Cllr John Ennis

First Schools to have Solar Panels installed.

2012-01-29T15:02:00.000-08:00

Two primary schools and a children’s centre in Reading are the first in the borough to have solar panels installed on their roofs under a Council scheme to tackle rising energy costs and reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Ranikhet Primary School in Tilehurst, Christ the King Primary in Whitley Wood and Caversham Children’s Centre are all having solar panels fitted on top of their school buildings this week.

By using solar panels to generate power, energy bills will be cut. Solar energy is environmentally friendly and will help reduce bills too.

The Council launched a significant investment scheme last year to invest in schools and public buildings – such as children’s centres, libraries, sheltered housing units and community centres - in order to generate energy efficiency savings in the long-term.

The scheme sees an initial spend to save investment of around £5million, which would be repaid, with a Government tariff scheme funded by the energy companies, paying Reading Borough Council for each unit of electricity the panels produced.

The solar panels are due to be installed by British Gas at all three sites by the end of this week. Each school will then put up real time energy monitors in their reception areas to demonstrate to its pupils the renewable energy being generated by the sun and the carbon savings being achieved as a result.

Paul Gittings, lead councillor for environment and climate change, said: “The Council is committed to using forms of renewable energy to generate savings on the energy bills of public buildings and this project is a great example of how that can be achieved. The investment will ensure some real savings in the medium to long-term which will benefit everyone living in Reading.”
John Ennis, lead councillor for education and children’s services, said: “Its great to see children’s centres and schools being the first in the borough to receive solar panels and benefit from the savings produced from using solar energy. I am sure many children at our primary schools will get a lot out of seeing how renewable energy is generated.”
In addition to the panels being installed at Christ the King, Ranikhet Primary and Caversham Children’s Centre, solar panels are also being introduced at EP Collier Primary School in York Road.

The school has recently raised reached its target of raising over £10,000 from businesses, community and individuals to install solar panels on its roof after signing up to take part in the Solar Schools scheme run by the charity 10:10.

GCSE, A Level and AS Level Results

2012-01-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

GCSE, A Level and AS Level Results

26/01/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

Official figures released by the DfE today show that GCSE and A Level results in Reading are yet again significantly better than those nationally.

For A Level exams taken in the Summer of 2011, the average point score per student in Reading borough is 878.1, compared with the national figure of 728.2.

The points score per entry for Reading students is 238.8, compared with the national of 215.4. This result ensures that Reading remains as the highest ranking authority in the country.

Official GCSE figures for exams taken in Summer 2011 were also published today and show that Reading pupil's results continue to improve from previous years.

The percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs or equivalent by the end of Key Stage 4 at grades A*-C has increased from 78% in 2010 to 80.3% this year. This remains above the national average of 79.5%.

There has been an increase in the number of pupils achieving at 5+ A* to C including English and mathematics from 54.7% in 2010, to 55.9% in 2011.

The average point score per pupil for GCCE?S is 494.4. This is 29..1 points above the previous year's and 31.5 points above the national figure.

The number of pupils leaving school with no qualifications now stands at 0.6% compared with 0.7% in 2010.

23.3% of pupils in Reading achieved the English Baccalaureate qualification compared with a national figure of 17.6%.

John Ennis, Reading Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services, said: "Reading's secondary schools and students deserve congratulations on their performance. This year's results show once again the amount of work that has gone into driving up standards in our schools. We are very proud that Reading schools have been able to sustain and build on these improvements year on year."

Important work as a Councillor for Education and Children's Services ahead.

2012-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

This week is an important week as a Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services.

Monday 23 January

4.00pm Chairing the Finance and Site Meeting at Blessed Hugh Faringdon.

As Chair of the Finacne and Site Cttee we recently conducted a site visit of Blessed Hugh Faringdon School BHF) and observed classroom teaching. I was extremely impressed at the politeness of the pupils whilst in lessons and the professionalism of teachers who ensured every pupil learnt the subject matter they were teaching. Tomorrow we will recap on our recent visit and how we can continue to use the funding available to ensure further pupil progress.

6,00pm Chairing a meeting of parents using the East Reading After School Club

Tomorrow we are reconvening the meeting of parents of children using the Newtown ASC. Whilst this minority Labour Administration has no intention of closing this valuable club we need to make it viable and cost neutral to the council and we can do this by working with East Reading Primary schools and the parents. I am confident that this will take place and the future of Newtown ASC will be secured.

7.30pm Meeting with other Labour Councillors with an interest in transforming youth services.

The previous Tory led Coalition took over £1.3m out of Youth Services which threatened the future of universal services. Now we are hopeful that we can rebuild Youth Services, encouraging all local youth to enjoy the variety of clubs and activities whilst ensuring that one to one work with vulnerable young people is enhanced and continues. We are committed to working with the voluntary to deliver Youth Services that young people want and value.

Tuesday 24th January

4,30pm School Improvement Panel

This cross party panel will have council officers reporting to councillors about the progress and plans to improve standards and promote pupil progress. We are working hard with schools to achieve this objective and this includes putting schools on notice to improve because results and pupil progress have not been to an acceptable standard for the parents and children.

6.30pm Full Council

I am moving the Parenting Panel Report to Full Council on how we can assist children who are in Foster Care and who are being looked after. The Council has a Pledge to Young People in Care and we will be reviewing how successful and effective the various pledges, such as continuity with Social Workers has been.

There must be an election in the air as Cllr Janjua has two motions to move. One on Shinfield Road and another which should be a Councillor's Enquiry. It is weird that he now suddenly takes an interest in his ward after saying nothing about the lights at Shinfield Road for three years when he failed to respond to feedback on the lights and he, along with the other Tory Councillors in Church did not raise any objections to the plan when consulted on. I suspect the good people of Church Ward will see through this and elect Eileen McGilliort, who will represent residents all year round. Remember voters are for life and not just for elections.

When Labour came back to into Administration last May we found that there was a major imbalance in the number of senior managers to other staff grades as the Tory led coalition had cut high numbers of front line staff and kept the senior managers in place. After a period of consultation which involved senior managers themselves we have recommended a new senior management structure which is streamlined, efficient and prioritising managing front line services, merging directorates together. This proposal will not only provide efficiency but will also save almost £1m for the council tax payers. The Tories and their Lib Dem friends have voted against this proposal and rumour has it may vote against the efficiency plans of senior management on Tuesday. If they do the questions will have to be asked as to why they are keen to cut low paid jobs in the atmosphere of "we are all in this together" whilst protecting all highly paid jobs and if they don't want to save £1m on this plan where are they going to save the money? Not more front line services for children and families? Surely not?

Wednesday 25th January
4.30pm Children's Trust

The Trust will discuss safeguarding for children and families as well as services for Women who are victims of Domestic Abuse.

Holocaust Day, Civic Centre

RCRE, an excellent organisation are organising an excellent event to reflect on the holocaust against Jewish peoples in Europe during the Second World War and the mass killing of other peoples throughout the world in modern history. I look forward to this event to reflect and remember.

Friday 27th January

1.00pm Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board

I will be attending this meeting to promote working with the Health Service to improve the health and wellbeing of children in Reading. The figures released last week show that over 20% of children in Reading are living in poverty and it is going to get worse due to the ongoing recession and policies carried out by the Coalition that will affect families, such as cuts to benefits.

This week is a busy and important week for the work of the council in promoting children and families. I will be attending and standing up for families in Reading to get the best deal possible from the Government and Council.

Please don't take my Reading away

2012-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

It now seems that all the rumours in the media about the Royals being taken over by a Russian Billionaire or group are true as John Madejski announced today that he had sold a major shareholding of the club to a group called Thames Sports Investments and that money will be invested for players in January. This was met with positive applause from the fans and an excitement that finances are available to buy quality players and not have to sell them. Will Reading finally become a genuine Premier League club.

However, whilst this is great being a rich club with big signings and lots of publicity I quite like Reading as a small local club, led by a local businessman born in Reading and a great manager in Brian McDermott,who is understated and motivational, promoting a togetherness amongst the players. Reading's achievements of the Championship record of 106 points and 8th place in the Premiership were done on the tightest budget in history and a small group of players jelled together as a team.

The danger is all this small togetherness and McDermott's skills would be lost in the "big money club" that has just bought success and not earned it through endeavour and teamwork.

I love Reading FC as it is even though we will probably fail to get promoted again. I think it would be a tragedy to lose Brian McDermott for some orange tanned "premiership manager" that will get the sack if we don't finish 12th instead of 11th in the Premier League. Yes the Premiership is great and it would be good to get back into the top flight, but what better achievement than to get promoted with the resources and management we have now rather than under some Russian Oligarchy that we know nothing about who could be an imposter with more debts than money.

I suppose I am a typical Reading fan, moaning when we are about to hit the big time. Please don't take my Reading away.

91% Increase In Apprenticeships

2012-01-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

The number of apprentices in Reading has gone up 91% in a year, latest figures show.

There were 1,320 Reading apprentices in Reading in 2010-11 compared to 691 in 2009/10. Whilst ranking tables are not expected to be released until later this year, the 91% increase will almost certainly put Reading among the top performers both regionally and nationally in terms of apprenticeships.

For 16-18 year old people there was a 95% increase in the number of young people completing apprenticeships in 2011, compared to a 12% and 15% increase regionally and nationally respectively.

The impressive figures are a in part a reflection of the effectiveness of partnership work between Reading Council and a range of public and private sector organisations that have been working together to increase the number of apprenticeships available to Reading people.

John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services, said: “At a time when everyone – and in particularly young people - are finding it difficult to gain employment it is encouraging that so many companies in Reading are offering youngsters the chance to gain valuable experience. In some cases apprenticeships will lead to full time employment later down the line, which is why I’m really pleased to see these impressive figures for Reading .”

John Ennis: Reading’s young unemployed are paying the price of Osborne’s failure

2012-01-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

18 January 2012

John Ennis: Reading’s young unemployed are paying the price of Osborne’s failure
With the latest figures for youth unemployment showing a 67% increase in Reading East over the last year, and a staggering 83% in Reading West, Lead Councillor for Children’s Services John Ennis says young people in Reading, and elsewhere, are paying the price for the failure of George Osborne’s economic policy.
Since January 2011 the number of people aged 18-24 who have been claiming unemployment benefit for 6 months nationally has more than doubled. The figure for Reading East constituency has gone up from 75 to 125, and that for Reading West from 90 to 165.
Cllr. Ennis says: “Reading is doing better than the national picture, but this is still a terrible waste of a generation. There is a global economic crisis, but in America, Germany and Japan unemployment is flat or falling, which shows this Tory/LibDem Government has got it wrong. They scrapped Labour’s Future Jobs Fund, which guaranteed young people six months’ work at the minimum wage, and all they have to offer them instead is compulsory unpaid work for big retailers, work with no reward and no future. George Osborne is cutting too far, too fast and is scarily stubborn with it.”
//ENDS
For further information contact John Ennis 0789 1382672
or R&DLP Press Officer Pete Ruhemann
For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour.org.uk

After School Clubs, no intention to close, but to make them viable.

2012-01-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

Reading Borough Council News Release

Parents Invited To Public Meetings on After School Clubs

Local parents are being invited to two public meetings later this month to give their views and help shape future after school club services for their children.

Reading Borough Council fully understands just how valuable a lifeline after school clubs are for working parents who have come to rely on the provision to allow them to earn whilst ensuring their children are well cared for.

However, at the present time after school clubs based at East Reading and Coley are losing money due to low take up levels among parents. This position is unsustainable for the Council and council tax payers in the difficult economic conditions.

The Council is therefore planning to embark on a significant push to raise awareness of existing after school clubs in the areas, with a view to increasing the number of parents taking advantage of the valuable services on offer.

As part of that push, as many parents as possible are being encouraged to attend two separate up-and-coming public meetings, so they can tell the Council what would work best for them in terms of after school club provision. As users and potential users of the after school club service, the Council is also very keen to hear from parents themselves about any ideas they may on the most effective way to get more parents to sign up to the clubs.

For parents who are attending the East Reading After School club - based at Newtown school - and other East Reading children who attend St Johns C of E Primary School a public meeting is scheduled on Monday January 23 at East Reading After School club (based in Newtown School) at 6pm.

And for parents whose children currently attend Coley After School Club - based at Coley Community Centre - as well as Coley Primary School and Southcote Primary schools, a public meeting will be held in the main school hall of St Mary’s and All Saints School on Monday January 30th, also from 6pm.

The public meeting – which is open to all, will include a presentation by Council officers on after school club provision, the opportunity for questions and thoughts from the public audience and will be chaired by John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services.

Cllr Ennis said: “We have already said we are fully committed to the provision after school clubs, both in East Reading and Coley, but we need to find a way to make them more attractive to working parents who live in the area and whose children attend local schools. These public meetings are about engaging with local parents and getting their ideas on how to do this. In my experience some of the best ideas often come from parents and the schools themselves. We are in the process of inviting parents, via their schools, and I’d encourage as many people as possible to come along on the nights.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surestart Whitley Children's Centre performing well

2012-01-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Reading Borough Council News Release

Surestart Whitley Children’s Centre Performing Well

The significant health and educational benefits Whitley’s Surestart Children’s Centre brings to the local community are highlighted by Ofsted inspectors, who found the centre was performing well with good prospects for further improvement.

Inspectors visited the centre, based at South Reading Youth and Community Centre in Northumberland Avenue , last month. They found: “Whitley’s Children’s Centre serves its local area well and provides a good level of effectiveness. Leaders have a clear overview of the priorities of the area. They know its community and target groups well.”

Significant successes – like more children being brought for regular health checks and less local people smoking – are noted by inspectors.

Ofsted Inspectors also found services were of a high quality and popular with large numbers of families using the centre, especially those most in need.

The Ofsted report - published on Wednesday January 4 - goes on to say: “…evaluation and data show outcomes for families are good or better in all areas. As a result, the centre’s capacity for sustained improvement is good.”

Partnership working is highlighted as a particular strength and described as ‘exceptionally well streamlined.’ Inspectors noted
the delivery of two year health checks successfully relocated to the Whitley centre in September 2011 and which have seen the number of children being brought in for checks increase by 13% in just 3 months.

Ofsted inspectors said: “The innovative partnership working between the centre and health services is exemplified by the Family visiting Team….which provides a high level of support through a co-ordinated referral system to families most in need.”

Other initiatives to promote better health outcomes are also highlighted by Ofsted. Tackling childhood obesity is being promoted at the centre by promoting exercise through swimming vouchers and through healthy eating programmes. Inspectors noted that the proportion of smokers who have stopped is highest in the centre’s area as a direct result of targeted support and information. Support is also given in the key areas of adult mental health and teenage parents.

The invaluable work of Surestart Whitley Children’s Centre is summed up by one parent, quoted in the report saying: “I can get help (at the centre) with any problems. The staff are amazing: flexible and helpful.”

Ofsted found children make ‘outstanding progress’ in the on-site nursery and crèche. They said: “Analysis of how well children do at the end of Reception year indicates children from Whitley exceed local expectations significantly. In particular data indicate that the percentage gap between the lowest achieving 20% and the rest is significantly better than the local average , showing that this gap is narrowing very well.”

Measures taken to ensure the safety and well being of children are described as ‘outstanding’ and ‘the highest priority’ is given to safeguarding with ‘exemplary practice in place.’

Inspectors found parents had a ‘strong voice’ at the centre and of Reading Borough Council’s role in the Centre’s success, Ofsted wrote: “The local authority gives a good level of support and challenge to ensure continuous improvement. They provide relevant information, good quality data and robust evaluation.”

Inspectors were also impressed by Reading Borough Council’s Innovations project which brings together large numbers of volunteers from the local area to support the local community.

John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services, said: “This is a fantastic Ofsted report and just reward for the tremendous work which we already know goes on at Surestart Whitley Children’s Centre. We have seen some really significant successes like more parents bringing in their children for health checks, fewer people smoking and the fantastic progress of children at the nursery. I would like to personally congratulate every member of staff and every member of the local community involved at the centre. I look forward to even more success in the coming year.”

The Ofsted report is available on the Ofsted website at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/23069

Happy New Year to you all

2012-01-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

Happy new year to you all.

I hope 2012 is good for you and the forecasts about unemployment and squeezed family budgets don't come true.

It is my intention as Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services that Reading Borough Council do not pass on the Tory led coalition cuts and that front services are protected. This will be difficult due to one of the worst local government settlements in the country. However, this minority Labour Administration is looking to make savings from senior management budgets and planning efficiency savings by merging Directorates. This is the only way to make savings to protect front line services. If the other political parties oppose these measures then I look forward to seeing how the savings are made elsewhere.

The Council is not proposing to close the East Reading After School Club

2012-01-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

“The Council is not proposing to shut the East Reading after school club and it would be wrong to suggest that is the case. We fully understand just how valuable a provision after school clubs are for working parents, which is why we have provided a substantial number of after school club places in the East Reading area.

“What is true is that at present only 10 out of the 32 places are being made use of and that as a result the provision is losing £36,000 a year. In the current financial climate that is of course not sustainable. We are however fully committed to carrying out further promotion of the after school club to local parents in and we also intend to discuss with East Reading schools the possibility of them taking over the after school, provision in the future, with continuing assistance from Reading Borough Council.

“A further public meeting has already been arranged at the end of January to discuss future options for after school club promotion further. Parents do not have to wait until then however and they can contact the Council if they have suggestions on how to encourage more children to attend.”

Provisional Local Government Settlement 2012-2013, More cuts to services on the way.

2011-12-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Earlier today we received details of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2012/13.

Broadly the settlement figures mirror the figures announced for 2012/13 last February namely a reduction of £5.6m in Formula Grant from £55.9m to £50.3m.

Specific Grants of £19.6m for 2012/13 are also in line with expectations and include the additional one off Council Tax Freeze Grant of £1.7m for 2012/13.

Details of the Dedicated Schools Grant (which is ringfenced to schools related budgets is expected shortly)

Put the NHS First

2011-12-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Put the NHS first
The Government is planning the biggest re-organisation of the NHS since it began in 1948.

It is unnecessary, unwanted, wasteful and damaging – and threatens to end the NHS as we know it. Only last year, the Government promised people they wouldn’t do it. Many thousands of people have already called on the Government to stop.

But they are ploughing on, ignoring public and professional opinion, out of touch with Britain. We need to make the Government listen before it's too late.

Sign the Drop the Bill petition opposite
POSTCODE LOTTERY
The Bill will break up the NHS and create an unfair postcode lottery. With no national standards, there will be widespread variation in the treatments available on the NHS. In some areas, people may have to go private to get services available for free elsewhere.
LONGER WAITING TIMES
The Bill risks rises in waiting times and a two-tier NHS. It scraps the cap on hospitals treating private patients at the same time as watering down guarantees on NHS waiting times. This means local hospitals will be free to treat more private patients and make NHS patients wait longer.
PRIVATISATION
The Bill turns the NHS into a full-blown commercial market, putting competition before patient care. It allows private companies to cherry-pick quick profits, potentially forcing local hospitals to go bust. Hospitals could even be fined for working together.
DAMAGED DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
The Bill undermines the bond of trust between doctors and patients. It creates conflicts of interest where financial incentives could interfere with medical decisions. GPs could even get a bonus for rationing your care.
WASTE
This Bill is wasting money and creating bureaucracy. It is unforgivable to spend £2 billion on a reckless re-organisation when the NHS needs every penny it can get for patient care. Nearly £1 billion is being wasted on pay-offs for managers, only for many of them to be re-employed as consultants.
Designed and built by Tangent Snowball. Hosted by Rackspace, 2 Longwalk Road, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, UB11 1BA.
Promoted by and on behalf of the Labour Party at 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HA.

Osborne borrowing billions of pounds to pay for unemployment benefits rather than borrow to create jobs.

2011-12-04T03:07:00.000-08:00

George Osborne's £158 billion borrowing bomb shell

Families, pensioners and businesses know it's hurting and the Treasury Statement on Tuesday emphasised that it isn't working either. Last year, the Chancellor boasted about the deep cuts and tax rises he was putting through to cut the deficit. But the recovery he choked off and the higher unemployment he has created mean billions more borrowing to pay for his failure.

The truth is it's hurting but it's not working:

•Growth DOWN
•Borrowing UP
•Unemployment UP

There is a better way. Labour has a 5 point plan for jobs and growth:

1.100,000 jobs for young people
2.Genuinely bring forward investment projects like new school buildings

3.Temporarily reverse the VAT rise- a £450 boost for families with children
4.Cut VAT on home improvements to 5% for a year
5.A tax break for every small firm which takes on extra workers

New revamped community centre for Southcote secured.

2011-12-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

Revamped community centre for Southcote!

The old Y&C Centre on Coronation Square is to get a £100,000+ face-lift and be offered to local people as a focus for community activity—social events, discos and parties, meeting space for local groups old and new, a base for local teams, a place for youth work, for pensioners’ groups, for classes—whatever local people want.

The move comes as plans were approved for four three-bedroom houses and twelve flats on the Happy Prospect site, and most of the money will be paid by the developers to compensate for the loss of the pub as a community facility.

Following a meeting at the Centre in July, two more meetings were held this November to discuss the options in more detail and agree the sort of changes that needed to be made.

Debs Edwards says: “This has been a long battle, but we have kept faith with the people of Southcote and, within six months of Labour being back in control of the Council, have a plan in place to deliver a large, refurbished and refitted community centre able to support a great range of activities. Making that happen is going to be really exciting and we’re looking forward to playing our part!”

Best wishes

Why I am striking today

2011-11-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

It is with reluctance that I am forced by an intransigent Government, hellbent on declaring war on public servants to withdraw my labour today. I cannot afford to strike as I will lose a days pay equivalent to my children's Christmas presents. However, I cannot afford to stand by and watch a Government demonise public servants and make them pay for other people's mistakes.

As a public servant I have accepted a higher workload, a two year pay freeze, (more pain on the way for a further two years until 2015)and the prospect of permanent job insecurity. But what I cannot accept is a Government that has taken billions from my pension fund to pay for the mistakes of the bankers. My pension will deteriorate by £122 a month until I retire in 2033 at the age of 68 I will receive on average 10% less benefits when I retire. I wouldn't mind if this was going back into my pension fund, but it isn't, it is going straight to the Treasury.

The Hutton Report has identified that public service pensions will cost the tax payer less in future years and pensions are sustainable. So why isn't the Government prepared to talk and take the Hutton Report recommendations on board.

My union, NAPO has existed for over one hundred years and has only ever went on strike three times. We along with 33 other public service unions are not moderates and we hate causing the public problems. However, we have to fight for our rights to a livable pension and we ask workers in the private sector to join with us so they can get the pension they deserve.

Public Services bludgeoned again as Public Servants pay for Osborne's mistakes and the greed of the Bankers

2011-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

This Tory led Government proved today that they have declared war on public servants and the public services in the Autumn statement. Chancellor, George Osborne has delivered over £15 bn of further cuts to public spending in 2015 and 2016. This means that council services will be further butchered raising questions as to whether services will ever recover or will services to the vulnerable cease to exist.

Osborne's plan has failed dramatically and his intransigence has shown that you cannot cut your way to growth and an improvement in the economy.

Public servants will get no wage rise for 4 years and 710.000 public service workers, the majority working on the front line will lose their jobs. There is no confidence in the economy that the private sector will take up the slack.

Unemployment will rise to near 3 million and families will have their tax credits cut. This is the result of a Tory led Government that protects the rich bankers and put the blame on hardworking families. For the Tories and their Lib Dem friends the pain of British people is a price worth paying.

All Saints School Planning Application passed tonight

2011-11-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to attend the Planning Applications Cttee tonight to support the application for a school at All Saints. The Application was unanimously supported by councillors and All Saints are free to get on with the building in time for next September.

Reading Borough Council has required the capital funder, the Department of Education (DFE) to pay the Section 106 money for infrastructure costs. However, the DFE are not paying this and putting the extra cost onto the Reading Council Tax payer.

A report will come to Cabinet about this attempted precedent set. Rest assured as Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services I will strongly lobby the DFE to get the payment deserved for the Borough. One thing is right is that the school should not pay when it is clearly the duty of the DFE.

And they have a cheek to claim they are clearing up Labour's mess

2011-11-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Home Secretary, Teresa May has pontificated that she is clearing up Labour's mess on immigration yet she gave ministerial permission to relax border controls to alleviate queues and then blames the CEO of the Border Agency. If this was a Labour Home Secretary the right wing Tories and their friends at the Daily Mail would want them taken out an shot for treason. Double standards me thinks.

Children’s Services in Reading Still Rated ‘Good’

2011-11-07T16:23:00.001-08:00

Reading Borough Council News Release

Children’s Services in Reading Still Rated ‘Good’

Children and young people in Reading are continuing to benefit from good Council services, according to the latest Ofsted judgement announced today (Tue Nov 8).

Ofsted has published the results of its latest inspections into children services in Reading , which includes the performance of nurseries, schools and sixth forms and the vital area of child protection. Government inspectors concluded that Reading Borough Council performs well and improvements has been built on from last year.

The Ofsted letter to Reading Borough Council notes: ‘Children’s Services in Reading Borough Council perform well. This good performance has been sustained from 2010 to 2011.’

It goes on to say: ‘The large majority of services, settings and institutions inspected by Ofsted are good or better and provision helps children and young people stay safe and learn well.’

Particular highlights include:

•The majority of childminding and childcare provision is good or better and has improved since 2010
•The majority of nurseries and primary schools are good, with some is outstanding. There is a good development in this area by children from low-income families
•Five out of seven secondary schools are good or better, as are five of the seven sixth forms in the borough with a clear trend of improvement
•The gap between young people from low income families and the majority of 16 year olds in Reading is closing
•Persistent absence from school below average and the proportion of children staying in education and training at the age of 17 above average
•All special schools are good or better and the special school sixth form is outstanding
•Reading’s adoption service is good

Ofsted also highlighted some areas for development which include continuing to drive through improvements in primary schools across the borough. Closing attainment gaps and reducing high rates of re-referral and the timeliness of assessments for children in need. Reading Borough Council has taken all Ofsted comments on board.

John Ennis, Reading ’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services, said: “I’m pleased that Ofsted have recognised the continuing improvements made across all areas of children’s services in the town. Standards in our schools are improving and we are continuing to perform well in key areas like child protection and adoption. There are still important areas of work we need to improve on however. The challenge of doing our very best by every child in Reading is a vital one and we are determined to do all we can to achieve that.”

11/01678/ADJ - Aldi, Bath Road

2011-11-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

Your local Southcote Labour Councillors have serious concerns about the proposal to allow deliveries at any time at the Aldi shop, near to Alan Place and would urge that representations are made to West Berkshire about this problem. We will continue to push West Berkshire Council to listen to local people, who do not want to be kept awake at night by lorries delivering goods to Aldi.

And they have the cheek to claim they are the greenest Government of all time!

2011-11-07T15:40:00.001-08:00

When the launch of Solar Panels took place at Battle School which heralded a new programme of Solar Panels to be fitted in schools this gave hope to schools that energy bills would be slashed whilst their carbon footprint would be reduced. On the face of it a win win situation you would say.

At a special cabinet meeting the Lib Dems and Tories queued up to support the project, claiming it was their party that made this happen.

In typical fashion the coalition makes spurious claims about their green credentials, and this has been proven by their solar sell out. It is now apparent that the plug has been pulled on the project with no reasons given and the cheap tariffs for schools has been withdrawn.

The only reason that has been explored by opponents of the cutbacks to the green energy project is the coalition is listening to the major energy companies, who are concerned about the public and schools having cheap energy. Clearly the Tories and their Lib Dem coalition partners do not want to upset the big multinational companies. So much for being the greenest Government ever!

Latest YOUGOV Poll

2011-11-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

Of those who voted Labour at the 2010 General election

92% would still vote Labour

4% would vote Tory, 1% Lib Dem, 3% Other (2% UKIP)

Of those who voted LibDem at the 2010 General election

41% would now Labour

33% would still vote LibDem, 11% Tory, 15% Other (8% Green, 3% UKIP)

Of those who voted Tory at the 2010 General election

4% would now vote Labour

86% would still vote Tory,1% Lib Dem,10% Other (7% UKIP)

Labour supported by

43% women 39% men

54% 18-24yrs, 46% 25-39yrs, 45% 40-59yrs, 28% 60+yrs

New Nursery Building Opens at Whitley Park

2011-10-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

New Nursery Building Opens at Whitley Park

17/10/2011
Reading Borough Council Press Release

Parents and pupils of Whitley Park Primary and Nursery School will join the Mayor of Reading to formally open the school's new nursery facilities on Wednesday (Oct 19).

The new 'early years' building includes four new learning spaces, a speech and language facility, multi-use professional space, a conference room and an early years library, as well as an outdoors play and learning area.

Wednesday's opening is the culmination of years of planning and hard work by school staff and Reading Borough Council. The old nursery building has been demolished and the front of the school also has a new face following the transformation, designed by architects from Hampshire County Council and created by builders Morgan Sindell.

Whitely Park Head Ann Tanner said: 'Everyone at Whitley Park is thrilled to have this new space. Children, parents, staff and Governors are overwhelmingly delighted with the new building and we are thrilled to provide such great provision for our youngest children in the heart of Whitley. It is a dream come true.'

John Ennis, Reading's Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services, said: 'The new building will provide fantastic facilities for young children in Whitley. The school already provides a fantastic start for young children and these new facilities will only enhance that.'

Youth unemployment a million young reasons why Cameron and Osborne are wrong”

2011-10-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

“That’s a million young reasons why Cameron and Osborne are wrong”

Youth unemployment nationally has now reached 991,000, and Labour Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services John Ennis says that figure alone shows that the policies David Cameron and George Osborne put in place after the election have failed.

“We have just had all those complacent speeches at Tory Party Conference,” says Cllr. Ennis, “and this week we have the worst youth unemployment since the last Tory recession almost 20 years ago. A million young people out of work, more than there ever were under Labour, and yet George Osborne is sticking obstinately to Plan A, the plan that’s hurting but isn’t working. There are now a million young people telling him he’s wrong, and he needs to listen.”

Council Welcomes New School for East Reading

2011-10-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Reading Borough Council News Release

Council Welcomes New School for East Reading

Reading Borough Council today welcomed to the news that plans for a new school for East Reading can progress on the next stage, but has said it will continue to campaign for it to also cater for children aged 11-13.

Yesterday evening the Department of Education (DfE) announced that plans for a flagship ‘University Technical College’ (UTC) at the Crescent Road site in East Reading for 14 to 19 year old can proceed to the next stage.

As the local education authority, Reading Borough Council has always backed the need for a new school in East Reading on the basis it would be for 11 to 19 year old.

That continues to be the case and the Council now intends to continue to work closely with DfE officials to persuade them for the need for the school to be open to younger Key Stage 3 pupils aged 11 to 13, as well as to 14 to 19 year old.

John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and children’s Services, said: “It is no secret that there is a need for extra school places in East Reading for pupils. The news that the new school has moved a step closer is of course to be welcomed, but the Council will continue to put its case to the DfE that children should be able to attend from the age of 11. We want to see as many Reading parents as possible have access to the fantastic facilities and education that will be on offer at the new UTC.”

Proposals for a new UTC in east Reading are being led by Oxford and Cherwell Valley College with the support of Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council. The new UTC would combine technical and academic studies.

The need for extra secondary school places for parents and children in East reading were illustrated earlier this year when Reading-based parents - with support of Reading Borough Council - won its campaign to change back the proposed admission arrangements for Maiden Erlegh School in Wokingham to one of simple radial distance, rather than the alternative proposed.

Key Stage One Results excellent progress

2011-10-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Below are details on the excellent progress in Key Stage One results.

•All 3 subjects show an improvement from 2010. At level 2+ improvement of 2 percentage points for reading, 3 points for writing and 3 percentage points for maths. At level 2B+ the improvement is 5 percentage points for reading, 5 percentage points for writing and 3 percentage points for maths.

•The progress in reading and writing is more marked compared to the national figures that have remained constant from 2010 and progress in maths is 3 times the increase in the national result of 1 percentage point

•Results in Reading are now higher than the national results for Level 2B+ and Level 3 in reading and equal for Level 2+. In maths we are on par with national for Level 2+ and Level 2B+ and above for Level 3

•In reading our national rankings, compared to all other authorities, are at their highest point ever with Reading being ranked as 66th, 39th and 28th for levels 2+, 2B+ and Level 3 respectively

•Reading rankings have improved in all subjects when compared to Statistical Neighbours with the exception of Level 2+ reading where we remained constant and Level 3 writing where we have dropped in ranking
Table below show figures.

Local Authority Level 2+ Level 2B+ Level 3
Reading Writing Maths Reading Writing Maths Reading Writing Maths
YEAR % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank % Rank
2011 Reading 85 7 79 8 90 7 75 6 60 7 74 7 29 5 8 11 24 5
ENGLAND 85 81 90 74 61 74 26 13 20
Reading rank out of 150 LAs 66 99 52 39 70 67 28 132 26
2010 Reading 83 7 76 11 87 8 70 9 55 11 71 8 26 8 10 8 19 8
ENGLAND 85 81 89 72 60 73 26 12 20
Reading rank out of 150 LAs 92 132 109 95 121 93 59 90 75
2009 Reading 82 8 75 11 87 9 71 7 53 11 71 8 23 8 7 11 17 10
ENGLAND 84 81 89 72 60 74 26 12 21
Reading rank out of 150 LAs 108 142 119 74 131 100 89 138 108

John Ennis, Reading ’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services, said: “It’s pleasing to year on year improvements made in maths, reading and writing. The progress being made in reading and writing is up on the national figure which has remained the same from last year and the progress in maths iis even more impressive as it it is three times higher than the national increase this year.

“ Reading ’s national ranking is now at its highest point ever and my thanks and congratulations got to all staff, as well as parents and the children themselves, for their tremendous efforts.”

The Tories did nothing for the pupils and parents of East Reading.

2011-10-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Doesn't it make you laugh sometimes. if it wasn't so serious about the lack of Educational choice for East Reading families the website claim below from the Tories would be comical. However, the claim that Rob Wilson and co. worked hard against the Wokingham decision gives politics and politicians a bad name. The fact is that they did nothing for parents. They scoffed at parents at a council meeting, yahbooed parents asking for the council to take legal advice and dismissed any campaign to reinstate the catchment area for Maiden Erlegh.

Councillor Ralph advised Tory Wokingham to plough on regardless and not to bow to parent pressure. Rob Wilson,MP, preferred to say nothing about Tory Wokingham but to attack Reading on Education. Within days of taking back the administration the minority Labour Council honoured its manifesto commitment to take legal advice on the decision to stop Reading children going to Maiden Erlegh. We were advised to support the parents campaign against Tory Wokingham's decision and to speak the the YPLA investigation. I spoke and gave evidence to the Panel, along with parents, Jon Hartley and Rob White, local councillors. At no point did a Reading Tory turn up and speak or get involved.

It was parents that led the campaign to reinstate the original catchment area, supported by Reading Borough Council. The Tories did nothing. Judge for yourself at their spurious claims.

Maiden Erlegh Catchment Area: A victory for parents

Tuesday, 20 September, 2011

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, has announced that Wokingham Borough Council’s controversial plans to alter the admissions criteria for Maiden Erlegh School are to be thrown out. This is good news for local parents who have campaigned hard over the past year.

Park ward residents know that Rob Wilson MP for Reading East has always opposed the changes and he and Wazir Hussain supported those parents affected by the now rejected proposals. Rob says " I am a strong advocate of parents having a choice of schools and one of those choices should be their local school and these proposals seemed to prevent this for my constituents. This reversal means that many Park Ward children will still be able to walk to school which is fantastic news.

Choice is essential in education in helping to drive up standards. Although not something recognized by the Schools Adjudicator, the changes would have offered parents in Park ward only one choice of secondary school which I could never have supported."

Education is one of Rob’s priori-ties and he plans to keep up the pressure and ensure parents are given an increased choice of schools. Exciting plans for a new school in East Reading are with the Department of Education and an announcement is expected shortly as to whether it will receive money in the 2012 funding round

petition against possible Railway ticket office closures in the Reading West / West Berkshire area

2011-09-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday 20th September, Labour Party members from Reading and West Berkshire will join forces with rail staff and passengers to launch a petition against possible ticket office closures in the Reading West / West Berkshire area. Following the McNulty report, Reading West, Tilehurst, Pangbourne, Theale and Thatcham stations all risk losing ticket offices under the proposals. This comes as First Great Western gradually remove revenue staff and conductors from local rail services on the Kennet line, and comes just weeks after rail companies were given the green light to rise fares well above inflation.

Newbury Labour Party spokesman Richard Garvie said that if the changes were given the green light by the Government, it would be another example of passengers paying a lot more for less service. "These proposals are of serious concern, not least because the elderly and disabled could potentially be excluded from using these stations if they are unable to work the ticket machines. I used to use Kintbury station, and I was forever being charged the most expensive fare for not purchasing a ticket at Kintbury, despite there not being the option to purchase a ticket at the station. What we really need is for our local MP's to lobby the Government to save these ticket offices. The MP's saying that they are against the proposals are one thing, but will Mr Benyon and Mr Sharma have the courage to stand up to the PM and vote against the Government? On their past voting record, I would say it is very unlikely."

The first petition session will be held at Tilehurst Railway station on Tuesday 20th September from 7am to 9am, and members of the media are requested to attend to speak to campaigners, union members and passengers about the effect that the changes will have local services.

Rising unemployment puts another chink in Plan A's armour -

2011-09-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Grim unemployment stats out last week, particularly for young people. A snapshot of the South East: 43,000 fewer people in employment than in the previous quarter. Unemployment's up 1,000 on the previous quarter & now stands at 256,000. And the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has increased by 1,900 on the previous month.

In a Newsnight report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk25) Tony Travers of the LSE pointed out the significance of rising unemployment in the South East. Because it’s where a large chunk of the successful private sector is, falling job rates in the region show the Government’s assertion that private sector growth will make up for public sector cuts is a crock.

Ed Miliband to the PM at PMQs last Wednesday: “For every 2 jobs being cut in the public sector, less than one is being created in the private sector. This is the clearest sign yet that his policy isn’t working”.

There are green shoots but it is going to take time and faith

2011-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sadly I am not talking about the recovery but about Reading's performance yesterday. We played well and there were good performances by Church, Cummings and Le Fondre when he came on, but it was against Doncaster, currently the bottom side.

The new players need time to bed in and gel together, although Le Fondre scored a great headed goal from a beautifully weighted cross from Mills and Church looks to have shaken off his injury and he looked sharp at times. There is hope and we will get there with McDermott at the helm.

Southcote Clean Up Day Saturday 17th September 2011 at 10.00am.

2011-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Clean up Southcote day
Saturday September 17th 10.00am
Southcote Advice Shop
Coronation Square
Free refreshments available.
Don’t miss the chance to clean up your area.
For more details call John Ennis 07891382672

Labour’s John Ennis challenges Tory Minister on cuts to children’s services

2011-09-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

11 September 2011

Labour’s John Ennis challenges Tory Minister on cuts to children’s services

Labour Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services John Ennis took the opportunity on Wednesday of an invitation to Lead Councillors across the region to meet Tory Children’s Minister Tim Loughton MP to stand up for Reading and challenge the Minister about how Reading could protect children and children’s services when the Tory-led Government was giving the Borough worse funding than any local other authority in Berkshire.

Cllr. Ennis pressed the Minister about how Reading needed to assist young people find further education or training to help them get a career and to maintain good youth services or risk the sort of problems that erupted elsewhere last month, but the Minister replied that he did not have a pot of money to give to important services and that councils like Reading would just have to make do and prioritise services.

Mr Loughton also rejected warnings from many professional groups that the Tories’ changes to the NHS did not make any provision for child protection and would put the safety of children at risk.

John Ennis says: “It was quite frightening to be talking to a Minister for Children who was totally oblivious about the impact on children of the changes and cuts that his Government is making. And those cuts go on and on – the Children’s Society had just published a report saying that benefit cuts in the Welfare Reform Bill will make over 80,000 children homeless, but that too I am sure will pass Mr Loughton by. Under this Government is not a good time to be young – or to be a parent.”

//ENDS
For further information contact John Ennis 0789 1382672
or R&DLP Press Officer Pete Ruhemann0782 1609206
For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour

Maiden Erlegh,Parents Campaign Wins Admissions Battle

2011-08-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

Reading Borough council News Release

Parents Campaign Wins Admissions Battle

Reading-based parents have won their campaign to change the proposed admission arrangements for Maiden Erlegh School in Wokingham which would have come into effect from September 2012.

Earlier this year Reading Borough Council threw its weight behind a parents campaign to change admissions arrangements for Maiden Erlegh which - if implemented - would have seen many fewer children from the borough be able to gain places at the popular school.

In June this year The Council wrote to the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA), the Government body which oversees schools' admissions policy, objecting to proposed admission arrangements. The Council’s letter included an objection to a proposed ‘tie breaker’ system which gave priority for places at Maiden Erlegh to families with the farthest distance to travel to a particular named alternative school.

The report by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) for the Secretary of State for Education has recommended the proposed ‘tie-breaker’ arrangement be dropped in favour of one of simple radial distance.

The Adjudicator concludes “I believe that the use of [the proposed tie-breaker] is unfair to families who live relatively close to the School whilst also increasing the number of families who cannot assess whether they have a reasonable likelihood of gaining a place at the School for their child in 2012.”

The Adjudicator also recommends keeping the proposed enlarged catchment area as “… virtually all parents who live in the combined designated area would have access to an alternative suitable designated school within the statutory walking distance.”

As Maiden Erlegh is an academy, it is responsible for setting and publishing the admission arrangements. Wokingham Borough Council has stated it understands the school has indicated its intention to accept the direction.

The ruling signals a victory for the determined parent campaigners who were backed by Reading Borough Council.

John Ennis, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education and Children’s Services, said: “I am very pleased for the parents who have campaigned hard for this decision. The Council supported the objections as we believed that the proposed arrangements were unfair and are satisfied that the recommendation from the OSA will ensure that Reading families continue to have a fair chance of securing a place in their local school.”

End this transfer madness

2011-08-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, another transfer deadline day has passed and a breath taking £450.000.000 has changed hands, mainly amongst the Premier League teams. My 10 year old daughter summed up this madness asking when she saw the collosal figure whether the money was real and if it was paying for footballers and then she said that she thought the country was broke and why it couldn't be spent on getting new jobs and homes for people. If she gets it then why can't we.

Arsenal have finally joined the transfer merry go round and clubs like Manchester City who have acquired Middle Eastern owners who have more money than sense and who have splashed out millions with no expectation of a return on players whose wages range from £200.000 a week. Manchester United are spending whilst they have a debt of £700m and Chelsea are fortunate to count on the money of a Russian billionaire who acquired his wealth as a result of backing Boris Yeltsin in the coup of 1991.

Meanwhile clubs like Reading are expected to compete with this charade and are always under pressure to sell. Fans like myself are constantly complaining about John Madejski not putting his hand in his pocket and sign some top quality players. However, he does not want to pay this game of unsustainable spending and high wages. Is he wrong? As a proper businessman he is careful with his money and that of Reading FC. However frustrating this is for the loyal fan who wants to see us top of the league and signing top players. I might introduce Mr Madejski to my daughter if I see him walking round the stadium. I am sure he would like her view.

Another successful Reading Festival, long may it continue

2011-08-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't go near the Reading Festival this year as I am feeling a bit old in the tooth to be rocking. However, I hear the festival was hugely successful, if not a bit wet and muddy and there was a reduction in recorded offences. Like the Notting Hill carnival it is great to see so many young people enjoy themselves with few offences committed. Don't look like "sick" Britain to me!

No need to panic at the Royals but some experience up front would help.

2011-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

It has not been a great start to the season as a Reading FC fan, but spare a thought for all those gooners watching their weakened team being torn apart at Old Trafford. McDermott knows the score and whilst he won't be happy he will have a plan to start winning again. The new signings look promising and will need time to settle in and it is no surprise that last seasons stars are struggling after the Play off final. Reading have lost some great talent in Long and Mills who were the heartbeat of the team, so it will take time to get moving again. However, what is needed is a good, experienced striker on loan from the premier or an attacking midfielder that can operate in the hole behind the striker and hold the ball up to bring others into play. Lets see what happens before the transfer deadline on Wednesday!

Are we really all in this together?

2011-08-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Some would say that it is clumsy to have your holidays interrupted five times but Cameron's leadership is a holiday persistently interrupted by the cold reality of his policies in Britain.

The Tories after being buffeted by events, with no real answers that will provide a long term solution to the economy and social issues, including youth unemployment have reverted to type by turning rightwards and blaming everyone else in society apart from themselves. All decent people were appalled at the scenes showing people being robbed,attacked and businesses looted. However, the response from the Government is to call for flogging and "harsh punishment" so much so that the prison population is at an all time high and full. This is a long way from the criticism by the Tories and Lib Dems on the last Labour Government for filling Britain's prisons. Whilst these policies of pressurising magistrates to imprison people committing offences during the riots may appease the right wing Daily Mail and look to work in the short term unless the widespread resentment from many young people to authority and society in general is not dealt with then these dreadful events may just be the beginning and not a once in a generation situation.

What policies are the Tories (where are the Lib Dems in this coalition?)looking to pursue to solve the economic and social problems. There is a powerful lobby developing to end the 50p tax on the very wealthy in Britain to stimulate growth. Osborne has intimated that this tax is worthless as the rich do not pay tax as they move their money and businesses abroad, therefore "lets cut red tape and punitive taxes on entrepreneurship" and let the rich pay less tax and trickle their wealth down to the poor.

This is classic right wing Tory policy that was initiated in the 80's and brought about the biggest divide between the north and the south and the haves and the have nots that New Labour struggled to close. It is the last thing we need in Britain today and it goes against the coalition agreement of "we are all in this together".

This is expected from the Tories but the silence from the Lib Dems says it all.The question I would like answered is where is the line from when you have to pay people extra to work harder and you have to pay them less to create an incentive?

NOTW Goodbye and good riddance

2011-07-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have to dig deep in the archives of my memory to remember when I last bought the News of the World,(NOTW) it was certainly before the 1984 miners strike and certainly before the 1982 Falklands War.

My memories of the NOTW was as a trade unionist in 1986 supporting over 6.000 sacked printers at Wapping and standing on the picket lines, witnessing some of the Metropolitan Police Officers run riot against printers. I see the Observer charts this event as the beginning of the period when Murdoch and News International felt they could do what they want with Thatcher's Tory Government backing. So it seems that there is some history of some police officers breaking the law to support News International and a Tory Government doing everything it can to support Murdoch.

Mistreating victims of tragic events is also not new from the NOTW and News International. In 1989 the NOTW and the Sun disgracefully blamed the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy on their own deaths, making up stories of victims being robbed and beaten by others when the opposite was true, that many Liverpool supporters bravely risked their own lives to help others crushed in the Leppings Lane terracing at Hillsborough. Maybe we should have followed the city of Liverpool's lead and boycotted Murdoch's press then this current disgraceful situation would not have happened.

I also remember the terrible treatment dosed out to a good politician Neill Kinnock in the 1992 General Election. It left a bitter taste in the Labour movement, so much so it made sense for Blair and Brown to neutralise the power of News International in 1997. The one regret is Blair should have turned away from Murdoch after the landslide victory in 1997 rather than to continue to dialogue with him.

What now for News International? It seems more will come out that will taint Coulson and inevitably put Cameron in the dock. The question is what did Coulson do during the 2010 General Election for the Tories? Was he clean and honest in his campaigning? It will be fascinating to see the story unfold.

I didn't get to see a copy of the NOTW and many in Britain will not now get the opportunity to continue not to buy the paper. It will be missed by some but British democracy is better for the demise of News International. Goodbye to the NOTW and good riddance.

Bath Road now a 30mph speed limit

2011-06-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to confirm that further to TMAP recommendation in March 2010; statutory consultation was carried out on a 30mph speed limit for Bath Rd on 29 September 2010 and we received no objection to the proposal.

The new speed limit of 30mph has now been implemented on Bath Rd between the Borough Boundary and Southcote Lane . Signs to indicate the new speed limit have been erected along the route for driver’s information.

Support Reading GrowAllot and turn waste land in Southcote into an allotment

2011-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Reading GrowAllot - an exciting new project from community group Food4Families - is through to the final of the Jubilee People’s Millions lottery competition on 29 June!

Local families want to turn derelict land in Florian Gardens , Southcote into a thriving community run allotment garden where they can grow fresh, healthy food together in a sustainable way.

But it won’t happen without your help. Reading GrowAllot needs your vote to win £50k lottery funding.

This project could help transform the area - where one in three live in flats, with no garden to enjoy. Local mum Annie Turnbull told us, “Many of the kids on the estate don't even know that vegetables are grown in the ground or that crisps are made from potatoes. It's also about people talking to each other and working together; it's about community”

Please pledge your vote now at www.food4families.org.uk and ask all your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to do the same. Together, let’s make it happen for Reading !

Thank you for your support; after you register we will contact you on the big day!

Paul Harper, Chair, Food4Families Steering Group

Press coverage: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2094644_hungry_for_your_help

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS IN AND AROUND READING

Happy Prospect site Coronation Square Planning Application proposals viewing on Monday 13th June, from 4pm to 7pm at the Southcote Y&C Centre.

2011-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow afternoon PMC and Home Group are inviting local residents to view the proposals for the redevelopment of the former public house, Happy Prospect on Coronation Square.

They say that this development will bring to the community much needed affordable housing along with training opportunities that will be offered during the construction period.

The plans will be on display on Monday 13th June, from 4pm to 7pm at:

Southcote Youth & Community Centre
19 Coronation Square,
Reading,
Berks,
RG30 3QP

Representatives from PMC and Home Group will be there to answer any questions from residents.

First week as Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Services

2011-06-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy first week as Lead Councillor For Education and Children's Services.

I have had several meetings with Anna Wright, Director of DEC's,and senior management at DEC's, about the forthcoming budget and protection of services and to reinforce local authority support for the possible building of a school on the Crescent Road site in East Reading.

This minority Labour Administration has publicly given its support for the proposed school and have written to the Oxford and Cherwell Valley spelling out our support to meet the needs of the children of East Reading. However, what is different from the previous Tory led administration is that we will not stand by and be sidelined from representing the parents of East Berkshire or act as cheerleaders not actively getting involved in the process.

We have recorded our support but we have reflected parents concerns from the consultation about admissions to the school, whether it will be a 11-18 school and vocational college that teaches academic subjects that all children need to thrive and progress and what accountability and representation will be in the governance and management of the school.

We look forward to the bid succeeding and empowering local parents in influencing the make up of the school.

Maiden Erlegh School

It is clear that we are looking to work in partnership with other local authorities and agencies to deliver high quality, value for money services and one of the first tasks I undertook is to contact other Lead Councillors of our neighbouring authorities and agencies welcoming contact and to work together.Whilst we are committed to cross boss border partnership we are unequivocal in defending the rights of our residents and parents in attending schools of their choice. We are committed to getting the best resolution for our parents who have been unfairly treated by Wokingham Local Authority by being kept out of the admissions criteria and this includes seeking counsel to take advice on challenging the decision.

BUY BACK FIGHTBACK

It has struck me that the last Tory led administration did not want the local Educational Authority to flourish but wanted to run down the services and sideline the authority in any challenge, accountability and monitoring processes that are needed to increase educational standards. What will be different in this administration is that we value the services the council provide to schools and children. That we do not want to run them down and end buy back services but we want to build them up as value for money quality services that schools want and need to buy back. There are many high quality services the council provide that are best practice and this administration intend on entering a consultation and dialogue with parents, governors, teachers and children as to what services will shape their education.

We didn't see it coming

2011-06-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Well it started so brightly. Soaked up the atmosphere at the station, felt great, that we had good chance of getting promoted, got on an empty train to Ealing Broadway, found a pub where you could get served quickly, get a seat and put osme good songs on the juke box, travelled to Wembley central, met up with loads of die hard royals in JJ Moons at Wembley central, walked up through Wembley way, singing and enjoying the atmosphere, Swansea and Reading fans getting along well, the sun starts to shine, get into Wembley, take our seats, amazing stadium, loads of royals decked out in blue and white, the teams come out, loads of cheering, getting more confident as 3.00pm approaches, kick off, looking good, strong in the tackle and then Khizanishvili makes that tackle in the penalty area, he practically mugs the Swansea player, oh dear! The rest is history.

Reading got some pride back with their second half performance but sometimes the experienced back four that is slow but sharp in positioning can sometimes look exposed for pace and that is exactly what happened. We were beaten by a team that didn't look that great but ran at us at crucial moments and either skimmed the midfield and defence or got the important fouls from a referee that was never going to tolerate hard tackles. Four, four two was never going to get the better of four two three one, particularly if the wingers are struggling for fitness. It is a gutting moment to say the least when you see your dreams of Premier League go out of the window by half time. What next for Reading.

Already the fire sale of players has begun, but one cannot help to think how many of our stars on show just did not get going. Shane Long, much criticised then lauded this season didn't get a sniff, marked out by the strong central defence partnership.Kebe, maybe match fit but certainly not match aware, huffed and puffed but could not cross a ball, never mind blow a house down, Mcanuff, definitely a good championship player and if we get £2-3 million for him it is a deal well done. The players I do not want to leave are Mills and Karacan, excellent players whom we can rebuild another promotion chasing team around.

One thing is for certain McDermott is our leader and he is staying at Reading for a while. He has done a wonderful in managing a team to the Championship play off final whilst selling off £30 million pounds of talent, something even the excellent Brendan Rodgers couldn't achieve.

Bring on next season. Urrzzz.

The Royals are going up!

2011-05-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on with less than 24 hours to go before 39.000 Reading fans travel to Wembley in anticipation of getting into the holy grail of the Premier League. Whilst I am quietly confident about the result my mind cannot help but drift to past play off let downs when the Royals snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. I believe this time is different. It isn't make or break, yes we will lose players if we don't go up but we have a manager in Brian McDermott who knows how to motivate players and he has a game plan that makes Reading difficult to beat. This is just the start for Reading and we will be around the top of the Championship or in the Prem for a good few years.

The team for me picks itself with Federici in goal, Harte, Mills Kivanishivelli and Griffin at the back, Leigterwood and Karacan forming a brilliant midfield pairing with Macanuff on the wing with Hunt and Long up front. The only position that is in doubt is on the right with Kebe unsure of fitness, it will be either Robson Kanu or Cummings included in the final eleven. My hope is that Kebe, our most exciting and skillful player for a number of years is fit and ready to be our major outlet on the counter attack.

Swansea are a good attacking side that try to play football the proper way. Whilst they have the look of a Championship equivalent of Arsenal lets hope they are as temperamental as well.

My tip, hope is that Reading win 2-1 with goals from Long and a Harte free kick. Lets hope it is not penalties.

Wembley awaits

Did they not see this coming?

2011-05-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that in 2011 the vote would be close with the Lib Dems and Tories under pressure due to the national situation of massive cuts in services. After the 2010 elections we worked out that we would have to win four seats of Church, Redlands, Katesgrove and against the Greens in Park Ward. We targeted these seats from the outset and worked hard to get our message across to the voters. It was common knowledge in Reading politics that 2011 could see the casting vote of the Mayor become crucial. The Tories were certainly talking about it. So why the shock horror when this became apparent, we are in the sphere of politics and of trying to gain a majority through the deomocratic, constitutional process of the mayoralty.

I believe Cumpsty must take responsibility for this debacle and deep down he knows he was outmaneuvered and that is why he is upset. When the Lib Dems and Tories formed a coalition last year despite their longstanding hatred of each other the coalition sought to move every opposition politician from every position, including the Police Authority, despite the tradition of Cllr Page being elected to hold the position for two more years. Cumpsty was asked about Gull Khan and the mayoralty and he chose not to oppose, not out of benevolence but out of arrogance, believing the elections would not be close for them this year. He must take responsibility for this and his colleagues must reflect on the number of blunders, mistakes they made in this council year that cost them power.Any party that relies on tradition to maintain power is a party lacking ideas, strategy or mandate from the voters.

Firstly, did they really believe that they stood a chance in Park Ward where Wasir, although a very nice person was not effective against the advance of the Greens and the tough campaign we fought which led to the biggest Labour vote in Park since
1995. Secondly why did all the leading Tories, such as Cllr Willis and Cllr Ralph sit on gates in Battle Ward during election day thinking they were going to win Battle Ward, the seat that has most to lose under the Tory cuts. It would have been more politically expedient to have put their resources in Church Ward that should have been closer, apart from picking a candidate that sometimes drives through the ward to get to work, probably as a rat run from the Shinfield Road lights.

What a mistake to think that because a load of posters were up on the Oxford Road that the Tories were popular. The Tory candidate and his family, probably owns a lot of those houses on the Oxford Road and he was always going to put posters up, as he did when he supported Labour in 2001, that is his democratic right, but it didn't mean the rest of West Reading would follow suit. If Alok Sharma, (remember him, the missing MP) had done some surgeries he would have picked this up. See you in 2015 Alok when you resurface again to try and get elected because you are sure not visible on the streets helping the people of West Reading at the moment, stand up for Reading and not your political career. Vince Cable highlighted the true face of the Tories after being stitched up by them in the AV campaign when he said they were "ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal. Well the Tories are certainly tribal, but they lack the strategic overview of politics in Reading

The Lib Dems are doing strange things. They get hit by the electorate big time for being plastic Tories, losing all their seats, including the Lib Dem historic stronghold of Tilehurst to their Tory best mates and then they still act as if nothing happened by nominating every Tory candidate for every position. I would have thought that they would have seen the writing on the wall for the coalition, withdrawn to reflect on their results and come back as an independent opposition, trying to regain their radical position on the council. I believe the only headlines the Lib Dems will make this year will be through the odd behaviour of Cllr Swaine, the "comedy terrorist". My advice for him is to resign his position on the council and get up to the Edinburgh festival where his comedy will be loved by the audiences, his antics might be suited to the Edinburgh Festival circuit but his stunts are certainly not conducive to local politics, where his behaviour and attitude towards the Greens and Cllr Gul Khan was bordering on intimidation, incitement and slander.

I think it is hard not to feel sympathy towards Cllr Rinn, who worked hard as the Deputy Mayor and I would hope this situation will be rectified when the mayoralty will not be crucial to the political process. However, what politicians have to understand is that personalities are not the issue, Cllr Gul Khan is a lovely man who did not want this to happen, but he is a Labour Cllr who represents his party and wants Labour to take control through the democratic constitutional process. Please show me any politician who would have done differently

Only Labour have a mandate to run Reading

2011-05-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

The talking has begun to see who will form the next Cabinet and run Reading Borough Council. Labour tonight unanimously voted for Cllr Jo Lovelock and Cllr Tony Page as Leader and Deputy Leader of our group. Jo and Tony received accolade for leading us to achieve some of the best results that resembled Labour's progress in Northern cities. They are the most experienced and capable team to steer Reading through this difficult period of economic downturn and Government front loaded cuts to valuable public services. We agreed to talk to progressive parties that could be interested in making Reading a better place for people to live.

The Greens now potentially hold the balance of power and I have heard from Park residents that they are good people who are keen to improve the local community even to the extent of clearing "rat infested alleyways". However, what is their stance on ruling Reading and providing a political strategy other than small issues in their ward?

All the talk from the Tories is that the two green councillors have done a deal for the Tories to take the mayoralty and have the casting vote. Whilst viewing this a filibustering from the Tories in an attempt to keep power at all costs, the Greens are meeting with Cllr Cumpsty and he is very persuasive, just ask Kirsten Bayes. But often what happens is that coalition with the Tories often ends in tears, particularly when you have positioned yourself as a radical alternative to Labour.Jo and Tony will be meeting the Green councillors to discuss possibilities of co-operation and a shared understanding which will be of benefit to Reading residents. It is any one's guess how this one works out, in my view it will be difficult for the Greens to justify supporting a coalition ruling group to the voters of Reading who have soundly rejected the coalition parties.

Labour could still discuss possibilities with the Lib Dems, however, they are still wedded to the Tories and committed to carrying out their Thatcherite dirty work, whilst taking all the flak. If the coalition fail to form the next Cabinet in Reading, I for one won't miss Lib Dem cllrs trying to play to the Tory gallery. The Lib Dems have been serverely punished by the electorate, not for entering into a coalition with the Tories but for being more Tory than their counterparts. Simon Hughes was totally correct when he stated that if the public see the Lib Dems as the same as the Tories then they will lose. It is hard to see how the Lib Dems will recover, both locally and nationally as they are weakened by losing the elections and the AV vote and trapped by the Tories, who are not prepared to share the pain of taking difficult decisions in Government.

One thing is certain that Labour will not be talking with the Tories to discuss joint working. The Tories are hellbent on ending the ethos of excellent, value for money public services, which is the cornerstone of our principles. The Tories did not win the biggest share and they falsely believe their election results were the best out of all the political parties. There are two reasons why the Tories are acting complacent on these election results. Firstly the Tory vote was boosted by the AV vote which saw a general increase in voter turnout. Even then they lost three seats and saw former strongholds, such as Caversham and Kentwood come back into play for Labour. Secondly, the party that won, or formed the biggest party in the previous General Election the year before rarely see a significant drop in their vote. It is often the second ,third and fourth years of a Government that see a significant drop in support. The Tories have been lucky to have a willing coalition partner in the Lib Dems, but that will not last.

Reading Labour is prepared to work with anyone who shares our progressive agenda that improves the life chances of Reading residents, promotes a green, sustainable local environment, that reduces the carbon footprint and protects Reading's public services, providing a decent service to all. We are the only political party that has a mandate to run Reading.

Wonderful election results in Southcote and other wards, Labour coming back to stand up for Reading

2011-05-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

When out electioneering and voting I always think of how it is difficult, dangerous and practically impossible for people trying to exercise their democratic right in other countries and I thought about the people in Northern Africa trying to spread democracy and accountability as well as attempting to build a better life for themselves and their loved ones. I often feel good that we live in a country where democracy still reigns and that people have the free choice to tell a politician that they are not interested when they knock on their door asking for their vote.

Another thing that strikes me at election time is how lovely people are when you approach them in the campaign. What I really enjoy in Southcote is the civilised way people go about their electioneering of how friendly people were even though they did not agree with my viewpoint, long may it continue. However, I did not meet any Lib Dem voters or Lib Dem activists, which seems par for the course nowadays.

The result in Southcote was excellent with Cllr Pete Ruhemann achieving 56% of the vote. The full result is:

Cllr Pete Ruhemann Labour, 1543
Robert Vickers Conservative 858
Lib Dem 193
Green 157.

Labour majority 685.

In national elections the Conservatives in the South have done well but in Reading the swing against them was 8.9%. The swing to Labour from Conservatives in Southcote was 10.3%, one of the highest since 1990.

Labour won the biggest share of the vote, 17788 to the Conservative share of 15223. This goes to show we now have a mandate to form the ruling group.

Whatever happens in the next few weeks Southcote Councillors will continue to represent everyone in Southcote, regardless of their political views.

Vote Labour for a better Reading

2011-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

I read with amusement in today's local paper about the coalition criticizing the previous Labour Administration whilst wheeling out national coalition politicians to claim credibility for the past achievements of Labour.

FACT Dee Park Project and improvements would have never took place under the coalition, if you don't believe me just Norma Sinclair, MBE, Chair of crag, community Regeneration Action Group in Dee Park;

FACT Reading Station improvements would not go ahead under the coalition. The coalition criticise Labour for building up debts for capital projects yet they are trying to claim credit for the major railway station improvements which will need over £200 million of borrowing.

FACT, only 12 empty homes have been brought into use in the year of the coalition, which is the Lib Dems flag ship policy. They did more when they were in opposition and that was Gareth Epps sending the council an e-mail asking about two empty homes in Katesgrove, one of which is still empty. Under the previous Labour Administration the council won national awards for bringing hundreds of homes back into use;

FACT Reading's concessionary Bus scheme has gone from the best in England and Wales to the worst in Berkshire. Once elderly and disabled passengers could go anywhere in England and Wales, at any time. Now under the coalition, elderly and disabled are practically curfew ed between the hours of 9.30am and 10.00pm unable to use their passes in the name of cutting the deficit.

I have been out canvassing and have met people working in the private sector unhappy that there is no plans for growth in the economy, worried that consumers are cutting back and not prepared to buy products. I met public sector workers, worried for their jobs and livelihoods, with no positive future in sight, I have met people concerned that the NHS is about to sold off to private companies who will cherry pick and hold GP's to ransom for commissioning their services.

Labour brought about a long period of growth in Britain and when the global banking recession hit, they attempted to ensure a Wall Street Crash would not repeat itself and that millions of homeowners would not lose their homes with mortgage default.

Labour is the only party that takes into account real people when attempting to get the economy back into growth. The coalition only have a Plan A, which is cut,cut, cut, no wonder there are too many Government u-turns with much more to come after the AV vote debacle. There needs to be an alternative and Labour will provide the necessary stimulus for growth in the economy.

Our pledge to the people of Reading:

Labour will:

■Radically re-organise the Council and its services to deliver savings and protect people in need.
■Use the Council’s watchdog powers to stand up for your NHS.
■Stand up for a cleaner Reading by making clean streets the Council’s priority.
■Stand up for those least able to care for themselves
■Involve the public more effectively.
■Ensure that all voices in Reading are heard equally – not just those of the politicians and those who shout loudest.
■Create a New Local Partnership to stand up for Reading.
■Work with our partners to continue the regeneration of our town.
■Review the Green Bin fiasco.
■Maintain the Council’s commitment to paying a living wage.

Labour's Agent apologises to Tory candidates who live outside the borough

2011-04-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Below is an apology from Labour's Election Agent, Ben Zielinski

"As Labour agent for this year's local elections, my Tory counterpart has drawn to my attention that we made a mistake in our recent Reading Banner newspaper, which is being delivered by volunteers to households across Reading.
In an article entitled "Conservatives scrape the barrel", we commented on the number of Tory candidates who live outside Reading borough, and therefore do not pay Reading Council Tax or use services provided by the Borough Council. We said that the Tory candidate in Park ward, Cllr Hussain, "lives miles away in Charvil but qualifies ... because he owns houses as a landlord". We acknowledge that this is incorrect in that Mr Hussain actually lives in Earley, near Winnersh Triangle, rather than Charvil. We apologise to him for getting the part of Wokingham he lives in wrong.

We have also noticed that Conservative's Church ward candidate, former banker Mr Poland, lives in exclusive Beenham, rather than in neighbouring Midgham as we stated. The Battle ward Tory candidate, we omitted to note, also lives outside Reading in Lower Earley. Their Minster candidate is from Shinfield, as correctly said in the article.

On behalf of Reading's Labour candidates, all of whom live in Reading borough, I am happy to correct these facts".

Ben Zielinski
Election Agent for the Labour Party candidates in Reading borough

The coalition's plan to cut the deficit whilst cutting services

2011-04-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

The financial crisis is forcing the coalition to make some tough decisions.

If things continue for much longer, there's a real risk that we may have to lay off Jose.

"Worse off Wednesday" Families could lose over £2.500 in tax credit cuts from today

2011-04-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Families could lose over £2,500 in tax credit cuts from today Wednesday, 6 April, 2011tax credit changes that could leave families thousands of pounds out of pocket taking effect from today (Wednesday), the TUC has launched a tax credit calculator to help parents find out how they will be affected.

The tax credit calculator - available on the TUC touchstone blog and parenting forum mumsnet www.mumsnet.com/jobs/changes-to-tax-credits - allows working parents currently in receipt of tax credits to add their household details, such as income level and number of children, and then estimate how they will be affected by the tax changes taking place from today and from April next year.

Many parents will not have spotted the impact of the technical changes to working tax credits announced in last year's Emergency budget - particularly as George Osborne made no reference to them in last month's budget - and could be in for a shock when they realise how much they stand to lose from today, says the TUC.

For example, a dual earner family with incomes of £25,000 and £15,000, two children (a baby and a toddler), paying £400 a week in childcare for 45 weeks of the year, could lose around £2,600 a year by April 2012, according to the TUC tax credit calculator.

The tax credit changes featured in the calculator include:
* above inflation increases in child tax credits for this year and next
* a freeze in the basic element of working tax credit for three years (from April 2011)
* a freeze in the 30 hour element of working tax credit for three years (from April 2011)
* a reduction in the amount of eligible childcare costs met by working tax credit from 80 per cent to 70 per cent (from April 2011)
* a reduction in the second income threshold to £40,000 (from April 2011)
* a reversal of the plan to introduce a toddler tax credit (from April 2012), and
* a reduction in line with earnings (tapering) of the family element immediately after child element (from April 2012).
The tax credit changes come on top of changes to the way in which many benefits are uprated each year (from the RPI measure of inflation to CPI), which will further reduce the real value of tax credits and benefits.

The combination of tax credit cuts, the rise in VAT, the three year freeze in child benefit rates (as well as the cut for households with a higher rate taxpayer) and deep spending cuts could result in working families being hit hardest by the cuts, warns the TUC.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "With wages failing to keep up with the cost of living and the VAT rise biting into household budgets, these tax credit cuts could not have come at a worse time for families.

"Working families are bearing the brunt of government austerity measures, from cuts to vital public services such as sure start centres, libraries and youth clubs, to the freezing, cutting and scrapping of tax credits that are hitting household incomes.

"The government must do more to help hard pressed families by protecting the public services they rely on and ensuring that a greater share of the tax burden is placed on the banks that helped create the deficit, rather than the working families who are being made to pay for it."

Founder and CEO of Mumsnet Justine Roberts said: "Many Mumsnetters are making changes to their family budgets as they find their wages aren't going as far as they used to and tax credit changes are leaving them worse off.

"This calculator can help parents see what changes will affect them and help them plan to try to reduce the impact."

Further examples of how families will be affected by tax credit changes
- Dual earner family earning £20,000 (working 16 hours per week and 4 hours per week), two children (one baby) and not paying for childcare could lose around £4,300 a year.
- Dual earner family earning £50,000 (£40,000 and £10,000), three children (including a baby and a toddler) and paying £300 a week in childcare for 45 weeks a year could lose around £2,400 a year.
- Lone parent family earning £15,000 and working 20 hours a week, two children (one in receipt of disability living allowance) and paying £150 a week in childcare for 40 weeks a year could lose around £800 a year.
- The calculator provides a rough estimate of how the government's tax credit changes will affect different types of families. It shows approximate tax credit awards for different types of households in 2012/13 both before and after the changes. However, it does not provide a fully accurate assessment of actual household entitlements, as it only asks for basic information about family circumstances.
- Further analysis of welfare changes and their impact on families is available at www.touchstoneblog.org.uk

Coalition Chaos on the NHS proposals for privatisation.

2011-04-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

It is one thing to claim to listen to the people and another to continually make U turns in policy because of a chaotic and weak form of Government. The " break" in NHS policy formulation by the hapless Andrew Lansley smacks of disunity, chaos and a major vacuum in leadership at the heart of the coalition. The Tory led Government previously stated that there was no alternative but now the programme of wide scale privatisation of services and devolving budgets to GP's, many of whom do not want to be responsible for finances but to concentrate on what they are trained to do, give medical advice to patients is on hold.

One of the reasons the Tories under David Cameron did not secure a majority at the last General Election, despite an unpopular Labour Government is that the electorate did not trust the Tories on the NHS. How right were the voters.

The Lib Dems in the coalition are running scared. Particularly after the national demonstration on 26th March that saw half a million people march against cuts in the public services and the NHS. The Tories can dismiss the demonstration as misguided but the Lib Dems know only too well that there were thousands of Lib Dem supporters on the demonstration, deeply unhappy at the pace and scale of changes to the NHS. They would be wise to heed the message and back away from privatisation of the NHS.

Tory U-Turn provides little comfort to students

2011-03-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

Tory U-Turn provides little comfort to students:

• Education Secretary Michael Gove has come up with a £180m a year replacement for Educational Maintenance Allowance.
• This is nothing to celebrate. It represents a cut of two-thirds from the previous £560m annual budget and will be targeted only at the poorest students.
• It will deprive hundreds of thousands of students from low income families with state support for further education.
• EMA was aimed at students in households earning under £21,000 a year. Nearly 1) 640,000 students benefited last year. 2009-10
• Students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to receive the EMA.

• Shadow education secretary, Andy Burnham MP: "I don't think we can dignify today's announcement with the word U-turn. You [the government] have taken a successful policy which improved participation, attendance and achievement in post-16 education, and turned it into a total shambles."

University of Reading will charge students £9,000 a year

2011-03-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

University of Reading will charge students £9,000 a year

• Reading University has announced students will have to pay £9,000 a year in tuition fees on all undergraduate courses from next year.
• Government cuts have been blamed along with a need to remain competitive and maintain high quality teaching and student experience during their time at university have been given as the reason for the decision.
• Reading University Students Union (RUSU) insisted "a person’s right to an education should depend on their potential and aspiration, not their ability to pay for it” and called on the university to help those from lower income families.
• This is a direct result of the Lib Dems violation of their own cast iron pledges

“Osborne’s Budget gives with one hand, but takes away with lots of other hands!”

2011-03-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE
23 March 2011
Labour : “Osborne’s Budget gives with one hand, but takes away with lots of other hands!”

Reading Labour Group Leader Jo Lovelock says the Tory-led Government’s budget won’t help struggling families in the town.
“This budget marks an outright refusal to change course on cuts which are already proving very damaging to local people. We needed a budget that protected communities, families, workers and the promise to the next generation.
“As the Institute for Fiscal Studies said this morning, there is an awful lot of giving with one hand in this budget and taking away with lots and lots of other hands,” said Cllr. Lovelock "For example, while local council taxes have been frozen, local authorities like Reading are just introducing a range of new charges in order to balance their books – stealth taxes. Next year there’s a cut in income tax, but this year there’s a huge hike in VAT. You may win on the swings and you lose more on the roundabouts."
Leader of the Opposition, Ed Miliband responding to the Budget statement, said: “This is a no growth budget. One fact says it all: growth is down last year, this year and next year. What we learned today is that George Osborne's plan to cut too deep and too fast is hurting, but it's not working.
“The cuts are hurting families and damaging our economy It’s not the Chancellor that’s rescuing the country. It’s the country that needs rescuing from this Chancellor.”

George Osborne is promising a small tax cut next year, but he’s taking away £450 from families with children in higher VAT this year. And he’s cutting fuel duty by 1p a litre, but his VAT increase has already added 3p to the cost of a litre of petrol.
So it’s hurting. But it’s also not working. The independent budget watchdog's verdict on today’s Budget is clear: this so-called growth plan won’t work.
Growth is down last year, this year and next year, inflation is up, unemployment is up and that's why the government will be borrowing £44.5 billion more over coming period.
So this plan will actually make it harder to get the deficit down.
For the detailed figures see below

Tory/Lib Dem smiling faces as unemployment hits a 19 year high

2011-03-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Cameron and his cohort smile and yahboo in true public school style at Prime Ministers Questions today as unemployment hit over 2.5m, a 19 year high, since the Tories were last in power. Youth Unemployment is now standing at 20% and this massive waste of talent and a dashing of hope and aspiration of young people is just as serious as the deficit.

Please remember when you hear the Tories and their Lib Dem friends blame the last Labour Government for the mess, what Labour really did for the country. Millions of pounds spent to guarantee training, employment or education for young people. Millions on support to keep people in employment by bringing forward public works and supporting homeowners to avoid repossession of their homes. Support for our manufacturing industry, such as the car industry by helping to finance the scrappage scheme. Unemployment and bankruptcy was much lower under Labour. Wonder what support there will be for people and families in next weeks budget. Don't hold your breath, maybe the bankers will be ok!

Japan Tsunami Appeal | British Red Cross

2011-03-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Japan Tsunami Appeal | British Red Cross

Emergency Appeal: tsunami in Japan

2011-03-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

World Vision Emergency Appeal
Urgent Appeal: Tsunami in Japan View online version
Unsubscribe from Emergency Update Emails

Nobody knows the death toll at the moment. Whole villages have been flattened, and there are concerns that more than 10,000 people have perished in the Miyagi area alone. More than half a million people have been evacuated and are being sheltered in evacuation centres, 1.4 million people have no access to water and around three million people are running out of power, in the middle of a cold winter.

World Vision is taking relief supplies of food, blankets and medicine to affected areas. We are also setting up safe places for children, so that parents can concentrate on what they need to do to recover their lives, knowing their children are being cared for. This is an area that World Vision has particular skill and experience in, and where we can genuinely add to the massive relief effort.

The Government of Japan is impressive in both their preparedness and response to this emergency. However, in the first few weeks, help is needed in an emergency of this scale. World Vision has been in Japan for more than 50 years, and we have the people and specialist skills to assist.

This is an extraordinary disaster. Children have lost their parents, their homes, their schools, and it is impossible for them to make sense of what has happened.

Please help today. Donations are gratefully accepted online or on our Emergency Phone line at 0800 012 1204.

Thank you for your generosity!

Justin Byworth
CEO, World Vision UK

.
.
£36 could help two evacuated families receive warm blankets.

Donate online >

or by calling
0800 012 1204

Please share this with your friends or contacts on:

Image: Reuters / Kyodo Marcarian
Courtesy: www.trust.org/alertnet

Happy Prospect pub finally comes down

2011-03-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

9 March 2011

Joy as Happy Prospect comes down

The Happy Prospect pub on Coronation Square is finally being demolished to the delight of Southcote Councillors, and of course local people. Pete Ruhemann, who pressed last year for the site to be secured and made safe, says the pub has been “an unmitigated eyesore” for far too long and really brought down the area.
He adds: “The site has been bought by Home Group, who are proposing to build social housing there. It is a very sensitive site, what is built there is going to affect both Coronation Square and St Matthew’s Church over the way, and it is going to be important to have a quality design which does the estate credit.”

I am running the Reading Half Marathon to get sponsorship for Launchpad, independent charity assisting homeless people

2011-02-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

I an currently training for the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday March 20th to raise funds for Launchpad, formerly Reading Single Homeless Project, an independent charity helping homeless people find accommodation and assist in eradicating the issues that are obstacles for homeless people obtaining accommodation.

It has been 11 years since I last did some serious training and I must admit I am finding running 6 to 7 miles three times a week problematic. I ran 7 miles on Sunday and have done well apart from sore ankles and knees.

I am aiming to raise at least £250 for Launchpad, so please give generously, what you can afford to give.

John Ennis is fundraising for Launchpad Reading

2011-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

John Ennis is fundraising for Launchpad Reading

Labour backs campaign to save Farmers Market from parking charge hike

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

14 February 2011

Labour backs campaign to save Farmers Market from parking charge hike

A campaign to scrap a new £4 parking charge for the area round Great Knollys Street which users of the Market fear might lead to the Market folding has received firm backing from Labour’s Tony Page, who says he expressed his opposition to the charge when he was briefed about the plan late last year.

He says: “I was told my comments would be considered, but so desperate are the Tories for cash that it’s clear they were discounted. Like many other businesses, the Farmers Market is having a tough time and the last thing it needs is users having to pay a £4 surcharge. As a regular user I know that the Farmers Market is an asset to the town, which many people value as it means they can get quality produce. The Conservative-led Council ought to be proud of it and supporting it - not threatening to strangle it!”

The campaign against the charges has spread to the Farmers Market Facebook page, and next Saturday’s Market will see signatures being collected for a petition to be presented to the Council meeting on 22 February, and Cllr. Page is calling for regular users to turn up and add their names.

88 LibDem leaders wrote to The Times protesting about the cuts: Why wasn’t Kirsten Bayes among them?

2011-02-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE
10 February 2011
Labour: 88 LibDem leaders wrote to The Times protesting about the cuts: Why wasn’t Kirsten Bayes among them?

88 LibDem Council and Group Leaders published a letter in The Times today attacking Conservative Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for front-loading of cuts which they say “will have an undoubted effect on all frontline council services, including care services to the most vulnerable”.

They say he is denying Councils the lead-in time to re-engineer services and the opportunity to spread the costs of downsizing over several years, which they could do at no cost to central Government, and is engaging in “gunboat diplomacy” instead of helping Councils to minimise the impact on vulnerable communities.

A copy of the letter is attached. Reading Labour Group Leader Jo Lovelock has looked through the long list of signatories and the name of Kirsten Bayes is missing.
Cllr. Lovelock, who called earlier this year for the Council’s Leadership to stand up for Reading in the face of a much worse settlement than neighbouring Councils, says: “The first signature is that of Richard Kemp, Leader of the LibDem Group on the Local Government Association, and when I challenged Cllr. Bayes about the cuts she said she had been in his office recently and declined to be specific about her conversation with him.

“But she clearly did not stay long enough to join 88 other LibDem Leaders in protesting about cuts that will hugely damage public services for the people she is supposed to represent.

“What the Leader of Portsmouth City Council, the Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council (where LibDems are also in coalition with the Tories), the LibDem Leader on Oxfordshire County Council, and many others were prepared to do, Cllr. Bayes did not have the will, or the courage, to do.

“Instead of Council Leaders standing up for Reading, as under Labour we always did, we have a Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader who are just George Osborne’s lieutenants in the Thames Valley!”

Cllr Lovelock has signed a letter from Labour Leaders urging cross party cooperation in lobbying Eric Pickles to stand up for a better deal for Local Government (also attached), which is expected to be published in The Times on 11 February.

//ENDS

For further information contact Jo Lovelock 
or R&DLP Press Officer Pete Ruhemann
For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour.org.uk

Letter to The Times 10 February 2011

Sir, Local government is playing its part in tackling the country’s deficit and advancing the Coalition’s aims of localism and the Big Society. But local, and central, government are being let down by the Communities and Local Government Secretary who appears unwilling to lead the change that’s so desperately needed. Local government has made efficiency savings of 3 per cent in each of the past eight years — in stark contrast to the runaway spending of central government under the previous administration. We’ve also been planning for further saving since the true state of the economy became apparent six months ago.

What has been delivered is a difficult cuts package across all government departments but clearly the most severe is to local government. These cuts will have an undoubted impact on all frontline council services, including care services to the vulnerable.

Rather than assist the country’s recovery by making public-sector savings in a way that can protect local economies and the frontline, the cuts are so structured that they will do the opposite. The local government settlement will take a major hit in this coming financial year and further, smaller, cuts in subsequent years. This front-loading means councils do not have the lead-in time necessary to re-engineer services on a lower-cost base and ease staff cuts without forced, expensive redundancies. Inexplicably, local government is also being denied the opportunity to spread the cost of reorganisation and downsizing over several years — at no cost to central government — which just makes even bigger in-year cuts inevitable The Secretary of State’s role should be to facilitate necessary savings while promoting the advance of localism and the Big Society. Unfortunately, Eric Pickles has felt it better to shake a stick at councillors than work with us.

Local and central government should be united in a shared purpose. Instead of chastising and denigrating local authorities through the media, the Government should deploy all its efforts to help councils minimise the impact on vulnerable communities and frontline services.

We would be delighted to discuss with the Secretary of State how we could take on the difficult challenges shared by all levels of government and would prefer to do this than continue with the gunboat diplomacy which is the current order of the day.

Local Government Association: Cllr Richard Kemp, Leader LibDem Group

Council Leaders: Cllr Carl Minns, Hull City Council; Cllr Cec Tallack, Milton Keynes; Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader Birmingham City Council; Cllr David Faulkner. Newcastle City Council; Cllr Ian Marks, Warrington Borough Council; Cllr Virginia Gay, North Norfolk; Cllr Andrew De Freitas, North East Lincolnshire Council; Cllr Tim Carroll, South Somerset; Cllr Stuart Langhorn, Lancaster City Council; Cllr David Watts, Broxtowe BC; Cllr Tony de Vere, Vale of White Horse; Cllr Keith House, Eastleigh BC; Cllr Anne Turrell, Colchester (NOC); Cllr Sian Reid, Cambridge City; Cllr Alan Connett, Teignbridge DC; Cllr David Budd, Purbeck DC; Cllr Ann De Vecchi, Lewes DC; Cllr Dorothy Thornhill, Watford Mayor; Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Leader, Portsmouth City Council

Group Leaders: Cllr Alan Boad, Warwick DC; Cllr Gavin James, Basingstoke & Deane BC; Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, Essex CC; Cllr Joe Abbott, South Tyneside; Cllr Roger Hayes, Bolton MBC; Cllr Peter Wilcock, Uttlesford BC; Cllr Simon McDougall, Arun DC; Cllr Brendan Haigh, Newark & Sherwood DC; Cllr Nigel Martin, Durham; Cllr Hilary Jones, Derby City Council; Cllr Linda Redhead, Halton; Cllr Sue Carpendale, Babergh DC; Cllr Iain Sharpe, Watford BC; Cllr Kathy Pollard, Suffolk CC; Cllr Maureen Rigg, Stockton; Cllr John Boyce, Oadby & Wigston BC; Cllr Andrew Smith, Chicester DC; Cllr Phil Taylor, Tewkesbury BC; Cllr Len Gates, Test Valley BC; Cllr Ruth Davis, South Gloucestershire; Cllr Tony Gillam, Gedling BC; Cllr Chris Maines, Lewisham BC; Cllr David Milsted, North Dorset DC; Cllr Roger Price, Fareham BC; Cllr Brian Greenslade, Devon CC; Cllr Ian Stewart, Cumbria CC; Cllr Richard Andrews, West Oxfordshire DC; Cllr Margaret Rowley, Wychavon DC; Cllr Ann Buckley, Havant BC; Cllr Jane Parlour, Richmondshire DC; Cllr Alan Sherwell, Aylesbury Vale DC; Cllr Graham Longley, Southend BC; Cllr Zoe Patrick, Oxfordshire CC; Cllr Brian Jeffries, East Riding of Yorkshire; Cllr Bob Sullivan, Waltham Forest BC; Cllr David Lomax, High Peak BC; Cllr Paul Coddington, Doncaster MBC; Cllr Liz Tucker, Worcestershire CC; Cllr Simon Ashley, Manchester City Council; Cllr Roger Walshe, Sevenoaks DC; Cllr John Fisher, Staffs Moorlands; Cllr Paul Morse, Norfolk CC; Cllr Jane Clark, Wealden DC; Cllr Christina Jebb, Staffordshire CC; Cllr David Walker, Charnwood BC; Cllr Noel Rippeth, Gateshead; Cllr Penny Otton, Mid Suffolk DC; Cllr Nan Farmer, Carlisle; Cllr David Foster, Blackburn with Darwen; Cllr Dr Robin Studd, Newcastle under Lyme; Cllr Peter Chegwyn, Gosport BC; Cllr Richard Sharp, Woking BC; Cllr Mary Baldwin, Bucks CC; Cllr Jerry Roodhouse, Warwickshire CC; Cllr David Neighbour, Hart DC; Cllr Arthur Preece, Hartlepool BC; Cllr Nigel Hartin, Shropshire CC; Cllr David Neve, Tunbridge Wells BC; Cllr Geoff Welsh, Blaby DC; Cllr Roger Kutchinsky, Hertsmere BC; Cllr Ross Henley, Taunton Deane BC; Cllr Jack Cohen, Barnet BC; Cllr Julie Morris, Epsom & Ewell; Cllr Terry Stacy, Islington BC; Cllr Alex Perkins, Canterbury City; Cllr Geoff Chamberlain, East Devon DC; Cllr David Fearn, Derbyshire Dales DC; Cllr Helen Dyke, Wyre Forest DC; Cllr Paul English, Craven DC; Cllr Paul Elgood, Brighton & Hove; Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Cotswold DC.

Letter to The Times 11 February 2011

Dear Sir,
We welcome the discussion that has been opened following yesterday’s letter by the Liberal Democrat councillors regarding the Tory-Lib Dem Government’s funding cuts to local authorities. It is important that as local councillors we stand together for our communities who will suffer as the result of the severe and frontloaded cuts to local authorities. We are therefore appealing through your columns for cross party co-operation in response to this urgent matter.

The Prime Minster David Cameron himself acknowledged in a speech in 2009 that “local government is officially the most efficient part of the public sector”. As councillors and elected Mayors we will work to continue to drive down the costs of delivering quality public services. However, we feel that Secretary of State Eric Pickles has been disingenuous about the impact his cuts will have on our ability to provide services. The design and depth of the cuts to local authority budgets will undoubtedly hurt local economies and damage frontline services.

Because of the costly long term impacts these cuts will have to our communities and our local economies we believe it is important that we keep the discussion with the Government open. We therefore invite Liberal Democrat councillors to join us in writing to their fellow Liberal Democrat, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, to ask him to ask the Secretary of State for Local Government, Eric Pickles to look again at the unfairness of the Tory-Lib Dem Government’s cuts.
Our residents all across the country are relying on councillors of all parties to work together in the interests of the public and be their voice during tough times.

Cllr Warren Swaine has resigned as the Lead Cabinet member for Environment and Sustainability on Reading Borough Council over racist tweet.

2011-02-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Media Releases
Change in Cabinet Post at Reading
09/02/2011
Statement

Cllr Warren Swaine has resigned as the Lead Cabinet member for Environment and Sustainability on Reading Borough Council.

Cllr Kirsten Bayes will take responsibility for the Cabinet portfolio for Environment and Sustainability with immediate effect.
ENDS

It seems from the media release above that Cllr Warren Swaine had to resign his Cabinet Post as his "satire" has crossed the boundary of good taste when he made a racist comment on Twitter against black MP Chuka Umunna during Question Time on 27 January. He has now resigned from his Cabinet position because of his racist comments.

I did advise Councillor Swaine that his antics would end in tears and it would be best to concentrate on representing the people of Reading. Below is a blog I wrote on 13th January 2011 about Cllr Swaine's antics. It is a shame when a councillor has to resign their position, but Cllr Swaine did not serve the people of Reading, who wanted a greener environment rather than rude, abusive and racist "satire".

Thursday, 13 January 2011

Stop being rude and abusive Councillor Swaine and start acting as a Lead Councillor

Councillor Swaine as Lead Councillor for the Environment has not used his blog or publicity to tell the public what he has been doing to make Reading a greener and better place to live. Instead he posts rude and abusive blogs against Labour Councillors, yahboo politics at its worst. In the meantime, under his watch as Lead Councillor for the Environment residents recycling was thrown away into black bins and recycling material buried into landfill sites. Residents enjoy recycling and find the exercise valuable and they will be dismayed to hear that recycling has been put into landfill sites. Rather than Emperor Nero, fiddling whilst Rome burned, Councillor Swaine should use his blog and Twitter to apologise for this ridiculous situation and concentrate on maintaining and improving recycling rates.
Posted by John Ennis at 17:12

Reading has lost a wonderful Councillor and person in Jim Hanley

2011-02-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Still cannot believe Jim has gone and my thoughts go out to his family, in particular his partner Trish. Jim was such a lovely man and a hard working Councillor who was measured and thoughtful in his contributions. I have known Jim for over 15 years and enjoyed his wit and humorous analysis of politics in Reading. Jim always saw the good side in people. He will be sorely missed.

Background info on Petition to save the Whitley Excellence Cluster:

2011-01-29T12:51:00.000-08:00

Background info on Petition to save the Whitley Excellence Cluster:

We, the undersigned, call on Reading Borough Council, to find a way to save the good work of Whitley Excellence Cluster, which has done so much for young people and families in South Reading.

What is the Whitley Excellence Cluster (WEC)?

Formally it is the group of 11 schools in South Reading that work together to raise standards. It refers to both the schools and the central team that provide central services and support to them.

Where has the money come from?

Originally it was secured through ‘Excellence in Cities’ and continued from 2008 through the Area Based grant. It should be noted that Reading Borough Council continued to receive extra funding from the government due to the original application by heads in South Reading.
In 2010-2011 schools received over £470K in direct extra grants and the central team was also funded out of this.

Why doe the Whitley Excellence Cluster need extra funding?

The South Reading area has particular challenges and needs that mean that the extra funding is needed. Government statistics show that Whitley as a whole is in the top 10% most deprived areas in England for education/skills.

What does the central team do?

They are front-line employees who work across the schools. There are a range of posts but the focus is on inclusion and support at key times (e.g. the move from early years to school) or for children with particular needs. A good example is the ‘links workers’. They work closely with the primary school, including the classroom teacher, parents and the child to ensure that the child is able to access school, and that home and school support each other.

What is the future if the council decides to ‘cease funding’?

Reading Borough Council is planning to cease all funding.
• The schools will loose substantial grants. It is not year clear what the overall loss of funding will be but heads expect that the pupil premium will not cover the loss and the government’s guarantee’ that schools would not lose more than 1.5% in real terms will not be applied to WEC funding.
• The central team will be made redundant or leave and their work will end.
• It is hoped that the schools will agree to ‘buy back’ some level of service, although this is unlikely to be more than 1 post, due to the cut backs the schools are facing themselves.
• One post, that of project manger, has been secured by the school leadership college, a national body that has recognised the value of the work.
• The APSIRE2 charity, linked to WEC, will continue to raise funds.

If you would like more information please contact Rachel Eden, racheleden.whitley@gmail.com 07914 211828

Tories struggle to explain cuts.

2011-01-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Tories and their Lib Dem foot soldiers are running scared to answer questions about the massive cuts they are making, instead they try to deflect the damage they are doing to the economy, focusing on trying to take away council workers rights.

It is now quite clear there is an organised and co-ordinated campaign by the Conservatives to discredit Labour in Reading in the run up to this year’s local elections.
It amounts to a series of innuendos and spurious allegations, largely insubstantial but if repeated sufficiently often they become accepted as reality. of “repeat the lie sufficiently and the lie becomes the truth”. The same could be said for the use of particular words, never attributed to individuals as to do so in that context would be actionable, but to repeat in the context of an organisation so that all those involved with it are contaminated.

These are the tactics of the far right and have been for generations. The latest spin tactic of the Reading Conservatives and their Liberal props is to call actions and policies “corruption” when they are nothing of the kind. The more they repeat the ‘C’ word the more they think it will stick.

It is pure spin to suggest that Reading Borough Council has “given money to Trades Unions”. To quote sums of money that imply a seven figure saving that are, in fact, calculated over more than a decade is dissembling on a grand scale.

The alleged ‘corruption’ is the practice of giving to recognised trades unions in Reading Borough Council ‘facility time’. The jargon means that local trades union representatives are not expected to do their jobs in the authority, they effectively spend all their time representing their fellow workers. This is accepted practice in large organisations where trades unions are recognised. Hard headed bosses in the private sector make the bottom line judgement that good industrial relations are worth the investment in facility time. They conclude that by granting such facility to representatives in the workplace they avoid disputes and costly legal actions over health and safety, unfair dismissal and so on. The same is true of the many Conservative authorities that grant facility time. Common sense yes, ‘corruption’ hardly.

While there may be a legitimate debate about the nature and quantum of facility time it is a massive stretch to suggest this is in any way ‘corrupt’. The attack is shameful – 100% spin and 100% malicious. This is more evident because the Conservatives, who claim they have “uncovered” some great subterfuge, knew very well about these arrangements, having been represented on the appropriate Council body since the unitary council came into being (the agreement dates from 1998). There is no record of any Conservative objection.

According to internal council documents, the Conservatives and their Liberal supporters are actively considering the removal of all trade union facility time. If this were to happen Trade Union representatives would not be able to time away from their desks to represent their colleagues. It would be a very serious step, almost a de-recognition of trades unions by the Council. If forced through it would be entirely for the benefit of the Conservative spin machine and nothing to do with the public interest. A single health and safety case brought against the council that could have been avoided with trades union involvement could end up costing more than facility time costs in any one year.

The Labour Party has a long record of upholding standards in public office and the former MP for Reading West came out of the expenses affair as one of the ‘saints’. The Conservatives know all of this, so now they resort to smears to attempt to blacken Labour’s name locally.

This approach to politics does public debate no good at all. It is no longer enough to disagree with an opponent’s view of the world – it is regarded as essential to portray them as in some way corrupt. Manufacture scandal and the media become more interested. This approach traduces our public life and should be resisted by decent people.

Willis’s obsessions have now reached such heights of fantasy that nobody can take him seriously on anything!

2011-01-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

Willis’s obsessions have now reached such heights of fantasy that nobody can take him seriously on anything!

Labour’s Leader on Reading Borough Council has dismissed as |”fantasy” Cllr Richard Willis’s latest ludicrous accusations on his blog.
She says: “Cllr Willis has spent months on his blog pushing out bile about the Labour Party, most of which I ignore as I have more important things to do. If he had spent more time working on the things that matter he might not have made such a hash of his council portfolio – he might not have made mistakes: charging people for parking overnight in their own street at his parking metres, only to have to do a u-turn when they protested; he might not have proposed an unworkable scheme to deal with those people who block pavements, which penalises hard-working residents, which he has no idea how to extricate himself from – I could go on, but his latest spurious allegations from his far right perspective must be shown for the fantasies they are. He accuses the Labour Party of corruption because, alongside public bodies of all political persuasions, it recognises the role of the Trades Unions in good staffing relations and service delivery! Even the more reactionary Tory authorities make some contribution to allowing their staff to have proper representation! This is not only a disgraceful slur on the Labour Party, but also on staff at the Council who work very hard to foster good staff relations and develop sensible personnel policies, and who put service delivery for residents first.
For the record:
1. Reading Council has what is known as a “Facilities agreement”, which allows recognised Trade Unions the opportunity to second full-time officials in the workplace and is good practice, and is in place in most Local authorities and other public bodies, including the health service and the Police. (in fact the Taxpayers Alliance published a detailed schedule of the sums involved in October last year) The Ministry of Defence for example allocates some £4million for the secondment of union officials. Many Private sector organisations also use the same system to negotiate and work with their workforces . Facilities agreements between Councils of all political persuasions and recognised trade unions are the norm, not the exception, as Councils wish to promote good industrial relations and to ensure that individual members of staff are properly represented in disciplinary cases and so on. The amount spent by each authority varies, depending on the size and the level of services provided and whether or not the services are provided in house. It is also the case that where there is no full-time agreement then arrangements have to be made for trade union members to have time off work on an ad hoc basis, which is quite disruptive to the services, which is why we always felt having continuity of representation was important. Even Cllr Willis’s Coalition cronies in Reading are not considering cutting the funding completely.
2. Reading has until now always enjoyed a constructive relationship with the trades unions and they have over many years made valuable suggestions about how money can be saved. Indeed only last year the Trades Unions in Reading made a very constructive proposal on how the council could save money on staff travel costs, a much larger sum than the cost of the facilities agreement. The fact we have avoided industrial action at a local level is also because there has been a relationship of trust in negotiations. It does not mean there are not tensions, but over and over again the Unions have worked on issues with an underlying aim of providing good services for Reading Residents as well as good working conditions for staff.
3. Any suggestion that in Reading this is “secret” is absolute nonsense. Conservative and Liberal Democrat Councillors in Reading have been fully aware of the work of union officials through the Local Joint Forum, which has always worked on an all-party basis. In fact Richard Willis was a member for some time himself!
4. The Council’s accounts are prepared and presented to members by the Director of Resources and go to the level of detail that he considers appropriate, and if Cllr. Willis considers that this particular item should be given prominence he should take the matter up with the Director.(Incidentally, the published accounts for 2009-10 were signed by Tory Leader, Cllr. Cumpsty, as the current Leader of the Council, and he presumably thought them to be an adequate reflection of the Council’s activity). Of course the published accounts do not give individual salaries, but overall budgets, in line with guidance. The Council’s auditors have just given the Council a clean bill of health for the way in which financial matters are handled for the year 2009/10 when Labour was in control.
5. The Director of Resources is also legally and properly responsible for authorising all payments made by the Council, which he has to certify are consequential on decisions taken by members in accordance with legislation, primarily the Local Government Act 1976. Like Cllr. Willis’s earlier blog which talked of “nefarious ways” in which public money has been spent, his implication is that the expenditure on facilities agreements is in some way improper and that is a serious slur on the professional integrity of Council officers.. There is no place for this sort of behaviour in local government and it is time Cllr Cumpsty reined Cllr Willis in and told him to moderate his behaviour..
6. Cllr. Willis further complains about a leaflet produced by UNISON which very clearly shows why the Tory spin about the national deficit is misleading. He tries to imply that public money is involved. That is ridiculous. UNISON has a political fund for such campaigns, which comes from a voluntary political levy on its members.

This hysterical nonsense from Cllr. Willis is because he knows that the Tories and the Coalition are facing a tough time as the public begin to feel the full extent of the politically driven cuts – cuts which are so deep and so severe that they will undermine the economy and damage the lives of many in our communities. No amount of childish ranting from Cllr Willis will cover that up.

Jo Lovelock,
24/01/11

These cuts are unfair to our town

2011-01-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

These cuts are unfair to our town!

Reading is losing £8,568,000 in Government grants in 2011-12, twice as much as the three wealthiest Councils in Berkshire, says Labour Leader Cllr. Jo Lovelock.

“The Tory-led Government is making most of their savings in local government by slashing those grants which support communities with high needs, so Reading is losing £81/2M while wealthy Wokingham is only losing half that. Tory Councillors in other parts of the country are openly criticising the Coalition Government for hitting hardest the areas of greatest need, but not our local Tory-led administration! They are making no attempt to speak up for Reading, just willingly wielding George Osborne’s axe and chopping everything from street cleaning and grass-cutting to children’s services - including playschemes, youth clubs, and careers advice - and home care for the elderly and disabled.

Cllr. Lovelock adds: “The damage that is being done to our town as the results of these people failing to stand up for Reading is immense. They should be ashamed of themselves for not making the case for Reading people .”

Save our Services Public Meeting Thursday 20th January 2011 7.30pm Great Expectations, London Street.

2011-01-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, is being bankrolled by the head of one of the biggest private health providers to the NHS, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

John Nash, the chairman of Care UK, gave £21,000 to fund Andrew Lansley’s personal office in November. Mr Nash, a private equity tycoon, also manages several other businesses providing services to the NHS and stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of Conservative policies to increase the use of private health providers.

Had Cameron put that on his airbrushed poster would he have achieved the vote he got in 2010? The real issue is what the Tory led Coalition is doing now did not get approved by the electorate. Had they stood on the platform of privatisation of the NHS then they would have lost the election. They know that only too well so they lied to the electorate to cover up for this massive programme of allowing private sector firms to provide health care.

On Thursday night there is a public meeting at the Great Expectation Pub at 7.30pm where NHS users and staff will meet to plan a cam,paign to save the NHS and keep it free at the point of use and not subject to private profit

Smoke and mirrors won't alleviate the concerns of many voluntary organisations losing support grant

2011-01-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

Below is a statement from the opposition Labour Group about the widespread concern amongst many voluntary organisations such as RCRE about the loss of support grant. The ConDems have accused the Labour Group of favouring organisations that support Labour and of scaremongering. This is a disgrace to accuse organisations like RCRE of being Labour biased. RCRE have been around for over 40 years providing a valuable service to many people from ethnic minority backgrounds and now find their funding slashed by £90.000.

Commissioning Budgets and Core Funding Grants to the Voluntary Sector 2011-12

Reading’s Con-Dem coalition has made much of its claim that it is “planning to increase the total amount of funding” it gives to Reading’s voluntary sector in the coming financial year.

Labour councillors say this spin is very misleading because:
• £ 7,039,519 is the headline figure the Con-Dem coalition claims is heading the way of the voluntary sector this year, against a claimed £4m+ last year.

This looks impressive, but in fact:
• Total funding in terms of grants and contracts taken together is budgeted at: £6,728,370 for 2011-12 and was 6,818,281 in 2010-11 in fact just under £90,000 (£89,911) less than Labour gave the voluntary sector last year.

This is because the Con-Dem Coalition have included in their headline figure of £7m
• a sum of £220,000 earmarked for the project to refurbish and reopen the Central Club in London St. This is neither new money nor more money - it is money set aside in the Council’s budget by the Labour Group two years ago.
• a sum of £100,000 within the Council’s capital budget which may be used by the voluntary sector for projects such as repair, or refurbishment of their premises,. However this is money which has to be bid for, thus it may or may not be spent.

More importantly the Con-Dem coalition is holding back more than half a million pounds (£531.431) which goes into a pot of money for later bidding processes at some point in 2011-12. This again is money which may or may not end up with voluntary groups.

This means that the next financial year will see many voluntary and community groups facing cuts or possible closure and their clients facing the withdrawal of services on which they vitally rely.

This is the true face of the Big Society. The voluntary sector is being asked to paper over the huge gaps in the services people need created by government cuts. At the same time groups such as Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit, which gives advice and support to those in difficulty, faces a very uncertain future. Our young people needing help with their education or to find a job, the elderly and disabled who need care or just to get out of the house may well find that help is no longer available.

SE Region TUC Day of Action.

2011-01-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

I attended the SE Region Day of Action in Reading with scores of members of the public and Trade Unionists demonstrating against the unnecessary cuts that will damage jobs, threatening the livelihoods of workers and their families and threatening growth. I spoke at the rally outside of the Civic Centre giving details of the consultation on the proposed cuts of £3.9m in Children's Services. We don't have to make these cuts whilst the banksters are coining in at least £2bn of undeserved bonuses.

Below is the text from Bob Wilkinson, Acting interim Secretary of the Reading TUC.

Reading witnessed another demonstration today of the determination of a growing number of residents to stand up and denounce the fraud being perpetuated by the coalition government around the need for, and the direction of, the cuts in public services.

At the culmination of the demonstration at the Reading Civic Centre a number of speakers gave voice to the widespread opposition to the policies being followed both at national and local level.

Stu Melvin of the SOS Reading campaign explained how the Save Our Services group was meeting now on a monthly basis and linking up with the Reading Trades Council and groups opposing the cutbacks in the National Health Services, both in the hospital and community NHS provision. He invited all concerned to the meeting being held in the Greet Expectations at 7.30pm on Thursday 20th January, entitled Protect Our NHS in Reading, to be addressed by Kevin Jackson of West Berks. Health Unison.

John Ennis of the Reading Labour group and the National Association of Probation Officers followed with a detailed account of the cutbacks in social services being planned by Reading Borough Council. Especially serious was the loss of funding for a range of Children's Services that would have the greatest impact on those who needed most support.

Green Councillor Rob White spoke next on how the Council's drastic pruning of services to the community were driven more by ideology than financial necessity. He emphasised again how it was the poorest and most needy who would be hit the hardest by having their support removed at a time when they needed it more than ever.

Steve Waite from Unison concluded the speeches by pointing out how previous generations had struggled to secure the range of provision that we had been taken for granted ever since the war. The Welfare State had been set up at a time when the level of the Deficit was far higher than it is today. The continuing payment of bonuses to the top management in the banks was an insult to those who were sacrificing basic necessities in order to pay rising energy, transport and levels of taxation. The forthcoming elections in May will see a challenge to many of the councillors who have so far been in support of these policies.

The Reading Trades Union Council expressed its thanks to all those from the range of Trade Unions involved and those concerned citizens who took part in the protest. The activity needs to continue and calls upon all those already involved to prepare for the national demonstration on Saturday 26th March.

Bob Wilkinson
Acting Secretary of the Interim RTUC

Oldham East and Saddleworth By-election voters soundly reject the coalition

2011-01-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Labour's Debbie Abrahams won the Oldham East By-election by a majority of 3558,with 43% share of the vote, higher than when Labour first won the seat in 1997. The Tories came a bad third with only 4.440 votes. Cameron urged his voters to switch to help the Lib Dems save face and this failed spectacularly. In any other by-election the Lib Dems would have romped home, but these are different times. The Lib Dems have been placed in a difficult situation by the Tory led coalition by acting as "fall guys" for the unpopular policies and broken promises and they have paid a heavy price. The collapse of the Tory vote shows the real concern by voters of the direction of travel Britain is taking.The coalition has no mandate to govern Britain and voters have no confidence in the massive cuts agenda hitting the vulnerable and majority of people whilst the banksters get away with causing the recession,enjoying big bonuses.

Stop being rude and abusive Councillor Swaine and start acting as a Lead Councillor

2011-01-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

Councillor Swaine as Lead Councillor for the Environment has not used his blog or publicity to tell the public what he has been doing to make Reading a greener and better place to live. Instead he posts rude and abusive blogs against Labour Councillors, yahboo politics at its worst. In the meantime, under his watch as Lead Councillor for the Environment residents recycling was thrown away into black bins and recycling material buried into landfill sites. Residents enjoy recycling and find the exercise valuable and they will be dismayed to hear that recycling has been put into landfill sites. Rather than Emperor Nero, fiddling whilst Rome burned, Councillor Swaine should use his blog and Twitter to apologise for this ridiculous situation and concentrate on maintaining and improving recycling rates.

Another broken promise making the banksters pay for the cuts they brought about

2011-01-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Below is an article from the Bournemouth Echo about the moral dilemma of Banksters bonuses. Even the business community, previously have been ambivalent towards bonuses are angry at yet another broken promise by the ConDems in allowing high bonuses. Why should we be surprised. The Banksters are the real Tories friends and will always do well under a Tory led Government, aided and abetted by the Lib Dems. The banksters are certainly not a mother with young children needing a play group or a vulnerable child needing a Behaviour Therapist or a psychologist. The head of Barclays does not need Connexions or a careers advisor to assist them try to build a future career or obtain employment. Life is going to get very much unfairer under the Tories.

Barclays boss Bob Diamond and Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester are in line for payouts of £8 million and £3m respectively.

But just what do these bankers do that justifies such inordinate wealth?

“Nothing,” was the answer from Kathy Tilbury, managing director of Excelsior Coaches and president of the Dorset Chamber.

She added: “Bob Diamond’s bonus is twice the amount my business turns over in a year. The government has got to step in.

“We are the shareholders in RBS and we should be stepping in and taking control of the boardrooms.”

Beales’ managing director Tony Brown said comparing the pay of bank bosses and emergency services employees resulted in “a moral dilemma that’s been with us since time began”.

Vat is unfair, regressive and hits the poorest hardest, just ask David Cameron.

2011-01-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

In another amazing broken promise since May 2009 David Cameron has contradicted himself by claiming that VAT is the fairest tax which is progressive. It was only in May 2009 that David Cameron in Exeter attacked Vat as "very regressive", "it hits the poorest the hardest. It does I absolutely promise you". Shame he never stuck to his original principle as millions of hard working people and families are paying through the nose for goods.

TUC Day of Action Save Our Services, Saturday 15th January 2011 11.00am Royal Berkshire Hospital Entrance, London Road

2011-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Rolling Day Of Action In Reading: Saturday 15 Jan 2011
In response to the call from SERTUC to organise local action on Saturday 15 January 2011 Reading Trades Union Council with Save Our Services Reading is calling for support for a rolling day of action:

Meet at Royal Berks Hospital (London Street entrance) at 11.00am, to protest against the cuts and exporting of jobs ...

Thereafter, make our way to Market Place (some of you will know it as the Butter Market) to leaflet the public about the debt owed to us by the bailed out banks (LloydsTSB, NatWest) ...

Then through Broad Street and the tax dodgers (Top Shop, Vodafone, etc)

Then to Reading Borough Council Civic Offices to protest the cutting of council services at 1pm.

Welcome to the 'Save Our Services' movement against public service cuts in Reading.

To post to this group, send email to sosreading@googlegroups.com

Ask others to join by sending an email to
sosreading+subscribe@googlegroups.com

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
sosreading+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

Join the Facebook Group by searching for 'Reading Anti-Cuts Coalition'.

They say cut back? We say FIGHT BACK!

The consultation begins to decimate Children's Services

2011-01-08T04:28:00.000-08:00

I received a proposals paper below about the "consultation" on the Education and Children's Services budget and the proposed £3.5m of savings at Reading Borough Council. I say "consultation" because the same day the consultation ends redundancy notices are to be issued.

Firstly my heart goes out to the large numbers of hard working council staff who are set to lose their jobs and their livelihoods for a crisis they did not contribute to. It is official that this is a well run and economically viable council. Don't believe the ConDem scaremongers.

Secondly These cuts are deep too fast, but above all they are unfair and hitting the most vulnerable children in our society, including a £55.000 cut in Child Protection. Beggars belief.

It is interesting that the Trade Unions and members will have their representation rights decimated. Typical Thatcherite response to curtail trade union rights before they cut public services and privatise services to their bankster friends.

Rest assured I will making representations on behalf of children and families to stop these cuts as this doesn't have to be this way. It is curious that Reading's Tories, aided and abetted by their Lib Dem friends have not taken the choice of other councils like Bracknell and cut elsewhere but have made Children's Services face the brunt of the brutal cuts.

BUDGET 2011/12 - SAVINGS PROPOSALS Education and Children Services

Trade Union Representation - £36k

In line with the December 2010 Personnel committee proposal to consult on funding for trade union secondments, DECS are proposing to reduce the current commitment of £68k to £32k for the financial year 2011/12. This level of savings will represent a significant reduction in the funds available for full time representation from the Unions representing those members from the teaching profession. The impact in DECS will flow from the decision of Personnel committee.

Family Group Conferencing -£37k

The Family Group Conferencing service is an intervention with extended families which seeks to reduce the number of young people who end up being accommodated or taken through a protracted legal process. The conferences are coordinated by independent workers who contract with each Berkshire LA on a per conference basis. Reading has a full time FGC Manager to support the referral, contracting and coordinator recruitment & review aspects of the service. The target saving of £37k represents a 44% reduction in budget for this service and is predicated on a demand level of 50 to 60 conferences per year.

A separate, detailed paper (Family Group Conferencing Consultation January 2011) is available via the link in Annex 4 and presents a detailed analysis which gives rise to the following options that deliver the full level of required savings:

1. The FGC Manager post is deleted; the LADO role is modified to support the Coordinators and the Safeguarding business support service is extended to provide referral and allocation support for the service. This option risks a significant reduction in resource to promote the service as an effective intervention, and a reduction in the time available to deliver safeguarding audits to schools. The cost per conference is a nominal £800 with this model which can deliver up to 60 conferences.

2. The FGC Manager role is reduced to two days a week and the remaining time is either spent facilitating conferences (offers 46 conference capacity at £1043 per conference) or used in cash form to commission external conference coordinators (42 conferences at £1143 per conference). Both options offer continuity for referral and allocation. The single role has the risk that the service would be less able to respond to the flexible time demands of the client group (no conferences would be done by external coordinators) and neither meets the likely demand level.

3. Commission a service for conferences at a nominal cost of £720 each (10% reduction on best in house cost) with a total cost of £48k, which is 66 conferences. While attractive when established there is no existing market for this service; limited capacity to run the commissioning process and limited gain (£80x60) of £4800 to justify the activity at the current time. This option could be explored for 2012/13 by consideration of partnership with a larger authority.

There is no option to remove the service completely as the Public Law Outline requires that Children’s Social Care consider the possible impact of a FGC in all cases and use it where appropriate.

There is increased flexibility with option 2 if the level of budget reduction is lowered which may better offset the costs associated with the level of staff change required.

Option 1 is the management recommended route, acknowledging that this has the largest impact on existing RBC staff and associated costs, as the solution most likely to maintain flexible delivery and lowest nominal cost per conference.

Whitley to West Reading Bus Route - £20k

Working with Transport and Reading Buses colleagues, this management action has already been taken. The bus is now shared with other routes but is maintained within the fleet in case the expected increase in pupil demand requires further bus route variation. There is no impact to staff with this proposal.

School Meals - £120k

School meals are provided via a contract arrangement, with a set cost per meal regardless of who consumes the meal. This cost is reduced by a grant which has historically been ring-fenced for this purpose.

It is proposed to ask Schools Forum to agree an increase in meal price to £2.20 parents and to the LA for meals provided to those with a “free school meals” entitlement. This will release the grant for other purposes in the schools budget and consequently reducing the demand on the LA budget.

There will be no impact on those eligible for free school meals. We estimate this increase is about £1 per child per week for those who currently take up a hot school meal each day.

Knowledge Management - £90k

There is a separate paper available via the link in Annex 4 looking at a three year plan to reduce Data costs across the directorate by £230k, including a full review during 2011. The year one plan to achieve the savings target of £90k in 2011/12 is a mixture of income generation and a retrenching of Knowledge Management to a data service.

Schools are being offered services to provide statutory returns, vulnerable group analysis and more tailored support through three bands of charge. We estimate that this option should bring in at least £50kpa and if we were very optimistic, cover the full £90k savings. However in the event buy back from schools does not cover this shortfall, we would then propose to re-issue the PIPVCS invitation to the Knowledge Management team and review fixed term contracts that end during 2011/12. It is expected that these options can realize the necessary level of budget savings without having to consider further measures. Such reductions however do mean reduced capacity in the team and the areas where Knowledge Management will do less are: Support for non-data activities such as RAISE form development, general project support, unplanned reporting tasks through the ad-hoc process, a tighter set of performance measures for the Directorate and individual teams.

Business Administration - £154k

As part of the management restructure that was consulted on during 2010 and coming into effect from January 2011, the full year saving effect will be delivered. There is no further change required to deliver this 2011/12 saving. A copy of the consultation can be found via the link in Annex 4.

Student Support Service - £113k

This service has long been planned to transfer to the Student Loan Company from April 2011. Plans are well advanced and the staff in this service have worked very professionally to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and are fully aware of the opportunities open to them.

Contractual Support for Capital Projects - £35k

With an expected reduction in available capita, a corresponding reduction in the number of projects and a more systematic charging process it is anticipated that we can reduce the charge to capital made to run the Asset Management Unit. This reduction will be achieved thorough the application of consistent charging for the full AMU staff costs to projects and a review of staffing levels once the 2011/12 capital programme is agreed.

Reduced ICT support to Schools - £20k

With the removal of the Harnessing Technology Grant and the expected recommendation to schools forum to remove IRIS access (at a cost of £950pa per school) we are able to reduce the level of support we offer directly to schools. This saving has been built into the budget transfers to the CICTS service where the Business Account Manager has responsibility for the common services and we continue to provide VLE and e-safety support via the ICT advisor post.

Question 1: Are there any further risks associated with these budget reductions in Business Transformation?

4. Proposals for Children’s Action Teams
Service Reductions and/or buyback from Schools - £305k

The CATs have five savings proposals that are:

Educational Psychology

1. Reduce the Educational Psychology (EP) Service capacity by 1.8 FTE and reduce the locum budget by 75%. This can be achieved by not replacing two vacancies that are held within the CATs. The CATs will need to change the allocation of service to Schools as a consequence of this decision and we will be inviting schools to purchase more EP time in the future through our Guide to Services. This will provide £100k worth of savings from 11/12 onwards.

The main risk of this decision is the LA could see a further rise in demand for statutory assessments and statements with less early intervention services in place.

Education Welfare Assistants

2. Remove the Education Welfare Assistant posts from the Education Welfare Service in CATs. This will affect 5 people who are in post, who provide 3.37 FTE of capacity.

We are proposing that we remove these posts from September 2011 onwards unless they are bought back from schools. We will give schools the opportunity, through our Guide to Services, to request extra buy in to the existing Service Level Agreement (SLA) that schools purchase for Education Welfare. This will provide £52k worth of savings in 11/12 and then £89k from 12/13 onwards.

The main risk of this decision could be a decrease in the excellent performance of our schools attendance rates, as these post holders complete much of the proactive attendance work in Schools with vulnerable families.

Behaviour Improvement

3. Remove 3 posts from the West Children’s Action Team that were originally created from the Behaviour Improvement Programme. 2 of these posts are Links workers, one of which is currently filled providing 0.8 FTE of capacity and one is vacant, which would provide 0.4 FTE capacity. The third post is our full time Behaviour Support Teacher, which is currently filled. We would propose to remove all these posts from September 2011 as the Behaviour Support Teacher is currently on a 3 day a week secondment to Ranikhet Primary School until the end of the academic year and as with the EWA we want the opportunity to discuss with the West Cluster of schools the opportunity to fund these posts into the next academic year. This will provide £51k worth of savings in 11/12 and then £87k from 12/13 onwards.

The main risk of this decision could be an increase in both fixed term and permanent exclusions and decrease in attendance in all West schools in particular the 2 schools that are using the Links Worker.

Extended Schools Co-ordinator

4. Remove the 3 Extended School Coordinators posts; all 3 of these posts are currently filled. There have been previous consultation documents on this decision and the CATs have created an SLA opportunity for schools to purchase this service to enable continuity into the next financial year. This will provide £103,000 worth of savings from 11/12 onwards. There is a separate consultation document which can be found via the link in Annex 4.

Emotional Wellbeing Development Officers

5. A separate consultation paper on posts funded by the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Grant (TaMHs) including 4 emotional well being development officers and one project manager who is at risk due to grant fall-out. We will offer these services to the schools as part of our Guide to Schools. A separate consultation is available via the link in Annex 4.

Total Savings in the CATs budget in 11/12 will be £305k and from 12/13 onwards will be £379k.

Question 2: Are there any further risks associated with these budget reductions in CATS?

5. Proposal for School Improvement & Inclusion

Overall reduction in School Improvement Posts - £407k

School consultancy and Whitley Excellence Cluster (WEC)

These reductions reflect the full year impact of the 2010/11 in year reductions, flowing from grant fall out and mainstreaming of grants into the dedicated schools grant, which have previously been consulted on which can be obtain via the link in Annex 4. This resulted in 11 posts being deleted. In addition the reductions in respect of WEC have already been separately consulted upon, affects 8 posts (6.5 FTE) funded by the grant. This position paper received two responses, one of which was from the WEC team and another of which was from a WEC primary school. A copy of the consultation can be obtained via the link in Annex 4. Both responses to the consultation outlined concerns that the front line work of WEC would cease. However the grant funding this programme has now ceased and the Council will proceed with the reductions as planned. However there is an opportunity for schools in the area to sustain the service by buying the service back by using additional funding from the pupil premium and other funds being mainstreamed into the DSG.

School Improvement Partners

The White Paper removes the statutory obligation of Local Authorities to provide School Improvement Partners for every school. Local Authorities, therefore, have greater choice as to how to deliver school improvement functions, whilst intervening where there is clear underperformance. In line with this the SIP grant of £49k has been removed as has £120k of area based grant which was also used to support the SIP function. Whilst RBC can support SIP work in schools which in the past three years have been on or below new floor standards, it is only possible to allocate three half days a year to all other schools. Governing Bodies will also need to buy in external support for the headteachers’ performance management. The removal of grant funding means that the local authority will no longer employ external consultants. Schools Forum may wish to consider whether additional funds should be allocated to the SIP function in Reading.

Equalities Service

With regard to equalities service, although there are 7 proposed redundancies (4.8 FTE) put forward we are requesting Schools Forum to retain the funding centrally to enable a core service to continue to be provided and sustain the remaining posts.

Reduce funding for delegated SEN bands 4-6

The LA has substantially increased the amount of delegated funding to schools for pupils with special educational needs. This now exceeds the budget available for these students by £230K. So the local authority is proposing to reduce the unit cost for SEN bands 406 by £1K per pupil, with the exception of pupils in resource units. This affects funding for £230 pupils. Schools could use the pupil premium and other grant increases to offset this reduction.

Behaviour Review - £200k

The Local Authority (LA) is currently engaged in a review of the services provided to address the needs of Children and Young people who present with Emotional, Behavioural and Social Difficulties (EBSD). The LA is working with schools, health, families, representatives of communities and the current service providers, to explore how best to configure services that ensure effective specialist interventions with families, CYP and providers. This is seen within the context of both preventative work within families, schools and communities and direct intervention in these three contexts when children and young people present with EBSD.
The LA currently provides a spectrum of resources that cost around £6.5 million. A conference is being held 17/02/11 to bring providers and users of our services together in order to plan the best configuration of services needed to ensure young people entering adulthood do so as happy, healthy, safe and able to cope with change and challenge, as enthusiastic and skilled learners, and as adults who value themselves and others.
There is anticipation that this process will identify £200K savings. Until the outcome of the conference on the 17th February is known, it is not possible to predict where these potential savings will come from.
Cranbury College
Cranbury College is undertaking a consultation on their staffing structure based on their budget reduction related to the Behaviour Review, the impact of academies, the outcome of the Service Level Agreement buy-in, and the 10% savings in line with all Local Authority services. It is not possible to predict the impact on the reduction of posts at this time. It is likely that once the level of buy-in is known that the consultation model structures will have to be revised and consulted on anew. It will only be at the end of this process that staff ‘at risk’ can be identified. However, the timescales set out in the consultation document will be adhered to. The consultation paper is available via the link in Annex 4.

Question 3: Are there any further risks associated with these reductions in School Improvement?

6. Proposals for Children’s Social Care

Service Manager – Service Development Post - £30k

A saving on the above post can be achieved by the existing post-holder being redeployed to a position vacated by PIPVCS and by re-allocating the post to a lower grade service delivery post. There is still a business need for the post, however, following improvements in the service there is a reduced need for senior project management capacity.

Consultancy Support for Safeguarding - £25k

Following improvements in the service following the JAR the budget held to provide consultancy capacity will be impacted by potential requirements arising from the Munro Review.

Question 4: Are there any further risks associated with these reductions in Children’s Social Care?

7. Proposals for Extended Services
New Directions - £100k

New Directions has a budget of approximately £2m, £200k of which is funded from Reading Borough Councils budget and the remainder is income generated through external funders. However each year the service has also generated a pressure in the council’s budget due to external funding streams being reduced. It is our intention to reduce the costs to the council by £100k in 2011/12 and a further £100k in 2012/13, making New Directions entirely self funding. However, the savings in year 1 will need to be greater than £100k in order to address the ongoing budget pressure that has existed for some years. (Approximately £160k) The service aims to develop its strategic commissioning role, reducing its direct delivery, although it recognises that New Directions certainly in the next 2 to 3 years will continue to have both a commissioner and provider role.

In order to achieve year 1 savings the following are proposed.

1. Review and reorganise the Outreach and Employment Team as Local Area Agreement grant funding has ended, making the ‘Outreach & Employment Lead’ 1 FTE and 0.5 FTE Employment Advisor & 1 FTE Outreach Officer posts redundant
2. Closing the 2 New Directions Crèches in July 2011 and making all Crèche Worker & Team Leader posts redundant. Users of New Directions in need of crèche facilities will be able to access government funding and alternative local provision. This affects proposal affects 10 posts in total.
3. Further Education funding for adult courses is expected to decrease by 25% over the next four years. In anticipation of these reductions the service will be closing the Wilson Centre from July 2011 and relocating staff to other New Directions centres, reducing senior management by 1 FTE. As this option impacts primarily on three senior managers a separate consultation commenced on this proposal on the 9th December 2010 with initial responses returned by 31st December 2010.
4. In line with our shift in role to one of commissioner, we will move to commission family learning, as has successfully been implemented with Health and Lifestyles courses, making 1 FTE Family Learning Lead redundant.
5. The Service will also introduce online enrolment for leisure courses as well as transform the Management Information System validation to ensure it is fully robust.

Consultation papers on the above are available via the link on Annex 4.

Early Years - £193k

The current Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare grant (SSEYCG) comes to an end in March 2011. This grant is currently ring-fenced for specific activity such as the Every Child a Talker programme (ECAT) and the graduate leader fund (GLF) the coalition government have removed the ring fencing of grants, and moved part of this to the Early Intervention Grant.

The work funded by the SSEYCG included in this proposal is:

• Every child a talker
• the 2 year old places
• Graduate leader fund
• the childcare sufficiency audit
• The early years foundation stage (EYFS) aims to ensure that all children get the best start in life though access to good quality early years provision. The early year’s quality team.

The removal of ring fencing provides us with the opportunity to review and consider how we use other models of delivery. It may be possible, for example, to make quality more integral to service delivery and devolve the responsibility for ensuring quality support to a local level involving partners and parents. This would provide an opportunity to consider a more inclusive approach to delivering quality and adopt the recommendations made in the IPPR and PWC report ‘Capable Communities - Towards Citizen-Powered Public Services’

The aim of the proposal is to refocus and remodel the work considering a number of options for delivery, such as commissioning some of this work or delivering it in an alternative way which will provide savings.

The Early Years Workforce team are based in the quality team. It is proposed that this function will transfer to the DECS central workforce team in April 2011. This team will reduce from three staff to one workforce and training post that will be part of the DECS workforce team.

We propose early years training will be commissioned by the DECS workforce team.
The proposal for the remaining staff within the quality team is to significantly reduce the current staff resources allocated as a central resource and to move to a more localised model where quality is sustained through the children’s centre reach areas.
We currently have advisory teachers within our children’s centres working at a local level. We also have advisory teachers within the quality team as a central resource working across Reading. We have good early year’s practitioners in nursery classes and the private, voluntary and independent sector (PVI) who are teachers and graduates.

We propose to rationalise this and have the practitioners at a local level working together within clusters which include PVIs and schools. It is proposed that the children’s centres advisory teachers’ role is revised to include a role for supporting the quality of childcare in the children’s centre reach area.

The overall quality team will reduce to 6 FTE from approximately 12.3 FTE creating a saving of 193k in year 2011/12 rising to 290k in year 2012/13

Kennet Day Nursery - £86k

Kennet Day Nursery (KDN) is an Ofsted registered nursery for Reading Borough Council staff. There are 56 full-time childcare places available for children aged 0-5 years.

The proposal is to make the nursery run on a self-funding/breakeven basis by increasing fees to match overall expenditure By December 2011. The aim of this proposal is to be in a position where the fee income increases to a level where it offsets the budget pressure that Kennet Day Nursery has each year. Occupancy patterns throughout the year fluctuate considerably. An ideal level for occupancy in any setting is 90%. The current fee income from Kennet day nursery is based on 83% occupancy as an average.

Current fees are £187.00 per week for a child aged 0-2 years and £177 for a child aged 2-5 years. If fees were raised in April 2011 to cover all nursery expenditure over 2011/12 they would need to be £220.00 a week per child, an increase of 24.5%. KDN fees would then be in the upper quartile for Reading. Childcare costs would increase by £43.00 per week or £2,193 per annum based on 51 weeks of the year.

RBC funding for Kennet Day nursery is shared between directorates on a usage basis so this saving would not be a saving for DECS alone. The costs to RBC for 2011/12 are currently estimated at £84,600 assuming occupancy is at 83%.

The nursery is located in the basement of the civic centre, so it is in RBC funded premises. In real terms, other than staffing costs, the running costs are primarily catering costs (KDN is in the school meals contract) and cleaning costs as utilities costs are absorbed within the costs of the main building of the civic centre.

Maintenance costs are required at regular intervals. These have been covered in the past through capital in the early year’s grants, which have now ceased. In the longer term maintenance costs and some capital funding will be needed to ensure standards and quality outlined by Ofsted for registration as a childcare provider are met.

There are 54 staff that are currently using the nursery and a total of 60 children. Some children are attending part time and some parents have more than one child using the nursery. The staff currently using this provision are mainly based at the Civic centre or the Town Hall.

The risks of this proposal are to staff and budget. The impact on staff of a 24.5 % increase needs to be seen in the context of a no pay increases for public sector workers over the next two years. This means any fee increase will have a significant effect on their ability to pay for childcare. The occupancy level is the biggest risk to the budget. As the fees go up in price, staff may decide to opt for other arrangements thus reducing occupancy and increasing the budget pressure on the Council. Current costs are considerably lower than other nurseries.

It is also likely that the council will be employing less staff over the coming years. There is a risk this could reduce the demand for childcare places from staff. If numbers start to decrease and occupancy is low, going out to other companies is another option to consider. However, the childcare sufficiency audit would indicate there is sufficient childcare in Reading town centre and other areas of Reading. Whilst providers are optimistic they are reporting occupancy levels are low.

The Personnel Committee makes any decision on increases in fees and therefore this proposal is scheduled to be presented to Personal Committee in January.

Play Service - £134k

The Reading play service has been subject to a recent restructure following a period of consultation by those affected during November and December 2010. All posts within the new structure were successfully recruited to. The outcome of the restructure has been the deletion of 3 posts, effective from 1st April 2011, with a saving of £94k.

The out of school care service provide holiday and afterschool clubs across Reading. This service has income from fees to offset running costs. To date in this financial year the after school and holiday clubs have met their income targets and occupancy level. The customers of this service are both children and parents. The Children receive good quality afterschool and holiday childcare. There are personal social and other educational benefits to children attending these clubs.

The parents that use this service are mainly working parents that need childcare at either end of the school day and during school holidays to ensure they can meet their work commitments. An increase in fees will increase the costs to parents and present a risk that parents will then reduce or stop using the service as its not affordable.

The average attendance per day at after school clubs is 71 children across Reading.
The average attendance at holiday clubs is 89 children across Reading.
There are a total of 117 children from 96 families using the after school clubs.
There are a total of 377 children from 291 families using holiday clubs.

This proposal is to increase fees for out of school and holiday childcare provision. The main budget expenditure for this service is staffing costs. Staffing ratios are required by Ofsted, and impact on the number of places available in each setting. In recent years this budget has been considerably reduced. The budget has been reviewed to make costs lower and maintained the number of places. Any potential for further shaving of costs is very limited. It would mean employing less staff which would reduce the places available. Demand for places remains constant and the clubs are currently meeting occupancy and income targets.

Holiday and After School club fees to be increased by above inflation (3%) year on year in April.

Current £17.50 is the daily rate for Holiday Clubs.
From April 2011 fees increase by 14% to £20.00 per day.
In April 2012 fees increase by 25% to £25.00 per day.

Currently £7.50 is the daily rate for After School Club.
From April 2011 fee increase by 33% to £10.00 per day.
In April 2012 fees increase by 33% to £15.00 per day.

The risks of this proposal are that firstly fee increases may make the costs of the service unaffordable to parents and some may withdraw from using the service. The level of occupancy impacts on the fee income that offsets the cost of this service, so low take-up of the service is a risk to future viability.

Secondly, the Childcare sufficiency audit completed in October 2010 indicates that holiday and afterschool club places are in demand and there are not enough of them in some areas. The LA has a duty to provide sufficient childcare places to meet the needs of working parents/carers under the 2006 Childcare Act.

However, we have not yet tested the market to see if there are any alternative providers. We would want to test the market and approach the private, independent, voluntary sector providers and schools that would meet this demand. A commissioned play service may provide a value for money option in this case; further work would need to be undertaken by the commissioning team to ascertain the position of the market.

We would need to work though the commissioning process and consider TUPE or redundancy costs for current staff. Approximate redundancy costs for 16 staff (including two management posts outside of the separate management proposal) are £103,800. The RBC funding of £252,900 could then be used to commission these services. We would anticipate that savings could then be found and out of school services provided at a lower cost by the voluntary sector.

The consultation paper on the above can be found via the link in Annex 4.

Question 5: Are there any further risks associated with these reductions in early years and play.

Integrated Youth Development Service

Youth Engagement Service – £232k

The proposal is to reduce the resource within the Youth Engagement Service from £966k to £706k through implementing cuts of £232k. This represents a cut of 27%.

The 4 Youth Work Area Teams are located within the CAT Structure. They consist of 16 Youth Development Worker Posts, 4 Advanced Practitioner posts and 4 x Area Team Leader Posts. There 7.3 FTE sessional and part-time youth workers across the 4 areas in post. In addition there is 1 x IPA Team Leader and a team of IPAS.
The proposal is:

• To reduce the number of Team Leader Posts from 5 posts to 3 posts.
• To reduce the number of Youth Development Worker posts from 16 – 12.6 FTE.
• To reduce 1.3 FTE 15 part-time assistant youth work posts.

The proposed reduction aims to minimise the impact on direct delivery through making efficiencies to the management structure where possible. There will be an impact to frontline youth work delivery:

• Schools will be provided with the opportunity to buy in youth work provision in schools such as PSHE delivery and group work. This will no longer be provided free of charge.
• Provision of youth work will be significantly reduced. Work will be further targeted to young people most at risk. The criteria used for closing provision will be based on the both the quantity and quality of impact and demonstrable outcomes for young people, levels of deprivation, and levels of vulnerability of young people attending.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Licence – £13k

The proposal is to no longer hold the Duke of Edinburgh Award Licence and to cease the support for Duke of Edinburgh currently provided to schools and Award groups. This will result in the reduction of the part-time Duke of Edinburgh Award Officer post.

No 5 Youth Counselling - £43k

The proposal is to commission youth counselling services with a new specification in 2011/12. The Director post, currently employed by RBC and seconded to No 5 will no longer be required and can be reduced.

Intensive Service – £186k (Youth Offending and Source)

The Ministry of Justice Grants to the Youth Offending Service have not yet been announced. Partners have also not yet confirmed the expected cuts to their contributions to Intensive services. However we are predicting between a 12.5% -15% cut to the YOS grants.

The significant reduction in first time entrants to the Youth Justice System and the forth coming reduced expectations in performance reporting on Youth Offending teams, combined with more effective processes means that the pressures on the service have reduced considerably over the last two years.

The introduction of a new web based management information system will significantly reduce the amount of data inputting currently undertaken by SOURCE practitioners this will enable a saving through efficiencies.

The Resettlement & Aftercare Programme (RAP) is a non-statutory element of delivery within the YOS. The proposal is to significantly reduce the resourcing of this programme. Support will be provided to this group of vulnerable young people through the delivery of targeted youth support provided across IYDS/CATS as appropriate. It is assumed that grants will no longer be ring-fenced. If the RAP Grant is ring-fenced then the RAP elements of these proposals will need to be revisited.

The proposals are:

• The function of the Business and Performance Manager post is no longer required. It is proposed to delete this post saving £50k.
• To reduce the Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Worker posts from 2 to 1 saving £38k.
• The RAP Senior Worker post will be deleted to save £40k
• The RAP Activity and travel budget will be cut to save £30k.
• Activity, travel, and sessional budgets will be reduced from across the Youth Offending Service budgets to save £28k.

IYDS Building Management - £32k

It is proposed to reduce the caretaking establishment by 1 x 0.465 post which has been vacant for 6 months and caretaking has been successfully managed within the current establishment, saving £18k by deleting the vacant post.

There will be a reduction in the Building Management budget of £14K. This will in part be met through efficiencies and in part by increasing the lettings income target for 2011/12.

Connexions Services - £345k
Prevention and Support Service - £350k

The current Connexions Contract is due to end in March 2011. It is anticipated that the statutory duty for section 68 will remain and there is an expectation that LAs will manage a smooth transition to the ‘All Age’ (16+) careers service. It is expected that some elements of this will be in place from September 2011 and that there will be full implementation from April 2012. Schools will have a statutory duty to secure careers guidance in the future, but it is not yet clear whether this will be implemented. Specific responsibilities that will remain with LAs include: preventing NEET and tracking and supporting vulnerable young people.

It is proposed to reduce the commissioned Connexions services to £600k in 2011/12, a reduction of £345k. Delivery will be reconfigured to meet the specific responsibilities that will remain with the LA as described above. This will have a significant reduction on the level of Information Advice and Guidance provided face to face by personal advisors but web based services will be developed as an alternative.

The commissioned PASS/ PAYP services, delivered by Connexions Berkshire, will be reduced from £749k to £399k.

Question 6: Are there any further risks associated with these reductions in IYDS which have not been alluded to.

8. Proposals for Finance
Post Reductions - £97k

These reductions reflect the full year impact of reductions being achieved through PIPVCS and natural wastage for two Finance posts within the Directorate. These reductions have already been consulted on within the 2010/11 in year reductions consultation paper and response. This process is being managed through the PIP for Finance. There has also been a consultation conducted with staff by the Director of Resources.

9. Cross Directorate Proposals
Management Reductions - £100k

Consideration will be given to the overall management structure of the Council during April/May 2011 to ensure that it reflects the budget settlement and decisions, the voluntary management de-layering scheme, that the Council can effectively deliver its revised priorities, that management is more streamlined and reflects the new Performance Improvement Programme Operating model. A new management structure which will affect senior management posts in DECS will be devised and sent out for consultation in spring 2011. It is anticipated that this will release at least £100K of savings from the DECS budget

Commissioning Team Savings on External Placements - £250k

A target saving for the Commissioning team has been set within the budget for savings on independent fostering agencies, SEN external placements and social care residential placements through better placement decisions and more effective procurement.

Cross Berkshire LSCB and Children’s Trust - £19k

The LSCB has an annual budget of £113k, of which £92k is paid by RBC including grants. The rest is a proportional contribution from PCT, police and probation services. The RBC budget is £62k staff costs and £52k expenses (including the budget for the chair of the board and one serious case review).

The Children’s trust team was reduced and restructured in the middle of 2010, down to the current 0.5 FTE post.

Options to share resources across local authorities have been declined at the current time and we are therefore consulting on the option to rationalise the two business management roles for the LSCB and the Children’s Trust and utilise the business support resource for both.

The LSCB business manager is currently a full time post, which it is proposed to reduce to a 0.6 FTE post. It is proposed that the two posts (with a common working day when possible) have shared responsibilities. One individual will lead on the LSCB the other on the Children’s Trust but with both cover and extra resource available as needed. It also provide the option of additional hours (at additional cost) if needed in the event of exceptional workload on either role. The LSCB administrator will also become a shared resource for both roles. Both posts will continue to report to their respective Heads of Service but be co-located to maximise shared working. This change will save £19k

Question 7: Are there any further risks from the above savings that may have not been considered by management in the Cross Directorate Savings?

10. Responding to this consultation:
You can provide feedback on the questions in this consultation in five ways:

1. Send your initial feedback on the questions in the paper to Tracy Boulton-Lacy by noon on 4 February. A proforma is provided to assist you in Annex 1 if required.
2. Provide feedback on this consultation to your union representative.
3. Provide feedback at the meeting that will be organised to discuss these proposals for your service.

All initial feedback should be returned by noon on 4 February 2011.

11. Timetable
This is subject to variance due to individual consultations and the overall council timetable

7 January – Consultation issued
January – 1 to 1s and group discussion with management
January – Directorate and Schools Joint Forum meetings
12 January – Schools Forum
17 January – Cabinet
4 February – Initial response to this consultation due in
End February – Final proposals circulated and at risk letters sent out
12 April – Consultation ends
12 April – Issue of redundancy notices

“Child Poverty : Cllrs. Benson and Ralph should be ashamed of what their Government’s doing”

2011-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

2 January 2011

John Ennis: “Child Poverty : Cllrs. Benson and Ralph should be ashamed of what their Government’s doing”

Labour lead on Children’s Services John Ennis has brushed aside attacks from LibDem Daisy Benson and her colleagues on Labour’s record on child poverty, quoting columnist Polly Toynbee, a passionate advocate for children, as saying “as the coalition torches the programmes designed to make a better society for children, Labour’s record looks quite bright”, and being heartbroken at seeing what had been achieved being dismantled.
In her column in The Guardian on New Year’s Day, Cllr. Ennis says, Ms Toynbee says the last decade was “a rare western exception where the UK birth rate rose in all social classes, as the government offered increasingly generous maternity leave. A warm message to families eased the financial burden for new mothers. A kinder state welcomed new babies with free universal nurseries, subsidised child care, Sure Start, a baby trust fund and first books. Perfect it certainly wasn’t: maternity and health visiting services were stretched beyond capacity. But it was the sketched out start of a vision that valued and nurtured the nation’s children.”
“Contrast that real tribute to Labour’s achievements,” says Cllr. Ennis, “with what Polly Toynbee says in the same article, quoting the conclusions of the Institute for Fiscal Studies that under the coalition children will be hardest hit, both in local services and in terms of family income.”
“The assault on children starts before birth,” Ms Toynbee writes. “Poor families lose the £190 health in pregnancy grant and another £500 for second or more children. Child tax credit for babies is abolished – another £545 a year cut to the under-ones. Low income families will pay 10% more for childcare – another £780 a year. The nest egg child trust fund ends, a £500 loss. Working tax credits are frozen for three years: inflation makes that a 9% cut. Freezing child benefit for three years loses another 9%. Disabled families lose £9bn in benefits. All benefits fall by 2% a year, on a stealthy new CPI inflation measure. Now add in housing and council tax benefit cuts, at the extreme ejecting tens of thousands from their homes, while social housing raises a ‘market rent’ for new tenants.”
Cllr. Ennis concludes “Cllr. Benson writes of the scrutiny review that she and Cllr. Ralph squabbled through last year, but that review was into real programmes aimed at giving children a better start in life, and of course those programmes were open to improvement. Now, as Polly Toynbee has shown, this Conservative-led Government is wrecking huge and deliberate damage on poorer families in our town, torching those very programmes, with minimal protest from Cllr. Benson and her party, who ought to be saying they are ashamed of what the Government but are just dumb and powerless passengers in the boot of David Cameron’s car!”
//ENDS

For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour.org.uk

Southcote’s Happy Prospect bought for affordable housing : pub should be demolished early in 2011

2011-01-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

2 January 2011

Southcote’s Happy Prospect bought for affordable housing : pub should be demolished early in 2011

The problems posed by the eyesore Happy Prospect pub on Coronation Square look like coming to an end with news that the people who bought the site from Greene King sold it on just before Christmas to a firm called PMC Group of Southampton, who will be signing a design and build contract with Home Group to build affordable housing on the site.
Southcote Councillor Pete Ruhemann, who pressed over the summer for enforcement action to get the site secured and reduce the threat of vandalism and arson, says this is really good news.
“We now expect,” he says, “the pub to be demolished in the next two to three months, and that will be warmly welcomed by local people tired of the eyesore that it has become. More social housing is always welcome, but the Southcote Neighbourhood Survey showed a good deal of support for a new community facility for the estate and we will also be looking for a commuted payment in return for surrendering the covenant requiring a pub on the site, which money can then be put towards that facility.
“Local people have been very patient,” he says, “but I hope we will soon be going something like full steam ahead!”
//ENDS
For further information contact Pete Ruhemann0782 1609206
For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour.org.uk

New message from the Trades Union Congress

2011-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

"A horrible year" - Brendan Barber's New Year Message

"Unemployment will increase as thousands of public servants get made redundant. Just as many - if not more - private sector jobs will go, both as a direct result of the cuts and through the knock-on effects of reduced economic activity.

"Benefit cuts will kick in, and thousands of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people will see real cuts in their living standards.

"It's hard to pick out the unkindest cut of all, but a top contender must be the ten per cent cut in housing benefit that kicks in after someone has been unemployed for more than a year.

"With long term unemployment already rising sharply, the government cannot get away with labelling the long-term unemployed as scroungers when there are more than five jobless chasing every vacancy.

"Cuts in services will start to make a real impact. With the government front-loading cuts in local government and services like the police in the hope that people will forget them before the next election, there will be few people who do not notice their impact.

"High profile services such as libraries will cause widespread anger, but there will also be deep cuts to much less visible services that directly support the vulnerable. And for all the talk of the Big Society and charities stepping into the gap, the brutal truth is that voluntary organisations will face some of the deepest cuts of all.

"It could well be a horrible year for the government too. Already it has faced anger in constituencies where much-needed new schools were cancelled, and protests from students and school-children at cuts in EMAs and higher tuition fees. But 2011 will see many more people directly affected, and anger is likely to grow.

"What is becoming clear to people is just how unfair the coalition's policies are. Those who did least to cause the crash are being made to take the nastiest medicine with the worst side-effects.

"Spending cuts inevitably hit those on low and middle incomes, while taxes - such as a Robin Hood Tax and real efforts to deal with tax avoidance - can be targeted on those who can afford to pay.
"Yet even the modest tax contribution chosen by the coalition is VAT - the unfairest tax of all.

"The British people are never that interested in politics, but we do have a deep sense of fairness that goes across traditional party lines. As none of these policies were put to voters before the election, this could well be the year that the country starts to say 'no' to government in a way that they have not since middle Britain made a previous Conservative government abolish the poll tax.

"The TUC's March for the Alternative on 26 March promises to be one of the biggest events that we have ever organised, but local campaigns and protests that do not hit the national headlines could well make just as much an impact in those constituencies where there are coalition MPs with small majorities.

"And as an abstract national debate about the deficit is overshadowed by personal experiences of job cuts and service reductions, there will be much more interest in economic alternatives.

"The decision to cut the deficit in four years and to take £4 out of services for every £1 in tax was a political choice, not an economic necessity. Stimulating growth and progressive tax are safer and fairer ways to reduce the deficit.

"This is going to be a year when many people suffer, but it just could be the year when the campaign for change really gets going."

Massive cuts in Children's Services will not end Child Poverty

2010-12-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

I read with interest Rob Wilson MP's diary on 16.12.2010 where he conveniently forgets that Britain was going through the worst global economic recession in living memory in 2008/9 when he mentions Reading's child poverty figures. What he also forgets is that the last Labour Government and Reading Borough Council did everything it could to protect children and families from the worst of the recession by protecting Sure Start and Child Credits, something he intends to abolish as soon as possible.

Rob Wilson will never be able to state that his Government took record numbers of millions of children out of poverty in the last ten years as the Tories are hellbent on slashing and burning Children's Services. This current coalition in Reading cannot even commit to keeping disabled children's play clubs as they get ready to end funding of youth clubs and sell off nurseries. Rather than criticise the last government for trying to protect Children's Services during the recession the Tories should explain how they are going to end child poverty by cutting valuable services.

Redlands on a Gloomy Sunday

2010-12-20T14:44:00.000-08:00

Redlands Lib Dems in 2008 complaining of bulky waste. Lib Dems are now in control of Reading Borough Council in coalition with the Tories. They have both agreed to massive increases in collection of bulky Waste. What other promises to the electorate are they going to break?

"We are all in this together". Oh no we are not!

2010-12-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Slough and Reading hit hardest in Berkshire council spending cuts

Slough faces the deepest budget cuts of Berkshire's six councils after Eric Pickles, Communities and Local Government Secretary revealed provisional details of its English council grants.
Slough Borough Council will have 4.86% less to spend on services in 2011/2012. Reading Borough Council now under Tory-Lib Dem control will have to make savings of 4.26% over the same period
In comparison Tory run Wokingham Borough Council will have to make savings of 0.63% and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 1.06%.
Leader of Slough's Council, Rob Anderson said "Clearly, the way it's been structured is it's taking us 'back to the future' of the 1980s. The level of funding the government's putting into places is now determined on political control rather than the actual needs of a population."
Reading and Slough had previously been better funded than other Berkshire councils under the last Labour government because of the needs of the people. These Tory cuts will hit rate payers in Slough and Reading who have got a poorer deal than their neighbours in areas with prominent Tory MPs like Theresa May and John Redwood.

Berkshire West PCT decides to support expansion of Circuit Lane Surgery.

2010-12-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

Councillor Pete Ruheman attended and reported on the Board meeting of Berkshire West PCT last week which discussed the outcome of their Underwood Road consultation.

Below is a copy of his e-mail

The Board decided unanimously to confirm the decision not to recommission a new surgery at Underwood Road as part of the Bellway development, which goes to a special meeting of Western Area Planning Committee on 15 December.

While a number of people will be disappointed by that decision, the combination of a small number of patients, very restricted opening hours and high rental costs I think made the decision, which was supported both by GP commissioners and by West Berkshire Council's Health Scrutiny Committee, inevitable.

Circuit Lane's expansion plans were mentioned during the discussion, and as the Chair had helpfully arranged for public questions to follow this item I was very pleased to be be able to secure a public recognition from Helen Mackenzie, PCT Chief Executive, of the severe space constraints at Circuit Lane and of the fact that expansion had been not been possible there for the last three years because of the uncertainties over Underwood Road, and a public commitment by her that the PCT would now support the expansion of Circuit Lane, as requested by the 1600 people who signed the petition we organised jointly with the practice, and that the PCT's estates department would be working with the practice to try and help make it happen.

So I hope we can look forward to a planning application coming forward in the next few months!

Councillor Pete Ruhemann

Snow is coming, feel happy for "Big Society" when you clear it yourself,

2010-11-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

The DfT has just published the following welcome guidance following pressure from RBC last year and the LGA.

Clearing snow and ice yourself - new guidance published
Published: Friday, 22 October 2010

Last winter many people helped keep pavements and public spaces around their homes clear of snow. However, many people were put off doing so because of fears of being sued. Read on for advice on your rights and responsibilities when clearing snow and ice from public areas.

The law on clearing snow and ice from public spaces
There is no law stopping you from clearing snow and ice on the pavement outside your property, pathways to your property or public spaces.

If an accident did happen, it's highly unlikely that you would be sued as long as you:

are careful

use common sense to make sure that you don't make the pavement or pathway clearly more dangerous than before
People using areas affected by snow and ice also have responsibility to be careful themselves.

Tips and advice on clearing snow and ice
start early - it's much easier to clear fresh, loose snow compared to compacted ice that has been compressed by people walking on it
don’t use hot water - this will melt the snow, but may replace it with black ice, increasing the risk of injury
be a good neighbour - some people may be unable to clear snow and ice on paths from their property
if shovelling snow, think where you are going to put it so that it doesn’t block people’s paths or drainage channels
make a pathway down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a clear surface to walk on
spreading some salt on the area you have cleared will help stop ice forming - table salt or dishwasher salt will work, but avoid spreading on plants or grass as they may be damaged by it
pay particular care and attention to steps and steep gradients
use the sun to your advantage - removing the top layer of snow will allow the sun to melt any ice beneath; however you will need to cover any ice with salt to stop it refreezing overnight
if there's no salt available, sand or ash are good alternatives

Lib Dems and Tories to forge electoral pact? Surely not!

2010-11-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

I have heard various rumours that the Tories in Reading are prepared to help re-elect Lib Dems, notably Kirsten Bayes and Gareth Epps by forging an electoral pact not to stand against them or just to put paper candidates up and not campaign. This would be dangerous for the Lib Dems as they really would be portrayed as Tories and it would be sad as it would deprive the electorate of another alternative.

I have respect for the Lib Dems and understand their reasoning behind agreeing to form a coalition. But what I find puzzling is that they have enthusiastically followed the most Thatcherite policies, such as privatisation of the NHS, selling off our public services to the private sector and cutting benefits to vulnerable children and families, that have nothing to do with cutting the deficit and everything to do with right wing Thatcherite ideology. The Lib Dems will undoubtedly look back on this period as a major mistake as they too blindly followed policies that they clearly do not believe in (read Gareth Epps's blog) and are taking the lion's share of the blame for these policies.

I know rumours are sometimes don't turn out to be real but if this rumour comes about because of the desperation to hold onto the administration in Reading it really will be a final nail in the coffin of the Lib Dems.

Why I wear a red poppy

2010-11-11T00:58:00.000-08:00

As part of my job as a Senior Probation Officer I went to a presentation yesterday given by the 145 South Brigade about the rising numbers of veterans entering the criminal justice system. The Captain giving the presentation gave an incredible insight into the life of a soldier from training to combat. He stated that many serviceman and women come from deprived backgrounds and have low self esteem on entering the Armed Forces. He said that they are trained to have controlled aggression and are very well looked after. He then gave an incredible insight into the pressures and nightmare scenarios a soldier has to face, all in the remit of protecting the country. The Captain outlined that armed service personal are different from the rest of society because of what they do, constantly putting their lives at risk protecting the values of the nation and he said that many soldiers struggle to understand why many in society do not understand or value what they do and why they are doing it.

I have had scant knowledge of the Armed Forces and will never try to claim that I know and understand the armed forces and I have been on numerous anti-war demonstrations and would do so again. Although I had one uncle killed in World War Two in the Merchant Navy trying to supply the Russians food and equipment and I have had four other uncles, all Irish, serve in the Armed Forces in WWII, one taken prisoner at Dunkirk and another in the RAF as a Rear Gunner. Whilst I am not a militarist I am proud of them and what they did for the country. Hence my personal pride in wearing a red poppy.

The Red Poppy is the symbol of the sacrifice made by service personnel. It is the charitable focus of the British Legion, who need our support. I respect the golden generation who gave their lives so we may be free, I respect the armed forces personnel who are sent out to overseas places that are unwelcoming and dangerous so that our way of life may be protected. Whilst there may be questions about the validity of various wars we must respect and support our soldiers who do not question but serve our country.

Willis's stealth tax designed to rake in £150.000 plus a year.

2010-11-04T02:05:00.000-07:00

Councillor Willis has continually denied that the blanket enforcement of parking on pavements and verges has nothing to do finances and everything to do with enforcement of the Highway Code. Well, the Cabinet Papers of 1st November 2010 give the game away. Page D16 of the Budget Monitoring report states that "Officers sought Cabinet approval (12July)for a proposal to extend enforcement to footways and verges with a potential additional income of £150k". This clearly shows that motorists will be treated as cash cows,taxed for parking to make up for a financial shortfall.

At the Southcote Neighbourhood Action Group public meeting Simon Beasley, transport officer talked of enforcing the Highway Code. This is fine with no arguments. However, A local Police report then went on to say that some consultation took place in the Soputhcote area and numerous examples were given of disabled people parking on a verge because they were not given authorisation by Reading Borough Council to have a disabled parking space and had to walk some distance, which they were unable to do unless they parked on a verge nearby. A number of elderly people attended and were worried that they will be hit by late night tickets as they parked their vehicles on waste ground, which is deemed as a verge.

Not only should the council look at roads but it also should widely consult as there are individual examples of why people have to park on verges.

Labour are calling for a proper consultation on this draconian proposal. However, Cllr Willis wants your money to pay for Government cuts by way of the motorist stealth tax. He cannot pin this one on Gordon Brown.

Southcote Neighbourhood Action Group meeting Tuesday 2nd November 2010, 7.00pm at the Children's Centre, Coronation Square.

2010-11-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Due to the increasing disenchantment registered by Southcote residents to the new proposed fines for parking on verges and the pavement the NAG is holding a public meeting to discuss traffic issues on 02.11.2010 at the Children's Centre. All are welcome to come put their views across and propose solutions to traffic problems in the area.

Reading object to Underwood Road planning application.

2010-11-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Below is the letter sent to West Berkshire Council Planning Department from Reading Borough Council Planning objecting to the development at Underwood Road.

Dear ,

RE: DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS FORMING THE UNDERWOOD ROAD SHOPPING CENTRE (INCLUDING THE FORMER PUBLIC HOUSE, SUPERMARKET AND DOCTORS SURGERY) AND CONSTRUCTION OF 74 NO. RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS IN THE FORM OF 1 AND 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS, A RETAIL UNIT AND DOCTORS SURGERY AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF THE CAR PARKING FOR THE KENNET VALLEY FREE CHURCH.
WEST BERKS APP. REF.: 10/01735/FULEXT

I refer to the above planning application that was considered by Reading’s Planning Applications Committee (PAC) at its meeting on 13 October 2010.

I have already forwarded you a copy of the PAC report and advise that the Council’s decision on this application was as follows:

That West Berkshire Council be informed that Reading Borough Council object to this application on the following grounds:

• The proposal would result in significant additional on-street parking on Carters Rise and Underwood Road thereby adversely affecting road safety and the flow of traffic contrary to polices OVS2 and TRANS 1 of the West Berkshire Local Plan, Saved Polices; and with national planning guidance contained within PPG13 (Transport) and PPS3 (Housing) PPS1 (Delivering Sustainable Development).

In addition to the above formal planning objection, Southcote Ward Councillors also raise concerns about the impact of the above proposal on local schools. There is significant movement of children across authority borders in this area at both primary and secondary level, and members would seek an assurance that in the event of this development going ahead the two education departments jointly consider the provision required for the additional children expected and allocate any resultant S106 resources accordingly.

If there are any points in this letter that require further clarification please do not hesitate to contact me on number given above.

Yours sincerely,

(Principal Planning Officer, South/West Area Team)

New moves on the Happy Prospect Site

2010-10-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE
24 October 2010

New moves on Happy Prospect site

Vandalism has made the old Happy Prospect an eyesore and a public danger, and over the summer the Council served a formal notice (under Section 215 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990) on the owners requiring them either to demolish it or secure and tidy the site by end-December. A copy of the notice is attached.
Cllr. Pete Ruhemann says: “Local people will welcome this move, and also the fact that there has not been an appeal, which hopefully means that the owners have accepted the Notice’s terms. The other good news, though, is that agents for the owners have approached Council officers with new plans for the site which we hope will lead to a planning application early in the New Year. A quality development on this site would be a real boost for the estate.”

2010-10-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Spending review will hit the poorest 15 times harder than the rich.

2010-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Spending review will hit the poorest 15 times harder than the rich, says TUC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The poorest ten per cent of households will be hit 15 times harder than the richest ten per cent as a result of service cuts announced in the comprehensive spending review (CSR), according to a new analysis published today (Friday) by the TUC.

Using official figures to calculate how different groups benefit from different public services, the analysis - written by economists Howard Reed and Tim Horton - shows that the poorest ten per cent of households, with incomes below £10,200, will suffer reductions in spending on services equivalent to 29.5 per cent of their annual income on average, or £1,913 a year.

The second poorest group of households, with incomes between £10,200 and £12,900, will be hit hardest in cash terms - losing services worth £2,164 a year - and the TUC analysis confirms that the higher up the income scale people are, the less they lose from the cuts. The richest ten per cent will lose services worth just two per cent of their net income, the equivalent of £1,506 a year.

The analysis examines the impact of the CSR on different types of family and finds that lone parents will be hit the hardest, losing services worth 18.4 per cent of their income on average (£3,121 a year). Single pensioners are next, losing services worth 11.1 per cent of their income on average (£1,305 a year).

The analysis uses the same spending model behind the TUC report Where The Money Goes published last month on the eve of TUC Congress. This found that on average households benefit from £21,000 worth of services a year, and that those on low or modest incomes gain more than the better-off.

Where The Money Goes predicted that cuts of 25 per cent by 2012-13 (while ringfencing health expenditure and partially protecting education) would mean that the poorest ten per cent of households would lose around 20 per cent of their income.

But today's analysis, using data from the CSR, shows that overall cuts to public spending (excluding benefits and tax credits) of £48 billion (in today's prices) by 2014-15 will be even more regressive, partly because of deep cuts to services which are disproportionately used by the poorest households - such as social housing and social care.

The analysis examines the impact of the cuts on four typical families:
* A family with two school age children on modest earnings will suffer service cuts equivalent to 13.2 per cent of their income, or £2,631 a year.
* An affluent family with children at university will suffer service cuts equivalent to 19.4 per cent of their income, or £3,889 a year.
* A working lone parent with two children will suffer service cuts equivalent to 15.7 per cent of their income, or £3,132 a year.
* A pensioner couple will suffer service cuts equivalent to 16.2 per cent of their income, or £2,226 a year.

To coincide with these findings, the TUC is launching a new 'cuts calculator', which allows people to work out how much they are likely to lose from the spending review. The online 'cuts calculator' can be accessed at www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/2010/10/how-much-do-you-stand-to-lose-from-the-csr-cuts/

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Our analysis blows away any claim that the spending review was progressive. Even when the effects of benefit changes are taken out of the equation, cuts to services surgically target the poorest households and leave the rich relatively untouched.

"The big hits on social housing and social care are just two areas where the cuts will seek and destroy services used by the less well-off. And with more than a million due to lose their jobs as a direct or indirect result of the cuts, the numbers in poverty are set to grow.

"Two days ago coalition MPs cheered these deep cuts that will undoubtedly ruin lives. They queued up to tell us that the cuts were fair. Yet every independent analysis, including this new TUC study, shows that these claims are wrong.

"Add in the choice of VAT as the only significant tax rise and the pathetically small bank levy, and we can see that this government has fired a huge engine of inequality."

The figures in the TUC analysis are more regressive than the government's own impact assessment of the CSR because the TUC analysis models the impact of all spending cuts, whereas the government only modelled a fraction of the total.

Osborne's cuts are neither necessary nor are they fair

2010-10-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Osborne’s cuts are neither necessary nor are they fair

Labour Chair Sarah King and Labour Group Leader Jo Lovelock have denounced what Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson called “the myth” peddled to justify the cuts announced by George Osborne in his Spending Review today.

Labour Opposition Leader on Reading Council Jo Lovelock says: “Over the next four years, Reading’s grant from central Government will be cut by nearly 30%, and it will be impossible for the ConDem Coalition now running the Council to avoid major cuts which will hurt local people. Their coalition agreement says they would reduce expenditure by ‘efficiency savings’ but they’ve already taken the axe to children’s services in the first round of cuts in September and now there’s a whole lot more to come. It seems to us that not just the Conservatives but also the Liberal Democrats are relishing the excuse to cut back on public services. And while they talk of being “fair to all”, it is always the most vulnerable who rely on council services the most and they will always bear the brunt. The Labour Group will continue to highlight areas where there are alternatives to hitting those most in need, but these drastic cuts, apparently supported by the local coalition as necessary, should be of huge concern to everyone.”

“As Alan Johnson pointed out,” Labour Chair Sarah King says, “it is just not credible to pretend that the biggest global economic crisis since the great depression is the fault of the British government. Especially as, when the global crisis hit, the UK had the second lowest debt of any G7 country and the percentage of taxes spent on servicing the debt was less when Labour left office in 2010 that when we took over from the Tories in 1997.”

“Mr Osborne’s rush for cuts will cost half-a-million jobs in the public sector, and more in the private sector. It is a reckless gamble with people’s lives which runs the risk of stifling the still fragile recovery.

The ConDem coalition think by playing on the fear of debt they can convince the public that the wholescale reform of our public services and local government is necessary. This is not about what the economy needs but a deep seated belief by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats that the state should not provide support to the vulnerable and those in need."

And they cheered when the announcement of the biggest cuts to public services in 90 years was made.

2010-10-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

It is one thing to say that they are trying to cut the deficit which is what needs to be done, but is another to actually cheer the Chancellor when he is announcing the biggest cuts to public services in 90 years. Don't they understand they are cheering hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs and livelihoods.

Doesn't the coalition realise that public servants are taxpayers and contribute to the exchequer. Investment for growth, taxes on the banks and measured cuts are the only way to ensure fairness and permanent growth in the economy.

Willis's Tory tax on terraced streets?

2010-10-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

The coalition intend to hit all motorists parking on verges and footways throughout Reading. This blanket ban is intended to act as a fundraiser for the council which does not take into consideration some streets that need verge and some pavement parking to able other vehicles to pass. We also know that there are some residents who blatantly disregard the interests of pedestrians, including people wheeling child buggies by parking dangerously on pavements. I know that in my own ward in Southcote many residents are frustrated by motorists parking on grass verges whilst many streets are only passable with vehicles parking on verges and driveways. Not easy to determine who is parking safely or obstructively without conducting some sort of exercise to talk to residents.

I would have thought in the spirit of transparency and fairness a widespread consultation process takes place to ascertain which roads could be exempted and which roads would benefit from a ban on footway and verge parking. Instead Willis and co have decided to hit residents with a blanket ban designed to raise money to fund cuts. Treating the motorist as a cash cow without any meaningful consultation.

In the absence of genuine consultation Southcote councillors and helpers have delivered the latest version of Southcote Scene, asking residents what they think about this policy and what roads should be exempted and whether they believe the ban would not work or owuld be effective.

We look forward to your view.

Coming soon next to you, a multi occupation house with no controls!

2010-10-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

READING & DISTRICT LABOUR PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

17 October 2010

Labour anger as Coalition scraps hard-won controls on HMO’s

A decision by Tory Housing Minister Grant Shapps to scrap the need to apply for planning permission to convert a home to a house in multiple occupation (HMO) has angered Labour leaders in Reading, who had been among those pressing the Labour Government to bring the controls in earlier this year.

Housing lead Cllr. Deborah Edwards and Environment lead Cllr. Paul Gittings say: “Many people, in East Reading in particular, live in streets where house after house has been made into an HMO, many of them poorly managed and poorly maintained. Back in 2008 we began calling locally for some way of stopping that spread, of keeping some balance in communities, and of ensuring that any conversions were to a decent standard with proper fire safety precautions and so on.

“We were pleased in April 2009 when the scrutiny panel chaired by LibDem Cllr. Daisy Benson also asked for better information for residents on planning controls on HMO’s, so residents could report breaches to the Council, and for better enforcement of planning policies, and delighted earlier this year when Labour Minister John Healey put a batch of strong new controls in place.

“Now Cllr. Benson puts out a press release as Lead Councillor declaring open house for HMO’s and rejoicing that in future ‘many of Reading's landlords will save time and money by no longer having to fill out planning application forms and paying to submit them to the Council’. And, while the Government is saying that Councils can impose their own controls locally, Reading is still ‘awaiting further advice from central Government’ about how to do this! The Coalition has opened up a great big yawning gap in controls through which Reading’s dodgy landlords will be rushing to establish new HMO’s without consulting or even informing neighbours.”

Jan Gavin, Labour’s candidate for Redlands where the HMO problem is greatest, is launching a petition to press the Council to bring in their own local controls now, without waiting for the Government. She says: “The Council has the power to require landlords to ask for planning permission for conversions, and I am sure that people in Redlands and in other East Reading wards would want them to exercise that power immediately, to plug the gap that Grant Shapps has made. There’s no time to waste: I’m shocked that Daisy Benson, who is after all a Redlands Councillor, did not make that commitment as part of her press release.”

The petition can be signed on-line at:
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39897.html

Potential new crisis in youth unemployment

2010-10-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

The TUC is concerned that the latest unemployment figures released by the Office of National Statistics tomorrow could reveal a new crisis in youth unemployment.

Between April and June this year short-term unemployment (up to six months) for 18-to-24-year-olds increased by 43,000, meaning thousands of young people are being forced to join the dole queue every day. In contrast, short-term unemployment has fallen among those aged 25-49 over the same period. Another rise in short-term youth unemployment would be very bad news for recent graduates and school leavers, says the TUC.

The TUC believes levels of long-term youth unemployment are also looking bleak. There are currently (June 2010) 192,000 young people aged 18-24 who have been out of work for over 12 months. This is the highest level of youth long-term unemployment since John Major's Conservative Government in January 1995, when 197,000 young people were in this position, says the TUC.

The total number of young people aged 18-24 who are unemployed is now 728,000. This level has been rising for two months in a row, after previously reaching a peak of 749,000 in September 2009. The TUC would be extremely concerned if total youth unemployment levels rose for another month.

Young people are also chasing a declining number of job vacancies. Nationally over the period June-August 2010 there were 467,000 vacancies, a fall of 14,000 on May-July 2010. There are now five unemployed people for each job vacancy.

The TUC is particularly concerned that a large number of these jobs are unlikely to be available to young people - for example many of the 37,000 vacancies in professional and scientific activities, 39,000 education vacancies and 29,000 financial and insurance vacancies may not be jobs that school leavers or graduates can compete for as they may have fewer skills and less experience than other applicants.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Tomorrow's figures will be a key indication of whether young people are facing a new jobs crisis.

"While recent months have seen some welcome falls in overall unemployment levels, thousands of young workers across the UK are joining the dole queues every month and that is a real cause for concern.

"At the moment, it appears there are simply not enough jobs for young people to do. It is therefore particularly alarming that the Government has cut funding for the Future Jobs Fund, which would have provided an additional 90,000 positions for unemployed young people across the country

"For every person struggling to get work, this recession remains a personal tragedy. And with the Government pressing ahead with deep spending cuts which will choke off growth, unemployment is set to rise again."

NOTES TO EDITORS:
- All figures in the press release are from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment figures. For more information please visit http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/lang--en/index.htm
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

SITE celebrates 10 years of supporting local people

2010-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

SITE’s celebrates their 10 years with birthday cake, banners and balloons!

Award winning SITE celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a party enjoyed by users (past and present), SITE friends, partners and their families at their AGM. Their was a presentation of certificates to their successful students, and also special certificates to John Bowsher for the SITE 10th Anniversary Champion and Leanne Henderson for the SITE 10th Anniversary Champion Learner. Since opening in 2000, SITE has had over 18000 visits and 1700 new users many who have been able to achieved qualifications in IT, Literacy, Numeracy, taken part in the special children’s summer projects, Tai Chi and Aerobics classes and so much more. Over the 10 years, SITE has also built up and run an Ofsted Outstanding crèche that is free to users.
Deborah Edwards, Chair of SITE, said “It’s been an amazing 10 years. We had a great afternoon and it was lovely to see old friends joining us for the celebration. On behalf of our committee, I thank all SITE’s volunteers, tutors, partners and our crèche staff who have work so hard to support our users in their achievements.”
Please email Deborah Edwards on Deborah@southcote.net or ring 07761595458 for more details of courses.