HEALTH - LAWS LAYS FOUNDATION STONE AT SOUTH PETHERTON HOSPITAL
 David Laws MP for Yeovil Constituency, recently laid the foundation stone at the new £17.5 million South Petherton Hospital. The hospital will be built in 2010, and will be open in early 2011. The hospital will be of huge benefit in improving NHS services in our area – including in the area of stroke care.
The campaign to re-build this hospital has been a very long one, and there have been a few bumps along the road. But the people of South Petherton have never given up.
David Laws MP said:
“I would like to thank Mary Robertson, the League of Friends, and all the people of the South Petherton area for their strong backing for this project. I would also like to thank the Parish Council and the local district councillors for their hard work.”
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JOBS - LAWS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO BRING FORWARD WESTLAND ORDER
 David Laws, MP for Yeovil Constituency, has called on the Government to act swiftly to increase the number of military helicopters and to upgrade older helicopters such as the Puma and Sea King. The order safeguards thousands of jobs across Somerset and ensures equipment for our troops in Afghanistan.
David Laws MP said:
“The Government has started to take the issue of helicopters more seriously – with the £1bn order for the new “Wildcat” (Future Lynx) helicopter, the Merlin helicopter deployment to Afghanistan, and with the upgrading of the Lynx Mark 9 aircraft. All this is welcome, and the employees at Westland helicopters are doing everything they can to meet the tight timelines set for aircraft delivery.”
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EDUCATION – LAWS SLAMS £4.5 MILLION LOCAL TORY EDUCATION CUTS
David Laws, MP for Yeovil Constituency, has heavily criticised Conservative controlled Somerset County Council for its announcement this week that it plans to cut £4.6 million from front-line school budgets. David is calling for the Conservatives to rethink the proposed cuts at the County Council Cabinet Meeting on 3rd February.
The cuts include:
- Cancelling plans to replace Yeovil’s existing Pupil Referral Unit, whose buildings are not considered fit for purpose.
- Cancelling plans to upgrade a temporary classroom at Ilchester School.
- Axing plans to set up local Support Units for Behavioural, Emotional, Social and Autism difficulties.
- Axing the budgets set aside to help replace the ageing Ashlands School in Crewkerne.
- Axing budgets allocated to support the development of new schools in Yeovil – at Thorne Lane, Lufton and Brimsmore.
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CRIME - MINISTER BACKS LIB DEM MPs IN FIGHT TO OPPOSE CONSERVATIVE PLANS FOR POLICE CUTS.
 Senior Home Office Minister, David Hanson MP – Minister for Policing, Crime and Counter-Terrorism – recently gave his support to a campaign by Somerset Liberal Democrats to oppose the plans by Conservative controlled Somerset County Council to cut police numbers. The Minister’s support came in a House of Commons Debate called by the Lib Dems, and supported by Somerset Lib Dem MPs Jeremy Browne (Taunton), David Laws (Yeovil) and David Heath (Somerton and Frome).
The Minister said that the Police Community Support Officers which the Conservatives are planning to cut are playing a key role in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour and that he “shared the concern that Somerset County Council is considering a reduction of some £129,000 in its funding of PCSOs.”David Laws, MP for Yeovil Constituency, has today welcomed news that 1,120 people have joined the Facebook group, Save Our Somerset PCSOs.
David Laws MP said:
“Given that over a thousand people have voiced their concerns over the cuts, the Tories should re-think their proposed cuts, which would endanger the police presence which is so highly valued by most people.”
Sign our petition at www.ourcampaign.org.uk/SaveOurPCSOs
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