National priorities 'ridiculous' for Cambridge - Howarth

12.00.00pm GMT Sun 11th Nov 2007

Cambridge MP, David Howarth, has condemned attempts by Government to set local government priorities for Cambridge.

Mr Howarth spoke on Friday at a conference in Cambridge organised by the National HMO Network to discuss houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs). During his keynote speech Mr Howarth discussed the Rogers Review which set regulatory and environmental health priorities for local authorities across the country. He commented:

"It is outrageous for central Government to try to set regulatory priorities for local government in Cambridge.

"The Review tells Cambridge it should concentrate more on regulation of factories than on HMOs yet Cambridge has 3717 HMOs and only one factory. It is ridiculous for central government to tell Cambridge that it should concentrate more effort on factories than HMOs.

David Howarth MP

"The Government's obsession with centralisation in all areas of policy is failing Cambridge and damaging our public services."