Rochdale MP Paul Rowen has written to the Chief Executive of the Co-operative Group asking them to look into taking over an empty shop on 'The Cray' in the Town. Mr Rowen reacted after being contacted by Councillor Jean Ashworth and speaking to local residents. The shop was closed after the previous owner fell behind with her rent. It is owned by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing - an arms length management organisation.
Norman Baker (Lewes) (LD): I welcome this important debate and thank the Government for making time available for it. I agree with the Minister, who said that the scheme is welcome. It will tackle social exclusion, help the environment and enable people who would otherwise be in their houses to get out and travel. All those outcomes are good. I do not subscribe to Mrs. Thatcher's view that anyone over 30 who uses a bus is a failure, as she said on one occasion. I am happy that people over 60 use buses, as do people of my age.
On Friday, Paul Holmes Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield is holding two public meetings with the Law Society's Legal Complaints Service to advise miners and their families who believe they may have paid money out of their compensation that should really be theirs.
Conservatives at Essex County Council insist it is good practice to allow potholes to get more than double their present depth before they will be fixed. The Tories rejected a claim by the Liberal Democrat group on the council, that roads are likely to deteriorate under the new strategy. The Lib Dems pushed for a formal meeting to discuss the issue, but the group was eventually voted down by the Conservative members.
Claims by local Conservatives that Hythe West could be properly represented by Councillors who moved to Bath last year have been destroyed by official figures. Attendance records show Conservative Councillor Linda Oliver has attended just TWO of the last 8 Hythe and Shepway Full Council meetings.
Britain only invaded Iraq because MPs voted for it. Asked on 18th March 2003 to support Tony Blair's motion for military action against Iraq, Labour and Conservative MPs lined up to vote "aye". Both the Conservative and Labour front benches in the House of Commons, including Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard, supported the war. The Conservatives even argued that the Government wasn't being tough enough.