On the day the A level results have been announced I just wanted to add my congratulations to all who have received their grades today and are celebrating the results of their hard work over the past two years. Well done all of you!

I am sure that there will those who have received dissapointing results also and to those I would just say although its big dissapointment, there will still  in the futurebe many more opportunities and although it may seem it for now - it’s not the end of the world.  Happy or sad - the very best of luck to you all with your future hopes and plans.

Interactive crime maps could soon be rolled out across the country - but here in North East Lincolnshire, we already have our own.

Safelinks has been running for more than six years, informing the public of criminal activity in the area.

Earlier this year, interactive maps were introduced on the site, enabling people to clearly see where crimes have been committed and and giving brief details of the crime.

Community information officer Ian Beaumont runs the site, www.safelinks.info  ,from Immingham Police Station.

He said: “This site gives the public the means to play a more active role against criminals.

“Successes of the site include information from the public resulting in the arrest and conviction of drugs dealers, the arrests of car and motor scooter thieves and the return of stolen property to owners.

“Another feature is that the public are more aware of crime, in particular house burglary and car crime, and so they can change their habits to prevent crime happening to them.

“The site also provides an easy email route to supply information about criminals, which is much appreciated by police.”

Within the site, news about specific areas of the borough can be found, along with a list of people who are subject to anti-social behaviour orders.

Last year, there were 127,600 unique visitors and reloads of the site, which also provides information about crime in North Lincolnshire.

You can visit the site at:-                     www.safelinks.info   

The Government is now proposing to roll out similar maps which will show crimes committed in different areas across the country. Police forces are already required  to provide some monthly crime information on their websites, and the Home Secretary wants to introduce the maps across the rest of the country by the end of this year.Web users in North East Lincolnshire can log on to Safelinks and view a map of the area, with flags highlighting where crimes have taken place, and more information about them.This enables the public to view crime hotspots and take action to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of crime.

I have been asked recently what is happening about the proposed improvements to the A46 which were approved following the presentation of the petition to the Scrutiny Panel earlier this year.

I have spoken to the person responsible for the project, and he informs me that the it is part of a programme of improvements to the part of the A46 that passes through North East Lincolnshire.  The plans for the road are currently being completed, and this will be followed by a short period of consultation with road users before work commences.  It is anticipated that work should begin around the end of the current year.

The Department of Work and Pensions today had its accounts qualified by the National Audit Office for the 19th consecutive year with figures showing official error outweighing customer error and fraud.Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: “These figures are extremely worrying.“The Liberal Democrats have been telling the Government for some time now that the system is too complicated. “The fact that for the first time official error has cost more than customer error and fraud shows that the system is now so complex that even those working in it are baffled by it. “The Government must simplify the system now.”

Commenting on the increase in unemployment announced today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said:

“As the British economy slows down, perhaps heading towards recession, there is bound to be a serious impact on jobs.

“Ministers have been totally complacent in insisting they have found a permanent solution to the problem of boom and bust in the economy.

“Until now, low unemployment has helped sustain the belief that there might be a soft landing in the housing market without large scale repossessions.

“But it is now clear that a prolonged slowdown is going to reproduce many of the bad conditions of the early 1990s.

 “The Government needs to move quickly to make sure people who lose their jobs don’t face the double disaster of losing their homes as well.”

 Responding to former Government drugs adviser Julian Critchley’s comments that current drug policy is the equivalent of ‘shifting the deckchairs around on the Titanic’, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “Julian Critchley is right to reopen the debate about the Government’s failed policies to tackle drugs. “Offenders who are addicts need medical care or they will merely go out to steal again to feed their habit.”

Commenting on today’s A-Level results, Liberal Democrat Schools Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said: “These young people have clearly worked hard and we should celebrate their success. “But with one in four candidates now achieving an A Grade, we need to be sure that the most talented students are being properly stretched. “The new regulator must now act by reviewing these top grades so that we can be fully confident that the apparent improvements are real.“There is now a clear divide at the heart of our education system. The rate of improvement in the A Grade pass rate in the south is nearly three times greater than in the north. “Ministers must work to find the reasons for this inequality and ensure that any improvements in our schools and colleges benefit all students.”