Commenting on today’s warning from Shelter that the UK will face a shortfall of a million homes by 2020, Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Sarah Teather said: “The Government’s inflexibility and centralising tendencies are standing in the way of providing affordable housing.”

Sarah Teather continued, saying:

“There is a social housing crisis in the UK and the Government’s stance will make it far worse by 2020.

“Targets alone do not build homes. The key priority must be to rebuild the social housing safety net.

“Councils must be free to borrow in order to invest in new social housing and buy up land and unsold properties.”

In November 2008, the young people of North East Lincolnshire elected their first-ever Young Mayor - choosing Amy Blackett (13) for the appointment.

Amy takes up her post on Monday, November 17, when she will be inaugurated by the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Colin Eastwell.

Amy’s appointment is the first of its kind in the borough, and will last for a trial period of six weeks. This will give her a valuable opportunity to represent young people at a variety of events and appointments during her term.

During her election campaign, Amy said: “This is an ideal opportunity to show that not all people are the same and that young people of this town are nice people and can be trusted. It would also be an ideal opportunity to show the young people that you can do good things for other people and yourself, along with showing that I am still just a normal ‘kid on the block’.”

Full details of Amy’s engagements diary will be posted here when confirmed.

The Post Office will be allowed to continue to operate the card account which distributes benefits to 4.3 million claimants.

The Work and Pensions Secretary, James Purnell told MPs he would do “nothing to put the network at risk”.

 Post Office card accounts were devised to avoid  the need for giros and payment books for pensioners and benefit claimants, while still allowing them to use post offices to collect money.

The Post Office had faced competition to run the account from the private company PayPoint, which said it was “disappointed by this decision”.

Unions representing postal staff welcomed the decision but said the network’s future depended on being able to offer more services, particularly savings and insurance products.

“The Post Office is a national treasure and asset and the government should be doing more,” said Andy Fury, from the Communications Workers Union, adding that the Post Office should be transformed into the “people’s bank”.

The Lib Dems said that the decision would come as a “huge relief” to postal workers and customers but argued ministers had “some explaining” to do about the way it had handled the process.

“The government has wasted time and money and caused immeasurable heartache by dragging this process out for so long,” said the party’s work and pensions spokeswoman Jenny Willott.

“This could all have been avoided if, as the Liberal Democrats have long argued, the Post Office Card Account had never been put out to tender in the first place.”

Commenting on the Home Affairs Select Committee report on Policing in the 21st Century, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “This report is right to highlight how mistaken the Government has been to try to run policing through Whitehall targets, which have proved an expensive disaster.”

Chris Huhne went on to say:

“The result has been a priority for trivial offences, the abandonment of local concerns and the swamping of officers in red tape.

“The best thing ministers could do for policing in this century would be to scrap the ID cards scheme and put 10,000 more police on our streets.”

A total of 3,000 post offices have serious doubts over their future following fears that Royal Mail may lose a vital £200million Government contract.

Royal Mail has been fighting to retain the contract for the Post Office card account, which processes millions of pension and benefit payments, for the next five years.

Under the current system, the claimant puts their account card into a chip-and-pin machine and the cash is handed over by Post Office staff.

Reliable sources say that the contract is likely to be awarded to PayPoint, a rival bidder which operates in convenience stores, garage forecourts and off-licences.

If the move is confirmed, it means that post offices will lose one of their most valuable sources of income, effectively forcing the closure of up to 3,000 more. This is in addition to the 2,500 already being closed through cost-cutting plans which have been condemned by MPs and other campaigners.

Many small post offices get about 20 per cent of their income from the card account, and they will be unable to survive if this business is taken away from them.

There is also concern about security if the service is taken over by a private company rather than the Royal Mail, which is subject to regulation and supervision by Government-appointed watchdogs.

I am pleased that today’s Grimsby Evening Telegraph has finally reported on the September meeting of full council as it seems a long time ago, but the Notice of Motion that my Liberal Democrat colleague, Councillor Steve Beasant proposed was reported in the article.

 Companies operating in ports along both banks of the Humber have been hit with business rate demands backdated to April 1, 2005. Collectively, the bills for Hull firms alone run to nearly £20 million.  This situation is threatening to put some of these companies out of business and cause the loss of thousands of jobs in the region. The charges are being implemented nationally, and some estimates put potential job losses around the UK as high as 150,000. 

Gordon Brown met with regional MPs at Westminster today (Wednesday), to discuss how the issue surrounding the fees could be resolved.
Port operators have traditionally paid a rent to landlord Associated British Ports (ABP), which then paid a sum to the Treasury to cover business rates, but in 2003, the Government decided to change to a direct levy on firms, based on the size of their premises.The Valuation Office Agency has taken so long to evaluate ABP land, companies on the docks have been hit by demands for business rates backdated to 2005.On Monday next week the lib dem leader of NELC, Cllr Andrew De Freitas will be travelling to London as a part of a regional delegation to meet John Healey, the Minister of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government to discuss the issue.

Earlier today I received a letter from NickClegg, the Liberal Democrat Leader, which I have copied below, as I thought that it would be of interest :

Dear Mr Bonner

The economic crisis means everyone’s worried about the future, and many are struggling to get by from day to day. The banks have been bailed out. I believe now it’s time for action to help people and their families through these tough times.

Liberal Democrats are determined to help people. We’ve put together a simple action plan that will really make a difference, putting money in your pocket, cutting unfair bills, and keeping people safe in their homes.

While Labour and the Conservatives just argue about who is to blame, Liberal Democrats are focused on practical help for people and families. There are four urgent changes we’re calling for:

1. Cutting taxes for struggling families so you’ve got more money in your pocket. The Liberal Democrats will cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes, raising them for the richest so the tax cuts are affordable.

2. Lowering energy bills so you can afford to keep warm this winter. As wholesale fuel prices fall - they have dropped 28% since August - utility companies must lower people’s bills too.

3. Keeping people in their homes, so you don’t need to fear unfair repossessions. We must ensure that banks only ever repossess people’s homes as a last resort.

4. Lower mortgage payments and cheaper business loans through big interest rate cuts. People and businesses need help paying off their mortgages and loans, so we need substantially lower interest rates.

This package of measures would make a real difference to people’s everyday lives. You can read more details at www.libdems.org.uk/recoveryplan

And you can spread the word about the action British families need by forwarding this message to friends and family.

We need to win the fight for action to help families. I take on Gordon Brown on these issues every week: but I need your help. To really represent everyone, it’s crucial that I understand exactly how people’s lives are being affected across the country. So please, get in touch with your stories about the credit crunch in your family, and your area.

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

AN increase in Humber Bridge tolls has been put on hold thanks to the Grimsby Telegraph’s A Toll Too Far campaign.

Members of the Humber Bridge Board agreed yesterday that they would not raise bridge tolls because of public opposition.

According to the Grimsby Telegraph a record 406 written letters of objection were sent to the Humber Bridge Board and Department for Transport calling for a public inquiry, which seems likely to take place.

The Board said if a public inquiry is called by the Department for Transport the proposed increase could be delayed until April 2009.

The board also said the Humber BridgeTolls Impact Assessment, published in Westminster last week, should add pressure on the Government to review the existing toll arrangements.

After a lengthy debate yesterday, the board agreed to question Rosie Winterton on the Government’s intentions when she visits the bridge on November 11.

There is an online petition at http://tiny.cc/RgaC7 where you can support the the bid to have the tolls abolished or reduced to £1 per crossing.

Responding to comments by the Vice Chairman of the Police Federation, Simon Reed, that many towns have become ‘like the Wild West’ late at night because of new licensing laws, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: “When will the Government wake up to the failure of its licensing legislation? The problems of binge drinking are now being felt in all parts of the country.”

Don Foster continued, saying:

“Surely the time has come to question supermarkets selling alcoholic drinks at a loss. Pocket money prices are further fanning the flames of our out of control binge-drinking culture