Local MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming Tim Farron has today called on the Government to tighten up regulations on the importing of meat from EU countries, which has proved a major source of bluetongue outbreaks. Mr Farron is also repeating calls for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to press ahead in ordering more doses of the BTV8 vaccine.
Liberal Democrat MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hill Farming Tim Farron today registered his outrage at the closure of 'Food from Britain.' Food from Britain is the government body responsible for promoting British food abroad. The decision to 'wind up' the body came after DEFRA announced that the public funding for the body of around £4.7m each year was to be phased out by 2010/11. DEFRA is currently in the midst of a funding crisis, with one of the Government ministers responsible for DEFRA recently admitting to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee that the animal welfare arm of DEFRA was to lose a third of its resources. Mr Farron has now launched an Early Day Motion in Parliament praising the work of Food from Britain and calling on the Government to act to safeguard the body in order to enhance British farm exports.
Local MP Tim Farron and Liberal Democrat Councillors have responded positively to growing concerns from constituents about the problem of dog fouling. As part of an initiative to raise awareness on this issue they have delivered specially designed biodegradable dog litter bags to every door in the constituency, along with the March edition of local Focus newsletters. Local Lib Dems have aimed to draw attention to the issue, and provide practical ways to deal with it. Those who received a bag who don't own a dog are asked to give theirs to a dog owner.
Local MP Tim Farron is planning to run and cycle the 24 mile route from the Langdale Valley to Westmorland General Hospital on Saturday 29 March to raise funds for the NHS SOS Campaign against the downgrading of acute services at the hospital. The Campaign group is attempting to raise funds in order to legally challenge the decision to close the heart and stroke units at Westmorland General Hospital.
Paul Rowen is calling for the Government to act now over the anti-social use of fireworks. Paul was speaking after receiving a Ministerial Answer confirming that the Government have "…no plans to introduce further restrictions on over the counter sales."
Dundee Liberal Democrats have today (Tuesday 25th March) backed comments by the Party's Scottish Energy spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP in giving support to the Scottish Renewables campaign for Ministers to get started on a zero carbon economy.
