Steve Beasant

A new ICM poll for the Sunday Telegraph suggests that both the Tories and the Labour have lost support over the last month, while the Liberal Democrats have increased their support. This will be welcome news for the Liberal Democrats and Nick Clegg whose support declined shortly after their party conference, and they have remained between 17 and 19% until this latest poll.

The poll gives the Tories a 17-point lead over Labour which would be enough to give them a majority of over 100, the ICM poll places the Tories on 42% (down 2); Labour, on 25% (down 2); and the Liberal Democrats on 21% (up 3).

The survey also shows 53 per cent of respondents think the Former Prime Minister, Tony Blair is the wrong person to be the EU’s new president once the Lisbon Treaty becomes law in all 27 member states.

The Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Danny Alexander recently met representatives of environmental charities and NGOs to discuss the importance of reaching agreement at the crucial Copenhagen climate change talks.

The Climate Change forum was called by Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, and attended by Lib Dem environment spokespeople and senior representatives from charities and non-government organisations concerned with the fate of the Copenhagen negotiations.

The focus of the meeting was the necessity of ensuring that a concrete and comprehensive set of targets are agreed at Copenhagen.

Speaking at the event, Danny Alexander said: “This summit is the last best chance the world has to prevent a climate catastrophe. Global measures to rapidly reduce carbon emissions need to be agreed if global temperature increases are to be kept below the 1.7 degrees scientists now agree is the threshold for dangerous, runaway, climate change.

“Liberal Democrats in parliament and across the country will keep pressing for the deal we need. We recognise we need to help developing countries with their targets and to set a higher bar for our own.

“People across the country must keep raising their voices through measures like the 10:10 campaign to make abundantly clear that the tough measures needed are not choices, but necessities. It was desperately disappointing that the government voted against the Liberal Democrat motion on 10:10. I personally have signed up to the campaign, alongside all Lib Dem MPs.

“Leading the way at Copenhagen will help us stimulate a cleaner, more efficient and innovative economy. The Highlands has huge potential through renewable energy to help fight climate change. Government must be bolder in support of the marine renewable technologies that offer such great opportunities - wave and tidal power.

“Green measures can also be socially fair. That’s why making homes more energy efficient needs to be a top priority. If more resources were focussed on how to treat homes, we would see a triple benefit of lower carbon emissions, lower bills, and lower fuel poverty.”

The Government yesterday sacked their Chief adviser on drugs, Professor Nutt, but prior to his sacking he was told to resign as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse Drugs (ACMD) after a series of controversial outbursts including accusing ministers of ignoring scientific evidence to distort the drugs debate.

Mr Johnson said he had “lost confidence” in him but Prof Nutt hit back claiming the decision was politically motivated and accused ministers of a “Luddite” attitude to science.

He also repeated warnings about alcohol and told parents their children risked being raped by getting “off their heads” on drink.

Earlier this year he said taking ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse and this week he called for the current drug classification system to be replaced with a “drug harm ranking” including legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco.

In a letter to Prof Nutt, the Home Secretary said: “It is important that I can be confident that advice from the ACMD will be about matters of evidence.

“Your recent comments have gone beyond such evidence and have been lobbying for a change of government policy. This goes against the requirements on general standards of public life required by your position.

“I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to advise me as chair of the ACMD.”

Prof Nutt said: “It’s unusual political times, I suppose, elections and all that. It’s disappointing.

“But politics is politics and science is science and there’s a bit of a tension between them sometimes.”

In a blizzard of farewell attacks, he again accused politicians of “misleading” the public by making decisions that go against scientific evidence and said Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, “makes completely irrational statements about cannabis being ‘lethal’, which it is not”.

This week he accused Ms Smith, who moved cannabis back to Class B, of “distorting and devaluing” scientific research and said advocates of moving ecstasy into class B from class A had “won the intellectual argument”.

He said: “I’m not prepared to mislead the public about the harmfulness of drugs like cannabis and ecstasy,” he said.

“I think most scientists will see this as a further example of the Luddite attitude of this government, and possible future governments, towards science.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is simply not independent if its chair can be sacked for telling the Government what it does not want to hear.”

Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate, Phil Willis and Chairman of the Commons science and technology committee, said: “It is disturbing if an independent scientist should be removed for reporting sound scientific advice.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Science Minister, Evan Harris, added: “All the gains we thought we had made from the BSE enquiry have been thrown away by this act of political spite and Neanderthal wrong-headedness.

“This is the behaviour of a Minister whose judgement is impaired by the need to feed the tabloid addiction to a hard-line drugs policy.”

Npower, claim to be Britain’s brightest energy company, but it appears that customers should think again because someone appears to have acted a ‘little dim’.

The company has been accused of overcharging its gas customers by more than £100 million, paving the way for compensation for millions of people.

Consumer Focus, the consumer champion, has announced this week details of an investigation which shows that the energy company breached the terms and conditions of its supply licence, leading to a potential overcharging of large numbers of its customers.

A Consumer Focus spokeswoman says: “We believe the breach of contract, between April 2007 and April 2008, affected almost all of npower’s 2.2 million gas customers and the potential overcharge could be up to £78 per customer.”

The consumer group is now looking at ways in which a substantial number of npower’s gas customers might obtain redress, which has so far been denied them. If, as some aggrieved npower customers suspect, the overcharging is found to average close to £50 per customer, the energy company could be facing a compensation bill of more than £100 million.

The spokeswoman says: “We think npower should reopen negotiations on redress for its customers, but it has so far refused to do so. We now have to consider what other methods we could use to make it happen.”

The findings of the Consumer Focus study will come as a huge embarrassment to Ofgem, the energy regulator, which had investigated the same complaints earlier but failed to determine whether any overcharging had taken place. It confined itself to saying that npower had failed to notify customers of some tariff changes and that some of them might have suffered a small financial loss.

At the end of the Ofgem investigation npower agreed voluntarily to pay compensation totalling £1.2 million to 200,000 customers, an average of £6 a head.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Simon Hughes is writing to Ofgem asking it to reopen its inquiry into npower’s overcharging. He is also calling on npower to re-examine its calculations of how many gas customers it has overcharged.

Simon Hughes says: “Npower stands accused of some very serious failures, including failure to compensate large numbers of its customers, many of whom may not even be aware that they have been overcharged. It should be compelled to rectify this situation speedily.

“More widely, it appears that we need a new regulatory framework for the energy industry, which has some teeth, and a regulator that is prepared to use those greater powers in the interests of consumers.”

The question over npower’s alleged overcharging focuses on the number of units of gas it is allowed to charge at the higher of its two tariffs. In its contracts with customers, npower promises that it will not charge more than 4,572 units at the higher rate a year.

Npower has argued that its promise of not charging more than 4,572 units a year refers not to a 12-month period, but to a “tariff year”. It starts a new tariff year whenever it changes its method of charging, so a tariff year can be shorter or longer than 12 months. In 2007 it changed its charging method twice, on May 1 and November 1, so the tariff year was one of only six months.

Consumer Focus has also questioned claims made by npower in its marketing literature. In February 2007 npower launched a campaign aimed mainly at British Gas customers, boasting that its gas prices were being cut by 16 per cent. Consumer Focus reckons that when npower’s charging of additional higher rate units is taken into account the price reduction was only about 8 per cent.

A Consumer Focus spokeswoman says: “We are very concerned that npower claimed that it was the cheapest gas supplier in the market when it was not. The change in how it charged for gas meant that over the year it was, in fact, on average £10 more expensive than British Gas and £70 more expensive than Scottish and Southern Energy. We want to engage with npower to obtain a fair outcome for its customers but the company considers the matter closed.”

The Podiatry service review is progressing well and is being led by HOPE Commissioning Group (which covers the East Marsh Ward). 

The review was initiated when North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus (NELCTP) was made aware by members of the older people community group, Eng-age, that there were significant issues with delays and access to Podiatry Services. 

Objectives of Review:

The main objective of the review is to look at the current services with a view to developing a Podiatry and Footcare Service that meets the long term needs of people in North East Lincolnshire. 

Progress of Review:

Six full stakeholder meetings have been held, as well as a number of sub group meetings; the stakeholder group is made up of user and community groups representing the local population, clinicians and commissioners. The review includes the development of both the Podiatry and Footcare Service. 

Progress to date 

Podiatry Service:

The CTP bought additional appointments in the podiatry service to resolve the delays in waiting times. This has resulted in a significant reducation in waiting times and more accessible clinics and has provided the Service Review group time to look at recommendations which will avoid the performance returning to the unacceptable levels previously experienced. 

The Podiatry service review group is currently looking at the possibility of transferring the more minor podiatric conditions into the community in order to offer a high quality, cost effective and more convenient service closer to service users’ homes. An informal audit is being carried out to determine what Podiatry services are currently available within the community including minor operations such as toenail excision. 

Footcare Service:

The trial Footcare Service began registering clients on Thursday 3 September at West Marsh Community Centre and Friday 4 September at Foresight, Newmarket Street, Grimsby. Toenail cutting services commenced on 15 & 16 October at the respective sites. Sessions are currently running fortnightly, although the service is prepared to increase this to weekly sessions dependent upon public demand. 

Anyone wishing to register for the service is advised to contact their preferred location for further information and to book an appointment. 

West Marsh Community Centre: Armstrong Street, Grimsby, 01472 251295 

Foresight: 60 Newmarket Street, Grimsby, 01472 269666 

Should you require any further information about the Podiatry Service Review please contact the Administrator in the first instance: Hayley Tiplady, Hayley.Tiplady@nelctp.nhs.uk 01472 720184.

  In a Parliamentary debate this week Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire, Jo Swinson called on the Government to do more to campaign for the global abolition of the death penalty. 

  The debate follows shortly after the UK Government and European Union called all nations to abolish the death penalty on the ‘World Day Against the Death Penalty’ and the ‘European Day Against the Death Penalty’ on 10th October. 

  In 2008 at least 2,390 people were known to have been executed in 25 countries and at least 8,864 people were sentenced to death in 52 countries around the world. 93% of the executions were carried out by China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the USA, all of whom have rejected calls for an end to executions worldwide. Two of the cases discussed in the debate were that of Romell Broom, a man in Ohio who recently spent two hours waiting to die as technicians searched for a suitable vein to administer the lethal injection, and British national Akmal Shaikh who is facing imminent execution in China despite suffering with severe mental illness.  

Commenting, Jo Swinson said: “It is deeply concerning that countries such as America, which portrays itself as a beacon for human rights and democratic values, continue to endorse this practice. It is barbaric, inhumane and totally unacceptable. 

“With regard to China, where the majority of executions last year were carried, it is essential that the UK government reviews its strategies to engage effectively with the country on human rights issues. In the case of Mr Akmal Shaikh I hope the Government will intervene urgently and negotiate with the Chinese authorities to prevent his execution from taking place.”

AN After Schools Club at Grant Thorold Library in Grimsby welcomes new members who can enjoy a host of activities from arts and crafts, quizzes and games.

Children aged eight and above can attend the club from Monday to Thursday at 4pm and each day will follow different theme.

The club lasts for an hour and all children will receive a free drink and snack. Any work created will go on display in the library.

For more information call the library on (01472) 323631.

COMPUTER novices can learn some essential internet skills at Grant Thorold Library, in a six week beginner’s course starting on Wednesday, November 4.

The free sessions are being run through the Thrunscoe Learning Centre and covers an introduction to using browsers, how to add web favourites, steps on how to explore the web, successful web searching and an introduction to e-mail.

It runs every Wednesday from 10am to 12.30pm, concluding on Wednesday, December 9.

To register your interest or find out more, contact the Thrunscoe Learning Centre on (01472) 323540 between 9am and noon Monday to Friday.

Today, I attended the East Marsh Children’s Centre to give a brief overview of my work to the local Parent’s Forum and to be grilled about issues relating to the local council and Liberal Democrat Policy. 

I was surprised at the number of questions, and I hope that I was able to give truthful and frank answers to most questions. Indeed, there are some actions which I am already following up on behalf of the local residents, others I have told them how we can process the issue through the council scrutiny process. 

Naturally being in a Children’s Centre, I had anticipated at least one question about Liberal Democrat policy relating to Children’s Centre’s. The parents wanted to know: “Following the General Election next year and if there was a change of government what would a Liberal Democrat Government do about Children’s Centres if they were elected?” Luckily, I had an article an article with me from the magazine Children and Young People Now in which the Liberal Democrat Shadow Children’s Minister, Annette Brooke said: Sure Start centre would be the “last point of cutting under a Liberal Democrat Government. 

I also said that Annette Brooke had told a Liberal Democrat delegates at this year’s conference that: “We are 100 per cent behind the concept of children’s centres and the fact they should be offering a whole range of services on one site.” 

Annette also said: the Liberal Democrats would pledge to offer 20 hours of free childcare each week for children over the age of 18 months and this could act as a “lever” to get parents to use Sure Start centres. 

The Liberal Democrats have now launched an online petition for free childcare for every child over 18 months; if you would like to sign that petition please click: Free Childcare for Every Family

  Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Sandra Gidley has called for prescription charges to be scrapped immediately for people suffering from long-term conditions. 

  Sandra is throwing her weight behind the “Prescription Promise” campaign, which is backed by over twenty organisations, and is calling for the government to scrap these unfair charges before the next General Election, due next year. 

  Her call comes a year after the Prime Minister told the Labour Party Conference in 2008 that he would abolish prescription charges for people living with long-term conditions. However, despite strong support by MPs of all parties, nothing has been done. Now, Sandra is calling for immediate action. 

Commenting from Westminster recently, Sandra said: “The government is taking its time reviewing the issue, but in the meantime, large numbers of people with long-term conditions are struggling to afford their prescription charges. 

“Too many people are left with the difficult and distressing choice of paying large sums of money they can’t afford, or worse still not taking their vital medication. 

“Prescription charges for cancer patients have already been scrapped, which is a step in the right direction, but the government needs to act quickly on charges for other long-term conditions. These unfair charges must end immediately before they wreck the lives of even more of the most vulnerable people in society.” 

Members of the public who would like to support the ‘Prescription Promise’ campaign can do so at www.prescriptionpromise.org.