Ending violence against children

After receiving a number of emails about Unicef UK’s campaign to end violence against children throughout the world, High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall gives his views.image

I was shocked to learn that every 5 minutes a child dies as result of violence, I felt the problem was a very serious one but I did not quite realise the full scale of it. The toleration of this horror has gone on too long.

Having raised the issue with Nick Clegg, specifically mentioning the potential for the new UN Sustainable Development Goals to include a robust target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence and torture against children, I am pleased that my party has committed to supporting a global target to end violence against children in the new global development goals being agreed at the UN in September.

Childen’s safety is not an issue to play politics with and all parties should commit to ending violence against children, or at least in the short term to significantly reducing it, so that we can begin to make sure every child grows up safe.

Does Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner really want to hear your views?

PCC-logoAlan Charles wanted to hear what you had to say, but only if you’d let him know within 9 days!

Derbyshire’s Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Charles is proposing to increase the council tax for policing contribution by just less than 2%, an increase he can implement without consultation. Any more than 2% and he would have to call a referendum.

Alan Charles was quoted as saying “Anything less than this would result in a greater reduction in police officer numbers and affect the level of service that Derbyshire Constabulary is able to provide – something that nobody wants to happen.”

Whether this statement is true or not the people of Derbyshire should surely still have a say on this and, according to the official website of the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Alan Charles did want to hear your views…but only if you completed a poorly advertised online survey that was only available to complete for 9 days!

High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall commented “Alan Charles claims he wants to know the views of High Peak residents on this proposed tax increase, but he made it so that the vast majority if us never knew any consultation was happening and made it so short that there was no time for any of us to let our friends and neighbours know about it.”

The survey closed today Sunday but you may yet have a chance to give your views. Stephen added “I only became aware of the consultation today but I have emailed the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire requesting that the survey be re-opened to give as many people as possible the chance to have a say“.