MP’s fury at Minister’s sign refusal

January 27, 2006DD

A decision by the Welsh Assembly’s Transport Minister to refuse calls for a village hall sign to be sited on a busy trunk road has been met with fierce criticism by Monmouth’s MP.

David Davies hit out at Andrew Davies AM after he declined a request for installing a sign on the A4042 for Llanover Village Hall.

Members of the Sir John Herbert Memorial committee have been campaigning for signing for several months. The hall is not visible from the road and concerns have been raised that potential users have been unable to locate the premises.

When a subsequent application for signage to the Welsh Assembly was turned down, disappointed members approached their MP for help, who immediately wrote to Andrew Davies asking for the decision to be reversed.

But the Transport Minister once again ignored the request, stating such a sign could have ‘serious implications’ on driver safety.

In his reply, Andrew Davies said, “It is important that the Welsh Assembly Government adheres rigorously to its robust signing policy for signing on the motorway and trunk road network in Wales, where in doing so information to drivers remains pertinent and relevant.

“This is particularly so given the road alignment at Llanover and side roads that egress close by to each other on the A4042.

“Sign proliferation has serious driver safety implications that we cannot ignore and the request for signing must be declined. I know this is disappointing, but it is paramount we place driver safety first.”

David Davies, who is also AM for the area, said the decision was ‘unsympathetic’ and ‘unacceptable’ and vowed to continue to lobby the Transport Minister on the issue.

“Whilst agreeing that driver safety is paramount, I consider that such a sign would improve safety through Llanover,” he said.

“I have checked the area and the only other sign I have seen indicates where the estate office is. I cannot accept, therefore, that a sign for the hall would constitute a proliferation.

“When Peter Law (AM MP for Blaenau Gwent) was the Assembly’s Transport Minister, he was sympathetic to the problems in Llanover and I sincerely hope that Andrew Davies will give sympathetic consideration to reviewing this refusal for a sign.”

David Davies Slams Government’s “Christmas-time Scrooges”

January 26, 2006DD

David Davies, MP for Monmouth, today launched a stinging attack on Government Departments, who he accuses of “sweeping Christmas under the carpet”.

David Davies, MP for Monmouth, today launched a stinging attack on Government Departments, who he accuses of “sweeping Christmas under the carpet”.

Mr. Davies, who exposed an apathetic response to the festive period in a number of written questions to the Government at the end of last year, will be writing to the Minister for Equality to demand a full investigation.

Speaking from Westminster today, Mr. Davies said, “I find it absolutely incredible that Christmas was given such a low profile by the Government, while they openly celebrated many other religious dates. The Department of Transport, for example, shuttled workers across the country to events celebrating Chinese New Year, Diwali and Asian Mela, but all they could manage for Christmas were a few memos advertising Whitehall Carol Concerts.

“The Home Office held an expensive party for representatives of the Sikh, Muslim and Hindu communities in the run-up to Diwali and Eid, but no similar event was organised to celebrate Christmas. Yet again they seem to be forgetting the majority of the country and showing clear and lamentable bias towards minority religions.

“Government Departments have been falling over themselves to prove that they are politically correct and culturally-aware, but all this has exposed is a level of institutionalised anti-Christian sentiment that I find appalling. Over 70% of the country consider themselves to be Christian, yet the Government has all but ignored them in its quest to prove its PC credentials.

“Quite why the majority of the country should be marginalised by Departments such as the Home Office and Transport is beyond me, so I shall be writing to the Minister for Equality in the hope that she might be able to shed some light on the matter.”

David now intends to find out what, if anything, the various Departments are planning to do to celebrate Easter in April.

David Makes Waves in Maritime Pollution Debate

January 26, 2006DD

Surfing MP Speaks Up For Clean Waters and Cleaner Air

David Davies, a keen surfer, today spoke up for the Shipping Industry in a debate into Maritime Pollution in the Commons.

Speaking from Westminster today, David said “Shipping is one of the most environmentally-friendly ways of transporting goods across the world. The work of groups such as the International Maritime Organisation has done much to improve the polluting situation in recent years, and the provisions of this Bill will further strengthen the environmentally-sound credentials of the industry.”

As someone who used to work in the industry, I am well aware of the difficulties they face, and this Bill will add much-needed extra legitimacy to this highly respected and valuable industry.

The Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Bill, which is passing through Parliament now, aims to ensure that full compensation is available for the victims of pollution and to curb harmful emissions made by ships into the atmosphere.

The full text of David’s speech can be read here…

David Supports Holocaust Memorial Day

January 25, 2006DD

“A Time To Remember”

On January 27th we remember all the victims of the Holocaust. By never forgetting the victims of this terrible event, and honouring the survivors and rescuers who are still with us, we reaffirm our shared goals of mutual understanding and justice.

We take this opportunity to recognise that humanity is still scarred by the belief that race or religion or disability or sexuality make some people’s lives worth less than others’. Genocide, anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination still continue.

Furthermore, it is sad and regrettable that even now a small minority refuse to recognise the suffering of the Jewish peoples and the sheer enormity of the crimes carried out against them by Nazi Germany. This Day will remind them that even if they refuse to acknowledge these events, the rest of the world remembers.

This year’s Holocaust Memorial day has the theme “One Person Can Make a Difference”. On Friday 27th we should all consider what we can do as individuals to aid and better the lives of others around us, to examine the moral choices that we make and to remember that every person can make a monumental impact for the good of others.

National Campaign calls for more specialist Colitis and Crohn’s nursing posts

January 10, 2006DD

Monmouth MP David Davies has backed a national campaign calling for an increase in the number of specialist Colitis and Crohn’s nursing posts.

Mr Davies pledged his support to the initiative after being contacted by members of the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease (NACC).

The voluntary association works to improve life for people affected by Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and is calling for action over the next two years to increase the number of specialist Colitis and Crohn’s nursing posts around the UK.

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease affect one in 400 people, but there are currently no specific priorities, plans or targets in place in the NHS to define standards and ensure adequate funding for local services for people with these lifelong conditions.

Mr Davies said: “In a recent survey of NACC members, only 26 per cent said they had access to a specialist nurse at their hospital.

“I have been told by patients that having access to such a service would make a huge difference and studies have shown that these nurses can save NHS costs by preventing people being admitted to hospital unnecessarily.

“I am delighted to support NACC’s campaign and have written to the Welsh Assembly’s Health Minister to highlight the importance of specialist nurses to the care of people who have to live with these conditions.”

END