Thousands of sick and disabled people could be deprived of incapacity benefits because of plans to toughen up the eligibility test, campaigners warn. Changes to the Personal Capability Assessment were announced last year as part of welfare reform.
Sustec acquisition strengthens position in the growing market for clean electricity from coal - Global demand for electricity is growing constantly. Experts anticipate that demand will have nearly doubled by 2030 compared with 2000. However, power generation must be as environmentally benign as possible to prevent the earth from becoming a greenhouse. With this in mind, Siemens has consistently expanded its expertise in environmentally friendly electricity production over the past few years, including acquisitions in markets that are undergoing rapid technical transformation. By acquiring the coal gasification activities of Sustec, Siemens has secured a key technology for low-emission power generation.
Dundee Liberal Democrats today (Monday 2nd April) welcomed news that Scottish LibDem leader, Nicol Stephen MSP, has kick-started the first full week of campaigning in the Scottish Parliament elections.
Much has happened in Europe since the party last reviewed policy in The Future of Europe (policy paper 56) in 2003: there has been a substantial enlargement of the European Union, significant uncertainty about its institutional arrangements following signature of the constitutional treaty and growing challenges (such as climate change, globalisation, migration, criminality and human rights abuses) in many of the policy areas in which the EU operates.
As the publication of the Rail Regulator's report into rail trends shows that complaints about fares are rising, the Liberal Democrats have released research showing that Britain has the most expensive open fares in Europe. Ten pounds will take you over 660 miles in Slovakia, over 200 miles in Italy but only 39 miles in Britain. For the same amount of money, passengers can travel nearly three times that distance in France.
Gordon Brown's mask slipped today when he insisted his raid on pension funds was right and that he'd do it again. In a speech in Scotland where Labour are expected to get drubbed at the polls, the Chancellor pointed out that the pensions raid had let him cut corporation tax.
