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  • Liberal Democrat MEPs in the European Parliament News Stories

    EU must learn database lessons from UK lost records - Ludford

    Two leading MEPs responsible for major EU databases holding personal and biometric information have written jointly to the other EU institutions demanding that lessons be learned from the UK government's apparently negligent approach to data protection and security which led to the loss of records on 25 million people. [Link]

    EU must learn database lessons from UK lost records - Ludford

    Two leading MEPs responsible for major EU databases holding personal and biometric information have written jointly to the other EU institutions demanding that lessons be learned from the UK government's apparently negligent approach to data protection and security which led to the loss of records on 25 million people. [Link]

    MILIBAND SPEECH ON EUROPE SHOWS BRITAIN LOSING ITS WAY ON FUTURE OF THE EU

    Commenting on the speech given by Foreign Secretary David Miliband today in Bruges in which he lays out the Government's vision for the European Union, Graham Watson MEP, Leader of the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament, said: [Link]

    Europe is losing the battle against poverty and social exclusion

    European countries must do much more to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion and share best practice more effectively if we are to beat poverty and tackle social exclusion according to a key report set to be adopted tomorrow by the European Parliament. [Link]

    Far right group in the European Parliament implodes

    The far-right ITS group in the European Parliament has finally disintegrated following the resignation of four MEPs from the Party of Greater Romania after insulting comments by Alessandra Mussolini last week about Romanian people. As a political group needs a minimum of 20 MEPs from 6 nationalities the 19 remaining members of ITS are no longer sufficient to sustain it. ... [Link]

    SKY MARSHALS: ANY MEMBER STATE INVOLVED MUST GIVE GREEN LIGHT

    As the European Parliament and the EU Council prepare to negotiate an agreement on important EU air security rules, in particular whether armed sky marshals should be permitted on aircraft, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokeswoman, said: [Link]

    SKY MARSHALS: ANY MEMBER STATE INVOLVED MUST GIVE GREEN LIGHT

    As the European Parliament and the EU Council prepare to negotiate an agreement on important EU air security rules, in particular whether armed sky marshals should be permitted on aircraft, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokeswoman, said: [Link]

    MILIBAND SPEECH ON EUROPE SHOWS BRITAIN LOSING ITS WAY ON FUTURE OF THE EU

    Commenting on the speech given by Foreign Secretary David Miliband today in Bruges in which he lays out the Government's vision for the European Union, Graham Watson MEP, Leader of the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament, said: [Link]

    Europe is losing the battle against poverty and social exclusion

    European countries must do much more to prioritise the fight against poverty and social exclusion and share best practice more effectively if we are to beat poverty and tackle social exclusion according to a key report set to be adopted tomorrow by the European Parliament. [Link]

    Far right group in the European Parliament implodes

    The far-right ITS group in the European Parliament has finally disintegrated following the resignation of four MEPs from the Party of Greater Romania after insulting comments by Alessandra Mussolini last week about Romanian people. As a political group needs a minimum of 20 MEPs from 6 nationalities the 19 remaining members of ITS are no longer sufficient to sustain it. ... [Link]

    EASY OPTION BEING TAKES ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM - LUDFORD

    Commenting on the package of anti-terrorist measures being presented by Commissioner Frattini today for approval by the European Commission, UK Liberal Democrat European Justice Spokeswoman, Sarah Ludford MEP, said: [Link]

    EU MUST CHECK LEGALITY OF ITALIAN EXPULSIONS - LUDFORD

    The Liberal Democrats' European Justice Spokeswoman, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, is calling on EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, a former Italian minister, to check whether the Italian government is in conformity with EU law in its expulsions of Romanian citizens. [Link]

    EASY OPTION BEING TAKES ON FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM - LUDFORD

    Commenting on the package of anti-terrorist measures being presented by Commissioner Frattini today for approval by the European Commission, UK Liberal Democrat European Justice Spokeswoman, Sarah Ludford MEP, said: [Link]

    EU MUST CHECK LEGALITY OF ITALIAN EXPULSIONS - LUDFORD

    The Liberal Democrats' European Justice Spokeswoman, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, is calling on EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, a former Italian minister, to check whether the Italian government is in conformity with EU law in its expulsions of Romanian citizens. [Link]

    CLUSTER BOMBS: MEPs DEMAND A STOP TO THE KILLING

    The European Parliament today adopted a resolution which MEPs hope will pave the way for an eventual global ban on cluster bombs. [Link]

    EU RIGHT TO BOOST BALKAN LINKS, BUT MUST NOT LET WAR CRIMINALS OFF HOOK - LUDFORD

    The European Parliament has given a positive signal to the Western Balkan countries by adopting a package of visa facilitation agreements which will give genuine travellers from the Balkans the right to travel more easily to Europe. Those countries will however have to take back illegal immigrants who came to the EU through their territory. [Link]

    A SMALL STEP TO A SMOKE FREE EUROPE - LYNNE

    MEPs today adopted a report calling for Member States to work towards a smoke free Europe by bringing in smoking bans similar to the ones in the UK and Ireland. [Link]

    MEPS CALL FOR ADVERTISING CONTROLS ON CARS

    European MPs are expected to vote tomorrow (Wednesday) for car manufacturers [Link]

    BRITISH INTIMIDATED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

    Speaking today in a key European Parliament debate on the outcome of the Inter Governmental Conference (IGC) last week, Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff, one of the three European Parliament representatives at the Treaty negotiations, said: [Link]

    BROWN WRITING UK OUT OF EUROPEAN ANTI-TERRORIST CAPABILITY - LUDFORD

    Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has attacked Gordon Brown for his blinkered 'red lines' approach on justice matters in the revised European Reform Treaty. [Link]

  • Liberal Democrats : All News Feed

    Bad day for MPs accountability - Hughes

    Commenting on Thursday’s votes on MPs pay, Liberal Democrat Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Simon Hughes said: "Today was a bad day for openness and accountability for MPs. The Commons had the chance to vote for proper auditing of all we do but an unholy coalition of Labour and Conservative MPs prevented it. "Liberal Democrats strongly supported the ... [Link]

    Google ruling very worrying for UK consumers - Foster

    Commenting on the US court ruling that Google must hand over all its YouTube user data to Viacom, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said:"This ruling sets a very worrying precedent for the future of the internet, with internet users’ personal details being passed around different corporations without consent. "Action needs to be taken against piracy ... [Link]

    Red tape stopping police from dealing with shocking costs of crime - Huhne

    Commenting on today’s Taxpayers’ Alliance report on the costs of crime, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "The costs of crime are shocking whether calculated financially, with violent crime accounting for half of the total at £8.5 billion, or in its human dimension. "Ministers must stop directing the police from Whitehall and allow them to respond to the ... [Link]

    Teachers must be freed to teach engaging and topical issues - Laws

    Commenting on the report published today by education charity DEA, which finds that one in five schoolchildren are ‘globally illiterate’ due to a failure to teach them about world events, Liberal Democrat Shadow Children, Schools and Families Secretary, David Laws MP said: "These are astonishing results given the huge range of modern technologies and access to information that are now ... [Link]

    Motoring taxes hit those without choice hardest - Baker

    Commenting on today’s RAC Foundation report calling for a root and branch review of motoring taxation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "I support the RAC in its call for a review of motoring taxes. "The current system isn’t working and hits those without a choice the hardest. "We need a system that discourages environmentally damaging behaviour and ... [Link]

    Britain cannot afford IT drain on MoD resources - Harvey

    Commenting on today’s NAO report on the MoD’s Defence Information Infrastructure Programme, which highlights delays and budget overruns, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: "This report is yet more evidence of the Government’s incompetence when it comes to the procurement of major IT contracts. "It is especially worrying that the risk of escalating costs threatens the MoD’s ability ... [Link]

    Cost of aborted plane feasibility studies unbelievable and outrageous - Baker

    Commenting on figures that show feasibility studies into aborted plans to buy two private jets to carry Gordon Brown and the Royal Family cost £1.25m, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "This is unbelievable and outrageous. Gordon Brown is burning money like a jet plane burns fuel. "How on earth can it cost over £1 million just to ... [Link]

    Zimbabwean cricket team must be banned from playing internationals - Foster

    Commenting ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting tomorrow, which is due to discuss Zimbabwe’s membership, Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster said: "It is extremely important that all members of the ICC recognise the appalling situation in Zimbabwe. "The ICC must ban Zimbabwe’s cricket team from all international matches. It is unacceptable for Zimbabwe ... [Link]

    Ministers cannot be trusted with fingerprints - Huhne

    Responding to the Biometric Assurance Group’s (BAG) comments that officials could struggle to cope with the number of mismatched or unclear fingerprints, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "Far from being the gold standard of identity as the Government claimed, the experts are now clear that the ID card scheme will be riddled with errors and vulnerable to ... [Link]

    Ministers turn blind eye to costly mistakes - Willott

    New figures released today show that the Department for Work and Pensions has been forced to spend £52m compensating people for mistakes made over the last 6 years. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: "These figures reveal how endemic and costly official error is at the DWP. Ministers have turned a blind eye as the ... [Link]

    Councils must be set free - Clegg

    Councils should be set free from depending on Whitehall funding by raising three-quarters of their money locally, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg will say today in a speech to the Local Government Association Conference in Bournemouth. Explaining the Liberal Democrats’ position as the only party willing to properly devolve power and money away from central government by re-localising business rates ... [Link]

    Bradshaw remarks must be backed up by facts - Lamb

    Commenting on comments by Ben Bradshaw that some GPs enter into ‘gentleman’s agreements’ not to accept each others patients, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: "Ratcheting up his war of words with the BMA in this way demonstrates the complete breakdown in trust between the Government and those on the health service’s front line. "If Ben Bradshaw is ... [Link]

    Nicol Stephen outstanding politician - Clegg

    Commenting on Nicol Stephen's resignation as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "Nicol Stephen has been an outstanding politician and force for change in Scotland. "As a Minister and Deputy First Minister, he played a pivotal role in showing what Liberal Democrats can deliver in Government. As a campaigner, he led the party to ... [Link]

    Government failing abjectly on knife crime - Huhne

    Commenting on figures compiled by Hospital Episodes Statistics which show a dramatic rise in under-16s admitted for stab wounds, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "These appalling figures show that the Government’s strategy for tackling teenage knife crime is failing abjectly. "Ministers claim that crime is falling, but these figures show serious attacks that require hospital admission are ... [Link]

    Darling's growth prediction laughable - Cable

    Commenting on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s projection that unemployment in the UK will rise by 100,000 over the next two years, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The OECD is rightly pointing out the economic reality that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling refuse to acknowledge. "It is painful but almost inevitable that the perfect storm of ... [Link]

    Decline in pension schemes a worrying trend - Willott

    Commenting on new figures from the Office of National Statistics, which show that the number of private sector workers that are members of occupational pension schemes has fallen by 400,000 since last year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: "This is an extremely worrying trend. All the evidence shows that people need to be saving more ... [Link]

    60 per cent of hospitals on emergency alerts - Lamb

    Almost two-thirds of hospitals have been on emergency alert over the last five years, according to a survey by the Liberal Democrats. Half of hospitals surveyed will cancel or delay elective surgery when on emergency alert, while over a third will delay patient treatment and almost a quarter will divert patients to other hospitals. The figures differ around the country, ... [Link]

    Government fares policy is 'walk-on/rip-off' - Baker

    Commenting on today’s report by the Campaign for Better Transport, which shows that walk-on rail fares are often four or five times as high as advanced fares, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker said: "The Government’s policy on fares is ‘walk-on/rip-off’. It is pushing up rail fares as a substitute for providing extra capacity and is pricing people off ... [Link]

    Government plunging us into dark age of dentistry - Gidley

    Commenting on today’s Health Select Committee report into dentistry, which highlights problems that have developed since the introduction of the new dental contract, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson and Select Committee Member, Sandra Gidley said: "This is another example of the Government meddling and rushing through changes without thinking about the consequences. "The facts speak for themselves. The number of patients ... [Link]

    Blair comments underline Labour's appalling record - Huhne

    Responding to Cherie Blair’s comments to the Home Affairs Select Committee on knife and gun crime, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "Anyone would think that Cherie Blair was not in Downing Street while violent crime doubled. "Labour’s record on gun and knife crime is appalling. Young people do not feel safe on our streets but all the ... [Link]