Margaret Rowley is leader of the opposition on Wychavon District Council, and chaired the council's environment committee from 1996 until 1999.

She is married with three adult children and has lived in Worcestershire for 11 years.

After graduating in zoology, Margaret qualified as a librarian and now works in information services in a college of higher education.

Many people's lives are blighted by the fear of crime, particularly those who are most vulnerable in society.

Liberal Democrats would concentrate on tackling the causes of crime.

We would provide funding for an extra 6,000 police officers and establish a Community Safety Constabulary to co-ordinate public safety.

A lot of crime stems from drug abuse and we would establish a Commission on the Misuse of Drugs.

We would promote the use of community sentences for less serious offenders and address the causes of offending, for example by issuing drug treatment orders and reparation to victims. It is also important to improve the environment in which people live, and in particular to promote the formation of a community spirit.

We would invest in education to give young people more opportunities and to encourage them into constructive activity by increasing support for sport, recreation and the youth service.

The former Conservative administration of Hereford and Worcester County Council consistently raised less tax than their own Government decreed was necessary to run the County Council's services, so it is not surprising that the education service has been underfunded over the years.

Last year, the underfunding continued with the authority receiving an increase in funding of 3.7 per cent against a national increase of 4.2 per cent.

This is clearly putting pupils in Worcestershire at a disadvantage. Our manifesto contains a guarantee that £3bn extra per year would be spent on education by a Liberal Democrat government, which would be funded by an extra penny on the basic rate of income tax. This would provide sufficient funding for bringing Worcestershire up to the national average. Liberal Democrat county councillors have lobbied for maximum funding to go into county schools, and if elected MP for Bromsgrove, I would continue to press for a funding system which meant fair treatment for Worcestershire schools.

Agriculture was in a state of crisis even before the foot-and-mouth outbreak and should remain at the heart of the rural economy.

We would use emergency funds from Government reserves to compensate farmers and businesses which suffered.

The Common Agricultural Policy would be reformed, focusing on rural development and farm support payments through a single contract to cut red tape. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would be replaced with a Ministry for Rural Affairs looking after the interests of the countryside with an Agriculture Ombudsman to protect farming. Additional support would be given to small farms.

Food safety would come under the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency.

Unnecessary business regulations which threaten small businesses would be scrapped allowing them to get on with things and generate new opportunities. Small businesses would be encouraged by introducing a Business Rates Allowance - similar to personal tax allowance - to encourage small businesses and lessen the burden of taxation allowing businesses to establish in Bromsgrove and provide additional local employment.