Many constituents have contacted me to raise their concerns about the danger posed to hen harriers and other birds of prey as a result of wildlife crime.
I wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and received this response. Please open the pdf attachment at the bottom of this post to click on the links and see the response in full.
I will continue pressing the Government to take this issue seriously.
During the summer, I received hundreds of emails from constituents who raised their concerns about the lack of diversity in our national curriculum. I share these concerns and wrote to the Secretary of State for Education. You can see his response above.
I am clear that it is vital our curriculum reflects the rich diversity and history of our country. The contribution of people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities must be celebrated in schools. I am also clear that we have a responsibility to teach the truth about our colonial past.
At the Liaison Committee on the 27 May, I challenged the Prime Minister over the Dominic Cummings scandal and his double standards for lockdown. The Liaison Committee is the committee comprised of the chairs of all House of Commons select committees. See my original question to the Prime Minister, and his response, here.
Tonight we’re voting on the Internal Market Bill, which is an utter shambles.
❌ It breaks international law,
❌ Shreds our country’s credibility,
❌ Risks a No Deal Brexit.
I called out the Prime Minister for shredding our country’s international credibility and challenged him over his constant use of cheap slogans that are now coming home to roost.
I continue to press the Government for action to support those who are self employed, many of whom have been living on fresh air during the pandemic.
Many have good track records with HMRC but still fall into the gaps in support. The Government needs to understand the cost to the Exchequer as well as the impact on people’s lives.
I will continue to make the case.
A number of constituents have contacted me to raise their concerns about supertrawlers (large fishing vessels) operating in Marine Protected Areas. I wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and received this response.
All students are due to return to school in the coming weeks. I’m clear that getting children back to school safely and a having plan in place for any Covid-related disruption must be the Government's top priority.
A number of constituents contacted me expressing concerns about how schools can re-open safely. I have now received this response from the Department for Education. I welcome the £650 million catch-up premium for schools and the £350 million National Tutoring Programme that will target support for the most disadvantaged pupils.
There are continued reports of witnesses coming forward to say they saw Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s senior adviser, near Durham on 19 April. These claims contradict the account Dominic Cummings provided of his movements during lockdown. He is on the record saying he was in London on that day.
A number of constituents contacted me calling for the Government to set up a food standards commission ahead of post-Brexit trade talks. I wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and received this response from the Minister for the Department.
I’m pleased the Government has agreed, in principle, to a food standards commission. I will continue pressing the Government to keep its commitment to high food standards in any post-Brexit trade deal.
At today’s statement on the Windrush Lessons Learned review, I challenged the Home Secretary to remove the barriers for citizenship for young people who've been in the UK since childhood.
They are passionate about the country that is their home.
I’ll keep pressing the Government to learn the lessons from the Windrush scandal.