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Government
Respond to Defibrillator Calls
JAKE Morrison, Councillor
for Wavertree, has set up a Government E-Petition calling on the
Government to take action on Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.
Jake Morrison has set up a petition saying the following:- “We
call on the Government to take action on Sudden Adult Death Syndrome
(SADS). SADS can go on undetected, and is something which can affect
people aged between 12 & 35 years old. It can be detected by simply
having an ECG test. The Oliver King Foundation was set up following
the death of Oliver King, a 12 year old boy who died in Wavertree of
SADS. We call on the Government to introduce defibrillators to all
public buildings by 2017, and provide staff with the appropriate
training. We also call on the Government to offer all people aged
between 12 and 35 a simple ECG test, which could reduce the current
death rate of 12 young people a week.”
Cllr Jake Morrison, a Patron of The Oliver King Foundation,
responding to the letter:- “We must keep putting pressure on
the Government to take action on this silent killer. By getting to
100,000 signatures we will trigger a debate in the House of Commons,
so that MP’s can decide the best way forward.
We need to show the Government that we want something done about
this, we need people’s signatures to help. 12 young people die each
week due to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, the Government must
take action by having defibrillators accessible within communities,
and by early screening to try and detect this hidden killer.
I’ve been working with the family over the past few months, and they
are doing invaluable work to raise awareness of this silent killer.
What the foundation is calling for is simple, we want all 12 to 35
year olds to have an ECG at some stage, with the aim to reduce the
death rate of 12 young people a week.
I want to see all public buildings, specifically Schools & Sports
Centres, equipped with an adequate amount of defibrillators on site,
by 2017.
It is clear by the amount of signatures we have received already,
that this is a cause close to peoples hearts. The Government
need to take action on this silent killer as soon as possible, it is
not an unreasonable request.”
Mark King, Oliver Kings Dad, said:- “We want to bring
awareness out about SADS. We need to get these defibrillators
in Schools and Screening introduced to save young peoples lives.
If the work of the Foundation can save the life of one young person,
it will be a huge success. If this e-petition can raise
awareness nationally, that can only be good.”
Euro MP demands
action to get local business out of a jam!
UK Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy
is urging DEFRA and Minister Caroline Spelman to amend the UK Jam
law and use the EU escape clause to enable a local British jam maker
to label their product as "jam".
After reading about the plight of a local business “Clippy’s
Apples”, Arlene took up their fight to enable them to use the
jam label on their high quality jam products.
Arlene has discovered that Denmark in implementing the same EU law
has made use of an escape clause in the annex to allow them to
reduce the sugar content to at least 25%, allowing them to use the
term jam for products with sugar content below the 60% threshold.
Arlene said:- "Clippy’s jam would be a jam on a Denmark
supermarket shelve but the UKs failure to make use of this
flexibility has left them in a jam!
Reducing the sugar content, as the UK is considering doing, to just
55-59% would not solve the dilemma for this jam maker as their sugar
content is between 52-53%. But following the Danish example in
implementing the EU law would free the way finally for Clippy’s to
use their jam label.”
Clippy McKenna from Clippy’s Apples said:- “With obesity rates
increasing, you’d think the British government would support
companies who introduce products with reduced sugar levels as well
as recognise the economics benefits of supporting innovation during
a recession. Unfortunately, our experience has not been a positive
one and we have become increasingly frustrated with the lack of
support from our government. If Danish jam companies can get this
resolved, why can’t British ones?”
Arlene added:- “So far our calls on DEFRA to use the escape
clause and annex, have fallen on deaf ears but I have again written
to Caroline Spelman, to urge DEFRA to now urgently help a small
British jam producer. After all the only reason they are in this jam is because they use
British Bramley apples which result in a lower sugar content. They
are a unique producer and warrant the flexibility already given to
other EU jam producers.” |
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IOM STEAM PACKET
VOICES CONCERN OVER CENTRICA WIND FARM PLANS
THE Isle of Man Steam
Packet Company wishes to make clear its concerns about further
planned wind farm construction in the Irish Sea which could threaten
the future of the Liverpool route, reduce TT services and lead to
higher levels of cancellations.
It follows the formal announcement of plans by Centrica to develop
wind farms which will impede the existing direct tracks on both the
Island’s Heysham and Liverpool routes.
Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward explained:-
"Centrica met various shipping companies in January, outlining their
latest thinking and they suggested a "worst case" – their words –
scenario, based on fast craft crossing times, of three minutes extra
on our passage to Heysham and seven minutes extra on our Liverpool
route. With a conventional ferry this would increase to15 extra
minutes sailing time. We strongly objected on behalf of the Isle of
Man, pointing out that an extra 15 minutes would make it physically
impossible to operate winter Ben-my-Chree Birkenhead services, while
twice daily Liverpool services could also be impossible in certain
situations. We stated our objections in the strongest possible terms
at the meeting in January this year. Centrica then wrote to us on
February 20th, saying nothing had been confirmed. It is
disappointing that, despite numerous meetings, Centrica have to date
chosen to ignore the Island’s route requirements"
The Heysham and Liverpool routes are used by more than half a
million passengers a year and provide essential freight services to
and from the Island.
Mr Woodward added:- "We have expressed our concerns to the
Chief Minister, the UK Crown Estate and the Maritime and Coastguard
Agency. The routes in question provide essential supplies for the
population and economy of the Isle of Man and these direct routes
are of fundamental national strategic importance for the Island. We
understand the goals of the renewable energy project and have
demonstrated our willingness to work with Centrica to assist.
However, developing wind farms across our direct shipping routes is
unworkable. Material deviations are unacceptable and we see no
reason why Centrica cannot develop around these long established
direct shipping lanes; something that was originally promised by
Centrica some 18 months ago. We have stressed safety concerns and
weather routing issues on several occasions. However we have made it
clear that the most important requirement is that the existing
direct routes are not compromised. Based on a presentation Centrica
gave to us in January, it is clear they have ignored this. The
additional crossing times to the Isle of Man might not sound like
significant deviations to Centrica. But in practice they would lead
to very serious economic and practical consequences for the Island
in general and in some circumstances would even threaten the
long-term viability of Liverpool services in particular. Our own
estimate is that slower journey times could cause the loss of as
much as 15% of TT fast craft capacity due to the inability to
maximise the number of sailings. In addition, an extra 15 minutes on
the Ben-my-Chree passage time would not allow us to offer winter
weekend returns to Liverpool without compromising the vital
overnight freight service. Most importantly, we know the Island’s
longer term service requirements may best be served through
investment in a new River Berth in Liverpool. Fifteen minutes extra
sailing time would make it impossible to operate 2 returns daily to
Liverpool with a vessel like Ben-my-Chree, rendering such berth
investment unworkable. We hope that Centrica agrees that what is now
required is an open, transparent and constructive two-way dialogue.
We cannot allow a single agenda issue to overrule the Islands wider
transport needs."
Letters to
Editor:- "Nothing to hide from Mrs May!"
"I am astounded at the
clamour from the liberal chattering classes over the Home
Secretary's eminently sensible proposals to force Internet Service
Providers to afford police and security services untrammelled access
to customers' e-mail and web browsing records. Don't these
unprincipled scoundrels and enemies of the state realise that access
of this sort is invaluable in combating crimes and moral turpitude
such as tax avoidance, immorality and conspiracy to frighten the
horses? Ever eager to assist, I have resolved to forestall any
legislation by forwarding copies of all my email direct to Mrs May
and would urge your readers who have nothing to hide to do the same.
After all, if it saves one child..."
John Eoin Douglas.
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