The festivities across the constituency are well and truly commencing as Christmas is less than a week away. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in the constituency a very Merry Christmas and a happy holidays.
My constituency office will be closed during the Christmas period, but my parliamentary and constituency inboxes will be monitored daily if you have any urgent matters which you wish for my office to address and assist with.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE:
On Monday, I attended a Public Accounts Committee session on tax evasion in the retail sector. During this session I asked the Chief Executive of HMRC, Sir Jim Harra, about the regulation of online marketplaces and the rules around selling used and new goods online.
I also attended a Public Accounts Committee meeting on Thursday which focused on HS2. The committee session focused on an update following the cancellation of HS2’s northern leg. During this session I asked the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Transport, Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB, how much the remaining works needed for the project would cost and whether efficiencies could be made to bring the project timeline forward without also further compromising the scheme's budget.
TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL:
I attended the inaugural meeting of the Terminally Ill Adults Bill Committee on Tuesday. This cross-party committee will be working to scrutinise this piece of legislation over the upcoming months.
As many of you may know, the terminally ill adults Bill passed its second reading at the end of November. This means this piece of legislation has moved to the committee stage. During this phase of the legislative process, a cross party committee, of which I am a member, will hear evidence from a variety of stakeholders and scrutinise the details of the bill, line by line over several months before it returns to the House of Commons chamber.
LORDS SPIRITUAL (WOMEN) ACT 2015 (EXTENSION) BILL:
The Lords Spiritual Bill returned to the House of Commons for its third reading on Wednesday.
If passed, this bill would extend the timeframe for the process of acceleration of Women Bishops to the House of Lords. This means that when a vacancy arises amongst the 21 bishops appointed by seniority it would be filled by the most senior, eligible, female bishop with the goal of reaching gender parity as soon as possible.
I spoke in favour of this legislation and the intention of this bill in addressing the stark gender imbalance which currently exists among the bishops who sit in the House of Lords. I am supportive of this aim and welcome steps to ensure parliament better reflects the country it serves.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON AI AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES:
On Wednesday, the Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant MP, announced that the Government would be holding a consultation on proposals that would permit tech companies to use copyrighted material freely. This would mean that they do not need to seek the intellectual property (IP) holder’s permission to train their AI models - unless the creators of the IP have explicitly opted out of such arrangements.
I am extremely concerned by these proposals and following my intervention in 2023, the previous Government accepted that this change would place an undue burden on smaller creators who might not have the means to negotiate a complex opt out system.
While it is clear that AI offers a fantastic opportunity for our economy, it must supplement and grow industries rather than replace them wholesale. The current copyright requirements that require a company to seek an artist's permission to use their work and compensate them if requested, should not simply be thrown away in the face of tech giants.
You can see a clip of my question and the Minister’s response here.
WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE:
Earlier this morning, I spoke to BBC Breakfast about the Government’s plans to cut the Winter Fuel Payment to all older people not receiving Pension Credit or other means tested benefits. This interview was later also shown as part of the BBC News' regular programming. While I do understand that the Government has been left a terrible economic legacy by its predecessors, cutting protections in place for the most vulnerable is not the way to fix public services.
Ministers have also abjectly failed to meaningfully boost Pension Credit uptake. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of people who are eligible for this benefit have not applied and therefore will not receive the payments that they would be entitled to.
The deadline to apply for Pension Credit in order to receive these payments is tomorrow, 21st December, so if you believe that you qualify for the benefit, I would strongly recommend applying through the Government’s website here.
STANLEY PICKER GALLERY & KINGSTON SCHOOL OF ART:
Today, I visited Kingston University to see the excellent artwork on display at the Stanley Picker Gallery and at the Kingston School of Art. On exhibit in the Gallery was the catalogue created by Takeshi Hayatsu in collaboration with students at the Kingston School of Art after over more than a decade of teaching at the school. Takeshi’s exhibition is named ‘Under Construction,’ and it consists of unique architectural designs which have been listed in the Guardian’s Design Highlights of 2024.
I was also given a tour of the Kingston School of Art within the University. The workshops on display were very impressive to see. The scale and scope of opportunities that the School offers for art students has evidently developed some excellent artists, and the School is a wonderful community asset to have in the heart of Kingston.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
KINGSTON CULTURAL CELEBRATION 2025:
Ahead of the new year, Kingston Council have announced that 2025 will be marked by a 6 month cultural festival which will commence in the second half of the year. Next year will mark 1100 years since the crowning of King Athlestan in Kingston-upon-Thames - the first reigning monarch of a united England. The borough will be celebrating this landmark by drawing attention to Kingston’s rich cultural past, as well as celebrating the diversity that currently enriches it.
The launch of the celebrations will take place at Kingston Market Place in early May, and events will continue into October. These events will range from musical performances, arts, and other pop-ups in the community, but the festivities will be underpinned by an opportunity to learn about the rich history of the borough. If you wish to learn more about the cultural celebration marked for 2025, please see the following link.
BARNES FARMERS MARKET:
Every Saturday between 8:30-14:00, around 20 producers from across the country set up their stalls in Essex House Surgery car park to sell fresh goods. The market caters to all dietary requirements, as they offer award-winning organic and free range meats, fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, fine bakery products, luxury cheeses and homemade apple juices - amongst other produce.
The market will be open on Saturdays throughout the Christmas period for any last minute shopping - although it will be reduced in size on 28th December. If you wish to read more about the Barnes Farmers Market, you can do so by clicking on the following link.
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