It is a very great pleasure to be here today for the formal opening of the new Letchworth CAB premises. It doesn’t seem that long ago since I was looking round the last set of new premises but such is the value placed on the services of the CAB in Letchworth and its surrounding areas that expanded premises were needed. It is certainly the case that every time the CAB moves their offices become more modern and more impressive. Here we have a fully accessible entrance, a number of interview rooms offering privacy to clients and a general air of efficient organisation. I know that this move has been supported to a very large extent by the Heritage Foundation. We are extremely fortunate in this town to benefit from the charitable focus of the Heritage Foundation and this is an excellent example of it working for the benefit of all Letchworth residents. It is particularly good that the CAB is occupying one of the original Garden City premises and can boast, I understand, the last remaining shopfront designed by the original Garden City architects over a hundred years ago. But these splendid premises are not only the result of the Heritage Foundation’s support but also with help from the District Council, the County Council, Letchworth Civic Trust, large employers such as Altro Flooring and other generous donations in addition to the hard work done by the CAB staff and supporters through fundraising events.
In my work as the Member of Parliament for Letchworth I take up a huge number of individual cases each year. There are some though that even I cannot help with and in those cases I am always grateful for the support provided to constituents by the Letchworth CAB. I like to think that we have developed an excellent working relationship over the years and, although I know we do not agree on all policy matters, I hope the staff feel that we have always been able to have an open and constructive discussion. I congratulate you most warmly on your new premises and I look forward to working alongside you for many years to come.