William Wallace: Whitehall selloff will cause major security problems

Lord Wallace of Saltaire

The Tory selloff of Government assets along Whitehall will cause major security problems in the future Lord Wallace of Saltaire has warned today.

In a question in the Lords, William Wallace has asked the Government what assessment they have made of the potential security risks posed by the conversion of former Government buildings along major procession routes.

Lord Wallace has also highlighted that there remains a network of World War Two tunnels under Whitehall that link all these buildings together.

Roads regularly used by the queen and foreign dignitaries could soon be lined with “Horseguard Hiltons” that will make security operations much more difficult.

William said:

“In their ill thought through drive to cut everything the Tories are willing to sacrifice security to make a quick buck.

“It would be a lot harder to guarantee the protection of the Queen, dignitaries or foreign leaders if you have hotels lining the route.”

“The selling off of assets is something a business does before it folds, not something a nation does on the way up.”

Jenny Randerson: Strong partnerships vital to success of the Welsh tourism industry

Baroness Randerson

Lib Dem Wales Minister Jenny Randerson speaks on Welsh tourism during visit to Llanelly House and Llanelli’s Discovery Centre.

During her visit she will also meet with people in West Wales who have benefited from this week’s budget, in particular farmers, first-time buyers and pensioners in the region.

Jenny Randerson said:

The Welsh tourism industry is a great success story for our country, bringing investment and creating jobs across the country. Millions of people travel to Wales every year to see our beautiful scenery, visit our historic buildings and sample our award-winning food and drink.

But our success depends on how well we all pull together to make our combined efforts greater than the sum of its parts. Here in Llanelly House, their innovative approach to working together has achieved fantastic results and I want to see this replicated across Wales.

Tourism is Wales’ second-largest industry and generated £2.3 billion of spending in 2013.

Of the 96.72 million trips taken in Great Britain from January-October 2014, 8.9 per cent of these were to Wales, an increase from the same period in 2013.

The total volume of nights spent in Wales during the first ten months of 2014 was 1.5 per cent up compared with the same period in 2013.

Spending on visits to Wales in the first ten months of 2014 has risen compared with the same period in 2013.

Jenny Randerson will be visiting tourism attractions in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March.

As well as visiting the 300-year old Llanelly House following its 10-year restoration project, Baroness Randerson will visit: Llanelli’s Discovery centre where visitors can find out all about the area’s tourism attractions; Burry Port harbour, Wales’ newest marina with a 450-berth facility; Flanagan’s coastline café in Llanelli, famous for its range of ice-cream; Cwmcerrig Farmshop and Grill in Gorslas and the soon to be re-opened Cardigan castle in Ceredigion.

Jenny Randerson urges young people to get an apprenticeship to boost job prospects during Airbus visit

Baroness Randerson

Lib Dem Wales Minister Jenny Randerson will today (12 March) urge young people in Wales to get an apprenticeship to boost their skills and job prospects during a tour of Airbus’s factory in North Wales.

Airbus has a well deserved reputation for the excellence of their apprenticeship training. During her visit to their site in Broughton, Baroness Randerson will meet Airbus apprentices who are learning key skills on the job helping them to further their careers.

Since 2010, the UK government has developed more than 2 million apprenticeships giving young people the chance to earn and learn on the job while supporting business to create a create a world-class workforce.

The UK government wants more businesses to take on apprentices and so from next year has abolished national insurance contributions for employers hiring trainees aged under 25 – a move which could benefit some 22,000 apprentices in Wales.

Baroness Randerson, who will visit Airbus during National Apprenticeship Week, said:

Apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity for young people in Wales to learn a trade first hand and get the practical training they need to boost their job prospects and get on the career ladder.

Employers also tell us that taking on an apprentice has benefited their business. That’s why as a government we are right behind apprenticeships and have made it easier for employers to take on more young trainees.

There are a huge range of high quality apprenticeships available in Wales – like those provided by Airbus – and so I would urge young people to get involved so they can develop the skills they need to really make a success of their career.

During her visit Baroness Randerson will meet Airbus management and hear how the company – one of Wales’s biggest employers – is investing heavily in developing the skills of young people through work experience placements and their apprenticeship programme.

She will also see Airbus’s North Factory where the wings for A350 XWB plane are manufactured, and the West Factory where the wings for the A380 are made.

Jenny Randerson: 650,000 households in Wales can save around £200 by switching energy supplier

Baroness Randerson

650,000 households across Wales are missing out on their share of £2.7 billion by sticking with their energy company.

By shopping around and taking advantage of the best energy deals on the market, millions of people can save around £200 – representing a potential saving of £130 million off bills.

The ‘Power to Switch’ campaign encourages people to switch supplier and save money by visiting www.BeAnEnergyShopper.com

With 26 energy companies on the market and some fixed deals £100 cheaper than they were a year ago, there’s never been a better time to find a great deal, switch and save.

Launching the campaign, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said:

When it comes to switching, the power is in people’s hands to get a better deal and save.

We’ve reformed the market so that there are more suppliers, more competition, and a much faster and simpler process to switch.

That means millions of people can switch supplier and save hundreds of pounds today.

Wales Office Minister Baroness Randerson said:

The ‘Power to Switch’ campaign is a great opportunity for people across Wales

Simply by switching suppliers, people in Wales can keep more of their hard earned money and gain more financial stability.

I would urge consumers to visit the website to see whether switching suppliers could save them money

Jenny Randerson calls for building industry to use energy intelligently and efficiently

Baroness Randerson

Wales Office minister will today (11 February) emphasise the need for the building industry to use energy intelligently and efficiently.

This will help ensure that Wales continues to create a greener built environment – in homes and the workplace – to ultimately save people money.

This will be her key message when she addresses the inaugural Wales Green Building Marketplace taking place today in Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

Organised by RenewableUK Cymru, the event will be an opportunity for over 100 people to hear from experts about the challenges and opportunities facing businesses and individuals in making buildings greener and more energy efficient.

Issues covered include the challenges facing the public sector in delivering large-scale energy-efficient adaptations to buildings, how to get green refurbishment and improvements to your house right first time and advice for landlords about the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Tony Greaves: The grass isn’t always greener in East Lancashire (via Politics Home)

Lord Greaves

Liberal Democrat peer and deputy leader of Pendle Borough Council calls on the Government to provide grants that would encourage housing developments on unprofitable brownfield sites in East Lancashire.

This is about former cotton towns in East (Pennine) Lancashire where the housing market is slack and house prices in the towns are low – decent terraced houses typically from £50,000 to £85,000, modern semis and bungalows from £100,000 to £150,000.

Most of the available housing land, brown or green, is not “viable”. The cost of land and building plus the developers’ profits is more than the local market return from sales or letting. The only exceptions are attractive countryside sites on the edge of town where there is strong resistance to development (and not just from NIMBY neighbours), the subject of bitterly fought planning battles.

The full story is here

 

Letter of the Lords 2 February 2015

This week’s newsletter on the work of the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords

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Jenny Randerson: Businesswomen are crucial for a fair economy

Baroness Randerson

Lib Dem Peer Jenny Randerson meets inspirational Welsh businesswomen to see how the UK Government can increase opportunities for women in business.

Wales Office Minister Baroness Randerson is meeting inspirational Welsh businesswomen (29-30 January) to see how the UK Government can increase opportunities for women in business.

Ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March), Baroness Randerson is visiting Monty’s Brewery. Pam Honeyman, co-founder of Monty’s brewery is a key contributor in the success of the company – creating and producing the award winning beer that started it all, “Sunshine”.

Letter of the Lords – 26 January 2015

This week’s newsletter on the work of the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords

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Letter of the Lords – 19 January 2015

This week’s newsletter on the work of the Liberal Democrat group in the House of Lords

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To subscribe to this email please contact davidm.shaw@parliament.uk