Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats

Post Offices in Oxfordshire have been saved by Liberal Democrat Business Minister, Ed Davey.

After ending Labour's shameful Post Office closure programme, which saw more than 7100 Post Offices disappear in their 13 years in office, Ed Davey has announced that a ten-year deal between the Post Office and the Royal Mail has been reached.

Firstly Chairman as I haven't worked in the Real Time Passenger Information market for the last five years I no longer have to declare any interests as I did in the past.

There is no doubt that RTPI produces more passengers on buses given the confidence it gives to them that a bus is on the way. However, Chairman the evidence also shows that this fact is even more so where rural routes have gained RTPI information at the bus stops. It can be clearly argued that passenger usage on routes where the frequency of buses is 10 to 15 minutes is not increased as much as on routes where the frequency is say only 30 minutes or hourly. Chairman to stand at a rural bus stop with the confidence that a bus is coming as indicated by the RTPI display will increase the passenger usage and therefore make rural routes more robust and require fewer subsidies which in the long term will pay for itself. I would therefore hope that we will pay more attention to rural routes in the future.

Chairman this is a very comprehensive document designed so that we will have a chance of achieving our rail priorities in Oxfordshire.

In the executive summary in the first paragraph may I suggest after the words "and for leisure days out" we add "holidays, etc." Merely saying days out does not cover the private use of the rail network.

Hot on the heels of the Coalition Government's approval for the East - West Rail Link and more recently the High Speed Rail 2 proposals, at Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 17th January, the Oxfordshire Rail Strategy was given the go ahead. This will now go out for consultation in February with a view to incorporate the final document into the latest Local Transport Plan 3. Liberal Democrats have welcomed the strategy as this will bring opportunities for business and the local economy and make public transport a viable alternative to our busy and congested roads in the county.

An extra £1,366,292 for social care in Oxfordshire will mean people can leave hospital earlier and receive better care at home.

This comes from an extra £150m announced by the Coalition Government this week to be spent on shortening hospital stays across the country during the busy winter period.

Thanks to the Liberal Democrats, the cash can be used to access various preventative services such as better home care support, crisis response teams and specialist equipment for people in Oxfordshire.

At the recent Cabinet meeting on 20th December, Cllr. Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition, questioned the County Council's Cabinet Member as to why the Common Hall Café are buying in their sandwiches from London instead of purchasing from a local company. This goes against the county's principle of supporting local businesses. Oxfordshire County Council has signed up to the Federation of Small Businesses' 'Keep Trade Local Campaign' - the Oxford part of which was launched back in November 2008.

The Coalition Government has announced councils and charities across England will receive £20m of funding to provide vital help to vulnerable people living in cold homes.

In Oxfordshire £160,000 will be spent providing practical support to people in the county who are in most need. The money could also be used to buy emergency electric blankets and fuel vouchers to cope with extra winter demand. There will also be a media messaging service giving people the consistent advice and help they need.

Following the Government announcement of extra funding to provide fifteen hours of free childcare to all disadvantaged two-year-olds by April 2013, Liberal Democrat Cllr. Jean Fooks asked the County Council to ensure that sufficient local places are available in quality nurseries and children's centres to fulfil this obligation. The Full Council meeting in December supported the request unanimously, with the further safeguard that the Children's Scrutiny Committee must be told if a shortfall appears likely.

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats have welcomed the County Council's Cabinet decision to save all 43 of the County's libraries.

One year ago at the time of the budget debate when the intention of the Cabinet was to end funding for 20 libraries, Cllr. John Goddard, Liberal Democrat spokesman for libraries said:

I should like to support this motion before council today on the basis that this is a culmination of a lot of hard work on behalf of both the LGA where I am a member of the Community Wellbeing Board which has been following these proposals, and of our colleagues both in the House of Commons and the House of Lords to try and come up with reform which has been long waiting to happen. However, what is less clear is how this will be funded. There will be a debate no doubt as to whether this will be funded from general taxation or perhaps whether there should be some form of insurance to pay for it. However, the sooner the proposals are taken forward, the sooner that this uncertainty will be removed.