Commenting on figures showing UK manufacturing growth at a two and half year high, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills, Gordon Birtwistle said:
The Government will amend controversial regulations governing tendering for NHS services following widespread concerns about the role of competition, MPs were told.
Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Handside & Peartree, Malcolm Cowan has discovered a worrying and startling fact about the implications of the call-in of the New Barnfield incinerator plan by government. The county council have no Plan B as backup if the current plan is thrown out by the inspector, and that they also plan to persist in moving Southfield school this year. If the plan is rejected, the move will have been disruptive and pointless and if approved, it could have been delayed for a year. He says 'It really does look as if the Tory Cabinet is in denial - no plan B means years more uncertainty and extra cost as landfill prices go up. Moving Southfield school this year means a real snub to the children and their parents who have already endured years of uncertainty. It is almost as if they don't believe their plan is going off the rails'.
A Digital Bill of Rights to protect people's privacy and give them more control over their data online would be introduced as part of a Liberal Democrat manifesto for the next election.
Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister Steve Webb has announced a cap on charges for people automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. From April, workers enrolled into a workplace pension will see their charges capped at 0.75 per cent unless they have opted into a more expensive option.
Liberal Democrats have unveiled the party's five priorities for the next five years.