Month: December 2012

DNA Database Dave Tours Cambridge To Splash The Cash

17:08 Monday 10th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The Prime Minister made a surprise visit to Cambridge today to announce £100 million boost to cancer research. The investment means three years of research money and new jobs for the county, and the possibility that yet another new scientific breakthrough will happen here. It means that up to 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases are to have their entire genetic code or genome mapped. And the Cambridge Cancer Research Institute is one of the facilities receiving a share of that £100 million funding the project. The Prime Minister David Cameron paid a visit to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire studios and told the Andy Harper Show what he was announcing. (TAPE)
DAVID CAMERON: Wow. It’s complicated stuff. I mean we all I think understand that DNA is the sort of er is the code of what makes us up. And the fact is if we could try and put people’s DNA onto a database, then that would be an enormous national and medical resource that would help us to do things like crack cancer. Because if you can find out which people with what sort of DNA get what sort of cancers, then you’re a long way to cracking cancers. So the announcement today is £100 million to enable this DNA database to be built and held here in Britain. And it’s not just good for medical purposes. It will also give us a massive economic lead in an area of business, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, biotechnology, which are one of the industries of the future, and one of the industries that Britain does pretty well already. But with this, it can take us even further.

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The Disastrous Consequences of Private Sector Involvement in the NHS

08:38 Monday 10th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: It’s a big day for the chief executives from two Cambridgeshire hospitals. They’re going to face questions from MPs at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. The politicians will be focusing on the finances of Peterborough City and Hinchinbrooke Hospitals. Earlier we heard from Karen Webb, the Regional Director of the Royal College of Nursing. She says she feels sorry for staff and patients at Peterborough City Hospital, which has debts higher than nearly any other on the whole of the NHS. (TAPE)
KAREN WEBB: The issues are very worrying for the people of Cambridgeshire, because ultimately unless the Government makes some higher political decisions about bailing out all of these private finance initiatives around the country, unless Government takes that decision, the only way forward is going to be to lose staff and cut services, neither of which is in the interests of the people of Cambridgeshire. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well earlier this year Hinchinbrooke Hospital was taken over by a private company of course called Circle, an idea designed to get the hospital better managed and out of debt. Karen doesn’t think that’s working. Well we can speak to the Conservative MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson, who’s going to be on that Public Accounts Committee today. Morning Stewart.
STEWART JACKSON: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What are you trying to find out here? Why have you called these two guys in? Continue reading “The Disastrous Consequences of Private Sector Involvement in the NHS”

Middlesborough A Big Ask For Posh

18:45 Thursday 6th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Posh are facing a striker shortage ahead of the home tie with Middlesborough. Tyrone Barnett and Emile Sinclair are out on loan and can’t be recalled. Today it has been revealed that Saido Berahino has gone back to parent club West Brom, whilst Darren Ferguson told our Sports Editor Nick Fairbairn the young forward had picked up a serious injury. Continue reading “Middlesborough A Big Ask For Posh”

UK Economy Making Steady Progress

07:28 Thursday 6th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Gerald says, “electricity up, gas up, telephone up, water rates up, council tax up, petrol up, food bill up, taxes up. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the only growth industry is unemployment. If it doesn’t affect you now, just give it a little more time. It soon will.” Well Tony Bonsignore from our Business Unit was all over that yesterday, weren’t you, the Autumn Statement. And it’s not only going to affect our tax and our petrol and everything else. It might affect our triple-A rating, mightn’t it Tony? Continue reading “UK Economy Making Steady Progress”

This Latest Outrage

17:20 Wednesday 5th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: I know that you’re putting money into science. That’s a big thing around here. People will be very pleased with that. But at the same time you’ve announced four major road schemes today, but improvements to the A14 are not on that.
SAJID JAVID: There were some improvements to roads up and down the country announced today. I’m sure there are probably some other examples up and down the country where people would like to hear news on their local roads. But that doesn’t mean to say it’s not happening. The important thing is that Government has also announced today that by cutting departmental budgets, and some other savings, it’s putting aside £5 billion extra of capital investment by the public sector in roads and other infrastructure up and down the country.
CHRIS MANN: Well we must be at the back of the queue.

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17:40 Wednesday 5th December 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

JOHN BRIDGE: It was very disappointing that when he talked about the additional considerable investment on infrastructure, the A14 wasn’t mentioned at all. And the Minister on your programme didn’t seem to know or understand the importance of the A14, particularly to the economy. And we are told by Government that it’s actually at the top of their priority list for dealing with. Yet I think this shows us that it’s anywhere but at the top of the list. So a real frustration. They tell us that they’re trying to bring the implementation of the upgrade forward, but in order to do that, we need some commitment and know that the funding is going to be available. And regretfully we haven’t got that today.

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Peterborough City Hospital Is Pauperised Yet The PFIs Continue

08:38 Tuesday 4th December 2012
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

RONNIE BARBOUR: The Chancellor George Osborne is to announce a change to the way private finance initiatives are run in tomorrow’s Autumn Statement. Last week the National Audit Office criticised the private finance scheme at Peterborough City Hospital. The NHS Trust which runs it had a £46 million deficit last year. The Government says the new scheme will be quicker, more transparent and that the taxpayer will now share in any profits. Let’s speak to Dr John Lister from the pressure group London Health Emergency, who wrote a report looking into Peterborough City Hospital. Dr John Lister, good morning to you. Continue reading “Peterborough City Hospital Is Pauperised Yet The PFIs Continue”

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

17:20 Friday 30th November 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The man who is set to become Cambridgeshire’s first ever Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner has been defending the pay he is to receive. Newly-elected Sir Graham Bright has chosen his Conservative colleague Brian Ashton, a former Mayor of Ely, as his number two. That’s on a salary of £28,000 a year for two days work a week. In his first interview since accepting the role, he spoke to me earlier. We talked about the time he quit his council post over charges of corruption that he was finally cleared of. But first, the role itself. (TAPE)
BRIAN ASHTON: I think this is a question of a sort of sense of public service and duty. Yes, the post receives a remuneration. That’s certainly true. But I think bringing to bear one’s experience can be helpful. And I’m sure that’s what we’ll both do. Continue reading “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense”