Speaking at The Civilisation Congress 2009 today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable will set out Liberal Democrat proposals for a National Infrastructure Bank.

In his speech, he will point out that the UK has one of the worst records for infrastructure investment in the OECD, and argue that there is an urgent need for a step change in infrastructure investment. Investment in infrastructure would create jobs, increase competitiveness, promote environmental sustainability and boost the economic recovery.

The creation of a National Infrastructure Bank –leveraging public funds with private capital – is the vehicle with which to do this.

Extracts from Vince Cable’s speech are below:

There is a big hole in the prospects of the long-term recovery and growth of the UK economy.

Our infrastructure is currently rated 34th in the world, which is poor by anyone’s standards.  The Policy Exchange estimates that £500bn needs to be spent over the next decade on transport, energy storage, broadband and transmissions systems.

But in this recession, infrastructure investment is one of the first things to be squeezed and there is currently no prospect of investment on anything like the scale that is needed.

The Government’s commitment to investing in the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs has been woeful. The Tories at least recognise that there is a problem but once again the public rhetoric is not backed up by any kind of concrete and viable solution.

The PFI model is no longer fit for purpose due to its over dependence on bank finance. Indeed, the current PFIs are having to be underwritten by Government lending.  Bank borrowing has become more expensive.  Private equity may also be a victim of the credit crunch and, in any event, tends to have a five-year perspective. There is a shortage of Government money for public interest projects where social returns significantly exceed private returns.

The government is cutting back in public investment (by 20% per annum in the next three years).

So what can be done?

I believe that what we need is a mechanism for reducing the cost of capital – through Government guarantees – while tapping in to private savers’ demands for long-term investment. That is why I am proposing the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank.

The idea of an Infrastructure Bank is not new. Bodies like the European Investment Bank already do this on an EU level (and the World Bank in developing countries). There are already institutions in the UK, albeit in a fragmented form with a great deal of expertise in this area. But what I am suggesting would bring the current Government facilities together rather than reinventing the wheel. The Government has already announced Infrastructure UK but the last thing that we need is yet another advisory body talking shop.

A National Infrastructure Bank would tap into the demand from institutional investors – pension funds and insurance companies – for long-term investment opportunities and from retail investors.

Government would provide guarantees but the National Infrastructure Bank would be professionally managed and make investment decisions on an objective, project by project basis. It would not be a nationalised industry.

There are various financing structures that can be envisaged involving different combinations of private and public equity and loan (or bond) finance and different governance structures. The simple point is that large-scale infrastructure financing will not happen, except in exceptional cases, through private markets alone and government cannot afford to fund public investment directly. There are various models available like the European Investment Bank that suggest a possible way forward.

We believe that you can judge a country by the quality of its infrastructure.  Our transport system was once the envy of the world: it can be so again.  We have masses of talent and skills that need to be harnessed and savers looking for reliable investment opportunities.  A National Infrastructure Bank would also help to provide jobs, which in this time of soaring unemployment is more important than ever.

The big lesson from this crisis is that we can’t return to business as usual. The country needs rebuilding and restructuring. An ambitious proposal like this would be a useful and important step in that direction.

A national survey by Girlguiding Magazine has revealed that almost half of girls between the ages of 11 and 16 are dieting.

The survey found that by the age of 10, girls start wanting to be thin and 42% of 11 to 16-year-olds restrict what they eat in an attempt to stay slim.

More than 1,000 girls and women, aged between 7 and 21, were quizzed on topics including binge drinking, eating disorders, plastic surgery, sexual health and body image.

The survey found that 24% of 16 to 21-year-olds would think about having cosmetic surgery, and 12% of 11 to 16-year-olds would seriously think of having a gastric band or plastic surgery. Another 5% would consider Botox treatment.

Cosmetic surgery is commonly accepted as an option for making positive changes to their appearance.

The researchers found a change of attitude to personal appearance after the age of 10.

2% of 7 to 11 year-olds, 2% were found to be unhappy with their appearance, but this increased to 11% of 11 to 16 year-olds.

Cheryl Cole is by far the most popular female role model among 11 to 16-year-olds, half as many girls in this group chose model Katie Price, and fewer than 10% chose Michelle Obama or Olympic athletes Kelly Holmes and Rebecca Adlington.

Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson said:

“Today’s unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means that young girls are under more pressure now than they were even five years ago.

“Airbrushing means that adverts now contain completely unattainable images that no one can live up to in real life.

“Girls shouldn’t constantly feel the need to measure up to a very narrow range of digitally manipulated images.”

Chief Guide Liz Burnley said:

“It is part of our responsibility to the next generation to ensure that their views and opinions are counted and in our centenary year we are proud to make this contribution to the policy debate on behalf of all girls, not just our members.”

Community Pride will be the new name for community warden services in North East Lincolnshire, after the council’s cabinet agreed to refocus the service’s efforts into maintaining pride in the area.

From early next year, warden and environmental enforcement services will be aimed at better meeting the needs and expectations of residents.

Key aspects of the new service will include:

•  new more flexible working, so officers are on the streets when it really matters

•  improved street presence

•  increased efficiency by focusing on the customer and cutting unnecessary bureaucracy

•  enhanced graffiti removal, with closer working with Community Payback

•  improved visibility and identity with new uniforms and vehicle branding

•  better communications with the public so that they know what the service is doing and why

•  improved working with Humberside Police and the Environment Agency

The decision comes after extensive consultation with residents from across the borough, which showed that crime, environmental damage, and anti-social behaviour are of greatest concern to the local population.

Consultation also showed that services are already delivering positive results for the community and these are held in high regard by the public and key partners. However, improvements are still needed in a number of areas, including high visibility patrols, dealing with fly tipping, littering and dog fouling.

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for safer communities and public protection, said

“The council wants to ensure people have pride in their community. The current Neighbourhood Safety Scheme wardens already undertake a valuable role and by working with residents have delivered excellent results.

“Our Environmental Enforcement Team are also making significant strides in tidying up the area. Our vision is to build on this success by bringing the teams together, with the name Community Pride, to provide an even better service in the future. We are committed to working in partnership, for example with the Police and Environment Agency, to help tackle problems with the help of the community.  This is an excellent step forward and has my full support.”

It has been discovered that supermodels are not the only ones getting the airbrush treatment in their photographs.

A documentary reveals that some babies whose photographs appear in magazines are having their images retouched to make them look slimmer, according to Britain’s Sunday Telegraph.

In the documentary, “My Supermodel Baby,” a director at a magazine photography session explains how a five-month old boy with some folds of fat on his arms, had his photograph manipulated.

“We lightened his eyes and his general skin tone, smoothed out any blotches and the creases on his arms,” said the casting director. “But we want it to look natural.”

The Telegraph report says that it is the first time the industry has admitted changing photographs of babies, although this practise commnly occurs in pictures of adults. 

According to the Telegraph, the editor of Practical Parenting and Pregnancy magazine has admitted that photographs of babies are sometimes airbrushed, but usually to remove spittle from a baby’s chin or to whiten red eyes after they’ve cried.

The editor, Daniella Delaney, said:

“We’ll remove things and even-up skin tone, that sort of thing but very little is done, in fact, because obviously babies are beautiful the way they are and that is what we went to get across.”

M/s Delaney would not deny that photographs of babys were being altered to remove folds of fat, saying:

 ”I can’t really comment, but we don’t have a hit list of thing we look out for.”

Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson said:

“People will be appalled that a magazine would not think images of beautiful healthy babies are alright as they are and instead have to conform to some standard

“The idea that babies must look more perfect - that they can’t have creases in their skin - shows the obsession with a particular ideal. Where does this end?”

“The Government has treated taxpayers like children while expecting them to foot the bill,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable.

Commenting on revelations today that RBS and HBOS were lent £61.6bn in emergency funding last autumn at the height of the financial panic, Vince Cable said:
 
“Given the sheer size of the support these two banks were receiving, it is astonishing that this was kept secret for over a year.
 
“The Government has treated taxpayers like children while expecting them to foot the bill for these banks.
 
“What is particularly concerning is that the Government was pumping billions into HBOS at the exact same time it was convincing Lloyds to take it over.
 
“The Chancellor knew he was selling Lloyds a lemon but he did it anyway to save his own skin.  
 
“The Government only wanted HBOS to be taken over so that it didn’t have to fully nationalise another bank.

“This had nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics.

“Tomorrow I will be tabling an urgent question so that the Chancellor comes to the House and explains the circumstances surrounding this emergency lending.”

“Old and vulnerable people should not have to worry about whether or not they can afford to heat their homes,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Simon Hughes.

Commenting on ONS figures showing the number of extra deaths in England and Wales last winter was the highest since 1999/2000 at around 37,600, Simon Hughes said:

“Ministers should hang their heads in shame at these figures which are worse than many other European countries who face much colder weather.
 
“In a civilized society, old and vulnerable people should not have to worry about whether or not they can afford to heat their homes.
 
“When fuel bills threaten to wipe out the winter fuel payment, it is time for the Government to force energy suppliers to pass on lower wholesale energy prices in the form of reduced bills.”

More than half of the Government’s delegation to the Copenhagen climate talks will be travelling by air, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats reveal.

Parliamentary answers reveal that 19 delegates of the 38-member team have so far confirmed they plan to fly to the talks, with DECC budgeting up to £17,500 for the total cost of travel for all UK delegates.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Simon Hughes said:

“It is extraordinary that at least half of the UK delegation from DECC are travelling to Copenhagen by air when the dates of this conference have been known for months and others have managed to chart a route by train.
 
“It is completely unacceptable for ministers and public servants to travel in a way that produces the most damaging emissions when alternatives are clearly available.
 
“This is just another example of the Labour Government saying one thing and doing another.”

“I hope his job only lasts for another six months,” said Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary of Sir Joseph.

Commenting on Sir Joseph Pilling’s remarks that the Government’s national identity register – the controversial database at the heart of the ID card scheme – is “up and running”, Chris Huhne said:
“With all due respect to Sir Joseph, I hope his job only lasts for another six months.
 
“The Government has managed to get the most intrusive database in history up and running and is already squandering huge amounts of money on it.
 
“ID cards should be scrapped immediately – they are an expensive way of achieving nothing.”

“A full judicial inquiry looks increasingly unavoidable,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Ed Davey.

Commenting on today’s report by Human Rights Watch, which finds that ‘UK complicity is clear’ in the torture of terrorist suspects, Edward Davey said:

“The evidence of the British Government’s complicity in torture is increasingly clear.

“A full judicial inquiry looks increasingly unavoidable. If the Government won’t hold it now, the other parties must join the Liberal Democrats to ensure one is held in the next Parliament

today’s Grimsby Telegraph features an article about a Question time event which was held at St James’ School in Grimsby where pupils from the school questioned candidates who are hoping to become Grimsby’s next MP

The panel included, current Great Grimsby MP for Great Grimsby, Austin Mitchell, prospective parliamentary candidates Victoria Ayling (Conservative) and Andrew De Freitas (Liberal Democrat) all of whom were questioned by youngsters keen to know more about what they could expect from their future MP.

When asked about preventing anti-social behaviour, Ms Ayling said there was a need to restore respect for authority that had “gone out of the window in this country” by having tougher prison sentences and by supporting the family through the tax and benefits system.

My Colleague, Cllr Steve Beasant, cmmented:

!If the Telegraph has reported Ms Ayling correctly, I presume that she holds the typical right-wing Tory view - lock them-up and throw away the key and she also forgets to mention that under the previous Tory Government crime increased dramatically.

When questioned on the hunting ban: Ms Ayling said the hunting ban was a “very poorly drafted piece of legislation that has done more harm than good for animal rights”, and she said that a future Conservative government would repeal it.

Andrew De Freitas said he would not be in favour of repealing the hunting ban.

The hunting ban should not be repealed in my opinion, and I agree with Tim Farron who said on the 18th August, this year that we need better enforcement of the ban.

On 18th August the Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Tim Farron said:

“The low priority given to enforcing our wildlife laws is letting offenders off the hook.

“Whilst Labour postures as a champion of the environment, a failure to direct resources properly could threaten the survival of rare species.

“We need proper enforcement and stronger penalties to clamp down on criminals that are getting away scot free.!