David Ruffley

David Ruffley MP has today voiced his wholehearted support for The White Ribbon Campaign- sixteen days of action to raise awareness of domestic violence, abuse and the support services that are available in Suffolk.

In Suffolk domestic violence accounts for more than 33 percent of all violent crime.

To mark the campaign David has contacted and written to Bury St Edmunds Women's Refuge offering his wholehearted support and has arranged a Christmas visit on 21 December 2005.

New figures released by the Home Office in answer to a parliamentary question from David Ruffley MP show that possession and dealing of both class A and B drugs is on the rise in Suffolk.

David said:

'The new figures I've unearthed show those found guilty for possession of class A and B drugs in Suffolk increased by 33 and 39 per cent respectively between 2001 and 2003. At the same time the dealing of class A and B drugs has increased by 55 and 33 per cent respectively between 2001 and 2003, the last year for which figures are available.

The Government announced yesterday the grant settlements for local government for the next two years. The government's revenue grant for 2006-07 is £127.9 million for Suffolk County Council, £5.8 for Mid Suffolk and £6.6 million for St Edmundsbury. Each Council is now looking at the detail of the funding to assess whether this is below what they need and what they have had in previous years. Suffolk County Council has said already that 'If this figure is correct….the settlement is much lower than central government has given us in previous years.'

David Ruffley MP expressed concern this week at new sentencing guidelines from a Government quango which will allow many convicted muggers to avoid jail.

Previous sentencing rules said that all muggers should expect severe punishment - with a jail sentence as the norm. But, under the new rules for the courts, young robbers will only receive a community sentence as standard. Yet two-thirds of all mobile phone thieves are under 18.

David Ruffley MP has this week given his support to the campaign to secure the future funding of Children's Hospices in East Anglia by adding his name to Early Day Motion 1258. This EDM sets out the challenges faced by our local Children's Hospices, based in Milton, Ipswich and Quidenham, which are being forced to reduce their staffing levels. It calls for increased funding of East Anglia's Children's Hospices from the National Health Service.

David said:

'I look forward to seeing the important work they do which can save lives and rebuild families. I hope to receive some idea of how politicians can do more to support this essential community work.'

David Ruffley MP, the newly appointed Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, is to make a Christmas visit to Bury St Edmunds Women's Refuge on Wednesday 21 December at 2pm.

'This year we can make a real difference to the environment by making every effort to recycle the vast amount of waste we produced over the festive period.'

David Ruffley MP is to meet with managers and staff at the Bury St Edmunds branch of Tesco to recycle Christmas cards on Friday 13 January 2006 at 2.30pm.

'Perhaps Patricia Hewitt and the Department of Health should call in one of their 'turnaround teams' for advice'

David Ruffley MP has today welcomed a report from Professor Nick Bosanquet, an expert in health service economics at Imperial College London, that suggests much of the extra investment in the NHS has been swallowed up by NHS inflation and unnecessary staff costs.

'This meeting highlights the very real concern, felt across the county, that the NHS in Suffolk will face cutbacks of services.'

David Ruffley MP is to hold a crisis meeting with Suffolk's Clergy and Richard Spring MP to discuss the state of the County's health service. The meeting will be held on Friday 13 January at Christ Church, Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds.

The latest figures obtained by David Ruffley show the dire financial state of Suffolk's health trusts:

'Do the people of Suffolk really want to be thrown in with forces that are so very different and face vastly contrasting problems?'

David Ruffley MP will be holding a meeting on Tuesday 20 December with Hazel Blears, Minister of State at the Home Office, and other Suffolk MPs to discuss the restructuring of the region's police force.

Three options for a future structure have been put forward:

• A regional force covering all six counties in the East of England.

• Merging Suffolk Constabulary with Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Constabularies.