David Ruffley

David Ruffley has received calls from concerned constituents following Powergen's announcement that they are withdrawing electricity pre-payment tokens from sale in post offices from 1 April. This decision has caused alarm among Sub-postmasters and Powergen's customers alike.

People who rely on these pre-payment tokens will now have to buy them elsewhere and for many village residents where the post office is the only local retail outlet this will mean travelling into Stowmarket or Bury St Edmunds.

David Ruffley has been appointed a Whip in Her Majesty's Opposition Whips' Office by the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition. This has widely been seen as a vote of confidence in David Ruffley's performance as a parliamentarian because appointment to the Whips' Office has to have the unanimous consent and approval of all the existing Whips.

David Ruffley was one of the sponsors of the Food Labelling Bill introduced in the House of Commons on Monday, 22 March by Richard Bacon, MP for South Norfolk.

The Bill promotes the clearer labelling of food so that consumers are given clearer, more accurate and more honest information. Information to be included on food labels includes the country of origin, the contents and standards of production of that food.

David Ruffley and Mrs Arlene Cruickshank, Chairman of Onehouse Parish Council, presented a petition of over 200 signatures to Councillor Roger Saunders, Leader of Mid Suffolk District, on Friday, 26 March at the Council Offices in Needham Market.

The petition was launched following the very well attended public meeting in Onehouse last November which David Ruffley called and chaired.

The text of the petition is as follows:

David Ruffley will be at the Stowmarket 'Litter Pick' on Saturday, 27 March at 12.15 p.m. in Market Place, Stowmarket, to support the event which has been organised by Stowmarket Town Council.

Town Councillor Keith Myers-Hewitt, other members of the Town Council and friends and colleagues will go through the town in groups collecting litter and meet at Market Place with their litter sacks at 12.15 p.m.

David Ruffley has written today to Peter Houghton, Chief Executive of the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge Strategic Health Authority, following news that there will be further delay in setting up a GP branch surgery at Thurston.

David said: 'I have been campaigning for a GP surgery at Thurston since I became MP for Bury St Edmunds in 1997. It is ridiculous that my Thurston constituents have to travel to Bury to see a doctor. This further delay is bad news but I will be doing all I can to minimise the slippage in the timetable that I was given by Suffolk West PCT.'

Following concerns expressed by residents of Uvedale Court residential home in Needham Market regarding the safety of pedestrians in Coddenham Road, David Ruffley has called a meeting with Suffolk County Council to discuss the situation. The meeting with residents, which David Ruffley will chair, will be attended by Keith Bridges, Team Leader, Traffic and Safety Management at Suffolk County Council. He has particular responsibility for the Needham Market area.

The meeting will take place on Friday, 13 February at 2.15 p.m. at Uvedale Court, Needham Market.

David Ruffley today released a letter he has received following his letter to senior managers at Barclays Bank in the wake of concerns that their branch in Needham Market was under threat.

David said: 'I was dismayed to hear from local residents and traders that opening hours of the Barclays Branch in Needham Market were being cut. This led to justifiable fears that hours reduction was a prelude to full closure.

David Ruffley today released the text of a letter to Sir Terry Leahy, Chief Executive of Tesco, which he has sent to more than 100 people who attended his personal public meeting last Friday evening at Sebert Wood Community Primary School.

David Ruffley MP has called a public meeting in Needham Market following information he has received indicating that up to 700 new houses could be built in the town under proposals Mid Suffolk District Council might have put to them in the near future. David wants to give local residents the opportunity to hear about these housing development proposals for Needham Market direct from Mid Suffolk council officers and to allow residents to express their views on this important issue for the town.