Monthly Report for April 2008
Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the month of April 2008. 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.
Fuel poverty
At Prime Minister’s Questions I raised the need for energy companies to do more to help customers on low incomes pay their fuel bills, and reminded the PM of the government’s commitment to legislate if energy companies did not introduce social tariffs. The government has since brokered an agreement between the UK’s six biggest energy companies for them to spend an additional £250 million over the next three years to lift 100,000 additional households out of fuel poverty.
It is absolutely right that energy companies use some of their increased profits to shoulder some of the responsibility of ensuring that their most vulnerable customers are still able to heat their homes. Binding in energy providers to be part of the solution in lowering our energy bills also has the added effect of creating a financial incentive for those providers to promote greater energy efficiency measures- which will be an important tool in reducing the UK’s carbon emissions in the long term.
Energy Bill
The Energy Bill returns to the house on the 30th April for its report stage and third reading. I have been lobbying to ensure that a Government Amendment on feed-in tariffs for microgeneration ( i.e. fair payment from energy companies for the export of electricity to the grid from small domestic and neighbourhood energy producers) is included at report stage along with a possible amendment on the national introduction of 'smart meters' into peoples homes. In any event, the Bill now contains substantial provision for the development of the renewables obligation, which among other things, should assist the development of Southampton Council led plans to develop district CHP and similar neighbourhood heating programmes.
Local Transport Bill
The Local Transport Bill has been given a second reading last month. The Bill includes substantial new powers for Local Authorities to regulate Bus services and routes, and sets out powers to develop Integrated Transport Authorities' outside metropolitan areas. These new powers would be particularly useful for Southampton in regulating and developing effective bus networks in the City and beyond. In an intervention during the debate I focused on the fact that Conservatives MPs are opposing the Bill in Parliament despite the fact that Conservative controlled local authorities in the PUSH (Partnership of Urban South Hampshire) area have publicly called for the measures in the bill relating to public transport to be implemented quickly.
Questions in the House
This month I have asked questions on the effectiveness of the Landfill Levy on waste, on progress by local authorities on implementing the Sustainable Buildings Code, and on a possible consultation process on introducing ‘weekend voting’ (which I believe would be a sensible and unobtrusive way of increasing voter turnout). This latter question was put to the Justice Minister during his statement on the new Constitution White Paper, which among other proposals, advances new arrangements for Parliamentary sanction (or otherwise) of Government proposals to go to war, and for a redefinition of the role of the Attorney General.
Adjournment debate
I have secured an adjournment debate on April 22nd on 'the Metals recycling industry' which centres on how recovered metals are classified as a recycled resource, and how recovered metal is exported for use abroad.
Work In Southampton
Lordshill Listening Panel
Earlier this month I invited residents in the Lordshill area to a public discussion on ‘Keeping Lordshill Safe.’ Local Councillors from all parties were invited in addition to representatives from the Council and the police’s Coxford Safer Neighbourhoods Team. We covered a wide range of issues, including particular problems related to illegal motorcycle riders around the 5 Acres Field, local shops selling alcohol to teenagers, and in particular the effectiveness of the Section 30 Order.
What really came across was a strong desire from those attending that more be done to involve parents when a young person is first involved in anti-social behaviour. There was also strong support for the retention of the 101 service and support for particular teams of police officers being attached to particular areas in Southampton for the long term, as now happens under the Neighbourhood Policing strategy.
Read a summary of what was discussed at the Panel
Trades Union Liaison meeting
Last week I, along with John Denham and Portsmouth Labour MP Sarah Mcarthy-Fry, attended a forum with Trades Union representatives to discuss particular pressures facing working people in the south. I spoke on the need for the provision of more affordable housing in the south and how this could be achieved.
Parking around Southampton General Hospital
Residents’ parking around Southampton General Hospital continues to be an issue. I recently received from the Council a map showing all the parking protection measures currently in place around the hospital. The map interestingly shows that there are a number of gaps in parking protection within what is generally agreed to be the radius of parking overflow from the General Hospital, and it is residents on these roads that are facing great difficulty in parking on their own street. This month I met with residents in Jex Blake Close who have been promised a consultation by the Council about parking in their area. I have also received correspondence about parking problems in the St James Park Road area. I continue to pass on these representations to Council officers, although in the case of the St James Park Road area officers have so far been unwilling to institute a residents parking scheme.
20mph Zones
Over 1000 signatures from Southampton parents calling for legally enforceable 20mph zones to be introduced around our schools have now been handed to the leaders of the Council. I have been running the survey of school parents in Southampton Test since just before Christmas, however several schools have only recently finished distributing the survey. The Council has already announced that the area in Southampton Test where response to my survey was highest (Shirley Infant and Junior School) will get legally enforceable zones this year, although they have not gone as far as some parents and teachers have requested by introducing a blanket zone around the entire campus area (including Bellemoor and Tauntons). Additional funding agreed by the Council will also mean that 2 additional zones can now be introduced over the coming year.
Read about the roll out of 20mph zones
Energy efficiency
You can read my latest article on the recent Earth Hour ‘switchoff’ and the long term importance of energy efficiency on my website.