Julian Huppert On Terror Laws Surveillance And The Abuse Of Power

17:12 Tuesday 20th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: The partner of a Guardian journalist is taking legal action after being detained by police under anti-terror laws. It comes as questions grow as to what the Government knew about the decision to take David Miranda into custody. There have been claims the action was heavy-handed, with critics saying Mr Miranda was only held to intimidate his partner Glenn Greewald, who’s published information leaked by the US security whistleblower Edward Snowden. .. Let’s get reaction to the story now from Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, a Member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, and the LibDem’s Home Affairs Spokesman. Continue reading “Julian Huppert On Terror Laws Surveillance And The Abuse Of Power”

Shale Gas Drilling In Cambridgeshire

08:07 Monday 19th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:

RONNIE BARBOUR: Could South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdon play a role in helping to bring down Britain’s energy prices? It’s a question being asked by some experts and investors here who are eyeing a potential new source of energy, and a new source of profits. But one technique to drill for shale gas known as fracking is controversial.Waseem Mirza reports. (TAPE)
WAZEEM MIRZA: (NOISE) That is the sound of the controversial method of extracting untapped underground gas deposits known as fracking. It’s got a shaky start in the UK, but with the Government now firmly backing plans for fracking, a spot of land somewhere here in the South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire areas could be among the 14 areas in the UK being awarded drilling licences for underground gas. In 2010 it was claimed the extraction of shale gas in America had resulted in gas leaking into local water supplies, with explosive results. A domestic tap is opened, and the water ignites into a flame. Geologists say this couldn’t happen over here, but then this happened. (BBC NEWS MUSIC).
ANNOUNCER: Controversial drilling operation for natural shale gas has been suspended after a small earthquake near Blackpool.
WASEEM MIRZA: Operations in Blackpool were then stopped, and there’s been no fracking in the UK since. But unrelated seismic activity of this size is fairly common, and in 2012 a report into the local geology recommended “cautious continuation of hydraulic fracture operations”. Last week David Cameron urged Britain to embrace fracking, and its economic benefits. Some in Cambridgeshire’s high-tec business community are eyeing the benefits too. Justin Hayward is Director of CIR Strategy. (Cambridge Investment Research).
JUSTIN HAYWARD: The limits of this particular sector or business opportunity will be political. There appear nationally of these to be quite large reserves there. We don’t know how much local reserve there will be in shale gas, but I think it may be foolish not to try and find out.
WASEEM MIRZA: But there is still disagreement over the benefits of this untapped gas. (OB)
REPORTER: Dr Aled Jones, thanks very much for having me today. We’re just outside the Coslett Building here at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Lead the way.
ALED JONES: We’re in the Global Sustainability Institute on the ground floor here. Fracking is not going to solve our energy security. It may make some more money for our private sector, but they will be selling onto an open market. So if the Government does really want to keep our energy costs down from gas point of view, they would have to curtail the profits and the exploration costs of those companies. Or you’d have to see a European-wide fracking boom to really bring gas prices down. We’re not seeing that certainly with France banning it and other countries banning even the exploration. Droughts are quite common, and becoming increasingly common, so the pressure they’re going to put on already existing stress areas will be huge, so is something else we need to tackle.
WASEEM MIRZA: But what do people in the South Cambridgeshire village of Harston think? (VOXPOP)
PUBLIC ONE: If you look at where these sites are, the infrastructure, the roads just aren’t there. These are country tracks.
PUBLIC TWO: I really think we should go for it, absolutely. (Someone else says “yes”)
WASEEM MIRZA: Despite some concerns from environmentalists, no-one can say with any real certainty how much gas could lie trapped beneath South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. But one thing is certain. The successful award of a drilling licence for these areas through the Government’s fourteenth licence round next year will help provide the definitive answer.  (STUDIO)
RONNIE BARBOUR: Waseem Mirza reporting. On the line now is Professor Peter Styles from Keele University and Editor-in-Chief of Geoscientist. Peter good morning to you.
PETER STYLES: Hello. How are you?
RONNIE BARBOUR: I’m good thank you. South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire have been included in this Government consultation in the next few months for the next round of drilling licences. Is drilling the only definitive way to find out if there’s any source of energy down below then Peter? Continue reading “Shale Gas Drilling In Cambridgeshire”

A Walk In The Woods

08:54 Thursday 15th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: The Woodland Trust is encouraging people in Cambridgeshire to explore their nearest undiscovered wood. But where in Cambridgeshire should you go? Well Chris Hickman is from the Trust, and can tell us more. Chris, morning.
CHRIS HICKMAN: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What do you mean, “undiscovered wood”? Continue reading “A Walk In The Woods”

David Willetts On The Benefits Of A University Education

09:37 Thursday 15th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: Record A-Level results are expected in the county today, with more students than ever getting straight As. While this is a cause for relief and celebration for youngsters and their families, does it ultimately devalue A-Levels, as even if they get top grades, they still aren’t guaranteed to get into the college they want to go to, or, more importantly, get a job at the end of it? Well earlier I put these points to the Universities Minister David Willetts. And first of all I asked him how the general situation was looking on the day the A-Level results were released. Continue reading “David Willetts On The Benefits Of A University Education”

Tomlin Transfer Talk

17:35 Wednesday 14th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[S]TEVE JACKSON: Peterborough United Chairman Darragh McAnthony has reiterated that Lee Tomlin is not for sale, after he handed in a written transfer request. Posh have turned down the request. Speaking on Twitter, McAnthony says he’s looking forward to Tomlin helping the team challenge for the League One title this season.
Continue reading “Tomlin Transfer Talk”

Another Large Fare Rise Prompts Calls For The Re-Nationalisation of Rail

17:07 Tuesday 13th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[R]ONNIE BARBOUR: Rail passengers will see an average fare increase of 4.1% from next January. It’s based on the inflation figure for July which stands at 3.1%. This rise applies to season tickets and off-peak InterCity fares. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says the increases will help pay for major improvements. (TAPE)
PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN: What we’re seeing at the moment is huge investment in our rail network. It’s needed investment. It’s vital that it takes place. We’ve also announced further investment to go on to upgrade a lot of our railway lines for electrification, which makes it cheaper to operate. (LIVE)
RONNIE BARBOUR: Some of the busiest routes could see a rise as high as 9%. That’s because train companies are able to set fares at up to 5% above the Government’s regulated increase for some lines. Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle says regular commuters will be the worst hit. (TAPE)
MARIA EAGLE: I think that David Cameron and the Government are out of touch if they think that it’s OK to keep piling this misery on commuters whose incomes are stagnating or going down. (LIVE)
RONNIE BARBOUR: Campaign groups have said it could put people off using trains altogether, as people’s levels of satisfaction is already low. The train companies say they need to increase fares in order to deliver service improvements, and that is good value for money. Thomas Ableman from Chiltern Railways. (TAPE)
THOMAS ABLEMAN: The average season ticket on Chiltern Railways costs £3000. And I can fully understand why that seems a huge sum for the passenger to spend in one transaction. However, each season ticket holder then goes on to make sixteen thousand miles worth of travel with that season ticket. Now if you tried to make sixteen thousand miles worth of travel by car, you could never afford to do it for £3000. (LIVE)
RONNIE BARBOUR: This morning members of the TUC were handing out postcards to passengers at Peterborough Station. Jill Murdoch is a rail worker and an active union member. She was there this morning. Jill, good evening to you.
JILL MURDOCH: Good evening.
RONNIE BARBOUR: What was on the postcards? Continue reading “Another Large Fare Rise Prompts Calls For The Re-Nationalisation of Rail”

Breakdown Of The Welfare State

08:08 Tuesday 13th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: A charity running food banks across the County says the number of people needing free food boxes is going up, and that there’s no end in sight to that rise. Steve Bolton, who is the Regional Development Officer for the Trussell Trust says the demand for their services has been higher since the start of the school holidays. (TAPE)
STEVE BOLTON: We anticipate that rise continuing as has already been indicated. And of course once we get beyond the Summer into the Winter, you’re then into people having to pay more for fuel costs. And we know fuel costs are going up as well, as well as food prices going up. So the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Karl Relton is the Chair of Trustees at the Ely Food Bank. They’ve seen demand rise by 15% in the past three months. And the three months before that another 15%. He said the other safety nets meant to be in place to help people who are struggling are not really working. (TAPE)
KARL RELTON: There’s just something in the system, in the way it works, specially in the delays. It’s benefit delays and benefit problems is always the biggest cause of people needing to come to us. And now with the trimming of benefits, we are seeing the results of that squeeze on people. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Tom in Peterborough feels it’s disgraceful that people are having to go to food banks when we give out money to other countries in foreign aid. Many of you commenting this morning. Some people are saying, well, don’t have kids if you can’t afford them. Well I suppose if your circumstances change what can you do.  I’m joined by Helen Crowther who’s the Society Policy Coordinator at the Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau. Morning Helen.
HELEN CROWTHER: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: We’ve heard some awful stories this morning of people, and you think to yourself there but for the grace of God go I. Continue reading “Breakdown Of The Welfare State”

CCTV – The Hidden Agenda

07:41 Monday 12th August 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: New guidelines on the use of CCTV cameras come into force today. They say there must always be a legitimate and specified purpose for the cameras. But some campaigners say the new rules don’t go far enough, and will only cover public bodies not private organisations. Nick Pickles is the Director of Big Brother Watch. (TAPE)
NICK PICKLES: Public authorities will have to pay attention to the Code, but private organisations and individuals won’t. So I think where we need to really assess if the system is working is whether the Commissioner can influence those people who are not directly covered by the Code. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well figures released by Big Brother Watch today show over £14 million was spent on CCTV by councils in Cambridgeshire between 2007 and 2011. Charles Farrier is one of the founders of the group No CCTV. Morning Charles.
CHARLES FARRIER: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: Your reaction first of all to that – that’s a big number isn’t it, £14 million in very austere times. Continue reading “CCTV – The Hidden Agenda”