David Ruffley

David Ruffley will be holding one of his regular meetings with local church leaders on Friday, 5th November at 12.30 pm at Christ Church, Moreton Hall, hosted by the Reverend Jonathan Ford. The meeting is open to all religious denominations.

The subject that will be uppermost in most church leader's minds is the Gambling Bill which was debated in the House of Commons on Monday, 1 November. David will also be speaking on conscience subjects such as cloning, embryology, and the Mental Capacity Bill, including euthanasia.

Following press reports this week in The Times (page 3 November 1, 2004) regarding likely closures of town centre Post Offices across the country David Ruffley has written to the Chairman of Royal Mail to demand an explanation.

David Ruffley said:

David Ruffley this week backed new plans to extend home ownership in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket. New Conservative policies would mean extra support for 'shared ownership' schemes, allow social tenants to buy a stake in their home, and make it easier for housing associations to build more affordable housing. This will help those who currently cannot afford to get on the housing ladder.

David Ruffley explained:

North East referendum delivers fatal blow to regional agenda

Government plans for a referendum in the East of England for an elected regional assembly should be abolished, and the existing unelected assembly should be scrapped, David Ruffley said this week. This follows the people of the North East voting 'no' in the referendum for a regional assembly by a margin of almost 500,000; 78 per cent voted 'no', while only 22 per cent voted 'yes'.

Following huge public concern regarding bus services in and around Bury St Edmunds, David Ruffley called and chaired a high level emergency meeting. This took place last Friday, 5th November, and centred on the future of bus services in the town.

David said:

David Ruffley has been invited by the Suffolk Deaf Association to become their first Vice Patron. This official position in the Association follows David's support for their activities over the years since he became Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds. The Duchess of Grafton, the Association's President and a longstanding supporter, has agreed to become Patron.

David said: 'I have had personal experience of the difficulties faced by deaf people. As a child my deaf grandfather lived with us as I was growing up.

David Ruffley is urging St Edmundsbury Borough Council to find a solution to the traffic chaos in the mornings outside Guildhall Feoffment School now that the traffic wardens are strictly enforcing the parking restrictions. The informal concession which previously allowed parents to drop off their children appears to have been rescinded.

David Ruffley has challenged First Eastern Counties Buses Managing Director, John Pope, over his claim that it is not possible for his company to provide a bus service to take people home at 8.00 p.m. after the public meeting called by Bury St Edmunds Town Council on Friday, 1 October at 6.30 p.m. at the Corn Exchange in Bury.

David Ruffley has been invited by Elizabeth Stowell, the organiser of the Moreton Hall branch of the Women's Institute, to speak to their members on Wednesday, 1 September at 8.30 p.m. in the Moreton Hall Community Centre.

WI members have put forward three questions that they have asked David to address in his speech:

1.Why does 'common sense' appear to be lacking in government at all levels?

2.How do we reintroduce a sense of personal responsibility into our society?

David Ruffley MP this week warned that Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket and local residents of the surrounding villages were finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet due to rising property taxes and utility bills. The warnings comes amid new research highlighting how much extra a typical family in St Edmundsbury and Stowmarket has paid in council tax since 1997.

The new analysis reveals:

• Across England, the cumulative change in council tax since 1997 is £1,716 on Band D bills, followed by £1,039 in Scotland and £1,557 in Wales.