David Ruffley

David Ruffley MP is launching an 'Honest Food Labelling' campaign calling for clearer labelling on food packaging and asking his constituents for their views on this important issue in his new survey at: www.tellDavidRuffley.com

David's campaign seeks to end misleading claims on food packaging, thereby making consumers better informed and supporting local farmers. This means that meat products, such as bacon, sausages and ready meals, which are labelled 'British' can only use meat that comes from animals born and bred in Britain.

David Ruffley has written to Laura Tarling, Network Development Manager at Post Office Ltd, following the decision to site the new mobile outreach post office service in Broadfields Road, Gislingham from 11.30-13.30 Monday to Friday each week. David is demanding to know why no public consultation has been carried out for this site.

Post Office Ltd carried out a six week consultation on their proposal to site a mobile outreach service in Westview Gardens, Gislingham but the consultation responses made clear that this was unpopular and unsuitable for road safety reasons.

David Ruffley has stepped in to support the campaign by Mid Suffolk District Councillors, Rod Scott and Derrick Haley, to find a solution to the flooding of Thurston Road, Beyton where it passes under the A14.

Flooding has been occurring after heavy rainfall at this site in Beyton since the early seventies. At times the water is two foot deep which means that the road is impassable even for many 4x4 vehicles.

I understand the very grave public concern about the MPs' expenses system. The situation is very serious and the public are angry- they are right to be. The current system is destroying public confidence in politicians. I believe it must be scrapped as soon as possible.

To me, nothing matters more than the good opinion of my constituents, whom I try hard to serve to the best of my ability.

The press have reported on many MPs' allowance claims - and I am one of them. People must make their own minds up about my actions on the basis of the facts. The facts in my case are:-

David Ruffley has received a response from Laura Tarling, Concept Delivery Advisor to Post Office Limited's Network Team, about the siting of the new mobile outreach service in Gislingham. The full text of the correspondence is copied below.

David wrote to Ms Tarling following concern expressed to him about the safety of siting the mobile outreach service in Broadfields Road, which leads to Gislingham Primary School.

HUNDREDS of innocent people have been branded as criminals by the government agency set up to vet people working with children, it became clear last night.

People applying to take up jobs as teachers, nurses, childminders and even those volunteering to work with youth groups are likely to have been among those falsely accused of wrongdoing by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).

They face career problems or being stigmatised by their communities. They must also go through an appeals process to clear their names.

The Home Office said that errors at the Criminal Records Bureau were "regrettable" after it emerged that hundreds of innocent people had been wrongly branded as criminals. Almost 700 applicants for jobs in teaching, nursing, childminding and volunteer work were falsely accused of wrongdoing by the government agency set up to protect children. In recent years the number of checks undertaken annually has nearly doubled, from 1.5 million five years ago to almost 3 million last year.

David Ruffley has received a further update from the Highways Agency on correcting the subsidence on the A14 at Rougham.

In December 2008 the Highways Agency discovered that the subsidence problem lies with a drainage crossing trench, which is between 2.5 metres and 3.0 metres below carriageway level. There appears to be a 100-150mm deep void in the failing area.

David Ruffley MP will be visiting Bury St Edmunds County Upper School to meet with sixth form Government and Politics students on Friday 6 March at 2.30pm.

David will be meeting with both the upper and lower sixth groups who are taught by Ms Miranda Perkins.

David said:

'I am delighted to be going to meet with students at County Upper School on Friday.

David Ruffley MP will be performing the official opening of Moreton Hall Preparatory School's new Science Laboratory on Friday 6 March at 1.30pm.

Moreton Hall Preparatory School was established in 1962. It has expanded and developed over the years to include day pupils, and children of all denominations, whilst retaining its traditional Catholic ethos.

David said:

'It gives me great pleasure to be performing the official opening of Moreton Hall Preparatory School's new Science Laboratory on Friday.