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I was pleased to meet with South Norfolk pig farmers recently at the “Pigs are Worth It!” rally near 10 Downing Street.
BRINGING HOME THE BACON: Richard Bacon
MP (second from right) at the
“Pigs are Worth It!” rally with South Norfolk farmers Peter Buck (far left)
and mon Lambert (far right) and Winnie the Pig and BPEX Chairman
Stewart Houston (centre).
Pig farmers are having a very hard time at present. Feed prices have doubled over the past year and farmers stand to lose over £20 on every pig raised despite a rise in prices of fresh pork, bacon and other pork products on the high street.
I’ve tabled a Commons Motion
calling on the government to ensure that retail price increases flow
down the supply chain to Britain’s pig farmers. I’ve also written to
supermarkets and food processors asking them to source British pig
meat.
You can do your bit too. Buy only British pork. Look for the
Quality Meat Standard so you know the pork you buy is top quality
and reared to much higher standards than foreign imports.
Post Offices
Local post
offices are at the hub of many of our villages. Even though the
government has done its level best to reduce the viability of post
offices by withdrawing TV licence payments, phasing out the post office
card account, and switching the payment of pensions and benefits
directly into bank accounts, rural post offices still provide a vital
link for many residents.
I accept
that some people may prefer the new methods and are happy to access
services on-line but these are often not options for the elderly or for
those on benefits.
I have
recently met with local sub postmasters and postmistresses and also with
Norfolk Rural Community Council to see if ways can be found to keep post
offices open. I have also signed the Commons Motion condemning post
office closures and the derisory six week consultation period.
Hartismere Hospital I know
many of you share my concerns that NHS bodies do not always pay enough
attention to local healthcare needs. Recently I met with members of a
local group who are seeking to change this by securing the future of
Hartismere Hospital in Eye.
Hartismere
Health and Care is a charitable company set up by local people to
support the development of a ‘health village’ on the hospital’s
five-acre site. Proposals include a community hospital with beds,
diagnostic facilities, maternity, mental health services and
complementary therapies, a care home and sheltered housing. If the
project succeeds, it would benefit a wide population across North
Suffolk and South Norfolk.
I was
pleased to hear that the Norfolk and Norwich, Ipswich and West Suffolk
hospitals support these proposals and I hope other NHS bodies will
follow.
Local people deserve better healthcare facilities.
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