David Ruffley

DAVID Cameron last night condemned the "senseless'' and "remorseless'' violence in Britain today and promised to rid the police of its health and safety culture.

He gave warning that society was creeping towards "social acceptance of violence in our country''.

In a sign that he is keen to banish his "hug a hoodie'' image, he used recent cases of violence and death on Britain's streets to condemn Labour's "failed 'respect' agenda''.

David Ruffley MP, Shadow Minister for Police Reform today said:

'During Home Office Oral Questions on the 25th February 2008, I asked Jacqui Smith if she would unambiguously pledge to the public and the police that police numbers would not be cut. She refused to make that commitment.

Her response offered little reassurance to a police service that is expected to deal with rising levels of anti-social behaviour and violent crime, and to the public who value a strong police presence on their streets.'

Notes to editors:

25 Feb 2008 : Column 748

David Ruffley MP has this week expressed his anger at news of a secretive deal between Rightmove Plc and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

It has been revealed that the details of 9 out of 10 house sales and rentals in Suffolk is being collected and logged in a database to prepare for the revaluation of council tax levels.

David Ruffley MP has called a top level meeting to try to prevent the Bury St Edmunds Christmas lights being sold off.

On Friday 18 January David Ruffley will be chairing a meeting at the Town Council offices in Guildhall Street to try to find a solution that will allow the lights to continue to be displayed.

In attendance will be representatives from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Bury St Edmunds Town Council, Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce and Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Management.

David said:

David Ruffley MP has today released new House of Commons figures that show exactly how many personal injury accidents have occurred on the A143 in Great Barton.

The new figures, obtained by David during his questioning of Jim Fitzpatrick, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, reveal that between 1997 and 2006, the latest year for which figures are available, there have been 20 personal injury accidents along the short stretch of the A143 that passes through Great Barton.

David Ruffley MP has today spoken of his concern at the cost of the new concessionary bus fares scheme to taxpayers in St Edmundsbury.

The confessionary fares scheme provides free bus travel for the over-60s with the cost being me by the local authority where the passenger commences their journey.

This Government initiative, which St Edmundsbury Borough Council has no option but to implement, is partly funded by grants but this does not cover the whole cost of the scheme.

David Ruffley MP and business leaders in Bury St Edmunds have reacted with delight to the news that the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Lights will not be sold off at the end of February 2008.

The Town Council had said it would no longer be solely responsible for the town's Christmas lights and, if nobody came forward to take over before 29 February 2008, the lights will be sold off to the highest bidder.

David Ruffley MP recycled his Christmas Cards at W H Smith in Bury St Edmunds on Friday 18 January.

David recycled his cards in support of the Woodland Trust, who this year aim to recycle in excess of 100 million cards.

A photograph of David recycling his cards is attached.

David said:

'Every January I make sure I support the Woodland Trust by recycling my Christmas Cards here in Suffolk. This year I recycled my cards a

THE number of crimes being solved by police has fallen or ground to a halt in nearly two thirds of forces in England and Wales, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

Experts said the poor record on catching criminals called into question the effectiveness of the extra billions of pounds spent by Labour on policing over the past decade.

The detection rate has fallen by 1.5 percentage points since 1997 to 30.3 per cent of all crimes reported to the police in 2006/7, not including the British Transport Police.

JUST nine people were punished under Labour's anti-hunting legislation in the first two years after it was introduced and none of them was part of an organised hunt.

The news comes after the ban on hunting was left in tatters when a judge suggested it was virtually impossible to bring a conviction against those accused of breaking the law.