12Dec 2016 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Lib Dems call for less packaging and more recycling

Lib Dems call for less packaging and more recycling

Borough news
Liberal Democrat councillors Garth Harness (Saddleworth North) and Diane Williamson (Crompton) will be proposing a motion to Oldham council on Wednesday 14th December 2016 calling on the council to help reduce packaging and improve recycling. Councillor Garth Harkness said “ There are 2.5 billion paper coffee cups thrown away each year and hardly any of them are recycled. There are specialist facilities that can be used but only about 0.25% are. There is too much packaging on food products that can’t be recycled and we need to do more to work with these companies across Greater Manchester to address the issue” A co-ordinated effort needs to be explored to cut the resources of providing our food and drink Councillor Diane Williamson said “WRAP look at improving resource efficiency. We should consider the merits of the council being a signatory…
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23Nov 2016 by Saddleworth Lib Dems
Lib Dem Call for Work Capability Assessment to be Scrapped

Lib Dem Call for Work Capability Assessment to be Scrapped

Borough news
[caption id="attachment_59" align="alignleft" width="200"] Cllr Garth Harkness[/caption] Liberal Democrat Councillor Garth Harkness, Shadow Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, has condemned new Government proposals to support disabled jobseekers as “inadequately funded” and still based upon the use of the “discredited and reviled” Work Capability Assessment. The Government has published a Green Paper for consultation titled ‘Improving Lives’ in which its ambition is stated to halve the disability employment gap’. Councillor Harkness said: “This would require over 1.2 million more people with disabilities to enter work than is the case today. Now there is nothing wrong with supporting jobseekers with disabilities to find meaningful and fulfilling employment that is appropriate for them, taking account of their medical conditions, but this support must be accessed voluntarily and it should be adequately funded.”…
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