Ampthill - Local Government

No Election - Only 10 people stood for the 12 Vacancies. The Following are elected by default:

Your Town Councillors are: Penny Foster; Margaret Wright; Mark Smith; Gary Summerfield; Margaret Wilson; Hector Chappell; Peter Eversley; Richard Holden; Piers Adams; Roy Tebbutt; Sally Bacon; Paul Duckett.

This new forum came into effect on 29th January 2004 and its terms of reference include the following: -

The voting membership of the forum will comprise 2 representatives from the Town Council, local District and County Councillors, a representative from Ampthill Business Initiative and from the local voluntary sector. In addition further members will be co-opted on to the forum.

Ampthill Town Plan - Find out more about this document, by clicking here, as it will set out a vision for the town's future as it needs your input.

The way you contact Mid Beds District Council has been transformed. There are four easy ways to contact Mid Beds – by phone, on the web, in writing and in person. A single contact number has been set up for enquiries - 08452 304040 – and 95% of calls will be answered within three rings. Calls from this number will be answered by the customer services team. They will also answer e-mail enquiries via customer.services@midbeds.gov.uk and deal with face-to-face enquiries at the new “one-stop” Citizone Points of Presence (PoPs).

Mid Beds District Council’s website is now the 11th most accessible in the country (out of 430) and is receiving over 45,000 visits a month and took over Ł1million through online payments in the last year. To get Mid Beds’ services and information 24 hours, 7 days a week click on www.midbeds.gov.uk.

Will the new offices of Mid Beds District Council at Chicksands be an enormous and expensive 'White Elephant', with the upcoming review of local government that may mean this tier disappears! Only Time will tell!

Highways Helpdesk (for Pothole, Streetlight reporting etc): Tel: 01234 228661; Fax: 01234 408010; Email: highways@bedscc.gov.uk; Mail: Highways Helpdesk, Beds County Council, County Hall, Cauldwell Street, Bedford.

Your M.P is: Nadine Dorries (Conservative) - E-mail: dorriesn@parliament.uk, Write Nadine Dorries, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Telephone: 020 7219 4239. Fax: 020 7219 6428). Website: www.dorries.org.uk

To find out details about my regular help and advice surgeries in the constituency, contact the Mid-Bedfordshire Conservative Association Offices in Shefford: Mid-Bedfordshire Conservative Association, St Michael's Close, High Street, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5DD. Tel: 01462 811992. Fax: 01462 850192

You can also contact Peter Hand (Parliamentary Researcher to Nadine Dorries MP). Tel: 020 7219 5928. Email: Handp@parliament.uk. He can arrange to send Nadine's e-bulletin to your inbox!!!

Have your say about your local politicians at the Ampthill Today Online Forum, where you can make your feelings felt about your MP, your County Councillor, your District Councillors, your Mayor & your Town Council.

A new partnership came into being on 6th June 2002, with the creation of Mid Beds Local Strategic Partnership (Mid Beds LSP).This partnership aims to bring all existing plans for local services together and to get as much agreement as possible to create a plan for the District, known as either a Community Strategy or Community Plan. The LSP includes people representing Public Services (Mid Beds District Council, Beds County Council & Heartlands Primary Care Trust etc), Local Businesses and Voluntary/Community Groups (Mid Beds Council for Voluntary Service, Beds Rural Communities Charities etc). The LSP will do two things - plan existing services better and set out a vision for the future.

Since the June 2004 elections, the European Parliament has 732 Members elected in the twenty-five member states of the EU for a five-year term. There are 78 MEPs for the UK. MEPs do not sit in national delegations in the Parliament, but in multinational political groups. The Eastern Region of England (in which Ampthill falls) is represented by 8 MEPs and their contact details are as follows: -

Mr Robert Sturdy (Conservative) - European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED)
153 St Neots Road, Hardwick, Cambridge, CB3 7QJ
Tel: 01954 211 790; Fax: 01954 211 786; www.easternregionconservativemeps.co.uk; Email: esturdy@europael.eu.int

Mr Geoffrey Van Orden (Conservative) - European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED)
Conservative Office, 88 Rectory Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1RF
Tel: 01245 345 188; Tel: 00322 284 5332; Fax: 00322 284 9332; www.easternregionconservativemeps.co.uk; Email: gvanorden@europarl.eu.int

It may interest you to know that there are opportunities for internships within the European Parliament. That is if you are no more than 31/32 years of age. There are 3 types of work you can apply for: -

The Commission comprises 20 members (2 from the U.K. - Neil Kinnock & Chris Patten - & 2 from France, Italy, Germany, Spain & 1 from the other member states). Each Commissioner serves a term of 5 Years. They Propose legislation to the Council and the Parliament and are at the centre of the policy making process. Furthermore, they liaise closely with the council in bringing about greater integration.

The Council of the European Union, is more commonly known as the Council of Ministers, and thus each of the 15 member state ministers for Foreign Affairs, Finance, Agriculture, Environment & Industry meet regularly. They discuss and set political objectives, coordinate their national policies and resolve differences between themselves and other institutions. The Presidency of the E.U. rotates every 6 months. France, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Denmark & Greece will hold the position over the next few years

11 Member States have adopted the Euro as their currency, they are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain & the Netherlands. By 2002 the actual Euro coins and notes will come into circulation in the countries. The U.K. has still to decide if it wishes to join.

More information can be obtained from the Euro Preparations Unit, HM Treasury, Parliament Street, London, SW1P 3AG.

The Council of Europe is a totally separate organization from the European Union. It comprises 41 member states, including the U.K. and its headquarters are located in Strasbourg, France. It has become the forum for voicing the concerns, hopes and aspirations of almost 800 Million people, stretching from the Atlantic to the far east of Russia. Since 1949, the Council's primary goal has been to promote the unity of the continent and guarantee the dignity of the citizens of Europe by ensuring respect for our fundamental values: democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

This is probably the best known body of the Council of Europe. Anyone who believes that his or her rights have been breached under the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights may lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, provided no other legal remedies are available in national courts. The Court is based in Strasbourg, France and comprises 41 Judges - one for each member state. The Court sits permanently and deals with all stages of procedure, from admissibility to final judgment. Applicants now have direct access to the court.

Details	Website
News from No. 10 Downing Street	www.pm.gov.uk
Blood Transfusion Service	www.bloodnet.nbs.nhs.uk
British Trade International	www.tradepartners.gov.uk
Budget online	www.official-document.co.uk
Cabinet Office	www.cabinet-office.gov.uk
Child Care (details of nearest child care centre)	www.childcarelink.gov.uk
Companies House	www.companieshouse.gov.uk
Court Service	www.courtservice.gov.uk
Crime Reduction	www.crimereduction.gov.uk
Department of Culture, Media & Sport	www.culture.gov.uk
Department of Education & Employment	www.dfee.gov.uk
Department of Education & Employment - information for parents	www.parents.gov.uk
Department of the Environment	www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Department of the Environment, Transport & the Regions	www.detr.gov.uk
Department of Social Security (you can apply online for a pension forecast)	www.dss.gov.uk
Direct Access Government (regulations for small business)	www.dag-business.gov.uk
D.V.L.A.	www.dvla.gov.uk
Employment Service	www.employmentservice.gov.uk
Foreign & Commonwealth Office	www.fco.gov.uk
Government Initiative to get the UK online	www.ukonline.gov.uk
Highways Agency	www.highways.gov.uk
H.M. Customs & Excise	www.hmce.gov.uk
H M Land Registry	www.landreg.gov.uk
H.M. Treasury	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
Home Office	www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Honours Nominations (yes you can nominate anyone!)	www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/ceremonial
House of Lords Appointments Commission (yes you can be appointed!)	www.houseoflordsappointmentscommission.gov.uk
Inland Revenue	www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk
Information for local authorities from across Whitehall	www.info4local.gov.uk
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food	www.maff.gov.uk
Ministry of Defence	www.mod.uk
National Grid for Learning	www.ngfl.gov.uk
N.H.S. Direct	www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Office of Fair Trading	www.oft.gov.uk
Passport Application	www.ukpa.gov.uk
Pension Guide	www.pensionguide.gov.uk
Public Records Office	www.pro.gov.uk
1901 Census Site	www.census.pro.gov.uk
Statistic's Office (census information)	www.statistics.gov.uk
Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights (TIGER)	www.tiger.gov.uk
Trading Standards	www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
Travel Advice Notices	www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Valuation Office	www.voa.gov.uk
Other useful non-governmental websites
Fax Your M.P. (via this useful website)	www.FaxYourMp.com
Hansard	www.hansard-society.org.uk
Postal Votes	www.postalvotes.co.uk
Rolling Registration to Vote	www.rollingregistration.co.uk
Other Political Issue websites
Time for Citizenship (School Resource)	www.timeforcitizenship.com
The Citizenship Foundation	www.citfou.org.uk
Campaign to Ban Fox Hunting	http://banhunting.rspca.org.uk
Countryside Alliance	www.countryside-alliance.org
Votes at 16 (campaign to lower the age at which you can vote!)	www.votesat16.org.uk
Youth Parliament	www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

If you want to make a positive contribution to your local community & you don't know how, why not visit the Citizens Connection Website, as this can give you step by step guides on everything from writing to politicians & newspapers to setting up a neighbourhood watch scheme. Why not become involved in your local community!

Also if you wish to campaign against incompetence and apathy that pervades Private & Public Organisation, why not visit the 'Lets Fix Britain' Website, developed by Chris Wesley from Bedford.

If you want to become a Politically independent Councillor, you can find advice on the Politically Independent Candidate Website.

Also if you feel strongly about an issue why not start an Online Petition, by visiting Petition Online!

Ampthill Town Council	Ampthill Community Liaison Forum	Mid-Beds Council	Jonathan Sayeed M.P
Mid Beds Local Strategic Partnership		Beds County Council		UK Political Parties
European Union	European Parliament	European Commission	Council of the European Union		Euro
Council of Europe	European Court of Human Rights	International Governments	United Nations		Others
How to Get involved in Shaping Your Future?

Ampthill - Local Government

Your Guide to Local, National & International Democracy