Valley Residents Data Lost Again!!

PRESS RELEASE

Valley Residents Data Lost Again!!

Jake Berry, 29 Parliamentary Candidate for Rossendale and Darwen has written to the new Work and Pensions minister to demand an explanation as to how personal details of hundreds of Valley residents were found on Burnley Road East in Water.

Jake Berry commented

"Peter Hain may only have just left the Dept of Work and Pensions but his replacement James Purnell must be held to account over this serious breach of security. To find details of resident’s National Insurance Numbers and how much they earn lying on Burnley Road East is simply not acceptable. I have written to the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to demand an explanation. "

“This comes only a few weeks after 21,790 Valley family’s details were lost in the post. Families across Rossendale and Darwen are rightly concerned about their personal security; not least their bank details potentially getting into the hands of criminals and fraudsters.. I would advise all potential victims of these scandals to monitor their bank accounts closely and to immediately alert their bank to any unexpected transactions.

“This latest fiasco proves, yet again, that the Government has no ability to run their proposed national ID card database.”

William Hague and William Roache Come to Rossendale

Last Thursday we held a fundraising dinner in Whitworth Civic Hall hosted by Sir David Trippier and attended by William Hague and William Roache.

I would like to thank the staff at Whitworth Civic Hall for all their hard work on the night. Additionally, I would also like to thank the Whitworth Brass Band for providing the music. The evening was a fantastic success.

New Year

It was our first full day back in the office today.

4 Mount Terrace was a hive of activity, for those of you who don’t know the Association Office, in Rawtenstall, has been re-furbished over Christmas. It was a real pleasure to spend the day there working on our plans for the New Year.

I had been planning to go to Kenya today with my brother-in-law who was brought up in Nairobi. Over the last few months, we have been working together collecting spectacles for an eye clinic near Mombasa. During the past week we have both been shocked and saddened to note the deteriorating security situation in the country. On Friday we were told that our trip would have to be cancelled as the Foreign Office had advised against all but essential travel. As you can imagine this is particularity worrying for Vincent as his whole family are living in Nairobi.

We have spoken to the eye clinic who has told us that the need for used spectacles is now greater than ever. We are monitoring the situation closely to see when it will be possible to send our parcel over.

Birthday Berry

Charlotte and I have been away for the night for my 29th Birthday (I have up-dated my profile accordingly). We went for a walk at Whitwell in the Trough of Bowland and had dinner Mitton Hall on my Birthday, we had a fantastic day out.

I have had a fantastic year but one of great change. The year started well when I was adopted as the Parliamentary Candidate for Rossendale and Darwen. I was disappointed that we did not have an election this year and anyone who saw my today has been cancelled post will know why!!

The past few months have been very positive for both me and the Conservative Party as a whole locally and nationally. Over the last year we have taken control of Blackburn with Darwen Council and in May retained control of Rossendale Borough Council. This now means that at a local government level the Conservatives are in power right across the Constituency.

We also now have a Constituency Agent for the first time in many years. Paul has been a fantastic support in both our local and national campaigns and has been working with our candidates for the elections in May 2008 to ensure that we keep on winning seats from Labour.

I have been visiting schools hospitals and businesses across Rossendale and Darwen throughout the year. Everywhere I have gone I have received a fantastic reception and I hope and believe that the national mood for a change of government is alive and well on my patch.

The highlight of my year has to be the visit of David Cameron to Darwen in August. We have been visited by Francis Maude (Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster), Peter Ainsworth (Shadow Secretary for DEFRA) and Eric Pickles (Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) all of whom were impressed by the commitment and work of the local party.

On a personal note Charlotte and I have moved to Helmshore where we have been made to feel very welcome. We have become members of the congregation at St. Thomas (Musbury) Church and hope to find a house to buy in Rossendale in the New Year. We have also made and met some great friend over the past 12 months and we hope that these friendships will continue for months and years to come.