1 Million Dangerous Recalled Household Appliances Still in UK Homes.

Did you know that since January 2011 there have been 49 safety recalls of household appliances?

These products were all recalled for the following safety reasons:-

■ 55% risk of fire

■ 14% risk of electrocution

■ 12% risk of carbon monoxide poisoning

■ 19% other

It is estimated that more than 1 million of these products have never been found and may still remain in people's homes. This means that 1 in 26 homes may still be at risk from one of these recalled products.

Is your home one of the 26?

To make sure none of the missing recalled products is in your home go to the product recall page and compare your household appliances to the recalls listed here: http://www.recalluk.com/latest/product-recall.aspx

Included in this list are 23 BEKO gas cooker models. Please see the links below for more information.

http://www.recalluk.com/news/beko-lpg-gas-cooker-recall.aspx

http://www.recalluk.com/news/1-million-dangerous-recalled-household-appliances-still-in-uk-homes.aspx

Keep Warm and Carry On - Post Summit Report

The Voluntary and Statutory Sector Winter Warmth Summit was held on 31st January 2012 in the Lord Mayor’s Banqueting Suite, Portsmouth Guildhall, as part of Portsmouth’s Keep Warm and Carry On programme, funded by the Department of Health’s Warm Homes Healthy People Fund.

The post summit report, containing each speakers PowerPoint presentation and the full feedback from the summit workshops is available by clicking the following link
Keep Warm and Carry On - Post Summit Report

"Should Prisoners have the right to vote?"- University Public Debate

Last week Portsmouth City Council hosted a debate with the University to explore the rights of prisoners and to address the thorny issue of whether or not they should have the right to vote. An initial vote amongst the assembled audience suggested that people were very much in favour of giving this right. However, by the end of this session- held as part of European Local Democracy Week 2011- the audience view had changed, showing a majority against.

What turned them?

Well some passionate and persuasive arguements from our speakers from the Law School at the University, along with some capable chairing and focused minds. Putting across the case "For", Ursula Ward insisted that "voting is a right and not a privilege", something that helps to promote greater awareness amongst prisoners of politics & democracy, as well as generate victim empathy and promote wider responsibility. "People are sent to prison to loose their liberty and not their identity".

David Carpenter countered this with the argument that voting is "a moral right, not just a legal right" and "an entitlement not a privilege, a duty rather than a right"- "once you are out of the club you can't expect to vote on the management committee!" As the debate continued we were asked to consider that a blanket ban on voting for prisoners shows a lack of understanding of the very purpose of prison and that law makers should not break the law to uphold a principle. The debate was held to explore elements of this year's theme "Human Rights at a Local Level".

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Jubilee Eco Terrace

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84 Jubilee Terrace is a council-owned property with a difference.
Built at the turn of the twentieth century, the family home has been refurbished using modern eco-friendly techniques. The house is being showcased as an example of what environmentally-friendly methods can be employed in an average city home to improve efficiency and save its occupants money

Open Days
The eco terrace is throwing its doors open so you can see what they've done to the house, and what you could do to your own home to make it warmer, cheaper to run and make it better for the environment.
The house is open on 13 April (9:30am - 4pm), 14 April (2 - 7pm) and 19 April (9:30am - 4pm).
 
If you’d like to know more about the project or the open days, email housing.corp.initiatives@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9283 4729 to register for the project updates.

See more on this story at http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/20023.html

VISIT TO GLA (December 2010)

A small group of us went to the Greater London Authority (GLA) to attend a session of the London Assembly (Plenary) and to hear about some of the work undertaken there.

Particularly relevant to us were some of the ways in which they seek to undertake the scrutiny function. Useful points made included the following:-