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 Stand up for students I was proud to sign the pledge during the General Election to vote against any raise in tuition fees. With many students in Liverpool Wavertree, and many families paying to send their children to university I am passionate about ensuring our education system is built around a students academic ability, not their ability to pay.
If you feel the same, you can Stand up for Students, by jointly signing a letter to Vince Cable, urging him to think again about the U-turn the Liberal Democrat MPs in Government have committed.
You can read the letter and sign it at: http://www.standupforstudents.org.uk/
 Luciana Berger trying Likuni Phala, a porridge produced for Malawian school children The scent of a Magic Porridge Pot wafted through the corridors of Westminster, as I, and other MPs, sampled a breakfast that is transforming the lives of thousands of children in Africa.
Mary’s Meals, a charity that runs school feeding projects in developing countries, invited politicians to try a mug of the corn-soya-blend porridge, or ‘likuni phala’, that it provides for more than 350,000 children across Malawi every school day.
The event marked World Porridge Day, which was on Sunday October 10th, and World Food Day, on Saturday October 16th and was hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development, a cross party initiative aiming at bringing together Parliamentarians concerned with agriculture, nutrition and wider food security in the developing world.
While the ‘taste test’ was a celebration of an international dish, it also gave us the opportunity to learn more about the role that school feeding projects play in countries such as Malawi, Liberia and Haiti – providing hungry children with a guaranteed source of nutrition and an incentive to go to school.
Mary’s Meals guarantee a daily meal in school to children who are often more used to working or scavenging for their food.
Mary’s Meals provides more than 350,000 children in Malawi with a meal of ‘likuni phala’ every school day for just £6.15 a year.
The porridge is nutritious and filling, and in a country that is regularly devastated by food shortages, the guarantee of a meal every day can have an incredible effect. That such a small amount of money goes such a long way may seem like magic, but it’s down to local volunteers and sourcing ingredients locally.”
Likuni Phala was developed by nutritionists and is recommended by Save the Children. It contains, maize, soya, vitamins, minerals and some sugar.
 The speed and depth of the coalition government’s cuts represents a gamble with our economy that no responsible politician should be willing to support. There is an alternative which ensures growth and is built on growth.
Labour believes that higher unemployment leads to lower tax receipts, higher benefit costs and the threat of another recession. That’s why we did everything we could when in Government to keep people in their jobs, because without a credible plan for growth, you can’t have a credible plan for deficit reduction.
But, I know from the many constituents who have already come to see me that there will be people in Merseyside who will lie awake tonight, worried about their jobs. Almost half a million public sector jobs are to be lost, confirmed by George Osborne in Parliament today. Price Waterhouse Coopers believe another half a million private sector jobs are threatened by the cuts. Together that makes a million people who will lose their jobs because of this Comprehensive Spending Review.
The impact on Liverpool will be significant. Joe Anderson and the Labour Party has already been cleaning up the financial mess the Lib Dems left in the Council; now the Lib Dems in Government are determined to hurt the council again with a 7% annual reduction in Local Government spending.
Welfare budgets and support for hard working families will be cut by another £7bn, that’s £18bn in total. In fact, this government will take more money from children than it will from the bankers who caused this mess. The Bankers’ Levy the Tory Lib Dem government are introducing will raise less money than the Labour Government collected by taxing bankers’ bonuses last year.
Meanwhile, the 23,000 people on the waiting list for social housing in Merseyside have been told they are on their own with social housing budgets slashed.
Confirmation that the second Mersey crossing and the electrification of the Liverpool-Manchester trainline are to go ahead is good news for Merseyside, as is an increased commitment for apprenticeships.
However, in my own brief as shadow minister in the Energy and Climate Change team I am very worried about the announcement that Warm Front will be phased out. Last week, I helped one of my constituents get insulation and a new efficient heating system through the scheme. The devil will be in the detail, but we must never have a situation where vulnerable people can’t keep warm in their own homes.
Labour understands what people are telling us, up and down the country – they’re worried about staying in their jobs and staying in ther homes. The Conservative Party’s cuts present a huge gamble with growth and jobs.
 - L-R LFC manager Robbie Johnson with Luciana Berger and Captain Vicky Jones
 - LFC Team Photo
Liverpool is famous for its football teams, and the women’s teams are going to hold up that fine tradition in a new Super League due to start in March next year. Everton’s womens team is already very succesful, and Liverpool’s team has been improving since the start of Robbie Johnson as Manager, who I met when I went to see them train in preparation for the new league.
Obviously it is great to see that both Liverpool and Everton will be taking part in the league, but the credit for success must go to the Women who give up their spare time to play at such a high level. I’m full of admiration for the players, who I hope will also be able to act as role models for girls everywhere that hard work and perseverance pays off.
 During the General election campaign I and around 1,500 Members of Parliament and parliamentary candidates signed the National Union of Students (NUS) pledge to vote against any proposed rise in tuition fees. Over 500 Liberal Democrats signed the pledge.
Today the Lib Dem/Tory government have backed plans by Lord Browne to remove the cap on tuition fees and at least double tuition fees by 2012.
These dangerous proposals offer a free market approach to education that will lead to a two tier system, where the quality of education is determined by a young person’s ability to pay, rather than their academic ability.
Today I reaffirm my pledge to you as constituents that, ‘I will vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and will pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative’.
It is wrong to burden students with crippling debts, while at the same time savagely cutting government funding to universities, as the Lib Dem/Tory government is doing.
Every single Lib Dem MP signed the same pledge as I did and today every single one of those in the government look set to break their promise.
 This weekend Labour leader Ed Milliband announced his new shadow ministerial team and I am delighted to have been appointed as a Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change.
Ed is leading a new generation for change in the Labour Party and I am pleased to be part of the strong Labour team he is building.
Climate change is one of the major challenges for the 21st century and it is crucial that we build on the successes of the last Labour government. David Cameron has said that his government would be the greenest ever. I will be using my new role to ensure that he sticks to that pledge
Although I’ve only been in parliament a few months, I’ve been working hard to make sure that Wavertree has a strong voice in parliament. I’m looking forward to combining this new role, with my continued efforts to ensure that your concerns are taken seriously.
Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS) are offering new funding opportunities for community groups in three wards across Wavertree.
If you live in Kensington and Fairfield, Old Swan or Picton and you have a great idea to improve your local area, then LCVS could provide you with the funds to turn your idea into a reality.
During November there will be a series of community funding events, where residents will be able to vote on funding for local projects.
‘Cleaner, Safer, Greener Community Funding’ provides small grants to local community groups who have ideas for projects that help make their neighbourhood a better place to live. Projects can range from community clean-ups through to projects that help make communities safer or that bring people together.
Decisions on the allocation of funds will be made via Participatory Budgeting (PB), a process whereby residents are invited to an event to vote on proposals submitted by groups within their ward.
All applicants will be required to deliver a short three-minute presentation on their proposal at the PB meeting and answer questions on their bids. Even if you don’t have an idea of your own you can still be involved by coming along to your local meeting and voting on the proposals.
The deadline for applications for all those participating wards is 12 noon on Friday 15 October.
Each of the participating wards has a slightly different funding allocation. For an application form and further details on how much is available in your ward, contact the Grants Team at LCVS.
The team helps groups with support and advice on making their application. Telephone 0151 227 5177 or e-mail grants@lcvs.org.uk.
Three weeks ago I wrote to the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Home Secretary, urging them to take urgent action to tackle dangerous dogs, before another child was injured.
In the past three years, five children have been killed by illegally owned dogs. One of those was the tragic death of John Paul Massey in Wavertree at the end of last year.
Dog attacks are on the increase. In 2008 almost 6,000 people – up from 4,300 a decade ago – needed hospital treatment for injuries caused by dogs.
On June 1st the Government concluded a public consultation on existing legislation of dangerous dogs. Despite several requests from both myself and other members, the Government has thus far failed to update the House on the outcome of that consultation.
I am still waiting for response to my letter.
How many more children will be injured before the Lib Dem/Tory government finally act?
You can read the full text of my letter below:
Dear Caroline
Urgent action needed to tackle Dangerous Dogs
I am writing to you today urging you to take action to tackle the illegal ownership and breading of violent dogs.
This is an issue that cannot be allowed to drift. In the past three years, five children have been killed by illegally owned dogs. One of those was the tragic death of John Paul Massey in my constituency at the end of last year.
On June 1st the Government concluded a public consultation on existing legislation of dangerous dogs. Despite several requests from both myself and other members, the Government has thus far failed to update the House on the outcome of that consultation.
Dog attacks are on the increase. In 2008 almost 6,000 people – up from 4,300 a decade ago – needed hospital treatment for injuries caused by dogs.
In an adjournment debate on July 20, the Minister of State indicated that the government would not be making any legislative changes to tackle this issue and would instead be relying on the existing provisions set out nineteen years ago in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
If the Government is not prepared to update legislation on this matter then it must ensure at the very least that existing legislation is properly enforced. In the Coalition document the Government promised that it ‘will ensure that enforcement agencies target irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs’.
I am deeply concerned that the spending cuts imposed by this government on vital public services such as the police will starve them of the resources they desperately need to adequately protect the public. The government has already made an in year cut of £3.8m to the Merseyside police budget.
I have also sent a copy of this letter to the Home Secretary. I hope you will both address this issue and the consultation and ensure that the government allocates to the police and other enforcement agencies the essential funding they need in the upcoming spending review. This very serious problem must be addresses before another child perishes.
Yours sincerely
Luciana Berger
Labour & Co-operative MP for Liverpool Wavertree
Cc. Rt. Hon Theresa May MP
Do you know an exceptional young volunteer aged 16-25? The vinspired National Awards are open for nominations.
I want to make sure everyone knows about the awards and has the opportunity to nominate someone they know.
I know there are a huge amount of young volunteers out there doing an amazing job, it would be great to see them get the recognition that they deserve.
For more information visit www.vinspired.com/nationalawards. Deadline for nominations: 30 September.
I visited the offices of Liverpool Biennial – International Festival of Contemporary Arts and met with the festivals organisers.
The festival is the largest visual arts events and with just under a million visitors in 2008, it is one of the best attended in the world.
The Biennial also gives a huge boost to local businesses as for every £1 of public funding it receives it generates £13 for the local economy.
The Biennial plans sound very exciting and I am really looking forward to seeing the exhibitions and installations.
The festival has its launch tomorrow night and runs from the 18 September to 28 November 2010. You can find out more about the Biennial events on their website by clicking here. 
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