2018 March

As Shadow Leader of the House, on Monday 12 March 2018, I responded to an Urgent Question on the treatment of House of Commons staff.

At Business Questions on 8 March 2018, I raised nurses bursaries with the Leader of the House. The Government have not yet provided time to debate early-day motion 937, which deals with the regulations on abolishing nursing bursaries for post-graduate nursing students. The House needs to debate the implications of the Government’s policy, before it is extended even further.

As a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), I met with the delegation from the Parliament of Canada on Monday 5 March 2018 in Parliament.

I was delighted that Pat Halpin, who works hard for his community, was awarded with a Merit Award on Sunday 4 March 2018.

I raised with the Leader of the House, the important work that police support staff do after the Member for Parliament for Walsall North, who voted to cut police budgets — the west midlands has had to face a cut of £145 million since 2010 — said that £10 million was being spent on “back-office staff”. I asked the Leader of the House to ensure that an appropriate apology will be made and perhaps schedule a debate on what police support staff actually do.