EU 63%: teachers 2.45%

A teachers' strike set for tomorrow is set to close or partially close more than 6,000 schools in England and Wales - reports the BBC.

Warnings to parents from 88 local authorities - half of the total - show that 28% of schools are expected to face disruption from loss of lessons to complete closures.

The one-day pay strike is being staged on Thursday by members of the National Union of Teachers over a pay dispute.

The union is attacking a pay deal which represents a 2.45% rise this year with a further rise of 2.3% in 2009 and 2010, arguing that it is below inflation and is therefore an effective pay cut.

Christine Blower, the union's acting head, said: "What we're saying to the government is, if you really do value teachers, then make sure that they're paid at least at the level of inflation - which we take to be the RPI, which is 4.1%."

The offer contrasts sharply with the government's agreement to increase Britain's annual contributions to the EU by 63% - or £2.5bn net extra every year from 2007-13.

This excessive generosity was despite EU auditors remaining unable to approve the "majority" of the EU's spending - a situation that has persisted for 13 years running.

This EU pay deal was endorsed by a majority of MPs back in February. So unless the MPs responsible imagine that there is a bottomless pit of public money to plunder, none who unjustifiably voted to support splashing so much extra on the EU can complain when it emerges that there isn't enough money left to pay teachers fairly.

MPs must acknowledge the reality that if they approve an obvious waste of vast sums of public money in one area, then that decision will have consequences in other areas of public spending.

This is a simple economic reality that everyone is familiar with in their own personal lives, and which MPs must realise applies to national finances too.

MPs must take responsibility when this happens, particularly where it affects their own constituencies. Rather than (as so often) posture in support of public services facing cuts, despite having voted to waste large sums that could instead have been used to help.

Widespread disruption to schools is likely in a number of both inner city and rural areas. Leeds, Cardiff, Suffolk and Cumbria all look likely to have many schools shut or partially closed.

The £230m primary schools sell-off

Almost 300 primary school sites have been sold off in the past decade as local councils seek to raise funds, according to a More4 News/Channel 4 News online survey.

The sales have generated £230m for authorities, as councils struggle to meet government funding demands and combat falling school rolls.

The research shows a further 188 primary schools sites are earmarked for future sale.

Critics say the sell-offs are a 'missed opportunity' to improve educational standards, and could leave authorities short of classrooms in the future.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: "The findings both surprise and depress me. At the moment we still have extremely large class sizes all over England and Wales, and because of these sell-offs we will find ourselves with insufficient classroom capacity further down the road.

"Whilst the pupil population might be decreasing at the moment this was the ideal opportunity to reduce class sizes and keep spending on education at the same level so that we can begin to fulfil Gordon Brown's promise that state school children will be funded to the same level as those in the independent sector."

Government funds schools according to how many places they have, rather than the actual number of pupils. It urges authorities to close schools with too few children, as they are seen as an ineffective use of resources.

The survey found that the council which received the most for primary school sales in the past decade was Oxfordshire, whose sell-off programme led to £39.8m being brought in from sales.

Others in the top 10 included: Hertfordshire at £25.6m, Cambridgeshire at £19.7, West Sussex at £15.8m, Havering at £15.4m and Leeds at £13.7m.

Over Easter, Cumbria County Council became the latest authority to indicate it was going to close primary schools under a reorganisation programme.

Councils pledge to put the money raised from primary school sales back into education funding, and many new schools and facilities have been built using the revenue.

However, professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, warned that pledges on education spending have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

He said: "You have to take councils at face value when they say they will be ring-fencing funds. But ring-fencing doesn't necessarily mean extra spending on education."

Overall, 113 councils responded to questions filed by Channel 4 news online under Freedom of Information rules, to show that 298 primary school sites had been sold off in the past decade for a total of £236,337,577.

Leeds: Environment Agency said no to Leeds flood defences

A vital £100m flood defence plan to protect Leeds city centre was shelved by the Environment Agency only six months ago, it has been revealed - according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.

The scheme would have seen a series of defences built along the River Aire to protect businesses and residents from exactly the kind of heavy rainfall which struck on Monday.

The project was under development by the Environment Agency for a number of years before being shelved in January for at least three years due to financial pressures.

It would have included "washland or flood storage areas" further upstream of the river.

Meanwhile, a separate scheme to protect Wakefield residents from the waters of Ings Beck, a tributary of the River Calder, was also "delayed indefinitely" earlier this year, it has emerged.

The revelations came as opposition parties in Parliament said the government has slashed flood protection budgets and ignored warnings that defences were inadequate.

Details of the ditched Leeds city centre flood defence scheme were revealed in an urgent email sent yesterday by Leeds City Council to MPs.

Leeds East Labour MP George Mudie swiftly raised the issue in the Commons chamber.

The email, sent by Louise Tonkinson, the council's acting head of corporate communications, warned that the ditched plan was to "identify and build defences in some of the city's worst at-risk areas".

She also revealed that the council was "urgently seeking information" about the progress of a flood defence scheme for Wyke Beck in the east of the city.

More the 30 households had to be evacuated due flooding from the beck on Monday - it is the third time in just over three years that it is flooded.

Mr Mudie questioned Environment Secretary David Miliband, as the cabinet minister delivered an emergency statement on the devastating flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands.

Mr Mudie asked: "Can the minister review the decision of the Environment Agency to shelve the £100m scheme which was designed to protect Leeds city centre?

"Could he also ask the Environmental Agency to expedite the Wyke Beck scheme in my constituency which will help alleviate flooding in an area which has been flooded three times in three years to the great distress of hundreds of people?"

Mr Miliband said Mr Mudie had made "an important point" and pledged to "take up those issues with the environment agency and write to him as soon as possible".

Leeds city council is to meet the Environment Agency next month to demand that the protection plans are put back on the table.

Council leader Mark Harris "Whilst this scheme would not have prevented much of the flooding in other areas of the city, it would have protected people and businesses from flooding in the city centre.

"We have got to have an effective scheme in place to protect people and businesses from flooding."

Meanwhile, Wakefield Labour MP Mary Creagh also revealed a crucial flood protection scheme had also been shelved in her constituency.

She said: "In January I received a letter from the local Environment Agency informing me that the Flood Alleviation Scheme for Ings Beck, a tributary of the River Calder, would be delayed indefinitely. It was supposed to be completed earlier this year."

She added: "Wakefield is now flooded for the second time in two weeks, many A-roads are affected, the East Coast Mainline is shut, and the M1 and the M62 motorways are both greatly affected as they follow the path of the rivers Calder, the Aire and Hebble that run through my constituency."

Leeds: Fresh call for city flood defence

Council chiefs are to call for a £100m flood defence scheme in West Yorkshire to be resurrected following the recent severe weather.

The Leeds scheme was shelved three years ago by the Environment Agency, which said it was too costly.

On Monday parts of the city centre were flooded, causing the railway station and several roads to close.

Council leader Mark Harris said he was worried about the effect of further flooding on the city's economy.

He said: "Last night, many parts of the city's central area were flooded for the first time in living memory.

"The train station was closed and severe traffic disruption had a major impact on business continuity as well as putting city centre shoppers, workers and residents at risk."

The Environment Agency had planned to build defences along the River Aire, which flows through the city centre.

Mr Harris said: "This recent flood event has only served to underline the need for this scheme to be brought back on track urgently.

"The recent flooding was unique and unprecedented.

"Whilst this scheme would not have prevented much of the flooding in other areas of the city, it would have protected people and businesses from flooding in the city centre.

"Floods can have a serious impact on the city's economy and infrastructure and we cannot have a situation where the city centre, which is the heart of the city's economic performance, is being put at risk."

Mr Harris said he planned to meet with the chief executive of the Environment Agency next month to request that the scheme go ahead.

Leeds: Shortage of midwives blamed in baby death inquest

A shortage of midwives was blamed at an inquest last month as a factor in the death of a baby girl at Leeds General Infirmary, reports the Yorkshire Post.

Caitlin Rose Simpson died suddenly after birth as a result of an infection which could have been prevented if her mother had been induced sooner, the hearing was told.

It took almost three days from when mother-of-four Janine Howarth’s waters broke to her giving birth, because of a lack of beds and medical staff in the delivery suite.