http://www.ukip.org/content/latest-news/1510-eu-hurdle-prevents-meow-meow-ban
Talk of an immediate ban on mephedrone by the Government is highly premature thanks to EU rules which would stall such a move.
"People haven't been informed that our government cannot ban mephedrone without asking the EU for a three-month notification period," said UKIP spokesman Nigel Farage today.
"UKIP will never accept the EU telling us what we can and cannot do. We must be free to act as we choose when we choose.
"We need a proper debate in Britain now about what we need to do. At the moment, the Government is kidding the people but it simply can't act without an EU enforced delay.
"This useless government needs to tell the EU to back-off from controlling or delaying British legislation," said the UKIP MEP for South East England.
Under the EU Technical Standards and Regulations Directive 98/34/EC the government has to give the EU at least three months notification before it can change British legislation.
"Two British teens died from taking legal drug meow meow last week, other young life has already been wiped out," Farage said.
The sale of drug mephedrone has rocketed as head shops have spread over the country.
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Class B Controlled Substance
I have been wondering about the current screams to ban the perfectly legal "plant food" after it was linked to 2 deaths!
If this is a case for a change in the law (and criminalising 1,000s of gardeners who will need to get their plant food of choice from an illegal dealer) then surely the 1,000s of deaths associated with smoking must make tobacco a candidate for Class B Controlled Substance Status?
If this is a case for a change in the law (and criminalising 1,000s of gardeners who will need to get their plant food of choice from an illegal dealer) then surely the 1,000s of deaths associated with smoking must make tobacco a candidate for Class B Controlled Substance Status?
Monday, 22 March 2010
The Caravan Channel
I fell asleep on the sofa yesterday afternoon, after a large Sunday Lunch at The Windmill (which I heartily recommend) and awoke to find myself watching a programme on SKY TV about how caravans are made.
Was it the Discovery Channel?
NO!
It was the Caravan Channel. Not just an isolated programme about caravans but a whole channel about them. It just shows you really can watch almost anything on Satellite TV.
It was edition 5/2010 I was catching yesterday and edition 6/2010 premiers on 24/03/10 on Sky 166/Freesat 402. It's already bookmarked in my viewing planner!
Just in case you can't wait until then there is a dedicated Youtube Caravan site (no pun intended) that recently boasted of it's 300,000th visitor. There review of the teardrop trailer is below.
I've not joined their Facebook Site but they are also on Twitter and I've added them as a "follow"
I must congratulate whoever is behind this site! They really seem to be a lot more plugged in to modern communication methods than many other groups!
Was it the Discovery Channel?
NO!
It was the Caravan Channel. Not just an isolated programme about caravans but a whole channel about them. It just shows you really can watch almost anything on Satellite TV.
It was edition 5/2010 I was catching yesterday and edition 6/2010 premiers on 24/03/10 on Sky 166/Freesat 402. It's already bookmarked in my viewing planner!Just in case you can't wait until then there is a dedicated Youtube Caravan site (no pun intended) that recently boasted of it's 300,000th visitor. There review of the teardrop trailer is below.
I've not joined their Facebook Site but they are also on Twitter and I've added them as a "follow"
I must congratulate whoever is behind this site! They really seem to be a lot more plugged in to modern communication methods than many other groups!
Friday, 19 March 2010
Gordon Brown Commemorative Stamp
The Royal Mail created a new stamp with a picture of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Gordon Brown. However, the stamp was not sticking to envelopes.
This enraged the Prime Minister, who demanded a full investigation and after a month of testing and spending of £1.1million, a special commission presented the following findings:
1. The stamp is in perfect order.
2. There is nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People are spitting on the wrong side of the stamp.
(With Thanks to Mick Greenhough)
This enraged the Prime Minister, who demanded a full investigation and after a month of testing and spending of £1.1million, a special commission presented the following findings:
1. The stamp is in perfect order.
2. There is nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People are spitting on the wrong side of the stamp.
(With Thanks to Mick Greenhough)
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Secrecy Rules!
FW: Freedom of Information Request
Thursday, 18 March, 2010 8:55:37
From: Hayley Martin
To: Steve Allison External
Cc:Freedomofinformation; Peter Devlin ; Alison Lilley External
Dear Sirs
Further to your repeated request I write to advise that my decision set out in the refusal notice sent to you on the 1 March applies. A copy is set out below:
Further to your request I can advise as follows:
Under the terms of the Constitution ALL 'pink paper' reports submitted to Executive decision making meetings (Cabinet, Executive Portfolios, Executive Committees, such as Grants Committee, and any joint Portfolio meetings) are sent to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny. Therefore, any exempt item listed on an Executive Agenda was sent to the Chair of Scrutiny Coordinating Committee at the same time it was sent to the Executive Member(s).
All the agendas for Executive meetings can be found on the Council's website by following the 'Meetings and Minutes' link on the homepage. If we were to continue to produce a list of Exempt Executive Reports we would use the same process - albeit by looking at the internal system and the original Agenda Word documents.
Although your initial request was complied with I am unable to continue to provide the information. As well as the costs implications set out previously, a public authority is not required to 'create' documents under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 where you are able to access the information elsewhere (section 21).
I can only reiterate that the information you request is already available via the HBC website for you to access and compile a list yourself.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be sent to Alyson Carman, Chief Executives Department, Legal Services Division, Level 3, Civic Centre, Hartlepool , TS24 8AY , alyson.carman@hartlepool.gov.uk.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane , Wilmslow, Cheshire , SK9 5AF , www.ico.gov.uk.
Kind Regards
Hayley Martin
Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor
Legal Division
Thursday, 18 March, 2010 8:55:37
From: Hayley Martin
To: Steve Allison External
Cc:Freedomofinformation
Dear Sirs
Further to your repeated request I write to advise that my decision set out in the refusal notice sent to you on the 1 March applies. A copy is set out below:
Further to your request I can advise as follows:
Under the terms of the Constitution ALL 'pink paper' reports submitted to Executive decision making meetings (Cabinet, Executive Portfolios, Executive Committees, such as Grants Committee, and any joint Portfolio meetings) are sent to the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny. Therefore, any exempt item listed on an Executive Agenda was sent to the Chair of Scrutiny Coordinating Committee at the same time it was sent to the Executive Member(s).
All the agendas for Executive meetings can be found on the Council's website by following the 'Meetings and Minutes' link on the homepage. If we were to continue to produce a list of Exempt Executive Reports we would use the same process - albeit by looking at the internal system and the original Agenda Word documents.
Although your initial request was complied with I am unable to continue to provide the information. As well as the costs implications set out previously, a public authority is not required to 'create' documents under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 where you are able to access the information elsewhere (section 21).
I can only reiterate that the information you request is already available via the HBC website for you to access and compile a list yourself.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be sent to Alyson Carman, Chief Executives Department, Legal Services Division, Level 3, Civic Centre, Hartlepool , TS24 8AY , alyson.carman@hartlepool.gov.uk.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane , Wilmslow, Cheshire , SK9 5AF , www.ico.gov.uk.
Kind Regards
Hayley Martin
Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor
Legal Division
More people die from cold in the UK during winter than in Siberia!
At the start of the new millennium more people were dying in the winter from the cold weather in Britain than in any other European country, including Siberia, where temperatures regularly drop as low as -40C.
The actual UK death toll might be even higher than official figures suggest as very few death certificates give the cold as the cause of death. Research by Professor William Keatinge, of London's Queen Mary and Westfield College, found more deaths in people over 55 years of age caused by the cold are attributed to strokes and coronary thrombosis rather than flu. According to Professor Keatinge; "Many people here simply do not take the cold seriously and appreciate the danger it poses.”
The situation is unlikely to improve in the future. The UK’s reliance on imported gas is projected to rise from around 25% in 2008 to over 60% by 2020. Couple this with ever rising global fuel prices and this is leading to more and more UK households spending an increasing proportion of their income just to keep warm.
Official statistics identify households as being in fuel poverty when the ratio of fuel costs (usage x price) to household income rises above 0.1. The cost of energy is unlikely to fall in the long term and household incomes are static or falling in the current recession. The only element of the calculation that can be easily changed is the level of usage of energy.
When households reduce usage too far then people start to die. The warmth of the home still needs to be maintained while usage is reduced. Fitting double glazing and programs to improve wall and roof insulation have been running for several years but what is needed now is a more radical re-think of how the UK keeps warm in winter and technologies such as ground source heating may provide some of the answers.
A ground source heat pump uses the same principle as a domestic refrigerator. A fridge uses a closed loop system to pull heat out of the inside of the fridge and radiate it into the atmosphere from fins on the back. Anyone who has ever put their hand behind a fridge can tell you that these fins can get very hot. A ground source heat pump uses buried pipes filled with a water/antifreeze mix to pull heat from the earth and then to warm a building through radiators or under floor heating.
Theoretically there is no limit to the amount of heat that can be extracted from the ground, the longer and deeper the underground pipes the more heat that will be pumped. Unfortunately scaling up too far reduces the coefficiency of performance (CoP) of the system. This is a measure of the amount of heat produced compared to the amount of energy needed to drive the circulating pumps that push the water/antifreeze mix round the pipes. The best systems will deliver a CoP of around 3.2 but it does mean the homes being heated need to be fairly close to the ground source pipes
Many of Britain’s European Neighbors are well ahead of the UK in adopting this type of technology. The Dutch city of Heerlen uses a heat pump from abandoned coal mines going down to 800 meters below the city to run the radiators of hundreds of homes, shops and offices. According to Riet de Wit, a City Councillor in Heerlen. “We have proven that a local initiative can provide a local solution for sustainable energy. Moreover, our concept can be adapted by former mining regions all over the world.”
The Dutch system was developed by Karl-Heinz Wolf, Professor of Coal and Geothermal Energy at the Technical University of Delft. “You have it all year round and if you don’t need it, you close the tap until you need it again.” The system can even work in reverse during the summer. In the hot months the water can be taken from near the top of the shaft where it is cold enough to cool the city’s buildings. Professor Wolf is now working on a project to extract heat from a depth of 2.5km where the temperature of the water is 80-85C. “It is not difficult to do” according to the Professor, “the only thing you need is a mine which is in the vicinity of the industry or houses you want to heat.”
Unfortunately while these systems may be cheaper to operate and offer an effective, sustainable long term solution, they also cost much more to install than conventional gas or electricity powered systems. This makes them attractive to households that can afford to invest for the longer term but these are households that are very unlikely to currently be experiencing fuel poverty.
This problem was acknowledged by the government in February 2010. During a visit to a low income homes project in Dagenham the Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband announced that; “We are launching a scheme, the Renewable Heat Incentive, to encourage renewable heat generation at all scales.”
Joan Ruddock, a Minister in the same department, told the Ecobuild Conference at Earls Court in March 2010 that; “The Renewable Heat Incentive will deliver a step change in the way that the country generates its heat for heating hot water and our homes”
Any house or building which currently uses fuels such as gas, heating oil or coal, will be eligible to claim the RHI if they switch to a renewable technology. The RHI will be available to householders, local authorities and social landlords as well as the public, industrial and commercial sectors.
Fuel poverty is only one issue that can be addressed by ground source heat. Currently 60% of average total domestic energy bills are consumed by heating costs but domestic heating also accounts for 47% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions. In order for the UK to meet its carbon reduction obligations 12% of UK heat is required to come from renewable sources. The RHI could save up to 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2020.
In addition to the environmental damage done by Carbon Dioxide production there is also the risk to heath posed by Carbon Monoxide which is produced by incomplete combustion in gas heating systems. On average over 30 people annually die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Heat pumps not only completely remove this risk as they produce no carbon monoxide but also remove a significant legal liability for safety from the housing provider and of course tenants are spared the possible fatal consequences of poisoning or even a gas explosion from incorrectly maintained systems.
Ground Source Heat pumps are also very suitable when water temperature safety is a concern. Typically Ground Source heat pumps produce water at around 60°C, considerably lower than the 90°C output by gas or electric heating systems. These temperatures are more than adequate for water for baths or showers but make it impossible for children or vulnerable adults to inadvertently scald themselves.
Details of the Renewable Heating Incentive can be obtained from the Department of Energy and Climate change (decc) Website. Details of Installers of Ground Source Heat pumps can be obtained from the Heat Pump Association, Waltham Court, Hare Hatch, Berks RG10 9YH or from their website, http://www.heatpumps.org.uk
The actual UK death toll might be even higher than official figures suggest as very few death certificates give the cold as the cause of death. Research by Professor William Keatinge, of London's Queen Mary and Westfield College, found more deaths in people over 55 years of age caused by the cold are attributed to strokes and coronary thrombosis rather than flu. According to Professor Keatinge; "Many people here simply do not take the cold seriously and appreciate the danger it poses.”
The situation is unlikely to improve in the future. The UK’s reliance on imported gas is projected to rise from around 25% in 2008 to over 60% by 2020. Couple this with ever rising global fuel prices and this is leading to more and more UK households spending an increasing proportion of their income just to keep warm.
Official statistics identify households as being in fuel poverty when the ratio of fuel costs (usage x price) to household income rises above 0.1. The cost of energy is unlikely to fall in the long term and household incomes are static or falling in the current recession. The only element of the calculation that can be easily changed is the level of usage of energy.
When households reduce usage too far then people start to die. The warmth of the home still needs to be maintained while usage is reduced. Fitting double glazing and programs to improve wall and roof insulation have been running for several years but what is needed now is a more radical re-think of how the UK keeps warm in winter and technologies such as ground source heating may provide some of the answers.
A ground source heat pump uses the same principle as a domestic refrigerator. A fridge uses a closed loop system to pull heat out of the inside of the fridge and radiate it into the atmosphere from fins on the back. Anyone who has ever put their hand behind a fridge can tell you that these fins can get very hot. A ground source heat pump uses buried pipes filled with a water/antifreeze mix to pull heat from the earth and then to warm a building through radiators or under floor heating.
Theoretically there is no limit to the amount of heat that can be extracted from the ground, the longer and deeper the underground pipes the more heat that will be pumped. Unfortunately scaling up too far reduces the coefficiency of performance (CoP) of the system. This is a measure of the amount of heat produced compared to the amount of energy needed to drive the circulating pumps that push the water/antifreeze mix round the pipes. The best systems will deliver a CoP of around 3.2 but it does mean the homes being heated need to be fairly close to the ground source pipes
Many of Britain’s European Neighbors are well ahead of the UK in adopting this type of technology. The Dutch city of Heerlen uses a heat pump from abandoned coal mines going down to 800 meters below the city to run the radiators of hundreds of homes, shops and offices. According to Riet de Wit, a City Councillor in Heerlen. “We have proven that a local initiative can provide a local solution for sustainable energy. Moreover, our concept can be adapted by former mining regions all over the world.”
The Dutch system was developed by Karl-Heinz Wolf, Professor of Coal and Geothermal Energy at the Technical University of Delft. “You have it all year round and if you don’t need it, you close the tap until you need it again.” The system can even work in reverse during the summer. In the hot months the water can be taken from near the top of the shaft where it is cold enough to cool the city’s buildings. Professor Wolf is now working on a project to extract heat from a depth of 2.5km where the temperature of the water is 80-85C. “It is not difficult to do” according to the Professor, “the only thing you need is a mine which is in the vicinity of the industry or houses you want to heat.”
Unfortunately while these systems may be cheaper to operate and offer an effective, sustainable long term solution, they also cost much more to install than conventional gas or electricity powered systems. This makes them attractive to households that can afford to invest for the longer term but these are households that are very unlikely to currently be experiencing fuel poverty.
This problem was acknowledged by the government in February 2010. During a visit to a low income homes project in Dagenham the Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband announced that; “We are launching a scheme, the Renewable Heat Incentive, to encourage renewable heat generation at all scales.”
Joan Ruddock, a Minister in the same department, told the Ecobuild Conference at Earls Court in March 2010 that; “The Renewable Heat Incentive will deliver a step change in the way that the country generates its heat for heating hot water and our homes”
Any house or building which currently uses fuels such as gas, heating oil or coal, will be eligible to claim the RHI if they switch to a renewable technology. The RHI will be available to householders, local authorities and social landlords as well as the public, industrial and commercial sectors.
Fuel poverty is only one issue that can be addressed by ground source heat. Currently 60% of average total domestic energy bills are consumed by heating costs but domestic heating also accounts for 47% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions. In order for the UK to meet its carbon reduction obligations 12% of UK heat is required to come from renewable sources. The RHI could save up to 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2020.
In addition to the environmental damage done by Carbon Dioxide production there is also the risk to heath posed by Carbon Monoxide which is produced by incomplete combustion in gas heating systems. On average over 30 people annually die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Heat pumps not only completely remove this risk as they produce no carbon monoxide but also remove a significant legal liability for safety from the housing provider and of course tenants are spared the possible fatal consequences of poisoning or even a gas explosion from incorrectly maintained systems.
Ground Source Heat pumps are also very suitable when water temperature safety is a concern. Typically Ground Source heat pumps produce water at around 60°C, considerably lower than the 90°C output by gas or electric heating systems. These temperatures are more than adequate for water for baths or showers but make it impossible for children or vulnerable adults to inadvertently scald themselves.
Details of the Renewable Heating Incentive can be obtained from the Department of Energy and Climate change (decc) Website. Details of Installers of Ground Source Heat pumps can be obtained from the Heat Pump Association, Waltham Court, Hare Hatch, Berks RG10 9YH or from their website, http://www.heatpumps.org.uk
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Have a go and Stand for election!
People in Hartlepool who think they could do a better job than their existing Councillors are being challenged to have a go and stand for election.
Stephen Allison and Martyn Aiken, two of the 47 Hartlepool Borough Councillors are holding an open session at the Grand Hotel on Saturday the 27th of March between 10.00am and 1.00pm explaining exactly what people need to do in order to stand for election.
Stephen Allison, a UKIP Member of Hartlepool Borough Council, said; "Many people in Hartlepool tell me they think their local Councillors are rubbish. In some cases they may be right but just complaining never changed anything!" Stephen, who represents the St.Hilda Ward, continued; "The procedures for standing for election can be quite daunting if you have never done it before. Martyn and I will be at the Grand Hotel to answer questions and try to de-mystify the process."
You do not need to be a UKIP member to attend the open session, nor do you need to stand as a UKIP Candidate should you decide you want to give it a go in May. UKIP are committed to local democracy and want to encourage more participation even if that means independent candidates who may possibly end up standing in the same wards as UKIP’s own party candidates.
The open session will cover who can stand as a councilor, what the procedures are and how much it costs to put your name on a local election ballot paper. According to Martyn Aiken it is the cost that usually surprises people. "To stand in a General Election a Candidate needs to put up a £500 deposit. However for local elections there is no deposit required" explained Councillor Aiken of Foggy Furze Ward "Nothing, zero, not a penny. You fill in a couple of forms and hand them in to the Civic Centre and that's it, your name goes into the hat."
Candidates do have to pay for any leaflets they distribute during the election but with the cost of photocopying these days a simple black on white leaflet can be produced very cheaply. "The cost shouldn’t scare off anyone" said Eric Wilson, Chairman of the UKIP Hartlepool Branch, "UKIP normally allocate about £60 to a ward campaign in the local elections. Of course the bigger parties can afford a bit more at the moment but UKIP are still growing, unlike the Lib/Lab/Con who are losing members ever day."
You can stand for election to Hartlepool Council if you are 18 or over, A British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen, and you are registered to vote in Hartlepool or if you have lived, worked or owned property in Hartlepool for at least 12 months. You cannot stand for election if you are bankrupt, have been sentenced to 3 or more months in prison in the last 5 years, have been disqualified for corrupt and illegal practices or you are an employee of Hartlepool Council or hold a politically-restricted post in any other council.
Anyone who would like more information about the event can contact Dave Pascoe, UKIP Hartlepool Press Officer on 01429 223754, e-mail d.j.pascoe@virginmedia.com or just turn up on the day.
To see what the Hartlepool Mail did with this story, click here
Stephen Allison and Martyn Aiken, two of the 47 Hartlepool Borough Councillors are holding an open session at the Grand Hotel on Saturday the 27th of March between 10.00am and 1.00pm explaining exactly what people need to do in order to stand for election.
Stephen Allison, a UKIP Member of Hartlepool Borough Council, said; "Many people in Hartlepool tell me they think their local Councillors are rubbish. In some cases they may be right but just complaining never changed anything!" Stephen, who represents the St.Hilda Ward, continued; "The procedures for standing for election can be quite daunting if you have never done it before. Martyn and I will be at the Grand Hotel to answer questions and try to de-mystify the process."
You do not need to be a UKIP member to attend the open session, nor do you need to stand as a UKIP Candidate should you decide you want to give it a go in May. UKIP are committed to local democracy and want to encourage more participation even if that means independent candidates who may possibly end up standing in the same wards as UKIP’s own party candidates.
The open session will cover who can stand as a councilor, what the procedures are and how much it costs to put your name on a local election ballot paper. According to Martyn Aiken it is the cost that usually surprises people. "To stand in a General Election a Candidate needs to put up a £500 deposit. However for local elections there is no deposit required" explained Councillor Aiken of Foggy Furze Ward "Nothing, zero, not a penny. You fill in a couple of forms and hand them in to the Civic Centre and that's it, your name goes into the hat."
Candidates do have to pay for any leaflets they distribute during the election but with the cost of photocopying these days a simple black on white leaflet can be produced very cheaply. "The cost shouldn’t scare off anyone" said Eric Wilson, Chairman of the UKIP Hartlepool Branch, "UKIP normally allocate about £60 to a ward campaign in the local elections. Of course the bigger parties can afford a bit more at the moment but UKIP are still growing, unlike the Lib/Lab/Con who are losing members ever day."
You can stand for election to Hartlepool Council if you are 18 or over, A British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen, and you are registered to vote in Hartlepool or if you have lived, worked or owned property in Hartlepool for at least 12 months. You cannot stand for election if you are bankrupt, have been sentenced to 3 or more months in prison in the last 5 years, have been disqualified for corrupt and illegal practices or you are an employee of Hartlepool Council or hold a politically-restricted post in any other council.
Anyone who would like more information about the event can contact Dave Pascoe, UKIP Hartlepool Press Officer on 01429 223754, e-mail d.j.pascoe@virginmedia.com or just turn up on the day.
To see what the Hartlepool Mail did with this story, click here
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Another Stonewall
I managed to use the Freedom of Information Act to discover that there were 22 Pink Papers produced by Hartlepool Council in the first few weeks of 2010. The Borough Solicitor had made noises that I was being "vexatious" making these requests but I think he realised that he had to let me have something. However the Council have moved swiftly to prevent such information being made available again!
Here is the response to my request for the Pink Paper List on a regular basis......
-----Original Message-----
From: Freedomofinformation
Sent: 12/02/2010 12:50
To: Steve Allison External
Cc: Alison Lilley External;Peter Devlin
Subject: Re: FOI Request No:1/2010 & FOI Request No: 2/2010
Dear Sirs
Unfortunately I would not be able to continue supplying you with the information in the format already sent because any further requests would be dealt with under the rules relating to consolidation of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The rules provide that requests of the same or similar information can be consolidated for costs purposes. The costs limit is currently £450 which constitutes 18 hours of officer time in compiling the information.
Furthermore all of the information provided is in the public domain and can be found on the Council's website.
Kind Regards
Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor
Legal Division
Civic Centre - Level 3
www.hartlepool.gov.uk
Here is the response to my request for the Pink Paper List on a regular basis......
-----Original Message-----
From: Freedomofinformation
Sent: 12/02/2010 12:50
To: Steve Allison External
Cc: Alison Lilley External;Peter Devlin
Subject: Re: FOI Request No:1/2010 & FOI Request No: 2/2010
Dear Sirs
Unfortunately I would not be able to continue supplying you with the information in the format already sent because any further requests would be dealt with under the rules relating to consolidation of requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The rules provide that requests of the same or similar information can be consolidated for costs purposes. The costs limit is currently £450 which constitutes 18 hours of officer time in compiling the information.
Furthermore all of the information provided is in the public domain and can be found on the Council's website.
Kind Regards
Constitutional & Administrative Solicitor
Legal Division
Civic Centre - Level 3
www.hartlepool.gov.uk
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
You never know where things end up when you throw them out into cyberpace
They do say you never know where things end up when you throw them out into cyberpace. However imagine my surprise when I came across a piece entitled "Scrapheap Challenge" on a website relating to Hartlepool. I did in the past contribute to this website under the screen name "Steve Allison" but stopped doing in 2006 when the administrators of the site allowed it to be turned into a vehicle for personal attacks on me as a local councillor and an individual.
My "surprise" at the Scrapheap Challenge piece was mainly because it had a striking familiarity to a piece I wrote in November last year on this blog.
I have no objection to them pinching my work but if you are going to steal other people's efforts it is just courteous to acknowledge the source.
The same website are also running a piece entitled "In the Pink" which references a Freedom of Information Request on which the entire article is based! Once again it neglects to mention that it is a Freedom Of Information Request that was made by me!
Stealing stories from each other is common practise in journalism but usually they are re-written enough to at least make an attempt to make them appear to be their own work!
My "surprise" at the Scrapheap Challenge piece was mainly because it had a striking familiarity to a piece I wrote in November last year on this blog.
I have no objection to them pinching my work but if you are going to steal other people's efforts it is just courteous to acknowledge the source.
The same website are also running a piece entitled "In the Pink" which references a Freedom of Information Request on which the entire article is based! Once again it neglects to mention that it is a Freedom Of Information Request that was made by me!
Stealing stories from each other is common practise in journalism but usually they are re-written enough to at least make an attempt to make them appear to be their own work!
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Elected Mayors in the UK
More people should have the right to elect their local leader, argues Prof Michael Kenny, of the IPPR think-tank. (Page 14 LGA First Magazine Issue 328 May 2008)
The idea of having more elected mayors in England seems to have pushed its way back up the political agenda. Even before the ‘Boris and Ken show’, there were signs that momentum was emerging in all the main parties behind the idea of introducing more mayors into England’s cities. The government’s forthcoming white paper will be watched with interest by supporters and detractors of elected mayors alike. Will they seize the initiative and give more people the right to elect their local leader?
This is certainly what I and colleagues at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) have urged government to do in a report published just before the London election. Drawing on the performance of the 13 mayors who have been in post in England, we found that the introduction of this office has nearly always coincided with an improvement in councils’ performance.
High profile
Hackney is perhaps the most dramatic example of a turnaround in fortunes under their elected mayor Jules Pipe (pictured). Every mayoral authority has either consolidated or improved its score in the comprehensive performance assessment. Elected mayors are better known to their electorates than council leaders, have produced a series of innovative and eyecatching policies (from congestion charging in London to crime reduction in the North East), and have proved highly responsive to the priorities of local people. Elected leaders tend to become beacons for the places they represent, and are more focused upon facilitating partnerships and balancing different interests than pursuing narrow party interests.
The worry that elected mayors will turn out to be celebrities or mavericks is not born out by the experience of those who have been in post. Even Stuart Drummond in Hartlepool – elected as H’Angus the monkey – threw away his costume after his election, learned the ways of local government and has helped his authority climb the CPA tables. In London, Boris won in part because of real policy differences between him and Ken Livingstone, but also because he realised he needed to downplay his celebrity image in order to compete.
The real democratic question that needs to be asked about elected mayors is why so few? When will we have a government that has the courage to steer away from the local referendum device that has played into the hands of sceptical councillors and proved a major obstacle to the introduction of more directly elected local government leaders?
LGA chairman Sir Simon Milton is right to argue that people are more likely to vote in local elections if greater powers are given to town halls. What he and others need to grasp is that capable and responsive elected mayors are an important means of enabling central government to feel able to delegate meaningful responsibilities in this way.
Michael Kenny is a professor of politics at Sheffield university and a visiting research fellow at the IPPR
The idea of having more elected mayors in England seems to have pushed its way back up the political agenda. Even before the ‘Boris and Ken show’, there were signs that momentum was emerging in all the main parties behind the idea of introducing more mayors into England’s cities. The government’s forthcoming white paper will be watched with interest by supporters and detractors of elected mayors alike. Will they seize the initiative and give more people the right to elect their local leader?
This is certainly what I and colleagues at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) have urged government to do in a report published just before the London election. Drawing on the performance of the 13 mayors who have been in post in England, we found that the introduction of this office has nearly always coincided with an improvement in councils’ performance.
High profile
Hackney is perhaps the most dramatic example of a turnaround in fortunes under their elected mayor Jules Pipe (pictured). Every mayoral authority has either consolidated or improved its score in the comprehensive performance assessment. Elected mayors are better known to their electorates than council leaders, have produced a series of innovative and eyecatching policies (from congestion charging in London to crime reduction in the North East), and have proved highly responsive to the priorities of local people. Elected leaders tend to become beacons for the places they represent, and are more focused upon facilitating partnerships and balancing different interests than pursuing narrow party interests.
The worry that elected mayors will turn out to be celebrities or mavericks is not born out by the experience of those who have been in post. Even Stuart Drummond in Hartlepool – elected as H’Angus the monkey – threw away his costume after his election, learned the ways of local government and has helped his authority climb the CPA tables. In London, Boris won in part because of real policy differences between him and Ken Livingstone, but also because he realised he needed to downplay his celebrity image in order to compete.
The real democratic question that needs to be asked about elected mayors is why so few? When will we have a government that has the courage to steer away from the local referendum device that has played into the hands of sceptical councillors and proved a major obstacle to the introduction of more directly elected local government leaders?
LGA chairman Sir Simon Milton is right to argue that people are more likely to vote in local elections if greater powers are given to town halls. What he and others need to grasp is that capable and responsive elected mayors are an important means of enabling central government to feel able to delegate meaningful responsibilities in this way.
Michael Kenny is a professor of politics at Sheffield university and a visiting research fellow at the IPPR
Friday, 26 February 2010
How dare I agree with Councillor Brash!
As a backbench Councillor I have to take my small victories where I can. Usually this involves being the one of few dissenting voices questioning the decisions of the Labour/Tory/Lib-Dem Alliance that controls most of what goes on. At the last Council Meeting I was prepared to vote against yet another increase in Council Tax, which I did, and also to question the wisdom of signing up to a Local Area Agreement “Refresh”.
The Refresh set out Hartlepool Council’s commitment to various performance targets, including; maintaining the overall employment rate in Hartlepool at 5.6% points BELOW the North East average, maintaining the current level of 29% of children in Hartlepool living in poverty, so keeping Hartlepool 4.8% ABOVE the North East average and committing to maintain the Hartlepool baseline figure of 20.9% for working age people out of work and claiming benefits, which is 4.5% points ABOVE than the rest of the North East.
Basically Hartlepool Council will be concentrating their efforts for the next few years to maintain Hartlepool's position as having fewer people in work, more people on benefits and more children in poverty than the rest of the North East!
How can anyone say Hartlepool Council lacks ambition when it signs up to targets like that!
However, before I could raise my concerns Councillor Brash jumped to his feet to also decry the child poverty target. I think he must have been treading my blog again and wanted to get in first! He didn’t mention unemployment or numbers on benefits but he was worried about the children. He proposed a more ambitious target be set that would at least commit the council to narrowing the gap between Hartlepool and the rest of the North East. After he sat down I stood up and seconded his proposal! I agreed with him and said it was a good idea.
At this point the Council Meeting went into the Twilight Zone.
I am quite used to Councillor Brash going a funny purple colour with rage and being reduce to almost incoherence (I wish!) with anger at things I say in Hartlepool Council Chamber but this was the first time I’d ever had this effect on him by AGREEING with him. He was very upset that I’d dared to do so!
This is the advantage of not having a party whip telling me who I can and cannot agree with. If I think it’s a good idea then I’ll support it, if I think it’s a bad idea then I’ll say so and vote against it. Scary stuff for any Party Politician who usually can be whipped into putting party first, personal ambition second and ideology (if they have any) a distant third.
Councillor Brash was saved by the Mayor! Stuart leapt to his feet and announced it didn’t matter because we were only playing the game and submitting meaningless numbers to Whitehall that were just necessary for a box ticking exercise! This allowed Councillor Brash to withdraw his proposal, removing any requirement too agree with me, and accepting the understanding that the decision was irrelevant anyway and didn’t count for anything in the real world outside the fantasy land of politicians and the ivory towers they inhabit.
So there you have it. I can get the Labour group upset if I oppose what they say and even more upset if I agree with them. Of course the Mayor has now confirmed that any decision made by the Council doesn’t really affect what goes on in real life. It’s all just a box ticking exercise. It was nice to hear the Mayor finally admit that!
Unfortunately the increase in Council Tax does affect people in real life and the relentless rises are causing severe hardship to many people. I did also wonder if the "meaningless box ticking" also referred to the 4 Star Status the Council keeps getting awarded and which Drummond tells everyone “proves” what a great job Hartlepool Council are doing!
The Refresh set out Hartlepool Council’s commitment to various performance targets, including; maintaining the overall employment rate in Hartlepool at 5.6% points BELOW the North East average, maintaining the current level of 29% of children in Hartlepool living in poverty, so keeping Hartlepool 4.8% ABOVE the North East average and committing to maintain the Hartlepool baseline figure of 20.9% for working age people out of work and claiming benefits, which is 4.5% points ABOVE than the rest of the North East.
Basically Hartlepool Council will be concentrating their efforts for the next few years to maintain Hartlepool's position as having fewer people in work, more people on benefits and more children in poverty than the rest of the North East!
How can anyone say Hartlepool Council lacks ambition when it signs up to targets like that!
However, before I could raise my concerns Councillor Brash jumped to his feet to also decry the child poverty target. I think he must have been treading my blog again and wanted to get in first! He didn’t mention unemployment or numbers on benefits but he was worried about the children. He proposed a more ambitious target be set that would at least commit the council to narrowing the gap between Hartlepool and the rest of the North East. After he sat down I stood up and seconded his proposal! I agreed with him and said it was a good idea.
At this point the Council Meeting went into the Twilight Zone.
I am quite used to Councillor Brash going a funny purple colour with rage and being reduce to almost incoherence (I wish!) with anger at things I say in Hartlepool Council Chamber but this was the first time I’d ever had this effect on him by AGREEING with him. He was very upset that I’d dared to do so!
This is the advantage of not having a party whip telling me who I can and cannot agree with. If I think it’s a good idea then I’ll support it, if I think it’s a bad idea then I’ll say so and vote against it. Scary stuff for any Party Politician who usually can be whipped into putting party first, personal ambition second and ideology (if they have any) a distant third.
Councillor Brash was saved by the Mayor! Stuart leapt to his feet and announced it didn’t matter because we were only playing the game and submitting meaningless numbers to Whitehall that were just necessary for a box ticking exercise! This allowed Councillor Brash to withdraw his proposal, removing any requirement too agree with me, and accepting the understanding that the decision was irrelevant anyway and didn’t count for anything in the real world outside the fantasy land of politicians and the ivory towers they inhabit.
So there you have it. I can get the Labour group upset if I oppose what they say and even more upset if I agree with them. Of course the Mayor has now confirmed that any decision made by the Council doesn’t really affect what goes on in real life. It’s all just a box ticking exercise. It was nice to hear the Mayor finally admit that!
Unfortunately the increase in Council Tax does affect people in real life and the relentless rises are causing severe hardship to many people. I did also wonder if the "meaningless box ticking" also referred to the 4 Star Status the Council keeps getting awarded and which Drummond tells everyone “proves” what a great job Hartlepool Council are doing!
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Hartlepol Council Sucesses!
Tomorrow night Hartlepool Councillors will be asked to approve yet another rise in council tax. This will be used to protect front line services in these turbulent economic times. Well that's the official line!
I for one will be voting NO to the increase. At the same meeting we will be looking at the LAA Refresh! A wonderful document that sets out ambitious plans for Hartlepool Council to maintain the overall employment rate in Hartlepool at 5.6 percentage points below the North East Base line average!
Yes, you read that right MAINTAIN the overall employment rate in the town at BELOW the north east regional average. Now there's an ambitious target for the town!
The Council are also going to try and MAINTAIN the Hartlepool baseline figure of 20.9% for working age people out of work and claiming benefits, again that is 4.5% points worse than the rest of the North East Region.
The document also admits that the current level of 29% of children in Hartlepool living in poverty is unlikely to fall and so the Council's target has been revised to "Maintain the gap between Hartlepool and the North East Region at 4.8% points".
Basically Hartlepool Council will be concentrating their efforts for the next few years to maintain Hartlepool's position as having fewer people in work and more children in poverty than the rest of the North East!
How can anyone say Hartlepool Council lacks ambition!
I for one will be voting NO to the increase. At the same meeting we will be looking at the LAA Refresh! A wonderful document that sets out ambitious plans for Hartlepool Council to maintain the overall employment rate in Hartlepool at 5.6 percentage points below the North East Base line average!
Yes, you read that right MAINTAIN the overall employment rate in the town at BELOW the north east regional average. Now there's an ambitious target for the town!
The Council are also going to try and MAINTAIN the Hartlepool baseline figure of 20.9% for working age people out of work and claiming benefits, again that is 4.5% points worse than the rest of the North East Region.
The document also admits that the current level of 29% of children in Hartlepool living in poverty is unlikely to fall and so the Council's target has been revised to "Maintain the gap between Hartlepool and the North East Region at 4.8% points".
Basically Hartlepool Council will be concentrating their efforts for the next few years to maintain Hartlepool's position as having fewer people in work and more children in poverty than the rest of the North East!
How can anyone say Hartlepool Council lacks ambition!
Monday, 22 February 2010
Hartlepool Property Prices
The Royal Armouries in Leeds this afternoon is holding a property auction which included a property I was interested in buying. It's a five bedroom Victorian property in need of some modernisation and a bit of TLC. It's on the Headland and had a guide Price of £70,000. Of course when you sell at auction the seller doesn't get that and the buyer pays a bit more. I thought it must go for less than that since it's not as big nor as well located as say a property on Victoria Road that the Council recently offloaded for £60,000! Unfortunately some other bidders obviously didn't know about the depressed state of the Hartelpool property market and it went for over the guide price! I wonder who does their comparable? Obviously Hartlepool Council don't use anyone who might make realistic commercial estimates of value in the real world!
PS Freudian slip in the typing of this post that the spell checker picked up. In my last sentence I'd typed "Obviously not the same people as make comical estimates of value in the real world!
PS Freudian slip in the typing of this post that the spell checker picked up. In my last sentence I'd typed "Obviously not the same people as make comical estimates of value in the real world!
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Update on Big Brother!
The School District Website referred to in the post below can be accessed here if you want to read more about this story!
US school district spied on students through webcams
Originally in the Guardian on-line on Friday 19th February! read it and weep for the death of democracy and the arrival of big brother! Scary. All I can say is there is a piece of tape over my laptop camera and the built in microphone as well. Of course that doesn't stop the built in modem downloading to a remote surveillance website a copy of everything I type. They can already track you through your mobile phone of course and we are on CCTV Camera dozens of times every day! It's only a matter of time before we are all chipped like dogs!
So, could it happen here? Or is it ALREADY HAPPENING!
_____________________________________________________________________________
A school district in Pennsylvania spied on students through web cameras installed on laptops provided by the district, according to a class action lawsuit filed this week.
Lower Merion school district, in a well-heeled suburb of Philadelphia, provided 2,300 high-school students with Mac laptops last autumn in what its superintendent, Christopher McGinley, described as an effort to establish a "mobile, 21st-century learning environment".
The scheme was funded with $720,000 (£468,000) in state grants and other sources. The students were not allowed to install video games and other software, and were barred from "commercial, illegal, unethical and inappropriate" use.
The district retained remote control of the built-in webcams installed on the computers – and used them to capture images of the students, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court this week.
The ruse was revealed when Blake Robbins, a student at Harriton high school, was hauled into the assistant principal Lindy Matsko's office, shown a photograph taken on the laptop in his home and disciplined for "improper behaviour".
According to Robbins, Matsko said the school had retained the ability to activate the laptop webcams remotely, at any time. Backed by his parents, Robbins filed a lawsuit on behalf of all students provided with laptops by the school.
The suit claims a violation of the privacy and civil rights of the students and their families and accuses officials of violating electronic communications laws by spying on them through "indiscriminate use of an ability to remotely activate the webcams incorporated into each laptop".
It claims that since the laptops were used by students and their friends and family at home, images of "compromising or embarrassing positions, including ... in various states of undress" have been captured. A school district spokesman, Douglas Young, did not return a call seeking comment, but told the Philadelphia Inquirer the district was investigating. "We're taking it very seriously," he said.
In a letter posted on the school district's website, McGinley said the district had installed on the laptops a security feature that allowed the webcam to photograph the computer operator in the event the laptop is lost or stolen. He said that following the suit's filing, the district disabled the feature amidst a review of technology and privacy policies. He said the feature was activated only to help locate a lost or stolen laptop.
"The district never activated the security feature for any other purpose or in any other manner whatsoever," he wrote. "We regret if this situation has caused any concern or inconvenience among our students and families."
So, could it happen here? Or is it ALREADY HAPPENING!
_____________________________________________________________________________
A school district in Pennsylvania spied on students through web cameras installed on laptops provided by the district, according to a class action lawsuit filed this week.
Lower Merion school district, in a well-heeled suburb of Philadelphia, provided 2,300 high-school students with Mac laptops last autumn in what its superintendent, Christopher McGinley, described as an effort to establish a "mobile, 21st-century learning environment".
The scheme was funded with $720,000 (£468,000) in state grants and other sources. The students were not allowed to install video games and other software, and were barred from "commercial, illegal, unethical and inappropriate" use.
The district retained remote control of the built-in webcams installed on the computers – and used them to capture images of the students, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court this week.
The ruse was revealed when Blake Robbins, a student at Harriton high school, was hauled into the assistant principal Lindy Matsko's office, shown a photograph taken on the laptop in his home and disciplined for "improper behaviour".
According to Robbins, Matsko said the school had retained the ability to activate the laptop webcams remotely, at any time. Backed by his parents, Robbins filed a lawsuit on behalf of all students provided with laptops by the school.
The suit claims a violation of the privacy and civil rights of the students and their families and accuses officials of violating electronic communications laws by spying on them through "indiscriminate use of an ability to remotely activate the webcams incorporated into each laptop".
It claims that since the laptops were used by students and their friends and family at home, images of "compromising or embarrassing positions, including ... in various states of undress" have been captured. A school district spokesman, Douglas Young, did not return a call seeking comment, but told the Philadelphia Inquirer the district was investigating. "We're taking it very seriously," he said.
In a letter posted on the school district's website, McGinley said the district had installed on the laptops a security feature that allowed the webcam to photograph the computer operator in the event the laptop is lost or stolen. He said that following the suit's filing, the district disabled the feature amidst a review of technology and privacy policies. He said the feature was activated only to help locate a lost or stolen laptop.
"The district never activated the security feature for any other purpose or in any other manner whatsoever," he wrote. "We regret if this situation has caused any concern or inconvenience among our students and families."
Sunday, 14 February 2010
and the response.....
Between the dates 9th December 2009 and 10th February 2010 there were 22 Exempt Reports on "pink" paper that were deemed by Hartlepool Council as too sensitive for the public to see.
The {para x} refers to the reason why the information is not allowed in the public domain. In summary Para 1 is information relating to an individual, Para 3 is commercial information, Para 4 is information relating to negotiations with employees, para 7 is information that may prejudice investigations into a crime or future legal action and Para 10 is information which it is not in the public interest to disclose.
Cabinet
Monday 22 December 2009
1. Youth Offending Service – Results of the Core Case Inspection of Youth Offending Work – Assistant Director (Community Safety and Protection) (Para 10)
2. OFSTED Unannounced Inspection of Safeguarding Services – Assistant Director, Safeguarding and Targeted Services (Para 10)
Monday, 25 January 2010
3. Equal Pay Risk Update (para 4 and para 7) – Corporate Management Team
Portfolios
Children’s Services - Tuesday, 2 February 2010
4. Procurement Of Specialist Outdoor Play Equipment For Exmoor Grove (Para 3) – Director of Child and Adult Services
Finance and Performance - Friday, 8 January 2010
5. Land At Sandgate Industrial Estate (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
6. 19 St Columba's Parish Centre, Dryden Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
7. Courts Building, Victoria Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
8. Rockhaven, 36 Victoria Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
9. Sale Of Garage Land At Victoria Place (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
10. Rating Revaluation – Appointment Of External Advisers (para 3) - Assistant Director (Resources)
11. Support for Businesses – Chief Financial Officer
12. Belle Vue Way/Ladysmith Street (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
13. Land Corner Of Tower Street And Surtees Street (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
14. Surestart North, Hindpool Close (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
15. Tender For A Printing & Mailing Service For Local Taxation Demands And Benefit Notifications – Chief Financial Officer (Para 3 – though not stated on the agenda)
Transport and Neighbourhoods
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
16. Dial a Ride Service Review (para 3) – Assistant Director (Transport and Engineering Services)
Other Committees
Contract Scrutiny Committee
Monday 18 January 2010
17. Contract For The Provision Of Assessment And Services For Carers In Hartlepool (Contract Reference Number 408) - Strategic Commissioner Working Age Adults(Para 3 – though not stated on the agenda)
Monday 1 February 2010
18. Provision of an activities and mentoring programme (Contract Ref. No. 397) (para 3) – Director of Child & Adult Services
19. Provision of resources required to support the Team Around the Primary School model. (Contract Ref. Nos. 426, 427, 428, 429 and 430) (para 3) – Director of Child & Adult Services
General Purposes (Appeals and Staffing) Sub Committee
Thursday, 14 January 2010
20. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Office
21. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Officer
22. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Officer
The {para x} refers to the reason why the information is not allowed in the public domain. In summary Para 1 is information relating to an individual, Para 3 is commercial information, Para 4 is information relating to negotiations with employees, para 7 is information that may prejudice investigations into a crime or future legal action and Para 10 is information which it is not in the public interest to disclose.
Cabinet
Monday 22 December 2009
1. Youth Offending Service – Results of the Core Case Inspection of Youth Offending Work – Assistant Director (Community Safety and Protection) (Para 10)
2. OFSTED Unannounced Inspection of Safeguarding Services – Assistant Director, Safeguarding and Targeted Services (Para 10)
Monday, 25 January 2010
3. Equal Pay Risk Update (para 4 and para 7) – Corporate Management Team
Portfolios
Children’s Services - Tuesday, 2 February 2010
4. Procurement Of Specialist Outdoor Play Equipment For Exmoor Grove (Para 3) – Director of Child and Adult Services
Finance and Performance - Friday, 8 January 2010
5. Land At Sandgate Industrial Estate (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
6. 19 St Columba's Parish Centre, Dryden Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
7. Courts Building, Victoria Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
8. Rockhaven, 36 Victoria Road (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
9. Sale Of Garage Land At Victoria Place (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
10. Rating Revaluation – Appointment Of External Advisers (para 3) - Assistant Director (Resources)
11. Support for Businesses – Chief Financial Officer
12. Belle Vue Way/Ladysmith Street (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
13. Land Corner Of Tower Street And Surtees Street (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
14. Surestart North, Hindpool Close (para 3) - Assistant Director (Procurement and Asset Management)
15. Tender For A Printing & Mailing Service For Local Taxation Demands And Benefit Notifications – Chief Financial Officer (Para 3 – though not stated on the agenda)
Transport and Neighbourhoods
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
16. Dial a Ride Service Review (para 3) – Assistant Director (Transport and Engineering Services)
Other Committees
Contract Scrutiny Committee
Monday 18 January 2010
17. Contract For The Provision Of Assessment And Services For Carers In Hartlepool (Contract Reference Number 408) - Strategic Commissioner Working Age Adults(Para 3 – though not stated on the agenda)
Monday 1 February 2010
18. Provision of an activities and mentoring programme (Contract Ref. No. 397) (para 3) – Director of Child & Adult Services
19. Provision of resources required to support the Team Around the Primary School model. (Contract Ref. Nos. 426, 427, 428, 429 and 430) (para 3) – Director of Child & Adult Services
General Purposes (Appeals and Staffing) Sub Committee
Thursday, 14 January 2010
20. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Office
21. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Officer
22. Request For Payment Of Deferred Pension Benefits (para 1) – Chief Personnel Officer
The Secrecy Tussle Continues.....
FOI Request No:2/2010
Submitted by e-mail Tuesday 26th January 2010
Dear Ms Martin,
Please treat this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act
Could you please provide me with a list of all pink papers which have been given to the Chair of the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee in the interval between my Freedom of Information Request of 11th January 2010 (My Reference; FOI Request No:1/2010) and the date of this additional request. I would like to know the subject of the pink paper and the reason, as defined in the Constitution of Hartlepool Council, why it was declared to be confidential or exempt.
Could you please acknowledge this request, quoting my reference "FOI Request No:2/2010" on your reply and on any subsequent correspondence relating to this request.
Thank You
Councillor Stephen Allison
Hartlepool Unitary Authority
Submitted by e-mail Tuesday 26th January 2010
Dear Ms Martin,
Please treat this as a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act
Could you please provide me with a list of all pink papers which have been given to the Chair of the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee in the interval between my Freedom of Information Request of 11th January 2010 (My Reference; FOI Request No:1/2010) and the date of this additional request. I would like to know the subject of the pink paper and the reason, as defined in the Constitution of Hartlepool Council, why it was declared to be confidential or exempt.
Could you please acknowledge this request, quoting my reference "FOI Request No:2/2010" on your reply and on any subsequent correspondence relating to this request.
Thank You
Councillor Stephen Allison
Hartlepool Unitary Authority
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Party Politics and the Hospital
Interesting comment on my previous post about stepping aside for an Independent Save Our Hospital Candidate. The person making the comment is disappointed in my for making the offer when I know the Tories and Lib-Dems will not be allowed by their central party machines to take me up on it. Basically that sums up the problem with party politics for me in the UK at the moment. None of the Candidates for the main parties in the UK are allowed to put their constituents first. Labour, Lib-Dem and Tory all have Party First, Career Second and then possibly, just maybe their Constituents a distant third.
As a member of UKIP I am not whipped by my party. I could step aside if I thought it was in the best interests of Hartlepool. I can put Hartlepool first, none of the other party candidates can honestly say that. Unfortunately it would need the Tories and Lib-Dems to also step aside to give an Independent a chance to beat Labour. Quite frankly I don't care which out of the three win because they are all now so alike that it makes no real difference. Actually the Tories in Hartlepool are worse than the Lib-Dems. The Lib-Dems are just disorganised and badly led. The Tories are actively working to keep Labour in power in Hartlepool, well at local level anyway. In the last local Elections UKIP, the Lib-Dems and Tories did agree to allow an independent Save our Hospital Candidate a free run in Grange Ward against the Council Chairman. At the last minute the Tories stood a candidate who took just enough votes tio allow the Labour Councillor to retain his seat.
Labour and Lib-Dems have stood aside to allow an Independent a free run at a Tory, hence Martin Bell MP! Of course they don't want to establish any real precedent for this sort of thing. For no other reason that the MPs from all parties have more in common with each other these days than they do with the ordinary voter. Just imagine if politicians started putting their constituents first, where would it end? Maybe in a real democracy in this country for the first time in decades! Now wouldn't that frighten the political class.
PS To my friend who posts the anonymous comments daring me to allow them through onto the blog. It ain't going to happen! When you start making valid points to debate then maybe, but until then anonymous abuse will always end up in the trash can!
As a member of UKIP I am not whipped by my party. I could step aside if I thought it was in the best interests of Hartlepool. I can put Hartlepool first, none of the other party candidates can honestly say that. Unfortunately it would need the Tories and Lib-Dems to also step aside to give an Independent a chance to beat Labour. Quite frankly I don't care which out of the three win because they are all now so alike that it makes no real difference. Actually the Tories in Hartlepool are worse than the Lib-Dems. The Lib-Dems are just disorganised and badly led. The Tories are actively working to keep Labour in power in Hartlepool, well at local level anyway. In the last local Elections UKIP, the Lib-Dems and Tories did agree to allow an independent Save our Hospital Candidate a free run in Grange Ward against the Council Chairman. At the last minute the Tories stood a candidate who took just enough votes tio allow the Labour Councillor to retain his seat.
Labour and Lib-Dems have stood aside to allow an Independent a free run at a Tory, hence Martin Bell MP! Of course they don't want to establish any real precedent for this sort of thing. For no other reason that the MPs from all parties have more in common with each other these days than they do with the ordinary voter. Just imagine if politicians started putting their constituents first, where would it end? Maybe in a real democracy in this country for the first time in decades! Now wouldn't that frighten the political class.
PS To my friend who posts the anonymous comments daring me to allow them through onto the blog. It ain't going to happen! When you start making valid points to debate then maybe, but until then anonymous abuse will always end up in the trash can!
Friday, 5 February 2010
DO THE POLITICIANS REALLY WANT TO SAVE OUR HOSPITAL?
As the UKIP Hartlepool candidate in the General Election I have offered to stand down if a genuine Independent Save Our Hospital Candidate comes forward who would be supported by all the other Parties in the town.
I was disgusted at the way the Tory Candidate recently tried to use the Hospital for party political purposes.
As I said at a meeting last night of the UKIP Hartlepool Branch, the Labour Party is no better. Labour deceived the entire town over plans for Hartlepool Hospital and the last Lib-Dem who was going to save the hospital was Jodie Dunn! What happened to her great love of Hartlepool once the by-election was over? The fate of Hartlepool Hospital should be above Party Politics. I call upon all the other parties in the town to get behind a single, non-party political candidate, to send the message to Westminster that the people of Hartlepool are still fighting for their hospital.
If Labour wins the election then they have proved they cannot be trusted over Hartlepool Hospital. The Tories have already said they will cancel Wynyard but without any guarantee that they will invest in upgrades to existing hospital facilities in Hartlepool.
The Lib-Dems used the hospital as a campaign gimmick in 2004 but lost interest in it after they failed to win the by-election. The future of Hartlepool Hospital under any of the three main parties looks grim.
It's time the political parties stopped using Hartlepool Hospital as a political football. A 'Save our Hospital MP' in Hartlepool would be a huge message to all the three main parties. UKIP topped the poll in Hartlepool in June 2009, we have been making steady progress in the town in the last few years and have high hopes for a good campaign in 2010. However, UKIP Hartlepool is willing to put the town first and step aside in the coming General Election for a genuine Save our Hospital Candidate backed by all the main parties in the town.
It’s time to stop playing party politics.
UKIP would step aside to allow a straight head to head fight between Labour and a mutually acceptable Save our Hospital Candidate. Will the other parties do the same and prove they put Hartlepool first?
I was disgusted at the way the Tory Candidate recently tried to use the Hospital for party political purposes.
As I said at a meeting last night of the UKIP Hartlepool Branch, the Labour Party is no better. Labour deceived the entire town over plans for Hartlepool Hospital and the last Lib-Dem who was going to save the hospital was Jodie Dunn! What happened to her great love of Hartlepool once the by-election was over? The fate of Hartlepool Hospital should be above Party Politics. I call upon all the other parties in the town to get behind a single, non-party political candidate, to send the message to Westminster that the people of Hartlepool are still fighting for their hospital.
If Labour wins the election then they have proved they cannot be trusted over Hartlepool Hospital. The Tories have already said they will cancel Wynyard but without any guarantee that they will invest in upgrades to existing hospital facilities in Hartlepool.
The Lib-Dems used the hospital as a campaign gimmick in 2004 but lost interest in it after they failed to win the by-election. The future of Hartlepool Hospital under any of the three main parties looks grim.
It's time the political parties stopped using Hartlepool Hospital as a political football. A 'Save our Hospital MP' in Hartlepool would be a huge message to all the three main parties. UKIP topped the poll in Hartlepool in June 2009, we have been making steady progress in the town in the last few years and have high hopes for a good campaign in 2010. However, UKIP Hartlepool is willing to put the town first and step aside in the coming General Election for a genuine Save our Hospital Candidate backed by all the main parties in the town.
It’s time to stop playing party politics.
UKIP would step aside to allow a straight head to head fight between Labour and a mutually acceptable Save our Hospital Candidate. Will the other parties do the same and prove they put Hartlepool first?
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Home Again
Spent New Year with my Parents in Majorca and we were all due to come home on a New Year's Day flight departing at 8.00pm. Arrived at Palma Airport to discover that the Newcastle flight was cancelled and the earliest we could get another flight was January 4th. So we didn't get home till last night.
Speaking to a couple on the flight they had the opposite experience. They were due to fly home tomorrow (Wednesday) but Easy Jet had told them they had to fly two days early because there were no flights out of Palma after 4th January until 8th February.
Easy Jet have cancelled the Newcastle-Palma Route for six weeks!
I think we are still just seeing the beginning of the effects of the recession and there are some tough times ahead!
Speaking to a couple on the flight they had the opposite experience. They were due to fly home tomorrow (Wednesday) but Easy Jet had told them they had to fly two days early because there were no flights out of Palma after 4th January until 8th February.
Easy Jet have cancelled the Newcastle-Palma Route for six weeks!
I think we are still just seeing the beginning of the effects of the recession and there are some tough times ahead!
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