Archive for January 2015

Meeting parents for the ‘Action for School Road Safety’ campaign

January 26, 2015 Road safety Comments Off on Meeting parents for the ‘Action for School Road Safety’ campaign

ActionPetitionToday I was delighted to meet with many parents outside Waterbeach Primary School. With the help of Sarah Smart and my partner Urmi, we managed to collect over 100 signatures (this is in addition to the online petition below).

The aim of the petition campaign to press for action and to hold Cambridgeshire County Council to account. I am taking on these County issues in addition to my District related workload.
The campaign has four key aims;ActionPetition3
(1) Recruit a Primary School crossing person and put in place an actual crossing.
(2) Add the Primary School to a Safer Routes to School scheme.
(3) Return the Secondary School bus route (Landbeach to Cottenham) to the priority gritting route list.
(4) Ensure parents concerns about the quality/standard of County Secondary School buses are addressed.

There was a great response from parents today really getting behind the campaign.

Please do sign the petition! [emailpetition id=”1″]

Action for school road safety campaign

January 21, 2015 Road safety Comments Off on Action for school road safety campaign

School Safety with Lucy FrazerWe have launched the ‘Action for School Road Safety’ petition campaign to press for action and to hold the County Council to account. Pictured with Parliamentary Candidate Lucy Frazer, who has joined the campaign.

The campaign will have four key aims;
(1) Recruit a Primary School crossing person and put in place an actual crossing.
(2) Add the Primary School to a Safer Routes to School scheme.
(3) Return the Secondary School bus route (Landbeach to Cottenham) to the priority gritting route list.
(4) Ensure parents concerns about the quality/standard of County Secondary School buses are addressed.

As a District Councillor I am taking these County issues on in addition to my District duties for the good of the local community. Thank you to Sarah Smart for helping behind the scenes to get this campaign launched!

Please do sign the petition! [emailpetition id=”1″]

 

Protecting and improving the NHS

January 20, 2015 Health Comments Off on Protecting and improving the NHS

nhsOur NHS is to be valued and protected. Many of us have seen first hand the professionalism and dedication of our doctors, nurses and midwives. So we must ensure the resources and improvements take place.

More funding and health professionals

nhsprofessionalAlready during this parliament we have seen increased funding meaning more doctors, nurses and midwives. There are now more than 8,000 more doctors, 6000 more nurses and 1,500 more midwives. The Conservative Party plan is to remain committed to increasing funding in real terms each year. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor committed an additional £2 billion on top of this.

This funds new treatments like the £1.16 billion Cancer Drugs Fund. This is has already helped more than 60,000 people get the most pioneering, life enhancing medicine there is. 

Tackling failureNHSDavidCameron 

The public inquiry into the Mid Staffs tragedy exposed systemic failings in the NHS. The
goverment ensured that the CQC is now independent, putting in new ratings system and appointed a chief inspector for hospitals, GPs and social care. All 11 hospitals put into Special Measures after the Keogh Review are making progress and five are out of special measures. 

Dignity in wards 

It is also important we are respect patients’ dignity by nearly eradicating mixed sex wards. The number of patients facing the indignity of mixed-sex wards has fallen from 11,802 in November 2010 to 170 in July 2014.

Reducing infection rates

Hospital infections have been halved since 2010 – so people have much more confidence that they are going to cleaner hospitals where they are less likely to get more ill. Both MRSA and C. Difficile are down by more than 50 per cent since since 2010. 

Clearly there are many challenges ahead of us, so it is crucial we ensure a Conservative government to continue the investment in the NHS.

Balancing the UK books

January 15, 2015 Economy Comments Off on Balancing the UK books

The Chancellor has put forward the Charter of Budget Responsibility, which sets out a clear money
timetable to get the current budget into balance by 2017/18.

In the meantime the two Ed’s continue their shift to the left producing the failed policies of old Labour – more taxes, more spending – whilst saying we need to reduce the deficit, but voting against the measures to bring it down!.

labourThe contrast could not be more clear with the intervention by the head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that Labour’s policy for more borrowing risks adding £170 billion to the national debt by 2030. Heaping on more debt for future generations. We need to live within our means now.

This country has come a long way since Labour left us with one of the worst deficits in history. Labour haven’t learnt their lesson and give every indication they would make the same mistakes again given the chance.

Britain faces a choice this May – whether to stick to the competent, long-term plan that is turning our country around, or to put it at risk with the people who crashed the economy in the first place.

Fight to save last Natwest branch in South Cambridgeshire District

January 8, 2015 Banking Comments Off on Fight to save last Natwest branch in South Cambridgeshire District

I am delighted that the campaign to save the Histon Natwest branch is gathering pace.

The motion about the branch closure I have put forward to the next Full Council meeting of South Cambridgeshire District Council in January will now be seconded by Histon Councillor Edd Stonham. The meeting is open to the public to attend.

It was with some amazement that the news came through of the closure of the Natwest Histon branch, to take place on March 25th.

The branch, just north of Cambridge, has not only the large population of Histon/Impington, but also many large surrounding villages like Waterbeach, Milton, Cottenham, Landbeach, Girton and Oakington.Natwestpostoffice

The Histon branch represents the last remaining Natwest branch located in the South Cambridgeshire District Council area – of over 100 villages.

If the closure does happen, then Natwest customers will have to either use the Post Office for certain services or go into Cambridge City, St.Ives or Ely  – as the nearest branches.

 

NatwestmoneybanksIt is very much my hope, that Natwest, as a listening bank, will listen to public opinion on this issue and the community feeling as we go into 2015.

Finally! – The pay day cap is here.

January 2, 2015 payday lenders Comments Off on Finally! – The pay day cap is here.

moneyThe cap has been a long time coming. At last the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) has implemented the cap on pay day lenders. The means that a borrower will never have to pay more than 100% of the original loan amount back.

There is already major changes in the market with many pay day lenders closing down with an estimated halving of loans. This is also because of changes implemented in July including limit on roll-overs, more affordability checks and controls on CPA’s which is a mechanism that has allowed lenders to take money from people’s bank accounts.

Whilst this is all welcome, it does not resolve the symptom cause of people needing payday loans. Some have warned of the risk that this will push people to illegal loan sharks. It is reckoned that around 70,000 people will not be able to get a loan under the new system.

This is why Credit Unions must play a very important role in the solution going forward as not only do they offer affordable loans, they also help give money management and debt advice. A crucial part of helping stop the cycle of debt that leads people to payday lenders in the first place. For example the London Mutual Credit Union would charge £3 on a £100 loan.

CreditUnion

The UK currently has around 400 credit unions and a million members in total. Credit unions are usually move supportive than the high street towards people with bad credit histories. Plus APR rates vary between 7-40%.

The Government has now put in £38m for the Credit Union Expansion Project, launching next April. Within the scheme dozens of credit unions will bring together their resources to cut down on administration costs.

The project is run by the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd. A key part of the project is to improve the industry’s use of IT to enable instant credit scoring. Currently many Credit Unions will take over a week to lend money, where as payday lenders can offer instant loans. So this step will provide Credit Unions with a way to combat the USP of instant loans that payday lenders have had.

There will continue to be close scrutiny of pay day lenders, as many are now increasing there charges to the maximum level of the cap.