Huppert Backs TV Chef To Ensure Academies Don't Serve Junk Food

Television celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver’s fight to get the government to make sure new academies and free schools don’t serve junk food to their pupils has been backed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert.

Julian raised the issue with Education Minister, Michael Gove after he received a letter from Jamie and an email from a resident both expressing their concerns.

He has also signed a Commons’ Early Day Motion welcoming Jamie’s campaign and calling on Mr Gove to change the law to make academies and free schools serve food that meets nutritional regulations.

Julian said: “It is vital that our children receive good, nutritional meals, not only to promote healthy living now but also to teach them how to eat well for the future.

“We have children across the country who are obese because of poor diets and lack of exercise. We cannot afford to take any chances that this problem will be compounded by poor nutritional standards in our schools when we have introduced laws to protect against it.

“All schools teaching our children should be bound by the regulations put in place to safeguard the health of pupils in their care; there should be no exceptions.”

Mr Gove told Julian: “Free schools and new academies which have been set up from September 2010 are not required to comply with the school food standards.

“Studies by the School Food Trust now provide good evidence of the benefits of a balanced meal on pupils’ concentration, behaviour and ability to learn. Given this evidence we expect that free schools and academies will still want to promote healthy eating and good nutrition through the provision of high quality lunch services.

“We have asked the School Food Trust to survey the quality of food in a sample of academies in response to concerns raised by Jamie Oliver and we expect the trust to report to us within the next few months.”

The full wording of the EDM is as follows:

That this House recognises the impact of unhealthy eating and obesity on children's health and well-being; expresses its concern that academies and free schools opened since September 2010 are not required to adhere to the mandatory standards for school food; welcomes the joint Jamie Oliver Children's Food Campaign, Food for Life Partnership, LACA and School Food Matters Save Our School Food Standards campaign; and calls on the Secretary of State to amend the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007 to require academies and free schools to adhere to the standards for school food so that the one million children now attending these schools can benefit from this commitment to their health and well-being.

MP Told Of £4M Station Ticket Hall Improvement After Complaint

MP Julian Huppert has received assurances from train operator Greater Anglia that £4 million worth of improvement work is planned at Cambridge railway station’s booking hall after he received a complaint.

The number of entry gates is to be increased to improve the flow of customers to platforms and the ticket hall will be opened up to create more space for additional ticket machines.

Julian was given news of the planned improvements after a complaint about the length of queues as customers waited to use ticket machines.

He was told that on one occasion the queue stretched out of the building across the road in front of the taxis to the car park.

After passengers complained, a railway station worker came out with a portable ticket machine and started selling tickets.

At the same time, a train arrived and the ticket hall was jammed with customers and there were fears that someone could be seriously injured in the crush.

Julian said: “This whole scenario was extremely worrying. Clearly, the ticket hall is inadequate for the amount of passengers using the station.

“I am pleased, therefore, that Greater Anglia is planning major works which will open up the ticket hall providing more space for passengers moving through and an increased number of machines.

“Cambridge station is very busy with commuters and passengers and priority has to be to get these people to and from their destinations safely and efficiently.”

Greater Anglia Customer Relations Manager, Lynsey Flack told Julian: “The booking hall at Cambridge station is due for considerable improvement during the lifetime of our current, short rail franchise. This is part of the Cambridge redevelopment plan.”

And she acknowledged that the experience relayed to Julian was “far from acceptable”.

Huppert Learns How To Cut His Energy Bills

MP Julian Huppert is to find out more about how he could save up to 30 per cent on his household energy bills when he meets representatives from a new company on Friday (May 25).

Collective Power UK promises to aim to lower gas and electricity prices by collective buying for customers across the Eastern region.

By collecting together the details of a large pool of consumers, the company, based in Haslingfield Road, Harston, will negotiate with the energy companies to cut bills.

The service is free to customers and could save between 10 and 30 per cent on household fuel costs.

Julian said: “I am interested to find out more about this idea. We have all noticed how energy prices have soared in recent months and any idea which could help us to save money has to be worthwhile.

“Collective purchasing already seems to be working well in Holland so there is no reason why it shouldn’t take off here. And it is time that we made the big energy suppliers realised that if they want to keep us loyal they have to be compete for our business in the same way as any other company.”

MP And Lib Dems Answer Call For Blood Platelet Donors

Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert and Liberal Democrat councillors answered a call for more blood platelet donors on Friday, May 18.

Julian and the five city and county councillors supported a campaign by the NHS Blood and Transplant service to find more platelet donors for the Cambridge Blood Donor Centre.

Cambridge City Councillors, Susannah Kerr, Sarah Brown and Paul Saunders and Cambridgeshire County Councillors, Sarah Whitebread and Ian Manning joined Julian at the mobile blood unit for a one-off testing session at the Star Radio studios in Cambridge’s Mercer’s Row.

They were tested to see if they could donate platelets – tiny cells in the blood which enable clotting and help to step blood loss. These crucial supplies have only a seven day shelf-life and are used to treat patients whose bone marrow isn’t working properly, including cancer and leukaemia patients undergoing chemotherapy.

The Cambridge Blood Donor Centre, on the Addenbrooke’s Hospital site, is one of only two in the East of England to collect platelets and supplies hospitals across East Anglia.

Julian said: “This was such a simple process which took just 15 minutes but if any or all of us are able to donate platelets we will be able to help some very sick people.

“I hope more people will be encouraged to take this test because clearly with such a short shelf-life and the fact that only around one in four people will have a high enough platelet count to make a donation, supplies are needed regularly.

“None of us knows what the future holds but we could find ourselves in the position where we desperately need this service.”  

Platelet donors are encouraged to donate regularly, at least once a month and more if possible.

 Anyone aged between 17 and 65 can be tested to become a donor along with those aged between 66 and 70 who have given blood before. Those over 70 need to have given a full blood donation in the last two years.

Julian is joined by (from left) Sarah Whitebread, Paul Saunders,
Sarah Brown, Ian Manning and Susannah Kerr stand
up to be counted at the mobile blood unit

NOTE: Platelet donation is a specialised process and can only be done at a handful of centres across the country – including a donor suite at Addenbrookes Hospital. Blood group A negative donors are particularly needed, as their platelets can also be given to patients with other blood groups

Chemotherapy or radiotherapy can destroy healthy as well as diseased cells in the blood. A patient with a low platelet count may be at risk of severe bleeding problems, so they can need many transfusions over the course of their recovery period

Platelets are collected in two ways. A donation of platelets given using a machine which separates the platelets and returns the rest of the blood can give enough for three transfusions. Alternatively, the platelets from four donations of whole blood can give enough for one transfusion. It takes around one and a half hours to make a platelet donation.

Huppert Receives Assurances On Green Deal's Credentials

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

MP Julian Huppert has received assurances from the government that its new Green Deal will give investors long-term confidence to invest in companies tackling climate change, such as the newly-launched Cambridge Retrofit scheme.

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Gregory Barker paid tribute to the organisation which is working to retrofit buildings throughout the City to help make Cambridge the first UK city to meet national carbon reduction targets.

“My department is already working with Cambridge Retrofit which is just the sort of ambitious city-wide retrofit programme the Green Deal is designed to support,” he said during Questions in the House of Commons.

Julian welcomed Mr Barker’s endorsement saying: “Cambridge Retrofit is indeed an excellent programme which will make a huge difference.”

And he asked the Minister: “How will the government ensure there is the stability of energy and climate policies in the long term so investors are willing to put finance into major schemes such as Cambridge Retrofit?”

Mr Barker replied: “We know what investors want; they want TLC, transparency, longevity and certainty and unlike previous short term or stop go policies, the Green Deal is designed to run well into the 2020s giving investors exactly the sort of longevity and certainty they need.”

Later Julian said: “This is very welcome news. I am delighted that the government has shown this commitment to the Green Deal and the fight to tackle climate change.

“For major programmes such as the one run by Cambridge Retrofit, the confidence of investors to put their money into green, carbon reduction companies is vital. These companies rely on the government having a strong, green agenda and that has been clearly demonstrated today.”

Cambridge Retrofit 40-Year Venture Website

Huppert Pushes Government To Put Life-Saving On School Timetables

Julian at the Westminster
launch of the Red Cross
campaign

MP Julian Huppert joined forces with a leading national charity today (Tuesday, May 15) to push the government to include life-saving skills on school timetables.

Julian and members of the British Heart Foundation met Education Minister, Nick Gibb following the charity’s high profile campaign for emergency life support to be taught in biology lessons.

The meeting came after Julian led on an open letter signed by 44 MPs to Education Minister, Michael Gove last month calling for schoolchildren to be taught CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

And he visited the British Heart Foundation shop in Cambridge’s Burleigh Street in January to support the campaign.

Julian has also give his backing to a similar campaign, Pupil, Citizen, Lifesaver being run by the Red Cross which was launched in Westminster last week with politicians, pupils and teachers.

“Teaching our children basic life-saving skills would put hundreds of thousands of potential lifesavers out on the streets every year,” said Julian, who used to volunteer with Cambridge’s St John Ambulance.

“We made a strong case to Nick Gibb for including life saving skills on the National Curriculum and he took on board the huge benefits that it could bring to society as a whole.

“Only a handful of primary schools offer this teaching at the moment. Putting it on school timetables across the country would mean that the next generation would be equipped to tackle an emergency situation calmly and efficiently and more lives could be saved as a result.”  

Music Under Threat For Hundreds Of Vulnerable Youngsters

Cllr Lucy Nethsingha (LD, Newnham)

Fears that hundreds of schoolchildren could lose their free music lessons following changes to the way they are funded have been expressed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats.

Cash-strapped schools across the county could be expected to pick up the bill for music lessons for children in local authority care and those on free school meals.

But the Lib Dems fear that their budgets won’t stretch to the extra expense and are calling on the Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council to step in and provide the money.

The change comes after the government, which used to send money for music lessons direct to the county council, decided to send it to Art Council England; now organisations across the country must bid for a share.

The newly-formed Cambridgeshire Music Partnership had made a bid for funding to lead the music education service in the county.

But Cambridgeshire Music Service, which provided the money for lessons for the 500 youngsters, is aiming  to become self-funding leaving schools to fund these lessons instead.

Cambridgeshire Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Lucy Nethsingha is worried that the move could lead to youngsters missing out.

She is calling on the county council to provide funding to the Cambridgeshire Music Service during the transitional period while the new changes take effect.

Cllr Nethsingha, who will put a motion to full council tomorrow (Tuesday, May 15) said: “Music can provide a hugely important positive element in the lives of some vulnerable children. It is imperative that we find a way to make sure these children can still have their lessons.

“Educational outcomes for children in care and those on free school meals tend to be worse than average. Music can be one way to improve educational achievement, so it is particularly important that this group of children get access to the educational benefits music lessons can bring.”

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert, who played in the Cambridgeshire Youth Orchestra said: “Music has been a big part of my life and all children regardless of their background or circumstances should have this chance.

"Music gives young people the opportunity to socialise, meet new friends and it has been proved that children who take part in music do better at school. I hope the county council can find a way to fund these lessons.”

Huppert Secures Key Legislation In Queen's Speech

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert has welcomed key legislation on libel reform in the Queen’s Speech, which he fought for and which will promote free speech and free up academic and scientific debate.

He has also welcomed other Liberal Democrat victories, including tougher regulations on the giant supermarkets, major reform of the House of Lords and moves to break up the banks.

But he has again expressed his grave concerns about new powers to allow the police and intelligence services to snoop on texts and emails.

“The Lib Dems have achieved key legislation addressing major issues which have stifled freedom of speech and led to unfair competition,” said Julian. “I am delighted that we have been able to get these recognised by the government and action taken to tackle them.”

Julian worked on the draft libel reform bill and pushed it on many occasions, including at the Lib Dem Conference, for it to be in this year's legislative programme.

He also received assurances in the House of Commons from the Lord Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke earlier this year that the government would ensure that research could be published freely without fear of defamation, after cases such as that of Simon Singh and Peter Wilmshurst led to great concern.

And today (Wednesday, May 9) the new Bill, which prevents scientific and academic debate from being stifled by fear of legal action, was announced in the Queen’s Speech.

“This is a huge step forward,” said Julian. “It gives academics and scientists the opportunity to publish their research findings freely and openly without the risk of being sued.

“Now we can give them the freedom to speak out when their work makes discoveries that challenge ideas and concepts even if that research is controversial.”

He also welcomed the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill to enforce the Groceries Code. This makes sure the largest retailers, such as the big name supermarkets, treat their suppliers fairly.

“We have seen the giant supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury moving into Cambridge and threatening the smaller, independent traders,” said Julian. “This new Bill will provide tougher regulation, promote fair competition and give everyone a fighting chance.”

Julian also welcomed the reform of the House of Lords – a key Liberal Democrat election pledge.

He said: “This move will substantially cut the number of peers and allow the people to elect 80 per cent of the second chamber. I firmly believe that those making the laws should be accountable to the people and not given a seat by some ancient right.”

But Julian has again expressed his concerns about extra powers to allow the surveillance of internet communication, although he welcomed the decision to publish a draft of the bill.

He said: “I cannot support any plans which allow the state to view the content of private emails, telephone calls, text messages or any electronic communications without a warrant,” he said. “The police and the security services should not be given a free pass to snoop on the private lives of my constituents.

“There can be no justification for this and I will do everything in my power to stop this happening. We need greater protections and safeguards so our private data stays ours. The Home office has refused to say publicly exactly what it intends to do, and it must do so urgently before we can sensible discuss their proposals.”

Greater Protection For Holidaymakers Welcomed By Huppert

Government reforms, providing greater protection for Cambridge holidaymakers booking overseas holidays, have been welcomed by city MP, Julian Huppert.

The changes to the Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL) scheme, which at present covers only package holidays, will extend it to cover ‘flight plus’ holidays sold by a tour operator or travel agent.

This means that when holidaymakers book a flight and other key elements such as hotel accommodation or car hire within two consecutive days of each other, they will be offered the same ATOL protection.

Further reforms to the ATOL scheme, to possibly include holidays sold by airlines, are contained in the Civil Aviation Bill currently making its way through Parliament.

Julian, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Transport Committee welcomed the move to make air travel more passenger focused and offer holidaymakers more protection.

He said: “Until now, we have had an absurd situation where travellers have been left unsure as to whether their holidays are covered. This gives them little peace of mind should their tour operator become insolvent before they travel or while they are on holiday.

“And the rise in internet shopping for holidays means that more and more people are choosing to book trips on line rather than take package holidays. We need a system which recognises this trend and responds to this new found freedom and flexibility. The latest reforms go some way to addressing this and I hope the government will go further.”    

Huppert Demands Greater Government Clarity On Fire Funding

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert has demanded greater clarity from the government over its future funding plans for the county’s cash-strapped fire service.

He has asked for a meeting with Bob Neill, Minister for Communities and Local Government to which he intends to invite Cambridgeshire and Peterborough MPs in a bid to get information which will allow informed decisions to be made about resources.

And on Monday (April 30) Julian will ask Mr Neill, during Questions in the House of Commons ‘what discussions he has had on funding for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority’.

He is worried that emergency fire cover could be at risk over the next four years if more than the already planned £4.2 million savings are required.

Julian visited Cambridge Fire Station recently and met with firefighters on White Watch. He also discussed the planned changes in government funding with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Chief Fire Officer.

He told Mr Neill in a letter that there are specific concerns over the impact of the cuts on the county’s large retained service and warned that costs may not be able to be reduced without significant fire station closures.

“In particular, this could result in a significant reduction of services in rural areas,” he told Mr Neill. “As a result, just a few hundred thousand pounds could make the difference between large station closures now, and the retention of adequate services in the long term.”

Julian added later: “It is absolutely crucial that the fire service has a clear idea of the government’s funding plans over the next few years but, at the moment that information is not coming through. Without being able to take a broader view of this issue it is extremely difficult to make decisions on the ground.

“I am very worried that long-term plans to reduce funding could lead to the downgrading or closure of fire stations, a reduction in fire-fighters and fire appliances and increase in emergency response times. This could have a serious impact in rural areas and the city resulting in a loss of service.”

Huppert Secures Meeting With Minister Over Fire Service Funding

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

A government minister is to meet Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert to discuss future funding for the county’s fire service.

Bob Neill, Minister for Communities and Local Government agreed to the meeting in the House of Commons today (Monday, April 30) after Julian called for greater clarity over the government’s funding plans for the service.

“Fire services, such as ours in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which are already low cost and largely have retained fire-fighters, are extremely vulnerable to excessive funding reductions and have no alternative other than the withdrawal of some appliances and the closure of fire stations, beyond a certain point,” Julian told the minister.

“I do accept the need for some savings, but there is still a lack of clarity as to how much this service will have to save. Will he meet with me, staff from the Authority and Service, and other local MPs, who are also concerned, to discuss how much funding there will be available in the future?”

Mr Neill said: “In relation to funding overall, the reduction to funding in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is 1.5 per cent in terms of reduction of their spending power.

“I am glad to say that their joint bid for Suffolk to improve fire control room services was successful and they will receive £400,000 revenue and £180,000 capital funding.

“I am always happy to meet with Honorable Members to discuss the circumstances in their own constituencies.”

Later Julian said: “I am delighted that the minister has agreed to meet to discuss this issue.

“The Fire Authority cannot be expected to make decisions about the future of our fire service without having all the facts. The government has to be completely clear about the level of funding that the service can expect in the future so that our fire cover can be protected.

“Now l am hoping that we will be able to get the answers to our questions to give the fire authority a much more solid base from which to work.

"I spent an evening recently with the White Watch in Cambridge, and it was clear what a great job they do - they deserve to know what they will be able to do in the future"

Huppert Quizzes Government On Ethical Pensions

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert has quizzed the government on the action it is taking to make sure pension holders have the chance to invest their retirement funds in ethical companies and not just those offering short-term returns.

He paid tribute to Cambridge Retrofit, who aim to retrofit Cambridge buildings by 2050. He spoke at their launch last week, welcoming the landmark energy efficiency initiative to make Cambridge the first UK city to reach national targets of an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

Julian told Parliament that he wants pension fund trustees to look closely at investing funds in companies such as this.

He asked Pensions Minister, Steve Webb in the House of Commons: “How will he make sure that trustees are aware that their fiduciary duties do not prevent them from doing this? How will he communicate this, as many of them seem to be unaware of this?”

Mr Webb assured Julian that trustees are allowed to look at wider social aspects of their investments, and that the pension regulator communicates regularly with trustees and provided a tool kit on his website setting out trustees’ duties.

He also highlighted that "auto enrolment does provide the opportunity for ethical investment, for example the National Employment Saving Trust, will specifically have an ethical fund for people who want to invest in that way,” he said, “ and I hope that his schemes will seek to find investments through that particular route.”

Julian said later: “We have a huge number of companies in this country working on programmes which aim to improve our environment, reduce inequality and generally make life better for us and future generations.

“These companies need investment to grow and flourish and pension fund trustees should be looking at them seriously. We should be looking to the companies of the future, those that have excellent ethical credentials and that are working towards what we want to achieve environmentally.”

Apprenticeships On The Increase In City

Apprenticeships in Cambridge are on the increase with 2,190* people joining a training programme between August 2011 and January 2012.

This new figure comes on top of record numbers of apprentices in the city last year – 1,630 apprentices were on a training programme in 2011/12 an increase of 53 per cent on the previous year.

The news has been welcomed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert who says the programmes are vital if people are to be given the chance of full-time employment.

“Apprenticeships are extremely valuable in teaching our people the skills which employers are looking for in new recruits,” said Julian. “By working closely with education providers such as Cambridge Regional College, employers can help to train people to make a much-needed contribution to the workplace.

“In return, employers have people who are trained from the very beginning to meet their specific requirements and who can help to grow their businesses.”

Through the government’s Regional Growth Fund the Eastern region and the South East have benefited from a £92 million investment creating a total of 10,214 jobs.

“For this region to continue to be successful, people need the skills and experience to take advantage of new jobs being created in the area,” added Julian. “Apprenticeships offer these skills while at the same time helping companies to be more productive.”

To support more employers, especially small businesses, to take on apprentices, the Coalition Government has taken a number of measures: a) Offering employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of £1,500 to take on apprentices aged 16-24. This will encourage small employers to take on up to 20,000 apprentices, b) Streamlining processes so that it takes just a month for an employer to advertise for an apprentice, and c) Ensuring that the National Apprenticeship Service better supports the needs of small employers – through more effectively targeted advice and guidance and helping training providers work more effectively with local SMEs.

*- Figures for the period August 2011 – January 2012 are based on data from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and are provisional and provide an early view of the number of apprentices for the academic year 2011/12.

Huppert Launches Search For Paid Intern To Join His City Team

MP Julian Huppert has launched a search for a paid intern to join his team at his Cambridge constituency office.

The new recruit will work up to 30 hours a week on casework and will be paid the national minimum wage.

Responsibilities will include drafting responses to constituents’ enquiries, conducting research, attending meetings and surgeries and answering the phone.

The ideal candidate will have a good understanding of the political system and a good grasp of the issues affecting Cambridge residents.

Full training will be provided and the internship is offered for a period of three months.

Julian said: “I am delighted to be able to offer this paid internship. This is an excellent opportunity for someone to get first-hand experience of constituency casework and be at the centre of issues that are important to the people of our city.

“It is also a chance for someone to take the first step on a career in politics while learning every aspect of constituency work which is one of the most important elements of an MP’s role.”

Applications close on Wednesday, May 9 at 5pm with interviews taking place on May 14 in Cambridge. Ideally, the internship will begin on Monday, May 21.

Lower Energy Bills And A Green Recovery In Cambridge And The East Of England

Thousands of households across Cambridge and the East of England are set to benefit from lower energy bills, new jobs and the basis of a green recovery.
Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has announced a landmark deal with the major energy suppliers. From now on, energy suppliers will have to inform their customer if they are paying too much, and help move them on to a cheaper tariff.

In addition, over 3,300 homes in Cambridge have benefitted from home insulation, with plans for much more. From autumn this year the Government's Green Deal, headed by Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will implement the most ambitious home insulation scheme the UK has ever seen.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat commitment to a green economy has paved the way for over £300 million of private sector investment in the East of England, with a further £30 million in the pipeline. Overall, this would create nearly 500 jobs in the green economy.

Julian Huppert, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said "rising energy prices and a boom in the number of tariffs have left people confused and paying more than they should. That is why Liberal Democrats have made the energy companies take responsibility and let people know how to knock the bills down.”

"As a Liberal Democrat, I know this is only the first step. Our reliance on dwindling supplies of oil and gas, mostly from volatile regions, is bad for consumers and bad for our energy security.”

"We are therefore absolutely wedded to a green recovery. We've fought hard to generate investment in a sustainable economy, so I'm delighted to see over £300 million of new investment in green industries in our region."

"These measures will help put our country on to a sustainable economic and environmental footing once and for all."


NOTES
The Green Deal - a Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment - will come into force across Britain later this year. It is the most ambitious home insulation scheme the UK has ever seen and eliminates the need to pay upfront for energy efficiency measures and instead ensures that the cost of the measures will be covered by savings on bills.

Currently, energy companies are obliged under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) to help households in Great Britain reduce their use of electricity and gas to lower their carbon emissions. CERT will end when the Green Deal takes over.

Huppert Urges City’s Manufacturers To Bid For Uk-Wide Awards

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

Cambridge’s businesses could win up to £20,000 free consultancy advice in a competition to celebrate manufacturing excellence across the UK.

MP Julian Huppert has urged the city’s manufacturing businesses to get involved and showcase their work.

The Manufacturing Excellence 2012 awards are run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Julian said: “This is an excellent opportunity to put Cambridge on the map for manufacturing.

“I would encourage all manufacturing businesses to apply not only to win one of these prestigious awards but also to take advantage of the chance to win thousands of pounds worth of free consultancy advice.

“Manufacturing is crucial to the UK economy and we have excellent companies here in Cambridge. This is their chance to publicise their work through a UK-wide competition and show what our city has to offer.”

Entry to the awards programme is free and applications must be submitted by June 1, 2012. The Manufacturing Excellence Awards will take place in November.

Categories for this year are: Best Manufacturer; and Best SME; Business Development and Change Management; Customer Focus; Financial Management; Innovation in Products and Processes; Logistics and Operational Efficiency; Partnership with Education; People Effectiveness; Sustainable Manufacturing and Most Improved Company.

Huppert Welcomes Extra £12.5M For County’s Schools

Cllr Peter Downes

An extra £12.5 million of government funding for Cambridgeshire schools has been welcomed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert.

The money is designed to relieve the pressure on school places and comes after Julian joined MPs from across the county to campaign for extra funding, raising the issue in the House of Commons.

He received a promise from Education Minister, Michael Gove to review the county’s grant funding and the latest investment is part of an additional £600 million for schools across England this year. It comes on top of the £800 million already announced for 2012-13 to address the shortage in pupil places.

Julian said “This extra money is good news and will so some way to addressing the massive shortfall in funding for schools across Cambridge and the county as a whole.

“I am pleased that we are putting money into schools; they have been neglected by previous governments for far too long. Educating our children must be one of our top priorities but we cannot give them the schooling they need and deserve without investment.

“Our schools have been near the bottom of the pile compared to other local authorities across the country and while this payment helps with school buildings, we are still millions of pounds short of the national average for what we can spend on our pupils. There is no room for complacency here.”

Liberal Democrat Peter Downes, Cambridgeshire County Council's Shadow Cabinet Member for Education said: "I am pleased that Cambridgeshire's plight is finally being recognised by the government.

“There is a growing demand for school places across the country and this county in particular, but until now there has never been the money to address this problem. Finally we have a government which is taking this issue seriously and I hope the coalition will continue to build on this and give Cambridgeshire schools the money they need.”

MP Hopes Indian Restaurant Will Curry Favour In National Contest

MP Julian Huppert has nominated Cambridge’s Saffron Brasserie for a national competition to find the country’s best South Asian restaurant.

Saffron Brasserie in Hills Road serves Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine and will compete for the Tiffin Cup.

The competition is an annual event organised by a cross-party group of Members of Parliament known as the Tiffin Club.

Each MP is invited to nominate on South Asian restaurant from his or her constituency to go through to a regional final.

The competition raises money for charity and this year it is supporting World Vision which aims to combat poverty and its causes especially as they affect children across the world.

Winners of the regional finals will be among 10 restaurants to cook in the Bellamy’s Restaurant in Parliament to compete for the overall title and the cup.

Saffron Brasserie director, Hannah Begum said: "We are delighted to be nominated by Julian for the Tiffin Cup.

“To be chosen as the best South Asian restaurant in Cambridge is a wonderful compliment for the Saffron Brasserie restaurant. We work hard to provide great food and flavours for our customers to enjoy authentic Indian & Bangladeshi cuisine in the heart of Cambridge.

“To win the Tiffin Cup would mean fantastic recognition of our commitment to bring great food, flavours and customer service to the residents of Cambridge and beyond. We have our fingers crossed that we win!"

Julian said: “I am delighted to be able to nominate the Saffron Brasserie for this award.

“The Tiffin Cup aims to seek out the finest South Asian restaurant and along the way we uncover some excellent restaurants across the country, which are bringing fabulous South Asian food and regional specialties to their customers.”

Julian Huppert joins the team at the Saffron Brasserie. Pictured (from left) is Abdul Matin founder of the restaurant which is now run by his daughters, Hannah Begum and Shelina Miah and son, Shahidu Jaman.

Children Across The City Get Cycling Boost

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

4,000 children across Cambridgeshire are to get free cycle training over the next academic year as part of Transport Minister Norman Baker MPs boost to cycling. The Government will hand £160,000 to Cambridgeshire County Council to fund training in 2012/13 as part of an national strategy that will deliver £11 million as part of a national fund.

In addition, Norman Baker has increased the funding for the following two academic years by £2 million. This means that the Government will spend over £35 million on teaching children to cycle safely, competently and confidently on the road over the next 3 years.

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said “this is a fantastic boost for cycling. It is absolutely vital that children are shown the benefits of cycling at an early age, and are taught to travel safely”.

“Cycling is the most efficient form of transport we have. It’s cheap, reliable, healthy and, with the proper training, completely safe. I am delighted that Liberal Democrats in Government are delivering the right kind of transport investment for children across Cambridgeshire.”

NOTES:

Details of the announcement can be found here
A breakdown of funding can be found here http://content.bikeability.org.uk/publications/

Huge Boost for King's Hedges Schools!

Cambridge MP Julian Huppert

The government has today announced an extra £12.5 million to fund extra school places across Cambridgeshire. This is part of a £600 million fund to ensure that all children have access to a school place.

Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said "this new money represents a massive win for schools across Cambridgeshire. For too long central government has ignored the need for new places in growing regions such as ours.

Today's announcement, along with the Liberal Democrat pupil premium, will give schools the funding they so desperately need to make sure that every child in Cambridgeshire, no matter what their circumstances, will be given a fair start in life."