You don't have to vote Green to be green.

I believe green and  environmental issues are very important so was very pleased when Reading & District Labour Party announced it's Green Policy Forum.  I haven't made it to a meeting yet but hope to do so in the near future.  I try and do what I can to help our environment as you can see by reading through some of my past posts but there is always room for improvement.  

 I look forward to seeing  what comes out of these meetings.

Reading & District Labour Party Media Release 

22 March 2012

Labour is talking about Green Policies

The first meeting of Reading and District Labour Party’s Green Policy Forum took place on 21^st March, attended by members of the public, Labour Party members, and Paul Gittings, the Lead Councillor for environmental matters. The meeting identified a wide range of topics that could be addressed by the Forum, but decided to work initially on a short list - getting developers to provide district heating schemes, using coppice to provide fuel for heating public buildings, systems that encourage green modes of transport, the relationship between health and environmental factors, and creating a vision of more locally focused commerce.

Forum organiser Roger Sym was very pleased with the start made by the Forum and will be arranging further meetings through the rest of the year. If you have ideas on recycling, saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or other green policies, this is a chance for you to get them put into practice.

The next meeting will be at RISC (35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS) in Room 3, on Wednesday 16^th May, starting at 8pm.

Some thoughts on tonights full #rdg Council meeting

Just got back (via the shops for milk) and thought I would pop a few bits about tonights meeting down.

Firstly I have to say how moved I was by Cllr Jamie Chowdhary's farewell speech.  He appears to have been treated terribly by Reading East Conservative Party, who are yet give a full explanation as to what has happened.  He received a standing ovation by Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens and Cllr Mark Ralph. Very sad indeed.  I wish him good health and happiness for the future.

On a more positive note I am pleased to say Reading Labour's motion on job substitution, which you can read here, was passed.  I seconded the motion and spoke briefly about how it was designed to ensure work substitution did not take place at a time when people are worried about their jobs and supporting their families.  The Conservatives wanted to amend it to the point the monitoring of job substitution was no longer in the motion, but this was not accepted.

Other motions, among others, were passed on the NHS, against the forced acadamisation of schools and supporting super (or was it super duper) fast broadband.

It was a long night, finishing just past 11, but I must say I did enjoy my short walk home in the relative peace this time of night brings, especially when the night sky was so beautiful.

Changes to residents’ parking: Labour keeps its promise

' Last June Reading Borough Council’s new Labour administration made a commitment to reverse the changes brought in by the Lib Dem/Conservative coalition council, which had resulted in visitors’ permits being cut by half and the time of departure of overnight visitors being brought forward to 8am from 10am.

As your councillor I am writing to let you know that we have kept our promise after I and other members of the Labour group pressed the council to make changes.

Earlier this year we reversed the cut in visitor parking permits – and residents were given an extra book free of charge.

We have also now confirmed that overnight visitors will be able to stay until 10am on the same permit, rather than having to use a new visitor’s permit from 8am. (This will come into effect for new visitor permits issued after April 2^nd).

As well as this Labour confirmed in the council budget for next year that the cost of second residents’ permits would remain the same (at £60).

In addition, other changes have been made to simplify renewal procedures for permits. From this year residents will be able to renew permits on line where there have been no changes to vehicle ownership. (The council has asked DLVA to put the process for new vehicles on line as the DVLA currently ask for new ownership documents to be seen by councils).'

Pinched from Battle Labour candidate for May 2012 Cllr Gul Khan : because good news needs sharing.

Work experience must not mean job substitution #workfare

Reading & District Labour Party Media Release 

18 March 2012

Work experience must not mean job substitution - Labour

Fears that some employers in Reading may be using unemployed people from the Government’s Work Experience scheme to substitute for workers who would expect proper wages are the subject of a motion to the next meeting of Reading Borough Council from Labour’s Pete Ruhemann.

People who are on Jobseekers’ Allowance paid by the Government are being encouraged to accept eight-week placements with major retailers and others and, Cllr. Ruhemann says, there is evidence that part-time workers for those same firms are therefore being refused an increase in hours, and some companies may even not be taking on new staff, because the firms can have people on JSA essentially for nothing.

“The Service Level Agreements companies taking part in Work Experience schemes sign,” Cllr. Ruhemann says, “do say that placements should be in addition to existing or planned vacancies, but the whole operation of the scheme is shrouded in ‘commercial’ secrecy and it is not clear how that condition is being monitored. What is clear is that job substitution would mean that work experience was not a real path to employment, would increase the actual level of unemployment, and would result in less money being available to spend in local shops and with local businesses.

The motion asks Council officers to see how they can identify and report abuses of the work experience system in Reading, and Cllr. Ruhemann would also be happy to receive any evidence directly by email to Pete.Ruhemann@reading.gov.uk

For information on Reading Labour Party and its campaigns visit www.readinglabour.org.uk or follow @ReadingLabour

Let's Talk Health Question Time

12/03/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

A special 'Question Time' event will take place later this month as the culmination of Reading Borough Council's 'Let's Talk Health' consultation.