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My weekly e-bulletin - 27 March 2013

Posted by Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton, Pavilion, at 16:27, Wed 27 March 2013:

This newsletter features highlights of my work in Parliament and in the constituency during the past week.

- Budget

I responded to the Chancellor’s statement by calling on him to scrap austerity in favour of investment in the billion pound Green economy. I am very mindful of the enormous pressure constituents are under because of welfare cuts, job insecurity, falling wages and the ongoing recession. With the Chancellor slashing corporation tax yet again, and keeping to his decision to cut the top rate of tax, this was clearly a budget aimed at making the rich, richer. I am especially worried about Deloitte’s tax experts' calculation that increasing the personal tax allowance will benefit better off taxpayers more than those at the other end of the scale.

Treasury figures also show that when taken alongside changes to tax credit and benefit measures, in cash terms the bottom 10% of households will be £200 worse off in 2013-14, although there will be a small increase for those on middle and upper-middle incomes. I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement that he will stop further increases in the cost of beer – and reduce duty on beer – as this will make a real difference to the city’s pubs.

However, in the same week the Government has signalled that it’s backtracking on its plans for a minimum unit price on alcohol, another move that would have helped protect pubs, specifically from cut price multiple alcohol deals offered by supermarkets and off licenses. A minimum alcohol unit price would also deliver significant health benefits, according to research conducted for Alcohol Concern, and is backed by the British Medical Association.

Osborne’s plans to boost house building and home ownership have come in for some heavy criticism. The previous incarnation of his Help to Buy scheme had very little take up and I will continue to argue that the Treasury should instead both lift current caps on council borrowing for house building and provide direct capital spending to allow councils to build a mass programme of sustainable council housing. I have also called for consumer protection for people in the private rented sector, a national register of landlords and in particular greater security of tenure.

And of course, the budget included measures to support local small and medium sized business such as freeing them up from some employer NI payments. I hope this will help the city’s business sector, but will also continue my campaign for business rate relief to apply to more local businesses and for the banks to be forced to lend, at reasonable rates of interest.

During the budget debate, I criticised the Government for giving tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry, specifically shale gas, when householders worried about the cost of bills and the environment would benefit far more from investment in energy efficiency and renewables.

- Nuclear Power

Just ahead of the Budget debate, I put David Cameron on the spot during Prime Minister’s Questions about the cost of a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley, when compared with the same amount spent on tackling fuel poverty. Here’s what I said:

"It has been estimated that for the cost of one nuclear reactor, 7 million households could be lifted out of fuel poverty. Hinkley alone is expected to cost £14bn– meaning a strike price getting on for double the current price of electricity – that he will force families and businesses already struggling with high bills to pay – whilst EDF rake in the profits. If this doesn’t make nuclear power ‘unaffordable’ can the Prime Minister tell the House what would?"

And here’s the Prime Minister failing to give a meaningful answer:

"I am afraid that I just do not agree with the hon. Lady. Our fleet of nuclear power stations is coming to the end of its life, and I think it is important that we work hard to replace some of that capacity. That is what Hinkley is about; that is why I think my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change was absolutely right to give it the go-ahead. It will be an important provider of carbon-free electricity in the years ahead."

I also spoke during the Ministerial statement announcing planning permission for Hinkley. You can find more details on my website.

- Leveson

I was part of a cross party move last week to put pressure on the Government by tabling amendments to implement Lord Leveson’s key recommendations and which led to negotiations resuming and agreement being reached.

During the debate I raised the issue of the concentration of media ownership and the need for better gender representation on the bodies that will help regulate the media. I have been pressing for a regulatory framework that would help hold our media to account, whilst at the same time protecting important press freedom.

Lots of constituents wrote to me worried that the Defamation Bill was being used to push through press regulation and risked being rejected as a result. Once the Leveson reforms were agreed I wrote immediately to the Secretary of State for Justice urging him to ensure that the Defamation Bill comes back to the House of Commons ahead of the Queen’s Speech in May and the opportunity to reform the UK’s libel laws is not squandered.

- Workfare

The other big debate in Parliament last week was about emergency legislation to change the rules around workfare, so as to protect the Government from a ruling that it has been acting unlawfully by denying people benefits if they did not accept placements on the grounds that they would not help them get a job.

I was very vocal in my condemnation of workfare, of the legislation and of the Labour frontbench for failing to oppose it. I was quoted in a piece in the Guardian and wrote a blog for Huffington Post.

- Other news

I have tabled two new Early Day Motions, one about controversial outsourcing at Sussex University and one about the removal of climate change from the national curriculum. I have also lobbied Ministers about the UK’s arms trade with Saudi Arabia, and called on the Home Office to ensure that its treatment of pregnant women seeking asylum does not jeopardise their mental and physical health, as is revealed to be the case in new research by the Refugee Council.

I met with local independent midwives taking part in a rally to highlight the difficulties they face accessing insurance cover, as well as speaking at the press launch of the People’s Assembly Against Austerity and at a parliamentary “Lobby Against the Regulations” as part of my continuing opposition to competition and privatisation in the NHS.

In the constituency, I spoke at a Stop War meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of the war in Iraq; met with Rise to discuss women's services in the city, and with Southern Solar to discuss energy policy; joined the picket lines to lend my support to those PCS members on strike; and supported Dig It events at Preston Park and London Road station.

I also took part in a walk organised by the local branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, to experience Guide dog mobility, walking with a white cane and guided walking to compare the different challenges blind and partially sighted people face.

- Contacting me

If you are a local resident and want help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally, please contact me at the office of Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Media Centre 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL. Tel: 01273 201 130. Email: brightonoffice@parliament.uk

I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you want to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please call Liz Collis on 01273 201130. She coordinates my constituency office and is able to help with most local enquiries.

If you want to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. Tel: 020 7219 7025. Email: caroline.lucas.mp@parliament.uk