Hereford Times - 7th January 2016 - Page 30
Hereford Times - 7th January 2016 - Page 30
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| Date | 07/01/2016 |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Format | |
| Language | English |
| Area | Hereford Times |
| Collection Holder | |
| Date of Publication | 7th January 2016 |
| Transcription |
30 THE HEREFORD TIMES Thursday, January 7, 2016 herefordtimescom readers'times BILL WIGGIN MP ion Norm Hrnrroxovunl have had a happy and peace- ful Christmas and New Year. Vast parts of the country have endured a difficult festive season as flooding struck in Scotland, Cumbria, Manchester and Yorkshire. Thankfully Herefordshire was unaffected, although we have not been so lucky in the recent past. I am grateful to the Environment Agency with whom l meet regu- larly to ensure our own flood defences are both maintained, properly funded and checked, The system of flood preven~ tion is ages old but depends on everything working. Groups like the Bodenham Flood Prevention Group do sterling work in ensuring that no part is neglected. This Friday the Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will be visiting North Herefordshire on my invitation. During her visit we will be looking at some of the vital work done to improve Heretordshire’s flood defences. It has now been several weeks since Parliament voted for airstrikes in Syria against Daesh, and I am delighted that we still haven't heard reports of civilian casualties from UK action, The prospect of civilian casual— ties was a grave concern for me before the vote but that has not come to pass. Our outstanding personnel in the RAF have been doing a dif- ficult job brilliantly and deserve our thanks. For more information about UK activity in iraq and Syria please see the below link: www.gov.uk/gevernme nt/ news/ update-air-strikes—in-iraq Before Christmas I questioned the Government in the House of Commons the damage TB is continuing to cause to farmers. l have also been asking a number of written questions re— cently about the Basic Payment Scheme after 1 raised concerns in March this year about the new ‘IT system that was brought in. Ensuring Christmas cards and presents are delivered on time is so important and is a concern for at! every December. ' With that in mind I visited Leominster delivery office before Christmas to pass on my best Metres tn the When and women who would be wedding so hard to ensure our gifts are delivered on time. I hope all of my constituents CONTACT YOUR MP I Email: WIWnWafliamemuk I Telephone: 920 32198976 I Write: House 01 Siemens, harem/5min 0M. Fracking not the logical . way forward YOUR article, (Fracking licen cesjbr county, Hereford T imes, December 24) was wrong in stating that: ‘a high pressure water mix- ture is directed at the rock to release the gas“. This is not a water mixture but a toxic chemical cock- tail which uses water as its carrier. Water always finds its own level over time - so to pot- son it in order to extract a fossil fuel in a country increasingly prone to flood- ing, feels like lunacy This month the UK govern- ment, (that‘s you guys Mr Norman and Mr Wiggin) signed an agreement in Paris to limit warming and end our fossil-fuel addic- tlon. Be under no illusion, frack- ing is a last gasp attempt for capitalists and their cronies to make money out of fossil fuels. ordinary people w ill not benefit from fracking. Mr Norman and Mr Wiggins constituents would be better served if their MP3 properly supported the renewable energy economy which could boom in Herefordshire, offering jobs and opportunities for our money to stay in the county. This is sustainable eco- nomic development. not a methane-belching. water- polsonlng option which makes a handful of rich people richer, while indus- trialising our tourism offer and driving ordinary people to civil disobedience. Toni Fagan Mayfield, Llanwarne l Editors note: Our short- hand definition.‘a water mixture’, is standard in general reporting, though we accept the mixture itself is water, sand and chemicals. Cheap might not be ethical IT‘S EASY to criticise the cost of school uniform, (Exploiting the hard-up, readers’ times, December 24) after all we all want things cheaper don’t we? And the supermarkets certainly churn out cheap polo shirts and trousers. But the one thing none of us want to think about is the real costs of cheap goods. If a garment is being sold in the UK for Ext-£5 the ques- tions we need to ask are how on earth can the manu- facturers be looking after their employees, and how can the wages be fair? After all I suspect none of us want clothes so cheap that the people making them are unable to afford to actually send their kids to school at all. Surely much better to pay people fairly than for us rip them off and make our- selves feel better with a text donation to this or that charity appeal? We teamed up with Whitecross School and set the ball in motion back in 2009 as they were the first school in the UK to have Fair Trade school uniform and now we are working with many local schools to change all this — in fact now ALL our uniform is ethical- ly sourced. We are proud to say we have been recognised for this, and here's what the judges said when they awarded UK winner in the School wear category in the Independent Retail Awards: “The School Uniform Shop Hereford is a forward-think— ing. socially engaged, ethi- cal business that is leading the way in sustainable and ethical sourcing policy for school uniform.” We look forward to the day where all uniform is ethi- cally sourced, as in our View the alternative real costs for the world are far too high to contemplate for business, individuals, or schools Luke Conod School Uniform Shop, Hereford Hospital stay can cost you WITH regard to the high parking fees at Hereford‘s County Hospital — I can add some more charges to them. Inpatients are charged £10 A DAY to use bedside TV, radio and phone console. There is no Wifi connec- tion at the hospital for patients to use a personal iPad etc. Outpatients with mobility problems needing to use a hospital wheelchair have to use a pound cointo release one from their park in hos- pital reception and return it there if they want to retrieve their pound . The car parks are all an uphill push to the building. Why can’t the hospital copy supermarkets trolley system and have them avail- able undercover in the car- parks? Watching Channel 4 racing last Saturday I noticed Sodexho — a hospital con- tractor, Was sponsoring a race at Ascot, for £3,000! Ann Stoakes St Athan , Ballingham Pet blessings MY mother while clearing + THE government has expressed the view that the curriculum of most students should include GCSEs in English, Mathematics, Science, a Modern Language and History or Geography - the socalled English Baccalaureate. This policy has been met with considerable opposi- tion from some in educa— tion who feel it is too pre- scriptive and will require students to study subjects which are not relevant to them or to which‘they are not suited. In addition, there are many, including myself, who feel other subjects such as Music or Drama are being downgraded by not being included. As ever, curriculum propos- als, most recently this from Michael Gove, gener- ate argument. Whilst frequently disa- greeing with educational policy made by successive governments, the motive behind this proposal is, however, laudable in that it seeks to ensure all stu- dents, whatever their background, have a knowl- edge and understanding of some aspects of science and the humanities with- out which an understand- ing of the world which they inhabit and an aes- thetic appreciation is denied them. I certainly support the ‘end’ if not the ‘means’. There is a body of great literature, art or music which all students should be entitled to have revealed to them and also, it could be argued, an access to and understand- ing of the classical world and Christianity which have inspired some of the great achievements of western civilisation. This is not to suggest that students should not study other cultures or that mod- ern culture is unworthy or to be less valued. The American TV series ‘Breaking Bad’ is arguably the modern equivalent of Oedipus Rex or Moby Dick. The widening gap in edu- cational achievement between social classes, however, and the growing exclusivity of certain aspects of our culture is denying career opportuni- ties and life-enriching experiences to many young people and any attempt to reduce this is to perhaps to be welcomed. up came across a calen- der from 1954. It is an Esso calender from the garage of Mr Les Holland. whose garage was next door to her childhood home in Meerbrook, Cheshire, showing regional events from around the country, including the month of October, a national ‘pet animal’ service at Holy Trinity Church, Whitecross, Hereford. Would anyone know what happened to this tradition? DAVID WINTERTON Acton Beauchamp Worcester Right: An illustration from a calender sent in by David Winterton — he wonders what happened to the pet service at Holy Trinity Church in NET ANN/.4 l. SERVICE. Ila!) TrIn/Iy, ”(fr/mil, 3n] 0mm" Whitecross ,... . AS 2016 kicks off it is Some would claim that the opportune to speculate on doping allegations which sporting expectations and TALK] "6 initially beleaguered aspirations going forward. POINT cycling and are now tar- Four years ago excitement nlshlng track and field ath- gripped Great Britain Wlth 3mm; warn: letics are only the tip of the the Olympic and iceberg as regards use of Paralympic Games only ”°"- “we?” performance-enhancing months away and that ' H°'°f°'“3""° SP0" drugs in many other sports. fexclitemlent was fully jtuatl- . AThe Worrld Anti-Dopiglg 1e wit unprece en e . . gency as a unenvla e - host achievement and the “.1913?er Ella” fall' and perhaps unachieveable resounding national sup- 11188.1“ e t t or . “P by — task in trying to identify port. 0°ng g1} 1311.1“ the forth- and eradicate doping in Maintaining the standards coma‘flg) 1x t? 1°”? and as sport, but let us hope the reached in London will usu tine IE El“ “(3111 he cheats are exposed to a doubtless be a Herculean fl’l‘p‘fl‘éighgts ngtgn f to reach greater degree in 2016. task and whilst sports E :1, o e an Cl}? 9 . 00th?” Anyone involved or inter- which excelled in 2012 such Wherr’l did Enaiilaplgrllghlps. ested in sport will welcome as cycling, rowing and win a ma' or fogo tbn all St the Government’s recently equestrian will face huge nament" JWas it afltour- published document competition, GB sports ears a '09 re y 50 ‘Sporting Future:A new such as swimming will be yThe Eggland or" k Stretegy for an Active out to rave they have has ened 2016 1% 9t team Nation’. The proposals movedp to elite levels In the im rgs S siv e fonts; 0‘”an merit attention across sport intervening years. _ thepworld’s numb eagamst at all levels and if executed England’s rugby unlon rated nation _ S thone‘ could be very beneficial to team will be hOping to erase 0“ Afr 103‘ our sporting nation. |
| Newspaper name | Hereford Times |