David Ruffley

David Ruffley MP today voiced his concerns about the Government announcement that the East Anglian Ambulance Trust, which covers Suffolk, is to become part of a new Regional Quango covering the entire East of England.

David said:

'Following the regionalisation of the Police and Fire services we now have the third emergency service being turned into a Regional Quango.

David Ruffley MP has today highlighted the upcoming review of School organisation within Suffolk.

At present Suffolk has a mixture of two types of schooling; two tier and three tier. In the two tier set up children attend Primary School from ages 4- 11 and Secondary School from ages 11- 16 (or 11- 18). In the three tier system children attend Primary School from ages 4- 9, Middle School from ages 9- 14 and Upper School from ages 13- 18.

David Ruffley MP, the Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, has today challenged Royal Mail to explain the unparalleled level of Post Office closures both nationally and in Suffolk.

The latest House of Commons figures reveal that in 2004/05 the number of Post Offices nationally fell by 8.5 percent on the previous year. This represents a loss of 1,352 sites and is the largest fall since 1981/82.

David Ruffley will perform the official opening ceremony at Norton Pre-School at 11.00 a.m. on Friday, 21st April.

The new Norton Pre-School building is at Honeywood Corner, Ixworth Road, Norton (next to the Village Hall).

'There is an urgent need to cut police paperwork and get officers back on the beat. But now Gordon Brown has piled in and pulled the plug on the funding for a new computer system that could have freed up officers to fight crime in Suffolk.'

Following a report in The Times newspaper on 18 April about the blocked funding of a computer system designed to cut police red tape, David Ruffley MP has today written to the Home Secretary to ask for an explanation.

David said:

David Ruffley MP has today voiced his support for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Week which begins on 22 April.

There are an estimated 85,000 MS sufferers in the UK. The MS Society is the UK's largest charity for people affected by MS.

'My latest Parliamentary Question has revealed a shocking level of overpayment of benefits caused by DWP Ministers' incompetence. So now the DWP's permanent secretary, in a leaked letter of 18 April, orders 'action teams' to try and sort out the chaos.

'Over the last 8 years, total overpayment of income support has now reached £1.17 billion. Overpayments last year alone were £200 million - one and a half times higher than in 1997/98.

'Over the last 8 years, total overpayment of jobseekers allowance has now reached a staggering £910 million.

David Ruffley is meeting Chris Bown, Chief Executive of West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust on Friday, 21 April at 3.00 p.m. to receive an update on the Hospital's current financial position and progress on their Financial Recovery Plan which is due to be launched at the end of May.

David Ruffley MP, a patron of the Suffolk Deaf Association, has today highlighted Deaf Awareness Week, which begins on 1 May 2006, and called on his constituents across Suffolk to support the initiative.

To mark this year's campaign David Ruffley has arranged Typetalk training for his Constituency Office staff.

David Ruffley MP has today welcomed the news that Suffolk County Council will be holding a series of events across the County to give young people with disabilities or learning difficulties the chance to gain more information and guidance to help them when they leave school.

Various information stalls covering topics such as personal finance, housing, health care and transport will also be at the events.