I BELIEVE that the Comprehensive Spending Review initiatives, announced last week by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, offer a defining moment and historic challenge to improve life in Lancaster and Wyre.

Over the next three years, the Comprehensive Spending Review will provide this country with £19 billion more for education, over £20 billion more for health, £1.7 billion more for public transport and £4.4 billion to regenerate run down areas and improve housing. This area has been starved of investment in many ways, and now I am calling upon the whole constituency to join me in the battle for funds.

We must make sure that we get our fair share of resources to cut class sizes in most of our primary schools, to build and re-construct the transport system that we need, to improve dilapidated school buildings, to invest in good health, to develop university research, to build affordable homes, to provide a good start for all children and to tackle the problems of deprived neighbourhoods, and to create jobs.

This is a genuine opportunity to get the funding we need to tackle the problems of which we are so painfully aware. I'll be campaigning in every way I possibly can to bring these resources here. I challenge both Lancaster and Wyre Councils and all concerned whatever their political beliefs, to put all their energies into securing the resources that we need at this crucial time.

Hilton Dawson MP,

House of Commons

Westminster

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