MP says “Severity of County Council cuts was completely avoidable”

Tessa Munt MP said she was ‘‘utterly appalled’’ at the final decision taken last week by Conservative led Somerset County Council to cut thousands of jobs, lose libraries and youth clubs, slash arts and voluntary organisations’ funding, chop Police Community Support Officers and finish many other services.  The plans were approved by 27 votes to 18 with every Liberal Democrat voting against the cuts.

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Forestry (England) | Business of the House | Commons debates

I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement today, and I regret the lack of clarity on access for the public and on the protection for biodiversity and landscape. I do not understand why we are cancelling a consultation when the new panel will need to hear and make its decision by autumn. It might be more logical to continue with the consultation for the remaining ten and a half weeks so that the public can continue to add their views to the current process.

Business of the House | Commons debates

Will the Leader of the House update us on what has happened on moving private Members’ Bills away from Friday? I have written to him on the subject, especially in light of the Sustainable Livestock Bill, which received great support from members of the public, environment groups and 172 MPs, but received fewer than 100 votes on the day that it was considered in the House. It seems a shame that MPs, particularly those outside London, should have to choose between voting on legislation that is important to their constituents and constituency commitments.

Energy: National Policy Statements | Energy and Climate Change | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to discuss with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs the findings of the Report by the Energy and Climate Change Committee on the revised draft national policy statements on energy on the Holford Rules in formulating the Government’s response to that report.

Tessa Munt MP – final plea to Somerset County Councillors about libraries

An open letter: my last plea to Somerset County Councillors to ‘Save the Libraries’

On Wednesday 16th February, Somerset County Councillors will be voting on the fate of the Libraries.  As I have expressed many times before, I view Ken Maddock’s proposals to cut the library service as utterly unnecessary. Read the rest of this entry »