Email from Jo Swinson MP
Posted by Jo Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, at 19:26, Thu 27 April 2006:
Local issues that are getting people talking at the moment include the proposals to change the refuse collection to fortnightly and recycling collection to weekly and possible changes of sites for the new schools project. On a recent visit to Westerton Primary, the top issues presented to me were fair trade, lowering the voting age, energy saving and better responses to natural disasters. Please do send me your views on these, or any other issues you & your family care about.
Since I last wrote an update, I’ve taken on the role of Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. At my first Scottish Questions session I challenged Alistair Darling on JobCentre Plus cuts in Scotland. Slightly nerve-wracking of course, as most things are the first time, but it went well, and I’m certainly looking forward to my next opportunity on 9th May.
In Parliament, we’ll shortly be discussing the final stages of the Legislative & Regulatory Reform Bill. It may sound dull, but it’s actually pretty dangerous as it would hand huge powers to government to impose new laws without proper discussion or voting in Parliament. Many constituents have contacted me about this already, and there is a campaign website about the Bill with more information at http://www.saveparliament.org.uk/
I’ve also been sent lots of letters and emails about the Climate Change Bill – a Private Members’ Bill which would make it easier for individuals to generate their own electricity at home (microgeneration). I have supported this Bill and it comes back for what we hope will be its final day on 12th May. Were it not for the antics of several Tory MPs trying to block the Bill by “talking it out” (in come cases by making speeches approaching 2 hours in length!) it would have already passed through all its Parliamentary stages.
If you have views on these Bills, other Parliamentary business, please do get in touch and let me know. To find out what is going on in Parliament you can use www.parliament.uk or the more user-friendly site www.theyworkforyou.com. Locally you can find out more about Council issues on www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk and keep up to date with what I’m doing on www.joswinson.org.uk
Kind regards
Jo
PS I’m also keen to know what you’d like to see in these updates. So far there’s 37 of you receiving them, so what made you sign up? What kind of information is most interesting? Anything that’s best left out?
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