Eric Joyce

Labour Party | Falkirk

Falkirk West MP takes local concerns to prime minister

Falkirk West MP, Eric Joyce recently took issues of concern to local people and the local communities in Falkirk West right to the top when he met last week with Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

In particular, the local MP raised anti-social behaviour and issues related to community and town development as matters concerning his local constituents although employment, pensioners, social security benefits and drug crime also formed part of their hour-long discussion.

Continuing with his campaign to allow the courts to introduce a ban on ‘boy racers' convicted of speeding and other associated motoring offences from certain designated areas, Eric pressed the Prime Minister on this issue, and also raised the matter of ‘curfews' emphasising their potential benefit to communities such as Larbert, Stenhousemuir, Banknock and Tamfourhill in their attempts to combat anti-social behaviour.

Speaking today, Eric Joyce MP said

‘The Prime Minister was very keen to discuss the issues which are of local concern to my constituents and whilst we examined many of these, I felt it was an appropriate time to highlight the many aspects and incidences of anti-social behaviour which blight communities and life in Falkirk West.

Our quality of life is not only influenced by our education, our health service and our economic well-being but also by the environment in which we live, work and raise our families.

Only last week the Falkirk Herald highlighted a story about the problems of anti-social behaviour in Larbert / Stenhousemuir town centre and the involvement of the local business community and local people in efforts to regenerate this area. While it will be a major challenge to attract sufficient and varied additional retail business to the area to make it a realistic shopping alternative to some of the bigger towns locally, it is highly commendable that local people and the local business community are taking such an active interest in helping to regenerate our town centres and communities and in turn assisting in making our surroundings a better place to live.

The Prime Minister was pleased to hear about the actions of local people and local groups in such initiatives and is clear that whilst Government can do many things to help fund, facilitate and encourage regeneration, it will not happen without the support and active involvement of local people and local groups.'

Eric Joyce MP

Serving the communities of Falkirk West