David Ruffley

David Ruffley this week backed new plans to extend home ownership in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. New Conservative policies would mean extra support for 'shared ownership' schemes, allow social tenants to buy a stake in their home, and make it easier for housing associations to build more affordable housing. This will help those who currently cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.

David Ruffley explained:

North East referendum delivers fatal blow to regional agenda

Government plans for a referendum in the East of England for an elected regional assembly should be abolished, and the existing unelected assembly should be scrapped, David Ruffley said this week. This follows the people of the North East voting 'no' in the referendum for a regional assembly by a margin of almost 500,000; 78 per cent voted 'no', while only 22 per cent voted 'yes'.

Following huge public concern regarding bus services in and around Bury St Edmunds, David Ruffley called and chaired a high level emergency meeting. This took place last Friday, 5th November, and centred on the future of bus services in the town.

David said:

David Ruffley has been invited by the Suffolk Deaf Association to become their first Vice Patron. This official position in the Association follows David's support for their activities over the years since he became Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds. The Duchess of Grafton, the Association's President and a longstanding supporter, has agreed to become Patron.

David said: 'I have had personal experience of the difficulties faced by deaf people. As a child my deaf grandfather lived with us as I was growing up.

David Ruffley is urging St Edmundsbury Borough Council to find a solution to the traffic chaos in the mornings outside Guildhall Feoffment School now that the traffic wardens are strictly enforcing the parking restrictions. The informal concession which previously allowed parents to drop off their children appears to have been rescinded.

David Ruffley has challenged First Eastern Counties Buses Managing Director, John Pope, over his claim that it is not possible for his company to provide a bus service to take people home at 8.00 p.m. after the public meeting called by Bury St Edmunds Town Council on Friday, 1 October at 6.30 p.m. at the Corn Exchange in Bury.

David Ruffley has today written to Chris Bown, the Chief Executive of the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust to ask for an explanation of the shocking new figures for the level of cancelled operations.

David Ruffley MP this week welcomed proposed new laws by the Conservative Opposition to give local people the final say over the location of mobile phone masts. Representing the biggest changes in planning regulations since the 1984 Telecommunications Act, Conservatives would ensure all masts require full planning permission, that health concerns are taken into account and that visual intrusion is reduced.

David Ruffley expressed concern this week at new figures published by Royal Mail on its performance in delivering letters. The latest performance results show that in the three months from April to June 2004:

• Only 89.7 per cent of first class letters in the Ipswich postcode area to addresses outside the area are delivered the next day- failing to meet the Post Office's target. This means that over 11 per cent of letters are not delivered on time.

David Ruffley has written to John Pope, Managing Director of First Eastern Counties Buses, following a deluge of complaints from constituents about the unreliability of the bus services in Bury St Edmunds and dissatisfaction with the new timetables.

Bury St Edmunds Town Council have called a public meeting to discuss this issue on Friday, 1 October at 6.30 p.m. at the Corn Exchange in Bury at which David Ruffley will be on the platform with local councillors. Representatives from First Eastern Counties have been invited to attend.