Andrew Murrison

Dr Andrew Murrison has expressed his concern over the Wiltshire's road safety record and has written to the Department for Transport to encourage partnerships that will allow safety cameras to continue in operation following the announcement that central funding will cease as part of the administration's need to cut costs.

Last month the MP wrote to the Primary Care Trust after figures were published which showed that Wiltshire was an outlier in statistics for road traffic injuries and death. Dr Maggie Rae , Corporate Director for Public Health and Wellbeing has replied citing improvements in recent years. However, in her letter she gave better speed awareness as a priority

In her letter Dr Rae says the peak age for RTA casualties in Wiltshire is 18 and they are mainly young men. Andrew was interested in this as his family was recently involved in a potentially very serious collision with a young male driver on a local rural road. The MP has welcomed Wiltshire Road Safety Partnership's efforts to address the problem including the Safe Drive Stay Alive initiative aimed at youngsters.

Following discussion with Conservative Wiltshire Councillor Tony Deane of Tisbury and the Donheads the MP has written to Philip Hammond, Transport Secretary, to see what can be done to support the continuation of safety cameras where it can be established that there is a safety need for them, as opposed to a revenue-raising opportunity. Andrew said;

“I believe speed cameras have fallen into disrepute because the last government used them to fleece motorists rather than as safety devices. Properly located, I think they can only improve driver behaviour. From my own bad experience, I welcome any means of ensuring that Wiltshire's relatively poor safety record is improved.”

Andrew Murrison has responded a consultation on schools funding by the Department for Education in which opinions are sought on the possibility of a pupil premium for the children of members of the Armed Forces. Andrew, who as a Shadow Defence Minister in the last parliament, lobbied for recognition of the extra costs of education Service children, said;

“I'm delighted that ministers propose making this change to the funding formula. Service children move about a lot which introduces substantial extra costs for schools. Wiltshire Council has managed this internally as well as it can but it means that areas with lots of military get a raw deal.”

In June David Cameron announced that the military covenant would be put on a statutory footing. Andrew said;

“I see the pupil premium for Service children as tangible evidence that this administration is prepared to back up rhetoric with something tangible.”.

If the proposals go ahead it would mean an uplift in funding for Wiltshire schools to reflect the high number of Army and RAF families locally from September 2011.

Andrew Murrison will be in the lobby at County Hall Trowbridge tomorrow at 11.00 to collect the prize he drew during 2010 Bike Week.

Andrew took part in a bike ride during the highly successful Warminster Wobble earlier this year and was consequently entered in the draw He said;

“The Warminster Wobble bike ride through the woods near Warminster was great fun. Winning a prize is a bonus.”

Andrew Murrison will officiate at the official opening of Charlies Parlour, a pet cremation service at Westdale Nurseries near Bradford on Avon.at 0930 tomorrow (Friday).

The small family business has been set up by brothers-in-law Paul and Rob. Andrew said;

“It's good to know that even in these tough economic times there is sufficient confidence locally for people to start up businesses.”

On Friday at 12.15 Andrew Murrison will be at Dilton Marsh Church of England Primary School (High Street, Westbury) .

On Saturday 17 July at 10.00am Andrew Murrison will be present at the National Trust's Stourhead House, Stourton near Warminster in support of two newly graduated students who are setting off on a 4,500km sponsored bicycle ride to Istanbul to help raise money for Help for Heroes and Wilts Air Ambulance Appeal.

Andrew Murrison will visit Sainsbury's new store in Trowbridge tomorrow (Friday) at 1400. He will meet the management team and tour the store.

Andrew Murrison has been invited by the Eye Health Alliance to visit opticians Haine and Smith, 19 High Street Westbury tomorrow (Friday) at 0930. The Alliance is keen to promote regular eye testing, vision screening for drives and children's vision.

"Ophthalmic optics is one of the unsung heroes of the UK 's healthcare system and the scope that eye testing has for improving general health and welbeing is often overlooked."

Andrew Murrison used the opportunity of a debate at Westminster this afternoon to articulate his concerns over the inclusion of Trowbridge County Court in the list of magistrates and county courts under consideration as part of the coalition government's plans to save money in the Department of Justice. He pointed out that Trowbridge is the county town of a county with a relatively spread out population and significant deprivation. Making justice more remote, he contended, would be contrary to the principle of equality of access and would disadvantage the most vulnerable. He said;

"It would be a pity if the previous government's mistake of closing our magistrate's court was compounded by the closure of the well used county court in the county town.

"I am hopeful that the minister will see the sense of retaining the county court in Trowbridge and would urge people to respond to the consultation which runs until September."

Andrew Murrison has written to Wiltshire PCT to ask why the Health Profile for Wiltshire in 2010 issued this month by the South West Public Health Observatory shows that, whilst in general health is good in the county, for the skin cancer malignant melanoma and road injuries and deaths are significantly worse than the average for England . Dr Murrison said;

“Malignant melanoma and road accidents are both amenable to preventative measures and I would like to know what the PCT is doing to bring my constituent's risks more in line with the average for England ”.

Further to Andrew's visit to ISSEE in Chilmark on Friday, Andrew Murrison asked an oral question of defence minister Nick Harvey in the Commons yesterday (Monday). Andrew wanted to know what part of the welcome £67 million announced by David Cameron last month to deal with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDSs) in Afghanistan would be spent on training of the sort carried out at ISSEE.

The minister's reply suggested that nothing had been earmarked so Andrew has written to him to press the importance of training and to urge him to consider what ISSEE might do to assist. He said;

"I was very impressed with ISSEE which is clearly a world leader. It seems to me that the previous government did not exploit its expertise as well as it might."

On Friday 2 July at 11am Andrew Murrison will make a visit to ISSEE Homeland Security Group in Chilmark, Salisbury SP3 5DU.

Andrew will be shown how they. as a private company, can support the training of MOD troops in the areas of search, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

MP welcomes National Audit Office’s interrogation of Driving Standards Agency
Andrew Murrison has received a letter from the Comptroller and Auditor General Amyas Morse in response to his demand that the National Audit Office (NAO) probe the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) over its Driving Test Centre closure programme which resulted in the closure of the Trowbridge Centre.

In his letter Mr Morse said the NAO was making inquiries of the DSA and would be able to complete its work by the end of July. Dr Murrison said:

“I am pleased the NAO is looking seriously at this debacle which has seriously let down the public, driving instructors and examiners”.

At 2pm on Saturday 19 June 2010 Andrew Murrison will be attending a garden party to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of The Daubeny's founding at The Daubeny Almshouse, Southwick Road, North Bradley.

Andrew Murrison has dusted down his mountain bike in order to take part in the “lets get lost in the woods” mountain bike ride tomorrow in Warminster. The event which is Wiltshire's biggest cycling festival will take part during national bike week.

“Two wheels are usually better than four and I am looking forward to getting fit this summer with the help of my bike”.

Andrew Murrison will be heavily involved in Codford this weekend. Tonight he will take part in a question and answers session at the Woolstore Theatre together with Col. Stuart Tootal, Mary Ann Seieghart, and a panel of distinguished guests.

Tomorrow at 8.45am he will meet volunteers taking part in the annual Codford badge clean in the car park at the Village Hall before moving to the Codford.

Andrew Murrison has hailed the early decision of transport minister Mike Penning to review motorcycle tests in Britain .

The two-part test introduced in April 2009 has been criticised on safety grounds because of manoeuvres it introduced that have led to the hospitalisation of a number of candidates. This has great relevance to West Wiltshire candidates since the driving test centre closure programme that included Trowbridge was based in part on the need to centralise facilities in order to deliver the new EU-inspired test.

“Driving Test Centre campaigners in West Wiltshire will be pleased with this as it vindicates their efforts. I hope it will help to establish the case for a fresh look at the closure of the Trowbridge centre and the unhelpful move to Chippenham.”

On Friday morning at 10.15am Andrew Murrison will attend a Lip-reading class. The class meets every Friday at Footprints, Mere School , Springfield Road , Mere BA12 6EW.

The class is held for local deaf and hard of hearing people and is concentrated around lip-reading and communication skills, vital for anyone with hearing loss since 55% of people over 50 will have some sort of hearing problem.

Andrew Murrison and family will be at Cools Farm East Knoyle at 11am on 13 June for Open Farm Sunday. The MP supports the national initiative which aims to show people how their food is produced.

Andrew who keeps rare breed pigs as a hobby and who has spoken in the Commons on the linked issues of farm animal welfare and buying British is looking forward to viewing the farm's Red Poll cattle and learning about organic asparagus.

"It is important that people see meat as more than celophane wrapped joints on supermarket shelves. I commend this initiative and hope that it helps to educate and inform consumers.

Andrew Murrison intervened in a debate in the Commons yesterday on plans to build a high speed rail link between London and the north to ask that provincial rail services are not tapped to pay for it.

He pointed out to the new trains minister, Theresa Villiers, that her predecessor Labour MP Chris Mole had not given him the reassurances he had sought that HSR would not mean reduced investment in existing regional networks.

"It is important that in supporting high speed rail between major cities we do not allow train services to the regions, particularly the south west, to deteriorate. I am looking for improvements to the service west of Salisbury and fear they are threatened by ambitious plans elsewhere that will be of direct benefit to few of my constituents."

Andrew Murrison has been asked by David Cameron to lead on proposals for improving the mental health of combat veterans.

The ex Navy doctor who served in Iraq in 2003 will draw from resources in the MOD and the department of health in putting together his plans which he will submit to the Prime Minister before the House rises at the end of July. He said;

"I am very pleased to be asked by David to do this. He has clearly taken a personal interest in combat stress which bodes well for the future."

Andrew Murrison will accompany the Trowbridge Street Pastors ( trowbridge@streetpastors.org.uk ) this evening as they minister to revellers in the town centre.

The newly re-elected MP met the pastors at general election hustings organised by Trowbridge Christian Action for the Trowbridge Area (CATA). He was impressed with their account of what they did and is keen to see for himself first hand.

Before his walkabout he will at 7.30pm compere a celebration evening marking the 130 th anniversary year of the Salvation Army Trowbridge Citadel. The Circuit 16 Youth Choir will perform at the United Church in Trowbridge under the direction of Cara Clark.

MP signs motor cycle motion as Driving Standards Agency comes under increased pressure

Andrew Murrison has added his name to EDM 1002 tabled by Conservative MP Anne Main (St Albans) which highlights the failures of the DSA's motorcycling test, the introduction of which led to the closure of the Trowbridge test centre (see below for text). The MP who has already written to the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis after a damning select committee report excoriated the DSA for the closure programme said;

"I'm now very worried indeed about the DSA. It has embarked on a programme of test centre closures against advice on the pretext that it would improve road safety and save money. Neither have transpired.

"In the dying days of this government or early in the next action has to be taken. I will be speaking to my colleagues in the shadow transport team to ensure that this out of touch and failing Agency is sorted out."

With the Prime Minister expected to go to the Palace today to ask the Queen to dissolved Parliament on Thursday, Andrew Murrison will be the last MP for Westbury, a seat first created and named for the town in 1449 in the reign of Henry VI. Since 1885 Westbury has been a county constituency with one MP but previously it was a parliamentary borough returning two MPs.

The Boundary Commissioner for England decided to rearrange the borders of the current constituency and re-name it South West Wilshire to reflect the geography and the fact that Westbury is no longer the largest centre of population in the seat. The constituency will keep Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster together but lose Bradford on Avon and surrounding villages to the new Chippenham seat. It will be joined by Tisbury and Hindon together with villages as far south as Tollard Royal and to the east Barford St Martin.

“My predecessors were a mixed bag. My favourite is Sir Manasseh Lopes who was MP for Westbury from 1820 to 1829. Unfortunately he was convicted of bribing the electors and went to prison giving me a brilliant excuse for never buying a round locally. Ironically his successor was Sir Robert Peel who set up the Metropolitan Police.

“I'm very sorry that after 561 years there will no longer be an MP named for the town of Westbury .

Andrew Murrison has written to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis in support of a letter to him by Cllr John Thomson, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Libraries which argues for a broadening of the scope of blue badges.

At the moment the badges which enable cars to be parked in disabled slots are awarded only to people with physical problems. However, Dr Murrison has constituency casework that highlights the equally severe access difficulties people with forms of mental impairment have. Currently those with severe mental illness, severe autism, extreme disruptive behaviour and advanced dementia and those that need supervision are excluded from the scheme.

“The Blue badge scheme is currently available only to a narrow range of people with ambulatory problems and ignores the needs of people with mental impairment sufficient to cause severe access difficulties. The council is right to highlight this with the minister with a view to obtaining a change in the rules.”

Similar difficulties arise in connection with the Link Scheme which relies on volunteers to transport people with disabilities, both mental and physical, and which is currently outside the scope of the Blue Badge Scheme. In his letter, the MP has also underscored the Council's representation on behalf of the Link Scheme.

MP demands test centre closure review after damining select committee report

Andrew Murrison has used one of the most scathing select committee reports (see link below) he has ever seen to lambast the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) closure in 2008 of the Trowbridge Driving Test Centre. It closure meant his West Wiltshire constituents had to use the Chippenham centre.

The Transport Select Committee heard evidence that the new multi-purpose test centres (MPTCs) that replaced test centres like Trowbridge have turned out to be 'fundamentally flawed' and 'expensive white elephants.' In the report the committee of MPs severely criticises ministers and the DSA for ignoring the convenience of test candiadtes and failing to realise meaningful savings. The MPs called for a more customer-focussed approach to the DSA's business.

"When I met with the DSA in 2008 I formed the view that its plans were ill-conceived, wholly lacking in customer focus and underpinned by a weak business case. This stinging report vindicates the approach that I and local campaigners took.

"I have written to Lord Adonis the Transport Secretary to ask him to call those responsible at the DSA to account for their ineptitude and to undertake a wholesale review of the test centre closure programme. There appears to me to be a strong case for re-opening those test centres like Trowbridge that had a substantial and growing customer base before they were closed down.

"I will also be writing to the National Audit Office to ask it to conduct its own full inquiry into the debacle given the serious nature of the select committee's findings.

Speaking in Westminster Hall at Westminster today Andrew Murrison reiterated his point previously made in the Commons about plans for high speed trains to the north diverting funds from other parts of the network. In a debate sponsored by Labour MP for Carlisle Eric Martlew entitled 'Government policy on high speed rail' Andrew Murrison said that he feared that existing parts of the network might take the brunt of funding custs needed to finance the high speed line announced by transport secretary Lord Adonis a fortnight ago. After the debate he said;

"Upgrading of services west of Salisbury and the eventual establishment of a proper trans Wilts service seem less likely given the failure of ministers to deny that such projects will not fall victim to their high speed rail proposals for London , the midlands and the north.

"I can see that we are going to have to keep up the pressure to ensure that we are not forgotten.

The MP has recently complained that trains minister Chris Mole MP was unwilling to meet to discuss the rail difficulties faced by his constituents apparently because his diary was full. This prompted him to table a parliamentary question on 25 February asking for a list of Mr Mole's engagements on each day until 6 May. The reply received on 4 March gave just two engagements, on the 9 March and 22 March, and claimed that it is not usual practice to release details of future engagements other than confirmed speaking engagements.

"From his answer, it does not seem to me that the minister is at all busy particularly as his predecessors always found time to meet with me and concerned constituents. It looks like I will have to wait until after the election when I hope for better progress.

Andrew Murrison has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the Commons highlighting the attributes of Westbury's historic swimming pool (see attachment) whose future is currently being considered as part of a county-wide review of swimming pool provision. In the instrument he outlines the historic importance of the pool and the fact that the authorities Dr Ian Gibson and Simon Inglis in their book 'Great Lengths - the historic indoor swimming pools of Britian' published last year have called for the baths to be listed. The MP said;

"Dr Gibson and Mr Inglis say in their magisterial, beautifully illustrated account that whilst there are 116 listed pools in Britain, 52 of them operational or being refurbished, there are three further firm candidates for the accolade - Westbury, Glossop and Upper Mount in Northampton."

In the EDM Andrew highlights Swimathon 2010, the world's largest swimming fundraising event, in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care in which Westbury will be participating. The MP is registered to take part in the event on 16 April in the Westbury pool. You can sponsor the MP's 1.5km swim online by keying 'Swimathon' into the www.

"I'm taking part in the Swimathon as Marie Curie does brilliant work for people with cancer and because if we don't use the Westbury pool we'll risk losing it and that would be a tragedy."

MP worried about disenfranchised groups – servicemen and disabled people – as election approaches

Andrew Murrison has expressed his hope that turnout at the upcoming general election will be high. However, he has identified two groups of people who may find it more difficult than most to cast their ballot.

As a shadow defence minister and MP for the Warminster garrison he has asked parliamentary questions and tackled ministers on the low voter registration rates in the Armed Forces which is of particular concern in Wiltshire with its big military presence. He said;

“A third of servicemen are not registered which is a scandal as the figure has barely changed since 2005 and has deteriorated since the government changed the rules to make it more difficult in 2001.

“It's a bitter irony that, whilst ministers are saying our men and women are fighting for Afghan democracy, our troops are unable to participate in the democratic process themselves.

Andrew Murrison has written to the Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council to determine how many of the planned polling stations for the upcoming general election will be accessible to disabled people.

At the 2005 general election 68% of polling stations nationally are reckoned to have had one or more serious access barriers such as steps with no access to a ramp, narrow corridors or ballot boxes placed too high for wheelchair use. The campaigning organisation Scope in its ‘Polls Apart' initiate ( www.pollsapart.org.uk ) is urging MPs and candidates to press their local authorities on what has been done to improve matters. Andrew said;

“Wiltshire has a relatively large number of polling stations, many of them necessarily in old buildings, because it is quite rural. I am sure this makes disabled access more difficult to achieve than in urban constituencies. However, it is important that we do all we can to ensure that everyone is able to cast their vote in person if they wish and to ensure that they can do so by post or proxy if their health or disability prevents them from getting out or if they find it more convenient to do so.”

MP to visit Kids Construction Zone
On Friday 26 March at 3pm Dr Murrison MP will visit the newly opened ‘constructors’ toy shop at Unit 8, Castle Place Trowbridge.

MP to visit Clarendon College
On Thursday 25 March at 2.20 Dr Murrison MP will visit Clarendon College in Frome Road Trowbridge.

Andrew has been invited to talk to sixth form pupils and take questions after about Parliament and his role as a Conservative MP.

Andrew Murrison is concerned that the High Speed Rail announcement made by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis in Parliament today will siphon off much needed cash that would otherwise go to the regional rail network. The MP welcomes the fast train announcement which will link London , the midlands and the North of England but fears that improved services to his west country constituents will be put on hold.

He stood up this afternoon n the Commons to ask Transport Minister Sadiq Khan to assure travellers that improvements to services west of Salisbury would not suffer. This followed an earlier similar question by Norman Baker the MP for Lewes which the minister did not answer. Since Dr Murrison too got an evasive response he is left fearing the worst.

“The trains minister Chris Mole recently refused my request to meet him to discuss train services in my area and today's response by his senior colleague heightens my concerns that ministers are not particularly concerned about the needs of rail users in the south west.

“We have chronic overcrowding to address, the ongoing need to look at a trans-wilts service, inadequate station parking, timetabling issues and a strong case for electrification or dual tracking west of Salisbury from 2017. None of this looks likely if all improvements to the network are going to be shelved in order to fund the, admittedly welcome and much needed, high speed link to the north.

Andrew Murrison has praised Wiltshire Council for taking enforcement action against a man causing a nuisance by playing loud music (see below). The MP has had a series of complaints from constituents about antisocial behaviour by neighbours and has written a series of letters to local agencies as a result. He said;

"People come to see me in my advice surgery about the misery caused by nuisance of this sort. Often they are at their wit's end.

"Residents should not be subjected to this sort of abuse in their own homes and I'm glad to see the authorities are taking it seriously. They have my full support."

Andrew Murrison will attend the Mayor's community day in the Assembly Rooms at 11am on Saturday. He is keen to support the ‘Made in Warminster' theme and to discuss the new town plan.

At 7.30pm he will be at Dewey House for a chocolate and wine tasting evening to mark Fairtrade Fortnight. He said;

“Wine and chocolate – what an inspired combination! Both of them are freely available locally as fairtrade products. Warminster has relatively recently become a fair trade town and I'm pleased that fairtrade fortnight is being marked in such a delicious way.”

Andrew Murrison will be at Westbury Swimming Pool this evening (thursday) at 8pm at the official unveiling of new equipment that Westbury Amateur Swimming Club has been able to buy with help from the national lottery.

The equipment includes diving blocks that have been specially made for the pool.

Andrew is strongly supportive of Westbury's unique and historic swimming pool. He said;

“A few days ago I had a swim at the pool and tried out the hoist for helping disabled people in and out. The Westbury pool is a little gem and will certainly feature in my get fit campaign!”

Local MP and Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Murrison will visit the Yeovil-based helicopter company Agusta Westland tomorrow. The company, a division of the Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica, is a significant employer in the region. Andrew will be accompanied by his shadow defence minister colleague Dr Julian Lewis MP.

The MP is interested to hear about the company's support for current operations and its Chinook and Lynx helicopter programmes.

TV Time Warp: what's in the future for blind TV fans?

On the 23rd February Andrew Murrison MP joined other MPs at a reception in the Commons hosted by the RNIB. Parliamentarians sat down to watch Dr Who with partially sighted ‘Aunt Megan.' The purpose of the event was to call for more audio description for blind and partially sighted people, including an estimated 3,000 living in West Wiltshire.

Audio Description (AD) is an additional commentary that describes the body language, expressions and movements that someone with sight loss cannot see. Currently the Communications Act (2003) only requires 10 per cent of television programmes to be audio described. This limits blind and partially sighted people's access, understanding and enjoyment of television. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) organised the event and is calling for an increase in the amount of AD from 10 to 20 per cent of programming.

Andrew commented; "How can Aunt Megan follow Dr Who without audio description? Who is the Dr pointing the gun at and who did he shoot? Blind and partially sighted people are at risk of being left out. As digital switchover gathers pace, it's a good time to ensure that blind and partially sighted people aren't left behind."

Following a consultation, TV regulator Ofcom will shortly publish recommendations on the future of AD. Hundreds of blind and partially sighted people and their family members responded to the consultation calling on Ofcom to recommend 20 per cent audio description on all channels.

Steve Winyard, Head of Campaigns at RNIB added: "A decision which does not increase audio description will leave blind and partially sighted people locked out of the future of TV. We urge Ofcom to listen to the many blind and partially sighted people who responded to their consultation and recommend an increase to 20 per cent audio description on all TV channels.“

AD is available on digital TV, on DVD movies, in cinemas, galleries and museums as well as major sporting venues and exhibition centres.

Andrew Murrison has picked up a growing sense of frustration in his West Wiltshire constituency at what is seen as an obsession by Devizes-based Wiltshire PCT with the north of the county.

In particular, people in Trowbridge are asking what is happening about the planned new primary care centre in the county town which is perceived to have stalled. The MP said;

“I detect a growing sense that we have been asset-stripped by the PCT, that we have had to fight to hold on to what we have, for example maternity services and in-patient dementia care, and that promised improvements in the west of the county have not materialised.

“In Trowbridge, mention the promised new primary care centre and people will usually talk about the closure of the hospital and the surgery car park that the PCT wants to build on the cricket ground.

Investigating the concerns expressed by his constituents, Dr Murrison could find among the 22 website press releases specifically announcing PCT work in Wiltshire towns, only one in which the growing county town of Trowbridge was the subject. Dated 8 May 2009, it announced the visit to Trowbridge of a dental outreach team from Marlborough .

“West Wiltshire has suffered disproportionately from the community hospital closure programme and feels let down. Yet my constituents undoubtedly have the highest level of healthcare need in the county.

“I have written to the PCT in the light of what I'm picking up from residents and hope that it will investigate the extent to which it needs to recalibrate its priorities.

Andrew Murrison has received letters and emails from residents who are outraged by vehicles seeking to cut corners off the signposted diversions from the closed A303. The Deverill valley and West Knoyle have been particularly badly affected with articulated lorries stuck down narrow country lanes and verges ripped up by passing vehicles.

The MP blames satnav for a lot of the disruption and has raised this previously with transport ministers in connection with villages like Chitterne which have seen a significant increase in heavy vehicles including excursion coaches.

The issue was raised at Wiltshire council's south west area board in Mere which Andrew attended on Wednesday and it is on Andrew's list of things to discuss with Chief Constable Brian Moore when he sees him in his constituency office in Trowbridge this afternoon (Friday). The MP fears that a lot of the good work in filling the pot holes in minor roads caused by this winter's bad weather will be undone by inappropriate heavy traffic. He said;

“Thank goodness the government's original plans for closure of the A303 were rescinded otherwise this disruption would have been a great deal worse. I know the police are taking enforcement action but I hope that HGV operators will be left in no doubt that cutting corners in this way is simply unacceptable.

“I will be pressing ministers to expedite their promised action in dealing with satnav chaos given our experience over the past few days.

Andrew Murrison has received an unsatisfactory letter from trains minister Chris Mole MP in response to his request for a meeting to discuss improving rail services west of Salisbury . In the letter Mr Mole says;

Dr Murrison (pictured holding the letter dated 12 February at Tisbury station) said;

“My constituents in southwest Wiltshire will conclude that Labour could not care less about improving their rail services.

The MP intends to table a written parliamentary question asking for a list of Mr Mole's diary commitments, pressure on which the minister has cited as the reason for declining to meet. He said;

“I have had a very good relationship with Chris Mole's predecessors and, to be fair, there has been progress, however unspectacular, on improving First Great Western and Network Rail services in west Wiltshire. In contrast, Mr Mole does not appear to be in the slightest bit concerned about improving South West Train services".

Dr Murrison attended a Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help Service of Celebration this morning at Westminster Abbey. The service marks the 125th Anniversary of SSAFA Forces Help.

"Moving testimonials were given during the service from people who had suffered as a result of military service but been helped greatly by SSAFA. In our area especially with its large number of service personnel SSAFA does fantastic work and deserves our strong support".

Andrew Murrison was given a tour of Airsprung of Trowbridge on Friday. The company is one of the largest private sector employers in Andrew's West Wiltshire constituency. During his visit the MP was able to discuss the firm with the Chairman Stuart Lyons and Chief Executive Tony Lisanti and tour the shop floor where he met members of the workforce.

Andrew was given a demonstration of the latest equipment including a compressor which compacts mattresses allowing them to be sold on a cash and carry basis though large retailers like Argos . He also tested a ‘his and hers' double bed called the marriage saver which has a firm and a soft side for partners with differing views on what constitutes a good night's sleep. Placing his order, Andrew said,

“It's good to see Airsprung doing well in a difficult economic climate. There's much more to beds than meets the eye.

“In addition to the innovative marriage saver, an extensive line in sofa beds has developed since I visited the factory before the last election reflecting more compact lifestyles.

Andrew Murrison MP thanked for pledging to “do his bit” for British Armed Forces

Dr Andrew Murrison, MP for Westbury and Shadow Defence Min ister, has been thanked for pledging to do his bit for the British Armed Forces family. He was particularly keen to be involved given the large number of servicemen and their families in his constituency.

Andrew, who served in the Navy for 18 years and is a member of the Warminster Branch of the Royal British Legion met with a delegation from Legion at Westminster to get behind the charity's call for general election candidates of all parties to support the whole Armed Forces family. He also discussed the Legion's manifesto and the changes that it is calling for.

The manifesto sets out priorities for the next Government to improve conditions for the British Armed Forces past and present and their families. It encourages MPs and prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) to “do their bit” for Service Personnel and their families, the bereaved, veterans and dependants.

During the meeting, Andrew was photographed with a giant replica of the personalised pledge card, which he has been given by the Legion in recognition of his pledge.

Kevin Shinkwin, the Legion's Head of Public Affairs (pictured with Andrew), said, “We're delighted to give Andrew his pledge card in recognition of his pledge to do his bit. Our message to every MP and candidate standing at the general election is very simple: “It's time to do your bit. How you do that is entirely up to you but pledging publicly at www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk is a great way of showing your support for the whole Armed Forces family, both now and beyond the general election.”

“Both the serving and ex-Service community need the support of politicians,” he added. “Our manifesto outlines practical ways the next government can help, and we hope all the parties will give it serious consideration”.

Andrew Murrison MP said, “I was really pleased to pledge to do my bit and to get my pledge card from the Legion. I know the work they do for the whole Armed Forces family matters not just to me, but to so many of my constituents as well. It's so important we all get behind them, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my party responds to their manifesto”

Andrew Murrison has met with Mere parish council to discuss the current review of car parking in the county. He has written to the Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council to press the needs of large villages, especially those like Mere and Tisbury which currently have free car parking and which would suffer disproportionately if it was removed.

The MP has pointed out that the small car parks in such relatively remote settlements would raise very little and that the revenue would probably be wiped out by the cost of enforcement, collection and maintenance of the ticket machine. He said;

“I do hope that government car parking requirements which are designed very much with urban conurbations in mind are not allowed to squeeze out what remains of the vitality of small towns and villages.”

MPs have rightly been heavily criticised for their expenses and two or three may yet find themselves in the dock.

The 2009 expenses crisis means people see MPs as money grubbing charlatans, on the take and milking the system. I used to work as a senior doctor inevitably taking a huge pay cut to become a full-time MP, so you can imagine how the popular view of politicians makes me feel.

I have set this out to explain my own expenses and to discuss the wider issues around allowances. Although my costs are already well down the league table for MPs, I am looking for ways of reducing the cost of doing my job further without impacting on the service that I and my staff provide.

My expenses from 01/02 can be found in an easily accessible tabular form at www.theyworkforyou.com and for the current financial year as they are claimed via my profile page at www.conservatives.com . For the financial year 08/09 my accommodation costs can be found at www.mpsallowances.parliament.uk . I am well down the lower half of the league table for expenses.

Expenses are now published quarterly via the parliament website and in the financial year 09/10 I have taken steps to cut them further.

I live in my constituency. My accommodation charges relate to a one bed leasehold flat near the Commons which I've occupied since 2002 in accordance with the terms and conditions for MPs with constituencies outside London. The accommodation is wholly to support my job as an MP. It is funded mostly by my parliamentary allowances but also by me.

All my claims were checked and validated by the Commons department of finance and administration (‘fees office'). When in doubt, I or my office sought guidance from the fees office. My claims were cleared last year by my party's internal scrutiny process.

Sir Thomas Legg's retrospective audit asked for £5,525.64. I was not expecting this. Having said publicly when Legg was appointed that when he reported MPs should pay up and shut up, I could hardly lodge an appeal. Consequently I paid in full in December.

Legg's report will give a breakdown of his determination by MP. In my case the biggest item is mortgage interest he says was overpaid. I will have to see the details of successful appeals to Sir Paul Kennedy but it appears that, on appeal, this item might well have been overturned in my case. Sir Thomas disallowed a further claim because it should have come off another budget heading. There were bills over (and under) paid during the audit period and furniture costs that should not have been paid in full, liability for which I fully accept.

I very much regret the poor book-keeping that resulted in a net over-claim during the audit period. There is no doubt that my operation should have been better. I am truly mortified by what has happened.

My two ‘outside interests' have always been open and transparent. They are entered in the Register of Members' Interests, declared in writing and orally and discussed fully with the Registrar of Interests at the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

Firstly, I am a Reservist Medical Officer which takes 12 days a year. In addition I advise the Wessex Pharmaceutical Group on an ad hoc basis. I can claim £3750 a year for this. In addition, I occasionally complete surveys for canvassing organisations the fees from which are either paid to me or to charity.

Parliamentary allowances were very generous. I'm told they were enhanced covertly to avoid annual pay rises received by benchmarked occupations but which parliament for political reasons felt unable to award MPs. Equally, we now know that the Commons system for financial audit and control which MPs like me relied on for advice and to ensure our claims were in order was not working. This was a recipe for the disaster that MPs should have seen coming.

A lot has happened over the past six months. Allowances have been cut dramatically and claims are now published online (see above). If you want to, you can check what my gas bill is or how much I spend on paperclips. Pay, pensions and conditions for MPs will be decided completely independently of MPs by the new Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. MPs will no longer be able to vote on their own pay and terms and conditions of service and they will no longer police themselves.

I'm so very sorry that it's taken such a monumental crisis to begin to put things right in parliament.

Andrew Murrison as newly elected Chairman of the All Party Morocco Group this morning met Her Highness Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui, the newly appointed Moroccan Ambassador, at the Embassy in London .

During the hour long meeting the MP discussed various issues relating to UK-Moroccan relations and the situation in the Western Sahara which he raised with Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Prime Minister's Questions two weeks ago. He said;

“It was a great pleasure to meet the new Ambassador. She is very much aware of the Trowbridge-Oujda link and expressed her willingness to help in any way she can.”

Andrew Murrison plans to tackle the government in a debate on local government finance and council tax this evening on why local residents get a relatively poor funding deal from central government.

The MP who has attacked ministers before on revenue support grant and school funding has unearthed figures that show how badly Wiltshire does in terms of central government support for its public services (see below). He said;

“Ministers need to explain to my constituents why they are considered so less deserving than people elsewhere. This is especially the case given the extra costs of trying to provide public services in a spread out area like Wiltshire.”

“For example, I have asked schools ministers to look at the schools funding formula which completely ignores costs drivers like our high proportion of children from Army families who move around a lot but there has been no action.”

MP sponsors Arts Council South West and Wiltshire Music Centre Reception for Young People and the Arts

Andrew Murrison was MP sponsor for an event in the Commons today put on to showcase the value of early engagement in the arts to parliamentarians.

At the presentation Andrew spoke to young people whose lives had been transformed by music projects involving the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford on Avon as well as representatives and young artists from Plymouth , Bath and Bristol .

The Arts Council has as one of its priorities for 2008-2011 the promotion of great art to children and young people. Andrew said;

“It was good to hear how the lives of Wiltshire young people have been transformed by music. I very much regret not being taught to play a musical instrument as its clear that for so many people music makes all the difference.”

MP Andrew Murrison has written to transport minister Lord Adonis to press for improvements to the mainline train service west of Salisbury . The line from Exeter to London via Salisbury runs through Andrew's constituency and the MP and several of his constituents south of Warminster use the service, boarding at Gillingham and Tisbury.

The so-called Tisbury loop issue means scheduled delays outside Tisbury resulting in a potentially remediable lengthening of journey times. The MP said;

“With a number of my constituents I've clocked up hours waiting outside Tisbury. It's surely time to look at further timetable redesign now and third-rail electrification in the longer term.”

Network Rail's South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy published in March 2006 offers little prospect of improvement until at least 2016 although its Electrification Route Utilisation Strategy published in October 2009 holds out the possibility of eventual electrification west of Salisbury as part of a broader national strategy.

“There has been good work further down the line where a passing loop has been laid at Axminster but we shouldn't have to wait until 2016 for the prospect of definitive improvements.

The MP is in touch with the consumer group Passenger Focus and plans to meet South West Trains shortly in advance of any meeting with the minister.

Dr Andrew Murrison has expressed his views on the current debate on assisted suicide which has been encouraged by the remarks of author Sir Terry Pratchett. Dr Murrison, who was a Consultant Occupational Physician and also trained as a GP after a variety of hospital appointments before entering parliament in 2001, said;

“It's a doctor's duty to ease the pain of terminal illness and the administration of strong analgesia often necessary to achieve this satisfactorily can cause fatal side effects like respiratory depression. I think most experienced doctors will have been involved with such cases. In my view, instances in which there is a conscious decision to end life are quite different. I could not be a party to that.

“Instinctively I would rely on high quality terminal care to relieve suffering. A permissive change to the law, however well intentioned and expertly drafted, would open the door to abuses and the very real risk of elderly, disabled and vulnerable people being placed at risk.”

Andrew Murrison has received complaints that flats in Pepper Place Warminster that form part of the garrison married quarter estate have deteriorated badly. Constituents with small children have contacted him to say that mould is a particular problem.

Andrew first dealt with Pepper Place when doing house calls as a GP at the garrison medical centre ten years ago. He said;

“Whilst barracks accommodation in Warminster is improving slowing from a very low base, much of the married quarter estate is not good. Service families, many of whose loved ones are in Afghanistan , deserve better.”

The Shadow Defence Minister plans to investigate what can be done now to improve matters in the quarters off Imber Road and how replacement of the most unsatisfactory dwellings can be expedited.

Andrew Murrison has signed the Book of Commitment in the Commons in advance of Holocaust Memorial Day today (27 th January). The annual event is especially poignant this year as it marks the 65 th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The MP has also lit a virtual candle at www.hmd.org.uk and encourages others to do the same.

“I commend the Holocaust Memorial Trust for helping to ensure that we never forget the horrors that human beings are capable of.”

Andrew Murrison has spoken out against the failure of supermarkets to provide information to consumers to enable them to exercise informed choice. He pointed out that some like to imply wrongly that products are grown or made in the UK and cited bacon as an example.

He has spoken previously on the different animal welfare standards that apply in the UK and the on the continent and the preference of many consumers to choose British meat as a result. Speaking after the debate on Food Industry Competitiveness in the Commons on Thursday he said;

“Good welfare standards come at a price and consumers and UK producers are let down by supermarkets if they allow items to be labelled in a misleading way.”

“I very much regret that an ombudsman should be necessary as I prefer voluntary action and self regulation. However, supermarket behaviour has been contrary to the interests of producers and consumers and cannot simply be allowed to continue unchecked.”

Earlier in the day the MP had tackled Leader of the Commons Harriett Harman on excessive bank charges.

Andrew Murrison has been elected to head the cross-party Commons and Lords Morocco group. The MP represents the largest community of people with Moroccan descent outside London in the country and is additionally involved with the British Moroccan Association which meets regularly in the Commons. In March he will meet the new Moroccan Ambassador in London .

Trowbridge, the county town of Wiltshire, was twinned last year with the Moroccan city of Oujda and there are strong and developing links between the two communities.

The All Party Morocco Group has as its purpose the promotion of good relations between the UK and the Kingdom of Morocco .

“I am very pleased to be elected chairman of this important group, particularly given the links that exist between my constituency and Morocco.”

On Friday 22 January at 2.30pm Dr Murrison MP will be recycling his Christmas cards at the Tesco store in County Way , Trowbridge. The MP has received a lot of cards and is delighted that stores are making good use of them after the festive season.

Andrew Murrison has signed a House of Commons Early Day Motion (EDM 609) expressing solidarity with the people of Haiti and the hope that the international community will accelerate the flow of aid and assistance to the country.

“ Haiti was desperately poor before this earthquake, one of the worst in modern times. This latest, ongoing catastrophe will set back an already deeply troubled state by many years.

Andrew Murrison has been briefed in the Commons on his constituency's switchover from analogue to digital television. The exercise will take place on 24 March for BBC2 only and on 7 April all the remaining analogue channels will be switched off. This will affect the minority of people who do not already have digital TV.

Andrew learnt that the switchover had been achieved smoothly elsewhere in the country and that extensive measures have been taken to inform people of the change and any action they need to take. He was especially interested in the plight of older and vulnerable people and was given contact details for the helpdesk for concerned constituents. He said;

“Significant benefits are promised from the switchover. I am assured that it should take effect in our area without too much disruption or expense.”

On Friday 15 January at 2.15 Dr Murrison MP will visit West Ashton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 29 Bratton Road, West Ashton, Trowbridge BA14 6AZ.

Andrew has been invited to speak at the school's Achievement Assembly, he will be talking about Parliament and his role as an MP.

Andrew Murrison this afternoon attended the delegated legislation committee in the Commons to hear the Community Radio (Amendment) Order 2010 passed unanimously.

Although not a member of the committee, Andrew wrote to committee-member colleagues to press the case for reform. His remarks, based on his experience with WCR, were cited by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone.

The Community Media Association has lobbied for liberalisation of the original Community Radio Order passed in 2004 which it maintained disadvantaged small community radio stations like WCR.

The new Order will allow the regulator OFCOM to amend aspects of the existing community radio licensing regime by granting five year extensions to community radio licenses, allow community radio stations to obtain more than 50% of their revenue from a single source and award a license to a community station when it would overlap with a small commercial radio station with a potential audience of less than 50,000 adults. Restrictions on advertising and sponsorship remain.

Andrew, who has been in regular contact with Mr Barry Mole of WCR, has welcomed the easing of restrictions that will be possible under the new Order. He said;

“There is a place for both volunteer-led community radio and local commercial radio. The measure passed today will be a boost to WCR which does so much good work locally. I welcome it.”

Andrew Murrison has been approached with concerns about flooding to property off Bath Road Warminster. The river Were that gives the town its name is controlled by a culvert that requires attention. Planned development in flood plain off Victoria Road may make matters worse.

Following his enquiry, the MP has received a letter from Wiltshire Council explaining that remedial measures at Bath Road in isolation might threaten properties further downstream. Therefore it has applied for a grant from the Environment Agency so that it can put together a Surface Water Management Plan. Consequently, Andrew has written to the Environment Agency in support of the bid and suggested a meeting in London or on site.

The MP who has previously been involved with the flooding in the Fore Street area said;

“Warminster is at risk of flooding and clearly we need a plan that will deal with the increased risk and avoid further development that could make matters worse.

“I applaud the work the council is doing with the Environment Agency and their identification of the town as a key area for surface water management.

MP urges care for elderly as Met Office forecasts Wiltshire ‘exceptional event.'

Andrew Murrison has added his support to calls by Help the Aged and Age Concern for good neighbourliness during the cold weather. Last year's excess winter deaths among the aged nationally was at a ten year high and the MP fears that the severe weather warning issued today has the capacity to cause much hardship to his elderly constituents, particularly those in outlying areas. Andrew said;

“I would encourage people to check that older and more vulnerable neighbours are alright over the next few days whilst we endure the severe weather predicted by the Met Office.”

Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Murrison has added his name to the commitment being asked this Christmas by the Royal British Legion to our Armed Forces, veterans and Service families.

The MP who served in the Navy for 18 years is a member of the Warminster Branch of the RBL. This year he collected more than £140 outside Morrisons during the poppy appeal in 2 hours, doubling last year's haul. Nationwide to date the 2009 poppy appeal has raised a staggering £29,954,002 (see Poppy Appeal website). Andrew said;

“After a brutal summer in Afghanistan people's minds are focussed on the sacrifice made by the men and women of our Armed Forces and this is reflected in their generosity. I would urge everyone to mark their support by signing the Legion's pledge which can be found at www.timetodoyourbit.org.uk

Andrew Murrison MP campaigns for better support for Wiltshire people losing their sight

Today 100 people in the UK will begin to lose their sight, but only 8 will be offered counselling (1), despite a high risk of depression (2) and even suicide. Losing sight has a devastating impact on people's lives, and it is often assumed that if you start to lose your sight a range of services swing into action – this is not always true.

At a parliamentary reception hosted by RNIB, Andrew learned about the patchy provision of support for people with sight loss and is taking action locally to ensure that quality support is in place in the eye clinic so everyone who is diagnosed as losing their sight gets the help they need.

A shocking 23 per cent of people losing their sight leave the eye clinic without even being certain of the name of the condition that caused their sight loss (3). Andrew said;

“I have come across this locally, particularly among the elderly who are sometimes left to assume that their failing eyesight is an inevitable consequence of aging and that they must just get on with it.”

Thousands of people get no support when they lose their sight - most receive no counselling and are left to cope with their diagnosis alone.

However, a solution is at hand - the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer. This key professional, now in place in some eye hospitals around the UK , is there to give advice to people who are told they are losing their sight. They give basic emotional support, signpost people to local statutory and voluntary services and make sure they go home with information on their condition and how they can cope.

Andrew said "In some areas of the UK but not ours we have, through the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer, excellent and professional services for people when they are diagnosed with sight loss in the eye hospital. However, more work needs to be done in Wiltshire. I have written to the PCT to find out what it plans to do."

RNIB Group Director Inclusive Society, Fazilet Hadi says: “When people lose their sight, they lose more than their ability to see, they lose their life as they once knew it. There is clearly a systemic failure in the UK to provide vital support for people when they lose their sight. It's left to organisations like RNIB, or local societies of blind and partially sighted people, to plug this gap and at the moment we can only help one in three people facing this enormous life change."

Visit www.rnib.org.uk/lost to find out more about RNIB's Lost and Found campaign.

Official Government figures have revealed that just ninety pupils across the country were expelled last year for school bullying, despite a new survey finding half of all 14-year-old children have been bullied.

Across Wiltshire , less than five pupils are recorded as having been expelled last year from state schools (note this could mean 1-4 puplis since more specific data is not recorded). Wiltshire is typical since in over two-thirds of local authorities across England , not a single child was expelled for bullying. In Wiltshire 60 pupils were suspended from state schools, meaning the disruptive students returned to the school where they caused misery for their classmates.

Since 1997, Labour Government rules have deliberately made it more difficult for schools to expel pupils, undermining the authority of head teachers and meaning bullies end up back at the same school as their victims.

“Bullying makes far too many children's lives a misery. But the Government's own figures show that in the vast majority of cases bullies are returned to the same school as their victims after a short punishment, rather than being expelled. I have ongoing casework on precisely this.

“The key to tackling bullying is giving Wiltshire's headteachers the powers they need to crack down on bad behaviour. But under Labour, the balance of power in the classroom has shifted too far in favour of disruptive pupils.

“Kids have a right to an education undisrupted by bullies and people intent on classroom mayhem.

“Conservatives would give Wiltshire schools the power to take a zero tolerance approach towards serious offences such as bullying. We will give our teachers the tools they need to maintain discipline in the classroom before it spirals out of control.”

Westbury MP Dr Andrew Murrison will be visiting DPAS Ltd in Tisbury tomorrow morning at 10.30am.

The firm employs 80 people in the administration of dental plans for dental practices throughout the country. The medic MP who, as a Shadow Health Minister, was involved in the Bill that introduced the government's current dental contract will meet staff and discuss the future of dentistry.

Andrew Murrison has expressed outrage at the police provisional funding settlement for the next final year which has arrived on his desk this week from Home Office Minister David Hanson MP. The allocations give Wiltshire a 2.5% uplift, the minimum possible allowed. The settlement is substantially below the national and shire counties average and is trumped by neighbouring Avon and Somerset on 3.5% and Hampshire on 2.7%. Andrew said;

“People need to understand the financial pressures on our police force. Sadly ministers have demonstrated once again that they have failed to grasp the cost of policing in a relatively sparsely populated county like Wiltshire.

Also this week Andrew received a letter from Regina Finn Chief Executive of Ofwat, the water regulator, in which the permitted prices for water and sewerage customers for 2010-2015 were set out. In her letter Ms Finn says;

“Our decisions will mean household bills will remain broadly stable for the next five years.”

Except, it seems in the area served by Wessex Water, involving the bulk of Wiltshire residents. According to Ofwat, Wessex Water will be allowed to raise its prices by 3% before inflation against the national average of minus 1%.

“Water companies are obliged to absorb costs of environmental improvements driven by European Directives, very largely. However, it is not clear to me why these costs should bear down disproportionately on my constituents.”

Wiltshire's MPs continue to campaign for a better deal for Wiltshire which is at the very bottom of the league table for government funding through the Revenue Support Grant.

Westbury MP Andrew Murrison has expressed his regret at his parliamentary neighbour Robert Key's decision announced today not to stand again as MP for the Salisbury constituency. Dr Murrison said;

“Robert has been an exemplary constituency MP and top-flight contributor to the national political scene throughout a long career. He is enormously experienced, a font of good sense and one of the most thoughtful parliamentarians we have.”

Andrew Murrison has been invited to the Minster School in Warminster tomorrow (Friday) at 1120 to see the one-court sports hall that has been made possible by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund. The MP will see the facility in action in the company of Mark Cotton, Lottery Fund head for the south west region.

Andrew Murrison will meet Chris Jones, Highways Agency regional planning manager and representatives of Upton Lovell Parish Council, tomorrow (Friday) at 10am in the village hall to discuss A36 remediation measures.

There is pressure for improvements to the A36 following the rejection by ministers of plans for an A350 Westbury bypass. The stretch at Upton Lovell has a particularly bad reputation.

Andrew Murrison was on the losing side yesterday when he voted against government proposals to adjourn the Commons for Christmas on 16 December for nearly three weeks. The Shadow Defence Minister said;

“My constituents, many of them in the Armed Forces or close to personnel serving abroad this Christmas, will not expect the House to be stood down for so long.

“It's true that MPs use recess time to catch up on constituency work, but if the House is not sitting there's limited scope for ministers to be properly held to account. Given the situation in Afghanistan and the state of our economy, I believe a much shorter recess would be appropriate this year.”

Andrew Murrison attended a meeting at Chapmanslade Primary School convened by the parish council this morning following concerns about traffic through the village and the risk to children crossing the road.

There was a wide range of representatives including from the school, parish council, county council and police.

It was decided that the behaviour and speed of traffic should be quantified and options for calming considered with the evidence.

“Chapmanslade is a long, linear village and the temptation is for vehicles to go too fast. In addition, the school is not obvious from the road and parked cars mean that children are obscured when crossing. All of this increases the risk.

“I am pleased that the responsible agencies will consider how this can be reduced, perhaps using flashing speed indicators which have worked well elsewhere.”

MP discusses traffic issues at Chapmanslade School
This morning (Monday 23 November) at 11.am Dr Andrew Murrison MP will be at Chapmanslade CE Primary School, High Street, Chapmanslade, Westbury BA13 4AN. Andrew will be discussing the traffic issues in Chapmanslade with the Head teacher and the Parish Clerk.

Andrew Murrison backs plans to help protect local post offices, pubs, libraries and parks

Far-reaching new powers could be given to people in Wiltshire to protect community assets from closure and take over the running of public buildings and community assets. Andrew Murrison MP has given his backing to the new ‘Community Right to Buy' which would allow not-for-profit community groups across the county to take over the running of struggling local facilities, from post offices to pubs to parks.

New research has revealed that under this present government, 5,400 post offices, 200 libraries and 3,500 pubs have been lost across England. In Andrew's constituency , new figures show that the number of post offices has fallen by more than a third in the last decade.

• Community based groups, such as local voluntary organisations, schools and churches, will be able to bid to take over the running of publicly owned community assets, if they can manage them more efficiently and effectively than the state.

• When a state-owned community asset faces closure or being sold, voluntary groups will have a right of first refusal to buy that asset for a fair price and maintain it for community use. The new rights to community ownership will cover assets owned by central government and quangos, not just town halls.

• The radical ‘Community Right to Buy' will also allow community groups a first refusal to take over and run vital commercially-owned community assets when they shut down – for example, those post offices, pubs and shops whose continued survival is of genuine importance to the local community.

“Under this government, local neighbourhoods in Wiltshire and across the country have lost too many essential local services and facilities. Gordon Brown's Government has closed post offices and driven local pubs into the ground. People feel powerless to stop their communities losing access to vital services and facilities. So the Conservatives will give bold new powers to people in our area to protect and improve vital community assets and preserve the social fabric of our neighbourhoods.”

MP at WWRUG’s 20th Anniversary
At 7.30pm on Friday 13th November Dr Murrison will be at The Lock Inn in Bradford on Avon. The West Wilts Rail Users Group (WWRUG) are celebrating their 20th Anniversary and Andrew has been invited as their guest of honour.

Andrew Murrison, MP for Westbury, supported leading health charity Diabetes UK this week (November 11) as it demanded education and psychological support for people with diabetes in a new report¹ released at the House of Commons in the run up to tomorrow's World Diabetes Day ( Saturday 14 November)

Diabetes UK launched "Supporting Self Management for people with diabetes", a report¹ that looks at what people with diabetes need to ensure they are equipped to manage their diabetes. People with diabetes spend only a few hours a year with health professionals and so it is imperative that they have access to quality information, structured education, personalised care planning and access to healthcare professionals to reduce the risk of long term complications such as heart disease, stroke and blindness.

Andrew Murrison, who attended the parliamentary reception, said: "There are an estimated 5571 people with diabetes in my constituency. I t is vital that they are armed with the knowledge and confidence to manage their condition optimally . That is why I am supporting Diabetes UK this World Diabetes Day in its bid to ensure that people with diabetes have all the information they need."

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK , said: "People with diabetes make decisions about their diabetes management every day and want to maintain an independent, healthy and active life. If they need support to achieve this, it should be widely available. Self management does not mean that people are left to do everything on their own, but that health and social care professionals, peers and family members help to provide the support they need.

"This will not only ensure that people with diabetes face a healthier future but will also help cut the £1 million an hour that the NHS spends on diabetes complications."

Andrew Murrison, local MP and Shadow Defence Minister, has signed a cross-party Early Day Motion urging the government to start thinking about how to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War in 2014 and to take steps to assist communities in preserving war memorials as a lasting tribute to the fallen.

“It's important that communities have a focus for remembrance and reflection. War memorials serve this function and must be preserved for future generations.”

That this House praises the Royal British Legion's Roll of Honour, English Heritage, Historic Scotland, the War Memorials Trust, the Imperial War Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for their work dedicated to commemorating those who have died as a result of conflict and to preserving war memorials in the UK and abroad; calls upon the Government to examine ways of assisting communities to preserve and restore the UK's war memorials and rolls of honour in advance of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914; and further calls on the Government to establish a national code of practice to protect war memorials from destruction, and to have a national day of commemoration on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

On Wednesday Andrew Murrison attended a presentation in the House of Commons to celebrate the acquisition by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) of the Siegfried Sassoon archives much of which was kept by the First World War poet's son George at his father's home Heytesbury House near Warminster. The collection will be held by Cambridge University . The collection comprises a wealth of Sassoon's private diaries and pocket notebooks compiled whilst he was serving on the Western Front.

"I am so pleased the fund has saved these papers for the nation. They are a vibrant memorial with particular relevance to Wiltshire given the Sassoon family's close association with Heytesbury."

Andrew Murrison, Shadow Defence Minister, attended the opening of the Field of Rembrance in London by Prince Phillip this morning. Earlier on he was collecting for the British Legion Westminster Branch with other MPs with a Service background from rush-hour commuters in Westminster tube station.

On Saturday, Andrew, who served in the Navy for 18 years, will be collecting outside Morrisons in Warminster from 1200 to 2pm. He will attend the Remembrance service in Trowbridge on Sunday morning and in Warminster in the afternoon. On Armistice day next week he will represent David Cameron at the Lloyds Remembrance Service in the City.

"This week has been particularly tough for our troops in Afghanistan . We must honour their sacrifice and pay tribute to those that are left to grieve."

At 11.30am on Friday 6 November Dr Andrew Murrison MP will meet representatives of Natural England at Lovemead House, Roundstone Street, Trowbridge. The briefing will let Andrew know what Natural England are doing at a local level in the constituency to achieve their targets.

At 09.15am on Friday 6 November Dr Andrew Murrison MP will be opening the new extension at Whitesheet Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Chapel Lane, Zeals, Warminster BA12 6NL.

Andrew Murrison's best friend Buster, a 5 year old black labrador, was judged runner-up in this year's Westminster Dog of the Year (WDOTY) contest in London . The event in its 17th year is organised by the Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club to promote responsible dog ownership. This year its theme was the human health benefits of keeping a dog.

"Buster was thrilled to be on the podium this year and happy to join the winner, a Conservative spaniel called Molly who was much better behaved, and a Lib Dem retriever called Crumpet."

Andrew Murrison will visit Salisbury 's Trussell Trust on Friday morning with Rev Dennis Brett. He will discuss the foodbank element of the charity which Warminster Churches Together has been following with the Warminster and District Foodbank of which Andrew is Patron.

Foodbanks assist people in crisis and those in society who are experiencing poverty that is often hidden. In the current recession the number of people in need has increased.

"People think of Wiltshire as relatively prosperous but prosperity can often hide real poverty which becomes particularly acute during an economic downturn."

Andrew Murrison will meet the Great West Ambulance Service Chief Executive Dave Whiting on Friday to discuss how the service it gives his constituents can be improved. Andrew has been lobbied by constituents who are unhappy with the service and is concerned by a recent Care Quality Commission report which commented adversely on GWAS's performance.

"I look forward to hearing the new Chief Executive's plans for improving the performance of GWAS. I shall be especially interested in response times.

Andrew Murrison's best friend Buster will take part in the annual Westminster Dog of the Year show tomorrow on the green adjacent to the Commons. The event is hosted by the canine campaigning organisation The Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club and is designed to raise the profile of animal welfare issues and the benefits of responsible dog ownership.

This year the empahasis is on highlighting the health benefits of walking and interacting with man's best friend. The event is open to all MPs, Peers and pooches regardless of breed or 'pawlitical' persuasion.

"Buster is a regular at this event but his performance has been marred by scraps. This year he plans to behave and emerge victorious.

"There is a serious message behind the event which is that dog ownership can enhance and improve quality of life. It is likely that it can improve health too.

Local MP and Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Murrison will appeal to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth from the despatch box tomorrow afternoon in support of the beleaguered Territorial Army.

The government wants to cut the training budget of the TA by £17.5 million in-year meaning that all training not geared directly towards Afghanistan will disappear or go unpaid. Andrew, a Naval Reservist, fears that many in the TA will simply walk. He said;

"Ministers must understand the huge blow to morale this penny-pinching will cause. Given how much we rely on the reserves to support current operations, this is a cut too far. It must be reversed before irreparable damage is done."

MP’s busy Friday
On Friday 23 October 2009 at 10.30am Dr Andrew Murrison will be at The Church of St Mary, Old Dilton, Westbury BA13 3RA.. As part of The Churches Conversation Trust ‘CCT’ (Celebration 40 years) Andrew will meet the Regional Manager together with some of the local staff and volunteers to hear about the work of the Trust and its partners.

At 12.30pm Dr Murrison will attend Relate Mid Wiltshire’s Annual General Meeting being held at Red or White in Trowbridge to hear about the future direction of Relate and its response to the challenges of the present time.

At 2pm Andrew will be at Warminster Community Hospital in The Close, Warminster BA12 8QS. The hospital is celebrating its 80th Birthday and to commemorate their ward is being renamed ‘Longleat’. Lord Bath is expected to unveil a plaque at 2.30pm.

Finally, at 3.30pm Andrew will be meeting with the Chair of the Performance Committee (Wiltshire Police Authority) at Lovemead House, Trowbridge.

At 10.30am tomorrow morning (Saturday) Andrew Murrison will be at the West Wiltshire Conservative Club, Lovemead House, Roundstone Street , Trowbridge, BA14 8DG in support of the presentation of awards for those who help with The Royal British Legion's charity work through the Poppy Appeal.

On Friday 9 th October 2009 between 10am and 12 noon Dr Murrison will be at the Westbury Library in Edward Street , Westbury BA13 3BD

The National Bookstart Day Activity sessions will include “Bumpsadaisy -Yoga through Nursery Rhymes” and Storytime with the local playgroup using nursery rhymes. A selection of nursery rhymes and stories will be read and sung with the audience.

As Gordon Brown's controversial planning quango, the Infrastructure Planning Commission, opens its doors Andrew Murrison MP has warned it will fuel public disillusionment with politics. He fears that developments like onshore windfarms one of which was turned down by the local planning authority on the Dorset/Wiltshire border recently will be forced on residents who will be robbed of their voice.

• The new unelected body is to take control of determining planning applications on large projects including airports, motorways, railways, dams/reservoirs, overhead electric lines, gas pipelines, gas storage, power stations, waste water treatment plants and hazardous waste facilities. It will base its decisions on National Policy Statements issued by Ministers as diktats with no substantive vote in Parliament.

• Despite Gordon Brown's recent TUC speech promising to “cut costs”, the new quango will cost £10 million a year, and its Chairman will be paid £184,000 a year for a four day week. The Commissioners will be appointed on a minimum fixed term of five years and cannot be removed short of criminal misconduct – making them the most unaccountable quangocrats in Britain.

• At a stroke, local residents, local authorities like Wiltshire and elected representatives will be stripped of any say on the most controversial planning decisions that will affect the lives of tens of thousands of people. This contradicts Gordon Brown's promise when he became Prime Minister to stop politics being “a spectator sport.” Conservatives are warning that the new planning regime will also lead to a flood of legal challenges in the High Court and the European Court of Justice.

• Under Conservative plans, the Infrastructure Planning Commission will be abolished. National Policy Statements would remain – but each one would have to be ratified by both Houses of Parliament to ensure democratic legitimacy, and to reduce the scope for legal challenges. The government's Regional Spacial Strategy, responsible for much of the building planned to be forced on Wiltshire, will be binned

“Trust in politics is at an all time low, and Gordon Brown's response is to put democracy on the scrapheap. Wiltshire residents and their elected representatives are being disenfranchised on a massive scale by the most unaccountable quangocrats ever created.”

On Thursday 1 st October 2009 at 10am Dr Andrew Murrison will open the tea party at Dewey House, Warminster on behalf of RETHINK (a National Mental Health Charity).

Later, at 6.30pm Andrew will be at the Kingsdown Community School in Warminster to attend the Celebration Evening. Invited guests, school governors and senior teaching staff will be attendance and the presentations are expected to start at 7pm.

MP’s constituency day(s)
Today, 25 September 2009 at 11am Dr Andrew Murrison will make a visit to Apetito Ltd in Canal Road, Trowbridge BA14 8RJ. On arrival Andrew will be met by the Chief Executive Paul Freeston , attend a presentation and given a tour of the factory that has achieved 10 years of successive sales and profit growth.

At 7pm this evening Dr Murrison has been invited to the Westbury area musical festival which is taking place at the Priory Church in Edington organised by the Westbury Rotary Club and the Westbury Lions. Andrew has been informed that the Band and Bugles of The Rifles from Winchester will be in attendance.

At 5.30pm on Saturday 26 September Andrew will attend the Eid festival which is being held at the Longfield Community Centre in Trowbridge.

Andrew Murrison will be attending Trowbridge's second area board meeting that is due to take place on Thursday 24 September at West Ashton Village Hall, Bratton Road at 7pm.

Dr Murrison has been advised that the meeting will focus on an update on key developments in the town centre. Wiltshire Council's vision director, Adam Nardell, will provide updates on sites including Waterside, Shires Gateway, Brewery Gate (bottling plant site), St. Stephen's Place, Cradle Bridge (Peter Black's site), Court Street, River Biss and Pork Farms (Bowyers' site).

Andrew Murrison has tabled a Parliamentary Question demanding how many properties in his constituency the government has logged in its Automated Valuation Model which it plans to use to impose a new ‘patio tax' on homes with features that it deems attractive. These include having a ‘view', ‘patio', location on a ‘quiet road or cul de sac', being near a conservation area, field or golf course and ‘a feature associated with a dwelling that might have value significance but is not covered by any other value significant codes.'

The AVM has been exposed by the Conservative Opposition which is encouraging MPs to ask for details in their localities in order to flush out data that to date ministers have kept under wraps.

‘Looking down this list I can see that a very large number of residents in an area like ours are likely to be tapped by this latest government stealth tax.

‘Ministers are arguing that having a nice house or living in a county like Wiltshire means you have more disposable income that they can plunder. I think my constituents will take a different view.

On Friday 18 September at 12 noon Dr Murrison will visit The (BUPA) Westbury Residential & Nursing Home in Warminster Road , Westbury , BA13 3PR .

Andrew Murrison will be given the opportunity to meet some of the residents and carers at the home and also be introduced to a senior Bupa executive to discuss some of the health and social care challenges facing the country and Bupa.

Andrew Murrison will attend the town plan audit in the Assembly Rooms in Warminster this afternoon at 3pm.

The event will be hosted by the town council and the consultants Urban Practitioners. It is aimed at informing the town plan and Wiltshire Council's Development Framework.

This morning (Monday) Andrew Murrison met members and volunteers of the Monday-Wednesday Club at the Wesley Road Church Hall in Newtown Trowbridge. The club has been run for adults with mental and physical disabilities for 20 years.

Andrew spoke to members and learnt about the varied activities of the club. He was especially keen to learn about its club holiday in Torquay next week which is eagerly anticipated by members.

Andrew said; ‘The Monday-Wednesday Club is very well established locally. There is no doubt that it dramatically improves the quality of life of disadvantaged people. Its success is down to the longstanding hard graft of its team of loyal volunteers.'

The MP wished club members and volunteers a nice holiday and expressed the hope that the Indian Summer would remain for their week away on the English Riviera.

Andrew Murrison has condemned the government's attempt to add to the regional apparatus of government by creating ministers, select committees and grand committees for the regions of England .

The first South West Regional, so-called, Grand Committee will be held in Exeter on Thursday 3 September as a talking shop for the regions MPs. Dr Murrison who is opposed to regional government said;

‘The Commons should be sitting at Westminster during September so senior ministers can be held properly to account. That's particularly important given the situation in Afghanistan and the embarrassment over Libya.

‘Instead the government wants our disparate region's MPs to spend an away day in Exeter with its regional junior minister who has no budget, no responsibility and no power.

‘I'd rather be at Westminster tackling ministers with the power to deal with issues of concern to my constituents but the long summer recess makes that very difficult.

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