IT IS shocking that one in seven homes visited by Gas Safe engineers in the South East are found to have a gas appliance that could be dangerous. Gas appliances can cause carbon monoxide poisoning which is a silent killer.

This week is Gas Safety Week, an annual event held by the Basingstoke based Gas Safety Register to encourage people to ensure they have gas appliances such as cookers, central heating systems and fires checked on an annual basis by a qualified Gas Safe Registered engineer. This basic maintenance is vitally important particularly with autumn upon us.

WHILST most people welcome the long overdue investment in the M3 motorway many are becoming concerned about the congestion caused by Black Dam Roundabout upgrade and the Smart Motorway installation at Fleet.

Last week I met the organisation that now oversees the work of Highways England who are responsible for both sets of roadworks. I have their agreement to look closely at these projects. The new Local Plan calls for a number of major roadworks to increase the capacity of our local road networks and it is important that we learn the lessons that caused delays to the completion at Black Dam before new roadworks are started.

TRADE unions have had a crucial role to play in the history of our country. But there is a balance to be struck between the rights of workers to strike and the rights of working people and businesses to rely on services not being disrupted at short notice, by strikes supported by only a small proportion of union members.

The new law debated this week would introduce a 50 per cent threshold for ballot turn-out, and a threshold of 40 per cent support to take part in industrial action in important public sectors such as fire, health, education, transport and border security and nuclear decommissioning. These changes will ensure strikes are the result of a clear and positive democratic mandate from union members.