West Midlands Liberal Democrats

Battery hen cages will have been eliminated from every EU country by the end of the year, EU Health Commissioner John Dalli has announced.

Speaking at a meeting of the European Agriculture Committee in Brussels this week, Dalli also said that 16 Member States are now expected to be compliant with the ban on sow stalls - small boxes where pigs can stand but barely move about - by the end of this year.

Liberal Democrat back bench MPs have written a joint letter to a national newspaper in which they oppose plans for regional pay deals in the public sector.

The letter

The introduction of regional public sector pay variations has been the subject of anxious discussion following George Osborne's March budget. The deputy prime minister's dismissal of regional public sector pay sector plans is therefore warmly welcomed as a reiteration of the Liberal Democrats' commitment to equality and public services

President Barack Obama told ABCNews; "I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married"

Here in the UK it is no longer a question of whether - it is when. Liberal Democrats have a strong record of advancing and campaigning for equal rights, and are whole-hearted supporters of equal marriage. With Liberal Democrats as part of the Coalition, and Lynne Featherstone in the Home Office, this government is committed to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

As Nick Clegg said in his speech to spring conference - "your freedom to love who you choose is a fundamental right in a liberal society and you will always have our support."

The government is consulting on introducing civil marriage for same sex couples. Churches and other religious institution will not be forced to host ceremonies for same-sex marriage or for civil partnerships.

Following calls from Tory MPs to drop proposals, Lynne Featherstone wrote online: "There will be no U-turn on equal marriage - we are committed as a government to legislate by 2015."

Vince Cable came under fire for comments he made about Rupert Murdoch to undercover reporters

Vince Cable says he feels "vindicated" at keeping executives at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp at "arm's length".

The business secretary was stripped of the power to rule on the bid after he told undercover reporters he had "declared war" on Mr Murdoch.

Using your mobile phone abroad will be cheaper from this summer after Euro MPs voted to cut roaming charges again.

The new legal limits set by the European Parliament in Brussels mean mobile phone calls from one EU country to another will cost no more than 28p per minute, while the cap on SMS charges is down to 8p per message.

West Midlands Lib Dem Euro MP Phil Bennion has spoken out against a call in a European Parliament report to ban budget airlines from offering low fares with strict limits on hand baggage allowance.
An 'own initiative' report by local Tory MEP Philip Bradbourn on regional airports and aviation was adopted by the European Parliament in Brussels this week.
Phil Bennion said he backed the report overall as it called for regional airports such as Birmingham to be developed to boost regional growth and jobs, but he was concerned by a compromise amendment added by the Transport Committee calling for a generous common upper limit for hand baggage for all flights.
If carried into law such a rule could see budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet having to drastically increase fares or even redesign the interiors of their planes at huge cost.
Phil Bennion said: "There is a lot of good stuff in the Bradbourn report and as it is not legislative I voted for it. Overall it strikes a good balance between the important role of regional aviation in boosting regional economic competitiveness while opposing proliferation of too many regional airports.
"However I don't agree with paragraph 13 which is a compromise amendment added by the Transport Committee, where I am a substitute member but did not have a vote.
"Encouraging people to travel light not only means lower fares but also makes good environmental sense as fares more closely reflect the carbon footprint of each passenger.
"If low hand baggage limits were banned, fares overall would go up.
"Airlines should be free to offer different types of fares, with or without limited baggage allowances. I don't think low hand baggage limits are a breach of competition law at all.
"The effect of this proposal would be to force budget airlines with smaller planes to offer the same hand baggage allowance as long distance jumbo jets. This would not only increase fares, it would be extremely difficult technically on a small regional jet where the lockers are not very deep. There simply is not enough space in a narrow fuselage."
Phil added that he was also concerned by the stress in the amended report on promoting commercial activities as a major income stream for airports.
"An airport should fundamentally be an airport, not be padded out with a huge shopping malls outside town centres subsidising landing charges which passengers are forced to walk through.
"This idea could lead to a vicious circle that favours the largest airports like Heathrow with huge retail centres attached. Regional airports could lose out.
"I support more long distance flights at Birmingham on a longer runway but not building a new Bull Ring at the site to keep up with pressure to subsidise landing charges."
Phil said that he also backed calls by the ALDE group of Lib Dem MEPs for more stress on better connections for air travellers with rail and bus transport.
ENDS

People wishing to vote in UK elections will soon have to take individual responsibility for ensuring they are on the electoral register.

At present, a 'head of the household' can decide who is registered to vote.

Elections watchdog the Electoral Commission says the plan is the biggest change to registration since all adults were given the right to vote.