Sue Doughty makes hospitals and waste management top priority when elected

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 20th May 2001

Sue Doughty in a hard hitting speech at her adoption meeting pledged that her key priorities when elected will be bed blocking and waste management

Sue Said: "The number of people who are waiting in the Royal Surrey Hospital for suitable care arrangements is unacceptable. This is a disgrace and I will be raising the matter with the government at the earliest opportunity. It is deeply unkind to have people left with nowhere to go when they need good nursing care. And the beds are needed for cases in A & E. This is unacceptable in Surrey and its unacceptable anywhere."

Sue also made clear her continued opposition to the proposed Slyfield incinerator. "There are several issues here. It is no good just calling for a moratorium on incineration. We must do much more on recycling. Lib Dems nationally have pledged that we would aim for recycling 60% of household waste by 2010. We also need more money coming down from government in the form or assistance or tax breaks to encourage manufacturers to change their approach to packaging. Now is not the time to build an incinerator. "

Liberal Democrats were shocked to learn that there is nothing in the Tory manifesto to show what they would do.

Sue Doughty said "Quite honestly it is pointless Nick St Aubyn claiming the environmental high ground. His party is entirely responsible for land fill continuing as long as it has. But they have no solutions other than incineration. They have totally ignored that in Europe, we are a long way behind on our waste management. Fortunately the Waste Directive is forcing us to move away from land fill and this is a relief to those who live close to these sites."