Cramped cages were set to be banned from January, but the European Commission looked set to let some member states off the hook. and UK egg producers who had spent around £400million on larger bird cages were angered that some EU countries were set to ignore the ban.

John Dalli, European Agriculture Committee commissioner, has said this week that all member states have now promised to fall into line by the end of the year.

Catherine Bearder said:

“The Commission must ensure countries keep to their word and support countries such as the UK where farmers have already made changes.

“Our farmers are being undercut by competitors who ignore animal cruelty to illegally produce cheaper eggs.”

The European Parliament passed the law in 1999, but it is thought there are still around 50 million battery hens across the EU producing eggs.

Supermarkets in the UK agreed not to stock illegally produced eggs, but there were concerns over a loophole which would have seen powdered eggs in cakes and biscuits slip under the radar.

Catherine Bearder added:

EU pledge to enforce a ban on battery hens is welcomed by Catherine Bearder “A full ban is the only way to make sure consumers can be sure products they buy meet welfare standards.

“It’s taken far too long to get this agreement and UK egg producers have been forced to compete with one hand tied behind their back.

“I’ll be keeping a close eye to make sure this time it happens.”

I have written a joint letter to Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Lord McNally, Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords, to demand that the legislation around cold-calling via people’s home and mobile phones be strengthened and more rigorously applied.

The joint letter highlights the fact that consumers are currently let down because where responsibility lies in unclear. OFCOM is responsible for the Telephone Preference Service, but the Information Commissioner regulates the protection and sharing of data.

At present, once you have registered your phone number with the telephone preference service, a ban comes into effect that forbids cold-calling you over the phone. Recorded messages, however, are covered by other legislation (Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003) and unsolicited SMS messages don’t appear to be covered at all.

I have called for the Information Commissioner’s powers to be strengthened to take in all forms of unsolicited contact and for there to be a single simple point of contact for any individual wishing to protect their privacy whether from unwanted faxes, mail, phone calls or texts. I have also asked that OFCOM’s responsibility to maintain a register of people who do not wish to receive sales calls is more rigorously applied.

People should be able to guarantee their privacy in a simple and effective way. The present situation where responsibility lies with OFCOM, the Information Commissioner and various ‘preferencing services’ is merely a charter for unscrupulous companies to ride roughshod over the regulations with very little chance of any charges being pursued.

I’ve lodged ten separate complaints with the Information Commissioner relating to unwanted text and phone marketing calls I’ve received just in the last few weeks. I urge you to do the same and to let me know so I can add them to the list I’m now compiling. You can get in touch with me here.

People shouldn’t have to put up with this menace which puts many vulnerable and elderly people at risk of fraud just as much as if the crook or pushy salesman was turning up at their door.

Many of the big energy companies have recently stopped cold-calling in person thanks to a strong and vocal local campaign. I urge people to get involved again so we can stamp out these nuisance calls once and for all.

Tessa Munt was shocked to discover that 2,000 heads of quangos and senior civil servants had made special arrangements to avoid paying their fair share of tax and National Insurance.

Tessa Munt’s question was:

“Some 2,000 highly paid public servants have been exposed for avoiding paying their fair share of tax. Does the Prime Minister agree that whenever someone is paid a salary using taxpayers’ money, the Government should insist that they are on the payroll and pay full pay-as-you-earn income tax and national insurance contributions?”

The Prime Minister replied:

“The Hon. Lady is right to raise that and I agree with what she says. We have been shocked by the level of this problem and the Treasury is looking at it closely, but the principle she announces – those paid by the public should pay tax properly – is absolutely spot on.”

Having researched the matter further, Tessa Munt found that of the 2,000, one is paid an annual salary of £182,000 and 1,500 are paid more than £380 per day!

Tessa Munt welcomed the application of new, very strict rules governing the tax arrangements for those paid from taxpayers’ money. Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, warned that if civil servants given a salary using taxpayers’ money do not pay their full share of income tax and national insurance contributions within three months, then they would be fired.

Tessa Munt said:

“I am pleased that the Prime Minister agreed with me on this. Officials paid high salaries from public money should be on the Government payroll, as other public servants are. I was amazed by the scale of tax avoidance in the public sector, and look forward to Danny Alexander’s new rules coming into effect as soon as possible. The new rules for paying a fair share of tax should also apply to all those working in local government, the NHS and our schools.”

In a keynote speech to teachers and school leaders, he said that the Education Endowment Foundation will be awarding the money to pilot projects to help disadvantaged pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school. The money will be targeted at struggling Year 7s from deprived homes.

“How can a child start secondary school unable to read with confidence?” declared Nick. “That is a basic building block of a good education and no child should begin the race so far behind the starting line. We need to do everything we can to help these children through this transition to get them up to speed.

“That is a responsibility the government takes extremely seriously. And I can confirm that the Education Endowment Foundation will shortly be inviting groups of local schools, in the areas that suffer most with this problem, to bid for extra funds for struggling Year 7s from deprived homes to help them get their reading and writing up to scratch. Extra ‘catch up cash’, if you like.

“We envisage that schools will want to use it for small catch up classes, or one-to-one tuition, or vouchers for literacy tuition that parents can spend. We will run a proper evaluation, sharing what works with all schools not just those areas taking part in these pilots. It’s likely this kind of targeted support is the best way to crack this problem – next year we’ll know.

“Of course, we hope as few pupils as possible need it, thanks to the Pupil Premium. And I know primary and secondary schools up and down the country are determined to make this work.

“Some are using the money for breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. Some are funding counselling services, so troubled kids are in the right place, emotionally, to learn. Some are using it for educational visits to places like museums: the sort of experiences middle class children take for granted but poorer child might rarely enjoy.”

Nick also announced that he wants to “strike a deal between the Coalition government and our schools and teachers. Teachers who help these children unlock the doors that otherwise hold them back … they are the key to an open and fair society … the key to the opportunity Britain I am determined we build.”

The best teachers will be offered incentives to work in schools that have large numbers of disadvantaged pupils. The government will ask the School Teachers Review Body to look at giving other schools the same flexibility Academies currently have to use pay to hold on to the best teachers.

Also, from next year, there will be Pupil Premium Awards for the 50 schools that do the best to boost the performance of their poorest pupils and narrow the gap – with cash prizes of up to £10,000 for the best of the best.

The pilot will allow us to determine the practical and operational issues of extending Tram Trains from the national network to on-street running and running trams and heavy rail vehicles safely over existing heavy rail infrastructure. It will also allow us to gauge passenger perception and acceptability of Tram Train.

The knowledge that we obtain from the pilot will enable us to understand the technical and operational challenges involved in this project so that the concept can potentially be rolled out elsewhere in the UK.

The pilot will see the introduction from 2015 of new Tram Train vehicles capable of using both light and heavy rail infrastructure, so providing continuous travel from Sheffield’s Supertram network onto Network Rail’s national rail network, as well as providing more capacity on the Supertram system itself.

The new vehicles will provide three services an hour operating from Parkgate Retail Park in Rotherham, travelling through Rotherham Central Station and joining up to the existing Supertram network at Meadowhall where the services will then continue onwards to Sheffield City Centre. The project is also expected to create 25 new driver jobs locally, plus around 10 additional jobs in maintenance and revenue protection.

The pilot will run for two years and alongside the additional capacity being provided for the Supertram system, is expected to cost £58 million, including the cost of the vehicles and infrastructure changes.

“This research throws up some extremely troubling findings and poses many uncomfortable questions about the growing payday loan sector. We have long held concerns about the behaviour of some payday lenders and whether consumers are losing out because this industry is not regulated strongly enough.

“Our research in 20101showed problems with inadequate affordability checks and borrowers being offered multiple new loans or roll-overs on existing loans. Which?’s findings suggest that problems have worsened in this industry and that more borrowers are finding themselves caught in debt traps. Millions are turning to these loans in the current economic climate and it is usually those on lower incomes that suffer most.

“This work is timely given the OFT’s compliance review of payday lenders. There is clearly a continuing problem with payday loans and this should give further incentive, if any is needed, for the OFT to act quickly to protect consumers from irresponsible lending.”

Merthyr Tydfil Trading Standards have issued the following advice:

• Don’t transfer money to loan companies using money transfer services when applying for loans.
• Don’t go ahead with a loan if a company approves it and then demands a fee before you get the money.
• Do be cautious if a loan company cold-calls you.
• Do some research about the business offering the loan – look for correct phone numbers and physical addresses and ask for information in writing.

Craig Rushton, Trading Standards officer at Merthyr Tydfil Council, said:

“In the current economic climate individuals are finding it difficult to obtain credit and criminals are capitalising on this using devious means and targeting vulnerable people

“Consumers are advised never to transfer money using services such as UKASH or Western Union when taking out loans and to be always be on your guard if someone cold calls you and offers you a loan.”

For further information visit the Merthyr Tydfil Trading Standards website.

To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use their online fraud reporting tool.

People in our area are living longer than ever before. However, as our local population gets older, long term health conditions like dementia are having an impact on a growing number of families.

There are currently 617 people in North East Lincolnshire who are registered with their GP as having dementia. However, many people remain undiagnosed and national estimates suggest there will be up to 2,000 people with dementia symptoms in the area.

The over 65 population in North East Lincolnshire is expected to increase by 38% from 2008 to 2025 with a corresponding increase of 52% in the incidence of dementia.

Dementia Awareness Week, which starts on Sunday, aims to increase understanding of the condition and address misconceptions. At the end of the week, there will be an opportunity to give your views on how you feel dementia services should be provided in North Lincolnshire.

Early intervention and the right support can improve mental health, enhance the quality of life and enable people with dementia to live as independently as possible for longer.

Between the 20th and 26th May six local organizations are putting on more than 20 events to raise awareness of dementia. These include stands in Freshney place, Reminiscence Pods, Talks and Tea Dances. For full information about the planned events please download our full guide from here.

The theme of Dementia Awareness Week this year is ‘Remember the person’ and everyone is being encourage to learn a little about dementia so they can see beyond someone’s diagnosis.

The following five things are what everyone should know about dementia:
1. It’s not a natural part of growing old.
2. It’s caused by diseases of the brain. The most common of these is Alzheimer’s.
3. It’s not just about losing your memory – it can affect thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks.
4. It’s possible to live well with it.
5. There’s more to a person than the dementia.

Remember the Person.

A tide of mass marketed scams such as fake lottery wins is having a devastating effect on the lives of millions of people in the UK, warns TSI. It wants people to ‘turn them in and turn the tide’ during the Scams Awareness Month in May.

Unscrupulous scammers often target elderly or vulnerable adults, tricking them into revealing their bank details or paying upfront fees with the lure of huge rewards. Victims can find themselves on the receiving end of wave after wave of letters, emails and phone calls aimed at parting them from their cash, and even after they realise they have been cheated out of their life savings, many people do not report the crime as they are too embarrassed to tell anyone.

The scammers are left free to carry on duping more and more victims, getting away with an estimated total of more than £73 billion a year. The clear message from TSI as it launches Scams Awareness Month is ‘Turn them in and turn the tide’.

Working in partnership with Citizens Advice and Action Fraud – the national fraud and internet crime reporting and advice centre – trading standards teams across the country are encouraging anyone receiving scam mailings, or friends and family of anyone they believe is a victim of scam mailings, to speak up.

Louise Baxter, chair of the TSI Consumer Education Liaison Group, which is co-ordinating the campaign said:

“The mailings received in this year’s ‘scamnesty’ will be analysed and the information shared with partner enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad. This will help us crack down on the senders and their networks, and enable us to help victims of scams directly, giving them tools to deal with this problem”

As scammers use ever more sophisticated tactics and materials, an increasing percentage of people targeted are falling victim to crime. The most common types of scam include fake lotteries, prize draws and sweepstakes, advance fees and money transfers, ticketing, home working and career opportunities, health and slimming miracles, pay in advance credit, and investment opportunities.

Peter Wilson, Director of Action Fraud, said:

“An essential part of stopping fraudsters preying on vulnerable people is to make sure these incidents are reported to Action Fraud. Whether you’ve lost money or not, we want to know what’s happened. All information is good information when it comes to tracking down those responsible for the network of scams that continue to plague people, particularly the elderly, daily.”

Another important aim of May’s campaign is to help everyone recognise the warning signs and have the confidence to seek advice or simply reject approaches.

People with elderly or vulnerable relatives are being urged to be extra-vigilant. An increase in mail, unusual payments or bank transactions, or more incoming telephone calls than normal to a parent, grandparent or other vulnerable adultcould be a sign that scammers are at work.

Ron Gainsford, Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute, said:

“Time and again we hear from trading standards of yet another of these distressing stories about vulnerable adults preyed upon by cruel, greedy people, and we fight to find ways to protect these victims. It is challenging because we cannot interfere with human rights and individual choices, but it is vital that we are all aware that such scams are taking place, and how, through the post and internet, they get into victims’ homes and lives.

“The May edition of our house magazine, TS Today, features just such a case where thanks to a last minute trading standards intervention, an elderly victim wasn’t scammed out his house – the very roof over his head.

“TSI supports the Think Jessica campaign run by Marilyn Baldwin, whose mother was scammed out of thousands.”

Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy said:

“There are a lot of rogues and chancers looking to make a quick buck by ripping off others. It’s only by working together that we will crack down on these con artists and stamp out scams for good.

“Anyone who thinks they have been a victim of a scam can get help from Citizens Advice, either by going to their local bureau or calling our consumer service phone line.”

People are also being encouraged to remember the following tips:

• Stop, think and be sceptical. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• Do not be rushed into sending off money to someone you do not know, however plausible they might sound and even where an approach is personalised.
• Ask yourself how likely it is that you have been especially chosen for this offer – thousands of other people will probably have received the same offer.
• Think about how much money you could lose from replying to a potential scam – it’s not a gamble worth taking.
• If you are unsure of an offer, speak to family or friends and seek advice before sending any money or giving out any banking or credit card details.

Scams can be reported to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk or to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 040506. During May in many areas suspicious letters can also be handed in at libraries.

Referencing the recent announcement of a cut of 2 pence per litre in the price paid to dairy farmers for milk by four of the major processors: Dairy Crest, Robert Wiseman, Arla and Muller, which will exploit these farmers to the tune of up to £20,000 per year, Tim Farron praised plans for a referee, who will have the power to protect farmers.

Tim Farron used his speech to demonstrate to MPs that the Grocery Codes Adjudicator will play an integral role in rebalancing the relationship between suppliers and supermarkets, by ensuring that the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, which was introduced in February 2010, is upheld.

This code obliges large supermarkets to deal fairly and lawfully with their suppliers. However, with no adjudicator, supermarkets have been able to ignore the code, enabling them to get away with changing their agreements retrospectively and to make suppliers pay for stocking their products, resolve customer complaints and even force them to use particular suppliers themselves, at the benefit of the supermarket not the producer.

Tim Farron has been campaigning for a “Supermarket Ombudman” for many years and the introduction of this Grocery Codes Adjudicator will ensure that the supermarkets are reigned in and that British farmers receive a fair price for their produce.

Commenting after the debate Tim Farron said:

“Across the country large supermarkets have been getting away with exploitation for many years and it is completely unacceptable. The recent example of the cut in price for dairy farmers is just one example of many and is something that must be stopped.

“The Grocery Codes Adjudicator is all about ensuring fair trade for British farmers, and rebalancing the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers in order to support our agricultural industry.”