The failure to purchase private hospital beds is a national scandal
Rob Bird, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group at Kent County Council, reports.
On Saturday I was saddened to learn that a dear friend had died. She was in her mid eighties but was full of life. She had recently been admitted to hospital for a routine operation. There she had contracted Covid-19 and she subsequently died. I was sad, and I was angry.
Liberal Democrat councillors warmly welcomed a senior KCC finance officer's statement that Kent County Council has 'consistently contended that council tax differentials are unjustifiable and require reform'. But they were disappointed that Kent's Conservative Administration is not pressing for a fairer system.
Trudy Dean, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children, Young Oersons and Esucation at County Hall, reports
Kent Liberal Democrats are calling for an improvement to children's lunch boxes after pictures of 'woefully inadequate' food parcels were shared on social media. If schools are unable to meet government standards, then parents should be given vouchers.
By Katharine Harvey, Chief Economic Development Officer, F&HDC in Email to Local Businesses
Since the start of the previous national lockdown period on 4th November 2020, there have been a number of business grant schemes available for businesses in the district. However, we have tried to keep this as straightforward as possible, so have combined these into two broad schemes - the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LSRG) and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The recent national lockdown this January has brought an additional grant - the National Lockdown Grant, which is available to businesses eligible for an LSRG.
Just 32 minutes after I asked in a Councillors briefing session on Friday afternoon about cancelling school travel pass payments, and was told Kent CC were not intending to do so, this Press Release appeared. I'm sure it wasn't connected of course, but the world feels difficult to make sense of right now! Anyway, I got the right answer. Eventually.
Kent Liberal Democrats have attacked local Conservative boasts about police funding as "smoke and mirrors" that dress up a potential Council Tax rise as if it were extra funding from the Government.
Local Conservatives have claimed that "Kent Police is set to receive an additional 19.5 million in its funding, thanks to the Conservative Government's increase to police budgets." However, detailed Home Office figures reveal that the Government is only giving Kent Police an extra £10.1 million for the financial year 2021-22.
The Friends of Folkestone Museum present another of their popular talks on Zoom.
On Saturday 16 January at 2.00pm, Melanie Gibson-Barton will be talking about the Life and Times of Edith Cavell.
If you would like to attend this talk please email friendsfolkmuseum@gmail.com to reserve your place. We will then send you the Zoom link a few days before the talk.
Folkestone Civic Centre has been confirmed as the Covid-19 Vaccination Centre for Folkestone and Sandgate's The New Surgery, Guildhall Street Surgery, Sandgate Road Surgery & Manor Clinic.
Vaccinations will start week commencing 11 January begin during the week 18-24 January. *
