The second 'Pints in the Parishes' event is taking place tonight, at the Fox and Hounds in Riseley. These sessions are intended to provide an opportunity for me to hear directly from anyone who wants to discuss the issues important to them in an informal, local environment. They are also a chance for for me to show my support for local, community pubs. I will be at the Fox and Hounds from around 7.30pm.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg today launched a £1 Billion Regional Growth Fund to help areas and communities at risk of being particularly affected by public spending cuts. The fund, which will operate in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 will help areas most dependent on public sector employment as the country makes the transition to private sector-led growth and prosperity. Both private bodies and public-private partnerships will be able to bid for funding by demonstrating that their proposal will bring in private investment and support sustainable increases in private sector jobs and growth in their area.
South Lakeland MP Tim Farron has criticised the "unhelpful" timing of the decision by Defra Secretary, Caroline Spelman, to abolish the Commission for Rural Communities, with the announcement coming on the same day that the CRC formally reports back on its major inquiry into Britain's uplands.
Excellent company and food at The Gurkha Palace created a very enjoyable evening. For this particular event, the business world met with some students from the Folkestone School for Girls, so that the girls could call on the skills of the Rotary members in order to maximise charity fund raising attempts.
Nearly three hundred people have signed Troy Laver's petition calling for self locking alley gates in the Clarendon Park and Grasmere Street area's.
Park Ward Liberal Democrats have started to deliver a special post budget Focus with a major item on "Cleaning up Labour's Mess" by the Deputy Prime Minister.