Media Watch - Jan 7
Top Birmingham City Council Stories
Discussions over partnership plan idea begin (Birmingham Mail, BBC WM, Free Radio) The city council is exploring the feasibility of putting together a proposal to the British Library, asking the national institution to consider some form of partnership relating to the future operation of the Library of Birmingham. Cllr Penny Holbrook interviewed/quoted, explaining it is early days, the British Library has yet to be approached and the proposed cuts to hours and staff at the Library of Birmingham will still have to occur if no other options can be found.
Birmingham named start-ups hub as entrepreneurs ‘taking city seriously’ (Birmingham Post website) Birmingham has retained its position as the most entrepreneurial UK city outside London, with more than 18,000 new businesses registered in the city last year. Sue Summers of Finance Birmingham and Neil Rami of Marketing Birmingham both quoted.
Debt and buried: Soaring cost of funerals mean people cannot afford to die (Daily Mirror website) Nationally, expenditure on public health funerals has increased by 36 per cent since 2010, up to £3.4million last year. Birmingham, as the largest local council, spent the most in 2013/14 (£427,000 on 245 funerals).
Up-for-sale arena gets new name (BBC Online) The LG Arena is being rebranded as the Genting Arena as part of a new naming rights deal.
Regional Headlines
Police Minister Mike Penning has pledged to ensure “justice has been served†in relation to the three men killed in Birmingham during the 2011 riots.
Staff from the Birmingham Central Foodbank say they are “over the moon†after a stolen van used to deliver their supplies was safely found in the city.
National Headlines
Labour has called on the government to hold an urgent summit on how to alleviate pressure on A&E services in English hospitals.
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said local government, the emergency services and other NHS professionals needed to agree co-ordinated action.
The economy and EU reforms are expected to be the focus of talks between David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Downing Street later.
