03Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government loan scheme changes “miss the crucial problem”

Parliamentary news
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey will argue the Chancellor's latest changes to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme still rely too much on traditional lenders, and will call on the Government and the British Business Bank to fast track cash to desperate businesses by opening the scheme to new lenders including the UK's growing Fin Tech industry. Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Although the Chancellor's loan scheme is well-intentioned, it was badly designed from the start and the latest changes don't address the fundamental flaw in terms of the over-reliance on traditional lenders.   “Despite huge handouts in the 2008 financial crisis, the big banks have shown themselves institutionally incapable of serving the needs of Britain's small and medium sized businesses, at the speed this crisis demands. The Chancellor…
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03Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

NHS debt write off “win” must come with testing and PPE investment

Parliamentary news
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron has claimed a campaign victory as the Government annouces it will write off over £13bn of NHS debt and he has called for investment in Covid-19 testing and PPE for NHS staff. The announcement comes after former Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, revealed last year through a freedom of information request that £607,404,854 worth of interest on outstanding debt was paid by NHS Trusts to the Department for Health and Social Care in the previous five years. Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said: “It should not have taken an international pandemic crisis for this to happen but it is very good news all the same. “On top of these debts were huge interest rates that robbed our local hospitals of millions of pounds every year.…
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02Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Moran: Extend free school meal vouchers over the Easter holidays

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called on the UK Government to ensure children on free school meals will continue to receive vouchers over the Easter holidays.  The call follows confirmation from the Welsh Liberal Democrat Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, that children in Wales will also be offered free school meals during the break. Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran said: “Pupils on free school meals are some of the most vulnerable in our society and often rely on schools to provide their meals. With families struggling at this difficult time there is a real concern these children could go hungry.  "I want to thank my colleague Kirsty Williams for leading the way on this in Wales. The UK Government must now urgently follow suit and ensure money is available for this to…
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02Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey response to postponement of COP26

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that COP26 in Glasgow has been postponed, former Secretary of State for Climate Change and Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “Regrettably it is the right decision to postpone COP26 during the coronavirus crisis. With the virus only just beginning to hit parts of our world, and with real worries about its impact on people here at home and in the world’s poorest countries, a global meeting involving thousands of people would simply be too risky to public health.  “Yet we can’t let up on efforts to battle the risk climate change poses to the world either - so it’s vital these key UN climate talks happen as soon as it’s safe to do so in 2021. “The British Government as the hosts of COP26 must…
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01Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Misleading test numbers put public trust in govt at risk

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the government did not in fact reach its target of 10,000 tests per day to diagnose coronavirus, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “Throughout the coronavirus crisis the Liberal Democrats have always been clear that retaining the public's trust has to be a top priority for the government. The fact that the government have seemingly given inaccurate information regarding the number of tests carried out is not only misleading, but reckless. “The Secretary of State for Health must come clean quickly. There needs to be an answer as to how this happened, as well as a commitment to ensure an incident such as this does not happen again. “Stopping the spread of coronavirus is hugely dependent on the public trusting the information and advice the government provides.…
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01Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must provide clearer guidance to remove crackdown confusion

Parliamentary news
Responding to the various reports of police action in response to the coronavirus crisis lockdown, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: "The fact that police forces across the country seem to be taking wildly different approaches to enforcing social distancing rules is incredibly concerning.  "Of course common sense must prevail, but we are in an unprecedented situation with controls being put in place that the country has never experienced before. The government have not put clear guidelines in place and the result is that neither police nor families are sure what they should be doing.  "The vast majority of people are trying to do the right thing. The government must make sure that the public have the advice they need to help stop the spread of the virus."
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01Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Migrant NHS “heroes” should be given indefinite leave to remain

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have called for all foreign national NHS workers risking their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic to be awarded indefinite leave to remain. The call follows reports that doctors, nurses and paramedics will automatically have their visas extended, free of charge, for one year. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat and people are rightly worried. In times like this, we cannot thank front-line staff enough for going above and beyond to look after us all. “Extending the visas in the NHS is welcome, but the Government must also do so much more for the social care system and urgently rollout adequate PPE and testing. "There is a moral principle here. If someone is prepared to risk their life for…
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01Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must go further to avoid prisons crisis

Parliamentary news
Following the announcement from the Ministry of Justice that pregnant prisoners will be temporarily released from prison, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “This decision to release prisoners who are pregnant and at increased risk from coronavirus is necessary and welcome, but should have been taken much sooner. “Prisons are overcrowded and prison staff were already massively overstretched before coronavirus. Now with 20% of staff off work due to the virus and rising, we are getting close to breaking point. “The Government must go much further and faster to prevent us sleepwalking into a huge Covid crisis in our prisons. “The Government must urgently listen to prison governors and end overcrowding in prisons, including releasing prisoners serving short sentences and suspending any new short sentences.”
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27Mar 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government must provide resources so councils can house all rough sleepers

Parliamentary news
Responding to reports that the Government has written to all local councils asking them to find homes for all rough sleepers by the weekend to protect them from the coronavirus outbreak, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “It is right that the Government is taking urgent action to find secure accommodation for rough sleepers, as Liberal Democrats have called for since this crisis began. “The Government must also equip local authorities with the financial resources to provide sufficient secure emergency accommodation to meet demand. Ministers must also make specialist support available to those who struggle with addiction or other mental health issues, as is the case for so many people sleeping rough right across the UK. “Ultimately, this annoucement must be the first step towards long term efforts to end rough sleeping, not just…
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27Mar 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey: Johnson ‘irresponsible’ to turn down EU ventilators

Parliamentary news
Responding to Number 10’s confirmation that the UK will not be participating in EU ventilator procurement programmes, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “There is no reasonable justification for Boris Johnson’s refusal to participate in the EU’s procurement of ventilators. Surely we should be trying every possible means to get people seriously ill with coronavirus the ventilators they need. “Let's be clear: getting more ventilators to our NHS will save lives. Why won’t the Prime Minister put his Brexit views aside, given this crisis?  “By working together with other countries and using the strength of the single market, the government can help get PPE for NHS frontline staff and ventilators to those fighting the virus.  “Of course we want factories in the UK manufacturing ventilators and let’s source them…
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