'The responses to my survey have been overwhelmingly against the regionalisation of our emergency services. The people of Suffolk, quite rightly, see this as just another attempt by this Government to introduce big Quango government via the backdoor.'

David Ruffley MP has been conducting a survey on the proposed regionalisation of Suffolk's emergency services via his website www.tellDavidRuffley.com and through delivered leaflets.

So far over 500 people (comparable to national polling organisations' sample size) have taken part and the response has been an overwhelming rejection of regionalisation. Some key figures include:

• 94.8% of respondents support David Ruffley's campaign to keep Suffolk's police and fire services based in Suffolk.

• 94.2% would rather see Suffolk Constabulary retained in its current form.

• 92.6% think regionalisation will lead to a loss of the local knowledge our emergency services currently posses.

• 92.2% fear that these moves will take further power away from democratically elected councillors.

• 90.6% see the changes as another step towards a regional assembly for the East of England and 90.8% would oppose the formation of an elected regional assembly.

Measures proposed include axing our local Fire Control Room in Ipswich and replacing it with a regional call centre in Cambridgeshire covering six counties and a population of over 5 million.

Further to this, Suffolk Constabulary could be amalgamated into a regional force covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. While the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust, which already serves a population of 2.3 million, could become part of a massive regional service covering the same six counties.

David said:

'This is John Prescott and new Labour's regionalisation by stealth. The people of Suffolk do not want to lose their local emergency services into massive regional entities that have to deal with areas as different as rural Suffolk and urban Hertfordshire.

'This is part of the endless ebbing away of the power and authority of our democratically elected Suffolk County, Borough and District councils. It is an attack on local democracy. Mr Prescott has no mandate to do it via the ballot box and the people of Suffolk, quite rightly, see this as just another attempt by this Government to introduce big Quango government via the backdoor.

'I launched this survey to give the people of Suffolk a voice in their opposition to the regionalisation of our emergency services and I have been greatly encouraged by the results. As I expected people across the County are not willing to see their emergency services lose the local knowledge and expertise they have worked so hard to establish.

'I will continue to vehemently oppose these moves towards regionalisation and will do all I can to make sure the views of people across Suffolk are heard at the highest level. This Government shows scant regard for the needs and wishes of the shire counties and they must be held to account.'