Press release: Five guilty of illegally fishing in Nottinghamshire
Five Nottinghamshire anglers were found to be fishing without a licence read more
Author Archives: GovWorldMag
Green Party: Health tourism is not the real threat to our NHS, underinvestment is
6 February 2017
The Green Party believes the Government’s plan to make NHS hospitals in England charge overseas patients upfront for treatment [1] is a distraction from the real source of the NHS crisis.
Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:
“Treating doctors and nurses like border guards and forcing patients to produce identity documents will only cause chaos and simply add more stress to an already struggling system.
“It was also revealed today that nine in 10 hospitals have reached unsafe levels of overcrowding so far this winter [2] and one in six A&Es may be closed or downgraded over the next few years [3]. It’s clear our NHS is in a dire state but the Government seems more interesting in pushing the blame for this crisis onto foreign patients.
“Health tourism is not the real threat to our NHS, underinvestment is. The biggest impact that foreign born people have on our NHS is as doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. It’s time the Government owns up to its own failure rather than attempting to shift the blame elsewhere.”
Notes:
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38876527
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38853707
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/06/one-in-six-ae-departments-at-risk-of-closure-or-downgrade
This scandal exposes the overall approach by the Tories, which is to make those on low incomes pay for the last seven years of Tory economic failure – Rebecca Long-Bailey
Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to news that families affected by Concentrix assessments are to have their cases reviewed, said:
“These figures further confirm that Concentrix were pursuing a cut first ask questions later approach, which saw thousands of low income families pay the price for an overzealous contractor, and a lack of government oversight.
“This scandal exposes the overall approach by the Tories, which is to make those on low incomes pay for the last seven years of Tory economic failure.
“We welcome the fact that those who have been unfairly punished will have their cases finally reviewed. It is just a shame that the Tories had to be forced here kicking and screaming by Labour. However, those who have their decisions overturned must be reimbursed in full for the amounts that they lost as a matter of urgency. Anything less will be seen as the government continuing to let them down.”
read moreEconomic think tank questions Holyrood budget process
6 Feb 2017
A leading economic think tank has queried the Holyrood budget process after it emerged the Scottish Government identified an extra £220million not included in December’s draft budget plans.
In a blog published on its website, the Fraser of Allander Institute said that the sources of the additional funds – found just weeks after the original budget was published – are “as yet unclear”.
The Scottish Conservatives have said that the findings raise questions about the SNP’s decision to strike a high tax deal with the Greens.
Murdo Fraser, Scottish Conservative Finance spokesman, said:
“This analysis from the respected Fraser of Allander Institute destroys any claim by the SNP that they have to charge people more tax than in the rest of the UK.
“Far from suffering from so-called cutbacks, it turns out the SNP Government had tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money squirreled away in their accounts. Instead of returning this to working families in their pay cheques, as they could have, they instead used it to buy off the Greens.
“The SNP could have worked with us to ensure Scotland does not become the highest taxed part of the UK. Instead they chose to do a deal with a Green party which, like the SNP, wants to take Scotland back to an unwanted referendum on independence.
“The SNP did not need to tax people in Scotland more, but it did so nonetheless. This will be bad for the economy and bad for growth.”
Link to Fraser of Allander report:
https://fraserofallander.org/2017/02/03/boosting-the-scottish-governments-budget/
The story is carried in the Sunday Times today: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/scots-think-tank-queries-holyrood-budget-boost-t082k3lph
read moreNews story: Social hub takes shape at Worthy Down
Building work on the Catering, Retail and Leisure (CRL) facility on the site of the new Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration (DCLPA) at Worthy Down, has been completed. read more