2022 July

It is a long-established protocol that a Member of Parliament should be notified in advance when another Member visits their constituency. A Member of Parliament is elected to represent those who live in their constituency, and lack of proper notice of visits disregards that relationship. On Wednesday 13 July 2022 I raised a Point of Order regarding several breaches of that protocol by the Members for Walsall North and Aldridge-Brownhills.

At an Urgent Question on Wednesday 13 July 2022, the Foreign Secretary was asked to make a statement on the state of emergency declared in Sri Lanka.

The Online Safety Bill seeks to implement measures to reduce the harm which can be caused using the internet. The Bill had its Report Stage in the House on Tuesday 12 July 2022.

Horizon is the EU’s largest research funding programme, making grants which total £80 billion. The UK had been expected to retain associate Horizon membership after leaving the EU, but disputes over the Government’s implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol have meant that membership has not been granted. In addition to financial security, funding through Horizon enables British scientists to collaborate on projects with scientists across Europe. 

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 allow agency workers to be sent to fill in for workers on strike. Going on strike is used as a last resort by workers to defend good working conditions and fair pay. The Government is attacking this right while doing little to address the conditions contributing to the strikes, breaking decades of consensus. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation who represent employment agencies have called the proposals “unworkable”, and the Government’s own impact assessment has said only 2% of lost working hours could be replaced by agency workers.