Chelmsford Environment Partnership (CEP) is to close after 10 years but held its last public meeting about the Borough council's "action plan" to reduce pollution around the Army & Navy roundabout. Comments on the action plan have to be in by 29th February. See www.chelmsford.gov.uk/airquality
Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson has called today for a full public debate about the European Union. He said, "Unlike the Conservatives, I have always wanted a proper debate. A generation ago we had a referendum on whether to stay in the EEC or leave; I (and my Liberal Democrat colleagues) say we should have another one now.
Local MP Tim Farron has expressed his grave concern at figures he has obtained today from the North West Ambulance Service which show that were the heart and stroke unit at Westmorland General Hospital to close, almost two-thirds of patients would face an ambulance journey of an hour or more.
David Miliband has admitted two US "extraordinary rendition" flights landed on UK territory in 2002. The foreign secretary said in both cases US planes refuelled on the UK dependent territory of Diego Garcia. He said he was "very sorry" to have to say that previous denials made in "good faith" were now having to be corrected. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and former Prime Minister Tony Blair made statements in 2005, 2006 and 2007 saying there was no evidence that rendition flights had stopped on UK territory.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats Spring Conference this weekend called for an end on the blood donation ban which prevents gay and bisexual men, and female partners of bisexual men, from donating blood. DELGA Chair Jen Yockney welcomed the news saying, "the ban dates to the early days of the HIV/AIDS virus when transmission routes were less well understood and AIDS was still seen as a 'gay disease'. With the balance between homosexual and heterosexual infections now very different, and wider understanding about safe and safer sex, the current policy is long overdue reform."
Cllr. Parmjit Singh Gill has been selected to stand for the Liberal Democrat Party at the next General Election for Leicester South.
