<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<channel>
<title>Mike Cartwright's Blog</title>
<description>The Blog of Harrowgate Hill Conservative Ward Councillor Gill Cartwright</description>
<link>http://mikecartwright.co.uk/</link>
<atom:link href="http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/rss.php" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<item>
<pubDate> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 </pubDate>
<author>gill@cartwright.me (Gill Cartwright)</author>
<link>http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=263</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=263</guid>
<title>Special Health and Well Being Scrutiny Committee</title>
<description><![CDATA[More than a million people will suffer from dementia within 20 years, Government forecasts show.
The number of patients diagnosed with diseases such as Alzheimer's will rise by 70 per cent to more than 1.2 million by 2028.
Experts warn that there will be almost twice as many sufferers living in nursing homes. However, psychiatrists and charities say that not enough is being spent on research, treatment and care. One professor said he was "ashamed" by the state of the services on offer.
Dementia robs victims of their identities as memory, speech and understanding are lost.
Drugs such as Aricept, which slow the appearance of the symptoms of Alzheimer's, are restricted by the NHS because they cost £2.50 a day, despite being widely available in other countries.
A report by the Department of Health's Horizon Scanning Unit, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, sets out the timebomb facing Britain.
The number of people aged over 85 will have doubled by 2028, the research says. One in four will develop dementia. The number between 65 and 74 will also increase by 40 per cent and those aged 75 to 84 will rise by 50 per cent. The Alzheimer's Society charity said that the document's findings would mean an extra 500,000 people living with dementia. There are 700,000 at present. The cost of long-term care for dementia patients will more than triple to £17 billion.
Prof David Wilkinson, a psychiatric consultant, described the figures as "staggering". He called for urgent action to increase funding and research for Alzheimer's, the most common cause of dementia.
At present, £11 is spent on research into dementia for every sufferer in this country, compared with £289 for every cancer victim.

Mike and are members of the Alzheimers Society and dedicate some of time working with the campaign team to raise Dementia awareness.
Last year, I approached the chair of our Scrutiny committee so ask that Dementia was added to our work list to look at as a committee to see what we could do ]]></description>
<comments>http://gillcartwright.co.uk/comment.php?ID=263</comments>
</item>
<item>
<pubDate> Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 </pubDate>
<author>gill@cartwright.me (Gill Cartwright)</author>
<link>http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=262</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=262</guid>
<title>Labour want you to vote Conservative!</title>
<description><![CDATA[It was with great amusement that we read the latest offering from Labour Parliamentary candidate Jenny Chapman, which was pushed through our door on Sunday.
The latest, greatest marketing technique from Labour HQ is use the Conservative corporate colours, yes, Conservative blue and green, exact match. There is a BLUE picture of the brick train with the green grass below.
First glance is screams Conservative.
After, a chuckle or two, Mike and I thought it was just us that would pick up this, being staunch Conservatives. However, we realised we were not alone when we picked up some rather funny anwerphone messages from others who had also received the leaflet.
Perhaps, Labour is sending a subliminal message to voters to vote Conservative, it may work, as anyone who works in marketing will tell the importance of corporate identity. Clearly, Labour is having an identity crisis.
For future reference, Jenny, Labour colours are red!
]]></description>
<comments>http://gillcartwright.co.uk/comment.php?ID=262</comments>
</item>
<item>
<pubDate> Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 </pubDate>
<author>gill@cartwright.me (Gill Cartwright)</author>
<link>http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=261</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=261</guid>
<title>A Storm in a Tea Cup!</title>
<description><![CDATA[POLICE are examining a complaint that a parliamentary candidate was featured on council literature.
Durham Police received the complaint after business-style cards with a photograph of Darlington’s Labour parliamentary candidate Jenny Chapman were handed out at a teacher training day earlier this month.
Police have confirmed they are considering the complaint and the council may also carry out an investigation.

But Ms Chapman, a borough councillor, dismissed the row as a “storm in a tea cup” and insisted that the cards were produced to illustrate success stories from Darlington’s schools.
“Even complaints which are politically motivated should be investigated,” she said.
“It is doubtful whether 100 cards will influence anyone’s vote.”

She is right that 100 cards will not influence anyone’s vote but that is not the point, the point is the rules have been broken, she is dismissing the incident because “only” 100 cards were produced, would 1000 or 10,000 card have made it more serious, of course not, the rules were broken irrespective of the number of cards produced.

It is like saying, well I only stole 1 Mars bar but there are 99 left so it doesn’t matter.
Or driving 3 miles over the speed limit and then complaining when you get a ticket because 3 miles doesn’t make a difference.

Laws, rules and regulations underpin our maintenance of a law abiding society but clearly Jenny Chapman has little regard for the rules as she refers to the situation as a “storm in a teacup”, demonstrating that she is not taking the matter seriously.

For those who want to listen she is giving a clear message there that she has little regard for the rules, are these qualities that we want to see in an MP for Darlington, I think not!
]]></description>
<comments>http://gillcartwright.co.uk/comment.php?ID=261</comments>
</item>
<item>
<pubDate> Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000 </pubDate>
<author>gill@cartwright.me (Gill Cartwright)</author>
<link>http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=260</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=260</guid>
<title>Dog Fouling</title>
<description><![CDATA[As a result of numerous complaints about dog fouling in the ward, there has been a 10 day "blizt" of the ward. This has involved early and late patrols in the area continously for 10 days which has resulted in 2 fines being issued in Glebe Road.
Two officers operating each shift were plainly visible and their presence noted by dog walkers and hopefully this will be spread by word of mouth leading to some improvement. Officers will continue to maintain patrols to combat this problem.
There has been a delivery of 1000 dog bags which will be handed out wherever possible.

We have received numerous reports about dog fouling in Glebe Road. The area has been cleaned twice now at our request and Streetscene have increased sweeping of the area accordingly. We have also asked for lamp post stickers to be applied as this is clearly a "hot spot".
There is a bin on site which has been knocked down by a vehicle and appropriate remidial action is being organised by the Streetscene team.

Through the Dog Control Order consultation that has been ongoing since May 2009 it has been proposed that the fixed penalty notice should be increased to £75 and a dog fouling order applied Borough wide. It is anticipated that this order will be implemented this month.

If you have information about persistent dog fouling, please contact the Enforcement Team on 01325 388777 or email customerservices@darlington.gov.uk

If know of an area that you think would benefit from the installation of a litter bin or a dog waste bin, then please contact us on 01325 382276.
]]></description>
<comments>http://gillcartwright.co.uk/comment.php?ID=260</comments>
</item>
<item>
<pubDate> Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000 </pubDate>
<author>gill@cartwright.me (Gill Cartwright)</author>
<link>http://www.harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=259</link>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://harrowgatehillfuture.co.uk/gill/article.php?id=259</guid>
<title>Jenny Missing from the Block</title>
<description><![CDATA[Labours Parliamentary candidate Jenny Chapman was conspious by her absence from Council tonight, shame, as she was the guest of honour. She wasn’t there to see her colleague rob frontline council employees of wages they are entitled too, all of this to help get her elected!

A few observations.

Councillor Williams looked nervous and uncharacteristically read from a script, question is did he write it or was it written for him and why has he started to read from notes?
As leader of the Council it is shameful that he is unaware that Parish Councils are non-political and referred to the Lib Dem and the Conservative Parish Councils. Parish Councils are politically unrelated to the wards they are situated in and Parish Councillors stand at elections as independents, a tradition that respects the non-political ethos of a group of people that come together for the greater good of the community in which they live, obviously an aspect of community life that Councillor Williams is unfamiliar with.

Councillor Nick Wallis launched into a manic speech about Conservative councils and their council tax rates, totally unrelated to setting the Darlington council tax and as a result was told to sit down. Again, an uncharacteristic almost manic rant from someone who usually keeps his cool but desperate times call for desperate measures and they must be getting desperate. Talk about "going off on one".

Clearly, the Labour lot were not happy that we abstained from the vote but agreed to zero council tax rise. This was demonstrated by Councillor Dot Long’s outburst when I gave my named vote by calling me a “coward” and followed this up afterwards by telling me that she had actually meant the name calling for the entire Conservative group!
Then, going on to say she would stand by that, well maybe may have to in front of the Standards Committee.

They don’t get that we agree with zero council tax rise as we have suggested other years but don’t agree with how they have achiev]]></description>
<comments>http://gillcartwright.co.uk/comment.php?ID=259</comments>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>