Last 
week I was lobbied by a trio of constituents – Stephanie Bell, Candida Barbato and Gerardo Paez – about the forthcoming review of the UK Export Control Act (ECA).
This is about how the UK regulates arms exports – and so is an important issue in my area of international development as progress is tragically so often set back by war and conflict. That’s why I want to see the review result in the closing of the current loopholes in the law.
I’m on The Westminster Hour on Sunday (Radio 4, 10pm or if you miss the show you can listen again on their website).
Stay up to watch the election results. Lib Dems start brilliantly by gaining Hull – stealing a Labour heartland first thing bode well. But as the evening or should I say morning rolled on – the results were clearly more mixed.
The good news for us was in many of the seats that we’d be hoping to gain or hold at the next general election – with good results in many of them, raising hopes for more MPs next time round.
Also – that we have managed to score successes across the country and against both Labour and the Tories – including taking control of key Labour Councils like Hull and Rochdale in the North whilst winning Eastbourne direct from the Tories in the South. Ditto in Eastleigh – where although we hold – we improved our position again by taking two Tory seats, though this is a seat the Conservatives were trying very hard to win at the last general election.
Labour had a bad night – and I think it may yet get worse and the Tories did reasonably – but nowhere near what they had hoped. So we can all point at good bits and try and ignore the bad bits. We will see when all the counts are done if we can make any real sense of it.
Yes – stuff is happening outside of the elections across the nations but not London – and tonight it was off to the Crouch End, Hornsey & Stroud Green Neighbourhood Assembly. The big issue of the night is the proposals for improving Parkland Walk. Now – you have to realise that this linear park / nature reserve is loved and there is an army of people who fight to protect it against all harm (even when well-meaning). There are clearly areas which could do with a bit of improvement – as David Warren, Chair of the Friends of Parkland walk made clear: the drainage, signing and repairing broken steps and improving access for people with disabilities and mothers with babies.
The deep suspicion that was voiced by many in the packed meeting was that the funding for the improvements comes from Transport for London’s cycling improvement budget. And what was crystal clear from the meeting, was that whilst recreational / occasional cyclists are just about welcomed (who don’t speed, are polite and aren’t commuters), a significant increase in cycling would be absolutely terrible. Spend the money on cycle lanes on roads – that’s where it’s needed to improve cycling shouted the crowd.
Whilst officers tried to reassure the public that the improvements would not ‘widen’ the path, the meanders would be left in and that there would be no attempt to create a ‘smooth cycle way’ but only patching the path where necessary – the public did not seem reassured.
And I wasn’t convinced either. So I will be writing to Transport for London to ask what they believe from Haringey’s bid will be provided for improvements for cycling on Parkland Walk – and to Haringey for sight of the bid itself.
To turn it into a cycle path or encourage more or faster cyclists would be completely wrong. Yes – we want more cycling in London – but we want proper cycle lanes on roads for commuters – not bunging them off road to spoil the idyll of this woodland nature reserve and the rights of pedestrians to enjoy it without fear of being hit!
UPDATE: You can take part in my online survey now at http://www.libertyresearch.org.uk/take/103
Yesterday 
I visited an estate in Woodside ward at the invitation of Ms Buzzacott – who is an extremely active woman who has lived on the estate (Bracknell Close, George Lansbury House etc) for a very long time. Twice a year she organises an estate inspection with Homes for Haringey, the Safer Neighbourhood Team and so on. And this time she invited me to join them.
There was clearly a feeling that Noel Park (the next door ward) received a lot more funding than they had done – with a community centre and children’s centre. However, George Meehan (ward councillor and current Leader of the Council, Labour) said that wasn’t the case. I don’t know where the truth lies – but will ask Haringey for the relative funding over the last five years for both wards.
The key issue seems to be the lack of play facilities both for younger children and youths. Whilst there is a facility on White Hart Lane, Ms Buzzacott (quite rightly) pointed out that parents want somewhere outside their flat where they can keep an eye on younger children.
The problem is that Cllr Meehan said that when people were consulted on putting to use as a play area the one suitable local site, people without children were very anti the proposals. So – the result was that the Council has put up ‘No Ball Games’ notices. This – to be fair – seems to be the outcome that flows from that consultation, but it still leaves the problem of where kids can go and play.
And there is also no community centre. The one they had was sold off and now they have nothing. So – much work to be done.
On the tour we came across a problem with a dumped rubbish black spot – and this shows how great these tours can be, as it was also resolved straight away to fence off the area and make it into a little new garden space for one of the blocks.
There were a number of other relatively small issues, such as the maintenance and trimming of ivy on ‘the alleyway’ which grew and covered the much needed security lights, shortage of parking on the estate, Accord coming in through the emergency exit using their key – but almost always failing to lock up behind themselves; trouble on Friday and Saturday nights and so on. The Safer Neighbourhood Team said they already do come quite a lot – but would make a note to come more at those times. And plenty of issues for me to follow up on too!
Big day today as Scotland, Wales and nearly all of England (outside London) go to the polls. Wishing all my Liberal Democrat colleagues across the three nations the very best!
Went back this morning to get further clarification of what the lawyers for the directors of the company that owns the Litvinenko house are actually after – and their view on whether the funding will be forthcoming.
My take on what I have been told is that the lawyers offered to talk to Haringey in February. Nothing followed. They don’t know on what basis Haringey applied the Emergency Prohibition Notice. So they want the evidence – I guess because in the end if they are going to pay they want to know what they are paying for. They want to know that the extent of radiation or contamination so that they can make an assessment presumably of the costs.
So – Haringey really needs to respond to the lawyers with what they are asking for – but meanwhile – as stated before Haringey has the responsibility for this and needs to get their act together.
This just about sums up my views very well!
So – finally today I got to speak to the Litvinenko lawyer following our conversation last week.
From conversations today I know that close neighbours remain worried – not surprisingly given that Haringey Council, whilst taking down the plastic sheeting, has now put up an ‘Emergency Prohibition Order’ (under the Housing Act of 2004, Section 43).
I quote from the Order: ‘The Council is further satisfied that the hazard presents an imminent risk of serious harm to the health or safety of any of the occupiers of those or other premises’.
Moreover, on the second page of the Order it affirms that the hazard is ‘radiation’; that there is contamination from Polonium 210 and that in order for the Council to revoke this order requires ‘remediation works to reduce the radiation levels of all the surfaces in all parts of the premises to not more than 10 Bequerels per square centimetre’.
Now, Haringey Council have been assuring people on their website that “Haringey Council enforcement officers want to reassure the public that living close to the property in Osier Crescent is not a health hazard”, but this is contradicted by the Emergency Prohibition Order – which says there is “an imminent risk of serious harm to the health or safety of any of the occupiers of those or other premises.”
So – I have emailed the Leader of Haringey, George Meehan to make it quite clear that in my view it is the Council’s responsibility to make sure the house is safe – and get it cleaned up.
And it is downright irresponsible to tell residents it is safe at the same time as putting up the notice saying it isn’t. Make up your mind Haringey!
Anyway – back to the Litvinenko lawyer’s update. And as I understand the situation as of this posting – the directors of the company in control of the Litvinenko house have written to Haringey to ask on what basis an Emergency Prohibition Order was applied. At the same time they have formally appealed against the imposition of the order – but they may not appeal depending on them satisfying themselves that there is a proper basis for that Order. And – I was told – Haringey have not responded.
This set of lawyers are very angry that Haringey implies that they are not cooperating as they say they have been in contact with Haringey prior to last week.
All rather messy and unsatisfactory! But it boils down to this: Haringey Council says on its website that everything is safe, but they Emergency Prohibition Order says not. The lawyers involved say Haringey hasn’t responded to everything and think the Council is wrongly implying that they are playing ball.
So my message to Haringey Council is simple – stop messing around, stop saying conflicting things and get it sorted.
Lynne Featherstone 