Archive for February, 2010
Shadow Minister for Disabled People visits the Elisabeth Curtis Centre
Posted by Richard | Filed under Health
Richard with Mark Harper, Shadow Minister for Disabled People and Huggy
I was joined recently by Mark Harper, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, who was visiting the area to learn more about access and other issues for the disabled.
Mark and I toured the Elisabeth Curtis Centre, which runs Riding for the Disabled. Based in Bromham, the Centre, which is volunteer run, serves the needs of disabled and other special needs children from many areas across our county.
It was a great visit and a chance for me to learn more about the history of the centre and hear some of the stories of success and help from the volunteers. Mark and I also got to meet a couple of the horses – Chunky and, pictured above, Huggy.
Celebrating the work of the RSPB
Posted by Richard | Filed under Environment
Touring the RSPB’s Sandy Reserve with Tom Fewins and Amanda Crack of the RSPB
Last month, I took the opportunity of the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch to visit the organisation’s headquarters and tour the reserve in Sandy.
I was able to discuss a wide range of environmental issues with RSPB representatives– from wind farms to agricultural policies to global warming.
The RSPB plays a vital role in bird conservation and for our environment. With over one million members, 12,000 volunteers and a charitable income of nearly £80million, it is great that they are headquartered in our area. I hope local councils will continue to encourage our schools to make full use of this great resource and giving kids a great connection with our natural wildlife.
2011 will mark the 50th anniversary of the move of the RSPB to its headquarters in Sandy. A great way to mark this milestone is to bring the family to the sanctuary, learn firsthand about the work of the RSPB and maybe make a donation or two to help promote their vital work.
Low Detection Rates Raise Concerns over Serious Crimes in Bedfordshire
Posted by Richard | Filed under Crime & Justice
Reviewing the latest crime statistics with Cllr Mingay outside the High Street Bank that was robbed recently
The recent robbery in Bedford’s High Street shows that violent crime remains a real concern for our town. It is alarming that the latest Bedfordshire police figures show that only one in ten serious acquisitive crimes are detected. This is below target and also well below the level that reasonable people have a right to expect.
The changes to Bedfordshire police budgets are not helping. Policing Luton Airport is a major drain on our Bedfordshire Police resources. We are already under-resourced in Bedfordshire and it is wrong that the Government is proposing to cut funding for policing the airport further – by £380,000 – in next year’s budget.
I have real concerns about the low detection rates for serious crimes in Bedfordshire and misjudged budget priorities being imposed on our local police service. A Conservative government will reduce paperwork to enable the police to focus on police work – it currently takes over eleven and a half hours to process an arrest – and make police accountable to a local, directly elected individual who will set priorities for policing their local community
