2006/2007 Parliament
LOOKING BACK AT THE 2006/2007 PARLIAMENT
With a lot happening, a lot more to do I wanted to take a look back at some of the bills I voted for in last year’s Parliamentary Session to give you an idea of the legislation I have been working on in Westminster.
FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED - The Concessionary Bus Travel Act will guarantee off-peak local bus travel for people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people anywhere in England from 1 April 2008.
MORE RIGHTS FOR CONSUMERS - The Consumers, Estater Agents and Redress Act will take on people who rip off vulnerable people in our Communities by cracking down on rogue estate agents and dodgy doorstep sellers.
JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF NEGLIGENCE - The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act makes it easier to prosecute Organisations when their gross negligence leads to death.
SKILLS FOR ALL - The Further Education and Training Act equips the further education sector to play its part in delivering the skills Britain and Plymouth need for the twenty-first century with a massive increase in Apprenticeship places.
GREATER SAY ON HEALTH CARE and SERVICES IN PLYMOUTH -The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act, a stronger voice for local communities in the commissioning and provision of health and social care services, together with increased powers for Local Councillors and local people. I was also involved in the Committee and Evidence Session of this Bill and contributed to the Roberts Commission on the Future Role of Councillors.
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC - The Mental Health Act will help ensure that people with serious mental disorders can be required, where necessary, to receive the treatment they need to protect them and the public from harm.
THE SERIOUS CRIME ACT - Introduces a package of new powers that will strengthen and improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to tackle and prevent serious crime.
ACTION ON PENSIONS - The Pensions Act had measures in it to make the basic State Pension more generous by restoring the link with earnings during the next Parliament. It also reduces the number of years it takes to build a full basic State Pension, simplifies the State Second Pension and regulates private pensions making it easier for people to plan and save for their retirement.
POLICING OUR BORDERS - The UK Borders Act gives the new immigration agency tougher powers to police the border, tackle immigration crime and protect the public, making it easier to deport those who abuse our hospitality and break the law.
PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND - The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement 1) Act 2006 and Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement 2) Act 2007 were vital pieces of legislation on Northern Ireland that paved the way for power sharing and peace at last.
The above summarizes the main bills through Parliament in the last session, bills that will improve life for families and employees in Plymouth and throughout the Country. But this does not take into account the many key and positive announcements throughout the year such as:
REDUCING OUR ARMED FORCES IN IRAQGordon Brown said that the Government intended to reduce British force numbers to 2,500 in spring 2008 as Iraqi authorities prove increasingly capable of shouldering security responsibilities. Alongside this the Government would continue to push for political progress and economic growth, he said.
INCREASED HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT AND THE MININIMUM WAGE
• The minimum wage will increase from £5.35 to £5.52 an hour for workers aged 22 and over. There will also be increases from £4.45 to £4.60 for 18-21 year olds, and from £3.30 to £3.40 for 16-17 year olds.
• The minimum annual leave entitlement will increase from 20 days to 24 days for full-time workers. A further increase to 28 days will take place on 1 April 2009.
When news clips show Prime Minister's Questions or footage of major debates in the Commons, they give an image of parliament that is highly confrontational and party political. Whilst of course, this is an element of parliamentary life, and most MPs would argue that such public scrutiny of the government, by the opposition, is a good thing, it would be wrong for people to believe that this is how MPs spend most of their time. In reality, much of the work of parliament takes place in a much more deliberative and often cross party style, in Select Committees, committees on legislation, and many other forums and meetings to discuss and influence policy making. Parliamentary questions and taking matters up with Ministers direct is also an effective method of raising issues of concern and highlighting problems.What Do I Do in Parliament ?
When I was elected to Westminster in 2005 I became acutely aware that there was no All Party Group for Local Government and I decided to establish this group because some of the problems perceived or otherwise about the relationships between central and local government stem from MPs and their own personal relationship with the sector.
Since the Group was established, we have sought to make a contribution to the deabte leading up to the Local Government White Paper, the Local Government Bill, and other related developments such as the Lyons Review. We have also had many contributions from leading local Councillors, who provide an insight into the local effects of national policy.
In 2007 we are aiming to further develop the APPG by holding our first "Inquiry". The aim of the inquiry is for the APPG (with the support of the Local Government Information Unit) to make a contribution to the debate about front line councillors and councillor recruitment.
The purpose of the inquiry is to put forward proposals to strengthen and make more effective the role of frontline/ward councillors. The Inquiry will focus around the following questions:
What are the powers that ward councillors need to be effective and make a difference to the areas they represent? What needs to change to ensure they have these powers?
What are the changes needed in the activities that councillors carry out, to enhance effectiveness and respond to social change, for example in local representation, or using new forms of communication?
What types of support can (and should) councils provide to enhance the effectiveness of ward councillors?
How can we address public attitudes to policitical officeholders and seek to make the role more attractive and encourage active citizens to stand for election or remain as councillors?
In making recommendations the Inquiry will aim to contribute to current and future policy and help inform the forthcoming Roberts Review, which has been commissioned by the DCLG.