Trudy Dean, the Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson, has written to Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council, asking for this year's Kent Test (11+) to be scrapped.
Trudy's letter follows below:
Dear Roger,
As you will be aware, Rosie Duffield has raised the issue of cancelling this year's Eleven Plus tests due to the effects of CV19. I had already placed an item onto the list of those for discussion at Cabinet Scrutiny for next Tuesday, as parents of year 5 children will need to decide very shortly whether they feel it is safe to send their children back to school in June. I am aware that the test process must be agreed in advance by schools, some of which already set their own additional entrance tests. Whilst I don't think that cancellation is the only way forward, there are clearly a number of issues of concern which need to be discussed with schools and parents urgently.
Amongst all the shocking statistics of deaths attributable to Covid-19 it is easy to forget the large numbers of people who die from other natural causes each day. Many of these people are cared for, with compassion and dignity, in our hospices.
Hospices are an intrinsic part of our society. They also take pressure of our hospitals and social care services, which is vital at the current time.
Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP has called for all social care workers to be tested for coronavirus, alongside NHS staff, and has asked the Health Secretary for clarity on the issue of testing for the virus.
After raising the question of coronavirus testing in the House of Commons, Munira Wilson said:
"Some of the most vulnerable in our society live in care homes. Shortages in the care workforce are already a problem. That's why staff at care homes must be supported to the same level as staff in the NHS.
"It is essential that front-line NHS staff are tested for coronavirus. It is also critical that front-line social care workers are tested. That is why I raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Health in the House of Commons today.
"At present, the Secretary of State is not providing sufficient detail about how this will be achieved and the timeframe for this. We need urgent answers.
The Liberal Democrats have called on the Health Secretary to announce the public health grant amidst the Coronavirus crisis.
Ed Davey, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and Munira Wilson , Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, have written to Matt Hancock calling on him to announce the funding to ensure councils could fulfil their role as a "key part" in containing the virus.
Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:
"Having failed to tell local councils how much the public health grant will be, the Tories have made it all but impossible for councils to ensure our communities have proper healthcare.
"Even if it was business as usual this would be shameful, but with the Coronavirus it is nothing short of an abdication of duty.
"Public health information is vital to lowering the Coronavirus peak, but even more alarming is the inability for local councils to try and address the inevitable gaps in our social care sector getting worse.
"Whilst the Prime Minister and Health Secretary are happily touring the TV studios, they are utterly failing at the most basic level to support councils in their vital work."
The full text of the letter is as follows:
'Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing to urge you to immediately announce the public health grant for local authorities for 2020/21.
The unacceptable delay has made it extremely difficult for local government to plan health services in the community such as sexual health services, the NHS Health Check programme and public health advice to NHS Commissioners.
With the coronavirus, this delay has become even more serious.
Public Health funding is a crucial component for ensuring public services work together to issue advice and information, but also plan for knock on effects on the social care workforce for example.
The delay has also compounded the severe reductions in local authorities' public health grant funding - over £700 million in real terms between 2015/16 and 2019/20 - which has left councils under incredible pressure to deliver vital community health services.
The Government has said on various occasions that the best way to reduce the peak of Coronavirus is to contain and delay it - public health information is a key part of that strategy and it must not be neglected by this government.
Yours sincerely,
Ed Davey MP, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Munira Wilson MP, Health, Wellbeing and Social Care Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats'
"Today's report of Kent's first case of coronavirus in Maidstone will concern many. Our thoughts are obviously for the patient, his or her family, work colleagues and friends.
We now know that it is highly likely that Covid-19 will have a major impact on Maidstone and the rest of Kent. We are liaising with officers at both County and Borough level to ensure that everything is being done to get Kent prepared for any emergency.
Earlier today, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran slammed the Conservatives for "failing the most vulnerable", as analysis of new rough sleeping statistics shows that the Government is significantly off track on its target of eliminating rough sleeping by 2024.
The Conservatives announced the revised target, which was previously 2027, after the election in December.
The latest Rough sleeping snapshot, published today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, shows that there were an estimated 4,266 rough sleepers in England on any given night in Autumn 2019, a reduction of just 411 people (8.8%) on 2018's figure. The figures are still a massive 141% up on 2010.
According to Government figures, the South-East has some 900 rough sleepers on a typical night, the biggest number outside London.
The disabled bus pass and companion pass are currently only valid from 9:30 am onwards. Last September Kent County Council unanimously approved a Liberal Democrat proposal to make the pass valid for travel in Kent before 9:30am. KCC should get the new arrangements put in place straight away.
KCC has set aside £200,000 in its proposed budget for 2020-21 to cover the additional costs. But, 5 months after agreeing to the proposal, KCC has yet to work out how best to implement the new arrangements. That's not good enough.
