Selly Oak Liberal Democrats

More than 10,400 people were on an apprenticeship last year in Birmingham thanks to the Liberal Democrats, final figures reveal. That is a huge increase of 95% compared to the last year of Labour's government.

These figures are a big boost for apprenticeships and young people in Birmingham which comes as National Apprenticeship Week is underway, which aims to raise awareness and celebrate the successes of the apprenticeship scheme.

From Today's Birmingham Post: Two thirds of the £30 million set aside for the introduction of wheelie bins could be spent protecting front line council services, according to Birmingham Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem leader Paul Tilsley says the £20 million awarded to the council by the government in November has not been legally ring-fenced for spending on refuse collection, and should be used to head off the worst effects of spending cuts.

Cabinet member James McKay was unable to respond to the Liberal Democrat motion on wheelie bins last night after his own group denied him the time needed to move their amendment.

In spite of failing to put across any case for wheelie bins, the Labour group voted out the Liberal Democrat motion, which called for household censuses to establish whether residents could manage the proposed system of three new wheelie bins.

Cllr Jon Hunt, Liberal Democrat deputy leader, said: "It was a shambles. Labour first tried to filibuster and repeatedly rejected requests for the full-scale debate that residents deserve. In the end I and Cllr Neil Eustace got to put our case as did two Conservative councillors. But nobody from the majority Labour party was heard.

"Birmingham's residents are up in arms about this proposal. So far what we have heard from Cllr Mackay does not give reassurance.

"It is not right that people should be kept in the dark."

During earlier questions the cabinet member revealed he was unaware that many councils charge residents large sums for replacing wheelie bins that are vandalised or lost.

B irmingham's parents & toddlers are to receive £18 million to deliver 15 hours a week free early years education for the poorest two-year olds by 2014, Cllr Sue Anderson has revealed.

The Coalition Government has is already ensuring that the poorest 20% of two-year olds are able to receive early education from September 2013, which means 4,600 of two-year-olds in the city will benefit. This will rise to include the poorest 40% by 2014.

Birmingham's nurseries will also receive an extra £3.4million to fund capital projects such as converting part of an existing building into extra nursery place.

This money will help prepare children for school and help the most hard-pressed families with childcare costs.

Lib Dem councillor Sue said: "It is unfair that today, you can still predict how well they will do in school based on where someone is born. Education is the best way we can help children overcome disadvantaged backgrounds.

"It is clear from the evidence that children from poorer backgrounds often fall behind their wealthier classmates before they even set foot in school. That gap only gets bigger over time.

"Good quality childcare gives children a headstart even before they walk through the school gates for the first time. No child should miss out on this just because of the circumstances of their birth."

Councillor Dave Radcliffe has been asking questions about where exactly Labour in Birmingham plans to put its new housing. The answer seems to be "in the green belt". Dave Radcliffe went on to ask questions about how all this new housing would be supported with schools, shops, GPs etc.

More details here in this report:

Lib Dem MEP Phil Bennion is urging businesses in the West Midlands to have their say in one of the largest ever consultations on business regulations by the European Commission.

The move follows a campaign by the Lib Dem ALDE group of MEPs highlighting the need to streamline 'red tape' to give small to medium sized businesses the best possible chance of getting the economy moving again.

The Liberal Democrats have selected Birmingham barrister and former council cabinet member Ayoub Khan as their candidate in the Police and Crime Commissioner election in the West Midlands.

Twice a Parliamentary candidate in Ladywood, Mr Khan was announced as the Lib Dem candidate after a ballot of members in local parties across the West Midlands Police force area.

News that Chinese ICT giant Huawei plans to invest £2 billion in the UK comes just three weeks after West Midlands Euro MP Phil Bennion flew out for talks with the company's senior Vice President Guo Tianmin at it's HQ in Shenzhen.

Dr Bennion, a Lib Dem member of the European Parliament's Employment Committee and also the South Asia Delegation, welcomed the news released in a joint statement by Huawei and the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

BIRMINGHAM business leaders will receive a share of a £2.4 billion cashpot to help create jobs under plans to be debated by Liberal Democrats at their annual conference.

Cllr Jerry Evans has slammed a decision by Birmingham's Cabinet not to include collection of food waste in their bid for funding from the Government's Weekly Collection Support Scheme.

"This is a significant U turn and a backward step as Labour Councillors supported the introduction of a food recycling scheme from 2013 in April of this year.

"They appear to be determined to provide households with three wheelie bins one for household waste, a second for recyclable materials and a third for green waste and have lost sight of a commitment they signed up to in April to introduce household collection for food waste from 2013".

"Their failure to commit to the collection of food waste will ensure that the percentage of waste that's recycled will remain lower than expected and will put in question achievement of the city's 50% recycling target by 2020, as laid out in the Scrutiny recommendations passed with all party support in April 2012.".

"Estimates indicate (1)that there is potential to collect 42,844 tones of food waste. 22,773 tonnes of household waste and 20.071 tonnes from commercial & industrial businesses within the city. The collection of bio gas from this waste would save up to 40,000 tones of CO2.

"This would be a double bonus for the city as it would deliver an increased recycling rate and reduce the CO2 emissions".

I'm surprised that the collection of food waste was not included in the bid. Food waste collection was a scoring criteria in the competitive process in the city's bid for money to support weekly collections". I hope that this omission will not put the bid in jeopardy".

"By not collecting food waste as they agreed the new administration has demonstrated its lack of ambition for the green agenda".

"If the weekly food collection went ahead there would be no need waste nigh on twenty million pounds on providing households with multiple wheelie bins"


1 Source Tyesley Energy from Waste Plant - June 2009