Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were (a) doubling up in cells designed for one and (b) trebling up in cells designed for two on the latest date for which figures are available.When the government quote capacity figures of 82,205, they are actually quoting is the Useable Operational Capacity which is the operational capacity less 1700 places. The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by area managers on the basis of operational judgement and experience. In other words it is the limit of operational capability, not the recommended level (CNA).
Maria Eagle: At the end of February, 19,382 prisoners were reported as being doubled in cells certified to hold one person and 1,207 prisoners were reported as being trebled in cells certified to hold two people.
As confidence in Gordon Brown's ability to manage the economy (and Darling's I suppose) drops like a very large stony thing, the Conservatives have polled at least 40% for the last six months. The Lib Dems are hovering around the mid-teens (no pun intended). And if Nick Clegg does not whip his Peers to abstain from the vote for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, then I can see that reducing drastically. I don't think it will be long before we see a 20 point gap between the Conservatives and Labour (45-25). Could we see a decade of Labour and the Lib Dems fighting it out for second position?For the sixth time in row spring will not be only a season of blossoming flowers but also a time when students all over the world can get to know more about the European Union. Spring Day for Europe, the event organised by European Commission in cooperation with the European Parliament and other EU institutions, runs this year between 25 March and 30 June. Spring Day for Europe is an annual event open to all schools in Europe as well as in the rest of the world. During this time schools are encouraged to organise events that could help students understand better how the EU and its institutions work. Teachers and pupils discuss EU issues and share their own opinions and visions about Europe.You may have notice that I've enlarged a certain section of the above text. That section immediately caused my blood to boil. The EU is a political matter and teachers should not under any bloody circumstance "Share their opinions and visions" with students.
"European integration needs symbols and references. The celebration of the Spring Day for Europe has become a significant date for all European young people. This year in particular the theme ‘Bridging cultures through dialogue’ is an invitation to reflect our cultural diversity as an element of enrichment of our common project."Are these the same symbols removed from the Lisbon Treaty to make it more palatable?
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Nick Robinson is prophesying the end of the Barnett Formula. Nick believes that Labour Ministers are in flap over the formula because the are worried that George Osborne may propose scrapping it. And that will be a massive vote winner in England."These leaked documents suggest that while Gordon Brown refuses to consider any changes to the Barnett formula, Jack Straw is arguing for change, leaving Alistair Darling, as usual, the weak man in the middle. "The Government's spending policy is being pulled apart by the warring members of the Cabinet."The Barnett Formula gives a subsidy of £1500 to each Scottish citizen. That money comes from the English tax payer and unsurprisingly many (myself included) want to see this outdated formula scrapped. Taxes are high enough under this government without sending a load of what is collected to Scotland.
"That this House notes the impending launch of a purportedly politically neutral magazine called Total Politics; notes that it is fronted by Iain Dale, a failed Conservative parliamentary candidate; further notes that it is being run from Lord Ashcroft's address in Cowley Street and that it is fronted by Lord Ashcroft; and calls upon hon. and right hon. Members to reject the free copies which will be sent to them in the near future."Peter is well aware that Iain Dale is hiring staff from across the political spectrum in an attempt to create an un-biased magazine. This is surely just Peter having a dig at Lord Ashcroft. Does he think that his fellow Labour MPs are too dim to read the magazine and come to their own conclusions? Actually - he could have a point.
"Despite the year on year increase in gun crime and the legislation introduced in 2003 allowing judges to give mandatory five year sentences, lenient decisions by the courts are failing to protect society from the menace of firearms.You know, I really like Jan Berry. I've been reading her press releases for about a year now and I can't find fault in anything she has said.
Chief Constable Hogan-Howe is right to highlight this issue because not only are judges playing with the safety of the public, but some of the ludicrous sentences are hugely demoralising for front line officers doing their very best to protect the communities they serve.
Understandably there are a few exceptions when circumstances dictate it is not suitable to hand out the mandatory five year sentences; but they should be the exception not the rule as they appear to have become with less than 50% of cases receiving the 5 years or more.
Whatever the reason might be; a lack of prison places should not be a determining factor when it comes to public safety and justice."
Australian Ross Smith intends to build a full size replica of Stonehenge on his land on the south coast of western Australia. Ross will be using 2500 tons of granite to reproduce the monument in its original glory. Got some time to kill but don't know where to go? 12 34 5
The Ministry of Defence is to pay ex-Gurkhas the same pensions as British soldiers. Ex-Gurkhas Currently receive just a sixth of the average army pension (£984 a year) and many ex-Gurkhas say they are left destitute. The new pension deal will not apply to Nepalese soldiers who retired before July 1997, leaving many disappointed. Padam Bahadur Gurung, President of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation, said: "This is good news for serving Gurkhas, but not for the Gurkhas who fought in the Second World War and the Falklands. "There are currently about 3,500 Gurkhas serving in the Army and close to 20,000 former soldiers living in Britain and Nepal.Every single day in this country 2,000 immigrants are given national insurance numbers.
Yet another Gurkha hero, L/Cpl Gyanendra Rai, has been denied entry to Britain because he: "did not have strong ties to the UK". L/Cpl Rai was badly wounded during the Falklands War and discharged from the service on medical grounds. Members of the British Armed Forces receive a tax free medical pension if they have to leave the service on medical grounds. L/Cpl Rai served in the British Army but does not get a medical pension because he is a Gurkha. In fact he doesn't even receive a basic pension because he only served 13 years of the 15 required to qualify for the one sixth of a basic Army pension that Gurkhas receive.During this week's PMQs Nick Clegg asked Brown: "Can you explain to the Gurkhas why on earth you believe that Gurkhas who served in the Army after 1997 are worthy of British citizenship but those who served before that date should be deported?".
"I wish we had such a prime minister in Holland. "Unfortunately we have a coward who will not stand fast on the constitution's words about freedom of expression, but instead has sided with the Taliban."It's not surprising that the Danish PM, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is trying his best to disassociate himself and his country from Geert Wilders:
"I dissociate myself completely from Geert Wilders' points of view, and I must clearly reject Mr Wilders' attempt at associating his views to those of the Danish government. "The Danish government respects all religions. Wilders generalises and demonises groups because of their religious or ethnic background."Wilder's film has the Dutch government bracing itself for violent protests. If they have any sense at all, they will go all out to stop this film being broadcast. Before anyone jumps down my throat and cries "freedom of speech!", Wilders has apparently threatened to show images of the Koran being torn up. I'm sorry but if someone from another religion was to tear up a Bible on TV whilst slagging off Christianity, I'd be more than a little angry.
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Early medical abortion (up to nine weeks). This method involves taking two tablets, one two days after the other, and together they will induce cramping that will result in the uterus breaking down and the embryo being flushed out. This may also be called medical abortion or using the abortion pill.
Vacuum aspiration abortion (five to fifteen weeks). This method involves a tube being inserted into the vagina and using suction to remove the embryo from the uterus. This is sometimes also called the suction method.
Dilation and evacuation (fifteen to nineteen weeks). This method involves stretching the cervix open with forceps and using suction to remove the embryo from the uterus. This may also be called D&E and be considered the suction method.
From the Daily Telegraph: 20 Government ministers - including seven members of the Cabinet, were battling to save their local post offices prompting accusations of "rank hypocrisy".The Telegraph claims that Labour Party insiders say that they relaxed about the vote because even though it may embarrass the government - it is not legally binding. I think they are trying to say "So what?". I wonder how low the Labour party can sink. First they break their manifesto promise to give us a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and now they are campaigning for the Post Offices that THEY are closing to stay open. I swear most of these Labour MPs have more faces than Big Ben (I know it's not called Big Ben).
An ICM poll for tomorrow's Guardian confirms that Labour are definitely losing public support. The Conservatives are on 42%, Labour, 29% and the LibDems are on 21%. At this rate the LibDems will overtake Labour.
The Police Federation of England and Wales are not going to let Jacqui Smith get away with welching on their pay arbitration. She may think it's over, but the Federation have other ideas. 140,000 Police Officers are to be polled on whether they wish the Federation to begin to lobby for full industrial rights for them.I wish them good luck. Why should Police officers be restricted to wage increases in line with the CPI (2.1%), when MPs increase their expenses in line with the RPI (4.3%)?Two questions will appear on the poll, which will be undertaken by independent research company Ipsos MORI:
1.Do you think the decision of the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal should be binding on the government?
2.In the absence of binding arbitration on the government, do you wish the Police Federation of England and Wales to start to lobby for a change in legislation to allow police officers full industrial rights?
The survey will be conducted both online and via paper questionnaires. Police Federation members will be able to access the online survey via www.polfed.org and Local Federation Branch Boards will also have paper questionnaires that can be distributed. Final details regarding distribution is still being finalised with branch boards. The survey will go live from 24th March. The online poll with close on 2nd May, and the paper poll will close on 25th April. The results will be available at the Police Federation annual conference in Bournemouth in May.
A YouGov poll for today's Evening Standard shows Boris Johnson to be extending his lead over Red Ken in the London Mayoral race. Boris is now polling about 49% of the population of London (no jokes please), Ken is on 37% (he's been polling the whole of London for quite a while) and Brian Paddick is dragging arse on 12%.The row between Porsche and the mayor of London intensified last night when Ken Livingstone called on the luxury car manufacturer to abandon its legal challenge to a new £25 polluters' charge, claiming it did not have the support of Londoners.This is going to be a very bad year for Labour.
The chart shown on the top left of this post depicts the results of a "Green Tax" poll carried out by YouGov. The poll was held shortly after Alistair darling's budget speech. It seems that like me, the majority of the British public believe that Gordon Brown's so called Green Taxes are not going to be spent on environmental issues. In fact only ten per cent trusted the government to spend all the money raised on Green projects.Got some time to kill but don't know where to go? 1 2 34 5
A YouGov poll for today's Sunday Times has given the Conservatives their biggest lead over Labour in the last twenty five. The Conservatives are on 43%, Labour, 27% and the LibDems are on 16%. You may have noticed that this 16 point lead puts the Conservatives on the same points as Labour and the LibDems combined. It would also give a Conservative government an 120 seat majority in parliament.
David Cameron gave his Spring Conference Speech today. The speech was entitled "Yes, we can get the change we really want". The main focus of the speech was how family is the most important thing in his life and how family can mend our broken society. Personally I don't think that the breakdown of the family is the largest contributor to our broken society, in my opinion, it is the fact that many in our society no longer feel SHAME for their actions."Today I want to talk to you about a simple ambition that I have for our country. It's at the heart of what I believe, and what I believe our country needs. My ambition is to make Britain more family-friendly. To make our country a better place to bring up children. Not just because it's the right thing to do, not just because my family is the most important thing in my life, but because families should be the most important thing in our country's life.Why? We all know why. Because those kids at the end of the street, causing mayhem, smashing up the bus shelter…we know what the problem is. It goes back to the home, the way they were brought up, the lack of a strong family to teach them that you just don't behave like that. It's families. Those young people who leave school without qualifications, expecting nothing but a life on welfare. We know what the problem is. The problem is they never had that strong family saying: go on, try hard at school, do your homework, make something of your life. Those people in jail, time after time, addicted to drugs and unable to break free of their habit and a life of crime. We know what the problem is. It's families and be clear: there are single parents, divorced parents, widows - all working hard to keep their families together, to keep their children on track. The modern Conservative Party is the party of families, and we need to support them all.You can read the full speech by clicking HERE.
I've just seen a BBC reporter standing outside the home of Shannon Matthews. It was raining and the reporter was using an umbrella. I can understand that, but why was he using one just like the one in this picture? Biased BBC - no surely not?
Roger Helmer MEP has been fined £600 for his part in the demonstration for a referendum in the parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg in December. Only fourteen members were singled out by President of the parliament Hans-Gert Poettering MEP for punishment. Roger says:"I am considering whether to appeal (as I can, under parliamentary rules), and there are good grounds for doing so. So far as I am aware no MEP has complained of my behaviour in December."It's obvious to anyone who has seen footage of the demonstration that a damn sight more than fourteen MEPs were involved in the demonstration. So why single out these fourteen? One of those accused by Hans-Gert Poettering (Andreas Molzer, an Austrian non-inscrit MEP) wasn't even present on the day.
"We conclude that there is no material difference between the provisions on foreign affairs in the Constitutional Treaty which the government made subject to approval in a referendum and those in the Lisbon Treaty on which a referendum is being denied,"Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, former French President and Chairman of the Convention which drew up the EU Constitution.
"They have taken the original draft constitution, blown it apart into separate elements, and have then attached them, one by one, to existing treaties. It is unpenetrable for the public. "In terms of content, the proposed institutional reforms - the only ones which mattered to the drafting Convention - are all to be found in the Treaty of Lisbon. They have merely been ordered differently and split up between previous treaties."Michael Connarty MP, the Labour Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee.
"Every provision of the Constitutional Treaty, apart from the flags, mottos and anthems, is to be found in the Reform [Lisbon] Treaty. We think that they are fundamentally the same, and the Government have not produced a table to contradict our position."Václav Klaus, Czech President.
"Only cosmetic changes have been made and the basic document remains the same."Giuliano Amato, former Italian Prime Minister and Vice-Chairman of the Convention which drew up the Constitution.
"The good thing about not calling it a Constitution is that no one can ask for a referendum on it."Dr Garret FitzGerald, former Irish Taoiseach.
"As for the changes now proposed to be made to the constitutional treaty, most are presentational changes that have no practical effect. They have simply been designed to enable certain heads of government to sell to their people the idea of ratification by parliamentary action rather than by referendum."Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister.
"They haven't changed the substance - 90 per cent of it is still there."Gordon Brown, The UK Prime Minister.
"If we needed a referendum we would have one. But I think most people recognise that there is not a fundamental change taking place as a result of this amended treaty."Nicolas Sarkozy, French President.
"A referendum now would bring Europe into danger. There will be no Treaty if we had a referendum in France, which would again be followed by a referendum in the UK."Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark.
"The good thing is that all the symbolic elements are gone, and that which really matters Рthe core Рis left."Jos̩ Zapatero, Spanish Prime Minister.
"A great part of the content of the European Constitution is captured in the new treaties."Angela Merkel, German Chancellor.
"The substance of the constitution is preserved. That is a fact."Astrid Thors, Finnish Europe Minister.
"There’s nothing from the original institutional package that has been changed."Ursula Plassnik, Autrian Foreign Minister.
"For Austria it was important to keep the essence, to keep the institutional side of it intact, and also to keep the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This is the essence, and we were able to safeguard that."Did you spot the odd one out?
Apparently a Mr (I'm in the money) Sandor is doing quite well from his company - Climate Exchange PLC. The company facilitates the buying and selling of "Carbon Permits" which the Wall Street Journal describes as: "buying and selling the right to pollute." This is another great idea from the EU, who require polluters to cut emissions or buy carbon credits and pollute to their hearts' content. It turns out that a great deal of this buying and selling happens on an exchange set up by Mr (show me the money) Sandor.From the Wall Street Journal: LONDON -- The planet is getting warmer. Richard Sandor, a 66-year-old economist, is getting wealthier. Last year, the total value of carbon permits changing hands -- whether on public exchanges or in private, off-market transactions, where most still occur -- nearly doubled to €40 billion, or about $60 billion, according to Oslo-based Point Carbon, a market research firm. Yesterday, Climate Exchange's stock jumped 16% after the firm reported a tripling in 2007 revenue to £13.6 million, or about $27 million. That gives the company, which handles about 90% of the trading on carbon exchanges, a market capitalization of roughly $1.31 billion. Mr. Sandor's 20% stake is worth more than $260 million on paper.Nice work if you can get it.
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