Cllr Geoff Heathcock

(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.

Geoff who is a former Vice Chairman of the Cambridge Community Health Council and Health Spokesman for his Party on the County Council – has expressed considerable misgivings over the need for there to be a Private Hospital built on the Addenbrookes Hospital site – questioning both the need and the ethics that lie behind the plan. Addenbrookes is the key District General Hospital for Mid and South Cambridgeshire is already expanding – why should a Private facility be provided on the same site – which will draw Consultant expertise and likely drain off other clinical staff i am not in the least happy about this and fear for the proper staffing and quality that the main Hospital requires ongoing. We all appreciate that financial problems are probably driving this project – but it should not overtake the premise of Health care being provided free at the point of delivery – which lies at the bedrock of the NHS.

Geoff has made contact with the Planning Department at the City Council to get some update with regards to future use of the now closed pub “The Queen Ediths” on Wulfstan Way which has been out of use since the beginning of the year, is boarded up and the entrances all blocked off with large builders’ bags. It is not at all helpful that the months are ticking by and we have had no definitive news as to future occupation of the building. I certainly want to see movement soon rather than have a potential eyesore in the centre of the ward. i shall continue to monitor the situation.

Geoff who has had a keen interest in Mental Health Service delivery in the County over many years has expressed his dismay that a recently appointed Senior manager at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust who only started work in February has left! The new Executive Nurse and Director of Operations repla ced the retiring Director and had shown a particularly good feel for the needs of the Service and was discussing with Geoff how he might play a future role alongside Carers. It only goes to show how bad things are at this Trust – that Barbara has gone already, devastating for the Service and its development.

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/

Geoff has sought assurances from County Highways officers that as soon as the present bad weather ceases – a very long list of repairs he has given them will commence across the ward. It is deeply annoying that a range of work which has been agreed to be carried out – has now hit another problem the weather. i AM Hopeful that the rain will stop for a while in order for essential pavement and road repairs to start. I will be monitoring the situation closely.

Geoff as a former Health spokesman for his Party in the County has criticised a plan which is apparently endorsed by Health Secretary and South Cambs MP – that could see NHS workers across the board have their wages cut and frozen if they live in a low wage area of the Cou ntry. These folk are not only subject to yet another massive re-organisation which was not sought in the last General Election – but ensure that when we need care and support in Hospital or Community that a Service is delivered, why on earth should they see their hard fought conditions of service shattered in order to meet low wages in the Private Sector?

If MP’s think this really is the way to run a Major Public Service perhaps they would think it appropriate to see their £66k plus package cut in deprived Counties of the Country like Cornwall and Cumbria – i somehow feel that MP’s in those Counties would fight back to keep their lucrative packages!

Geoff has now received a more detailed response as to why the South Cambridge Area parking Review has stalled. He had written to Senior Managers in Transport to ascertain what was happening with the proposals being issed for consultation with the wider Public, a timetable for implementation and some clarify over the level of resources. Sadly in the first instance all i received was the usual excuses as to why nothing had been heard since February and no indication as to when we might see real and meaningful headway being made.

A Senior Manager has now responded that due to budget and staffing cuts – the programme is running a little behind but that Councillors will see a draft plan very shortly – then it will go out for wider Public Discussion late Summer.

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.