Monthly Report for February 2009

Below is a summary of my work in Parliament and in Southampton for the month of February 2009. 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

Heathrow

The decision on the Heathrow 3rd runway was a difficult one.  The government had to balance the perceived economic benefits of increasing our airport capacity (and it is true that Heathrow is pretty much operating at capacity at the moment) with our longer term commitment to reduce our carbon emissions.

I held several meetings with ministers and the Number 10 office about the 3rd Runway policy.  I told them all that I had no desire whatsoever to talk through the division lobbies with the Tories to vote against the government, especially since the motion put down by the Conservatives was just a way of giving the government a kicking and did not offer a practical alternative.  However I also put the case that because the government has made the right and very important decision to put legally binding limits on how much carbon we can emit, it was very likely that a 3rd runway would quite quickly be made redundant by our own policies, and on that basis I could not see the logic in going through with the project.  I was ultimately unable to support the government on this and abstained on the Heathrow vote, but did not vote with the Conservatives.

 

Freedom of Information for MPs offices

I was also involved in the recent debate on whether or not MPs’ expenses and office accounts should be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.  There was originally a bipartisan agreement between the PLP and the Conservative Party about the need for an exemption, however the Conservatives then pulled out of that agreement at the last minute, hoping the government would go through with the exemption and would be the sole recipient of all the negative PR fallout.  The government then thankfully realised that it would be a very bad idea to be the only party advocating an exemption of the FoI, so withdrew the proposal shortly thereafter.

In the debate that followed, I argued for a system of declaration for all MPs expenses that went further than what was strictly required under current procedures- namely that there be a common system for declarations amongst all MPs offices to avoid any future confusion over how to declare something or what needs to be declared.  This is the approach the government eventually adopted.  So the final result was actually quite positive for those who want more openness and transparency in public life, although the politics of it all could certainly have been handled better!

 

Minimum Wage

Constituents may be interested to know that former Southampton Itchen MP Christopher Chope, who is now the MP for Christchurch, put forward a bill in Parliament last week to abolish the minimum wage.  He described the purpose of this bill to allow ‘freely consenting adults’ to ‘opt out’ of the minimum wage- which obviously defeats the entire purpose of having one.  I have publicly criticised this proposal, which is particularly worrying as Mr Chope is also the chair of the 1922 committee which plays a key role in deciding Conservative party policy.

 

Effective Sentencing Debate

You can read my full speech on the recent Westminster Hall debate on effective sentencing on my website.  I looked at the important reductions we have seen in crime over the last decade, but also the fact that these reductions have gone alongside a rise in prison numbers and what the long term implications of this might be.

 

Other engagements

This month I spoke in the debate on political appointees to the Electoral Commission; the debate on Criminal Sanctions; and on the development of a European Supergrid to facilitate large-scale renewable energy generation.   I also attended a Parliamentary reception for the Hampshire Autistic Society; spoke at a low energy IT conference; and did a quick photo-op with Andy Burnham to publicise the free theatre tickets for under 26 year olds that will start later this month.

 

Work In Southampton

 

newsletter“Care in the Crunch” Report

My latest newsletter is currently being distributed to all households in Southampton Test.  It focuses on all the action that is being taken to help Southampton businesses and families through the credit crunch, including:

 

The newsletter also covers all my recent work opposing the Council’s cuts to care homes and home help.  If you can’t wait to get one, you can download a copy (beware, this is a large file- don’t attempt to download it unless you have a fast internet connection).

 

energy bookEnergy Saver Handbook

My guide to all the government help to reduce your energy bills- the Southampton Test Energy Saver Handbook- has now been published.  Copies have been sent to all residents’ associations in the constituency we have contact details for, as well as local libraries and other community groups.  If you know of any other individual or group in Southampton that would like a copy, please let me know.  You can get more information on the handbook and download a copy here.

                                                

 

 

 

mowFree school meals

Southampton was recently selected by the government as one of the authorities being considered for a pilot scheme to offer free school meals for all pupils attending city schools.  A similar scheme, funded entirely by the local authority in Hull, had shown early signs of making a positive influence on child health and obesity levels, and behaviour and performance at school.  However the scheme was prematurely scrapped by the new Lib Dem administration in Hull, so we never got to see what the long term impact such a policy would be.

You can fill in a survey on whether you think Southampton should take up the opportunity to be a pilot for the government scheme.  Both John Denham and I have publicly stated our support, despite the fact that Southampton Conservatives have stated their opposition to free school meals for ‘ideological’ reasons.  However, I believe it is still worth encouraging public debate in order to engage with local people with innovative local policies that can help improve our children’s health and their education. 

School success

Both Redbridge Community School and Upper Shirley High have been congratulated by myself and Schools Minister Jim Knight for being amongst the top schools in the country for raising standards.  I will be opening Upper Shirley High when it relaunches formally as a co-operative trust later next month.

 

compassCompass Southampton

Along with John Denham and Chuka Umunna (Labour PPC for Streatham), I spoke at the launch of Southampton Compass’s ‘How to Live in the 21st century’ public meeting.  We covered a lot of issues in a relatively short space of time- one particularly interesting area was how to reconcile the need to protect our environment with our progressive commitment to social justice, and in particular how a system like personal carbon allowances or tradable air miles might work in practice.

 

Surgeries

I ran my normal surgeries, and two roving surgeries in Bevois and Redbridge.

 

Other meetings

This month I also publicised a Christmas Card recycling scheme at a local Tescos in Millbrook; attended the Chinese New Year parade through the city centre; met with the Chief of Hampshire Constabulary; and attended the opening of the new ABP Vehicle Container Terminal (incidentally, I and the Minister were some of the few people who made it to the opening through the snow!).