New Constituency Office Address

Please note that as from tomorrow (1st October) Mark's constituency office will be moving to a new address. If you would like to write to Mark, please address your correspondence to;

Mark Reckless MP
Suite 6, 4A Castle View Mews
Castle Hill
Rochester
Kent ME1 1LA

We are expecting the new office to be fully up and running within the next two weeks, but we will be unable to take calls until further notice. If you have an urgent query in the meantime you can still contact the Westminster office on 020 7219 7135.

New Constituency Office Address

Mark Reckless MP Takes A Walk On The Wild Side

Mark Reckless MP took a walk on the wild side when he visited RSPB North Kent Marshes reserves on the Hoo Peninsula yesterday (Monday 27 September 2010).

He joined RSPB area manager Alan Johnson and Friends of North Kent Marshes to look at the work that has been carried out on the sites. This includes the creation of a car park at Cliffe Pools to improve access for visitors.

Mr Reckless said: “The RSPB reserves at Northward Hill and Cliffe Pools give Medway the most extraordinary range of birdlife and biodiversity and the RSPB’s work goes from strength to strength.

“Above all though, the reserves are a wonderful day out for people in Medway and beyond.”

Viewed from two elevated viewpoints, Mark was briefed on the wider significance of the North Kent Marshes.

Alan Johnson, RSPB area manager, said, “Cliffe Pools and Northward Hill form part of a network of RSPB reserves along both banks of the Thames Estuary. This is one of the UK’s most important areas for wildlife, including hundreds of thousands of waders and wildfowl which depend on the Thames Estuary as their winter feeding ground.”

As well as protecting these vital sites for wildlife, the RSPB is committed to opening up access across the Thames Estuary to allow people to enjoy the amazing wildlife on their own doorsteps.”

For further information and to arrange an interview, please contact:

Sophie McCallum, RSPB South East, t: 01273 763603

Visit the RSPB website – Click Here

Mark Reckless MP Takes A Walk On The Wild Side

MP Mark Reckless Wants Kingsnorth Plant Reassurance

From the BBC;

A Kent MP has asked the government for reassurance about the future of a controversial coal-fired power station.

Mark Reckless, the Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, was speaking in Parliament about the Kingsnorth plant.

The power station near Strood is one of the sites in the running to house a carbon and capture storage facility.

Mr Reckless asked the energy minister Gregory Barker if the government would give “proper and full consideration” to the proposals.

The site has been a high-profile target for environmental protests by groups that argue a new plant would increase carbon emissions and climate change.

The energy firm E.On announced last October it was putting on hold the plans, claiming electricity demand had fallen during the global recession.

Mr Barker said the government was committed to carbon and capture storage technology and Kingsnorth was one of the schemes under consideration.

Photo courtesy of David Bowen

MP Mark Reckless Wants Kingsnorth Plant Reassurance

Supporting National Cholesterol Week

HEART UK took its message on the importance of knowing your cholesterol to Westminster today. The nation’s leading cholesterol charity, organisers of the UK’s first National Cholesterol Week, set up cholesterol testing within the Palace of Westminster this afternoon. Local MP Mark Reckless not only attended this event, but also had his cholesterol tested.

“I am delighted to support HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Week. Heart disease is the biggest killer in the UK and if something as simple and as painless as a quick cholesterol test can make the difference between a long and healthy life or a shorter life expectancy, marred by illness, then I urge all my constituents to get their cholesterol tested as soon as possible,” said Mark Reckless after receiving his results. “All you have to do is make an appointment at your local GP’s surgery. A raised cholesterol reading is an excellent indicator of cardiovascular problems and so testing early is a good way of helping to keep your heart healthy.”

This Parliamentary Reception, sponsored by Welch’s Purple Grape Juice, was organised by HEART UK in conjunction with Chris Ruane MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heart Disease. Aldo Zilli, the celebrity chef, also attended this event in his role as Ambassador to HEART UK. The author of Zilli Light and the owner of several renowned restaurants in London, he has lost several members of his family to problems associated with high cholesterol and so is a keen supporter of the work of HEART UK.

“I am delighted to be here this afternoon supporting HEART UK’s National Cholesterol Week,” he told MPs. “I am determined to raise awareness of the problems of too much cholesterol. Many people don’t fully understand how important it is to keep cholesterol in check or how to do it. People need to look at what they are putting into their bodies. Remember you only have one body and one heart.”

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is found naturally in the body, but high levels of it can cause the arteries to narrow. Not only does this force the heart to work harder to pump the blood around the body but if arteries that feed the heart become completely blocked the heart can become starved of oxygen resulting in a heart attack. Cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood (mmol/L). According to guidelines laid out by the Joint British Societies, we should aim for a total cholesterol level under 5 mmol/l in order to keep our hearts healthy and an LDL cholesterol of less than 3mmol/l.

For further information on National Cholesterol Week, including an information pack supported by Shredded Wheat, please contact National Cholesterol Week Co-Ordinators Diana Butler or Rachael Gardiner on 01784 780093 or email Rachael at rachaelgardiner@echocoms.com.

Supporting National Cholesterol Week

Welcoming Keith Vaz MP To Medway

Policing successes in Medway and Kent were highlighted in the House of Commons on Monday following a cross-agency meeting arranged by Mark Reckless in Medway, and attended by Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC).

Following an invitation from Mark Reckless, MP for Rochester and Strood and fellow HASC member, to visit the constituency, Mr Vaz met with key figures in the local community including Ian Learmonth, the Chief Constable of Kent, Cllr Rodney Chambers, leader of Medway Council, and Neil Davies, CE of Medway Council, to discuss how innovative and effective programmes such the Safe Exit and Integrated Offender Management schemes have achieved real and tangible results in the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Safe Exit scheme was launched by the Kent Police in Medway in partnership with the Medway Drug and Alcohol Team, Medway Council and NHS Medway to tackle the negative impact that street prostitution has on local communities. To date the scheme has seen over 80% of women involved in the illegal sex trade in Medway sign up to receive advice and support, enabling them to take control of their lives and leave the trade safely.

The Integrated Offender Management scheme is run by staff from the Kent Police, Youth Offending services and other agencies to tackle the most problematic offenders within a specific area or community.

Both of these schemes were praised by Keith Vaz when he returned to Westminster for questions to the Home Secretary. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Vaz stated:


“This morning, at the invitation of the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Mark Reckless), I visited Medway and was shown two innovative, award-winning schemes pioneered by the police there to combat prostitution and to ensure effective offender management.”

Mark Reckless MP welcomed the visit, saying:

"I was really pleased to welcome Keith Vaz to the constituency in his role as Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. We had a really constructive meeting and debate on the role of policing here in Medway. In my role with the Kent Police Authority, and as a Medway Councillor, I have worked closely with the Police and other agencies to ensure we deliver the best possible service to the people of the Medway Towns.

I particularly welcome the Chairman’s recognition in the House of Commons for the innovative schemes we have developed here in Medway to tackle prostitution and reoffending. It has been shown that by working closely with local councils and other
agencies, the Police can tackle the root causes of problems within our communities. I hope that other forces will replicate this ground-breaking work which we have been doing in Medway and which Keith and I have promoted in Parliament this week."

Welcoming Keith Vaz MP To Medway