David Ruffley

MORE than one million people are being paid incapacity benefit because they are suffering from eating disorders, stress, depression or other mental health problems, new figures have revealed.

The numbers claiming they are unfit to work because they have a mental or behavioural disorder has risen by 50 per cent over the last decade.

However, the increase has been three or four times higher for certain conditions. A total of 49,160 people with "severe stress'' were paid incapacity benefit last year, compared to 16,700 in 1997.

TENS of thousands of Britain's poorest pensioners, who were overpaid Pounds 130million in pension credits after Government blunders, will receive begging letters asking them to give the money back.

In a dramatic climbdown, Pensions Minister Stephen Timms yesterday said ministers will not force them to hand over the cash.

But he said the elderly will be pressured to return the payments voluntarily.

MINISTERS are preparing to write off almost all the £ 130 million paid in error to some of the poorest pensioners.

They made clear last night that in most cases they would not be pursuing overpayments.

David Ruffley MP will be performing the official opening of Riverwalk Nursery at 2.30 pm on Friday 19 January 2007 at Sexton's Manor School.

Since the start of this term Riverwalk Nursery has been co-located at Sexton's Manor School in Greene Road, Bury St Edmunds. This move has eased some of the overcrowding problems on the Riverwalk site.

David has always been a staunch supporter of Riverwalk School and last year donated two much sought after tickets to Prime Ministers Question Time to help raise money for the school's summer play scheme.

David said:

David Ruffley MP will be meeting with the Chief Executive of the St Nicholas' Hospice, Ron Overton, on Friday 19 January at 1.30pm to receive an update on developments at the Hospice and its funding needs.

David Ruffley MP has today launched his new cutting edge website.

www.DavidRuffley.com has a clean, modern design and user friendly layout.

David is the first Suffolk Member of Parliament to provide, on a single parliamentary website, a daily blog, podcasts and David's own TV channel where visitors can watch videos of him discussing a number of key issues.

Visitors will still find all the usual content they have come to expect from a visit to David's site including regularly updated local and national news stories, press releases and David's opinions on 'hot' issues.

David Ruffley MP has today warned that a restructuring of local government could result in a massive rise in Council Tax.

Ministers in Whitehall are planning to pass a new law to give themselves unprecedented new powers to scrap either district or county councils. The Government will be able to force changes on local communities, including creating new councils that completely disregard existing shire boundaries. This could mean the abolition of Suffolk County Council, Mid Suffolk District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

David Ruffley has today released details of a top level meeting he will be attending with the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) to discuss the threat posed to the Accident and Emergency Department at the West Suffolk by the current review of acute services.

David will be attending a top level meeting with SHA bosses in Portcullis House at the House of Commons on Wednesday 24 January 2007 to discuss the review.

David has been running a high profile campaign to save the West Suffolk

A & E:

David Ruffley MP has called County Councillor Patricia O'Brien, Portfolio Holder for Children, Schools and Young People's Services, to a meeting at the House of Commons on Thursday, 11 January to discuss the School Organisation Review recommendations on middle schools. The meeting will also be attended by Suffolk MPs Richard Spring, Tim Yeo, John Gummer and Sir Michael Lord.

The School Organisation Review has recommended changing to a two tier system in Suffolk, thus abolishing all 40 middle schools in the county.

David Ruffley MP has today written to the Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Councillor John Griffiths, calling a summit meeting with the Council and Bury St Edmunds retailers to discuss their concerns about trade in the town.

David met with some of Bury St Edmunds' successful independent retailers and traders on Wednesday 20 December and, after hearing their concerns, felt a high level meeting was necessary to establish a clear line of communication between the Borough Council and Bury's retailers.