The Carter Review of the UK's prison system has recommended that judges should consider keeping people convicted of minor offences out of jail unless there is enough space for them. Prison overcrowding should be a factor in deciding sentences for offenders and community sentences may be appropriate instead, the Review says. The Home Office has estimated that the population could top 102,000 in the next decade.
Liberal Democrats today announced proposals to get Suffolk to "kick the habit" of using plastic bags and make Suffolk plastic bag free by 2010. In a motion to Suffolk County Council's Full Council meeting on 13th December, Liberal Democrats will propose that the county council takes the lead in persuading both retailers and consumers that Suffolk should be free of plastic bags by 2010.
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has slammed news revealed on Rochdale Online yesterday that fire crews will no longer answer automatic alarms linking businesses to their station straight away. From this week local fire bosses, suffering from a budget shortfall will ask that staff double check if there is a fire. If they don't, fire bosses will not send any fire engines. They claim that this will save over £2 Million a year in 'false call outs'.
Liberal Democrat councillors at North Yorkshire County Council today accused the ruling Conservatives of a lack of courage over post office closures.
Local MP Tim Farron has received more than 250 letters and close to a thousand people have already signed petitions against the Government's decision to put 43 local post offices under threat of closure. Tim's campaign against the closures has only been running for a matter of weeks and the response has been overwhelming.
A Shepway Council publication has confirmed that Shepway District Councillor Linda Oliver is no longer living in Hythe - but is STILL staying on as a Councillor for Hythe West! The update to the Council's "Year Book" on 3rd December confirms that as of 6th December, all correspondence for Cllr Oliver should now be sent to the Civic Centre in Folkestone.