Thanks to all who responded to last week's call to Save British Bees by writing to their MPs and MEPs. The news is bittersweet.

First the good stuff: As of 1st December 2013 there is to be a Europe-wide two year ban on the neonicotinoid pesticides, clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam. This has been accepted by the European Commission and the UK, as well as the other Member States, is not able to opt out of the ban.

Raising the tax-free allowance is the Liberal Democrats' flagship policy and has so far seen Income Tax bills slashed by £600 a year for millions of low and middle income workers compared to what they were paying under Labour. As a result, more than 2m people on low pay have been lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether.

The tax-free allowance will rise again next year to £10,000, fulfilling a commitment from the front page of the Liberal Democrats' 2010 General Election manifesto and resulting in a total tax cut of £700.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

"I am delighted that Nick Clegg has stood up for the British public on this.

"He was right to demand that these proposals be published as a draft, which gave us all a chance to see just how badly thought through the Home Office proposals were. And he is now right to say that what the Home Office propose is unacceptable.

"Spending billions of pounds to keep track of every website we go to and what we do on Facebook or Google, is simply wrong. If we want to actually cut crime then we should spend the extra money on the police."

Given the Sandleford Park development is now going ahead, the best thing we can do is to contribute to the WBerks Council's consultation on the plans, and make sure provision for schools, doctors, roads and other facilities is suitable and sufficient.

The deadline for comments is 3rd May. You can access the draft Supplementary Planning Document and add comments here: http://consult.westberks.gov.uk/portal

In late April the EU takes a second vote on whether to suspend the use of the neonicotinoid pesticides, a ban which would undoubtedly help protect British bees. Please write to your MP and ask them to tell Owen Paterson to vote in favour of the suspension.

More information can be found here: http://www.soilassociation.org/supportus/keepbritainbuzzing

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Dear Mr Gove,

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I am writing from West Berkshire, where we have a problem in our education system which I am hoping you, as Secretary of State for Education, can help explain.

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West Berkshire recently ranked one of the best places to live in the UK (top 20% places to live). It is the kind of place where kids receive encouragement at home. The area's relative affluence also means Conservative led West Berks Council is not strapped for cash. Despite these positive factors, educational attainment across the district is in decline.

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In 2011 on average 58.2% of pupils across the UK achieved five good GCSEs. In West Berkshire this figure stands at 60.1% (figures here 2011). In 2012, the equivalent figures were 59.4% and 57.2% (figures here 2012) . As the National average for students obtaining 5 good GCSEs went up by 0.8%, results in West Berkshire went down by 2.9%. In a single year, results in Newbury and West Berkshire fell by nearly four times the national average.

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If that doesn't persuade you we have a problem, let's try another example: From 2011-2012, the percentage of the district's pupils gaining A* to C grades in English fell by 9.86%. The Council blamed this on a national downturn in GCSE results. The national downturn, however, was only 2.71% (English figures here). Once again, a downturn of nearly four times the national average.

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For students' performance to fall so dramatically across the board, the failings cannot be with individual schools. The problem must be systemic. Such decline cannot be allowed to continue.

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Mr Gove, as a local resident I can tell you that West Berks is not a below average place. We have fantastic teachers, parents and schools who know education is the key to empowering the next generation and to employment in the skills economy of the future - which, locally, means with industries such as Vodafone, Bayer and AWE Nuclear.

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I recently started a petition - Education for a Fairer Future - because I believe the educational decline in West Berkshire must be addressed. I am also meeting local head teachers to discuss what they think could be done to improve results across the District.

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I am writing to you to ask whether the Department of Education will help me investigate why West Berkshire is under-performing in education, before the decline in our local schools damages the futures of young, striving students in Newbury and West Berkshire.

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As a good Liberal Democrat, I am copying David Laws in on this enquiry. I will also be sending a copy of this letter to our local paper, the Newbury Weekly News.

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Yours Sincerely,

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Judith

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Judith Bunting

07914 835 073

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Newbury and West Berkshire

The Liberal Democrats

https://www.facebook.com/JudithBuntingforNewbury

www.judithbunting.com