Mary DAlbert

At the launch of the new Draft Bill on energy, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State of Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey, writes:

Over the next decade, around a fifth of existing power plants are due to close, against a background of increased energy demand and increasing prices. We need new investment simply to keep the lights on.

But more than that, we need a clean energy revolution to meet our ambitious climate change goals and make this the greenest government ever.

That’s why I am bringing forward a new Energy Bill today.

You can read more about our clean energy revolution here.

We also need to transform our energy market to reduce the risk and cost of low carbon technologies.

That’s what our Bill does.

The UK is fast becoming a world leader in renewable energy, especially in off shore wind. I want us to lead the world in Carbon Capture and Storage too.

And we are also tackling rising energy bills. Without reforming the energy market bills will rise by around £200 in the coming years. Our reforms will mean bills are around 4% lower than they otherwise would have been.

Going green is good for the economy, good for Britain and good for you.

Yours,

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

(Image licensed under Creative Commons from DECC)

(Click picture to play video)

It is shameful that, despite all the promise on a four or five year old’s first day at school, or the passion of their teachers, you can all too often plot that child’s path just by asking how much their parents earn.

The £2.5billion Pupil Premium was one of the four pledges on the front page of our manifesto.  And now, with Liberal Democrats in government, schools are using the money for things like breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. These are the sort of experiences many middle class children take for granted but a poorer child might rarely enjoy.

Yesterday I visited a fantastic primary school to see how they are spending their Pupil Premium, highlight our new Summer Schools to ease the transition from primary to secondary, and to set out our plans to reward teachers and hold schools to account.

The Pupil Premium shows that, in tough times, we are implementing Liberal Democrat values and prioritising help for those pupils who need it most.

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg MP

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister

PS Click here to find out how much money your local school will receive from the Liberal Democrats’ Pupil Premium.

This week, Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat minister at the Department of Health) has launched a national £4 million lung cancer awareness campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind, will use TV, radio and press adverts, and advertising on pharmacist bags and inside GP surgeries, to raise awareness of the disease.

One of its aims is to persuade anyone who has had a cough for more than three weeks to see their doctor.

You can find more information about coughing and lung cancer at the Department of Health website, here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/05/coughing-could-be-a-sign-of-lung-cancer-2/

With 33,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is a blight on the lives of far too many of our families and an early diagnosis can make all the difference. Please take the opportunity of the Be Clear on Cancer campaign to find out more about prevention and diagnosis, and to visit your local doctor if you’ve had a persistent cough – it is always better to be safe than sorry!

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/tag/be-clear-on-cancer/

Great video from the team behind Prestwich's bid to be a Portas pilot!

See below about news that the Council is considering making a large part of Prestwich subject to a Designated Public Place Order [DPPO] - more commonly known as an “alcohol street drinking bans”

Your local Councillors would be interested in knowing your views - and as well please do respond to the official consultation (details below). Get in touch with your local Lib Dem Councillors at libddems@lovprestwich.com

The effect of the order is to give a Police Officer the power to request an individual to refrain from drinking alcohol in the area; if the individual then refuses to comply with that request an offence is committed. The Police would not have to take action simply because somebody was having a drink in a public place.

Declaring a DPPO will not affect people drinking in their own gardens or on other private property. Existing licensed premises, beer gardens and park areas etc when operating under a premises licence or temporary event notice are exempt from the DPPO.

Prestwhich has had two DPPOs for a few years Of. One covers part of Bury New Road from the M60 to St Mary’s Road and the other covers part of Bury Old Road between St Margaret’s Road and Ostrich Lane.

This new DPPO is for a much larger area as shown on this map.

The Council is seeking your view on the proposal. Any objections, representations or other comments in respect of this proposal and/or the associated revocations should be made in writing detailing the grounds on which they are made and sent to the Licensing Service at the address below to be received no later than the 20th May 2012.

The Licensing Office
Bury Council
Town Hall
Knowsley Street
Bury Council
BL9 0SW
or by e mail to licensing@bury.gov.uk

Thank you for your assistance.

Yours sincerely

What used to be known as "Farmers Markets" have been re-branded as "Artisan Markets" by Bury Council.

Alongside the regular monthly Artisan Market in Ramsbottom; Prestwich, Radcliffe and Whitefield will feature on the 2012 calendar.

The next Prestwich Artisan Market is 22 April 2012 9.30-3.00pm.

There is more information about the markets, together with information for traders <a href="http://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6650">here</a>.,

Official reports have confirmed that no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has increased council tax for their residents. This is unlike both other major parties, many of which are increasing council tax by up to 3.5% this year.

Commenting on Labour and Conservative councils’ record on Council Tax, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

“While Labour and the Tories fight over how many of their councils raised Council Tax, it’s clear that with the Liberal Democrats your money is safest: no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has raised Council Tax.

“Ordinary working families are struggling already with paying bills, without their councils increasing the burden.

“The choice in next month’s elections is clear: vote Liberal Democrat for financially responsible councils that create jobs. Vote Labour and the Tories for waste, mismanagement and tax rises.”

As well as freezing council tax across the country, Liberal Democrat councils are protecting front-line services, fighting to keep libraries and Sure Start centres open. This is in addition to the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government, which after the Budget include a £130 income tax cut for all working families, the largest-ever rise in the basic state pension, an increase in child tax credits for the poorest families, and an increase in the Lib Dem Pupil Premium to £600 for every pupil receiving Free School Meals.

At every level of government, the Liberal Democrats are cutting taxes for low- and middle-earners and better targeting help to those that need it the most. It is a record of financial responsibility of which we can be proud.

A first look at part of this week’s Liberal Democrat Local Election Broadcast. This clip looks at our key pledge to cut taxes for working families, and celebrates the fact that Liberal Democrats in government have achieved:

• The biggest-ever single uplift in the tax-free personal allowance
• A £3.5 billion tax cut for working men and women
• 840,000 of the lowest earners in the country lifted completely out of paying Income Tax

Next year, the allowance increases again (to £9,205) – within touching distance of our manifesto promise to increase the Income Tax threshold to £10,000.

These are all significant achievements that are already making a difference for millions of hard-working men and women across Britain. Real change for real families in tough times – promised and delivered by the Liberal Democrats.

We can be proud that the biggest tax cuts in today’s Budget go to millions of working families.

As a result of this Budget, someone working a full week on minimum wage will see their income tax bill cut by over 50% compared to under Labour.

Increasing the personal allowance to £9,205 takes us within touching distance of our number one manifesto pledge – ensuring no one pays any tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

Thanks to our changes, a basic rate taxpayer will be paying £45 a month less in tax than they would have been under Labour.

We can be proud that we’ve ensured the richest in our society will be paying more, much more.

The Tycoon Tax, an increase in stamp duty for high value properties and other new taxes on wealth will raise five times as much as the 50p tax rate. Those with annual incomes of more than £150,000 a year will be paying on average an additional £1,300 a year in tax, as a result of this Budget.

Of course, this is a Coalition Budget and we did not get our own way on everything. Conservative priorities are not ours. But as on so many other issues, we have made sure that there is a real Liberal Democrat stamp on this Budget.

Lower taxes for more than 20 million working people; effective new taxes on the rich.

This is a Budget we can be proud of – a Budget for the many, not the few.

Best wishes,

One of the top issues that you give to your local councilors is your concern about the speed of traffic on local residential roads.

Prestwich is a busy place. Not only to all of us go about our business every day, but we’re also at the junction of one of Europe’s busiest motorways and two main routes into Manchester. Not surprisingly, many of our residential streets have become dangerous ‘cut through’s’ to avoid busy main roads.

20mph zones are nothing new, we have lots of them already in Prestwich. We have so many you would probably be forgiven for being confused! On Heywood Road you start at 30mph, then 20mhp, then back to 30mhp, then back to 20mhp. Whittaker Lane is 20mph, but the small terraced streets just off it, all 30mph!

But the case for 20mph is pretty conclusive. It you hit a child going at 40, then 9 out of 10 children with NOT survive. Hit a child at 20 mph, 9 out of 10 will live. If you’re driving at 30mph, it takes 30 metres to stop. In a busy street a lot can happen in 30 metres.

Traditionally 20mph zones have come alongside physical speed reduction measures (humps, lumps and chicanes). Although have been necessary in some places, surely we don’t need them everywhere.

Liberal Democrat-run Portsmouth was the first city in the country to make every residential road 20mph. On the whole this has been done without physical traffic calming and has been a huge success. Although not every driver will obey the rules, the zoning brings the average speed right down. Instead of driving at 30-something, drivers will drive at 20-something. That is a lot of lives saved.

What do you think about this? I know many people dislike 20mph zones, probably especially because of the humps and chicanes. But with such a busy area is it the best thing to do for Prestwich?

Let us know what you think at libdens@loveprestwich.com