The Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Gloucestershire County Council, Cllr. Jeremy Hilton, has asked nine written questions of council leader Cllr. Mark Hawthorne about the new strategy for libraries, being proposed by the Tory administration. The previous plan approved in February 2011 met with massive public opposition that finally led to the High Court ruling that the library strategy was illegal.

A number of questions will be raised by County Councillor Mike Collins (LD, Brockworth) at full council this Wednesday regarding the new student finance scheme.

Councillor Mike Collins said: "concerns have been raised that a lack of accurate factual information regarding the new finance scheme has meant that some young people are deciding not to go to university. The decision whether or not to go to university is one of the biggest decisions that our young people and their families will make. It is therefore vital that this council should be doing all that it can to ensure that young people make their decision based on real facts and not listening to inaccurate horror stories that surround this new scheme. I would encourage this council to produce a leaflet containing the main facts about this new scheme, which could be made available at council offices, libraries, schools, colleges or any other suitable location."

The Liberal Democrat group has lodged a legal challenge under Gloucestershire county council's constitution after Urbaser Balfour Beatty was selected as the preferred bidder to build a massive waste incinerator at Javelin Park.

The legal challenge known as a 'call-in' will halt the incinerator project until the councillors on the overview and scrutiny management committee can meet to review the process that led to the cabinet decision to progress the waste incinerator project.

Liberal Democrat leader Jeremy Hilton has tabled five questions to Tory council leader Mark Hawthorne about the future of the county's libraries and the ruling made by Judge McKenna that was critical of the county council plans to close libraries in Gloucestershire.

The questions are now on the agenda for the full council meeting set for the 30^th of November, when Cllr. Hilton will ask supplementary questions to Cllr Hawthorne's answers.

Gloucestershire County Council Leader Mark Hawthorne and two other Conservative councillors visited waste incinerators in the European Union, one at - ISVAG in Belgium and the other at Cantabria in Spain.

The cost of the trips was funded by the two bidders hoping to build a massive waste incinerator in Gloucestershire.

Liberal Democrat councillors have been investigating a rumour that county council home care workers have been told to make their own arrangements for a flu vaccine.

Staff such as home care workers or staff in day centres who are in direct contact with vulnerable service users have previously been offered a Flu vaccine by the county council.

Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service does not have enough senior officers to command a major incident such as a repeat of the 2007 floods, says a top Liberal Democrat councillor.

In the past, the county has had three senior officers who could command the brigade during a major crisis. Now Gloucestershire has just two senior operational officers.

Liberal Democrats in Gloucestershire are delighted with the announcement of the final Pupil Premium figures.

Released last week, every school this year will receive an extra £488 for each child on free school meals that they have on their roll. Liberal Democrat Councillor Charmian Sheppard (St Mark's, St Paul's and St Peter's) said "given the poor funding per pupil in Gloucestershire, this is an added bonus, and should therefore be well received by schools.

Liberal Democrats across the County came to their annual conference united in their opposition against a proposed massive incinerator at Javelin Park on Saturday.

Liberal Democrat Councillors from both the County and all six Districts including Quedgeley Parish Councillor Anna Mozol (Severnvale Ward) whose residents live downwind of the proposed incinerator took part in the discussions.

This year the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference was held in Birmingham, on the site of the old Bingley Hall where William Gladstone stood 130 years ago to found the National Liberal Federation.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable conference. The party was united behind our objective to serve our country in government.