More than eighty thousand people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training according to figures highlighted by Bedford and Kempston Liberal Democrats.
A Liberal Democrat Councillor whose son's school was hit by the swine flu bug stepped in to ensure parents received vital information on the virus after finding that Bedford Borough Council had no procedure in place to do so. Putnoe Ward Cllr Sallyanne Smith said that she was surprised and disappointed that the Council had not thought to issue general information through schools about the risks to children and how they can protect themselves against the spread of the virus.
A full council meeting at Bedford Borough Council last night endorsed the Liberal Democrats' call for the Council to pledge that it will not take part in any pilot schemes for the national ID Card and that local residents will not be required to hold an ID card in order to access council services.
Schools in Bedford Borough have not received any financial reports from the new Council, causing difficulties for schools trying to manage their budgets without key monitoring information. Local schools should receive monthly reports from the Council, but have yet to receive any since the financial year began in April. Liberal Democrats raised the matter at a meeting of the Council's Children's Services Policy Review and Development Committee on Thursday night, and received assurances that the first set of reports will be with schools by the the end of the summer term next week.
Over 11,000 children in England under-16 were being treated for alcohol and drug dependency in the last year according to figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats.
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling on the new unitary Council to say no to ID Cards. In a motion to be debated at a meeting of the Council next week, the Lib Dems are demanding that the Council declares its opposition to the Government's plans for a national ID card and accompanying database. The motion also calls on the council to pledge that it will not take part in any trial schemes and that local residents will not be required to hold an ID card in order to access council services, unless this is required by law.
