VIEWPOINT FOR 21 MAY 2009
FROM DR RICHARD TAYLOR

 What an exciting and yet sad week! 

The Speaker on Tuesday made the shortest statement possible saying he would relinquish his post on 21 June to preserve the unity of the House and to allow for elections for his successor to be held on 22 June. 
Throughout my career here he has always been kind to me from the first few days when he asked to see me over a cup of tea to make sure I was not feeling lonely. He is a kind man who I feel may have been not always given or accepted the best advice.

Now thoughts turn to a successor who will work towards restoring the reputation of the House and strengthening it so that it can resume its role as effective scrutiniser and controller of governments of whatever party is in power.
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The Speaker gave a second statement on Tuesday evening about an immediate clamp down on members’ expenses which will remove the possibility of many of the abuses we have heard of during recent weeks.  These will be temporary measures until Sir Christopher Kelly’s report comes out later this year which I hope will put MPs on the same footing as everyone else who can claim expenses for fulfilling their duties.
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I attended Mayor Making in Bewdley last week and hope to be at the same ceremony in Kidderminster. These ceremonies are steeped in tradition and fit rewards for the offers of public service that all Mayors are expected to carry out.

I drew the raffle, generously organised by Carters Bed City , for the Millbrook Suite Appeal last Friday and was amazed to witness the handover of a cheque for £600 to the Hospital League of Friend’s representative. Many congratulations to the staff and customers of Bed City .
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Saturday saw the parade through Kidderminster of the Mercian Regiment and despite the rain there was a good crowd to welcome them and to think of those now serving in dangerous postings abroad. 

Saturday also saw the Garden Party at Coombe House to raise money for paths through their sensory garden so that residents in wheelchairs will appreciate at close range the sights and scents of the plants. 
The rain held off long enough to hear the Stourport Choral and Operatic Society’s open air concert and to visit the stalls and sample the cakes. Their appeal was given a flying start with a gift of £4,000 from St John’s Church funds.
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I have had many letters expressing disgust for the loss of the direct bus services to the hospitals in Redditch and Worcester from Kidderminster . 

As we all remember these services were promised to make the loss of so many services at our own hospital less unacceptable but now we are told the plan was only to provide these services for a limited period ...
and as they are not economic they have been stopped .. meaning changes of buses in Redditch and Worcester . 

The bus services will be reviewed in due course and if you would use through buses to these hospitals please write to 

Andy Baker 
Sustainable Transport Manager, 
Worcester County Council,
Spetchley Road ,
Worcester  
WR5 2NP  

so he can get an idea of the demand for this service, even if it is only for evening visiting times.

R.T.

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