http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats en-GB Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats 2008-07-03T23:44+01:00 United Kingdom http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000184/murphy_agrees_to_meet_with_local_mp_to_discuss_llandrinio_flooding_plans.html During today's Welsh Questions, Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, questioned the Secretary of State for Wales over the environmental impact of the proposals to flood a significant area of Llandrinio to divert water away from other areas. 2008-07-02T13:15+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000185/mick_reveals_machynlleth_tourist_information_centre.html Local Montgomeryshire AM, Mick Bates, is calling for action to be taken to increase awareness of Machynlleth Tourist Information Centre, amid concerns that its lack of prominence is having a negative impact on the tourism industry in the local area. 2008-07-01T12:01+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000186/local_am_makes_final_bid_to_save_welshpool_tax_office.html Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates makes a final bid to save Welshpool Tax Office, submitting his views on the proposals by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). These form part of the Government's drive to undertake a nationwide programme of reviews of its office network, which may lead to around 25,000 jobs being axed and over 200 Revenue and Customs offices being closed across the UK. 2008-07-01T11:58+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000183/wales_at_sharp_end_of_housing_market_collapse__pik.html As the Bank of England released figures showing that the number of mortgage approvals UK wide had fallen to its lowest level since it started publishing such figures in 1993, Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson and MP for Montgomeryshire, warned that Wales was at the sharp end of the rising numbers of household repossessions. 2008-06-30T16:11+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000182/local_mp_meets_with_rnib_representatives_to_get_some_digital_knowhow.html Ahead of the digital switchover in Wales that begins next year, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire Lembit Öpik met with representatives from the Royal National Institute of Blind People to learn more about solutions provided for and being developed for people with sight problems. Commenting on the meeting, he said: 2008-06-27T14:07+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000181/blue_sky_thinking_needed_for_severn_flooding_solutions__pik.html As the Independent Review into the Government's plans to cope with flooding is announced today, Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson and MP for Montgomeryshire, commented on strategy in his constituency to cope with flooding from the Severn: 2008-06-27T11:19+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000180/minister_is_one_hot_dog_says_mick_bates.html Mick Bates AM, Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson for Rural Affairs, has welcomed the Rural Affairs Minister's announcement to ban electric shock collars to train dogs following the consultation which closed in February 2008. 2008-06-25T14:31+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000179/newtown_bids_to_become_exemplar_for_sustainable_travel_under_assembly_government_sustainable_towns_initiative.html In the midst of National Bike Week 2008, Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates is taking action to put Newtown on the map as an exemplar of sustainable transport, by proposing the town as a demonstration town under the Assembly Government's 'Sustainable Towns Initiative', which aims to enhance opportunities for walking and cycling, improved public transport and better travel planning. 2008-06-19T10:08+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000178/give_wales_your_hearty_support__bates.html As the Kidney Wales Foundation continues their 'Donate Wales' campaign, Welsh Lib Dem Mick Bates AM expresses his strong support for the campaign which is aimed to tackle the shortage of organ donors in Wales. Mick recently underwent a hip operation and found himself lucky that his operation didn't require a transplant. However, the Montgomeryshire AM remains concerned with the fate of more than 450 people across Wales who are currently waiting in hope. 2008-06-13T15:04+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000177/mick_bates_am_calls_for_action_as_wales_named_carbon_monoxide_poisoning_hotspot_for_second_year_running.html In response to a report by CORGI, the UK's gas safety watchdog, which revealed that Wales is one of the worst places in the UK to be affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates said: 2008-06-12T14:21+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000176/tough_climate_bill_needed_to_protect_future_action__pik.html Speaking ahead of the Second Reading of the Climate Change Bill, Montgomeryshire's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Öpik has warned that the Bill needs to be tough to make sure that future governments can't escape their obligations. 2008-06-09T17:56+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000175/start_caring_for_carers__pik.html Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, is backing Carers' Week, that begins today, to show support for the thousands of local residents who care for dependent relatives and friends. 2008-06-09T15:40+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000174/welsh_ambulance_statistics_show_powys_bottom_bates.html Commenting after the release of Ambulance Target statistics for April, Welsh Lib Dem Mick Bates AM has warned that the service is still struggling to stay on target. 2008-06-05T11:07+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000173/a_conservative_government_would_likely_close_even_more_post_offices__pik.html In a dramatic development in today's Westminster debate on the closure of post offices across Mid Wales, Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, caused Cheryl Gillan MP, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, to confirm that the previous Conservative government presided over the closure of thousands of post offices when the network was making a PROFIT. 2008-06-04T17:53+01:00 http://www.montlibdems.org.uk/news/000172/no_county_for_young_men__pik.html A Joseph Rowntree Report released today shows that average rural housing in Wales costs 5 times that of the average rural income. The report recommends three times more properties are needed for rural Wales alone. 2008-06-04T11:21+01:00