"The police have alienated young people, photographers, tourists and ethnic minorities with their unlawful use of stop and search in recent years. With the world watching, will they go for gold in the bad Olympics policing competition?

"If these powers haven't been scrapped by 2012, the police have to use them carefully following intelligence. A six week mass clampdown would undermine years of work to improve community relations and safety.

"The Mayor agrees that we need to review the legislation, but under his watch the police are planning a massive expansion of these unlawful powers. He should show some leadership and press for a much more proportionate approach to stop and search at the Olympics."

Notes to editors

The Mayor's answer to Jenny Jones' question on the ECHR ruling is as follows:

Stop and search (2)

Question No: 14 / 2010, Jenny Jones

In light of the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that the indiscriminate use of section 44 anti-terrorism stop and search powers are illegal, do you think the Government's decision to appeal best serves the liberties and interests of Londoners?

Answer from the Mayor:

The Government needs to ensure that anti-terrorism powers are used proportionately and only for counter-terrorism related purposes.

The Met has already reviewed the use of Section 44 powers (see response to MQ15/2010). Rather than appealing, I ask Government to work with Parliament on reviewing the current legislation.

Mr Bakht, who has been running successful small businesses in Whitechapel and Brick Lane for the past twelve years, says: "Only Green policies can revive our high streets, create new jobs and offer protection against the harsh winds of recession. Roman Road and Bethnal Green markets would be priorities, as well as more investment in the 2012 Games with decent jobs for local people."

Looking to the Next Generation, suffering high levels of youth unemployment and mired in debt, Farid Bakht continues: "We need to defend young people against the savage cuts to education and train them for jobs in the emerging Green industries and abolish student tuition fees.

"It's time to heal the polarisation of communities and bring unity to the area. Greens can do this by offering a fresh, more democratic alternative to the unjust policies of the major parties and give people more of a say in the decisions affecting their lives."

Farid Bakht has a high profile role within the Green Party as International Coordinator on its National Executive Committee . He was born in Hackney, to a mother from the Basque country in Spain, and a father from Sylhet in Bangladesh. He is married and has a nine-year old daughter.

"The Mayor made a clear commitment to Londoners in his election manifesto to personally take charge of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA). Those of us with experience of the MPA knew immediately that he had made a promise he could never live up to. But Boris made crime the number one issue of the election and his chairing the MPA was the number one pledge in the crime section of his manifesto.

"In Boris Johnson's manifesto, the following commitment was first on the list for crime:
"Provide strong leadership: by taking responsibility and chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority and using my influence to tear up red tape and needless form-filling, so we can get more police out on the streets"

"As expected, he has now gone back on his word, realising that being both Mayor and chair of the MPA is just too much for one person to do properly when both are steep learning experiences. It was an ill thought out promise, and one that showed his lack of knowledge about what being Mayor and Chair of the MPA would involve.

"It's obvious he has worked hard at being Mayor, although his politics-by-press-release style infuriates me because it makes him so much less accountable than Ken, but he never did much to absorb the role of MPA Chair. So, quite honestly, I don't believe it will make that much difference to police accountability or the lives of Londoners.

"The London Mayor's deputy, Kit Malthouse, has been doing the hard work of running the MPA show behind the scenes whilst the Mayor just turned up to chair the meetings or meet the Commissioner occasionally. To suggest, as Kit has, that there was ‘heavy lifting' in the first two years, which Boris had to do and did do, is laughable, ludicrous, absurd, preposterous and any other word that means farcical.

"Meanwhile, most of the responses to major controversy, such as the G20 demonstrations and the Worboys rape case, came from individual members of the Metropolitan Police Authority rather than by Boris or Kit. It is always worth remembering that the Mayor doesn't have a guaranteed majority on the MPA and Kit will need to maintain the Mayor's good track record of keeping a cross party consensus to make the authority work.

"Here at City Hall we've noticed that the London Mayor has been stretched to cope with the job of Mayor. It's a big job, especially for someone who has never really run anything of this kind, like a council or a ministry. And this is despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the projects which Boris is 'delivering' were inherited from the previous Mayor, i.e. Crossrail, East London Line Extension, Tube upgrade and even the ideas on cycle hire and cycling superhighways.

"He has dumped large numbers of new projects by declaring them to be unfunded and left a vacuum in Transport for London's plans for coping with congestion on the roads and overcrowding on public transport. London is a growing city and if the Mayor hopes to fill the gap between the growing demand for transport and the supply of new capacity with more people cycling, then he must reverse his cut to cycle lanes in outer London and make the roads safer.

"Boris has also stood down as chair of the London Waste and Recycling Board amidst criticisms that he is not delivering on environmental action. The Mayor has failed to keep any of his own launch dates for environmental action plans. This may have something to do with around three quarters of Ken's excellent environment team leaving City Hall as Boris drastically cut the number of staff and delayed key actions, like banning polluting white vans from London. The public consultation on tackling air pollution will be out for public consultation when Boris is celebrating two years as Mayor. We have yet to see a first draft of his plans to tackle climate change and meet the ambitious target of a 60% cut by 2025 which he (also) inherited from Ken.

"Ken increased council tax during most of his years as Mayor in order to increase police numbers by over 8,000 and create a system of safer neighbourhood teams in every area of London. This Mayor has frozen the council tax precept for the second year running and he has cut £millions from the Met Police budget. The Met are facing difficult times ahead, with budgets being cut in all areas. Therefore, the Chair of the MPA needs to take the time to understand this complex organisation to provide effective leadership. Boris Johnson has not really been involved from the beginning and perhaps feels it is time to stop pretending.

"One last interesting factor is that Boris' admitting he can't do both roles blows a hole in Tory plans for elected Mayors who control the police. Other Mayors, in other cities, do manage both roles, but I'd be willing to bet they are experienced politicians who have worked hard to know their remit, not amateurs doing an apprenticeship on the job.

"What do the Tories think of Boris' move? Did he clear it with anyone? Did he assess what it would do to the Tory policy?

"Perhaps it would have been best to tough it out, stick at the MPA meetings, keep his promise. He doesn't want to be thought lightweight, does he?"

"The Mayor made a clear commitment to Londoners in his election manifesto to personally take charge of the Police Authority. He has now gone back on his word, realising that being both Mayor and chair of the MPA is just too much for one person to do properly. It was an ill thought out promise, and one that showed his lack of experience.

"The Met are facing difficult times ahead, with budgets being cut in all areas. The chair of the MPA needs to take the time to understand this complex organisation to provide effective leadership. Boris Johnson has not really been involved from the beginning and perhaps feels it is time to stop pretending".

Notes to editors

In Boris Johnson's manifesto, the following commitment was first on the list for crime:

"Provide strong leadership: by taking responsibility and chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority and using my influence to tear up red tape and needless form-filling, so we can get more police out on the streets."

Shane Collins said: "The Reverend Sharpton comes from Harlem, the spiritual home of Marcus Garvey. His message of keeping economic power in the community is more relevant than ever today - with the corporate takeover of much of our lives. This message has been taken up by Transition Town, as exemplified by the Brixton Pound which I was proud to present to the Reverend Sharpton."

"Voter registration among the black community is only 45% in younger age groups, similar to the black youth unemployment rate. There is a connection. Black and green people have the power to change the results in the local and general elections but only if registered and voting.

"So remember Rosa Parks, honour Nelson Mandela, take heart from President Obama and register to vote by contacting your Town Hall or www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Remember racists register and racists vote."

For elections on 6th May the deadline to register is 20th April.

Quotes from Rev Sharpton speech

"How you define yourself is how you confine yourself. You have all this technology, Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry's. And you can't get ten black Britons to go and vote?

"At a time when we can elect Presidents, there is no excuse for us to be sitting down and not doing anything, and avoid recognising that it's a new time."

"Having consistently raised this issue in recent years, I was pleased to see the Mayor finally put a clear statement against garden grabbing in his London Plan. But London's suburbs will remain under threat so long as their gardens are classified as brownfield land ripe for development.

"I think of brownfield as ex-industrial land, not a back garden. If the Government wants to protect gardens it needs to re-classify them as gardens or greenfield."

Whilst London boroughs have the powers to reject development on back gardens, they struggle to do so unless they clearly state a presumption against this development in their planning policy. Even then, the pressure to meet housing targets and to develop on brownfield land can work against defending back gardens.

Betting chain Ladbrokes are offering odds of 12/1 on Green candidate Darren Johnson snatching the seat from sitting MP and current favourite, Labour's Joan Ruddock.

At the last general election, the Greens were outsiders at 100/1. This time around, odds have been dramatically slashed, leaving the Greens second behind Labour, with the Liberal Democrats at just 33/1 and the Conservatives the outsiders at 100/1.

Darren Johnson AM, Brockley councillor and Green parliamentary candidate for Lewisham Deptford, said:

"The shortening of the odds on a Green win reflects the desire for change on the part of Lewisham's voters. Many people are fed up with Labour and see no good reason to back the other major parties. If you've had enough of Labour and you want Lewisham to have a fresh, positive and green voice in Westminster, the best thing you can do is vote Green."

The Green Party's popularity in Lewisham Deptford has been steadily increasing. In the 2006 local elections, 2008 London Assembly elections and the 2009 European elections Greens came second to Labour in the constituency, well ahead of both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

Following the introduction of the Welfare Reform Act last November, the government has introduced new testing of all those on incapacity benefit to find out whether they are genuinely unable to work, and then place them on the new ESA (Employment and Support Allowance), where payments vary according to levels of disability or illness.

A spokesperson from Carer Watch commented:

"People with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder have been our focus up to recently, but now we are seeing cases of people with severe physical illness and limited time to live being required to go through back-to-work hoops. It's absolutely appalling."

Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Vauxhall, Joseph Healy, said:

"I recently visited a disabled woman who works in a Job Centre Plus for the DWP and she told me that their office was full of claimants, some of whom had only months to live, because of the ridiculous rule that anyone with over 6 months left had to come in and sign once every few months. She said that their offices were clogged up with people clearly unable to work and desperately ill because of government red tape.

"As a disabled person myself, who is also a recipient of the Disability Living Allowance, I realise the importance of these benefits for people living with long term conditions. Living with a long term illness or disability is difficult enough without having to feel stigmatised also.

"Now all we can do is fight to get this law changed so that seriously sick people once again get the care and respect from the Department of Work and Pensions that they deserve."

Editors notes

Profile of Joseph Healy

Joseph Healy is Lambeth Green Party's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Vauxhall constituency at the General Election.

He has worked for the last four years as director of a disability charity in Brixton campaigning for better accessible transport for disabled people and is himself disabled. He currently works for Lambeth's main disability organisation, Disability Advice Service Lambeth on a part time basis.

Joseph was a pioneer in the LGBT rights movement in the Irish Republic in the 70s and early 80s and has campaigned strongly in London on issues connected with HIV and health. He is also Vice Chair of Patients Forum Ambulance Services (London) Ltd and has been very involved for a number of years in efforts to strengthen public and patient involvement in the NHS, as well as combating the ever increasing trend to privatise the health service.

He is Co-Convenor of Green Left, the eco-socialist, anti-capitalist platform within the Green Party. He is also the Green Party's delegate to the Stop the War coalition and an active anti-war campaigner.

He is an active trade unionist and was a member of UNITE as well as being a delegate to Southwark Trades Council. He is now a member of UNISON.

She has also submitted a parliamentary written question asking the European Commission to clarify what steps have been taken by Member States towards this end. Almost a year ago President Obama set a deadline ofthe 22nd January 2010 for its closure.

Jean Lambert MEP, who took part in the demonstration, commented:

"President Obama is not alone in believing that the very existence of Guantanamo is a recruiting device for violent extremists with a variety of goals. Why is the United States seemingly so intent on prolonging this injustice when it does not make their country safer?"

"The existence of Guantanamo has been used by oppressive regimes to justify their own denial of human rights such as arbitrary detention for long periods, the use of inhumane and degrading treatment and torture, and trials that are not worthy of the name. The US, with the assistance of the EU, needs to lead the way in the closure of Guantanamo and in securing a just settlement for the detainees to prove that it can live up to its rhetoric on human rights and democracy."

"I have asked the European Commission to clarify any steps which have been taken by EU Member States to assist in the closure of Guantanamo by agreeing to receive former detainees. It would be in the best interests of those individuals, and in our collective interest, to help heal the festering wound that is Guantanamo and restore the rule of law based on respect for human rights. I hope we do not have to return to the US Embassy to protest the ninth anniversary of the centre next year. Guantanamo must close!"

NOTE TO EDITORS
(1) The demonstration was organisted by the London Guantánamo Campaign, which campaigns for justice for all prisoners at Guantánamo bay, for the closure of this and other secret prisons, and an end to the practice of extraordinary rendition.

There are currently just under 200 prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay, including two British residents. Approximately 50 prisoners are due for release once suitable countries are found to accommodate them. Around two dozen prisoners are likely to face trial in the US mainland.

Concerns have been expressed as to the likelihood of any prisoners receiving a fair trial after eight years of arbitrary detention and the likelihood of much of the evidence being tainted by torture and other illegal methods of obtaining it.

‘Cultivating the Capital: Food growing and the planning system in London'[1], by the London Assembly's Planning and Housing Committee, highlights the need for amendments to the London Plan and local authority planning policies to encourage food growing in London.

Despite being a sprawling urban metropolis, Greater London is home to almost 500 farms. The capital currently produces more than 8,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, including grapes, aubergines, potatoes, cauliflowers and cabbages as well as around 27 tonnes of honey, meat, milk and eggs.

But London could produce so much more; the report found that much of the "agricultural" land around London - around 15 per cent of the capital's total area, mostly in the Green Belt - is not actively farmed.

The report calls on the Mayor to make specific amendments to the London Plan to remove barriers to the viability of farms and highlight food growing as a particularly desirable use in the Green Belt, giving it the same weight as is other uses that are permitted there like outdoor recreation.

The Mayor should also integrate urban agriculture into waste, water and energy policies and empower boroughs to encourage growing spaces on housing developments, rooftops and vacant land.

Green Party Member of the London Assembly and Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, Jenny Jones, said:
"The publication of the Government's food strategy demonstrates that sustainably produced food is an issue of major concern for the UK.

"With the right policy interventions, the capital could produce so much more of its own food.

"More self-sufficiency means better food security. Why continue to rely on huge quantities of food flown in from thousands of miles away when the capital has the potential to reap the health, social and economic benefits of locally grown produce?"

Alongside specific amendments to the London Plan and borough planning policies[2], recommendations in the report cover:

Removing barriers to commercial viability

Commercial growers who contributed to the Committee's investigation spoke of the challenges they face to keep their operations viable, including pressure from housing development and ‘land banking'. Some had found plans to modernise or diversify, like opening a farm shop on site, blocked by current Green Belt or planning policies. These should be revised. 

Encouraging more farmers markets and distribution channels
There are currently five wholesale food markets in London[3], together representing 20 per cent of the total supply of fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetable supplies to London and the South East, but the report identifies a need for planning policies to encourage more distribution hubs.  

Tackling crime on farms
Crime adds up to 15 per cent to urban farmers' costs compared with rural counterparts. The report calls on the Metropolitan Police Authority to properly record farm-related crime so the issue can be assessed and tackled.

Assessment of further available sites for food growing
The report commends the Mayor's Capital Growth programme, which promotes the creation of local community growing spaces, and calls for an assessment of sites owned by the Greater London Authority to see if any are suitable for food growing. Boroughs should do the same for their existing and brownfield sites.

A full list of recommendations is on page 53 of the report. The Mayor and the London Food Board are asked to respond to the recommendations made.

Notes for editors:
1. The report: ‘Cultivating the Capital: Food growing and the planning system in London' is available at: http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/plansd.jsp2. Specific amendments to the London Plan and borough planning policies:
-The Mayor should include in the London Plan reference to Green Belt Policy (PPG2). To better support the objectives of the London Food Strategy, Draft policy 7.16 (Green Belt) should specifically state that food growing is one of the most beneficial land uses in the Green Belt. Draft policy 7.16 should also include a requirement for boroughs to give added weight to food growing as one of the most productive activities in the Green Belt when preparing policies for their Local Development Frameworks.
- Through draft policy 7.22 Boroughs should incorporate urban agriculture in Local Development Frameworks as a desirable urban activity. The Mayor should add to policy 7.22 under ‘LDF Preparation' that food growing is one of the most productive land uses in the Green Belt.
- The London Plan should specifically support the potential for farmers markets in the public realm and in particular public squares and large open public spaces. The proposed Town Centre SPG (due by 2011) should include detailed guidance regarding farmers markets and distribution networks for locally grown food.
- The Mayor should amend draft London Plan Policy 5.21 (Contaminated land) to include food growing in raised beds or skips on potentially contaminated sites as a feasible temporary alternative to the often expensive remediation of contaminated soil.
- The Mayor should through the London Plan encourage the temporary use of vacant public and private land for urban agriculture and encourage Boroughs to include relevant policies in their LDFs. 
- The Mayor should integrate urban agriculture into waste, water and energy policies in the London Plan and link these with the expanded draft policy 7.22. The Mayor should also integrate urban agriculture into waste, water and energy strategies (at GLA and Borough level).
- The Mayor should ensure the London Plan contains stronger links with existing policies of the London Food Strategy relevant to planning matters.
3. Billingsgate, New Covent Garden, Smithfield, Spitalfields and Western International
4. The report will be considered for formal agreement by the Planning and Housing Committee on 14 January.
5. Jenny Jones AM, Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee, is available for interview. See contact details below.
6. As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.

Responding to the London Mayor's consultation budget proposals for 2010/11, Darren Johnson said:

"I will seek a reverse of this year's fare rises on the buses by urging the Assembly to support an amendment to the mayor's budget. The Mayor's budget proposals will mean less money raised from car drivers, whilst public transport users are paying more.

 "I want to see the Mayor protecting the poorer Londoners by freezing bus fares and making those who pollute more, pay more. The Mayor claims that he has to increase bus fares whilst cutting bus services in order to fill a financial black hole, but a large part the deficit is created by for vanity projects such as scrapping bendy buses and dropping charges designed to discourage polluting cars".

Notes to editors
1. £75m is raise from the 2010 increase in bus fares.
2. Darren's amendment is likely to feature: £40m from emissions charge; £20m from cancelling abolition of western extension of CC (assuming Dec 2010); £5m saved on physical works removal if no abolition of extension; £10m bringing forward CC increase.

"Tube Lines staggered on after Metronet collapsed, but it is now clearly seen as part of the problem and not the solution. The PPP was a flawed idea imposed on London by a Government that refused to listen to common sense.

"The PPP has cost Londoners a lot more money than it was meant to and I don't see why we should go on putting good money after bad whilst suffering weekend delays and broken deadlines for work to be completed. Transport for London should take all the work in house and the PPP disaster must be wound up ."

Responding to the London Mayor's draft budget for 2010/11, Darren Johnson said:

"The Mayor's draft budget will mean less money raised from car drivers, whilst public transport users are paying more. I want to see the Mayor protecting the poorest Londoners by freezing bus fares and making those who pollute more, pay more. The Mayor claims that he will have to increase bus fares whilst cutting bus services in order to fill a financial black hole, but a large part the deficit is paying for vanity projects like scrapping bendy buses and dropping charges designed to discourage polluting cars."

"I also want to see the Mayor going much further in cutting the enormous amount of waste in the police budget, especially staff overtime, non operational cars and drivers and money spent on flights and hotels. This would release extra funds for vital work to cut carbon emissions across London."

Justice and Human Rights MEP of the year 2005, and London Green MEP, Jean Lambert, is to attend an Amnesty International Greetings Card signing event at Hornsey Vale Community Centre in Haringey to highlight the plight of prisoners of conscience, people under sentence of death, and human rights defenders at risk.

Jean Lambert MEP said:

"The simple act of sending these cards offers hope and encouragement to the people who receive them. Personalised international messages can help bring about positive change to a political prisoner's situation, helping to keep them safe, or even save their life, by making an impression on police, prison staff and political authorities. I would urge people to spare a moment on Sunday 13th December and pop into Hornsey Vale Community Centre to sign a few cards and help make a difference to the lives of those unjustly imprisoned or in danger."

Local Green Party candidates for Stroud Green, Sarah Cope and Anna Bragga, will be attending the event to add their support to the campaign. There will be mince pies, Christmas cake and the chance to meet others in the community who care about these human rights issues.

The Amnesty Greetings Card Campaign signing event is a joint partnership event organised by Haringey Green Party and Hornsey and Wood Green Amnesty International. Amnesty provides regular updates on individual cases proving that inspiring messages of solidarity can lead to cases being reviewed. See Amnesty's website for updates and feedback on cases.

The duo welcomed the news seeing the move as a natural progression for their increasingly high profile campaign and a sign of the growing strength of women in the party.

Sarah Cope said: "We are delighted to welcome Jayne Forbes on to our team. Jayne's indepth knowledge and experience of the area combined with her passion for developing green policies will provide a tremendous boost to our campaign. People shouldn't be surprised to see an all-female slate standing in Stroud Green. Women are attracted to the Green Party by its female-friendly policies. I myself have written our national policy on maternity care, which argues for a 'one mother, one midwife' approach and more provision for home births."

Anna Bragga said: "We want to reach out to women who feel their needs are not being met by the current male dominated Labour/Lib Dem council. Women are under-represented on the council - there are only 21 compared to 36 men - and that means women's concerns often don't receive the attention they deserve. Issues like affordable childcare; more accessible services for victims of domestic violence, which constitutes 30% of all violent crime in Haringey, and help for ethnic minority women who often miss out on services available due to cultural and language barriers. We hope to change that next May."

Jayne Forbes said: "I have intimate knowledge of Stroud Green and many of the issues concerning people, having lived in the area for 25 years. I know that many voters are thinking of voting Green this time as they are disenfranchised with the main parties andlooking for a fresh approach to politics."

Women still only make up a third of London's councillors - 100 years after being allowed to stand. London Councils, which represent all of the capital's boroughs, is campaigning to increase the number of women at town halls.

In February this year, the UK was sent a first warning letter concerning breach of the PM10 standards. The recent application for a delay will have to prove that the UK and London can meet the standards by 2011 - if the application does not meet the Commission's conditions then ‘appropriate legal action' will be taken. The decision is likely to be made by the end of this year, much earlier than previously expected.

While the Mayor of London published his Draft Air Quality Strategy in October, it is doubtful that the measures proposed for addressing transport emissions will produce the results required to meet the EU standards.

The Mayor's strategy reveals that a number of projects remain unfunded and are thus not credible. Phase 3 of the London Low Emission Zone initiative, which was due to commence in October 2010, has been postponed until 2012, as have proposed measures aimed at reducing the negative impact of London's taxi fleet on the city's air quality. The Mayor has also repeatedly stated that the Western Extension of the Congestion Charge will be removed by the end of 2010 with only vague measures being outlined as to how the negative air quality impacts of this move will be mitigated.

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, said:

"Given the proposals in London's draft Air Quality Strategy it seems clear that the UK does not have a credible plan to fully comply with agreed EU standards for PM10. If the Commission also finds that London's plans are not satisfactory then it should waste no time in rejecting the Government's application to delay meeting the standards and proceed with legal action."

"Far too many Londoners are dying prematurely every year due to poor air quality and thousands more are suffering from chronic breathing problems. With Copenhagen just around the corner, it is time Europe showed its determination to urgently and dramatically reduce air pollution."

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, is giving one of the opening speeches at the event where experts in the field will be discussing ways to reduce poverty and inequality. Local residents and groups are encouraged to join the debate with policy-makers and suggest positive ways forward for London. 

Jean Lambert MEP said:

"It is simply unacceptable that four in ten children in London live in poverty. Many people across the capital are struggling to find work, or are on low pay or in casual jobs. Initiatives like the London Living Wage can go a long way towards ensuring that everyone earns a reasonable wage that they can live on and decent levels of income support, like the state pension and Jobseekers Allowance, are also vital for combating poverty and inequality."

"Despite rising pressure on national budgets, public spending on financial support and essential services, like social housing, education, healthcare and social care, must be safeguarded. If we fail to ensure their continued provision, we will simply increase inequality in our society and that will benefit no-one."

The conference will also include an exhibition of work on the theme of anti-poverty and the whole event is free and open to the public. A crèche is available for children under five years of age.

‘Into 2010 - The European Year Against Poverty' will take place at:

The Old Town Hall Stratford, 29 The Broadway, E15 4BQ, from 10-4pm, on Tuesday 1st December.

To find out more go to: www.lvstc.org.uk

In October, figures obtained by Jenny Jones revealed that the Met added 96,471 samples to the DNA database between August 2008 and September 2009 at a cost of £3m.

During that period, 316 people have requested that their sample is deleted, with 76 requests so far authorised (0.08% of the total samples taken).

The Mayor chairs the Metropolitan Police Authority, responsible for setting the police budget.

Lewisham councillor Darren Johnson, Chair of the London Assembly, said:

"It's a glaring contradiction for Joan Ruddock to personally support the 10:10 campaign, and for Lewisham Council to pass a motion supporting 10:10, but for her to then oppose it in her role as Minister for Climate Change."

"The 10:10 debate in Parliament shows yet again that this government is all talk and no commitment. The government needs to join people and organisations across the country and make a 10% cut in carbon emissions across the public sector in 2010."

Notes to editors

- Lewisham Deptford is one of three target constituencies for the Green Party in the next general election.

- Darren Johnson, PPC for Lewisham Deptford, can be contacted on 07887 737276.

- The office of Joan Ruddock can be reached on 020 7219 4513.

Humanitarian and human rights organisations also claim that the Government has denied adequate access to the camps, where citizens are being screened before resettlement.

Jean Lambert MEP, Chair of the South Asia Delegation in the European Parliament, commented:

"It is deeply worrying that so many people are still being held in these camps. The Sri Lankan government must now take every necessary step to return home those detained as quickly as possible and ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to deliver assistance.

"Press freedom has severely suffered during the years of conflict and it is now imperative that the media is able to operate without the fear of violent repercussions and intimidation.

"The people of Sri Lanka deserve lasting peace and freedom, now that this 25 year battle has finally come to an end. The European Parliament therefore calls on all sides to work towards a lasting, peaceful settlement based on democracy and respect for human rights."

Notes to Editors

The full text of the resolution will soon be available here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/plenary/ta.do?language=EN