2345 GMT 15 March 2009
Here is a rare item indeed.
A Tory wannabe Parliamentarian actually criticising any aspect of a =Crossrail scam! Not only that, actually pointing out the intellectual confusion of the Lib Dems who are failing to 'get it' about the futility of their Crassrail fixation
"
Thursday’s (12/03/09) Holyrood debate on Aberdeen Crossrail, Ross Thomson, Scottish Conservative Westminster Candidate for Gordon, said:
“The Scottish Conservatives are totally and fully committed to significant improvements in commuter rail services across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen. In Thursday’s Holyrood debate however, the Lib Dems have remained wedded to the idea that this can only happen as part of a high profile flagship crossrail project. This approach delivered nothing under successive Liberal transport ministers (Nicol Ste-phen and Tavish Scott) and, now in opposition, their protests do nothing to foster cross party consensus.”
“In the current economic crisis, the incremental approach currently promoted by NESTRANS is much more likely to achieve improvements in the short term and build towards the completion of the full project when the capital is available and the case has been fully made for each station development.”
“Having completely lost the political initiative it’s time for the Lib Dems to buy in to the existing political consensus and make sure that the project remains a truly cross-party objective.”
"
33rd year AADHIKAR
0225 GMT Thursday 06 June 2013
AADHIKAR Media Foundation Editor © Muhammad Haque
Founding News Editor
Shah M Azizul Haque
AADHIKAR Media Foundation established with the publication of AADHIKAR the weekly on Monday 19 December 1980 from London E1 UK.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
KHOODEELAAR! Told the BBC SO! "The gap between the richest and poorest has widened "!!!!
Health gap drive 'wasted money'
By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News
The gap between the richest and poorest has widened
Ministers have wasted public money in their attempts to tackle health inequalities, MPs say.
The House of Commons' Health Committee said the government should have been more careful in designing and piloting projects in England.
The MPs highlighted a series of schemes, including Sure Start, which had failed to have much of an impact.
But the government said tough targets had been set and interventions were based on good evidence.
Ministers have pledged to reduce the health inequality gap - measured by infant mortality and life expectancy - by 10% between 1997 and 2010.
The problem is that the government has shied away from tackling the wealth gap
Professor Danny Dorling, health inequalities expert
But it seems certain they will miss that target as data published last year showed the gap between the richest and poorest has actually widened in the past decade.
The Department of Health has responded by asking World Health Organization expert Sir Michael Marmot to look at developing a new approach to the issue in what was widely interpreted as an admission of failure.
And the report by the cross-party group of MPs has now added to those criticisms.
The MPs said the government had often rushed in with insufficient thought and a lack of clear objectives when setting up projects.
They highlighted health action zones, which were regional partnerships set up in the late 1990s between a range of partners from the fields of health, education and employment.
The report said the 26 zones had been created too quickly and been poorly resourced.
It also criticised Sure Start schemes, which were designed to link up services for parents and young children.
The schemes have been predominantly focused on education and welfare and as a result have "yet to demonstrate significant improvements in health".
The MPs also attacked more recent initiatives, including the healthy towns scheme, which they said should have been rigorously evaluated first.
Cycling
Committee chairman Kevin Barron said: "Far more must be done to ensure money injected into implementing these policies is tracked and policy design must be sufficiently improved so that effective and accurate evaluation can take place."
He admitted there were "no easy or quick solutions", but urged the government to focus on improving food labelling, encouraging more cycling and walking and reducing smoking rates.
A Department of Health spokesman said the health inequality targets was arguably the "toughest anywhere in the world".
And he defended the approach taken, saying: "Our health inequalities programme is backed by a wide evidence base and an independent scientific group.
"Major programmes - such as Sure Start, and efforts to tackle obesity - are based on research and are being evaluated."
Professor Danny Dorling, a health inequalities expert at Sheffield University, said: "The problem is that the government has shied away from tackling the wealth gap.
"The countries which have good health all have lower income inequalities, but for some reason the government has been convinced this is not the issue."
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By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News
The gap between the richest and poorest has widened
Ministers have wasted public money in their attempts to tackle health inequalities, MPs say.
The House of Commons' Health Committee said the government should have been more careful in designing and piloting projects in England.
The MPs highlighted a series of schemes, including Sure Start, which had failed to have much of an impact.
But the government said tough targets had been set and interventions were based on good evidence.
Ministers have pledged to reduce the health inequality gap - measured by infant mortality and life expectancy - by 10% between 1997 and 2010.
The problem is that the government has shied away from tackling the wealth gap
Professor Danny Dorling, health inequalities expert
But it seems certain they will miss that target as data published last year showed the gap between the richest and poorest has actually widened in the past decade.
The Department of Health has responded by asking World Health Organization expert Sir Michael Marmot to look at developing a new approach to the issue in what was widely interpreted as an admission of failure.
And the report by the cross-party group of MPs has now added to those criticisms.
The MPs said the government had often rushed in with insufficient thought and a lack of clear objectives when setting up projects.
They highlighted health action zones, which were regional partnerships set up in the late 1990s between a range of partners from the fields of health, education and employment.
The report said the 26 zones had been created too quickly and been poorly resourced.
It also criticised Sure Start schemes, which were designed to link up services for parents and young children.
The schemes have been predominantly focused on education and welfare and as a result have "yet to demonstrate significant improvements in health".
The MPs also attacked more recent initiatives, including the healthy towns scheme, which they said should have been rigorously evaluated first.
Cycling
Committee chairman Kevin Barron said: "Far more must be done to ensure money injected into implementing these policies is tracked and policy design must be sufficiently improved so that effective and accurate evaluation can take place."
He admitted there were "no easy or quick solutions", but urged the government to focus on improving food labelling, encouraging more cycling and walking and reducing smoking rates.
A Department of Health spokesman said the health inequality targets was arguably the "toughest anywhere in the world".
And he defended the approach taken, saying: "Our health inequalities programme is backed by a wide evidence base and an independent scientific group.
"Major programmes - such as Sure Start, and efforts to tackle obesity - are based on research and are being evaluated."
Professor Danny Dorling, a health inequalities expert at Sheffield University, said: "The problem is that the government has shied away from tackling the wealth gap.
"The countries which have good health all have lower income inequalities, but for some reason the government has been convinced this is not the issue."
Are you a GP struggling to provide adequate care in your area? Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story?
Tell us about your experience by filling in the form below.
Name
Your E-mail address
Town & Country
Phone number (optional):
Comments
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide.
Terms & Conditions