Andrew Murrison

Andrew Murrison spoke out at a debate on Stonehenge secured by his parliamentary neighbour Robert Key, MP for Salisbury , yesterday in the Commons.

Although the stones are just across the border in the Salisbury constituency, villages that Andrew represents are affected by the A303 congestion because of ‘rat running' encouraged by satnav navigational aids.

The MP recently met with concerned residents in Chitterne near Warminster who have seen an increased volume of heavy traffic including coaches and HGVs that are avoiding bottlenecks on the A303's single carriageway at Stonehenge .

Plans for duelling the A303 and a tunnel at Stonehenge were ditched earlier this month by ministers because of the cost.

The MP has welcomed this week's announcement by Ordinance Survey, which provides the data for satnav aids, that it will begin to consult councils for their preferred routes and freight routes in an attempt to dissuade rat-running. He believes this will be especially important in counties like Wiltshire with its heavy burden of through traffic and tourist coaches.

Andrew Murrison will be going out in the van with local furniture reuse charity Group Five tomorrow at 10am.

The MP is looking forward to helping collect furniture around town and seeing how the charity is recycling household items for the benefit of people in need and the environment.

"Group Five and its team of volunteers have been doing a great job for people referred by West Wiltshire's welfare organisations for 17 years. Furthermore, as we become more conscious of the need to protect our environment its likely that projects like this will become ever more important."

Andrew Murrison this afternoon raised funding problems experienced by Wiltshire's local education authority as a result of a failure of the funding formula to recognise the needs of Army families.

The national school census that the county relies on for government funding, PLASC, does not identify children from Service backgrounds so its impossible to monitor their progress relative to civilian families or to reflect them in the funding formula. Army children bring extra costs mainly because of turbulence and high turnover. If children join after the beginning of the school year and leave before the end they are not enumerated for the purposes of funding. This puts all schools in Wiltshire at a funding disadvantage since the county rightly attempts to compensate by giving extra funds to schools with a high proportion of Service children from its finite budget.

Despite the inadequacies of PLASC, Wiltshire has done some research that suggests Army children do less well than their civilian counterparts, especially in maths. Andrew cited this in his contribution today.

The Avenue School and New Close School in Warminster have respectively 59% and 50% Army children. Some primaries in Wiltshire have over 80% Army children.

"Army children deserve the best but despite ministers professed desire to keep the military covenant they're being disadvantaged by a funding formula that ignores their needs.

"I'll be following up the debate today with the part-time defence secretary to see how he'll amend PLASC so that Army children are count and LEAs like Wiltshire are not short-changed.

Andrew Murrison has reacted with horror at plans to close or radically downgrade seven post offices in his constituency.

Under plans released today the post offices at Broughton Gifford, North Bradley, Queens Street Westbury, Seymour Road Trowbridge and The Obelisk Warminster will close and Heytesbury and Longbridge Deverill will become ‘outreach' services.

“Many of the threatened post offices are either in more vulnerable or rural parts of west Wiltshire. The announcement is very bad news indeed.

“The plans fly in the face of the government's promise to rural-proof its policies. Ministers say that everyone will be able to access a post office - but not if you're a member of the one in five households in Wiltshire that does not have access to a car.

“Of the 99 rural post offices in Wiltshire, 66 are also food shops. Without the post office element they will probably be non-viable to the very great cost of elderly and immobile residents.

Andrew Murrison has expressed his surprise that ministers have pulled the rug completely from plans designed to ease congestion on the A303 and improve the setting of Stonehenge.

The MP has recently visited the village of Chitterne near Warminster where his constituents are concerned that traffic is avoiding the trunk road and using minor village roads as ‘rat-runs' using satellite navigation aids to guide them.

“A lot of time, effort and money have gone into plans for improving the A303 at Stonehenge and all, it seems, for nothing.

“Although I have never advocated a tunnel at Stonehenge, I fear that today's announcement is evidence that ministers have given insufficient consideration to the needs of residents in villages on and around the A303 and the increasing menace of heavy vehicles with Satnav being diverted onto village roads.

A ndrew Murrison has hit out at today's government decision to abolish Wiltshire's district council and replace it with a monolithic county council.

Andrew Murrison met local government minister John Healey last night in a last ditch attempt to reverse plans to abolish West Wiltshire, Kennet, Salisbury and North Wiltshire district councils and replace them with a new Wiltshire-wide county council.

He points out that arrogant ministers have ignored clearly stated public opinion.

“It's abundantly clear that there's no appetite for the remote and potentially expensive new unitary county council that the minister has approved today. My constituents can now look forward to years of local government paralysis as happened when councils were last subject to this scale of reorgainsation.

Andrew Murrison met local government minister John Healey last night to discuss his plans to abolish West Wiltshire district council and replace it with a new Wiltshire-wide council.

Andrew has been alarmed by a summary of responses compiled by the minister's officials to support his plans that bears no resemblance to public opinion. The document completely ignores a MORI poll that revealed that Wiltshire residents completely reject the unitary plans.

The Audit Commission's district auditor in a letter to district council Chief Executive Andrew said of the county council's interpretation of the MORI data that has informed the minister's position;

“I agree with you that it represents a misrepresentation of the MORI findings” and that “I consider that it fails to comply with the Publicity Code in that it is not objective or balanced.”

Subsequently Andrew has obtained copies of all the responses sent in to inform the minister's decision on unitary status for Wiltshire. Having spent much of yesterday ploughing through them he said;

“It's very clear that there's precious little support for a new unitary council in Wiltshire. Therefore, the minister's plans which his department's guidance says are to be informed by the opinion of residents and stakeholders are fatally flawed and he should abandon them.

A final decision on unitary status is expected for the minister before Christmas.

Andrew Murrison's scheduled meeting with officials from South West Trains in the Commons on Monday afternoon proved to be very timely – unlike his train that morning.

SW Trains had the benefit of some instant customer feedback since Andrew's train that he takes weekly from his Wiltshire home was on this occasion particularly foul. It was 45 minutes late and disgruntled commuters, some elderly, were packed in like sardines.

Andrew regularly finds that its standing room only on the return journey home. He fears that although conditions do tend to be better on routes operated by SW Trains, First Great Western's dire service is encouraging many of his constituents to give up travelling by train. He said;

“Cattle truck conditions may be profitable for train operating companies in the short term but if government wants to avoid people taking to their cars conditions for the travelling public must be improved.

The MP discussed overcrowding, the provision of extra carriages, car parking spaces at the stations his constituents use and, on a brighter note, the improved direct service from London Waterloo to West Wiltshire.

Andrew Murrison will visit Boyton Parish Council tonight (thursday) from 7pm at the Fane Hall Corton. He has been invited by Council Chairman Thomas Wheatley-Hubbard and has been asked to give his views on the proposed unitary council for Wiltshire.

Andrew is opposing the proposed new unitary council in Wiltshire and has taken his concerns to local government John Healey who he will be seeing again next week in a last ditch attempt to reverse the plans.

"Visiting parish councils is a good way of keeping an ear to the ground. I always leave much better informed than when I arrived.

Council leaders take 'keep it local' campaign to Westminster as date for appeal is announced

Council leaders from across the country lobbied MPs at the House of Commons this week (21st November) to support Congleton Borough Council and Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council's appeal against the recent review of the government's proposals for local government reorganisation. The date of the appeal has now been announced as 28 th and 29 th January 2008.

Leaders from Crewe, Penwith, West Wiltshire, Salisbury and Durham met with MPs Ann Winterton, Daniel Kawczynski, and Dr Andrew Murrison to try and stop local councils being replaced by large, remote and all purpose unitary councils. All three MPs supported the campaign to keep democracy local and promised to help fight the cause within the House of Commons.

Lady Ann Winterton, MP for Congleton said: “I admire your perseverance on this issue, many councils would have caved in under the onslaught of plans to push through local government reorganisation.”

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury said: I am passionate about Shrewsbury and its people. 18,000 (70% of voters) voted against a unitary council in Shropshire recently. I want local councillors making local decisions about Shrewsbury .”

Dr Andrew Murrison, MP for Westbury in Wiltshire agreed saying: “Unitary councils organised in this way are too large and will probably prove expensive. These changes to local government in Wiltshire will leave a legacy that we will have to live with for many years to come.”

Councillor Roland Domleo, Leader of Congleton Borough Council agreed saying: “We believe that, in an area like Cheshire, value for money, improvements in services and closer working with partners is best achieved by local services being delivered to local people by a local council. With larger strategic services requiring a wider geographic base, such as adult social care, transport and education being delivered at a county wide level.”

Independent expert, Professor Michael Chisholm of Cambridge University who was also at the meeting said: “The present process for establishing unitary councils is so deeply flawed that is has the effect of corrupting the body politic.”

To see more about Congleton Borough Council's appeal and to view Professor Chisholm's full report visit www.congleton.gov.uk

Andrew Murrison and West Wilts District Council chief Andrew Pate will meet local government minister John Healey in a final effort to overturn plans to abolish the council in favour of a unitary Wiltshire council.

The MP will take polling data that has not been presented in the official report given to ministers that the council believes shows the strength of local opinion against the county council's plans to abolish district councils.

Last week council chiefs and MPs from across the country met in the House of Commons with local government expert Professor Malcolm Chisholm, Honorary Fellow at Cambridge, who has done a lot of work on the adverse financial and representational consequences of unitary status.

Andrew Murrison will be at Dilton Marsh school tomorrow (Friday) where he'll be talking with the children, principally about traffic.

A ndrew Murrison has been in touch with Divisional Superintendent Julian Kirby and Warminster's Inspector Steve Douglas about an alarming spate of vandalism along the Portway and The Close in Warminster that he was told about by residents at the weekend.

Several residents have had windows smashed and listed buildings have been damaged at night by objects thrown by vandals.

“I used to live in one of the houses that have been attacked in this mindless way and can well appreciate the distress that it's caused, in several cases to elderly and vulnerable people.

“It is imperative that the cowardly individuals responsible are apprehended quickly and punished severely.

“I've been told by the Police of the success they've had in catching people that have been involved with acquisitive crime along the Portway. This is good news and I hope that the vandals will similarly now be brought to book.

Andrew Murrison has received a letter from trains minister Tom Harris MP dated 31 Oct 07 in which Mr Harris admits that our local services that the government supervises “has for some time been unsatisfactory in a number of areas.”

Mr Harris goes on to say that he met the new Chief Executive of First Great Western and the route director of Network Rail at the end of October “to hear how they intend to take forward their new responsibilities.”

“Never was there a more optimistically named company than First Great Western. Western it may be, but first or great it certainly is not. My mailbag is full of complaints about cancelled trains and cattle truck conditions.

“The minister knows full well that part of the solution is in his hands and that is the release of rolling stock. He cannot simply blame the train operating companies and must accept his share of responsibility.

The MP will be sending a copy of Mr Harris' letter to constituents that have been in touch with him about the state of local train services.

Andrew Murrison has written to the Education Secretary to ask why Wiltshire is 144th out of 149 local education authorities in the government's league table for school spending for the next three years according to official figures published this week. He said;

"Once again the government has ignored cost drivers that make schools much more expensive to run in areas like ours compared with its favoured larger urban centres. For example, the relatively high number of Army children in our schools means that turnover is substantial which adds substantial cost that is ignored by the government in its funding formula.

"This government says it wants to honour the military covenant yet it isn't prepare to back fine words with fair funding that would address a practical concern of many Service families in West Wiltshire - their children's education.

Andrew Murrison, local MP and Shadow Defence Minister, will be selling poppies in Market Place Warminster tomorrow Friday at 2.30pm.

Andrew is a member of the Warminster Branch of the Royal British Legion, served for 18 years in the Royal Navy and is currently a Surgeon Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.

“This year the Legion is running a campaign called Honour the Covenant to highlight the obligation we all have towards servicemen and women, veterans and their families. It richly deserves our support.

The MP recently visited Healey Court in Surrey which is the rehabilitation centre for injured service personnel and the Ex Services Mental Welfare Society (also known as Combat Stress) near Leatherhead where he met serving member s of the Armed Forces, veterans and staff.

West Wilts MP Andrew Murrison will have his hats as Shadow Defence Minister and MP representing the garrison town of Warminster on tomorrow (tueday) when he visits the Defence Rehabititation Centre Headley Court in Ashtead and the charity Combat Stress in Leatherhead.

Andrew was last at Headley Court 20 years ago when serving as a doctor in the Royal Navy. He recently met Combat Stress' Chief Executive Commodore Toby Elliott OBE at the House of Commons.

Dr Murrison will be especially keen to see what is being done for servicemen with traumatic brain injury. His visit is timely given reports in the weekend's press that the UK is lagging behind the US in the investigation and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) caused by blast injury, notably from roadside bombs and mortaring.

“The healthcare of wounded servicemen lies at the heart of the military covenant that I firmly believe has been broken.

“I'd like to know why we appear to be playing catch-me-up with the US in the way we are dealing with emerging evidence that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have sustained an unexpectedly high level of mild traumatic brain injury.”

Kit Malia who will lead a screening project into traumatic brain injury in UK Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to see if US concerns can be extrapolated to British forces is reported in Saturday's Guardian as saying that if the American figures are correct the issue will be “Absolutely massive.”

West Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison has pledged to help an estimated 10,000 (1) constituents to tackle tinnitus – the medical term for noises inside the ears or head – after experiencing it firsthand at the Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth.

Andrew Murrison donned special ‘tinnitus headphones' in workplace and home environments at the RNID and Unum conference stand in Blackpool to find out for himself how distracting tinnitus can be.

RNID research reveals that 15 per cent of people have experienced tinnitus, but 70 per cent of GPs surveyed by the charity have never had any training on the condition (2).

RNID, which represents the UK's 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people, has joined forces with Unum, the UK's leading disability insurer, to call on GPs to improve the advice and support they give patients with tinnitus (3) and to support people with tinnitus in their efforts to lead a full life, including at work.

Andrew Murrison said: “The tinnitus headphones demonstrate how difficult it can be to relax at home or concentrate at work with constant buzzing or ringing in your ears.

“I'll be speaking to Wiltshire PCT to ask about the medical support available to the estimated 10,000 tinnitus sufferers in my constituency.”

Brian Lamb, Acting Chief Executive of RNID, said: “Tinnitus can be a debilitating condition for many people, leaving them feeling isolated and stressed – particularly if they can't access the medical advice they need to help manage it.

“Unfortunately there is no cure – however, it can be managed with simple techniques and equipment. We're delighted that Andrew Murrison has pledged to help tinnitus sufferers get the best care and advice to manage their condition. And if you have tinnitus, you're not alone – RNID's new website and dedicated tinnitus helpline provide expert information and tips to help you ‘tune out tinnitus' and live your life to the full.”

Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director at Unum, said: ”We're delighted to join forces with RNID and Andrew Murrison to increase understanding and treatment of tinnitus. We are particularly pleased to help highlight a condition which can have debilitating effects both at work and home, but which can be managed with proper understanding. We would extend the campaign to employers who also need to understand what changes they might make that could support employees with this condition.

"By working with local health services and GPs, together we can deliver the best care for people whose lives are blighted by this condition."

Andrew Murrison has expressed his grave disappointment at Wiltshire PCT's weak performance revealed in the 06/07 Annual Health Check report published today.

"Wiltshire PCT's latest excuse is that it has not had enough time to put things right. Yet in West Wiltshire the PCT has been underachieving for years - Wiltshire PCT is continuing that sad tradition. Neither body has commanded the respect of residents or their elected representatives since they have failed to listen to local concerns and ploughed on regardless with the same scorched earth policy. To make matters even worse their cuts have made precious little difference to the deficit they were meant to address.

"The Chief Executive has said he'll be up to speed by the end of the year, but I'm not holding my breath.

Andrew Murrison local MP and Shadow Defence Minister was at the dispatch box yesterday (Tuesday) for the second time in a week to debate defence policy.

He described the exchange as one of the most confrontational exchanges he has had in his six years in the House with the government in fighting mood after the Opposition had accused it of breaking the military covenant and letting down men and women of the Armed Forces.

During the debate the MP, a doctor in the Naval Reserves, discussed poor Army housing, compensation for injured personnel, military healthcare and the run-down of the TA.

The Royal British Legion has launched its Honour the Covenant campaign to highlight the grievances of the Service community which has been welcomed by the Opposition.

Andrew Murrison has expressed profound disappointment at the final decision by Pork Farm Bowyers to close its Trowbridge site with the loss of up to 400 jobs.

In its press release the company announced that it would be shifting the manufacture of Melton Mowbray pork pies to Nottingham which lies within the area deemed by the EU to be sufficiently close to Melton Mowbray to allow the manufacture of the pies under its Protected Geographic Indicator (PGI) rules.

“The relocation of Bowyers to a PGI compliant site confirms that Trowbridge has the EU to thank for the demise of an industry that has been a part of the local economy for generations.

The MP has raised the issue in Parliament and argues with ministers who he hoped would stand up against the EU ruling that will destroy jobs in his constituency. He said;

“Pork Farm Bowyers must now ensure that its loyal workforce are not hung out to dry. I look to it to be generous in the package it offers and hope it will do all it can to re-skill people, identify alternative employment opportunities and offer work at its Shaftesbury site.”

Voices across the political spectrum are warning of inflation-busting hikes in council tax, following the publication of the Government's new tax and spending plans for the next three years – the so-called “Comprehensive Spending Review”.

• The cross-party Local Government Association has forecast that “the Chancellor's announcement will mean above inflation rises in bills for council taxpayers”.

• Insufficient resources have been given to local authorities to tackle the soaring costs of care for the elderly, waste collection and disposal, and other burdens imposed by Whitehall.

• Independent commentators have said that the Government's claim that council tax bills will be kept down “do not look plausible”.

• The small print of the Government's report reveals that council tax revenues are forecast to rise by 5 per cent this year. Assuming council tax rises of 5 per cent every year over the three years of the Spending Review, this would push the average council tax bill in West Wiltshire to a whopping £1584 on Band D. Under the Labour Government, bills have already soared across the country. In West Wiltshire bills on a Band D have shot up by 110% from the £651 that was charged in 1997-98.

“Using council tax to raise more money is devious and makes ministers look shifty. It's a Whitehall tax designed by ministers so that local councillors take the blame when bills hit the doormat.”

Lo cal MP and Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Murrison will visit Trowbridge Squadron Air Training Corps at 7.30pm tomorrow (Friday) at Clarendon School Trowbridge during the Squadron's 40th anniversary celebration of meeting in its Squadron hut.

Andrew will then travel to St Margaret's Hall Bradford on Avon for the annual town gathering to arrive at 8.15pm.

Andrew Murrison will tomorrow (Friday) visit Langford Lakes between Waminster and Salisbury to learn more about the work of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust from the Trust's Director Dr Gary Mantle MBE.

Andrew and Jenny Murrison and their five daughters have attended Trust events at Langford Lakes in the past including pond dipping earlier this year.

Dr Mantle has indicated that he wants to discuss the Trust's reservations about current plans for the Westbury bypass and Andrew is keen to find out what plans the Trust might have for developing further nature reserves in Wiltshire to add to the 37 that it currently operates.

"Wiltshire Wildlife Trust is a valuable resource for local residents and I particularly admire its work with young people.

Andrew Murrison MP backed efforts to raise awareness of rheumatoid arthritis at a drop-in event at the House of Commons on Wednesday 10 October, ahead of World Arthritis Day on 12 October.

This year's theme for World Arthritis Day is ‘the small things which matter.' Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and disabling autoimmune disease which affects around 387,000 people of all ages in England and Wales . There are almost 12,000 new cases every year, and approximately 12,000 children under the age of 16 have the juvenile form of the disease. Those living with the condition experience a lot of pain which can contribute to feelings of isolation, stress and depression. People with RA often struggle to do everyday tasks like getting around the home, travelling, shopping and looking after children – activities which most people take for granted.

Speaking at an event organised by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, Andrew Murrison MP said:

‘The small things in life really do matter but, for people with rheumatoid arthritis, even the most mundane of activities can be turned into Everyday Everests.

‘We should use the opportunity of World Arthritis Day to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by the half million people in the UK with this disease and to dispel some of the myths that surround it.

‘Raising wareness of this debilitating range of conditions is important. Promoting greater understanding amongst all healthcare professionals and the public about signs and symptoms, as well as the steps which can be taken to enable those with RA to enjoy a better quality of life has to be a goal worth aiming for.'

Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, said:
‘I am absolutely delighted that Andrew Murrison MP has backed efforts to raise awareness of rheumatoid arthritis. With the support of parliamentarians like Andrew, we can deliver a step change in society's awareness of rheumatoid arthritis and move further towards our vision of equity of access to excellent care for all those living with the condition.'

Local MP Andrew Murrison took part in a debate on the future of smaller hospitals this afternoon in the Commons. Dr Murrison whose PCT is axing hospitals in his constituency intervened to point out that the government's advisers were drawn from highly specialist areas of healthcare – people like Professors Lord Darzi, Sir George Alberti and Roger Boyle – so it was hardly surprising if ministers were insufficiently focussed on primary and intermediate care and that community hospitals were under threat.

“I believe GPs feel slighted that an internationally renowned hospital specialist like Lord Darzi should be drafted in to sort out general practice. Inevitably he'll have a tertiary healthcare view of things which will be reflected in the recommendations he makes and, presumably, the decisions his ministerial colleagues ultimately take.

Andrew Murrison has accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of marching his troops to the top of the hill and marching them down again at the weekend.

But the local MP's disappointment that there will no longer be an election this autumn has been tempered by the prospect of continuing to represent the northern part of his seat for another two years.

Bradford on Avon and surrounding villages are scheduled to shift to the new Chippenham constituency whenever the election is called and until Saturday's announcement it looked like he would be the town's MP for just a few more days. He said;

“Happily Mr Brown's dithering means I get to represent Bradford on Avon for longer than expected and potentially until May 2010.

The MP will attend Bradford on Avon 's annual town gathering at St Margaret's Hall this Friday.

Wiltshire constabulary has not fared well in a comparison with similar forces, according to figures published by the Government in the ‘Police Performance Assessments: 2006-2007'.

The figures, which are published for the third successive year, bring together the work of the Home Office's Police and Crime Standards Directorate and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, and found that, whilst the force has made progress with Neighbourhood Policing and is in the process of revising its performance management structures and procedures, performance in volume crime has deteriorated.

Commenting on the statistics, MP Andrew Murrison said: “this report demonstrates that Wiltshire Constabulary has made some progress in particular areas but it is disappointing that the detection rate for violent crime was beneath the target by 15.2 per cent and for racially aggravated crime, the target was missed by 10.3 per cent.

He continued: “the Force's performance, when compared as part of the eight peer constabularies in the report, is a bit disappointing: Wiltshire is the only Force to have seen a deterioration in performance in tackling crime, is one of only two to be rated as ‘Fair' in serious crime and public protection and one of only three rated ‘fair' in protecting vulnerable people. Nevertheless I continue to hold the Force in high esteem and have been especially pleased with developments in community policing from my own observations.”

MP takes to the water
On Friday 5th October at 10.30am Dr Andrew Murrison MP will be meeting with the Chief Executive of the Amber Foundation at their canal boat which is moored just off the bridge in Semington.

On Friday at 12 noon Andrew will visit The Vine Project at 67-68 Fore Street, Trowbridge and talk to the Founder Director.

MP SLAMS HOME SECRETARY FOR COMPARING TA TO ETON TUCK SHOP
Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Murrison, a Navy veteran and member of the Reserve Forces has sent a letter to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith demanding an apology for remarks she made in her platform speech at last week's Labour party conference in which she appeared to conflate David Davies' service in the TA with David Cameron's trips to his school tuck shop. Ms Smith's remarks have provoked a storm of protest on the Army Rumours Service website (ARRSE) -www.arrse.co.uk.

"Ms Smith's fatuous remarks rub salt into the wound of the broken covenant that exists between her government and our Armed Forces. She should hang her head in shame."

I would like to draw your attention to the comments made about your conference speech reference to the TA that can be found on the Army Rumour Service (ARRSE) website; ( www.arrse.co.uk ).

I am a member of the Reserve Forces that you evidently hold in such low esteem and like thousands of its volunteers served in your Iraq war.

Apparently, your office has been back-peddling and has issued the wholly risible claim that you were trying to contrast rather than conflate the TA and Eton tuck shops. Yet as ARRSE contributor ‘nigeglib' points out “what a pair they make” (your reference to the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Home Secretary) does nothing of the sort.

It is clear from ARRSE's many correspondents on the subject that your office's weasel words have been met with derision. I fear the original meaning delivered from the platform is all too painfully apparent.

Can I suggest you apologise for the offence your remarks have caused to the Reserve Forces. I would also commend to you the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme which I am sure would help to remedy the poor understanding of and lack of sympathy for the Territorial Army that this episode has exposed.

Andrew Murrison will be at Holbrook Primary School Trowbridge tomorrow (Friday) from 9am.

The MP will tour the school, meet newly appointed Head Roger Whitewick and discuss citizenship issues with the children.

Andrew Murrison MP has called for all parts of the community to support local retailers when the legal purchasing age of tobacco increases to 18 on the 1 st October.

From the 1 st October retailers will only be allowed to sell tobacco products to those over 18. Andrew Murrison MP is stressing the importance of raising awareness of this age change which he fully supports and argued for in the House of Commons.

“Preventing the underage sales of tobacco has to be a top priority. The increase in the age is likely to reduce the chances of young people being able to buy tobacco in the long term and will bring it in line with the sale of alcohol.

However, the transition has to be managed, and the key to that is awareness in the community that the law has changed. Refusing age restricted sales is already a major reason for retailers facing abuse, intimidation and violence. I know retailers fear this will increase on the 1 st October, when people will be asked for ID. I ask the local community to support retailers at this time”.

Andrew Murrison will be attending The Warminster Art Society 20th Anniversary Celebration this evening (Wednesday 12 September) 7.30pm at The Hunter's Moon, Henford Marsh Warminster.

Andrew Murrison will visit the Codford and District Evergreens Club at the village hall in Codford tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2.30pm.

He has been asked for tea and to talk about local affairs with particular reference to hospital closures, an issue of great significance to club members.

The MP has been very critical of the Primary Care Trust's programme of hospital closures and its failure to explain what residual services will look like in the only community hospital that will remain of the original five in West Wiltshire – Warminster – and in the neighbourhood teams that it says will be the replacement.

Andrew has also voiced his concern at recently announced government plans that may result in the closure of a number of acute district general hospitals. He said;

“Taken to its logical conclusion, the government's philosophy would see our NHS distilled down to a few remote primary care centres and regional acute hospitals.

“Cost effective, maybe, but completely contrary to the wishes of the populations they serve and especially problematic for people like my constituents that live outside large urban areas.