No2ID

From LibDem email:

"Last week the Information Commissioner ruled that the Government should
publish a secret internal report into the costs and practicality of ID
cards.

The secret report produced by the Department for Work and Pensions
examines whether ID cards would really bring the benefits the Government
has claimed.

There is more on this story at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5061242.stm

The Government now has 30 days to decide whether or not to appeal
against this decision. However, the whole episode shows once again how the
Government is being far too secretive about the real impact of ID
cards.

We know only too well how badly the Government runs big IT projects, as
seen in the recent headlines about NHS projects running massively over
budget. Nor does this Government protect our privacy properly in other
databases. My colleague Lynne Featherstone recently discovered that
records from the DNA database had been sent to other countries due to lack
of proper controls -
http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/news1635-dna-database.htm

That's why it is so important to keep up the pressure on the
Government.

They should be open about the real costs of ID cards and publish the
Department for Work and Pensions report straight away. You can increase
the pressure on them by contacting your MP via
http://www.writetothem.com and asking them to raise this issue with
Government Ministers.

If you have a blog or website yourself, you can help by spreading this
story and encouraging your readers to write to their MP as well.

People can also be encouraged to sign our petition on
http://www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg
Shadow Home Secretary, Liberal Democrats"

Jemima

We found Jemima, finally! We were sat by our car pouring cat biscuits into her bowl, hoping the familiar sound would bring her out. It appears that in her hurry to get to us she got herself stuck on a garage roof! We managed to get her down, with the help of the family whose garage it was, whom I had to wake up early on a Sunday morning. She is now home and strutting around looking at us as if to say "What? What d'I do?" in that oh so innocent way. Bless.

Photos

Check out photos of all sorts, including gigs, our wedding and our recent trip up north here:

www.flickr.com/photos/phoenixandy/tags

Cats and Holidays

Andy and I have just got back from our holiday. We spent 10 days with my family in North Yorkshire and had a lovely time. It was an excuse to take Andy to various places that you just don't go when you live somewhere, so we went to Brimham Rocks, Fountains Abbey and the Twelve Apostles - a stone circle on Ilkley Moor. I'm going to put some pics up on our Flickr account, I'll post a link in a bit.

Being away we left our three gorgeous cats with friends here in Bristol, however, when we got back they told us that Jemima had got out and not come back. She's been missing for 2 days and I'm very upset. We're making regular circuits around the streets where our friends live and are assured that she has been seen around by the neighbours. We're going to try taking her brother, Misty over there in his cat box, hopefully he'll make lots of noise and she'll come running.

I will post again with updates, I'm sure we'll get her back with some persistance!