VILLAGE HALLS

I've just issued this to the local press:

Iain Dale, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for North Norfolk Conservatives, attacked the Liberal Democrats this weekend for threatening to withdraw grants for village halls next year.

At a meeting of Runton Conservatives held to discuss local issues Mr Dale pointed out that the Liberals are already considering withdrawing funding to help upgrade the very many village halls in the area.

“I urge every secretary of a village hall to ensure that they have applied to the Council by next Friday for their entitlement grant of up to a third of the cost of necessary improvements,” said Mr Dale. “What shocks me”, he continued, “is that the Liberals are already discussing withdrawing this help from villages. The whole of our area is a network of local communities and the village hall is so often the centre of social life. With new legislation being brought in to cater for the needs of the H.S.E., much needed access for the disabled, and, more often than not, roof repairs it seems more than a little spiteful to be making plans to cut these grants this early”.

Mr Dale urged Conservatives to highlight the ways in which the Liberals are trying to save pennies when they are wasting pounds in other areas.