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LGA responds to RAC Council parking fine figures

RESPONDING to RAC figures suggesting that revenue made from Council parking fines dropped by 5% in 2020, Cllr David Renard, Transport Spokesperson for the Local Government Association said:- "Councils have to try and ensure there are spaces available for everyone at all times of the day and we can keep traffic moving, and dangerous obstructions are dealt with. With an increase of 10 million cars on the road in the last 20 years this has become increasingly challenging for Councils. Income raised through on-street parking charges and parking fines is spent on running parking services. Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing potholes and tackling congestion, but it would take more than a decade and ₤10 billion to tackle our current roads repair backlog.�

British Gas workers burn "fire and rehire" notices as National Strike enters the 7th day

GAS workers show graphically their defiance of the imposition of:- "hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate" and other changes, says GMB London. Day 7 the British Gas National Strike is:- "rock solid" within London and East of England, as an estimated 7,000 workers across the country withdrew labour over the company�s plan to sack them all.

In London, gas engineers burned the new contracts; which they have been told they must sign, or be fired in March 2021. In a show of defiance, London gas engineers burned the new contracts, on Friday, 22 January 2021, outside Havering Town Hall. This was 1 of 8 events across the country where gas engineers staged the ceremonial burning.

Engineers and other workers will also strike on:- 22 January, 25 January, 29 January, 30 January, 31 January 2021 and 1 February 2021, in anger, as profitable British Gas provokes further disruption for its customers. British Gas engineers and staff voted overwhelmingly by 89% to strike after boss of parent company Centrica Chris O�Shea threatened to fire them all if they didn�t "accept" cuts to pay and terms and conditions.

5 days of strike action took place earlier this month up to 11 January 2021. These strikes provoked by the company have caused massive disruption already; with an estimated 100,000 homes waiting for service across the country. British Gas parent company Centrica reported an operating profit (before exceptional items and Tax) of ₤901 million in 2019. The operating profitability of its UK home heating business rose by 27% in the 1st 6 months of 2020.

Gary Pearce, GMB London Region Organiser for Energy said:- "GMB members at British Gas are burning the new contracts to show graphically their defiance of the imposition of hourly pay 15% below the agreed rate; as well as other changes. This is yet another attempt to get through to Mr O�Shea that staff accepting cuts of this magnitude in a profitable company is not going to happen. British Gas has provoked disruption to more than 100,000 households already in the backlog for services. That number will grow due to the seven new strike dates. British Gas Board members should have asked Mr O�Shea how his plans would impact on British Gas customers when the engineers inevitably rejected hourly rates 15% below agreed pay rates and other imposed changes. It was wishful thinking in the extreme to think that union members would ever acquiesce with cuts of this magnitude in a profitable company. The Board should reverse the view that the company doesn�t care about customers by reining in hopelessly out of touch and naive Mr O'Shea."

Combined Authority Approves Freeze on Mayoral Council Tax Precept, Mersey Tunnel Tolls and Transport Levy

ON Friday, 22 January 2021 the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has agreed to freeze the Mayoral Precept and Mersey Tunnel Tolls for the financial year 2021/22. The decision means that, when residents get their Council Tax bills in March, the Metro Mayoral Precept will remain at:- ₤12.67 for a Band A property (₤19.00 for a Band D property) for the 2nd year in a row. While Mersey Tunnel Tolls for City Region residents will remain at ₤1 for those using a Fast Tag and ₤1.80 for those paying by cash or contactless. The ₤1 Fast Tag rate; introduced by the Metro Mayor in 2019; remains the lowest toll for 20 years. The Metro Mayoral Precept is part of the overall Council Tax paid by Liverpool City Region residents and used to fund City Region wide services for which the Metro Mayor is responsible. The decision to freeze the precept is intended to avoid putting extra short term financial pressure on residents who are struggling due to the Covid Pandemic. 95% of households in the City Region will continue to pay no more than 32 pence a week. The Transport Levy, paid by the City Region�s 6 local Authorities, will also be frozen.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said:- "The Pandemic has hit our Region hard and I know many people have entered the New Year having seen their income vastly reduced, or sadly in some cases having lost their job, over the past 12 months. At the same time, the Combined Authority and our 6 Local Authorities have lost hundreds of millions of pounds through revenues and the cost of responding to the Pandemic. Despite our strong representations to the Government, the funding to cover these shortfalls has not yet been forthcoming, so it seems likely that Councils will have no choice, but to increase Council Tax just to survive. In this context I, and the leaders of our 6 Local Authorities; do not think it would be right to add to the burden on household budgets by increasing the Metro Mayoral Council Tax precept or tunnel tolls at this time. However, it is vital that we continue to provide crucial City Region wide services, such as strategic transport, skills and economic development, if we are to emerge stronger from the Pandemic in the coming year. Through careful management and use of reserves we are able to achieve this in our 2021 / 2022 budget. But this does not mean there will not be tough choices to come in the near future. Unless the Government makes good on its promise to fund 'whatever it takes� to tackle Covid, our budgets; particularly for our transport services; will not be sustainable at this level in the long term.�

Total UK cases Covid19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region

THE total number of UK Coronavirus (Covid19) infections that have been laboratory confirmed, within the UK, has risen by:- 40,261 cases and the total number now stand at:- 3,583,907 that includes tests carried out by commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National totals.

The total number of Covid19 associated UK fatalities added to the total, was sadly reported to be:-1,401, within 28 days of positive test, according to the Department of Health. The total number of deaths of people who have had a positive test result confirmed by a Public Health or NHS laboratory is:- 95,981, within 28 days of positive test. Deaths with Covid19 on the death certificate:- 95,829.

The number of Covid19 patients currently in UK Hospitals:- 38,562. The current number of Covid19 patients currently in mechanical ventilation beds in UK Hospitals:- 3,960 Daily number of Covid19 patients admitted to UK Hospitals:- 4,034.

In England, there are a total of:- 3,129,156 confirmed cases. North West - total of:- 494,287 confirmed cases.

The number of laboratory confirmed cases within the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-

Area and number of confirmed cases:- Risen by:-

Liverpool City Region

Nation Lockdown

National UK Restrictions

► Liverpool, 40,921 confirmed cases.
467

► Halton, 9,863 confirmed cases.
141

► Knowsley, 14,400 confirmed cases. 194

► Sefton, 19,738 confirmed cases.
271

► St. Helens, 13,324 confirmed cases.
197

► Wirral, 20,457 confirmed cases.

207

Colour Key:- 0 1 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 100 100 to 199 200 & over

The number of laboratory confirmed cases within Local Authorities around the Liverpool City Region, since start of the Pandemic, are as follows:-

► Backburn with Darwen, 14,935 confirmed cases.

► Blackpool, 7,640 confirmed cases.

► Bolton, 20,562 confirmed cases.

► Bury, 14,174 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire East, 16,824 confirmed cases.

► Cheshire West and Chester, 17,401 confirmed cases.

► Lancashire, 79,470 confirmed cases.

► Manchester, 43,429 confirmed cases.

► Oldham, 19,214 confirmed cases.

► Preston, 10,761 confirmed cases.

► Rochdale, 17,397 confirmed cases.

► Salford, 18,720 confirmed cases.

► Stockport, 16,390 confirmed cases.

► Tameside, 14,457 confirmed cases.

► Trafford, 13,594 confirmed cases.

► Warrington, 14,635 confirmed cases

► Wigan, 23,744 confirmed cases..

Total UK people who have received vaccination

1st Dose 2nd Dose

5,383,103 466,796

Jab Stats correct as of 20 January 2021

The vaccination programme began on 8 December 2020 with people receiving the vaccine developed by Pfizer / BioNTech, and people began receiving the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine from 4 January 2021. Both vaccines are given as 2 doses, at least 21 days apart, for a full vaccination course.

Daily reported Covid19 deaths are now measured across the UK as deaths that occurred within 28 days of the 1st laboratory confirmed positive Covid19 test. Daily and cumulative numbers of Covid19 patients admitted to Hospital. Data are not updated every day by all 4 nations and the figures are not comparable as Wales include suspected Covid19 patients while the other nations include only confirmed cases.

The latest R number is estimated at:- 0.8 to 1 with a daily infection growth rate range of:- -4% to -1%, as of 22 January 2021.