Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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October 2005 - Gazette Article As the summer sun fades, and the shades of autumn slowly sweep towards us, the House of Commons is being prepared for the new parliamentary term that begins on the 8th October. It is an untruth universally acknowledged that MPs slack off during the summer months and that we have little or nothing to do when Parliament is not actually in session.If only this were the case! My eighty thousand constituents are still there and I suspect that I would soon be made aware of their opinions if I really did slope off for the summer. Although the eyes of the nation are turned towards Blackpool, where the Tories are conducting a seaside beauty contest to choose their fifth leader in seven years, we humble toilers in the Westminster vineyard are gearing up for the legislative programme that we face from next week. Although I am now the most junior (and insignificant) member of the Home Office team I can’t just mug up on the Bills that I’m directly involved with but there is a goodly chunk of new legislation emerging from this source. The Asylum and Immigration Bill seeks to balance a crackdown on asylum abuse with defence of our obligations to provide sanctuary and succour to those in need. The Violent Crime Reduction Bill seeks restrictions on the sale of replica guns, makes it illegal to buy knives if you’re under 18 and brings in new laws to help the Police deal with alcohol related crime. The Counter Terrorism Bill promises many a long night and a lot of soul searching. There’s a Management of Offenders Bill, Corporate Manslaughter Bill a new Road Safety Bill and the Mental Health Bill aims to protect the public from offenders who have served their sentence but still pose a threat. In addition there will be Bills for Child Protection, Child Contact and Inter-Country Adoiption, Criminal Defence Service and the Coroners and Death Certification Bill. All that – and ID Cards – should keep me out of trouble but other Bills being brought forward include the exciting Regulation of Financial Services and bills for Consumer Credit and Legal Services. In the area of the environment we face the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill and new legislation for common land as well as the long overdue Marine Bill to protect our seas and coastal areas. In addition we’ve got the EU Referendum Bill and an Electoral Administration Bill to have another look at postal voting while the EU Accession Bill is concerned with Bulgaria and Romania joining the EU. Discipline in schools will be addressed by the Education and Skills Bill and there will be Bills for Health Improvement and Protection, NHS Redress, Work and Families, Incapacity Benefit Reform, Housing Benefit and the Incitement to Racial Hatred Bill should be reappearing amidst much controversy and a lot of correspondence from my constituents! Some of the proposed legislation will make life a lot better for many people, some might make things worse if not emended and some might make little difference to the majority of my constituents. Whatever the outcome I have to be up to speed on all the proposals and to reflect the views of Ealing North at every opportunity. A busy autumn beckons and I’m champing at the bit. I look forward to discussing many of the new proposals with my constituents and am absolutely sure that they will not be slow to let me know their views. |
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| Disclaimer | Copyright | Designed by Bassam Mahfouz. Promoted by Julian Bell, The Labour Party, Ruskin Hall, 16 Church Road, W3 8PP on behalf of Steve Pound MP |
