Monthly Report for August-September 2006
Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the month of April. Click here to read previous reports.
If you'd like to know more about any of the work I've been doing, or if you think there is another issue you think I should be acting on, you can always contact my office.
Work in Parliament
Tenancy Deposit Scheme
A new law came into force this month to better protect the deposits renters pay to their landlords. The new law requires all tenancy deposits to be held by an independent third party, to ensure that landlords cannot arbitrarily refuse to return a deposit at the end of the tenure. I attended the launch of the new law in Parliament and am writing to people living in rented accommodation in Southampton to encourage them to be aware of the scheme.
More information on the tenany deposit scheme
Trident
The government has sent me a letter addressing the points raised in by my proposed amendment to the motion on Trident. The substance of my motion called for the replacement of trident with a much smaller scale nuclear deterrent more suitable to a post-Cold War world, and to guarantee that Parliament could have another vote on the issue before the principal spending commitments were made. In their reply to me and MPs who signed my amendment, the government gives a strong indication that MPs will have another vote on the issue. They also raise the possibility of reducing the number of Trident submarines from 4 to 3. While this is less than I had hoped for, another vote in Parliament and the promise to look into a quantitative (though sadly not qualitative) reduction in our nuclear arsenal is a noticeable change from the government position from before the debate, and I take it as a sign of encouragement that the issue is not yet closed.
Climate Change Bill
I have been appointed to the joint House of Commons / House of Lords Committee scrutinising the draft Climate change bill. This will report in July and will, hopefully ensure that the Bill is as strong as possible in its provisions.
More information on the Climate Change Bill committee
Questions
I have asked oral questions on electoral fraud , the construction of electoral registers, and a question to the Prime Minister on energy supply companies, and have asked written questions on aspects of waste management (disposal and incineration) and European legislation
Work in Southampton
Knife Crime
I spoke to both Meridian and the Daily Echo to once again hammer home the message that carrying a knife does not make you safer. Both John Denham and I did a lot of work on this issue last year as part of the national knives amnesty, which succeeded in getting 637 knives out of circulation in Southampton. However there is clearly more to do. I remain of the opinion that there still needs to be additional legislation to give school staff a clear right to search students for weapons, and to stop minors from buying knives all together. However new laws will have only a limited effect unless they are backed up by repeated and systematic messages about how carrying a knife puts you in greater danger. I will continue to make this point at every opportunity.
Worker safety
I met with representatives from the Ford plant for an update on the investigation into the number of workers at the plant diagnosed with throat cancer. I am currently satisfied that the employers are researching the matter properly but will continue to monitor the investigation.
Housing
Yesterday I spoke to the Highfield Residents Association about improving the quality and distribution of HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupancy) across the city. The two policy changes I am working on are (i) that Southampton City Council require all HMO landlords to be licensed, and (ii) a possible change in the 1987 Use Classes Order which would require landlords to get express permission from a local authority if they wanted to turn a family home into an HMO. There are still serious difficulties relating to the legal language that would be involved in such a change to the Order; however I am researching how planning authorities in Northern Ireland have got around a similar problem.
Other meetings
This month I also attended the annual Vasaikhi festival, viewed an Art Asia presentation by students that was filmed for Meridian, and presented Community Fellowship Grants to volunteers at Southampton University.