Some Conservative MPs are suggesting that married couples should receive tax breaks in the upcoming budget. Lib Dem backbench Treasury spokesman, Stephen Williams MP said: "Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are committed to delivering a tax system which is fair and progressive for everyone, why should working people who are not married pay more tax?

"Our commitment to increasing the income tax threshold to £10,000 has already resulted in an extra £200 in take home pay for millions of workers last year, with an additional £130 coming this April.

"Tax breaks for married couples would only help 4 million couples to the tune of around £150 year.

"This year, thanks to the Liberal Democrats, over 1 million people will have been lifted out of paying any income tax, rising to 4 million by 2015.

"Giving low earners a tax cut is exactly the kind of policy the Coalition Government should and is prioritising at a time when money is tight and people are feeling the pinch."

Nick is urging businesses to sign up to the government's flagship £1bn Youth Contract so that they are ready to offer the jobs to young people in April. He announced details of how employers can access cash to help cover the cost of taking on fresh talent through a 'wage subsidy'. The subsidy will be paid to companies for taking on young unemployed people and is designed to cover costs like National Insurance contributions.

The wage subsidy will pay £2,275 to employers for every 18 - 24 year old unemployed person they employ from the Work Programme and is open to all businesses, voluntary organisations and charities.

Payments for the majority of business will be made after the young person has been employed for 26 weeks. For smaller enterprises these payments will be staggered, with the first payment after eight weeks and the rest after 26. This recognises that smaller businesses need a boost to their cashflow to make the jobs viable.

The wage incentive will also be available for part time positions, with a rate of £1,137.50 if someone is employed between 16 and 29 hours.

A planning application for houses north and north-east of Springfield ("Greater Beaulieu Park") has been revised slightly. Two years ago ZEST Countryside Properties asked for "up to 4,000 houses" but now they have reduced this to "up to 3,600 houses".

Commented Cllr. Stephen Robinson (who created the Don't Choke Chelmsford campaign): "The other application for well over 600 houses near Channels Golf Course means that developers are, in total, asking for vastly more than the 3,200 houses indicated in the North Chelmsford Area Action Plan, the council's strategic plan for the area.

MEPs in Strasbourg have today voted to freeze their own allowances until mid-2014 and cap the travel budget at the present level, in order to meet demands that all EU institutions cut their administrative spending.

Vice President of the Parliament's Budget Committee, Lib Dem George Lyon MEP, is pushing for the EU budget to be radically restructured and independently evaluated to find further savings. He commented after the vote: "At a time when people across the country struggle to make ends meet, it is important that MEPs show some leadership in keeping the Parliament's costs under control.

"Freezing allowances and travel expenses is a good start. But I believe that we can make many more savings. In order to ensure that taxpayers are getting maximum value for their money, we need to have an independent evaluation of the EU budget to get rid of any inefficiencies and waste.

"I am very pleased that once again MEPs have also voted to push for a single seat of the European Parliament. It is an outrage that Member States still insist that the House travels between Brussels and Strasbourg each month. MEPs are quite right in calling for an urgent evaluation of this situation."

Ed Davey, newly appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, was quick to make his mark in his new role when he confirmed his personal commitment to green growth, green jobs and the wider use of wind power technology. "I think that onshore and offshore wind power has a real place in a balanced mix of energy generation so I'm a huge supporter of renewables" he said.

100 Tory back-benchers have tabled a motion calling for a dramatic cut in subsidies for onshore wind farms but Ed is very clear where he stands. "Already we've seen through the subsidies that this government has invested in onshore wind that the price has come down to make onshore more competitive, so we've got money in all sorts of renewables because of the success of these investments.

"There may have been a change at the helm, but there'll be no change in direction or ambition. My priorities are very simple: green jobs, green growth and getting the best deal for energy bill payers."Ed and Nick Clegg were visiting the Building Research Establishment's Innovation Park near Watford, a testing site for green homes, where they met graduates considering moving into green construction jobs. Nick Clegg told them "The race is on to lead the world in clean, green energy. The savviest states understand that going for growth means going green. Low-carbon markets are the next frontier in the battle for global pre-eminence.

"We have every reason to be confident. The combination of enviable wind, wave and tidal power, a world-beating research base and a proud history of engineering give the UK a clear competitive edge. So we're already in pole position. But the reality is: we need to sharpen our elbows if we want to stay ahead." Ed Davey also announced that 155 community energy projects across the country have won a share of £5.1 million of funding from the Local Energy Assessment Fund. The winning bids include projects to demonstrate wall insulation to the public, schemes to check the energy efficiency of homes and events to promote energy efficiency in local communities.

While Ed was getting to grips with his new job, Norfolk North's Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb was taking up his new appointment as Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs in the Department of Business Innovation and Skills. Welcoming him Secretary of State Vince Cable said "Norman's professional background as an employment lawyer and experience as the Liberal Democrat's Trade and Industry Spokesman make him an ideal replacement. He pioneered our policy to privatise Royal Mail and establish employee share ownership in the business so it is fitting that he will be responsible for implementing that policy."

Norman, who was previously chief political adviser to Nick Clegg, expressed himself particularly delighted to be implementing the Post Office reforms he had pioneered in opposition. These would give employees a stake in the company.

Two other new appointments were announced in the mini-reshuffle. Cardiff Central MP Jenny Willott becomes an Assistant Government Whip and Dunbartonshire East's MP Jo Swinson becomes PPS to Nick Clegg.

Chelmsford Council has given planning permission for 135 houses in fields off Patching Hall Lane (see Committee Agenda). Local Lib Dem Councillors Stephen Robinson and Alan Arnot attended to speak up for local residents. Cllr. Robinson spoke out about a number of traffic concerns - in particular, the exit from Skerry Rise onto Broomfield Road and the Hollow Lane / Patching Hall Lane / School Lane junction.

Liberal Democrat councillors have condemned the pay bonanza for top staff at Essex County Council.

The Liberal Democrats, who are the main opposition to the Council's ruling Conservatives, have uncovered shocking figures which show that the number of Council employees (excluding school staff) paid £80,000 or more has nearly doubled in a year.

Essex County Council's Statement of Accounts 2010 / 11 shows that the number of County Council staff, excluding school staff, paid £80,000 or more jumped from 59 to 104 over the 12 months to March 2011.

At a time when jobs and services are being cut because money is scarce - and pay freezes are common - such a large rise in highly paid Council staff is not acceptable. It will not find favour with most council taxpayers.

Residents in the Tile Kiln / Moulsham Lodge neighbourhood are working with their local Lib Dem Councillors to back plans for a pedestrian crossing. County Councillor Jude Deakin will be taking their concerns to Essex County Council. You can back the campaign by joining the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/groups/341238239242015/ or signing the online petition: http://ourcampaign.org.uk/schoolcrossings

Gas supplies from Russian supplier Gazprom to Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Germany have fallen by up to 30% over the last few days. This underlines the need for energy security with green energy, according to Lib Dem MEP Sir Graham Watson.

Sir Graham is Chairman of the Climate Parliament, a global network of MPs and MEPs from all mainstream political parties working to accelerate the move from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He said that the switch to green energy has now become just as much an energy security issue as an environmental imperative.

Labour today called a parliamentary debate on bank bonuses but was accused of hypocrisy by Lib Dem Business & Skills spokesman Lorely Burt MP. She said: "The sheer hypocrisy of Labour to point the finger on bankers' bonuses is staggering. Labour presided over the biggest boom in bonuses this country has seen, from £3.1bn in 2001 to £11.5 billion in 2007. At the same time, they sat back and knighted the financial speculators who led this country to the brink of economic collapse.

"The Coalition Government inherited this economic mess from Labour and has taken decisive action to put the country back on track. We've capped cash bonuses at state owned banks to £2,000 and overall, the bonus pool is smaller than last year and considerably less than under Labour.

"In Government, Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing - implementing the Vickers' proposals to make banking safer in the future, continuing our fight to get the banks to lend more and introducing the banking levy which raises £2.5bn a year. All Labour can do is complain from the side lines.

"While Labour spent thirteen years being intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich, Liberal Democrats have made clear that our priority is lifting the lowest paid people out of paying income tax all together."