Two thousand people from across Orkney are being recruited to take part in a major study into osteoporosis. The bone thinning condition affects about three million people across Britain. Families are being recruited for the £500,000 Edinburgh University run project, to help identify the genes that cause the disease.
Hospices are struggling with debts as funding promised by the government has failed to materialise, campaigners say. More than one in four hospices is now in deficit, a study of 186 of the UK's 194 charitable hospices showed. It comes after the government promised in its 2005 manifesto that funding for palliative care would be doubled. But the Help the Hospices charity said charity hospice money had remained largely static. The government said funding was now being looked at.
Hospices are struggling with debts as funding promised by the government has failed to materialise, campaigners say. More than one in four hospices is now in deficit, a study of 186 of the UK's 194 charitable hospices showed. It comes after the government promised in its 2005 manifesto that funding for palliative care would be doubled. But the Help the Hospices charity said charity hospice money had remained largely static. The government said funding was now being looked at.
Many residents have contacted the Lib Dem team and the county council about the new parking restrictions. In some roads, such as Bower Hill, the new restrictions are working well. However in other places new yellow lines are causing problems or have moved the problem elsewhere.
The Liberal Democrats have attacked the government's new rail strategy as vague and unambitious. Yesterday, the transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, announced plans including 1,300 new carriages, investment to relieve bottlenecks and measures to tackle overcrowding and improve reliability. But Ms Kelly also hinted that rail passengers would have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for the improvements, warning that the balance in funding between taxpayers and farepayers would return "closer to historic levels".
Park Ward Liberal Democrat candidate for 2008, Claire Darke, has written a letter to all residents in the Ward. Claire wrote, "I know you will agree with my concerns about the future of Compton Park. The Labour run Council has now voted to close the pool and sports centre despite a motion being put forward by Councillor Robin Lawrence and the Liberal Democrats to save the pool. Both Labour Councillors in Park Ward voted to close the pool - obviously they are more interested in serving the Labour Party than local residents. I have been campaigning to save the pool and sports hall since its closure was announced early last year. With others I raised a 2,500 name petition which the Labour Council has ignored."
