CABINET OFFICE QUESTIONS:
On Thursday I spoke in Cabinet Office Questions to ask the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, Pat McFadden MP, what steps the Government is taking to protect British democracy from cyber attacks. I was prompted to speak on this issue after the announcement from the US Defence Secretary, Pete Hesgeth, that the US will be scaling back US counter-cyber measures against Russia.
The events in the Oval Office last week were extremely concerning, and my question to the minister was intended to ensure that the British Government maintains their focus on combating Russian cyber aggression. In 2020, the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament stated that the Government had underestimated the response required to meet the Russian threat. Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown that he does not have regard for international law, and it is extremely important that the Government remains vigilant to their threat.
You can watch my question by clicking on the following link.
During the same debate, I asked the minister to comment on the reports that the Government intended to pursue a Youth Mobility agreement between the UK and the EU. Over two-thirds of UK citizens support such a scheme being established, and it would provide additional opportunities for our young people. I was therefore disappointed to hear the minister say that the Government’s position on this matter remains unchanged as he stated that there are no current plans for an agreement to be reached with the EU on this matter.
I will, of course, continue to advocate for a Youth Mobility Scheme between the UK and the EU, and you can watch my question here.
URGENT QUESTION ON HONG KONG:
On Tuesday, I spoke in response to an Urgent Question to the Home Office regarding bounties placed on Hong Kong Democracy Activists resident in the UK by the authorities of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.
This news is deeply concerning and we must do everything in our power to safeguard the security of our Hong Konger community.
In my remarks, I asked the Minister for Security, Dan Jarvis MP, when we can expect to hear what steps the Government plans to take to act against transnational repression, as there has been a lack of public activity or statements about protecting UK residents from foreign governments.
While the Government has not communicated their work effectively to concerned residents, it was encouraging to hear that the Defending Democracy Taskforce recognises the security concerns that affect Hongkongers in this country.
It is vital that those of Hong Kong descent or citizenship can enjoy the freedom and liberty which they are entitled to as residents of the UK, and we must ensure that they are not at risk from any overseas threat.
You can watch my question by clicking here.
URGENT QUESTION ON IRAN:
Following the Urgent Question, I responded to a Government statement regarding ‘Iranian State Threats.’ I welcomed the Minister, Dan Jarvis MP’s, announcement that our police will be provided with more powers to target those assisting foreign intelligence services, such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Assistance provided to the IRGC should not be tolerated in the UK, as the group uses brutal tactics to oppress their own citizens and to suppress female voices.
The police will also be provided with additional training to develop skills to identify and combat those who have sympathies to terrorist groups and are actively assisting with their abhorrent activities. Security of our citizens must be a priority for the Government, and I am pleased to hear that they have recognised the threat to our state and to oppressed individuals abroad by introducing new measures to tackle this matter.
Richmond Park is home to a large number of Iranian citizens, and I know that people of an Iranian heritage have been unfairly targeted via Account Freezing Orders, and I also used the debate to highlight this issue.
These orders are meant to be applied to combat fraud and violent crime, but this has also been used to freeze accounts of which finances have originated from Iranian sources as the money can be considered to be suspicious by the authorities. This has led to many innocent Iranians having their accounts frozen, which of course creates liquidity issues for those affected and can cause significant issues to people who must pay their rent or other bills.
In the Chamber, I asked the Minister to provide reassurances to individuals who have been affected by this matter, and to raise the multiple consequences that can be produced by having unfair restrictions applied to their accounts. I was disappointed that the Minister was unable to provide an immediate response to this question, but I will certainly take him up on his offer to follow-up on this issue once he has examined this matter in further detail.
You can watch my question here.
FINANCE BILL:
On Monday, the Finance Bill returned to the House of Commons for its remaining stages. An amendment to the Bill was put forward colleague, Daisy Cooper MP, which would ensure a review of the Bill’s impact on small and medium-sized enterprises by requiring an impact assessment to be undertaken, and I spoke in support of her amendment during the debate.
While a headline figure was announced several months ago that the price of draught beer would reduce by 1p, not enough attention has been directed towards the impact that this Bill will have on wine duty. As the alcohol duty for wine is now set to be linked to the volume of alcohol in each bottle, this will mean that wine bottles will be subject to 30 different duties, compared to previously when 85% of wine sold in the UK was subject to the same duty.
The soaring prices of energy and water, amongst other related costs of running a pub or restaurant, are causing owners and staff members a great deal of concern, and I know that hospitality industries in my constituency have a difficult job of managing these costs without placing all of the expense onto their customers.
I also spoke to an amendment which called for an impact assessment to be undertaken to examine the effect that the changes to VAT fees has had on children with special educational needs (SEN) but who do not have an Education and Care Health Plan (ECHP).
Nearly 100,00 SEN children do not currently have an EHCP, and the change to taxation on private schools will have a disproportionate impact on these pupils. Not only will it create hardship for those children and their parents, but it will also place an enormous pressure on our local authorities to process EHCPs in a quicker manner and on state schools that will have to find the resources to help accommodate more pupils who require additional support.
I reiterated my opposition to the Government’s imposition of VAT on private schools, and you can watch a clip of my questions here.
POLITICAL FINANCE RULES:
Yesterday, an important debate on political finance rules in the UK was held in Parliament, which I was pleased to speak on in my capacity as the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office.
Protecting our democracy must be a priority for this Government, in particular considering the rising influence of foreign billionaires, oligarchs and hostile actors. Political finance reform must play a central part in protecting our political and electoral system, taking big money out of politics and capping donations to political parties.
At the debate, I pushed the Government to take action on strengthening the Electoral Commission, capping donations and reversing the Conservatives’ voter ID scheme.
I also spoke about the threats facing our democracy, including misinformation and artificial intelligence deepfakes on social media, the interference of Russia in our democratic institutions, and the risk posed by foreign oligarchs like Elon Musk.
I will continue to hold the Government to account on the need to strengthen our democracy and tackle the scandal of malign interference in our democratic processes.
You can watch a clip of my speech here.
TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL COMMITTEE:
This week, I continued to scrutinise the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill as part of my duties as a member of the committee. During the past months that I have spent serving on the committee, I have been raising my concerns that the Bill does not have the sufficient safeguards in place to ensure that people with eating disorders and other mental health difficulties are not found to be eligible for assisted dying.
Yesterday, I was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, alongside another member of the committee, Lewis Atkinson MP, and I was asked to comment about what specific amendments I wanted to be added to the Bill to strengthen it before it returned to the House for its third reading. The committee has been debating the suitability of the Mental Health Capacity Act to be applied to assisted dying, and this week, I proposed an amendment which would strengthen the Bill to protect those suffering with serious eating disorders.
Of course, those with eating disorders suffer immensely and I understand that it can lead to people wishing to end their lives early. However, eating disorders can be treated, and we should be focusing on providing people with sufficient support to help them recover, even when they feel that it is not possible.
You can listen to my full interview here.
MEETING WITH TFL REGARDING HAMMERSMITH BRIDGE:
Last Friday, the local ward councillors for Barnes and I met with the Deputy Mayor of London for Transport, Seb Dance, and London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, to discuss TfL’s position on Hammersmith Bridge.
The purpose of this meeting was to discuss more immediate measures which could be taken to facilitate transport across the bridge. I was pleased to hear that TfL spoke positively about the prospect of pedicabs being introduced as a mode of transport across the bridge. The Pedicabs (London) Act passed last year which made the provision for TfL to regulate pedicabs in Greater London.
I responded to TfL’s consultation, which closes tonight, to voice my approval of rickshaws being used over the bridge. A frequent issue that has arisen with unregulated pedicabs in London is that individuals can be charged excessive costs while some rickshaws have the tendency to play loud and disruptive music. I have called upon TfL to examine these issues to ensure that passengers are not charged excessive prices and that local residents are not disturbed by the noise disruption.
In addition to the discussions about pedicabs, Seb Dance and Will Norman stated that additional traffic measurements will be taken on the roads which might have received an increase in traffic due to the closure of Hammersmith Bridge. I understand that current measures are disputed, and it is important that a clear data set is established to enable a better understanding of traffic levels on the surrounding roads.
VISIT TO SVENSKA SKOLAN:
Last December, I received a number of letters from Year 9 students at the Swedish School in Barnes (Svenska Skolan i London). These letters were excellently written and they raised local issues which are important to our younger residents. I wanted to follow-up on these letters by speaking to the students in-person, and I am very grateful for the school’s hospitality and for facilitating this visit.
The topic which seemed most important to the children was the need for improvements at Castelnau Recreation Ground. In the letters I received, the students highlighted that the zip-line has been taken out of use and that the wooden multi-play unit is deteriorating in condition. I have followed-up on these issues with the Council’s Park Manager, and I understand that their team is awaiting a decision regarding their application for capital funding for the replacement of both items and to undertake a greater refurbishment of the park.
Another issue that arose was the amount of street lighting on Queen Elizabeth Walk in Barnes. As some of the students pointed out, this street provides access to football pitches, volleyball and tennis courts, and therefore it is a one which is frequently used by young people who take part in sporting activities. I have raised this matter with the Senior Engineer for Street Lighting at the Council, and I understand that following an inspection, it has been found that several lights are being obstructed by deciduous trees. This matter has now been passed onto the Parks Team for action.
A number of other issues, such as people littering and burglaries in the area, were raised by the students, and I was of course happy to answer all of their queries. I would like to thank everyone at the Swedish School for hosting me and a special thank you to Susanna, the teacher for the Year 9 class, for helping to organise the visit and for passing on her students’ letters to me initially.
RUSSELL SCHOOL VISIT TO PARLIAMENT:
Earlier this week, I spoke with a group of Russell School students who were visiting Parliament on a school trip.
I spoke with the children about my own journey to becoming an MP and I hopefully passed on some interesting insight into the work that I undertake to represent my constituents each day.
The students were evidently excited to be in Parliament and I was happy to hear that they had a positive experience on their first trip to Parliament.
ANIMAL WELFARE DROP-IN EVENT:
On Thursday, I attended the Four Paws UK drop-in session in Parliament, to highlight the public health risk posed by the fur trade in the UK.
The UK should be a world leader in animal welfare standards and I am determined to ensure that the humane treatment of animals is upheld. In the previous Parliament, the planned ban on fur imports was disappointingly cancelled, but I am pleased to see the issue make a comeback in this new Parliament.
At the event, it was particularly interesting to hear about the public health risks involved in the fur trade, including how the impact of overcrowding, poor hygiene and inadequate cleaning leads to greater chance of diseases such as influenza.
I would like to thank Four Paws for their continued work championing this important cause, and thank those constituents who wrote to me about this issue.
WORK ON THE HA-HA:
Last Saturday, I joined local North Richmond Councillors and Habitats and Heritage volunteers for the "Spring Clean" of the Kew ha-ha.
The ha-ha along Kew Road was in a very sorry state a couple of years ago, until Councillors and Habitats and Heritage worked to clear the ha-ha of litter and started to reintroduce native plant species while improving biodiversity in the area.
Volunteers are always welcome, and if you wish to find out more about this project, you can do so by clicking on the following link.
COMMUNITY NEWS:
SHEEN ART TRAIL:
East Sheen’s small business community and the Sheen Artists group have collaborated to create the Sheen Art Trail, with a range of local businesses teaming up with local artists to display their work in their shop windows.
The trail will cover a range of art forms, such as paintings, ceramics, and photography. It will run from 17-22 March, and you can find out more information here.
TOUR OF KINGSTON MUSEUM:
On 29 March between 14:15-15:15 and 15:30-16:30, you can book a free tour of Kingston museum.
The tour will be hosted by a qualified tour guide and you will be shown around the artifacts and beautiful collection of art that the museum has to offer. The museum provides an excellent insight into the borough’s history, and you can ask the guide any additional questions that you may have.
To find out more about this tour, please click on the following link.
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