A Record of Action

• Debates and Questions.

• Select Committee Work.

• All Party Parliamentary Groups.

• All Party Groups.

• Early Day Motions.

Debates and Questions

You can find out which debates I've been involved in by searching Hansard, the official record of all parliamentary proceedings. Quite often I asked the Government questions. Sometimes they were written, sometimes I would stand in the Chamber to ask them.

• Hansard.

• Some of my questions and interventions [from www.theyworkforyou.com].

Select Committee Work

Environmental Audit Committee

Examines to what extent the polices and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development. It also serves to audit their performance against targets set by the Government.

Environmental Audit Committee web page.

All Party Parliamentary Groups

APPGs and APGs serve as a meeting point for members of all parties who have a shared interest. They quite often work alongside non-government organisations to raise awareness of important issues. I was part of several of these groups.

Abuse Investigations

Aims to question and debate the procedures and processes used by the authorities which lead to the arrest of people in connection with abuse cases.

Cricket Club

Aims to promote and support the development of cricket at all levels.

Endometriosis

Aims to promote and support better healthcare and understanding of endometriosis.

Eye Health and Visual Impairment

Aims to inform and educate members of parliament about the improvements in eye care and disease prevention. Also aims to promote a better understanding of visual impairments.

Globe UK (vice chairperson)

Aims to promote sustainable development policies which encourage a balanced environment.

Intelligent Energy (Secretary)

Aims to promote a deeper understanding of new efficient energy technologies through parliamentary debate and activity.

All Party Groups

Charitable Giving (Chairperson)

Works to promote a stronger culture of charitable giving in the UK through highlighting the benefits of tax effective giving.

Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (vice chairperson)

Raises sustainable energy issues in parliament.

Sustainable Waste Group (Co-Chairperson)

Aims to improve links between parliamentarians, business leaders and the waste sector in the area of waste management.

Early Day Motions

An Early Day Motion (EDM) allows MPs to record their opinions on a particular issue and then to gain support from colleagues. No date is fixed for the motion to be debated in the House, in fact it is very rare for an EDM to be debated.

An MP can either write their own EDM or add their signature to an existing one. National and local issues can be raised, quite often they are political but sometimes MPs use EDMs to congratulate sportsmen, women or teams.

I tabled the six Early Day Motions below in the last session of the 2001-2005 Parliament and over twenty others earlier on. I also added my support to many hundreds of other EDMs.

EDM 66 - Alan Turing

That this House welcomes the commemoration of the life and achievements of Alan Turing, brought up in Guildford and a one-time academic at Cambridge University, Princeton University, the National Physical Laboratory and Manchester University, by the unveiling of a sculpture by John W. Mills at the University of Surrey; also welcomes the establishment of the Alan Turing Institute at the University of Manchester in 2004; expresses its admiration for his achievements as inventor of the machine which cracked the Enigma code and the founder of computer science; acknowledges his vital contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic in particular and to Britain's war effort in general through his work at Bletchley Park; notes his untimely death by suicide two years after being prosecuted for his homosexuality and prevented from continuing his work at Bletchley Park; and supports efforts by the Government and campaigners to further the progress that has taken place in Britain since Turing's tragic death towards understanding and acceptance of homosexuality.

EDM 67 - Train Horns

That this House is concerned by the rising number of complaints about the noise levels produced by train horns; recognises that these noise levels can cause real damage to local people's quality of life; takes note of the Rail Safety and Standards Board's decision to reduce the decibel level of train horns and to relax some of the rules regarding their use; recognises the paramount importance of safety on trains; but believes that the RSSB should at least reconsider their current rejection of alternative technologies for train horns which could do a great deal to improve the daily lives of a great many local residents.

EDM 340 - Micro Wind and the Hon Member for Cunninghame North

That this House congratulates the former Energy Minister, the honourable Member for Cunninghame North, for installing a micro wind generator on his own house; notes that this cutting edge technology is no more intrusive than a television satellite antenna dish and is expected to save an estimated 0.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per house per annum, as well as reducing electricity bills by up to one third; and looks forward to measures to promote this and similar technologies being included in the micro-generation strategy now being drawn up by the Government under section 82 of the Energy Act 2004.

EDM 630 - Arms Embargo on China

That this House expresses its grave concern at the proposal, endorsed by the British Government, to remove the EU arms embargo on the People's Republic of China; notes that the embargo was originally imposed due to the 1989 massacre at Tiananmen Square; further notes that the Chinese Government continues to hold 14 people prisoner as a result of their involvement in the protests at Tiananmen Square and that the use of the death penalty, extrajudicial executions and torture all remain commonplace, especially in Tibet and Xinjiang; expresses its concern about the possible impact on the position of Taiwan in the event of the lifting of the embargo; welcomes the Government's undertaking to seek a stronger EU Code of Conduct on arms sales; expresses its hope that the code will become legally binding on all EU member states, with clear mechanisms for enforcement; but requests that the Government reconsider its support for lifting the embargo on China.

EDM 720 - Intelligent Energy Manifesto

That this House welcomes the All Party Parliamentary Group for Intelligent Energy's Magnificent Seven Manifesto; and notes that it provides a seven point plan, referring to the need for specific targets and strategies as well as incentives for technologies such as micro generation and combined heat and power, which the next Government will need to incorporate in its long-term strategy to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and to prevent further climate change.

EDM 883 - Destruction of the Icelandic Highlands

That this House is seriously concerned at the construction of a series of dams at Karahnjukar in the Icelandic highlands, one of Europe's last unspoilt wildernesses, to power an aluminium smelting plant for the US multinational Alcoa; notes that Iceland's National Planning Agency rejected the project on the grounds of substantial, irreversible negative environmental impact; further notes that an Icelandic court has ruled that the Environmental Impact Assessment submitted with the planning application for the Alcoa smelter is invalid; further notes that the dam is being built on a seismic fault with significant risk to local populations and that the build-up of silt will result in dust storms damaging farmland and feeding grounds for reindeer and many birds species; further notes that the principal subcontractor, Impregilo, is facing corruption charges in Africa; regrets the decision of Barclays to provide a loan of $400 million for the project in breach of the Equator Principles which demand sound environmental practices as a financial prerequisite; draws attention to plans to build dams in Thjorsarver, despite being protected by the RAMSAR Treaty, and in Langisjor, Skjalfandafljot and Skagafjordur region; supports the Icelandic independent campaigners who have requested international assistance for the domestic opposition to the projects; and calls on the Government to use its political and diplomatic links with the Icelandic Government to encourage them to terminate the Karahnjukar project and those at similar sites threatened by heavy industry so that the Icelandic Highlands are protected for the enjoyment of future generations of Icelanders and their visitors.