications, resulting in delayed recovery. The message to patients is that surgery will be safer and recovery time reduced if they stop smoking at least eight weeks before surgery.  

Patients who smoke and require surgery will be encouraged and offered support to quit when they first go to a health professional, such as a GP, and then again when they see a specialist at a hospital outpatients department. 

If they have not already stopped, they will be encouraged to do so again if their surgical procedure requires them to attend a pre-admission assessment clinic at a hospital. 

Greg Gilbert, North East Lincolnshire smoke-free alliance coordinator, said: “It must be stressed that smokers will not be barred from surgery. It is not a ‘stop’ or ‘no op’ policy. If they do not stop smoking the operation will still go ahead as long as it is clinically safe to do so. 

“Although the ‘stop before your op’ policy was not introduced until 2010 it is in many ways only formalising what has already been happening nationally. For example, many GPs have for years been advising smokers to stop before their operation (and offering them support to do so), but we hope this practice will become more widespread now that we have introduced this initiative.” 

Dr Tony Hill, director of public health, said: “Smokers are more likely to have delayed healing, breathing difficulties and other complications after surgery. Stopping smoking will reduce the risk of these complications, especially if they stop at least eight weeks before their operation.

“People who had tried and failed many times in the past to quit smoking would be more likely to make a fresh attempt if they were aware of the wide range of treatments now available. For example the stop smoking medicine Champix introduced by North East Lincolnshire is proving very successful at helping smokers to quit.” 

Leaflets about the policy have been distributed to GP practices and hospitals and are shortly due to be also sent to dentists and opticians.

A number of support groups are available across North East Lincolnshire to help mums with breastfeeding. 

Breast milk is a natural way of giving babies the nutrients they need and it also helps protect them from a variety of infections and diseases, including reducing the risks of some ear, chest and stomach infections, for example gastroenteritis.  

It benefits not only babies but also mothers too. Breastfeeding burns around 500 calories a day and also the uterus will return to its normal state more rapidly in response to a baby suckling. 

The Department of Health recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life and suggests that it can continue to benefit babies who are also eating solid foods for many months after.  

Kathy Holmes, infant feeding coordinator for the Care Trust Plus, said: “Breastfeeding is a cheap, economical, ‘environmentally friendly’ and safe way to feed your baby.  

“We have a number of breastfeeding support groups in our communities, they are informal and friendly groups where you can meet other breastfeeding mothers, get support and find out more about breastfeeding.” 

For details of all the support groups visit www.nelctp.nhs.uk and search ‘breastfeeding’. Alternatively health visitors, midwives and GPs can also offer professional support on breastfeeding.  

Breastfeeding Support Groups:

East Marsh Children’s Centre, Victor Street, Grimsby. Tel: 01472 326860 (Mon: 10am-11.30am)

Nunsthorpe and Bradley Park Children’s Centre, Sutcliffe Avenue Grimsby. Tel: 01472 326600 (Tues: 9.30am -11am)

Healing Children’s Centre, Healing School, Ford Avenue, Grimsby. Tel: 01469 514848 (Wed: 10.30am -12pm)

Immingham Children’s Centre, Margaret Street, Immingham. Tel: 01469 514848 (Thurs: 10am -12pm)

Highgate Children’s Centre, Trinity Road, Cleethorpes. Tel: 01472 324323 (Fri: 10am-11.30am)

Central Children’s Centre, Edward Street, Grimsby. Tel: 01472 326830 (Wed: 2pm-3pm)

Queensway Children’s Centre, Binbrook Way, Wilows Estate, Grimsby. Tel: 01472 325737 (Tues: 9.30am-11.30am)

Beacon Health Centre, St Hughes Avenue, Cleethorpes. Tel: 01472 721333 (Thurs: 10am-11.30am)

Diana Princess Wales Hospital, Antenatal clinic, Scartho Road, Grimsby. Tel: 01472 874111 (Sat: 11am-1pm)