A pioneering scheme to help young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) was launched today.

It will target the estimated 7,000 16-17-year-old NEETs in the Yorkshire and the Humber region and is part of Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg's Youth Contract.

The charities and business that will provide this service have an excellent track record of getting young people into education, training, or work and will be paid by results. The programme will focus on the UK's 55,000 16-17 year old NEETs with no GCSEs at A* to C, who are at the highest risk of long-term disengagement.

Bradford MP David Ward will challenge the Coalition to deliver real changes for Northern cities in a hard hitting speech today [21^st July].

The MP will call for a step change in his Party's policy towards Northern cities in an address to the influential left-leaning Liberal Democrat pressure group, the Social Liberal Forum.

Bradford MP David Ward today welcomed the Government's commitment to fully fund the "Northern Hub" scheme as part of a £9bn package of rail investment announced today.

The project will create a direct link between Bradford and Manchester Airport and decrease journey times throughout the region.

It could create 20,000 - 30,000 new jobs and over £4.2 billion new economic benefits. That's £4 of economic benefit for every £1 invested.

Bradford MP David Ward has welcomed Government proposals to reform the social care system announced in the draft Care and Support Bill today and announced the launch of a constituency-wide survey to allow Bradford residents to feed into the development of the Bill.

Today's announcements include the introduction of portable needs assessments, so that people receiving care do not need to be reassed when they move to a different local authority. The White Paper also proposes a universal 'needs test' for social care, ending the current postcode lottery of care entitlements.

Thousands of pensioners in Bradford could be suffering physical and mental health problems as a result of being lonely a local MP has warned.

Today Bradford MP, David Ward, highlighted loneliness as a major health and care issue to be taken seriously by government and local organisations alike.

David also welcomed the news that the Coalition government will be working with the care and support sector to develop measures of loneliness to help identify people at risk of social isolation. This will help older people in Bradford to receive the help and support they need to re-connect to their communities.

David Ward MP met the winners of Market Challenge, a 'Dragon's Den'-style business competition for young entrepreneurs.

The 22 visitors came from the Lees Primary, St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs, and Oxenhope Schools to join David for a tour of Parliament and Q and A session, and watch a parliamentary debate.

Bradford MP David Ward has welcomed the announcement that the number of two-year-olds in Bradford entitled to free early year education is to double by 2014 under Government plans.

The Children's Minister, Sarah Teather has unveiled new criteria under which 5200 two-year-old children from the most hard pressed families in Bradford will be able to receive free early years education.

Kipling's restaurant in Bradford has beaten all competition in the Region to represent Bradford in the 2012 Tiffin Cup. The final will be held in Parliament on 27^th June 2012 ,where they will take on some of the best South Asian restaurants from around the country.

The Bradford restaurant was nominated by David Ward MP earlier this year to battle it out for the prestigious Tiffin Cup. The prize is awarded annually by Parliament's Tiffin Club, formed in 2006 to celebrate the quality of South Asian food in Britain while also raising money for good causes. This year the competition is in aid of the charity World Vision.

Bradford MP David Ward has thrown his weight behind a bid for Yorkshire to host the Grand Depart of the 2016 Tour de France.

David has signed a Parliamentary Motion supporting the bid and has written to the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, who are co-ordinating the bid, to give the project his backing. The bid also has the support of British cycling stars Mark Cavendish and Ben Swift and Ed Clancy.

Bradford MP and Member of the Education Select Committee, David Ward, has slammed the Education Secretary's plans to scrap GCSEs in favour of a two-tier system of GCE's and O-level qualifications.

Commenting David Ward said:

"The Education Secretary is dangerously fixated on a fantasy. He wants to return Britain to "golden age" of education that never really existed. Following his previous announcements on rote learning, I wouldn't be surprised if chalk boards and compulsory fountain pens are next in the pipeline.