David Ruffley

David Ruffley is meeting Howard Estate action group members on Wednesday, 1 October to discuss ways to reduce anti-social and criminal behaviour on the estate. David contacted Clive Springett, Vice-Chairman of the Howard Estate Association of Residents and Tenants, to offer his help following newspaper reports about the problems on the estate.

The local action group has been set up in a bid to clean up the estate. Local residents want to block off alleyways at the back of their homes to stop people congregating there and using the alleyways as an escape route.

David Ruffley will visit Pensioner Information Day at the Athenaeum in Bury St Edmunds at 11.45 a.m. on Wednesday, 1 October. The event is being organised by the local office of The Pension Service. He will be met by Mrs Val Jackson, local Partner Liaison Manager for The Pension Service in Bury.

Pensioner Information Day brings together under one roof many of the local organisations and charities that provide information and assistance to pensioners. Representatives of these organisations will be on hand to talk to members of the public who call in.

David Ruffley will be participating in the Grand Opening of the new Pakenham Village Hall at 2.00 p.m. on Saturday, 11 October. David will speak after Radio Suffolk's 'Fred the Countryman' has officially opened the Village Hall.

The Grand Opening is the culmination of over two years of planning and fundraising led by the Pakenham Village Hall and Playing Field Association. David Ruffley supported their successful Lottery bid and intervened with the Charity Commission and Government Ministers to assist their fundraising efforts.

David Ruffley is again voicing his strong opposition to the proposal to erect a telecommunications mast on top of the BT Telephone Exchange in Whiting Street.

David, in conjunction with St Edmundsbury Borough Councillor, Paul Farmer, has consistently opposed a mast on this site and collected signatures from a large number of local residents on a petition which was presented to the Council when the application was first made.

The text of David's letters of opposition are below.

David Ruffley has called a meeting with Tony Ranzetta, Chief Executive of Suffolk West Primary Care Trust, (PCT) to discuss the implementation of the PCT's decision to establish a branch GP surgery at Thurston. The meeting will also be attended by Mrs Joanna Spicer, Chairman of Suffolk West PCT. Also invited are County Councillor Mrs Susan Sida-Lockett, and Mid Suffolk District Councillors, Derrick Haley and Alan Stiff.

The meeting will take place on Thursday, 2 October at 11.30 am. in the PCT offices in Bury St Edmunds.

In the last week David Ruffley called to his Westminster office Mark Downes, Head of Major Projects at Sport England, following complaints from Bury Hockey Club that they have been badly let down by Sport England, who distribute lottery money to sports clubs.

Bury Hockey Club were told at the last minute that they would not be getting a grant for a hockey academy from Sport England.

David Ruffley MP is calling on drivers in Suffolk to stop putting child pedestrians' lives at risk by speeding in residential areas.

David is making this plea during Road Safety Week 2003, which is raising awareness of child pedestrian deaths and injuries and the unacceptable levels of fear children experience on a daily basis when faced with speeding traffic in around their schools and homes. The theme of the Week is 'Save the life of a child- slow down.'

MP outlines plans for an elected police boards or sheriff in Suffolk AND 379 more Suffolk bobbies on the beat

David Ruffley MP has welcomed the new Conservative policy to make local police forces more accountable to local people and to pay for 40,000 extra police officers- with an extra 379 for Suffolk Constabulary. David said:

David Ruffley MP today warned that at least 2,995 property owners in St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Mid Suffolk District Council areas could be burdened with an astonishing Council tax hike as a result of a new government Local Government Bill published in the last week.

David Ruffley MP for Bury St Edmunds has signed a House of Commons motion that calls for the Government to ensue that 5000 mainly elderly patient affected by age related macular degeneration receive the best available treatment.