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News from the Liberal Democrats

GCSE and A Level Results

I must comment on the exam results achieved by students in Bedford Borough, following the A Level and GCSE results days in the past week, and offer my congratulations to all the students for their hard work. To take one measure for GCSEs, which were published on Tuesday this week, there was a 3% rise across the Borough's maintained schools in the number of students achieving 5 A* - Cs, including English and Maths, taking this number over 50%. Meanwhile, A Level results in the Borough's maintained schools also saw a rise in terms of both the overall number of points achieved by students, and the average points achieved per subject.

26 Aug 2010
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Cautious optimism over one or two emerging signs for the local economy

Last week I wrote in the Times and Citizen newspaper about my cautious optimism over one or two emerging sings for the local economy. Clearly, with households struggling in the very difficult economic climate, there is a long way to go before we can talk of a significant recovery, but the unemployment figures over the last year or so do give cause for some cautious optimism. Even though there is only so much the Council can do, I am determined that it will do all it can to help foster conditions in the local economy which help create and retain jobs in this Borough. In case you missed it, here's the article from the paper:

28 Aug 2010
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Consulting on the Very Difficult Decisions Ahead

You may have seen in the press or on the local TV news that this week we published proposals to achieve the £10 million-plus savings required for Bedford Borough Council's budget to balance next year. There are a number of very difficult decisions involved, and that is why we are publishing these proposals so early (the measures ultimately agreed will not take effect until April 2011) in order to enable a genuine, full and open consultation. These potential savings have been identified in order that the Council can continue to provide the services which match residents' priorities, and to ensure that the shortage of funds for Councils are not passed on to local taxpayers as we continue our drive to freeze Council tax next year.

10 Sep 2010
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Climate Change Fund Update: Pavenham Village Hall Set to Soak Up the Sun!

I am delighted that, following the Sustainability Committee's decision this week to award it over £8,000 of funding from the Mayor's Climate Change Fund, Pavenham Village Hall and Playing Field Charity's excellent project to install loft insulation and solar panels will be going ahead. The scheme will see 16 photovoltaic panels generating 2,722 kWh of electricity from a fossil-free source and will save 1.55 tonnes of CO2 and £1,448 per year. It is a genuine community project, and exactly the sort of scheme I had in mind when we set up the Climate Change Fund. It will provide ongoing savings for the Charity, help protect the environment and provide an excellent example to other organisations who may consider pursuing similar projects. I wish the Charity the very best of luck with the project and look forward to seeing the panels in place when it is completed.

12 Sep 2010
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Yarl's Wood - Child Detention Facility WILL Close

There was some speculation in the national press recently which suggested that the Government was set to drop its pledge to close the child detention facility at Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre in Clapham. I have always argued that locking up children for immigration purposes is an abominable practice, and as someone who was very pleased to see the Liberal Democrat pledge to close the Yarl's Wood Family Centre included in the Coalition Agreement, I was obviously disturbed by the suggestion that the Government may be rowing back on it. I am therefore delighted that Liberal Democrat Children's Minister has quashed the speculation and confirmed that child detention will be brought to an end by the government, and Yarl's Wood's family unit will close.

19 Sep 2010
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Difficult Decisions - Have Your Say On the Savings Proposals

As I wrote on here last week, the Council has now published a set of proposals for achieving the £10 million-plus of savings required to make next year's budget balance. With the consultation on these proposals set to be launched next week, I really do hope that people take the opportunity to have their say on what has been put forward. I wrote about the consultation, and the plans, in last week's Times and Citizen newspaper, and feel it's worth reproducing that here for anyone who missed it:

23 Sep 2010
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