The Folkestone based 1st Royal Gurkha Rifles have not been included in a series of mergers and battalion reductions announced by Minister for Defence Geoff Hoon in a statement to Parliament today. Despite fears that the Gurkhas were amongst those facing cuts, the announcement seems to safeguard the future of the batallion.
Speaking out against the proposed cuts to the Armed Forces, Peter Carroll said "The Armed Forces are being terribly over stretched. The idea of cuts is totally inappropriate. The Army is having trouble recruiting and the Gurkhas are playing a vital role in today's Army."
Lib Dem Spokesman Peter Carroll has today urged local people to join the campaign to keep the services offered by the Royal Victoria Hospital here in Folkestone.
Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour have once again been big issues in my Postbag. There are a number of communities across Shepway who are suffering persistent and recurring anti-social behaviour. In some of the cases progress has been made. By working together, the Police, Council, Social Services and other agencies have focused a lot of attention of these cases. This is good news. However, in order to work properly, this 'multi-agency' working needs a lot of time and resources, particularly from the Police. My view is that the Police need more Officers who can be assigned to these types of situations so that more cases can get the attention they deserve.
In a letter dated Nov 9, the British Home Office has informed Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Association (GAESO) that even the cases of soldiers discharged before 1997 would be considered on an individual basis.
Hythe Lib Dems have today slammed the Conservatives for "scaremongering nonsense" over the new Sports Centre for Hythe.
Shepway's Lib Dem Council Group have set up a new way to access information about the work they are doing at the District Council.
Over the last two years more than ten local Post Offices have closed. My team and I have been extensively involved in fighting these closures. Some of the hardest hit have been pensioners who relied on their local Post Office to get their pension. More than that, the weekly visit to the Post Office added to their quality of life. Despite massive public protest and petitions, the Post Office drove the closures through. Their argument was that shutting these local offices was vital if the main network was to survive.
Official figures have confirmed that the level of GP provision in Shepway is amongst the lowest in the Country.
Shepway Lib Dem Peter Carroll is urging all residents to support his campaign to safeguard the Main Post Office in Folkestone. It has emerged that 270 of the 560 Main Post Offices in the country may be closed or sold off in new plans.
Local Lib Dems Peter Carroll and Cllr Tessa Caruana have joined local residents in their fight against the new phone mast on a building in Highfield Industrial Estate near Warren Road. The mast appeared without warning a few days ago and local people were not consulted at all.
Park ward's three Lib Dem Cllrs are backing local residents in their campaign to amend the plans for the Academy that is to be built on the site of the Channel School. Working in co-operation with the Cllrs, the Action Group issued this press release yesterday evening:
